BUSY TIMES ARE COMIN'

     Summer has officially arrived and with it, numerous activities will soon be an important part of our citizen's lives. So, get a pencil or pen handy, along with a 2023 calendar, and follow along.

     Another Boone Municipal Band concert will be taking place Wednesday, June 28. Then, on July 4, along with the annual city fireworks display, the band have a patriotic concert. That will quickly be followed by the 31st annual Iowa Municipal Band Festival, featuring eight bands from all points of the Hawkeye state on July 8.

     Bands featured this year are the Ames Municipal band, 11 a.m.; the Iowa Military Veterans Band, noon; the Collins Concert band of Cedar Rapids, 1 p.m.; the Iowa Western Community band of Council Bluffs, 2 p.m.; the Heart of Iowa Senior band of Ames, 3 p.m.; the West Des Moines Community band, 4 p.m.; the Ballard Community band, 5 p.m. and our own Boone Municipal Band at 6 p.m. 

     A special treat this year is the addition of offerings by the Central Iowa Jazz Trio of Dave Swenson, Dave Richardson and Steve O'Brien at 11:45 a.m.; 12:45, 1:45 and 2:45 p.m. and some polka music from a Des Moines brass group at 3:45 and 4:45 p.m..

     ONWARD.....The Boone County Fair is scheduled for July 20-23 and July 22, is the annual Iowa By the Sea Picnic in Californ....I....ay. Then, we move into August. Pufferbilly Days are set for August 4-6. Of course, there are "regular" speedway races every Saturday night at the Boone Speedway in preparation for the "big ones," the Super Nationals, September 4-9.

     The Boone classes of 1960 have a reunion this weekend and we know also that the class of 1958 will be celebrating their 65th reunion on August 10.

     Busy times they are.

K-----K

     How about a little levity here.

     For several weeks, Jo and I have watched cement trucks roll eastward on Hancock Drive enroute to the new Ledges Elementary school site.

     For some reason, the sight of those trucks brought back a memory of an old song from "way back." It was called "Cement Mixer, Put-ti, Put-ti." I'm sure a much younger Jo immediately thought it was time to "put me away."

     No, there was such a song and it was very popular for, at least, a short time in the mid-1940's.

     Some of the big time band leaders of that era.......Alvino Rey, Charlie Barnet, Jimmie Lunceford, Hal McIntyre, even Liberace and a group called the Orions made recordings of that song.. However, it was jazz artists Bulee (Slim) Gaillard and Slam Stewart who co-authored the song and were two/thirds of a trio that originally recorded it.

     To complete your misery.......I will print some of the lyrics. It starts with "Cement etc." and after a couple rounds of that, continues with "First you get some gravel, put it in the vout, to mix a mess of mortar, you add cement and water, see the mellow-roony come out, slurp, slurp, slurp." Do I have to go further? I don't think so. Enough is enough.

     But, there was such a song and it made enough of a 1946 impression on me that I remembered it when I saw those cement trucks go by.

K-----K

     Good to hear this week from Jim Moore, BHS-59. His dad, Glen Moore, was BHS Principal during my high school days. In fact, I must relate the fact that Mr. Moore had a big impact on my life history. First, during my school days and then, as a 30-year employee of the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

     I almost hate to admit this but.......when I was a candidate for the IHSAA job.........I had an early three votes in my pocket. It was almost unfair. Bernie Saggau, the IHSAA Executive Director, wanted to hire me. It just so happens that Mr. Moore, at the time, was a voting member of the final decision makers.....the IHSAA Board of Control. But that's not all.

    The legal counsel for the IHSAA at that time was my good friend and classmate Lloyd Courter, BHS-53.

    Needless to say, I got the job and have been very thankful ever since.

    P.S.    Jim Moore was writing to tell me, "I'm enjoying your list of former Boyd's Dairy employees. I worked mainly at the Southside store. I did, occasionally, drive to farms to pick up cans of milk. I remember that one farm had an aggressive turkey that I was determined to avoid. 

K-----K

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