Ron Hoar, Drum Corps, and FIRES!!!!

Hey everyone--how y'alllllll doin? Well, by the power of my amazing skills of deduction, perserverance, and just straight out investigative prowess, I was able to bring to my dull existence a bit of sunlight....that is, I am "on assignment" out at the Southern Operations Command Center and assisting the California Department of Forestry Fire (CAL Fire) and the USFS Fire with manpower coordination across the state. This 14-day assignment as I referred to earlier in my blog is what we call in the fire biz "mutual aid". So in essence I stopped being an employee of the Orange County Fire Authority, and am now an employee of CAL Fire. It's a win-win situation. I get to learn a software program called ROSS (Resource Ordering and Status System) which basically is a nation-wide "ordering" program allowing fire departments to order equipment and personnel from anywhere in the country (and there are about 1,298,745 1/2 rules that govern this process!!!). I also get to meet new people and do exciting things! Ok, I'm being sort of a smart ass. I sit in a room for 12 hours a day with other folks from literally all over the country and....well....we coordinate and facilitate all day long. And kibbitz in between. Sort of cool. Interesting. I'm learning a lot, but I'm also realizing one thing in particular. But the sunshine I speak of is that I was able to access wireless internet, so now I can continue my search for the elusive END OF THE INTERNET as my friends sometimes say I am on a quest to find.

I'm sort of a "social butterfly" and I love to talk to other people, especially about their own dispatch centers or work places. OCFA, while nowhere perfect, sure looks better to me when I do these type of assignments. We really do have our act together in many respects. Amazes me some of the crap that people put up with in their own departments. But everyone and every organization has a hill to climb, hanh? I know we do. And please, for any fire department folks reading this, I do NOT speak from lofty heights. I'm just acknowledging that I'm in a good place.

So...who is Ron Hoar? Ron was a world famous band director here in southern California. He was an ex-Marine, and started (if I'm not mistaken) the Arcadia High School Apache Marching Band in 1959. For people that read this that may not know the significance of this, Arcadia is probably one of the most successful and currently largest marching band in all of the country--if not definitely California. People in the world of marching band judge the "success" of bands usually by equating placement at "Grand Nationals" at the annual Bands of America band orgy in Indiana. I don't. And Arcadia doesn't either. ANYWAY, I'm feeling like I'm about to tangentasize. Ron started the band and created a POWERHOUSE band--using his skills learned in the military, he made Arcadia practically unbeatable on the street for many years. That tradition continued after he left the school in 1973, and does so now with a great director (and lucky to say a FRIEND of mine) Tom Landes.

Another long-time friend and legendary band director in southern California, John Hausey (yes to all my old Pasadena High School Marching Band cronies that read this--yes...THAT John Hausey), is married to a composer, Collette, who was commissioned to write a march in honor of Ron Hoar who passed away a few years ago. I'm just overjoyed that a man of Ron's stature and accomplishments is being honored in this way. I was able to work with Ron at Pasadena City College back in the 80's and early 90's, and I was fortunate to be able to learn a lot from him. If I had ever jumped into the deep end of the band directing pool, I would have used HIM as my mentor and model. So...good job to John and Collette...and here's to you Ron...I'm sure you're in heaven trading war stories with Truman Crawford!

DRUM CORPS!!! Ohhhhhhhhhhh that wonderful wacky world of drum corps. It's just amazing how every year, things are new, yet, still the same. This is the first season in about 20 years that I was not able to announce ANY drum corps shows at all--and it's been VERY strange to say the least. Carolina Crown is bumping up against the big boys, recently beating Phantom Regiment and Cadets, and beating the Blue Devils IN MUSIC!! Gooooooooooood GRIEF!!! They are an amazing organization. One of my favorite drum corps, Academy from Arizona, for some reason is languishing and not nearly as good as last year, if scores were to be my guide. I haven't had the pleasure to see them this year, and I hope this is just a blip. They have an amazing staff (except for one person...grrrr....) and I hear that the music is absolutely hellaciously DIFFICULT this year. Santa Clara Vanguard, really and truly my most FAVORITE corps on the planet, is also having a tough time getting all pistons firing this season. By all reviews, it sounds like 80% of the show is absolutely kick ass, and the remaining 20% is like an after-thought. I'm friends with their Program Coordinator, Mike McCool. I think I'm gonna have to bug him for some info. He's a genius. He's usually calm under pressure. Maybe he knows something.

Another juicy bit of news...I got an email from a friend who shall remain nameless that is, if I'm reading this right, starting a ball rolling for the creation of a new drum corps. Why he wants to talk to me, I have no idea. But as soon as I'm able to actually TALK on my phone (difficult to do where I am versus typing), I will find out what's happening.

Well...that's just about it from here. Hope all is well out wherever you are. And thanks for reading...I will try to update more as I now know the secret of getting on the internet where I am in my bunker. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahaha...

Now get outta here.