FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
Blue Yesterdays: big band
sound for local music scene
• BAND
CELEBRATES 35
YEARS, SET TO PLAY
AT BANDSTAND
DEDICATION
• HUNTINGTON, SUMPTER
COMMUNITIES REPRESENTED AT
QUARTERLY MEETING
BY BRIAN ADDISON
Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Baker City’s own, the
Blue Yesterdays big band,
has reconvened to continue
what has become a 35-year
legacy of keeping the
Swing Era alive. The Blue
Yesterdays performs many
of the hits from the big
band era paying homage to
American musical greats
like Glenn Miller, Count
Basie, Duke Ellington, and
Tommy Dorsey.
The band rehearses
every Tuesday evening
and familiar melodies and
harmonies ring out from
saxophones, trombones
and trumpets all held
together by a four-piece
rhythm section with piano,
guitar, bass, and drums. In
all, the band includes 17
musicians most of whom
reside in Baker City with a
few traveling from Union
County.
The Blue Yesterdays,
named long ago through
a ‘name the band contest’
won by LaDonna Uttenru-
ether, was formed through
a labor of love by current
tenor sax player Doug
Smurthwaite, now de-
ceased and greatly missed
baritone saxophonist
Jim Monroe, and the late
trumpeter and Baker High
School band teacher John
Swinkles. The band still
plays many of the charts
transcribed by hand by
Swinkles.
Over the years, the Blue
Yesterdays have provided a
home for many great musi-
cians and some who just
loved being involved with
a musical ensemble. Some
who’ve lent their musical
talents to the band include
the late great pianist Dr.
Gaylord Ward, the band’s
first bassist Jimmy Lloyd
Rea, trombonists Kerry
Carpenter and JD Lethlean,
and trumpeter Harold “Spi-
der” Webb. Many others
BY EILEEN DRIVER
Eileen@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Brian Addison / The Baker County Press
The Blue Yesterdays big band saxophone section works through a recent
rehearsal. From left are Cody Gyllenburg, Vivian Rhodes, Russ Hunt, and band
founder Doug Smurthwaite. In the background are Jace Roland and Zach Allen.
have participated and their
contributions are kept alive
as the current members are
often reminded of those
who preceded them.
The current incarnation
of the Blue Yesterdays has
brought together some of
the most talented musi-
cians in the band’s history.
The trumpet section is
led by Zach Allen with
help from Brian Watt, the
saxophone section comes
together under the leader-
ship of alto saxophonist
and one of the original
band members Russ Hunt,
alto saxophonist and clari-
netist Vivian Rhodes, tenor
saxophonist and founder of
the band Doug Smurthaite
with Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity professor Donna
Evans on second tenor,
and trombone section with
Brian Addison, retired La
Grande high school band
instructor James Howell,
Baker High School band
instructor Jeff Sizer who
has recently accepted a job
offer teaching elementary
band students in Pasco,
Washington, bassist and
owner of the Zephyr cof-
fee shop and café Paul
McNeil, guitarist Fredric
Anderson, and from Cove
drummer Carol Cromwell.
The Blue Yesterdays has
also provided a place for
student musicians home
from college on sum-
mer break to play and to
maintain their chops. This
summer cool jazz tenor
saxophonist Cody Gyllen-
berg, talented trombonist
Jace Roland, and recent
Baker High School gradu-
ate the versatile woodwind
specialist Gracie Hardy all
performed with the band.
The Blue Yesterdays
performed this summer for
the July 12th Powder River
Music Review in front of
an enthusiast and support-
ive audience at the Geiser-
Pollman City Park. That
was the weekend Baker
City saw record-setting
rainfall and the band was
just able to fit in one-hour-
and-forty minutes of their
two-hour program. Ironi-
cally, it was not long after
the band performed a ver-
sion of “Here’s that Rainy
Day Again,” that the skies
opened up again and sent
band and audience looking
for cover.
The Blue Yesterdays plan
several more gigs in the
near future including the
upcoming and much-antic-
ipated bandstand dedica-
tion in Geiser-Pollman
City Park, and an upcom-
ing Friday night dance
at the VFW. The date of
the bandstand dedication
ceremony concert has not
yet been set and awaits
word from the construction
contractor as to the date
of completion on the large
acoustic structure but will
likely take place sometime
in the first part of Septem-
ber. The date of the dance
at the VFW has not yet
been set but will probably
come together on a Friday
evening in mid-October.
The recent decision by
Jeff Sizer to accept a job
in Pasco, Washington has
left the band with a need
for a jazz pianist and the
band would like to invite
another swing drummer
to share the book with
Cromwell. Trumpeters and
a baritone saxophonist are
also welcome to stop in
for a rehearsal held every
Tuesday evening in the
Baker High School band
room at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Blue Yesterdays
band members extend
thanks and appreciation to
the Baker School District
for allowing the use of the
band room for rehearsals,
the Baker County Cultural
Coalition for funding as-
sistance, and the support of
a dedicated audience.
Behind the
summer’s
events
• A LOOK AT THE
RESOURCES BEHIND
ALL THE SUMMER
FUN
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Baker City’s busy sum-
mer events—like the Hells
Canyon Motorcycle Rally
and Miners Jubilee—seem
to flow right by from an
attendees’ point of view.
But before, after and
blended in during the
events are a host of City
and private resources
working to keep the parade
on its route and the beer
garden safe.
Take, for example, the
275 orange barricade signs
put up by City workers
League of
Oregon Cities
meets in
Seneca
from the Public Works
Department to block off
streets and mark the pa-
rade. That department also
puts out four “advanced
warning” signs, according
to Tom Fisk. On Monday,
Fisk and crew worked in
reverse, picking up and
taking down all the signage
they’d dropped off days
earlier.
Said Michelle Owen, the
City’s Public Works Direc-
tor, “Our guys work very
hard to make sure there
is appropriate signage for
each event. We want the
public to stay safe. Our
Parks Department also
does a fair amount of prep
work to get the park ready
for Jubilee.”
In additional interest-
ing trivia, Baker Sanitary
Service reports that the
two dropboxes from the
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Officer Rand Weaver helps mark the parade route
last Saturday.
park alone during Jubilee
contained 4,360 pounds of
garbage—that’s over two
tons for one weekend, and
doesn’t count the addi-
tional temporary container,
which isn’t weighed.
Even the electrical setup
for vendors in the park
takes “an army of guys,”
according to Ron Bell,
owner of Powder River
Electric.
Bell has been volunteer-
ing at the park at Miners
Jubilee each year for the
past decade, hooking up
cords and electrical boxes.
Bell says they “maxed
out” on power in the heat
of the day with the current
vendor amount—using 400
amps, around 60 outlets
and probably 500 yards of
heavy duty bologna cords,
if he had to guess.
In the past, Bell and
crew have had to rent the
“spider” boxes used. Not
so this year.
SEE SUMMER EVENTS
PAGE 11
The League of Oregon Cities (LOC) quarterly meet-
ing of the Small Cities Forum was held from 11:00 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday July 16th at the Seneca School
House at 101 Park Ave, Seneca, Oregon.
A representative from the Huntington City Council
attended, as well as several individuals from the Sumpter
City Council.
The meeting was called to order by Josh Walker, City
Manager/Recorder of the City of Seneca who said, “ I
want to thank everyone for making the long trip out to
Seneca to participate in this Forum. It has been a big help
to us to have this group to learn from and discuss things
with.”
The first item on the agenda was Professor Sheri Car-
penter, Business Marketing, Eastern Oregon University
with a presentation of “Internships and Career Pathways
in Rural Communities,” which addressed the changes in
the new economy where education and tech skills are the
new currency. Going straight to a four year university is
not necessarily the way to go anymore. Internships are
valuable tools for both the student and the businesses and
communities they serve. Students need to learn the “soft
skills,” collaboration, communication, critical thinking,
persistence, professionalism and time management. Skills
that are better learned with “on the job” training through
internships working directly in their field of study.
The students benefit through experience, the business
or communities benefit by getting work done by low or
no-cost workers.
Anyone looking for more information can contact Shari
Carpenter, PHD, MBA at scarpent@eou.edu or by going
to their website at www.eou.edu.
Stan Foster president of PARC Resources spoke to the
assembly on “creating Fundable Proposals With Confi-
dence” outlining the steps for successful grant proposals
by establishing needs and priorities, researching funding
opportunities, getting to know the inner workings of a
competitive grant proposal, working out a budget, which
is the “brain of a proposal,” perfecting the narrative,
which is the “heart” of a grant proposal and submitting
the proposal, which is the “finish line.”
According to Stan Foster, “Grants can be intimidating,
but by taking them step by step they can be very suc-
cessful and rewarding.” PARC, which is short for Public
Affairs Resource Company, Resources has more than 25
years of experience working with rural and tribal com-
munities and can be reached at 800) 758-6812 or at their
website www.parcresources.com.
The round table topics for discussion where the changes
to the Oregon Marijuana laws, utility billing services and
pricing and the current “cost of living” wage of $13.00
an hour for individuals and $16.25 an hour for families
which is generally not being met by eastern Oregon
citizens.
The Host city of Seneca supplied a delicious meal of
Spaghetti with large organic beef meatballs, vegetable
medley, green salad, foccacia bread and cookies or lemon
bars for dessert.
Present to partake of the information and the food
were LeAnne Woolf, Sumpter City Council; Annie
Oakley, Sumpter City Council; Toni Thompson, President
Sumpter City Council; Carrie Vessery, President Monu-
ment City Council; Ellen Lucas, Maintenance, Monu-
ment; Andrea Combs, Mayor, Seneca; Marsie Watson,
Long Creek City Recorder; Sean Maloney, Project Lead
ODOT Ontario; Brandon Maloney, Engineer at Anderson
Perry; Robert Armbruster, Sumpter City Council; Melissa
Findley, Mayor Sumpter; Tami Kowing, Mount Vernon
City Recorder; Diane Blake, Canyon City City Council;
Karen Wagner, Senator Merkley’s office; Peggy Gray,
John Day City Manager; Ron Lundbaum, Mayor John
Day; Kathleen Cathey, Senator Wyden’s Office; Eileen
Driver, President Huntington City Council; Shellie Nash,
Deputy City Recorder, Huntington; and Sean O’Day,
General Counsel and Meeting facilitator for the League
of Oregon Cities.
The next LOC Meeting was set for October 22, 2015 at
Mount Vernon, Oregon and will be the last meeting of the
year. Topics for the meeting will include zoning changes,
Land Use laws and Ordinance Enforcement.
SVRR celebrates
No. 3 Heisler’s
100th birthday
August is Founders' Month at Sumpter Valley Rail-
road! And on August 8-9 SVRR celebrates the 100th
birthday of the No. 3 Heisler locomotive.
Special jaunts all weekend with cake at noon on Satur-
day at the Sumpter depot. Come join us in celebrating the
Heisler's Century of Steam!