Letter to the Editor: The Scotch Plains Summer Concert Series

Last Thursday's concert in the Alan M. Augustine Park concluded the 2010 Scotch Plains Cultural Arts Summer Concert Series. I want to thank all the musicians and bands that performed including, Doug Clarke and the Rutgers Rebels, conductor David Wroe and members of The Westfield Symphony Orchestra, The John Powers Band, RB Express, and Eric Harrison and the Crash Chorus.

As many of you know, due to Municipal budgetary constraints and a lack of funding, the curtain was to come down on this 20-year-old successful program in our community. However, generous contributions from the following, Beckerman and Company, Investors Savings Bank, PNC Bank, The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Patch, Family Investors Company, John's Meat Market (voted the number one market in the State) and The Scotch Plains Management Corporation made it possible for this rich tradition to continue. If you attended a concert, I know you would agree that the concert series provided many different genres of music and was exceptional. Producing the concerts required a lot of hard work and coordination that was done behind the scenes, and I want to recognize and thank the Scotch Plains Recreation Department for their outstanding work on the program. Also, it gives me great pleasure to recognize all those from TV34 who produced an exceptional professional broadcast for all of us to enjoy.

It's truly remarkable that in an age when government is simply eliminating programs due to lack of funding, we were able to successfully partner with our business community and volunteers to bring a little joy to our "neighborhood". Hopefully, this spirit of cooperation and community service will continue for many years to come.

On a personal note, I want to say that it was a privilege to participate and contribute to "keeping the music playing" and I am looking forward to another great concert series in the summer of 2011.

Kevin Glover

Councilman

The Township of Scotch Plains