Downtown recognition coincides with concert

    A group of Washington residents has put together an event to celebrate the downtown enhancement project, and it will be held Thursday evening at the newly constructed bandstand. The event coincides with the first municipal band concert of the year.

    The purpose of the celebration is to recognize the people who helped with the downtown enhancement project over the last three years. The project included new streets, sidewalks, streetlights, the new library and the new bandstand. City Administrator Dave Plyman announced at last week?s city council meeting that the city will provide free popcorn and lemonade to the people who come to see the band. The Lions Club will also help with the refreshments.

    The band concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and not at its usual time of 8 p.m. According to the itinerary, the band will play a song to honor John Jackson, who made a generous donation for the new bandstand and who was one of the municipal band?s charter members in 1932.

    Jackson, now 95, lives in Fairfield and said he saw the new bandstand when he drove through Washington last week. On Tuesday morning, he said he wants to come to the celebration on Thursday but added that it depends on the weather, because he does not get around very well in the rain.

    Jackson began playing in the municipal band when he was 17 years old and a junior at Washington High School, where he was also the drum major. Jackson played clarinet in the municipal band for 10 years, even after he finished high school and moved to Fairfield. He and his wife Phyllis donated $175,000 to aid in the construction of the bandstand. Jackson said he wanted to provide something the entire town could enjoy.

    ?My wife and I had saved a little money, and I thought it was a good way to help the city,? said Jackson. ?Everyone could get some good out of the bandstand.?

    Shortly after the homage to Jackson, Mayor Sandra Johnson will recognize a long list of people and organizations that were instrumental in making the downtown enhancement project a success. The band concert will then continue after the recognitions are done.

For the full story, see the June 8 edition of The Washington Evening Journal