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ENLARGE
A crowd of dancers forms next to the stage at Tuesday night's Music on the Half Shell performance in Stewart Park.
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ENLARGE
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Scarlet Gonzalez, 5 months, of Roseburg enjoys her first concert Tuesday at Music at the Half Shell in Roseburg's Stewart Park. Her aunt, Shanon Weberg, and 9-year-old cousin, Jason Swaffar, clearly enjoy Scarlet as much as the concert.
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ENLARGE
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Robben Ford and his band perform Tuesday night in the second concert of this summer's Music on the Half Shell series.
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It seems to seamlessly come together every Tuesday.
The music goes on without a hitch and thousands of people enjoy it with nary a glitch.
While 3,000 or so pairs of eyes were locked on Robben Ford's electrified fingers Tuesday, dozens of minor details were being tended to by volunteers. But it's not about the work they do, they'll tell you. It's about bringing music and people together.
Witnessing the one-night stand between entertainer and audience is what keeps many of the Music on the Half Shell volunteers coming back for more.
“When the music starts and, in raw numbers, 25 percent of the city is engaged in one common thing,” Half Shell president Bob Cotterell said, “it's the coolest thing I've ever seen.”
That's one reason he has volunteered for at least 15 of the 18 years that the free summer concert series has been gracing Stewart Park.
Cotterell is just one of many volunteers who contribute to the success of the event.
Many times in the past, random people strolling through the park have lent a hand with early morning setup, he said, adding that one man who recently lost his job has showed up the past two weeks to help. The committee calls it “Half Shell magic.”
Every week, volunteers make music their business.
While kids are lining up to buy ice cream and couples are cuddling on blankets, there are volunteers who are navigating shuttles through streams of people, heading downtown to pick up another load of concertgoers.
When Ford was meditating before his performance, volunteers were directing traffic, scouting for wily pets and greeting folks at the gates.
When the blues musician's first note leaked from mouth to microphone, volunteers were valet parking bicycles in a safe place so cyclists could enjoy the concert without a worry.
“The fact of the matter is, it wouldn't happen without them,” Half Shell committee member Ross Adams said.
At about 5 p.m. each week, hundreds of motorists start their trek into Stewart Park. Richard Fowler, Ralph Patterson and Don Good are the traffic controllers who guide them.
The three are members of the Volunteers in Police Service program which is administered by the Roseburg Police Department. Throughout the year, program volunteers can be found assisting with special events, taking abandoned vehicle complaints, helping with fingerprinting at the station and doing “pretty much anything else we ask them to do,” said Sgt. Aaron Dunbar, who is the volunteer coordinator for the program.
The nationwide program has been a part of Roseburg for the past 15 years and currently, there are eight program volunteers who range in age from 50 to 90.
“Financially, it's a wonderful thing,” Dunbar said of the program. “If we didn't have these volunteers, we would have to staff (the parking areas) with an overtime officer.”
Patterson and Good are stationed at the front gate, while their counterpart, Fowler, mans the back gate.
Fowler retired from military in 1987 and has been in the program for a year and a half.
“I served my country for almost 21 years,” he said. “I figured it was time to serve my community.”
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@nrtoday.com.
The music goes on without a hitch and thousands of people enjoy it with nary a glitch.
While 3,000 or so pairs of eyes were locked on Robben Ford's electrified fingers Tuesday, dozens of minor details were being tended to by volunteers. But it's not about the work they do, they'll tell you. It's about bringing music and people together.
Witnessing the one-night stand between entertainer and audience is what keeps many of the Music on the Half Shell volunteers coming back for more.
“When the music starts and, in raw numbers, 25 percent of the city is engaged in one common thing,” Half Shell president Bob Cotterell said, “it's the coolest thing I've ever seen.”
That's one reason he has volunteered for at least 15 of the 18 years that the free summer concert series has been gracing Stewart Park.
Cotterell is just one of many volunteers who contribute to the success of the event.
Many times in the past, random people strolling through the park have lent a hand with early morning setup, he said, adding that one man who recently lost his job has showed up the past two weeks to help. The committee calls it “Half Shell magic.”
Every week, volunteers make music their business.
While kids are lining up to buy ice cream and couples are cuddling on blankets, there are volunteers who are navigating shuttles through streams of people, heading downtown to pick up another load of concertgoers.
When Ford was meditating before his performance, volunteers were directing traffic, scouting for wily pets and greeting folks at the gates.
When the blues musician's first note leaked from mouth to microphone, volunteers were valet parking bicycles in a safe place so cyclists could enjoy the concert without a worry.
“The fact of the matter is, it wouldn't happen without them,” Half Shell committee member Ross Adams said.
At about 5 p.m. each week, hundreds of motorists start their trek into Stewart Park. Richard Fowler, Ralph Patterson and Don Good are the traffic controllers who guide them.
The three are members of the Volunteers in Police Service program which is administered by the Roseburg Police Department. Throughout the year, program volunteers can be found assisting with special events, taking abandoned vehicle complaints, helping with fingerprinting at the station and doing “pretty much anything else we ask them to do,” said Sgt. Aaron Dunbar, who is the volunteer coordinator for the program.
The nationwide program has been a part of Roseburg for the past 15 years and currently, there are eight program volunteers who range in age from 50 to 90.
“Financially, it's a wonderful thing,” Dunbar said of the program. “If we didn't have these volunteers, we would have to staff (the parking areas) with an overtime officer.”
Patterson and Good are stationed at the front gate, while their counterpart, Fowler, mans the back gate.
Fowler retired from military in 1987 and has been in the program for a year and a half.
“I served my country for almost 21 years,” he said. “I figured it was time to serve my community.”
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@nrtoday.com.
