Fred Windish

LucysSkylinerAlumni, First of all, many excellent ideas have come forth from this outreach effort to DCA's valued fans. The DCA administration, even the corps participants, can't possibly all have the same experience at championships, no matter where the event is held. DCA's goal is to improve on its presentation every year. All of this really helps! From what I was told, the square dance convention was actually booked into the Riverside Convention Center before the selection of Rochester for DCA was firm. We knew for 2006, DCA would be the "second" tenant in that wonderful building. For 2007, the entire convention center is reserved for DCA Weekend. You can expect DCA to move its Mini-Corps show downstairs to an even larger floor space. You also might have noticed, the downstairs area included a large lobby section. Although filled this year with square dance vendors, we see that same space as hosting our refreshment and vendor activities. The overall facility is huge. I see no reason why the chorus event could not be moved to a more suitable room either. Overall, I was simply amazed by what I saw on Friday evening. Between the Clarion venues, lobby, street level, and the convention center, I'm thinking we had 5000 people show up for that magnificant event. I must admit, as I walked throughout and tried to evaluate all that was going on, I was a bit teary-eyed, and it felt real good! As for stadium expansion, the PAETEC people still need to obtain the extra funding requested (but that's close), then best determine how to enhance the existing facility. You and I would like to see larger seating added on one side, but as a multi-purpose venue intended to serve the entire Rochester region, a different use for those new funds is a real possibility. Then we need to respect the likely construction timeline. Expansion to suit DCA could be a 2008 thing at best. Really don't know.

Hi all, This whole discussion is what I believe makes DCA so special. First of all, please excuse my typos, etc. That type of thing usually makes me lose sleep. The grass was calling! I had never seen it so tall. I just can't properly explain how valuable this dialogue has been. I heard from more than one DCA official something to the effect of "Hey, we're getting good suggestions here. Let's try to keep this up"! Folks, that weekend is truly something special. I know it, you know it. Now, let's all do what we can to KEEP it special. Thanks, Tom. Hope the journey back was a good one.

Catch'n up! Had to attend to some family business today. Just now back to everyone's excellent suggestions. I'll try to respond to most of them here briefly. More more discussion, please send me an email at prdirector@dcacorps.org. truman- Thanks for line one. Concerning intrusive staff, that's a difficult one to resolve. Everyone is so intense as this is our Super Bowl. Instructions are provided, but those instructions don't always filter down to all corps persons. Everone's mind is in so many places. camel lips - Porto potties were available outside the stadium, probably just not enough. Easy to fix. As for the neighborhood, I was OK with what I saw. Maybe not after midnight, but where do we feel fae any more? One thing to consider, governments DO NOT release funding for projects in classy neighborhoods, only challenged neighborhoods in hope all of that will change. Properties are being bought up, demolished, etc. Overall, I found that area to have less than average residential use. Porto-potties in stadium, why not? But, I also stood in line for a spot in Scranton, and don't get me started about that mess in Allentown. I spoke that evening with the head groundskeeper about the field lining process. He indicated anything done during the event can only be temporary. Add water into the equation and forget it. His paint product is water-based (for obvious, multi-purpose stadium reasons). The lines dry from the outside edge in. That takes 30 minutes. They did the best they could. As for anyone occupying reserved seats with a GA ticket, that sounds like an usher problem. Also not very courteous of spectators as the folks who paid for those seats were probably out in the food lines. gmencontra - the selection of the location for the photographer bleachers was done because it WAS a rough area, still not paved over. The already paved over areas were put in place for other uses and in consideration of stadium ingress/egress. An additional benefit of the rough spot chosen was to hide all of that distracting activity from fan view. Had it not rained . . . Gary Matczak - food and refreshments outside the stadium are not the responsibility of PAETEC Park. Each corps needs to deal with there own needs. Water was made available inside the stadium. jeffsnewjetta - as you well know, the DCA Championships event is a difficult event to place, mostly due to its date. Rochester was head & shoulders above other alternatives at the time of selection. Shadow 7 - I doubt PAETEC Stadium would have been designed not up to ADA code for handicapped parking spaces. That code specifies 20 spaces for the first 1000 spectators, and 1 additional space for each 100 more persons over 1000. The lot nearest the elevator contained 85 spaces itself. The much larger lot behind the backfield grandstand contained additional spaces, but I really don't know the number over there. Maybe next year, temporary handicapped parking can be assigned out on Broad Street, as in done at Allentown. MJH - Interesting concept. Just don't know I could handle that tight schedule! YEs, the Awards thing was shortened in response to spectator complaints in Scranton. However, there will always be more awards given here than at any lesser show. Markdewire - No one really thought about the problem presented by only on access gate to the field for Retreat. It was low in priority. I know that can be improved by staging ourselves differently next year. dbriggs - There were 2500 seats placed at the Mini Corps venue. The rear portion was for ID checks and beverages, etc. Those folks stood around and chatted with friends. The crowd that turned out was much greater than we expected. WE are told, we will have greater access to the convention center performance areas next year, including a larger main floor that was used fo square dancing this year. Hope all this helps. Now, it's off to mow my lawn! :)

Chills . . . On behalf of Drum Corps Associates, I'd like to congratulate our friends Drum Corps International, and broadcast producer, Tom Blair. Tonight's ESPN2 show was magnificant! Lots of stunning visual images throughout, very effective message as we strive to explain our one-of-a-kind sport to our viewers. Like the Rose Bowl, DCI is one game I want to see every year!

MrBud, We hear you. Right now, DCA has no full time paid staff persons (there are lots of just full time persons, however). DCA's webmaster, Glen Johnson, is also our DCA Secretary, and our championship tabulator. Talk about pressure, and thoughts elsewhere. For the most part, until we get more help, DCA will benefit from the service Drum Corps Planet provides. Anyone online with DCP this weekend, was not only given the weather report, but a nearly accurate raindrop count. Even then, Glen tried to tabulate those numbers! Thanks!

John and Mr. Dempsey, It was a magnificant weekend, despite Saturday. I will continue to address every suggestion. There have been times when I replied to persons anonymously for obvious reasons. As an interesting aside, the PAETEC Stadium people have been reading DCP all day. One of them called me, and we immediately went to work on one of the issues. Pretty cool, huh? It will take me a few weeks to catch up with everyone I worked with up there and provide DCA's thanks. I'd like to start with John Donovan. DCP is the voice of the marching music activity. John, you speak more loudly than we ever could, and we're grateful! Mr. Dempsey, comments like yours make this effort happen. I think you know what I mean.

Ah. . . . no disrespect, but SoCal Dream was contacted on more than one ocassion to provide info. They did not. So there you are.

Sayre, Still here and appreciating your comments. Thank you, but after 5 days of 4 hours per night sleep, I'm off to the sack. I'll be back tomorrow for most of the day. Good night all.

John, I understand it's an emotional weekend for everyone. The first row of $45 dollar seats is 5 feet above where you probably were. You can yell and clap all you want, but if there's a chance that your actions interfere with our paying public, and if you're people can't abide by the regulations that apply to everyone, then we need to have a private discussion in the best interest of this organization. This is a product that we want to sell, it needs to be polished. Please pm me if you don't get this concept.

TchMuzk, The place was built for soccer, not for drum corps. Soccer fans are somewhat crazy, thus, the limited access. It is what it is. I can tell you, every corps director at the Friday meeting was told about the access to upper level problem. It was stressed, if you want to make your way up there for your corps, don't even enter the playing field. As for the downstairs viewing area. That's what you get. The event is not about your staff, but about the comfort of your paying fans. Hope you understand.

ripper, My good friend, Moe Knox, has health issues that limit his appearance at DCA events. As for photo sales, Jolesch Photography has extended itself to obtain exclusive rights to DCA Championship images. We appreciate that and will do everything possible to uphold those rights.

Jesse, That whole I&E thing is pretty much DCA's gift to the fans. There is no requirement that any corps participate. I believe that's the correct way to go. The competing units are here on a mission. That's to prepare themselves best for Sunday night. They must always be allowed to do what they feel best in their quest of success. Would I like to see the Bucs' members at I&E? Yes, I am proud to have been one of them!

Hi Ray! Allen and his folks have had several beers. They're fine. Well . . . maybe not so fine the day after. I DID NOT know books were not available near the end of the Alumni event. By the way, big crowd for that. Goal to goal at the bottom, could not see the top from where I was. DCA will climb that ladder as long as guys like you keep participating. Thanks.

Jesse, Thanks so much for your comment. We, as the organizers, could not possibly have had the same experience as you, the performers. Hey, I parked inside the stadium. Have little knowledge of what everyone else went through. We need this feedback if we are to improve conditions for EVERYONE. A parade is a possibility, but that's for Allen to work-up. I'm thinking the city would be all for it, but a parade AND I&E would seem a difficult pairing at the same time, as I&E is mostly those same folks who would be parading!

notelvis, Rochester is a rather large community. About the same size as Madison, Wisconsin. Their airport offers many more flights than say, Allentown, Hershey, Scranton. DCA has become of national interest. We need to consider that. The Buffalo airport (even bigger than Rochester) is not too far away. Land, stay half-way between the two cities and it works. As for packages, DePrez Travel, who did our hotel bookings this year, is a very capable company. Got to believe they're thinking along the same lines as you. Thanks for that suggestion. It's a good one!

audiodb, If you go to the Rhinos soccer website, a map of parking IS available, and it's been there for months. As for closing of streets, we also went by the advice of the Rochester police who do this thing all the time when both PAETEC and Frontier have events running the same night. For the opening of PAETEC (a Rhinos game) with a AAA Baseball game the same time at Frontier Field three blocks away, the Rochester Police scheme worked well, and there were plenty of spots available for a night that had more spectators in the region than last night. Also know, the Rochester city administration ran free shuttle busses to DCA from the lots that at more than 3 blocks away. This is all about first year logistics. It will improve.

Morphy00, You are correct, the field could have been moved a bit closer. We considered that, but ended up going with a compromise. We were concerned about persons who were purchasing seats just one month ahead. We felt we could give them a little better experience by placing our frontline back by 3-5 yards. The move also helped visibility for those upstairs who would not have seen the drum major stand if we went with the soccer sideline. The VIP level (and that's important folks) does not yet have a stepped-up riser for the second row of seats. So, at two rows deep up there, our sideline placement gave both rows, now on the same level floor, a view of the DM. Our placement of the front line was STILL closer to the stands than most DCA/DCI venues. We don't see a problem here.

Leo, Nine out of ten components you look for in a championship host community are available in Rochester. For now, that's great! Oh yes, key people at PAETEC have been invited to view this discussion on DCP. They will.

lexiea, Thanks! Nothing here that can't be improved upon. Well, that's not quite right (weather)!

wishbonecav, Lots of great suggestions! The book probably would have sold out, if not for Saturday. We'll have a profit, thanks to our advertisers. The covergirl is a Buccaneer, taken at the Harrisburg show by one of the best drum corps photographers in the business, Sid Unser. Lighting at that stadium was awful, so Nicole, our graphic designer, made a decision to go artistic with the image. For all the other compliments . . . thanks!

Dennis, Interesting post. We ARE in discussion about feeding video. It almost happened this year on a small test basis, but we decided this was an effort we should not undertake having just decided 24 hours earlier. There are also questions about copyrights, etc. John Donovan discussed this with Gary Baker (DCA's video contractor) this weekend. Both seem interested, but there is much to be resolved first. It's coming.

Joe, I agree with you on that. The thinking must have been that non-performing corps members were arriving via the bus parking lot that was directly across from that gate. We realize though, a few corps had their members use private cars. If they parked over by the closed end of the stadium, it would have been a real hike. What I saw, was a PAETEC security force that can handle anything. Adding one more ID to acknowledge should not be a problem for them. They were experienced and actually worked! This type of thing is not my call, but I know Allen will read your suggestion. Thanks. Jim, I have been tracking that whole food thing on the Rhinos message boards for months. The soccer fans are also becoming impatient. I expect improvement. The food and beverage manager, Wasi, is a great guy, and this was his first exposure of any kind to our "class reunion." Now he knows. I did hear the roast beef sandwiches were outstanding, and the pizza was terriffic, if you got there before they ran out. What's sad is there were plenty of restrooms on the other side of the field that went unused, as very few spectators entered from that side of the stadium. There is never an intermission during the final ten corps. It's not a real long night, and DCA does not want to upset the timing of any corps performance in the interest of fairness. My personal opinion is yes, the stadium is smaller than we would like, but a next phase of construction is coming, maybe that will all change soon, as we play to the other side of the field. Still not clear.

Hi all! Just returned home from Rochester. I want to begin by giving our organization's thanks to everyone who attended the most important weekend on our calendar. If ever there was a " good news/bad news " kind of DCA Championship, this was it! Special thanks to John Donovan and his DCP team who did everything they could to enable all of you who were not able to attend a chance to be with us! Moving to a first year facility is always a difficult proposition and we knew that going in. Also, not having hosted the event in Rochester since 1996, we knew there would be unique problems and confusion to clear, working with many (non-drum corps) persons who were not involved back then, this would be a learning experience for everyone. DCA and our host community have already scheduled two early meetings to assess this weekend and improve. I can assure you, improvement WILL happen, and so many great features about Rochester WILL continue for 2007. I also want you to know, nearly everyone on the DCA administrative team visits DCP daily. Your postings are sending a message that gets through loud and clear. That must continue. So, let's get started . . . Here's what I observed. Did you see the same thing? Rochester is VERY MUCH a drum corps town. I couldn't find a wait staff person who did not have a family member who did not march corps either now or in the past. That sure helps the gate and we just experienced our best attended Finals in several years. Saturday was an ouch, but no one is to blame for that, so let's move on. The local community support, from an administrative perspective, was THE VERY BEST I have seen over a period of more than forty years. This is a massive undertaking, and both the host Empire Statesmen and the Greater Rochester Area were up to the task. We were treated like the best thing to happen to Rochester since the Brownie camera! The PAETEC Park people were wonderful. Nothing we asked was too much. Those of you who were there during those horrid Saturday conditions saw the grounds crew entering on several ocassions to keep our sponsor's banners hanging properly. They also went back out on the field to re-line, knowing full well the lines would not last, as the paint requires at least 30 minutes to dry, and on a surface that is not been walked on. Our host corps, Empire Statesmen, worked hard all year to bring this event to you. What more can be said about Allen Buell? He's an amazing organizer, and it showed! And now the rest. There were some rough spots. Quick access to food and drink was difficult. They were overwhelmed. Even their contracted independent vendors were surprised. One of the pizza stations ran out of stock and closed within 2 hours. Drum corps fans must be bigger eaters than soccer fans! They will adjust for this problem in Year Two. Parking was confusing to everyone. Afterall, we had never been there. There was adequate parking. We just did not know how to find it, but more lots will be opening closer to PAETEC, as properties are acquired and torn down. I saw lots of "yard parking" across the street for just $5 all day. Think Madison, only $5 less. Communicating our championship policies and procedures to our corps management people and their performers was a real challenge. Most of us were in a brand new home. This isn't Scranton anymore. Now it's your turn! As a paying customer, what did you observe about Rochester? DCA can learn and improve from your thoughts, both good and bad. We actually DO want to hear about anything that needs to be corrected. Don't hold back, we can take it. I assure you, anything that is presented in a mature, rational manner WILL be addressed by DCA. Sure hope you have lots of good thing to say, TOO! :)

Ben and others . . . The PAETEC ticket windows will open at 10am Saturday. Vendor set-ups will be done up until 12:30pm. Credentials for those I have not already seen, will be at the WILL CALL window. I apologize for all of this confusion. I just received the materials I need yesterday. PLUS . . . for some reason, none of the emails in my out box are being sent. I don't know why, but I sure can't sit here for hours trying to solve that problem. If anyone needs to speak with me, please call my cell: 484-788-1017

Seats for Prelims are readily available. There is no need at this point to purchase any in advance.