MikeD Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 As has been mentioned on previous threads throughout the years, both the Hawthorne Muchachos and the Garfield Cadets used the vast parking lots of the old Ford plant on Route 17 at Mahwah, NJ where Interstate 287 intersects with the NY State Thruway. (There's a hotel on the property today.) One would think that the traffic noise from these highways would blunt any sounds from the corps' rehearsals. Cops would show up regularly because complaints would come from folks living up Schooley's Mountain four miles away who could hear even the conversations on the drum corps field. Hopkins never believed it until he went with the cops and stood on the people's patios. Yup, it was an anomaly of acoustics, wind sheers, and nothing between the car plant and the elevated housing...four miles away!!! In my era, we practiced a lot on the parking lot of the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack. We could hear the inmates yelling inside the jail. My guess is that they would have a had a good case to complain about cruel and unusual punishment having to listen to us play the same music over and over and over and....all summer long. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 In my era, we practiced a lot on the parking lot of the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack. We could hear the inmates yelling inside the jail. My guess is that they would have a had a good case to complain about cruel and unusual punishment having to listen to us play the same music over and over and over and....all summer long. Could you inagine the outcry of parents today if you had a group of kids practicing in the parking lot of the county jail? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Could you inagine the outcry of parents today if you had a group of kids practicing in the parking lot of the county jail? Well the Hackensack Jail (where the corps continued to practice until about '83) is more like a fortified castle (massive, huge, stone, and scary.) Besides, it's Joisey... Tony Soprano's BadaBing isn't too far away on Rt. 17. Not like those pleasure palaces you Mass. guys have in Norfolk/Wrentham, etc. More like the complex across the street from Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport, CT.. We know how little parents complain about that, ha, ha. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Well the Hackensack Jail (where the corps continued to practice until about '83) is more like a fortified castle (massive, huge, stone, and scary.) Besides, it's Joisey... Tony Soprano's BadaBing isn't too far away on Rt. 17. Not like those pleasure palaces you Mass. guys have in Norfolk/Wrentham, etc. More like the complex across the street from Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport, CT.. We know how little parents complain about that, ha, ha. The good folks from Walpole will be quick to inform you it is Cedar Junction, not Walpple, and the folks in Norfolk are quick to point out most of Norfolk is in Walpole, which is not the case, but since the value of my home is not dependent on the distinction, I won't comment. I have only been inside one of the "pleasure palaces," Concord, professionally, not by conviction and sentencing, and I'd hardly call it a pleasure palace, but they do have a great parking lot, so if BAC, 7th Regiment, Spartans, or corps visiting NE need practice space, perhaps they should contact Mass Dept. of Corrections rather than the local school systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 CYO and EMass both had some fine units out of Walpole when I judged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I have only been inside one of the "pleasure palaces," Concord, professionally,sit not by conviction and sentencing, and I'd hardly call it a pleasure palace, but they do have a great parking lot, so if BAC, 7th Regiment, Spartans, or corps visiting NE need practice space, perhaps they should contact Mass Dept. of Corrections rather than the local school systems. Take Exit 5 off of Rte. 3 S, go right, then left at the first set of lights (after the Plymouth PD), and you can visit the Plymouth HOC. Don't mention my name though. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the same inmates have made another return visit. Of course, with better weather, they might wait until Winter comes to break parole or do something foolish to spend 90-180 days off the streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Close, but doesn't quite count as a house on "the Cape." I guess selling "tunnel season passes" may have been the common error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perc2100 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Could you inagine the outcry of parents today if you had a group of kids practicing in the parking lot of the county jail? I was told that there was in the time in the early-mid 90's where Crossmen would rehearse in the winter camps at an old mental health hospital. I had heard they practiced in a "mostly" unused wing but it wasn't out-of-the-ordinary to see some of the patients catching a music block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dir_en_X Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Humorous side note: Dennis/Yarmouth High School is located on Cape Cod and the school has a marching band. They had a band clinic one week during August and a vacationer who happens to be a relative called Town Hall to complain. The woman at Town Hall listened to the complaint and asked two questions. "Are you a resident or a vacationer?" when the person replied vacationer, she asked "Own or rent?" when the person said "rent," she hung up! As someone that is a year-round resident of the Cape I found this particularly amusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I know this has been in the news a lot with some NJ HS's having issues during marching band season. I don't remember ever really having an issue on tour though. A little easier in the summer months with no school in the morning, but I'm sure there were times our schedule was adjusted so we didn't have any issues out on tour. Our ST sight was right next to San Antonio airport... so our noise wasn't much of an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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