To the Editor:

On Thursday, July 30, I was honored to have the bandshell in Norwood designated as “The Liotta Bandshell on the Norwood Village Green”. Please note that is not the Joseph M. Liotta Bandshell. That is because it reflects my late wife Mickey’s significant role in bringing the bandshell and the concert series to a ‘birth’ at its conception, and for her service to the series for more than 30 years. I was surprised, delighted and moved by this recognition.

I would like to thank Mayor Tim Levison and the Village of Norwood trustees for this honor and especially to Andy Van Duyne for his behind the scenes work in bringing this to a reality. He is also thanked for arranging the ceremony held during one of our community’s signature events, the annual Brass Firemen concert for the NVGCS.

The evening was further enhanced by St. Andrew’s Altar and Rosary Society’s ice cream social in which free ice cream and cake was available to the audience. The free aspect of the ice cream social was made possible by The Brass Firemen and its manager, Bob Haggett. And what an audience! The large and appreciative crowd also was very generous in the “pass the bucket,” the second largest in 2015.

The 15-minute ceremony was presided over by Andy and speakers included Mayor Tim Levison, NCPR’s station manager Ellen Rocco, NVGCS board member Scott LaVine, and Andy Van Duyne. It was videoed in its entirety by my granddaughter Anna Dickinson. Thanks to all.

Andy has been a rock in the history of this series in both performance, as webmaster, and especially for three and a half decades he has served as technical director on a voluntary basis. In other words he has been there almost as much as I have been.

Since July 30 the series has completed its season with performances of Alex Smith and Pierce Pettis in Memory of Harriet (Mickey) Liotta and Double Axel. The Double Axel concert produced the largest audience for 2015 and the amount received in the “pass the bucket” was the largest too.

We are not done. We have extended our season with one more concert. On Thursday, August 27, the series will present two-time Grammy Award winner Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience with local musician Josh Lazo beginning at 6:30 p.m. The rain site is NNCS. Info: NVGCS.org.

Joseph M. Liotta

Norwood