Details are missing

Dear Editor,

Readers are not getting enough information about COVID-19 cases in Warren. We have a right to know the details. At the beginning, health officials said they wanted information. But once they get it, that information is not getting released to the public.

Joe Werth,

Warren

Perfect night out

Dear Editor,

If you live in or near Warren and you didn’t take advantage of the June 27 evening’s perfect weather with a free outdoor concert (sponsored by Northwest Bank) held at Soldiers and Sailors park by a musical trio called, “The Jays,” well, that’s too bad for you.

Here’s what you missed.

A crowd of approximately 100 people gathered, not everyone conservatively masked, but all placing proper social distance between families on lawn chairs or blankets, to enjoy a terrific two hours of well-known and well performed tunes from, say, the 1940s through the 1990s, accompanied by Dave Dennison’s seasoned keyboard, a spark-plug of a drummer named John, and the steady lead vocals of a guy named Doug.

The best surprise was hearing three harmonizing male vocalists; for when was the last time anyone heard a live, three-part harmony medley from The Four Seasons, or the rich, soulful sounds of The Righteous Brothers? Seems like recently all humanity has “lost that lovin’ feeling,” but these fellas helped to bring it back. Congratulatory points must also be given them for patriotism, too, for the grand finale sing-a-long of “God Bless America,” and a mid-way reminder to help feed our local blood banks.

The music was one of the simple pleasures that make life in a small town so rewarding. When a stressful week ends, everyone needs something family-friendly to do. The smiles, hand-clapping, and toe-tapping among the listeners proved, “The Jays” brought freedom back in a nice, lively way.

Yes, as one listener pointed out, this group makes use of recorded tracks to round out their backup sound. When you hear that terrific guitar lick, you won’t be seeing a guitarist on the stage, but the music was solid and the arrangements were really good.

Think of that nice rumbling bass in “My Brown-Eyed Girl,” or take a nostalgic nibble on the sponge-cake as you’re slipping mentally away to “Margaritaville.” Live or recorded, the take-away still finds you humming along with a bullfrog called “Jeremiah” or slide-stepping on the sidewalk with “Mustang Sally.” In fact, the only thing totally missed during this kind of fun was a good dance partner. Lucky for the Johnson’s, though. Those two can cut the concrete rug any time there’s a good beat going on, and so they did.

We thank you Northwest Bank and “The Jays” for a happy musical night downtown. See y’all again on Friday!

Wilma Fleming,

Warren