Former band president honored

FRANKLIN-In the late 1950s, American teenagers were playing Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly records, while Dick Clark was the young star of American Bandstand, broadcasting to the nation from Philadelphia. That's when, 47 years ago, Richard Webb joined the band — the Franklin Band. Webb, now a Hamburg resident who recently stepped down after 24 years as president of the Franklin Band president, was honored by Mayor Doug Kistle and the Franklin Borough Council, who presented him with a plaque commemorating the many contributions he has made to the county's oldest community band. The 62-year-old Webb joined the band in 1957 while attending high school in what is now Franklin Elementary School. "My music teacher was Jack Williams," he said. "He was the director of the band, and he got me into the band." Webb is not retiring. He will still be in charge of the band's uniforms and will continue to play and practice at the group's Tuesday rehearsals. He has no trouble remembering the best thing the band did for him. "I met my wife in 1966 at a Memorial Day parade in Ogdensburg," replied Webb, who is a building maintenance supervisor for Grecco Auto Group in Dover. "She was a majorette and I went up and started to talk to her." Linda is still active with the group as the band's historian. The band, which is funded by the town and various fire companies both in Sussex County and New York State, is believed to have started in 1870. From late winter to early December, the band plays at locales ranging from Lake George, N.Y. to Wildwood, N.J., "and every place in between, north and south," Webb said. The band is a familiar sight in parades, and will again take part in the county's St. Patrick's day parade, which this year is being held in Franklin. The Webbs made the band a family affair, too, as their two sons, Darren and Jason, were once also members. Today, Darren is a storyboard artist with Dreamworks, the animation company in Los Angeles, while Jason is a professional trumpet player in Philadelphia. "I'd like to thank you guys," Webb told the council after receiving his plaque on Feb. 8. "It's been gratifying being the president of the band for so long. And I'd like to thank the council and the band for helping to keep this alive since 1870."