GrassRoots

  The big deal for some of us this year, besides Todd making an appearance, was the "retirement" of Alan Vogel from leading the Infield Set-up crew.  After decades of overseeing the stage assembly, along with the special projects that can be found all over Trumansburg and Ithaca, he'd decided to spend more time with family or something. He even got a third of a page thank you in the official program.  Let's hope it's a long time before he gets the full-page treatment.
   Thankfully, GrassRoots took the opportunity to bring in a new crew chief that would diversify who is behind the scenes of the festival.  So when we showed up Monday morning and it was the same bunch of old, white people, including Alan and three members of his family, we wondered what had gone awry.  Soon after we had worn ourselves out moving some of the lighter materials off the truck and leveled the stage with a forklift, some young, strong men of color showed up.  Always the teacher, Alan demonstrated for young and old alike how the 3/4/5 right triangle is used to assure a square stage, and when it proves to not be precise enough we try a 6/8/10, then a 15/20/25.  In the end we fudge it a bit, but it's always better than the dance floor.
  It was great working with Tru and the guys he enlisted and hope it is the beginning of a long collaboration.