BG district bands win Rose Festival honors

Two Battle Ground district middle school bands,  Maple Grove and Tukes Valley,
won high honors in the 2012 Portland Junior Rose Festival Parade on Wednesday,
June 6. Photo: Maple Grove band in the Hazel Dell Parade in May.


Photo: Hazel Dell parade in May

The 91-member Maple Grove Middle School marching band took first-place honors for bands with 99 or fewer members and the Tukes Valley Middle School band, with 75 musicians, placed third in the same division.

The Maple Grove band, directed by James deBra, played “Torch of Liberty” by Karl L. King as it passed the judges’ reviewing stand. The Maple Grove flag team, directed by Jennifer Huffman, accompanied the band.  The Tukes Valley band, directed by Allison Pierce, played “Rockin’ Robin,” a big hit in 1958 as performed by Bobby Day.

Twelve bands were in the 99-or-fewer division.