History:

In 1975, as part of the bicentennial celebration for our Nation, the Pleasanton Bicentennial Festival Committee was planning special projects and citywide events. This Committee was chaired by Charlotte Severin and included Bev Hamlin, Phyllis Wentworth, Betty Nastrand, Al Fisher, Patricia Maines, Barbara Van Slyke, Jim Allen, and B. J. Smith ( just to name the group that has reunited annually at Christmas time).

One of the projects of the Festival Committee was to make a bandstand in Wayside Park out of a concert platform and four posts that had stood as an unfinished eyesore for many years. When (then) City Council member Bill Herlihy heard about that project, he said to Charlotte, "Well, if you have a bandstand, what about a band?" Given the challenge at hand, Charlotte presented a plan to Mike Connelly, Director of the Amador High School Adult Education Program, and he agreed to co-sponsor the program, which included paying the first director Jerry Lapinski (the Music Director at Wells Intermediate School) a modest stipend from Adult Ed. Funds and allowing the Band to use the music and practice in the Amador High School Band Room.