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Spartans Drum & Bugle Corp began marching to the beat right here in Milford in 1955, and over the decades has continued to offer a one-of-a-kind musical experience to youths in the southern New Hampshire area, teaching the values of music, performance art, and community. “It’s a fantastic experience. It’s like marching band times one thousand,” said seventeen-year-old Dallas Quinlan, a baritone horn player in the Spartans organization, and a local of the Nashua area.
Dallas Quinlan, Spartans Baritone Horn Player (left); Dale Sanford, Owner of Sanford Temperature Control (center); Paul Laflamme, Leader of Spartans Drum & Bugle Corp (right)
The Spartans are a summertime corps for youths aged 14-21, who spend their summers traveling all over the country performing at concerts and parades, and competing in competitions against other corps. To call the Spartans just a band would be a disservice to all their hard work and dedication. Over 100 Spartans perform fully choreographed and highly complex music and dance routines, moving synchronously throughout their performance, complete with a color guard. Like Cirque Du Soleil or other popular acts, the Spartans develop original performances every year to dazzle their audiences; 80% of the 2017’s show, called Connected, consists of original music. “Every movement in the show explores some aspect of human connectivity, like the connections people make through social media,” said Quinlan. Watch their amazing performance from last year here!
The Spartans have been known to rehearse for as many as fourteen hours in a single day leading up to a performance so that they get it perfect. It’s a dedication that has earned them the honor of performing in several inaugural parades, such as those for Carter, Reagan, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush, and one of the top color guards in the country, which has won a national championship five of the last eight years.
Dallas Quinlan, Displaying various awards.
The Spartans truly live a tour lifestyle for the two months they’re on the road every summer. They sleep on cots and air mattresses in schools and gymnasiums, and rehearse in soccer fields and parking lots. They’re supported by four buses and two tractor trailer trucks, one of which boasts a full kitchen. “Everything we need for the summer is on the busses or in the trucks,” said Paul LaFlamme, leader of Spartans Drum & Bugle Corp since 2009. It’s a grueling commitment, but the Spartans are united by their passion for music and performing, and often find the rigorous schedule highly rewarding. “As hard as it is, without a doubt it’s the most worthwhile thing I’ve ever done,” said Quinlan. When you’re rehearsing 14 hours a day in the heat, you develop really strong bonds with other people.” They are bonds that run deeper than their tour and performances, as they seek to embody their motto: Respect. Responsibility. Commitment.
“We try to uphold these tenets in everything we do,” said Quinlan. “Respect: we never swear while in uniform. For responsibility, we try to always support friends and family and the community. The commitment is in time and money, not to mention whatever else we might be doing with our summer.” Paul LaFlamme has lead the Spartans out of the Boys & Girls Club of Nashua since 2009. Laflamme joined in 1986 and aged out in 1994, but his history with the Spartans goes much farther back; LaFlamme’s grandfather was the founder of the Spartans! “I’ve been around it my whole life. My first memories are of being strapped in a bus and traveling around with the band,” said LaFlamme. The Spartans are able to continue dazzling crowds because of the many volunteers who support them, and because of generous donations from local communities and businesses. The organization is supported almost entirely by volunteers, fundraisers, performance fees, and tuition. Please check out the Spartans today at: https://spartansdbc.org/!
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I thought Derek was polite. Courteous knew what he was doing. Got my furnace fixed in one day. I was very appreciative and because of his service I will now only use you guys going forward. He’s a great technician.
I'm always impressed when a service provider takes the time to educate me about the product I bought. Eddie explained the protocols for maintaining my mini-splits
, provided me with the knowledge that he brought to the inspection and showed me how to improve the longevity of the product. In the process he convinced me to extend my service.
Good job -
Eric, our Sanford tech, did wonderful as always. maintaining our beast of a heating system takes skill. He is prompt and kind gets the maintenance taken care of quickly. He doesn’t mind the annoying dogs or the beam that you have to duck under going up and down stairs.
They check in the day before coming and Eric texts when on the way. He is always on time. We have been very happy with the work and the professionalism.
This was my first time using Sanford. Derek was amazing. He diagnosed the problem quickly, showed me the problem, and then quoted me a price which was very reasonable. He had the part on the truck and had the problem fixed within a half hour. From the person I made the appointment with, Irish, to the dispatcher I spoke with for an estimated time of arrival, to Derek, my experience was nothing but positive. I had such a great experience that I will always use Sanford for my heating, cooling, and plumbing needs. Highly recommended!
After Sanford did such an impressive job installing our new Bosch furnace last winter, it was a no brainer as to who we wanted to add a central air conditioner to our house.
They gave us two options and we chose to go with a heat pump. Jason and his team did an incredible job installing the system in just a single day. The quality of their workmanship is second to none and he couldn’t be a nicer person to work with.
Another great job by Sanford !
We had Brian B come to our home to conduct a follow up visit to evaluate our Carrier AC that was installed in February. Just like the three-man crew who did the installation, Brian B did an outstanding job of making sure that everything was working just fine. He answered all our questions and made sure we were confident that our AC would be working fine this summer. Great job.
Extremely happy with the service I received. Mike did an excellent job of servicing my HVAC system. He was very efficient, knowledgeable and took the time to answer all my questions. Also, the office personnel were very helpful and responsive to all my requests and questions regarding scheduling and pricing. I will be using them again and would highly recommend Mike.
Excellent service. Arrived on time. Asked me questions to diagnose any possible issues. Explained several things I did not know about my system.
Eric was very pleasant & thoroughly cleaned & diagnosed my system. Every Sanford employee with whom I have had dealings has been pleasant, attentive, and professional. A friend recommended Sanford to me & I recommend them to you as well. I have been very happy with my equipment & service & know I can contact them anytime with questions & concerns & they will respond in a timely manner. Thank you Eric!
Our tech was great! He was respectful of the space (and rolled with the chaos of small kiddos running around like goons), knowledgeable, and efficient. We’ve used Sanford for years and will continue to do so.
Kyle G. from Sanford was awesome and super respectful. They installed furnace and AC system. He explained everything without being condescending, helped set up the wireless system, checked it and his team cleaned up everything after the job. My standards are pretty high and Kyle not only met them, he exceeded them. Thank you.
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