Folks had been fretting for months about whether Jeffery "J.R." Richardson, who led the Broughton High School marching band to the prestigious Tournament of Roses parade in January, would retire at the end of the school year as expected.

On Thursday night they got good news: The 30-year veteran will lead the band for at least one more year.

During an end-of-the-year concert, the graduating band students bestowed on their beloved band director a collection of senior gifts, including a CD player, a cane that squeaked, a noiseless orange whistle and Hawaiian leis. Finally, students prodded Richardson for his Final Answer.

"Thirty years -- I've done it my way," Richardson replied. "And to make it real simple -- I'm not finished doing it my way."

The audience stood up and wildly cheered. Richardson, who turns 53 next week, said he has some teaching left in him.

The band closed the night's show with one more full-out rendition of John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" -- a tune they played marching through the streets of Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Day.