2024 has been a busy and productive year for EBADC. We welcomed to the board Beth Kostella and Paula Jack. At our 2024 annual meeting in November, we said good bye to long time board member Kate Hall and elected Dean Murray to the board. Officers for 2025 were reelected to their positions, Toni Henry as President, Gayle Wright as Vice President, Susan Buechele as Secretary and Bill Rode and treasurer.
East Brady has been included in Main Street planning, spearheaded by the Clarion County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC). Members of our organization have attended several focus meetings to flesh out the needs of our small trail and river town and to see how this statewide program can assist in business district improvements.
We have also been encouraged to work with the new tourism agency “Discover Clarion County”. Their website now has a digital version of our updated trail town brochure available to all. Hard copies of the brochure will be printed and distributed in the spring of 2025. EBADC will apply for a Clarion County hotel tax grant to cover the printing costs.
Several new initiatives have proved worthy of repeating. Our Beautification award program was very well received and our Community Picnic commemorating the organization’s 70th anniversary, despite the rain, was well attended and enjoyed by many local residents.
Using remaining funds from a Duquesne Light grant, Tourist Oriented Directional Signage (TODS), for our Riverfront Park was ordered and installed in hopes that people will more easily be able to find and use this beautiful community asset.
EBADC continues to host and sponsor The Great American Clean Up of East Brady each April, Attics and Cellars Days in May, and Ice Jam-Jam sales, The Cookie Crawl, Light-Up Night and Christmas Eve Luminaria display in December. Ongoing projects include beautification efforts with plantings and planters in town, maintenance of the Bridge Parklet and the Armstrong Trail trail head, fall décor on posts in the business district, artist window displays, and provision of gift bags for new businesses and new residents.
EBADC regularly partners with East Brady Borough, Clarion County probation and other local organizations, businesses and church groups to help to build a strong sense of community. Together we have logged 714 hours of service to the East Brady area in 2024.
Looking ahead to 2025, EBADC hopes to attract new members with fresh ideas and a willingness to contribute. Our future as an organization depends on this. Monthly meetings take place the 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm (except for in December and January) in room 14 of the Arnold Beabout Community Center.
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