Chamber to honor business owners during river cruise
BROWNSVILLE – Two people will be honored this year during the annual Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce river cruise. The chamber has selected long-time Brownsville business owners Bob and Jackie Bevard to be recognized for their contributions to the community. The Bevards own the A-Plus Mini Mart and were the owners of the former Berky Electric.
The cruise will be held Tuesday, Aug. 2, boarding at the Brownsville Wharf Riverside Park at 6 p.m. and setting sail at 6:30, a half hour earlier than in previous years. Chamber President Frank Ricco said the earlier time was selected after people attending the cruise said they wanted more daylight time on the boat to enjoy the scenery.
Although the Gateway Clipper fleet has increased the bill to the chamber by nearly $1,700, the tickets for the dinner cruise will remain at $35 per person. Tickets are available at Bowman Real Estate and Insurance and Standard Auto in Brownsville, both on Market Street, and Ricco Bus Lines on Old National Pike. The chamber is selling advertising in a program booklet to help offset the increased cost of the cruise.
In other matters, it was announced that St. Mary of the Assumption Church will be featured on this year’s Christmas ornament. The church was recently closed by the Greensburg Catholic Diocese. The ornament will feature a picture of the church.
Ray Koffler introduced Randy Sanders to the chamber. Sanders is the head of Sanders and Associates Inc. in Low Hill, a licensee of the Miss Universe Pageant, including the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. Sanders recruits candidates in Pennsylvania, Indiana and West Virginia.
He also handles the mass mailings for affiliates in 30 states and has sent out a million mailing pieces from the Brownsville Post Office already this year. Sanders said many of the mailing pieces are printed locally at Tru-Copy Printing, which is owned by Koffler.
Sanders’ company employs four full-time employees, with an additional three part-time employees on a seasonal basis.
Tara Hospital at Brownsville chief executive officer Mike Evans reported that several thousand people attended the grand re-opening celebration held at the hospital in June, which was higher than expected.
“We’re investing about a half million dollars in improvements to the hospital,” Evans said.
The hospital will be getting a new roof. A 14-bed rehabilitation unit will be converted to a 21-bed skilled nursing facility and there are new physical therapy services at the hospital, Evans said.
“Outpatient volume is up 10- to 20-percent over last year, which is usually a good sign of patient confidence,” Evans said.
Bill Johnson reported that the new state budget includes a six-percent increase for public libraries over last year’s budget, but it still doesn’t restore the funding that was previously cut. Johnson said an increase in dedicated local funding would increase the amount of state financing the library would receive as well.
“We are on the bottom of the totem pole because we don’t get enough local support,” Johnson said.
Johnson also reported that Ernie Nelson of Pretty Petals is the new president of the Brownsville Rotary Club. He said Rotary will be continuing its literacy program this year, with Reading Around the World. The Brownsville Rotary Club is sponsoring an exchange student from Japan who will be arriving in August and a Brownsville High School graduate will be going to Russia for the school year.