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Week of events planned in Brownsville

By Christine Haines 5 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Weeklong community activities begin this Sunday in Brownsville with a concert and will continue through next Saturday, August 6 with a community festival. Because of construction near the Brownsville Wharf Riverside Park by the Brownsville Municipal Authority this year, some of the activities are being moved from the wharf to sites in the downtown area. Sunday’s concert by Alabaster will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. in the National City Bank parking lot. Alabaster is a singing group that has performed throughout the area, including at the Fayette County Fair. The group includes gospel, show tunes and patriotic songs in its repertoire.

In conjunction with the concert, the Brownsville Rotary Club will continue its reading program for children ages 10 and under. The program will include storytime, crafts and a book swap table. All programs Sunday are free and open to the public.

The events will continue Tuesday with the annual Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce dinner cruise. This is the 18th year for the event. Each year an honoree is selected for outstanding service and contribution to the community. This year Bob and Jackie Bevard are being recognized for more than 40 years of doing business in and serving the Brownsville community. The two were born and raised in the Brownsville area and were married in the South Brownsville Methodist Church Feb. 9, 1963. They have two children and four grandchildren.

The Bevards purchased the Atlantic Service Station on High Street in May 1964. The business has evolved to include a convenience store with self-serve gasoline. Bob and Jackie retired on May 18, 2004, after 40 years in business, though the business remains in their family.

“They’ve been an asset to the community,” said chamber President Frank Ricco. “They’ve been in business here more than 40 years and have always supported the chamber. They’ve been involved in our youth programs. Whenever you need something done, they are always there, working in the background.”

The Bevards remain active in the community. Both serve on the board of directors of the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce and are American Red Cross volunteers and members of the First Christian Church in Brownsville. Bob Bevard is also on the Brownsville-Luzerne Park Board. Jackie Bevard is a director on the Mon Marine Federal Credit Union.

They previously were active with the South Brownsville Volunteer Fire Co. and Ladies Auxiliary, Jaycees and Jaycee-ettes, and charter members of the Brownsville Ambulance Service. They were also involved in starting the annual Independence Day fireworks at Patsy Hillman Park.

The chamber cruise will board at the Brownsville Wharf Riverside Park at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the boat leaving at 6:30 p.m. The dinner cruise will return to the wharf around 9:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are $35 each and are available at the chamber office, Brownsville Bus Lines and at the Napa Auto Parts store in Brownsville.

Thursday, Aug. 4, marks the 92nd Brownsville Kennywood Day, which benefits the area fire departments. Tickets for the day at the amusement park are $19 each, $10 for senior citizens over the age of 55. Tickets are on sale at the Brownsville Northside, South Brownsville, West Brownsville fire halls July 29-Aug. 3. They are also available from 6 until 9 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3 at the Newell and Republic fire stations, and on Thursday, Aug. 4, at the Northside fire hall from 8 a.m. until noon.

The Kennywood trolley will be in Brownsville on Wednesday, Aug. 3 to promote the event.

The multi-year class reunion kicks off Thursday as well, starting with a reception at the home of organizer Pat Purcell at 401 Church St. at 4 p.m. The reunion will focus on the years 1954-62, though Purcell said all are welcome. The cost is $50 for the four days of activities, including buffets and open bar each day. Purcell said more than 200 alumni have responded.

Friday’s events for the multi-year reunion include a marathon on the Mon at noon, with several Brownsville alumni swimming from the Inter-county Bridge to the Lane Bane Bridge at noon, followed by a party at the American Legion in West Brownsville from 2 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Friday evening the Brownsville Area Alumni Association will be honoring past graduates for their contributions to society. This year’s honorees are 1932 Brownsville High School graduate John Swearingen who was the head of the Industrial Arts Department at California University of Pennsylvania and 1945 Redstone High School graduate Sammy Bill, a musician who still heads the Mon Valley Community Band.

Two honorees selected by the alumni committee but who are unable to attend the dinner are Cheryl Hardwick Moore, who was the musical director for Saturday Night Live and Ed Roebuck, who played professional baseball. Tickets for the dinner are available by calling 724-785-3800. The cost is $15 per person.

More events are on tap for Saturday. The Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp. is sponsoring its third annual Community Festival from noon until 5 p.m. at the Market Street Parking lot.

“For young children we’ll have a whole series of activities, including making a quilt. For the older children, we’ll have a climbing wall and for the older people, we’ll have the music,” said Brownsville Mayor Norma Ryan.

There are two concerts planned for the festival. The Mon Valley Community Band will perform from 1 until 3 p.m. The Girlz in Black Hats, a new country band, will take the stage from 4 to 5 p.m.

The multi-year reunion will continue with a formal dinner at the American Legion in West Brownsville from 4:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. The reunion comes to a close with breakfast Sunday at 9 a.m. at Woody Davis’s home in Grindstone. For more information about the multi-year reunion, contact Pat Purcell at 724-785-7638.

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