Brownsville Area Schools (BAS)

2018 Updated Info on BAS Alumni Association & Alumni Courtyard

WHAT IS THE BAS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION?

We are the official Brownsville Area Schools (BAS) Alumni Association that was formed in 2000 and revamped in 2010 by Dennis Matteucci (Class of 1956) and Lenora Byrd (Class of 1958). In order to become a member, a $50 lifetime fee is required which enables members to have a 4x8 brick engraved for our alumni courtyard.   

BAS ALUMNI MISSION STATEMENT 

To enhance and preserve the image, prestige, and traditions of Brownsville Area School District (BASD) to include Brownsville, Redstone, and Brashear high school alumni.  

To increase paid membership ($50 lifetime fee) for our alumni association.  

To promote, select and present Distinguished Alumni Awards.  

To fund the BASD scholarship program and present such to deserving qualified seniors. 

To maintain our Alumni Courtyard located at the high school and persuade alumni to purchase a brick. 

To host our special BAS program: Power of Music (POM) Summer concert festivals for the Brownsville community. 

To provide social media information about our organization with alumni news, updates and offer communication through our BAS Alumni and Music Lovers Only (Brownsville, PA) Face Book groups and BAS blog. 

To remember our departed classmates, companions and associates through social media. 

To continue to work on those endeavors that will benefit BASD, BAS alumni association and the Brownsville community.

 
BOARD MEMBERS
President: Lenora Byrd
Vice President: open
Secretary/Treasurer: Nancy Komacek

Unfortunately we do not have board members who are actively involved in conducting association business, leaving the President and Secretary/Treasurer to carry the load. We have
difficulty in getting local alumni, teachers, students, and parents to volunteer to be an active board member and cannot seem to get the younger alumni interested in helping our cause.  We desperately need more board members who will assist us as part of a team and provide ideas/suggestions on how to improve and enhance our organization.  Please contact the President if you wish to participate at Lenora!216@aol.com.
 

BAS ALUMNI COURTYARD

The Brownsville Area Schools (BAS) Alumni Association cut the ribbon on a new alumni courtyard at Brownsville Area High School in a public dedication in November 2013. The courtyard, which is paved with bricks purchased and designed by Brownsville alums and their loved ones, occupies the space between the middle and high schools on the Brownsville campus. Anyone who purchases a brick is given an automatic lifetime membership to the BAS Alumni Association. 

BAS Alumni Association was founded to “recognize alumni who have gone on to distinguish themselves in their career, and/or in helping others in a positive fashion.  As current Brownsville students continue to contribute to the community in a big way, with endeavors like the Students in Action  (SIA) project to revitalize a downtown Brownsville park — an effort that netted them a national Jefferson Award — the association aims to also recognize the outstanding contributions of young people who have yet to graduate.  During 2017 & 2018, the Power of Music (POM) Summer Festivals sponsored by the BAS Alumni Association were held at the Brownsville Cast Iron Amphitheater as a tribute to the beautiful park & band stand that was constructed as the result of BAS SIA outstanding achievements in raising the money for this project. 

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

The following are links to info posted about the association and the courtyard. 
 
Music Lovers Only (Brownsville, PA) Face Book group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/420490751387771 

BAS Alumni FB Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/149017135237743 

BAS Alumni Blog:  http://www.tweety1216.typepad.com/bhs 

2017 Sep Blog Post…buy a brick: http://tweety1216.typepad.com/bhs/2017/09/help-uspave-our-alumni-courtyard.html 

6 Vimeo Brick Videos: https://vimeo.com/user22708334/videos brick 

Brick Website: https://polarengraving.com/BASAlumniAssociation 

2016 DAA Banquet: http://tweety1216.typepad.com/bhs/2016/08/2016-distinguishedalumni-banquet.html 

Vimeo Video Courtyard Reconstruction;  https://vimeo.com/176371080 

Reconstruction (download order form): http://tweety1216.typepad.com/bhs/2016/07/bascourtyard-reconstruction-stage-4.html

 
 
CONTACTS

Lenora Byrd:  Lenora1216@aol.com

Nancy Komacek: nannyk@atlanticbb.net
 
Mailing Address:   BAS Alumni Association PO Box 94 LaBelle, PA 15450
 
Make checks payable to:  BAS Alumni Association

 

In order to keep the BAS Alumni Association and the Alumni Courtyard active we desperately need assistance to do such.  I will be 78 years old and Nancy will be 80 and we just can't continue to handle these projects on our own. So please spread the word and help us get some volunteers to help us carry on these worthwhile projects for the betterment of BASD and the Brownsville community. 

 

Help Us Pave our Alumni Courtyard

 

 

Well looks like I am back in business with our BAS Alumni brick courtyard located between the BHS middle school and high school thanks to my dear friend Susan Beth Orris who found me someone to install engraved bricks. I presently have a back order of 12 bricks to get engraved and will order them next week. My brick order website is back up and running where alumni can design and order bricks on line. You can view how your brick looks as you enter your text. Be sure to check out the Polar Engraving clipart section for a listing of all types of things to add to your brick. Click here to go to Brick Website.

 

We only have approximately 200 engraved bricks in the courtyard and the association needs your support by purchasing a brick and continue building our beautiful BAS Alumni Courtyard. So now is a great time to purchase a brick for yourself, a family member or friend and/or a lost love one. People have reported having difficulty in having access to see the courtyard during the week and weekend, so I will have to meet with the new BHS superintendent and principal to try to resolve this problem.

PRICES FOR BRICKS

4x8 = $50; with clipart/logo = $56;

8x8 = $75; with clipart/logo = $81;

12x12=$100; with clipart/logo = $106

(note you can get 2 clipart on a 12x12 brick @ $6 per clipart/logo).

You may design and order a brick in several ways:

1. Design/order your brick on the BAS Brick Website where you can see exactly what your brick will look like.    Click here: BRICK Website 
2. Download an order form here:  Download 2017ORDERFORMSclipart
3. Email me: Lenora1216@aol.com and I will help you design your brick.

When your brick is delivered, I will email you a copy of your brick which will be stored away safely in a warm, dry location until our contractor can install it. 

Visit this site to see videos of bricks installed in our courtyard: https://vimeo.com/user22708334/videos

 View past blog postings of our Alumni Courtyard: http://tweety1216.typepad.com/bhs/alumni-courtyard/

 

 

 

BAS Alumni Association Update: Series 2

 

HOW THE "POWER OF MUSIC" (POM) GOT STARTED!

 

An exciting opportunity to bring the Brownsville community together was initiated in 2014 through the revamping of the BARC “Music on the Mon” project. BARC relinquished this project by requesting Lenora Byrd, President of the Brownsville Area Schools (BAS) Alumni Association to take charge. Lenora and her selected co-chair, Annette Buffer (both of whom are musicians) confronted this project with the challenge to add a new flare to this event that would attract the community to “come together in the name of music.”

As avid music lovers and musicians, these two ladies put their heads together and began devising a plan to bring local talented musicians to Brownsville in hopes of jump starting an event that would encourage and stimulate the community to come out on a Sunday afternoon and enjoy good music and relaxed fun time in the sun. The major objective/goal of the newly formed Power of Music project is to “bring the Brownsville community together through music.”

 Lenora on bass; Annette on sax (Sitting in with The Classics band)

   

 Our plan included the following:

        *Annette came up with a “catchy name” for the project.       Renamed this new project the      “Power of Music (POM)” with a distinct eye catching logo.

• Lenora devised a strategic plan that involved creating a POM committee within the BAS Alumni Association. This plan included: depositing funds and keeping financial records; defining the “span of entertainment” to include an Opening and Closing ceremony of concerts to be conducted outdoors as well as indoors; applicable concert locations; determining a variety of entertainment that would be provided during the time frame selected; and recruiting local bands to perform using their Face Book social media.
• Arranged to work as a team with the West Brownsville American Legion, Post 940.
• Invited food, arts & crafts vendors to participate in the festival.
• Created and mailed out “Sponsor a Band” letter to organizations and businesses; and
• Created a Schedule of Events for every Sunday from May through October 2014 consisting of 15 concerts with 11 different bands.

Lenora created a Face Book group named “Music Lover’s Only (Brownsville, PA area)” and she and Annette began recruiting local bands to participate in POM. The response was overwhelming with bands willing to perform during this festival for a minimal 3 hour performance fee that the POM committee felt they could raise.

Music Lovers Only (Brownsville) FaceBook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/420490751387771/?ref=bookmarks

Photo albums of each concert created by and photos taken by Lenora and videos from Annette and Joanne Rode are available to view on Lenora’s FB groups.

After selecting the bands which offered a wide variety of music, the hard work began—raise money to fund the entire festival and find a suitable venue for the majority of the performances. POM committee teamed up with the West Brownsville American Legion, Post 940 who offered to work with POM by providing the best venue for their outdoor performances literary located along the river on the Mon. The Legion also agreed to pay for one band each month which left the POM committee to decide how to obtain the remaining funds needed to pay bands. They hit the pavement and began requesting donations from organizations, businesses, alumni and local individuals.

POM has been a success through 2014-2016 and continues its 4^th year in 2017. Unfortunately we only have a few POM member “worker bees” (Annette, Joanne Rode, SueAnne Antonucci, Ann Trynock, and Nancy Komacek (treasurer) who are reliable and available for each concert. Each year we must raise at least $3600 to pay bands and host each summer festival. Without volunteers, donations (money, baskets, items for baskets, etc.), POM may come to an abrupt end soon. Please let us know if you are interested in helping us keep this festival active.

SPECIAL NOTATION: The new sponsor of this project is solely the work of the BAS Alumni Association/POM committee in conjunction with teamwork from the West Brownsville American Legion. No other organizations were or are involved in their Strategic Action Plan.

 

 

 

BAS Alumni Association (Series 1)

Time to update everyone on our BAS Alumni Association that has encountered many changes over the past years. The information will be provided on our BAS Blog in 4 series that covers our mission statement and objectives.

 What is the BAS alumni association?  We are the official Brownsville Area Schools (BAS) Alumni Association that was formed in 2000 and revamped in 2010 by Dennis Matteucci (Class of 1956) and Lenora Byrd (Class of 1958). In order to become a member, a $50 lifetime fee is required which enables members to have a 4x8 brick engraved for our alumni courtyard.

 BAS Alumni mission statement

• To enhance and preserve the image, prestige, and traditions of Brownsville Area School District (BASD) to include Brownsville, Redstone, and Brashear high school alumni.
•  To increase paid membership ($50 lifetime fee) for our alumni association.
• To promote, select and present Distinguished Alumni Awards.
• To fund the BASD scholarship program and present such to deserving qualified seniors.
• To maintain our Alumni Courtyard located at the high school and persuade alumni to purchase a brick.
• To host our special BAS program: Power of Music (POM) Summer concert festivals for the Brownsville community.
• To provide social media information about our organization with alumni news, updates and offer communication through our BAS Alumni and Music Lovers Only (Brownsville, PA) Face Book groups and BAS blog.
• To remember our departed classmates, companions and associates through social media.
• To continue to work on those endeavors that will benefit BASD, BAS alumni association and the Brownsville community.

 

 BOARD MEMBERS

 President: Lenora Byrd

Vice President: open

Secretary/Treasurer: Nancy Komacek

Denny Matteucci

Joyce Staub

Ann Trynock

Joanne Rode

Annette Buffer

Unfortunately we only have a few board members who are actively involved in conducting association business, leaving the President and Secretary/Treasurer to carry the load. We have difficulty in getting alumni to volunteer to be an active board member and cannot seem to get the younger alumni interested in helping our cause. We desperately need more board members who will assist us as part of a team and provide ideas/suggestions on how to improve and enhance our organization. Please contact the President if you wish to participate at Lenora!216@aol.com.

 CONTACTS

Lenora Byrd: Lenora1216@aol.com

Nancy Komacek: nannyk@atlanticbb.net

 Mailing Address:   BAS Alumni Association

                               PO Box 94

                               LaBelle, PA 15450

 Make checks payable to: BAS Alumni Association

 

 SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Music Lovers Only (Brownsville, PA) Face Book group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/420490751387771

BAS Alumni FB Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/149017135237743

BAS Alumni Blog: http://www.tweety1216.typepad.com/bhs

 

MEMBERSHIP AS OF 2017.  Prior to revamping the association in 2010, the membership fee was $25 and these members are still active. In order to receive an engraved 4x8 brick, these members are required to pay $25 for a brick in the courtyard.   As of 2017, we have approximately 400 paid members in our organization but only have a little over 200 engraved bricks in the courtyard. We need help from students, teachers, new board members, etc. to solicit and attain more alumni to join our association!

BAS membership form: http://tweety1216.typepad.com/bhs/2012/09/bas-membership-form.html

We have over 1,100 alumni who joined our BAS Facebook Club to view and share info about alumni and Brownsville activities. Go to this link to join/view this club:

 BAS FB Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/149017135237743/

 

Feel free to ask questions and/or add comments on this info.  Series 2 will cover information about our BAS Alumni Courtyard.

 

Distinguished Alumni Award Banquet

The primary purpose of the Brownsville Area Schools (BAS) Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) is to honor outstanding achievements and contributions by graduates of Brownsville, Brashear and Redstone high schools. The distinguished service could be in their career, community or to society and/or bringing fame or recognition to the Brownsville Area School District (BASD0. This award celebrates the talent, work ethic and spirit of BAS graduates, promoting a greater sense of community and school pride.

____________________________________________________________________________________

12^th Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) Banquet

will be held on October 1, 2016

Sons of Italy, 406 Race St. Brownsville, Pa 15417

The following alumni with short bios are receiving this award during our 12^th DAA banquet on October 1, 2016:

Patrick Ballon, class of 1970, owner of Brownsville Do It Best Hardware, is noted for his friendliness to customers and constantly giving back to the community. He is a 38-year member of the Hiller Volunteer Fire Co. and served as fire chief for 12 years. He is chairman of the Luzerne Township Sewage Authority, a member of the executive board of the Patsy Hillman Park Foundation and the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce and has received numerous awards for service and dedication to the community. Pat has no children, is a widower whose wife, Susan was a physician’s assistant at Centerville Clinics for 25 years.

Fred Scott Sr., class of 1967 was one of the first of 25 black Pennsylvania State policemen and the first black Chief of Police in Shippensburg, PA. He has combined military service of 26 years and his extensive community service, honors and awards include civic, religious and philanthropic activities. He is a community leader who has read stories to children at the local library, joined various civic organizations and has personally taken on the task of getting fair and equitable treatment for minorities in the Shippensburg Area School District. Fred has been married to the former Saundra Johns for 46 years and they have 3 children.

John McCune, class of 1982 is a practicing Systems Engineer and has had many key roles in the design, development and design of carrier and cloud scale information systems for the government and Defense over his 30 year engineering career. He has been a supporter of BARC for many years and would like to begin a speaker’s forum for BAS alumni to return to speak to high school students about their abilities to live their dreams. (This is a project that should also be pursued by BASD in an effort to have distinguished alumni spread all over the US to return to Brownsville to share their accomplishments). John and his wife Cynthia are residents of Greencastle, PA, have one son, Robert. John is the son of the late John McCune and Genevieve Hutlas and brother of Sharon McCune Cibrik.

 

Social Hour: 6:00 PM

Dinner: 6:30 PM

MENU

Chicken, Cabbage rolls, meat balls

Penne, Red skin Potatoes, Green Beans

Rolls and butter

Coffee and cake

Cost: $25.00 per person

__________________________________________________________________________

Call Nancy Komacek for reservations: (412) 691-2118 or mail reservation request & check to:

BAS Alumni Association

P O Box 94

LaBelle PA 15450

****Please attend our banquet to honor our distinguished alumni who have brought pride to BASD.

2016 Distinguished Alumni Banquet

Brownsville Area Schools Alumni Association's

Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) Banquet

will be held on October 1, 2016

at the Sons of Italy

406 Race St.

Brownsville, Pa 15417

___________________________________________________________

Social Hour: 6:00 PM

Dinner: 6:30 PM

Cost: $25.00 per person

______________________________________________

Call for reservations before Sept. 16.

(412) 691-2118

or mail reservation request & check to:

BAS Alumni Assoc.

P O Box 94

LaBelle PA 15450

*******************************************************************************

HONOREES

Fred A Scott - Class of 1967

Pat Ballon - Class of 1970

John McCune - Class of 1982

**********************************************************************

You may pay any BAS alumni member to attend:  Lenora Byrd, Nancy Komacek, JoAnn Kwasny Kovach, Joanne Rode, Ann Trynock, Annette Buffer, Joyce Staub, Dennis Matteucci.  

POC email contact:  Lenora1216@aol.com or Nancy: nannyk@atlanticbb.net

Please try to attend this prestigious event honoring our distinguished alumni.

 

BAS Courtyard Reconstruction (Stage 4)

FRONT VIEW (sidewalk being dug)

BACK VIEW from the bench

PRICES FOR BRICKS

4x8 = $50; with clipart/logo = $56;

8x8 = $75; with clipart/logo = $81;

12x12=$100; with clipart/logo = $106

 

 

Download UpdatedBRICK ORDER FORM

Click above on the blue link to download an order form.  I am still trying to put this form on our BAS Alumni FB Club.    If you need assistance email me:  Lenora1216@aol.com

We will have our BAS Alumni tent up at all our POM concerts where you can order a brick then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Cliparts for Engraved Bricks

A clipart is a picture you can have engraved on your bricks.  See sample sheet of clipart on bricks in courtyard.  Download 2016 CLIPARTS sheet

Sample bricks with clipart:                                      

  4x8 brick

 
                                                                            8x8 Brick

 

12x12 Brick

Link to see bricks engraved for courtyard:

6 Vimeo Brick Videos: https://vimeo.com/user22708334/videos

 

BAS Alumni Courtyard Update

Reconstruction of our Brownsville Area Schools (BAS) Alumni Courtyard is now in the hands of fellow alumni, Shaun King and wife Erin of S.E.C. Services in Smock who will also be engraving our bricks. Shaun will build us a 16x18 foot courtyard and install and help us design the 200 engraved bricks we have in storage. It is great to have Brownsville alumni providing us services for our special courtyard and we believe Shaun will do a lot to ensure his work is recognized and appreciated by all who view the finished project. (I will be posting photos of his work during the entire process).

Visit his page at S.E.C. Services to see some of his fantastic work.

We have over 1,000 alumni members in our BAS FB Club, yet only a handful in this group has taken the time to order a brick.  It is very difficult to understand why this is and any feedback in this posting would be greatly appreciated.  What more can we do to get you to purchase a brick for our alumni courtyard? I took a tally of classes represented on our engraved courtyard bricks and this is what I came up with:

*Classes of 1930’s = 8

*Classes of 1940’s =35

*Classes of 1950’s = 64 (my class of 1958 bought the most bricks thus far (17)

*Classes of 1960’s = 57 (class of 1961 came in third and bought 11 bricks thus far)

*Classes of 1970’s = 61 (class of 1971 came in second and bought 12 bricks thus far)

*Classes of 1980’s = 23

*Classes of 1990’s = 12

*Classes of 2000’s = 10

During our POM summer concerts held at the West Brownsville American Legion outdoor pavilion, we will have our BAS tent set up to sell bricks on site along with our BAS T-shirts. So please visit us and we will help you design your brick.

PRICES FOR BRICKS

4x8 = $50; with clipart/logo = $56;

8x8 = $75; with clipart/logo = $81;

12x12=$100; with clipart/logo = $106

You may design and order a brick in several ways:

1. Visit us at our BAS tent during our POM concerts on Sundays from 3-6 pm. Download a schedule  here:  Download 2016 POM Schedule
2. Download an order form here:   Download UpdatedBRICK ORDER FORM
3. Email me: Lenora1216@aol.com and I will help you design your brick.

Visit the link below to see photos of bricks purchased by BAS alumni:

https://vimeo.com/user22708334/videos

 

BROWNSVILLE AREA MILITARY HONOR ROLL

The recent formation of the Brownsville Area Military Honor Roll (BAMHR) in Brownsville, PA marks a resurgence of pride in our community’s military service men and women. For many years throughout many conflicts, local men and women have served to protect us and assure our freedoms—now is the time to honor them and their service.

The BAMHR is working to establish, erect and maintain a new memorial to promote honor and respect due to our local heroes. Plans are in progress for a memorial dedicated in remembrance of those local soldiers killed or missing in action from WWI, WWII, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, etc.  Surrounding this memorial will be a walkway of bricks engraved with individual service member’s name, rank, years of service and branch of service. Our present logo depicts an artist rendering of these plans.

While our committee has already been busy reaching out to local construction teams and other professionals to gamer their commitments of support and assistance, we find ourselves in need of your help as well. Please consider joining our efforts and support this memorial honor roll by making a donation. Our hope is to break ground in the new downtown community park along Market Street this spring that will occupy a 50 x 50 foot space.

Please lend a hand by donating or purchasing a brick (sizes & prices to be determined) in honor or memory of your military loved one. We have Brownsville veterans spread all over the United States and reach out to them for their support and hope they buy a brick for the walkway.

Checks for donations and  brick purchases should be made to:

Brownsville Area Military Honor Roll,

PO Box 636

Brownsville, PA 15417

 

BAMHR COMMITTEE OFFICERS

Dennis Falsetto – Chairman

Lester Ward – Vice Chairman

William Brown – Treasurer

Edith Zetty – Secretary

Members: Robert Koval, Robert Kovach, Jack Larson, Jack Lawler, John Moores, Mark Tobak, Harry Zetty, Joe Terry, Lenora Byrd

BAMHR meetings are held the 2^nd & 4^th Tuesday of each month at 10 AM at the Borough building…feel free to attend and/or join our committee.

Thank you,

Lenora Byrd (Retired Army Veteran, BAS 1958 Alumni, creator of BAMHR Facebook Group, Power of Music in Brownsville chair, etc).