Building a Better Broadus, Second Edition

By Dave Gardner

I have had the best of intentions of adding to the previous article about Building a Better Broadus, but life seems to get in the way! The summer and fall have been very busy for all of us, and taking a few minutes to reflect on what has kept us “running” is gratifying. We are a hard-working community that prides itself on taking-care-of-our-own, and providing within our means and some reflection on what we have done gives us that “feel good feeling!”

The reunion over the 4th was such a huge success! As I reflect on all of the activities—and the rain!!!- I focus on the hugs, and the handshakes, and the good times people experienced when friends met up with friends they hadn’t seen for some time. There isn’t always a lot to visit about; but, there simply is nothing better than reconnecting with our eyes and our hearts when we see friends from the past.

All of the planning and events were done by community volunteers who shared the same passion about celebrating our community and renewing connections with people who have made a difference in our lives.

I heard Copps had a ”run-on-their-paint” by folks getting ready for all the company in the community. Mother Nature dressed us all up with the wonderful rains, and we followed suit with painting and cleaning up! And we did look good I must say!

The lounge area added to Seabecks is a classy addition to the community. The seating is well-thought out and the audio-visual equipment makes it a great place for a gathering of people, for fun, or for business. And the pizza and service make it a first-class place.

The Trails group and Garrett Harrington hit-a-home-run with their bike-rack / tree-protectors, and the benches they have added to the Trails. These are a great example of how the little things make all the difference. I know I feel a sense of pride when I “notice” the quality work and functionality of the benches and racks.

Moving the St. Vincent DePaul store to the Wool Mill building sure has been an improvement. Their added space and fresh atmosphere contribute to great shopping experience. And when you think about what they do as volunteers to earn funds to help the less fortunate among us, it is a statement to celebrate about us helping our own, and even those travelers who may be down-on-their-luck.

The new saddle-maker, Cory Seamann in town is exciting to say the least! I stopped in to his store and it sure smells like good-ole-leather in there.

The Town of Broadus has done a wonderful job of keeping up with the street repairs under the leadership of Cass Zimmer. He is out early before parking starts on Main Street and works thru the heat of the day to get the full benefit of the oil patch material. To redo our streets would be a huge financial outlay so Cass goes above and beyond to make do with what we have!

Billy and Stacey, with the Powder River Examiner, did a great job of reporting on the fair. The unspoken part of the pictures and stories is the work the kids and their families go to in preparation for the fair. The leadership by the Fair Board, the Commissioners and the volunteers sets the gold standard for the youth as they become contributing members of the community they live in.

Once again, leading by example is the most impactful way to demonstrate the behaviors we value the most. And it works---just look around at our leaders in the community today, and you will see they reflect what they observed in their youth!