Great cities from small ideas grow

Enthusiasm, like negativity, can be contagious. That is the most important reason Brazil has written a comprehensive plan, paid for by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

You may not care about all that. It is as dull as what makes your car start in the morning but you probably appreciate how much nicer our National Avenue looks with the new pavement, new curbing and new street lights.

It seems to have generated enthusiasm that is spilling over and even has people thinking optimistically about Brazil becoming a Stellar Community and the doors that would open to even more grant money.

Certainly, we appreciate not only the new main street but our mayor has learned of ways to get money to pave city streets as well. He has said he hopes to have all the streets that need to be repaved eventually completed.

That enthusiasm has led to the demolition of run down, dangerous houses to be replaced with new housing. Work is scheduled to begin on the old junior high school and later the former office building at the corner of National Avenue and Meridian Street to make both buildings into affordable senior housing.

All of this is happening now and, because of the work done on the comprehensive plan, much more is in the works. You can read the comprehensive plan for yourself at City Hall or by clicking on the link at the bottom of www.thebraziltimes.com.

Let’s not forget our city parks.

Janet McClellan has revitalized the refreshment stand next to the band shell in Forest Park.

Carrol Evans and Zach Stultz have spent six months working on the five-year comprehensive plan for the parks. That will make more grant money available in the future and Brian Bemis and Marv Moon continue to work behind the scenes to make the parks and the city a better place.

Last year, primitive camping spaces opened at Craig Park. This year, modern camping spaces will be added.

The YMCA will be managing the Forest Park pool for a one-year trial period. All children will be allowed to swim but there will be expanded YMCA programs using the pool as well. The new YMCA opportunity happened through the efforts of Deb Ringo and Nicole Fry at the YMCA and the parks board.

ASK Softball kids are playing on a new diamond at Craig Park. At Forest Park, CYL is planning a new indoor facility so kids can practice their batting and other skills in the dead of winter.

Let’s not forget the renovation program at Clay Community Schools. That, too, is “under the hood” type of material but it will lead to great things, including better facilities for our award-winning high school band program.

Thanks to Mary Yelton and the other folks in CRADLES, that program is receiving a $40,000 grant from United Way of the Wabash Valley.

Wow! This is all exciting. I’m writing this on Saturday morning and just thinking about all this and I’m awake and refreshed.

There are so many other organizations doing great things including but not limited to Rotary and Be Nice Be Kind and, of course our wonderful churches and local businesses.

It’s spring! Let’s get busy!