Representatives from LCRA and the City of Brady present a $4,400 grant to the Heart of Texas Historical Museum to replace the museum’s heating and cooling system. The grant is part of LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program. Pictured, left to right, are: Steve Dyer, LCRA Regional Affairs representative; Michael Owens, museum board member; Michele Breaux, museum treasurer; Don Taylor, museum vice president; and Tina Keys, city secretary for the City of Brady.
BRADY, Texas – A $4,400 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Brady will fund the replacement of the heating and cooling system in a portion of the Heart of Texas Historical Museum. Once completed, the project will allow patrons to more comfortably study the artifacts and memorabilia housed in the upper floors of the museum at the former McCulloch County Jail.
The non-profit museum retraces the history of Brady and McCulloch County, including displays about Curtis Field, which served as a training center for American pilots from 1941-45, and the prisoner of war camp that was outside the town during World War II. The museum has local historical documents available for study on its upper floors, where the revamped heating and cooling system will allow research to be conducted in climate-controlled comfort.
Founded in 1974, the Heart of Texas Historical Museum also houses and manages a collection of geological and cultural artifacts, preserving them for future study and sharing them with the students of McCulloch County. The museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays; and by appointment.
“We have some old, aging air conditioners that have been in there for a long time,” said Kyle Moseley, president of the museum’s board of directors. “It’s going to help us tremendously by upgrading those units. Better heating and cooling of the upper floors will help us with preservation of our existing exhibits.”
The Heart of Texas Historical Museum is funded primarily by donations and grants, and Moseley welcomes this latest gift.
“As limited as our budget is,” he said, “Plan B was to do without until we raised the money. Of course, there’s a hundred things to be done to a 100-year-old building.”
The community grant is one of a number of grants recently awarded through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which provides economic development and community assistance grants to cities, counties, volunteer fire departments, regional development councils and other nonprofit organizations in LCRA’s wholesale electric and water service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. The City of Brady is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and a partner in the grant program.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted from Jan. 1-31, 2020. More information is available at
lcra.org/cdpp.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to enhancing the lives of Texans through water stewardship, energy and community services. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934. For more information, visit
lcra.org.
Media Contact
Clara Tuma
512–578–3292
clara.tuma@lcra.org
Source: LCRA Business News
