Published: September 23, 2009 01:23 pm      

Bedias celebrates Texas Department of Rural Affairs renaming

The City of Bedias sponsored a ribboncutting ceremony last Thursday to celebrate the Texas Department of Rural Affairs’ new name.

The agency, formerly the Office of Rural Community Affairs, has maintained a field office in Bedias since 2007.

The 81st Legislature changed the agency’s name to recognize its role as an official state agency dedicated to rural Texas.

“We thank the City of Bedias for sponsoring this ribboncutting and renaming celebration,” said Charles S. (Charlie) Stone, TDRA executive director. “We also thank the city graciously providing office space for three years.

“They were one of the first rural communities to host a field office for this agency.”

The celebration began at the Bedias office, located at 3603 East Main St. in Bedias.

Approximately 50 people attended the event, including several current and past mayors, City Council members and commissioners from Grimes County and the surrounding area, as well as local emergency responders.

TDRA staff also attended the event.

Four horsemen helped Dr. Mackie Bobo, mayor of Bedias and secretary of TDRA’s governing board, cut the ribbon to the renamed field office.

The city hosted a barbeque dinner immediately following the ribbon cutting event.

The TDRA makes the broad resources of state government more accessible to rural communities. The agency is a provider of rural-focused state and federal resources for community development, economic development, housing and rural health.

TDRA is the federally designated State Office of Rural Health and the governor’s lead agency for oversight of disaster recovery funding, and specifically administers the non-housing portion of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster recovery funds.

For more information, visit TDRA online at www.tdra.state.tx.us.