Welcome aboard Foundation Members for an exciting 2005! One change we are asking of our members this year is to renew your membership in the month of January, rather than on your individual anniversary date. If we can get everyone to renew their memberships in January on an annual basis, it will accommodate our loss of manpower, simplify record keeping, and help all of you remember when to renew, as well. Please renew in January if at all possible!

With that bit of organizational business out of the way, let's get on with the fun stuff: programs for 2005. We are starting the new year off with a bang, or, more appropriately, some beautiful music, as we host a "Road to Cliburn" concert on Thursday, February 10, 2005, at 7:00 PM at the Old Bedford School. This concert will provide scholarships to participants in the Van Cliburn Piano Competition. Three concert pianists, Domenico Codispoti, Sergei Kuznetsoff, and Andrey Ponochevny, all international piano competition medal winners and Cliburn contestants, will perform selections from their Cliburn program. You won't want to miss this! Tickets are on sale now at $20 per person general public/$16 per person for members. Call 817-952-2290 to buy your tickets today!

Following fast on the heals of the "Road to Cliburn" concert, will be a Tsunami Relief Concert entitled, "Branson Comes to Bedford," hosted by Bedford's own Ken Nelson. Ken is in the process of lining up talent for this variety concert to benefit children who have suffered from the tsunami last month in Africa and Asia. The concert is scheduled for Sunday, February 20, 2005, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Old Bedford School. Tickets will go on sale on the February 1 at $10 per person. Donations can also be made during the concert. All proceeds will go to the tsunami victims as the entertainment, refreshments, building rental, and staffing is being donated. Please turn out to support this landmark event in the Mid Cities area.

Although a date has not yet been set, you can count on another Christmas Jazz concert, based upon the tremendous response we had from last year's event. Cindy Horstman and Michael Medina put on a virtuoso performance on the electric jazz harp and electric bass, respectively. They were hired on the spot to perform at Central Market in Plano by one of the audience listeners..

As you can see, things are percolating along nicely this year. Be sure to attend the Membership Meeting January 27 to get on the right "historical" track.

Thank you to the following members for supporting the Bedford Historical Foundation:
 

Pioneers—	Ross Darrow -                                            RENEWAL
	Jackie Martin -                                            RENEWAL
	Leighton & Lynda Railsback -                     RENEWAL
Pathfinders—	Mark & Amy Vozar -                                 RENEWAL
	David & Barbara Burns -                            RENEWAL
Contributor—	Jack & Joyce Courtney -                            RENEWAL
	Mary Alice Chandler Selcer -                      RENEWAL
Bricks—	Carolyn Womack-                                   $ 50
	Stew & Lisa Frazier-                               $ 50
	George & Mary Truitt-                            $ 50
Donations—	Fred & Jackie Hinds, Jr.-                        $300 in memory of Oleta Bilger

Leighton Railsback
President