Members of the East Bradford Business Association made a stink
at an emergency meeting Wednesday night, saving the association and
this year’s Stinkfest.

The meeting was the last one for former association president
Mike Smith, who has been forced to step down as president of the
EBBA because of health problems. He’s been traveling back and forth
to Buffalo, N.Y., for the past couple of months.

“I’ve had someone call up (at the store) and ask when the
funeral was,” Smith said at the meeting. “Another person asked how
his layaway was going to be affected by my health problems. I don’t
think I’m sick, but the federal government says I am. So I had a
choice – give up work or give up the festival. So I’m going to slow
down.”

The EBBA members at the meeting decided they should discuss
whether they should still have an association before deciding
whether they should have Stinkfest, the annual celebration of leeks
in East Bradford, because they can’t sponsor an event without the
organization. Everyone at the meeting agreed they should still have
the association.

The next task was to find someone to replace Smith as
president.

Steve Stidd, owner of Togi’s Sub Station and former president of
the association for 10 years, agreed to step in as temporary
president to keep the organization going until someone else agreed
to take over as president.

“We need somebody that’s new with connections,” Stidd said.
“Everyone is afraid to step up to the plate and learn.”

Stidd said he didn’t want to be involved with Stinkfest since he
didn’t have the connections or the experience to work it as Smith
and Kathy Colman, who was elected vice president, had done in
recent years.

“(When I was president,) we had an annual Labor Day
celebration,” Stidd said. “The idea behind it was for more
neighborhood involvement. … But it was a riot – literally a riot.
It got out of hand. Nobody really cared, and we couldn’t control
it. We could hold Stinkfest Friday night, but it would get out of
hand. (But) everybody wants the festival. The people down here
deserve it.”

“We already planned things for next year” for Stinkfest, Smith
said. “We have a lot of things going. We were approached by other
organizations that wanted to it take over, but the problem is those
organizations can’t serve no alcohol whatsoever.”

Colman, past Stinkfest lead organizer, said she would be the
event’s coordinator again this year, but she wouldn’t set up the
craft and food vendors since it was too much work for her.
Therefore, unless someone stepped forward to take over the craft
and food vendors for Stinkfest, the EBBA would not be able to hold
the event this year.

Luckily, Jan Dietrick, owner of J.D. Novelties, agreed to handle
the craft and food vendors for Stinkfest, allowing the event to
live another year.

“Jan’s not even located in the East Main Street area, but her
heart is with us,” Colman said.

Colman also said they need a clean-up/garbage crew, and it was
suggested that they use people through the prison for their
community service. Stidd agreed to contact the warden to look into
this.

The association is also looking for a Bradford group to man the
gambling tent and EBBA information booth.

Stinkfest is set for May 5 with this year’s theme being “Sorry,
No Stinkin’ Dogs Allowed.” The event’s Kiddy Land is also set, and
organizers believe WESB will probably still sponsor the outhouse
races.

Treasurer Fred Cloud said the accounts are close to where they
were when the EBBA started Stinkfest last year. He said the
organization went through $9,000 in expenses for Stinkfest last
year in addition to the donations made back to the community.

Stinkfest has grown each year the event’s been held, with Smith
indicating more than 6,000 people – from as far away as Canada –
attended.

Cloud also pointed out something would have to be done about an
EBBA account and gambling license in Smith’s name.

The EBBA decided to hold its meetings at 5:30 p.m. every
Wednesday, starting Feb. 7.