(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)
Local citizens came to the Second Baptist Church to hear about the latest updates on the potential reopening of the Wave Pool in Beaver Falls.
What they heard was much more than that.
Tyrone Ziegler, 40, is the man behind the project to rejuvenate the Beaver Falls Wave Pool, which has been closed since 2002. Ziegler spoke at the Community Watch Meeting on November 26, and he opened up about the life path that has led him to this point. It was a turbulent ride that led him from the courts as a star player for Beaver Falls to a life of drug deals, quick cash, and multiple prison stays.
After long enough, Ziegler went cold turkey against the dealer lifestyle, and chose to build himself back up ethically and financially. He mentioned about how he switched his mentality in order to keep up and not slip:
Then after several months of financial stability and even opening up his own moving business, Tyrone decided he wanted to give back to the community he felt he owed for his past. He teamed up with Ben Fenchak to start the Tigerland Wave Pool project, in order to bring back the former Wave Pool near the northern entrance to the city on Route 18. At first, the team set its goal at $500,000, but Ziegler explained that such heights are currently unnecessary (although not impossible):
The donations, both monetary and through supply, have led to the possibility of the Tigerland Wave Pool being opened next summer in 2019. Ziegler understands that having this newly updated facility will be a help for the city of Beaver Falls, particularly for its youth looking for something to do:
However, in order to get to the goal of opening next summer, there will have to be plenty of labor and operations done in order to get there:
The Tigerland Wave Pool Project is supported by the Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation, and further details can be found at the CDC Website or on Facebook.
