"Drastic" and "Hopeful". Two Words Used To Describe The Current State of Beaver County At The State Of The County Breakfast on Tuesday Morning.

Story and photos by Mark Peterson

(Hopewell Township, PA) A large crowd of over 200 people gathered at The Fez on a cloudy, drizzly, Tuesday morning to bask in the the warm glow and comfort that was provided by lots of positive dialogue as well as the hot, steaming serving trays of breakfast favorites in the buffet line. This all happened at The annual Beaver County Chamber of Commerce “State of The County” event. County Commission Chairman, Dan Camp, and County Commissioner, Jack Manning, offered responses to inquiries from attendees and well as their own thoughts in the forum, which was moderated by Pittsburgh political analyst, John Delano. Fellow County Commissioner, Tony Amadio, was not in attendance, as he was tending to county business elsewhere.

County Commission Chairman, Dan Camp, County Commissioner, Jack Manning, and Moderator John Delano.

Delano’s first query to the two men was “In one word, describe the state of Beaver Beaver County right now.” Dan Camp said “Drastic”, referring to all the mostly positive, drastic changes that have happened in the Beaver County business sector of late. Jack Manning’s response to the same question was “Hopeful”. He went on to say how the numerous new business developments already underway, are creating a sense of hope about what the future holds. Manning specifically pointed out how the large investment of St. Barnabas into the county in recent years, gives him an impression that there is a state of hopefulness right now.

Both commissioners touted a “Comprehensive Plan”, that county officials have been formulating for a while and expect to roll it out in earnest later on this year. Jack Manning stated that one of the key aspects of the plan will be to get true collaboration among county leaders and then speak about and market Beaver County as one unified voice. That is something that Manning sees happening already, in just his 30th day of office since beginning his first term as a commissioner.

Commission Chairman, Dan Camp, noticed the upbeat mindset among the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce guests at Tuesday’s gathering and offered this assessment afterwards:

In addition to speaking on the issues of working together and putting forth a unified front, both commissioners talked about the importance of making sure Beaver County gets an accurate count in the upcoming Census, which will commence in April. Dan Camp said that flyers are being printed and distributed to help make people aware of how important it is to get everybody counted. Camp further explained that census numbers can affect realignment in government representation because it is based on population. Making sure nobody is missed in the 2020 Census will help ensure that Beaver County gets its fair share of funding allocation for various things, as well as representation in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C.

Beaver County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Helen Kissick, was pleased with the event, and what appeared to be a higher than normal crowd in attendance.

Beaver County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee Chairman, Harry Kunselman, Beaver County Commission Chairman Dan Camp, Beaver County Commissioner, Jack Manning, and Beaver County Chamber Of Commerce Executive Director, Helen Kissick at Tuesday’s “State of The County” Breakfast at The Fez in Hopewell Township.

To find out more about other upcoming Beaver County Chamber of Commerce events, visit beavercountychamber.com.