By Mark Peterson, Beaver County Radio.

(Beaver Falls, PA) The Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation continued their annual lecture series last night and hosted a public meeting  at the Carnegie Free Library in town with the theme of  “Education And Church” to give attendees an overview of the what the roles of those two institutions play in the development of the city.   A large crowd, including many Geneva College students,  filled up parts of the lobby and side meeting room in the library for the second of three planned meetings, and those in attendance heard two very eloquent orators including  Dr. Calvin Troup, President of Geneva College, and Rev. Bernard Tench, Pastor of Second baptist Church in Beaver Falls.  Beaver Falls City Manager, Charles “Mick” Jones, Jr.  served as the host as Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

Dr. Troup took the stage first and talked about “Coming to Beaver Falls”, and offered contrasts in what it was like arriving via train as an eight year old with his family when they moved to town from Chicago in 1969, compared with his pilgrimage  two years ago when he traversed back to the city to begin his current assignment as the President of Geneva College. Troup’s years in higher education and having to speak in front of classrooms have evidently payed off, as he very easily held everyone’s attention in the room with a very well prepared and engaging talk.  In speaking about his latter arrival to Beaver Falls, Troup  painted a picture about how things have changed in the present and also how the future is a very positive one.  Troup pointed to many different proactive cooperative efforts between Geneva College and the City of Beaver Falls on many different levels that have produced big benefits, like helping to secure government grant money for road construction and sidewalk upgrade projects. One of those projects is an upgrade to the century old narrow sidewalk and fence that currently lines the side of the street heading up to the college from Beaver Falls. Troup’s slide show included artist’s renderings of  what the proposed, upgraded lighted walkway from downtown along route 18 up to Geneva College will look like.  Construction for that  project is scheduled to begin later this year.

Reverend Bernard Tench then wowed those in attendance as he spoke about amazing new things happening in the church community of Beaver Falls.  Tench spoke about how new innovative ways of reaching community worshipers, including  a city wide Pentecost Service and a combined Vacation Bible School scheduled for the week of July 29 through August 2, 2019, were helping to stimulate interest and participation again in church activities.  Tench’s church, Second Baptist Church in Beaver Falls, is one of the oldest congregations in area, gathering for Sunday worship and serving the community for over 125 years, and yet, he he couldn’t help but get a bit excited himself as he spoke about these new developments.  In addition to changing and adapting worship styles and options available, Tench proudly talked about and showed off pictures of the nearly completed SBC Center, a multi use meeting room and gathering place facility housed in the former McElwain Cadillac car dealership on 7th Avenue. The historic structure, which was the home to Beaver Falls’ first car dealership in 1936, when Ed Sahli, Sr. acquired a Chevrolet franchise, is nearing the end of a ten year renovation process to covert the space from a car showroom and service area to an elegant building.

The “State Of The City” meeting was organized by Wendy Whelpley, Executive Director for the Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation.  Last night’s meeting, which centered around the topic of Education and Church, was the second in a series of three gatherings, each focusing on a different aspect of Beaver Falls.  The third and final meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 24.  Education and Church will again be the themes of that upcoming lecture which will include commentary from Dr. Donna Nugent, Superintendent of Big Beaver Falls Area School District and Pastor Marc deJeu, from The Soma Gathering Church in Beaver Falls. Admission is free and the programs start at 7 P.M. at the Carnegie Free Library in Beaver Falls.  More information and upcoming schedules can be found here.