Click the image above to watch a brief video about the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) findings during their final public hearing on June 25 about the causes of the East Palestine train derailment. Read more about the hearing here. Check out the NTSB's official report here.
A RAINY PA FOREST OFFERS A FUN WINDOW INTO AN APPALACHIAN ECOLOGY DEBATE
By Colin Deppen of Spotlight PA
Photo via Ohio Pyle State Park's Flickr
Ohiopyle State Park, located in Fayette County, just barely missed the credentials for the distinction of "rainforest." With only 1,370 mm of rain per year, researchers and scientists look to push the boundaries of what a rainforest means when discussing this Appalachian forest.
OWNER OF GUS & YIA YIA'S ICE BALL STAND HAS DIED AT AGE 92
Photo from Pittsburgh Magazine
Read the article by Lauren Davidson in the Pittsburgh Magazine here.
By Carmita McGeary Padgett, a volunteer with Centro Cultural Hispano
Photos by Christopher Padgett
Usually, the good things in life come through hard, diligent work — which makes the mile markers, the moments of celebration, so joyous and so important. One of those mile markers happened a week ago for Comunidad Cristiana Hispana (Christian Hispanic Community), a Spanish-speaking church in Beaver Falls, as it launched the new Centro Cultural Hispano (Hispanic Cultural Center).
At the newly painted location, 1611 7th Ave., Comunidad hosted a bilingual celebration with music, a presentation of the cultural center and homemade food by members of Comunidad. This center has been a dream in the hearts of many in the church for a couple of years, most especially the pastor, Nahún Martinez. Originally from El Salvador, Martinez has been a vital resource to many people making the transition from Spanish-speaking countries to Beaver County, a group that started rapidly growing in 2018. The center will be a place that continues to grow that capacity to support new neighbors.
A central part of the June 22 celebration was to share the vision of the cultural center and invite the community to join its mission. The three areas of focus are education, cultural exchange and entrepreneurship. The center has already begun its education programming with English classes for adults and summer Spanish classes for kids, with more to come.
In the future, the center hopes to help resource entrepreneurial endeavors. And at the heart of the center is the desire to help new and current neighbors in Beaver Falls, who might have some language and/or cultural barriers, connect with each other and share about their own cultures with the community at large. The community of Beaver Falls, and all of Beaver County, is growing and the cultural center wants to be a resource to help support that growth.
Centro Cultural Hispano would love for you to be involved too! They have asked people to consider praying for the work and development of this new organization, volunteer your time, and/or to donate to the cause.
You can connect with the cultural center through Comunidad via:
- Facebook (Comunidad Cristiana Hispana – Beaver Falls)
- Instagram (@cchbeaverfalls)
- Email ([email protected])
- Website (www.cchbeaverfalls.com)
Vecinos que hablan español (for our Spanish-speaking neighbors):
Muchas veces, las cosas buenas de la vida vienen por el trabajo duro y consistente. Por eso, los hitos, los momentos de celebración, son tan felices e importantes. Hace una semana, pasó un hito para Comunidad Cristiana Hispana, la iglesia hispanohablante en Beaver Falls, con el lanzamiento del nuevo Centro Cultural Hispano.
En la dirección nueva, 1611 7th Ave, Comunidad albergó una celebración bilingüe con música, una presentación del centro, y comida hecha por los miembros de Comunidad. El centro ha sido un sueño en los corazones de muchos en la iglesia por algunos años, especialmente para el pastor Nahún Martinez. Él es de “El Salvador” y ha sido un recurso esencial para muchas personas que están mudándose de países hispanohablantes al Condado de Beaver. Este grupo empezó a crecer rápidamente en el año 2018 y el centro sería un lugar que continuará aumentando la capacidad de apoyar a nuestros vecinos nuevos.
Una parte central de la celebración el 22 de junio fue para compartir la visión del centro e invitar a la comunidad a unirse a la misión. Las tres áreas de enfoque son la educación, el intercambio cultural, y el emprendimiento. El centro ya empezó sus programas de educación con clases de inglés para adultos y clases de español para niños durante el verano. Vendrán cosas mejores.
En el futuro, el centro quiere apoyar los esfuerzos de emprendimiento. Y en el fondo del centro está el deseo de ayudar a los vecinos nuevos y actuales en Beaver Falls, que probablemente tienen algunos obstáculos de lenguaje o cultura, hacer contactos y compartir sobre sus propias culturas con la comunidad en general. La comunidad de Beaver Falls, y en todo del condado, está creciendo y el centro quiere ser un recurso para apoyar ese crecimiento.
El Centro Cultural Hispano querría que tú estés involucrado también. Ha preguntado que personas consideren orar por el trabajo y desarrollo de esta organización nueva, ofrecerse como voluntario, y/o donar dinero para apoyar la causa.
Puedes conectar con el centro por Comunidad de estas maneras:
- Facebook (Comunidad Cristiana Hispana – Beaver Falls)
- Instagram (@cchbeaverfalls)
- Correo electrónico ([email protected])
- Sitio de web (www.cchbeaverfalls.com)
Local environmental organizations hosted a power mapping event on June 26 in Beaver Falls about the Shell cracker plant. The event was educational and interactive, and went through who occupied the location of the plant before Shell, how the decision to bring Shell was made, who was involved in the process, the timeline of the plant's violations, and more.
The event was hosted by BCMAC, Clean Air Council, Food and Water Watch, Moms Clean Air Force and Three Rivers Waterkeeper.
FIREWORKS
July 4: Midland, 10 p.m. with a festival in Lincoln Park.
Moon Township, 9:45 p.m. at Moon Park. Festival and entertainment at 4 p.m.
Pittsburgh Independence Day Celebration, 4–10 p.m. with free family activities, music, food and entertainment in Point State Park, Liberty Avenue and the city's North Shore.
July 6: Ambridge, 9:40 p.m. at Walter Panek Park. Entertainment 5–9 p.m.
Ride, White & Blue ATV riding fireworks from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mines & Meadows ATV Trail in Wampum.
MORE FUN THIS JULY (1–14)
July 7: Beaver County Wind Ensemble, 7 p.m. at Irvine Park Gazebo in Beaver.
July 8: Hopewell Community Big Band, 6:30 p.m. at Lincoln Park Alumni Hall in Midland.
Monday Music Series, 5 p.m. on the patio at Laughlin Memorial Library in Ambridge.
July 9: New Brighton Night Mart, 5–9 p.m. with live music, food trucks and giveaways.
July 11: Karaoke with Ron The Don, 8 p.m. at the American Italian Club of Aliquippa.
July 12: Falls Friday Market, 4–8 p.m. vendors, live music and food trucks Fridays in summer in Beaver Falls.
July 13: Don Gatlin and the Kenny Rogers Band in concert at the Beaver Borough Pool House.
Hopewell Parkfest, 3 p.m. with entertainment, food and fireworks, at Hopewell Community Park.
Independence Township Day of Celebration, 5–10 p.m. outside the Independence Township municipal building with food vendors.
Chippewa Township Community Day, 4–8 p.m. at Wright Fields.
Find a Little Free Library near you. (BCMAC just opened one on the Monaca Riverfront!)
Beaver County Job Opportunities and News: Follow PA Career Link Beaver County on Facebook.
Beaver County Rehabilitation Center: BCRC offers mental health services for all Beaver County residents. The program, called Aurora, is a resource for anyone with a mental health diagnosis who needs additional assistance in developing hope. Watch the Facebook Reel here. More info about Aurora available here.
Beaver County Crisis Help-Line: 1-800-400-6180 and 724-371-8060, or text 988.
Soup Kitchens: For a list of free meals available to the community, view the link here.
What other resources should we include? Send recommendations here.
The Rev. H.L. Queen attempted to pass through the picket lines outside the Jones and Laughlin Corporation steel plant in Aliquippa on May 13, 1937, according to the Little Beaver Historical Society.
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Owen Rossi-Keen
Owen Rossi-Keen is the Founder and Principal Software Engineer at Iliad.dev, LLC, a web development agency focused on delivering enterprise-grade customization without the enterprise price-tag.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania