For more than 20 years, folks in Homewood have fought to preserve historic Buttermilk Falls one of Beaver County's most scenic treasures. Their efforts finally paid off Thursday when the state announced a $50,000 grant to develop the site as a public park. "It's something that we've been looking forward to for a long time now,'? said Alfred DeSanzo, president of Homewood council and a long-time supporter of the falls.

Beaver County received $452,500 Thursday for conservation and recreational projects, including the acquisition of Legion Ville in Harmony Township and the improvement of community parks in Brighton Township and Industry. It *as part of $12.5 million in Keystone Community Grants awarded to 55 counties across the state for similar projects

State officials set aside $300,000 for Legion Ville, $15,000 for the Dawson Ridge Park in Brighton and $20,000 for the Industry Community Park. An additional $20,000 will go toward development of master plans for riverfront parks in Beaver and Beaver Falls; Beaver Valley Council of Governments (COG) will also receive $7,500 to study the need for a regional recreational director. The money should permit Beaver County to construct trails and observation points around Buttermilk Falls, said Robert Dyson, director of the Community Development Block Grant, program Dyson's office previously approved $50,000 for the site. The county owns 3 acres there and a local family is willing to donate an additional 3 acres. A natural waterfall along Clark's Run, Buttermilk Falls was named by a group of civil war soldiers after they picnicked there and washed down their lunch with buttermilk.

"What we want to do is develop just some very basic kinds of trails, so you have access up to the falls and at various points you have viewing areas or observation points," Dyson said. "It's not a real elaborate project." He hopes to finish construction by fall.

Legion Ville, however, is another matter. The county has been haggling with Ambridge developer B. Paul Mouradian, who owns the 16.3-acre spot where Maj. Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne established a winter camp from November 1792 to April 1793. So far, the two sides have, not been able to agree on a price. Mouradian is asking $1.7 million and the county is willing to pay between $300,000 and $600,000. Dyson would not divulge the exact offer. The Legion Ville Taskforce, which was formed to acquire the site, has received $100,000 in funding to date. The grant will increase that to $400,000. But the purchase will only be made if Mouradian lowers the price.

The Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development has been working on plans to develop parks along the Ohio River in Beaver and the Beaver River in Beaver Falls. Once the plans are developed, they can be used to secure grants for construction, according to project manager Laura Rubino. She said the Beaver spot is a vacant 5-acre tract owned by the borough near its water works. Several spots along the river in the upper part of Beaver Falls are under consideration.