CURWENSVILLE: A significant milestone in Curwensville’s history was marked on Jan. 10 when Donald “Bear” Stewart was sworn in as the borough’s first African American mayor during a special ceremony at Irvin Manor.

Stewart said more than 60 people attended the ceremony, including family members who traveled from Washington, D.C., Virginia, Delaware, Niagara Falls and other parts of New York, along with visitors from Williamsburg and Pittsburgh.

“It was humbling,” Stewart said, reflecting on the turnout and the support shown by family, friends, and community members.

Stewart grew up in Arnoldtown and graduated from Curwensville Area High School in 1975. The youngest of six children, he spent much of his career working for the municipal authority before retiring in 2009. He now works as a school bus driver. Many residents also recognize him as a familiar voice on WOKW, where he has served as a sports announcer since December 1989, or from his nearly three decades coaching high school baseball.

His family’s connection to the Curwensville area spans generations. Stewart explained that his great-great-grandfather, William Jones, is buried in a cemetery along Ridge Avenue, and that his great-grandmother, Anna Jones, was a local midwife who delivered more than 300 babies in the community.

His mother, Clarabell Johnson Stewart, was also widely known and respected. In 2021, a park near the David S. Ammerman Trail in the former Arnoldtown area was dedicated in her honor. Stewart said he would like to see additional improvements made there, including a pavilion and more benches to create a comfortable place for trail users to rest or picnic.

Stewart brings prior experience in public service to the mayor’s office. He served on Curwensville Borough Council during the 1990s and briefly on the Curwensville School Board in 2015. He said the decision to run for mayor came after encouragement from others rather than personal ambition.

“I was in my backyard one Sunday afternoon when Tom Carfley went by and suggested I run,” Stewart said. “I didn’t want to do it at first, but after talking it over with my wife, Teresa, I realized they needed someone and decided to give it a try.”

He views the role of mayor as a form of traditional public service, noting that elected office was originally intended to be temporary rather than a lifelong career.

Stewart ran unopposed in the November election and received 583 of the approximately 600 votes cast.

“I knew if I got 10 votes, I would win,” he said with a laugh.

At age 68, Stewart said he hopes his term will help stabilize borough leadership and encourage a younger resident to eventually seek the office.

“I’m stabilizing the position until someone else wants it,” he said.

Stewart noted that there have been only about 27 or 28 African American mayors in Pennsylvania since 2000, a number he finds surprisingly low. So far, he said his election has been met with overwhelming support.

“I’ve received 100 percent positive feedback, with people wishing me well,” he said, adding that Teresa has been supportive and patient as his schedule has filled with meetings and official duties.

Among his goals as mayor is improving public safety. Stewart said he would like to see the borough expand its police force, beginning with the addition of another patrol officer and potentially adding a second in the future.

“Even though Curwensville is a small community, we have more problems than we did 40 years ago,” he said, citing drug-related issues as a major factor in increased crime.

While acknowledging that he cannot solve every issue on his own, Stewart said his guiding priority is clear.

“I want people to be safe.”