4th District impresses Pa.'s Hart

The 4th District used to stop at the Mercer County line.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
FARRELL, Pa. -- U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart of Bradford Woods, R-4th, got a whirlwind tour of a new portion of her congressional district Monday and was impressed by what she saw.
Hart, a Republican from Bradford Woods, Pa., met with business and elected officials from southwestern Mercer County at a luncheon at the Oak Tree Country Club in Shenango Township, then boarded a bus with local officials and economic development representatives to take a quick look at some of the industry in her expanded district.
Where she went: She got a quick look at the CCL Container plant on Llodio Road, Hermitage, which manufactures aluminum can products for the food and beauty care industry, and then toured the new Sharon Tube Co. plant in the Henry J. Evans Industrial Park along the Farrell/Wheatland border.
Both plants are highly automated. These companies have been around a long time and have done what was asked of them to survive, Hart said. They've retooled and updated their facilities, she said.
That may mean fewer employees but it has helped keep the companies competitive and ensured their longevity, she said.
Hart's tour also included a stop at the Daffin's Candies Factory on Spearman Avenue but that presented a sweet problem for her. She said she gave up chocolate for Lent.
Hart addressed about 70 people at Oak Tree, pledging her willingness to work on any project the business community brings to her attention, both large and small.
The freshman congresswoman, who spent 10 years in the state Senate, said she has experience working with heavy manufacturing companies, pointing out that Beaver County, hurt by the loss of much of its steel industry, is in her district.
Some of her goals: She's looking for ways to help revitalize areas hit by that downturn, she said, noting that it's too important an industry to give to foreign competition.
She is a supporter of the proposed 40-percent tariff on imported steel under consideration by President George W. Bush and is a member of the Congressional Steel Caucus that met with Bush last week to urge the high tariffs.
"People have a lot to offer here," she said, pointing out that western Pennsylvanians are hard-working and dedicated.
Farrell, Wheatland, West Middlesex, Shenango Township and part of Hermitage are in Hart's district.