NEW CASTLE, PA. Restaurant patrons give Rendell a warm greeting

The governor-elect toured potential development sites in the county.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- It's rare that applause breaks out in a busy downtown eatery, but, then again, it's not often that Pennsylvania's governor-elect walks in the door.
Ed Rendell made a stop here Thursday afternoon to thank supporters and tour Lawrence County to look at spots for future economic development.
"I got my biggest kick [on election night] out of carrying Lawrence County. It's wonderful to come back and say thanks in person. It's going to be wonderful to come back in the next four years and say thank you," he said.
Rendell mentioned to the crowd of about 100 people that he is interested in doing what he can to spur economic development in the county and state and education reform.
Wooing companies
Rendell said after his impromptu speech that he has been speaking to companies interested in locating in Lawrence County in an effort to woo them to the area.
"That's going to be typical of the things I do. People will see the governor as much more involved in economic development. Not just big companies, but mid-size and small ones too," he said. "I want to do things to create new jobs and broaden our tax base."
He refused to name the companies interested in Lawrence County that he has spoken to.
Rendell said he's working on putting his government together in Harrisburg, which he expects to be bipartisan. He said he's asked business and government leaders to submit names of those who would work well in his administration.
He's even looking in Lawrence County, he said.
"I would love to take an intelligent young person like [District Attorney] Matt Mangino to Harrisburg, but he's got plans of his own in Lawrence County," Rendell said.
Touring sites
Rendell said he was spending the rest of the afternoon looking at potential redevelopment sites in Lawrence County before heading back to Pittsburgh to unveil new lighting on the Roberto Clemente Bridge.
The governor-elect said those sites might benefit from the $200 million revolving loan fund he intends to create to help communities remediate old industrial sites for new economic development.