It's time to cheerlead the best of Trumbull County to Boeing, one leader says.

It's time to cheerlead the best of Trumbull County to Boeing, one leader says.
By ANGELA WOODHULL
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HOWLAND -- Township Administrator Darlene St. George wants to see Boeing build its new Dreamliner 7E7 assembly plant in Trumbull County and bring about 1,200 new jobs to the area.
She invited public officials to an open forum Thursday to gain support for her vision.
Her inspiration, she said, came from a Kentucky doctor who persuaded Tyson Foods to relocate to his impoverished community by interviewing townspeople, then sending his compelling videotape to the manufacturer's executives.
In a letter sent to area officials, St. George stated, "While the Boeing project is a long shot, how will we feel if the project comes to reality and we lose it to Dayton, Ohio? With minimal effort, creativity and cooperation, I am confident we can compile a unique presentation on why Trumbull County is the only place Boeing should consider."
Among those who attended the two-hour meeting were state Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty and two of his interns, state Rep. Dan Sferra of Warren, Johnston Township Trustee Donald J. Barzak, Bristol Township Trustee Ray French, Trumbull County Commissioner Michael O'Brien and four Howland Township employees.
St. George is optimistic that a similar presentation -- a video that depicts the best of Trumbull County -- might woo Boeing corporate chiefs.
A second meeting will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 12 at Howland government center in hope of generating more support for the Boeing vision.
The majority of the Thursday meeting time was spent brainstorming about who should be invited to the next forum. The list included the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, which was responsible for completing the application to Boeing one month ago; the Trumbull County Convention & amp; Visitors Bureau, organizations such as Grow Mahoning Valley and Trumbull 100, Kent State University Trumbull Campus and Youngstown State University officials, the United Auto Workers and AFL-CIO.
Trumbull elected officials who did not attend the preliminary meeting will be invited again.
Praise for the Valley
"I'm the ultimate cheerleader here as far as saying, 'This is the best place to live,'" St. George concluded. "I am convinced that we can make this work. What does Toledo have to offer that we don't have?"
"What we have to offer Boeing is the work ethic of the residents of the Valley," said Gary E. Newbrough, executive director of Trumbull County Planning Commission. "I think we're the best in the world. You have the four seasons, quality housing, lack of impoverished areas, quality of education and no fire ants. Our houses have basements."
Added Thomas Holloway, county sanitary engineer: "We need to organize ourselves as one voice for economic development. They said you couldn't build a stadium at Cafaro Field, but it happened. It could happen. With one single voice, you don't know what could happen. We got GM to stay by being a unified voice."
Meanwhile, California has assembled a benefit package worth more than $250 million to persuade Boeing to locate there. Nine California cities, including Long Beach, where Boeing aircraft are already assembled, have submitted proposals.
Boeing already supplies California with about 40,000 jobs, making it the largest private employer in that state.
Eight thousand subcontractors also generate about $8 billion to the state's economy each year, according to the governor's office.