Rendell makes many stops in area, touts economic stimulus package

The governor talked about Millennium Park.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- It was a whirlwind day for Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, with his last stop here before a crowd of about 200 students, residents and political leaders.
The Democrat also made stops in Butler, Beaver and Allegheny counties Monday and was expected to wrap up his visit to the western part of the state this morning with a Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce breakfast.
The governor looked somewhat taken aback when Westminster College President Tom Williamson gave him a college sweatshirt, saying they were unsure how many X's to put before the large. They ended up deciding on two, Williamson said.
Rendell touted his new economic stimulus package, promising it will inject billions of dollars into the economy.
He also stressed that he hopes the package will keep one of Pennsylvania's biggest exports -- young people -- from leaving the state.
"We have to stop it. They leave us because there are no jobs or opportunities," Rendell said.
The governor also mentioned the proposed Millennium Park -- a high technology park planned for Neshannock Township -- as a good example of what his economic stimulus package could produce.
"Millennium Park would give us a great ready-to-go site. It's a great 2,300-acre site near water and infrastructure," he said.
Rendell said they had hoped for a large semi-conductor company to locate in the park -- which would have used half of the available space -- but the industry took a nosedive and is not expanding.
"It [Millennium Park] will be used. We hope it will bring a lot of new jobs -- jobs students here would like," Rendell said.
After the governor's speech, Lawrence County Commissioner Dan Vogler and state Rep. Chris Sainato of New Castle, D-9th, said officials are still working to get a semi-conductor company or some other large employer to locate in the park.
cioffi@vindy.com