WHAT THEY SAID Bedford Downs

Some of the more colorful comments made during the public hearing for Bedford Downs, a 550-acre harness racing track/entertainment complex in Lawrence County:
"Please forgive my comparison to another sport, but if we build it, they will come. If we build it, the breeders will come. If we build it, it will generate the largest purses in North America."
Carmen Shick, president of Bedford Downs
"In some cases you do the political thing. In this case you do the right thing."
State Rep. Chris Sainato of New Castle, D-9th, in his effort to woo the commission to Bedford Downs
"I have a few questions, but first I'd like to read those 12,000 letters."
C. Edward Rogers Jr., Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission member, joking about the letters of support on display for the project.
"Bedford Downs is not only a big venture, but a base for the future. Not only for ourselves, but for generations to come."
Bob Nestasie of Mahoning Township
"These are good people. Very simplistic, very elemental. They'll tell you what they think. They deserve this opportunity."
Terry Abrams of Struthers
"These two parks are very different but they offer a powerful drive in the local economy."
Linda Nitch, executive director of the Lawrence County Economic Development Corp., on Bedford Downs and the proposed Millennium Technology Park in Neshannock Township
"Carmen Shick is not a politician, but a man concerned for his roots. Today we need to extract the politics out of the process and pick a winner based on merit."
Mayor Wayne Alexander of New Castle
"The Shicks' dreams, visions, contributions and drive will benefit thousands of people who don't know it yet."
Sean Mason of Hess Commercial Printing in New Castle
"If you've got the work, we've got the workers."
Kathleen Fedrizzi, Lawrence County Career Link specialist