Barack Obama | The early birds

BOARDMAN — Those shelling out $2,300 each to spend a couple of hours with presidential hopeful Barack Obama are parking on Saddlebrook Drive to the home of Herb Washington, who is hosting the event.

Although they paid that amount for two hours with Obama, the price doesn't include valet parking. Visitors had to park quite a distance from Washington's home, which is the second to last house on the dead-end street.

The event is to start at 8 a.m. with Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, arriving via motorcade from the Holiday Inn in Boardman, where he slept after a similiar fundraiser Tuesday night in Cleveland.

Among the early birds already here are Judge Robert Douglas Jr. of Youngstown Municipal Court, Youngstown councilman Richard Atkinson, Mahoning County Commissioner John McNally, ex-county Commissioner Ed Reese, Atty. Edwin Romero, Atty. David Betras, and William Weimer, vice president and general counsel for B.J. Alan Co. Weimer's boss, Bruce Zoldan, is co-hosting the fundraiser.

Saddlebrook is relatively quiet at this point except for the vehicles crowding one side of the street. Residents who left their homes to get The Vindicator at the foot of their driveways smile at the collection of local media spread out on the street.

There is a handful of Secret Service agents on and near Washington's home. The agents politely asked the media to stay about 500 yards from the property. The media is permitted to walk up to Washington's property, but it's essentially a waste of time.

About 100 people are expected to attend today's fundraiser, which is by invitation only and is closed to the media.