President Barack Obama toured EMC Precision Machining in Elyria, where he met with workers and plant management, and made an unplanned lunch stop at Smitty’s in Elyria.
Obama ordered a burger and fries to eat while he met with Elyria mayor Bill Grace. The president bought a $2.75 bowl of chili for Shawn Hatcher for his 42nd birthday.
The president talked to the crowd about jobs, and talked to Jeff King, an electrician on the Lorain County Transportation Center project, which is funded by federal money.
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Obama also talked to several children at the restaurant and joke after a cameraman knocked over a clock that they were destroying the restaurant.
At EMC Obama talked with worker Mitch Seabold of Columbia Station about precision grinding.
“It was great. It was an honor,” Seabold said about meeting the president.
CT reporter Brad Dicken, who is riding along with Obama’s motorcade, said people lined state Route 57 waving to the motorcade as it drove by.
Back at Lorain County Community College people have been lining up for hours to see the president, and the Chronicle staff has cleared security and is scurrying about to bring you updates.
There’s still a nice long line outside of folks waiting to get through security to be on hand for the first presidential visit to Lorain County since Harry Truman’s whistle stop tour.
But the attendance list certainly is a who’s who of Lorain County.
Lorain Mayor Tony Krasienko is here, as is Lorain Safety-Service Director Robert Gilchrist. Elyria Safety-Service Director Chris Eichenlaub is here, as his brother, Elyria police’s Andy Eichenlaub, in his capacity as part of the local security team. State Rep. Joe Kozuira also is on hand, as is Probate Judge James Walther. Elyria Councilman Mike Lotko, D-at large, just walked through the doors, too.
Managing Editor Julie Wallace bumped in to Krasienko who expects to have a one-on-one meeting with the president.
Krasienko said the one-0n-one time he’ll spend with the president will involve talking about what works and what doesn’t as far as federal programs. Some, he said, come with too many restrictions that make it difficult for cities.
“A lot of programs have different restraints … sometimes there is the need to let community funds to meet objectives but in a way that will allow the community to get us there more directly,” he said.
CT reporter Cindy Leise reported that there were seven protesters, and none of them were local people.
Leise caught up with two local pastors while they were waiting in line to enter the town hall.
The Rev. Marcettes Cunningham, pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Elyria, said he is an Obama supporter.
“I would give him a B+,” Cunningham said. “I like the fact he’s taking a different approach to government. He’s more inclusive than other people in trying to bridge the gap between party lines.”
Cunningham said he thought Obama should spend more time dealing with domestic issues and utilize Secretary of State Hillary Clinton more on international issues.
The Rev. Curtis Daniel, pastor of Macedonia Church of Christ in God in Elyria, also said he would rate Obama’s performance a B+.
“I like the fact he’s reforming corporate America and is making our financial institutions more accountable,” Daniel said, adding that Obama needs to work harder on creating jobs.
CT reporter Lisa Roberson caught up with Julia Williams of Elyria who was attending the president’s town hall meeting to hear what he had to say about jobs.
Williams, 34, of Elyria, a caseworker for Lorain County Job and Family Services, said her caseload has increased in the past couple years, and the people she’s seeing are those who have lost their jobs and are in need of health care.
Economic recovery was weighing on the mind of Charlotte Bledsoe of LaGrange as well.
Bledsoe, 57, who works in local government, said she has seen cutbacks at her job. She said she is honored Obama is visiting Lorain County and believes he is sincere in his desire to go to the people and hear what they have to say.
Heather Pierce, 19, of Grafton, a student at LCCC, said she is worried about her future job prospects.
Pierce, who is pursuing an associate degree in art, works in the college’s financial aid office and said she has seen a lot of older students who have lost their jobs coming back to school.
Check back at Chroniclet.com all day long for more on the president’s day in Lorain County.
