County plans for Trump visit
PENN TWP — Excitement was in the air in and around the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport on Thursday afternoon as workers prepared for and neighbors discussed an impending presidential visit.
While President Donald Trump won't helicopter to the airport until Saturday evening to whip up support for his reelection campaign, it was evident throughout Thursday that something was brewing in the normally quiet neighborhood on Airport Road.
Caris and Sean Doss moved into their two-story home across from the eastern runway just two months ago with their infant daughter.
Both noticed many tractor-trailers heading west in front of their home Thursday.
“I've never seen a semi on this road,” Sean said.
Caris shared a video on her smartphone of a convoy of five unmarked police cars, lights deployed, that ushered someone or something into the airport Thursday from Three Degree Road.
Shortly after the convoy's arrival at the airport, multiple helicopters and a jet took to the sky.
She had just completed her daily walk when she noticed the unusual sight. Had she still been on the walk, the cars would have passed her.
“I missed it!” she said. “I was so disappointed.”
Caris is a Trump supporter and can't wait to see the commander in chief's chopper descend to the tarmac Saturday.
“He can kiss my baby,” she said.
Ike Kelly, manager at the 91-year-old airport, had a busy day Thursday helping coordinate with Trump's advance team, plan transportation for those with tickets to the event, assist with the location of equipment and tents, and other tasks.“The coordination required is one of the biggest tasks of the whole effort,” he said.But Kelly was relaxed late Thursday afternoon, which he attributed to the proficiency of Trump's team.“They've been outstanding,” Kelly said. “They're very courteous and professional.”He said Trump will appear on a setup on the tarmac. The airport will be closed Saturday.Kelly said he and Trump's team scoured the area for large fields where ticket holders can park before being bused to the airport.They located a pair of hayfields a few miles from the airport and are looking for a few more for overflow parking.Those with disabilities will park at Butler County Community College and be bused the few miles down Pittsburgh Road to the airport.He could not share many details of Trump's visit for security reasons, but looks forward to the presidential visit.“I just think it's really a great opportunity for Butler County and the airport to be recognized to have a sitting president conduct an event here,” Kelly said.Jim Ellis, owner of Serventi's on the Runway above the airport offices, said Secret Service agents asked him to close the restaurant on Saturday.“They're closing off the main entrance, so cars wouldn't be able to get in anyway,” Ellis said.He said the Secret Service worked to place equipment on the roof of his restaurant on Thursday afternoon. He did not know the purpose of the equipment.“We're all excited,” Ellis said. “I've never seen a president before, especially one coming to my restaurant.”He did not know if Trump would enter the restaurant during his visit, and was unsure of whether he would be afforded clearance to hang out in his business during the event.“If they allow me, I'll be here,” Ellis said.Several crews set up large tents all over the expansive airport property and tractor trailer trucks drove to the rear of the airport Thursday amid a general flurry of activity throughout the property.Those working to prepare for Trump's visit kept mum on the upcoming visit.
Caris Doss' neighbor, Barbara Blume, said airport officials and Secret Service agents asked her friend who lives off Three Degree Road on the south side of the airport if they could use her hay field for public parking.She thinks the first visit by a sitting president in the county is “great.”“If it was going to be 50 degrees, I'd be there,” Blume said. “I'm not freezing my butt off for anybody.”Blume, whose two barking corgis wondered what all the excitement was about, has lived in her Airport Road home for three years.“If he wants to come to my house, that's fine, as long as he doesn't mind dog hair,” she said.Dee Tolley, who lives near Nixon United Methodist Church across from the airport, was more concerned about taking her daughter trick-or-treating on Saturday night than she was about Trump's visit.“It's just business as usual,” Tolley said. “Now if we get Beyonce, hey!”She admitted that she suspected the gleaming black cars zooming up and down Airport Road on Wednesday and Thursday were Secret Service personnel.“There are only so many unmarked cars that go down this road,” Tolley said.She plans to take her daughter, who will dress up as a “pretty, pretty princess” for trick-or-treating, to another neighborhood in the township to collect her candy.Tara Babcock moved into one of five houses across from the middle of the runway on Oct. 23.She found out Wednesday that the first visit of a sitting U.S. president will occur Saturday just across the way.“Nothing normal ever happens to us,” Babcock said with a laugh.She and her family plan to watch the festivities from the porch of their home, which was once the cafe for pilots of yore who landed at the airport.“We can't wait to see how it all goes,” she said as workers erected a pair of large tents across the road just 30 feet away.Babcock said the Secret Service visited her home to get the names of her family members, so they can be allowed to drive through the closed entrance to the airport Saturday to access their home. “They said they didn't want to cause any problems for the people on this street,” she said.
