HAMILTON — Sen. George Voinovich was saluted here Friday by Butler County for his efforts in creating the Michael A. Fox Regional Highway (Ohio 129).

        Butler County Commissioner and former state lawmaker Michael A. Fox, for whom the highway is named, called it an “economic lifeline” to the Butler County seat that took decades to realize.

        Mr. Voinovich said he traveled the highway en route to the luncheon and “being on that highway, seeing that connection (from Interstate 75 to Hamilton), there was a kind of satisfaction you can't get from any other business — and that is making a difference in people's lives.”

        Mr. Voinovich was honored at a noon gathering attended by about 300 county officials, employees and supporters at the Hamiltonian Hotel downtown.

        The event was organized to recognize the senator for his support of the highway project during his two terms as Ohio governor. It was sponsored by the county commissioners and officials of the Butler County Transportation Improvement District, which worked closely with the governor's office.

        “So often you do things and you never have a chance to experience them,” the senator said. “So it was wonderful today and great to be with Mike (Fox) and the team that made it happen.

        “That road, and other improvements, would not have been done without that partnership. They originally said you couldn't build it. They started talking about tax increment financing and then getting people to participate, and each contributed a little here and a little there.

        “It is a fine example of regional cooperation. The challenge (in that type of project) is to galvanize resources in a community — public, private, federal, state, county, township, municipal — and put it all together.

        “What that did was help create an economic link to Hamilton and to Butler County,” the senator said.

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