His theme was about Mercer County and southwestern Pennsylvania creating economic bridges.

Not exactly a subject filled with humor. But Rick Stafford cracked up a crowd Wednesday night with a one-liner.

"I heard there were uncompleted bridges in Mercer County,'' Stafford said. It was a very obvious reference to the controversial Oakland Avenue Viaduct in Sharon remaining unfinished.

Speaking at the 59th annual dinner meeting of the Mercer County Branch of the Pennsylvania Economy League, Stafford said the economic bridges need to be completed.

Stafford will retire Friday as chief executive officer of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development which includes its three affiliates: the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and the Western Division of the Pennsylvania Economy League.

Like ball point pen companies that are constantly producing better pens, regions throughout the nation are creating better choices for businesses to settle in.

"People are exercising those choices with more and more frequency,'' Stafford said.

He invited the local area to join the southwestern region in forging marketing and development ties. He noted the two areas have a lot in common.