I don’t have a real bucket list; I’ve been adding things to it as they come to me. Recently, I was given the opportunity to visit the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg and I said to myself, that is always somewhere that I have wanted to go. A friend, Ralph P. Watson, was being recognized on the floor of the House of Representatives and he asked me to come along for the ride. It was a great trip. Our host for the day was state Rep. Ed Gainey. Once we found his office, his administrative assistant told us we would find Gainey in state Rep. Jake Wheatley’s office. From there, our day took off. We both should have worn skates to keep up with him or a Segway would have been useful. As his guest, we got to see so much. We saw the Governor’s office and conference room, we met Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Mike Stack and Senator Vincent Hughes. When Hughes walked into the room, I knew I had seen his face before and then I remembered that he is married to actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, one of the original Broadway Dreamgirls.
The entire time I thought I was just going to Harrisburg to see Watson recognized on the House floor. I did not expect it to be so exciting. Everyone was so cordial to us. Was it because we are constituents or voters? I don’t really know, but it sure made me feel welcome. Stack took us out on the balcony, outside of his office, and explained to us how the Capitol spotlights are changed for different occasions. Senator Jay Costa was in Harrisburg on this day as well and we were given the opportunity to visit the Senate floor, also much different than the House floor. We took pictures with everyone.
During one meeting, we were pleased to see Judge Dwayne Woodruff and he was equally surprised to see us. He is running for one of three vacancies on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The building is absolutely beautiful. President Theodore Roosevelt once said it was “the handsomest building he ever saw.” Much of the furniture is original as well as the artwork. We were excited to take pictures under the portrait of K. Leroy Irvis, the only African American to hold the position of the Speaker of the House.
Everywhere I could take pictures, I did and I strongly encourage you to visit our state capitol. You can do a virtual tour if you go to the Capitol website, but tours of the Capitol are available to point out the architectural and artistic highlights, and to make the Capitol’s history come alive for you.
Guided tours of Pennsylvania’s Capitol are offered every half hour, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekend tours are offered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. The Capitol is closed for tours New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Take a trip and see your tax dollars at work.
(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)
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