Monday, January 17, 2011
Associated Press
HARRISBURG
There won’t be a parade to mark Tom Corbett’s inauguration as Pennsylvania’s 46th governor, but the capital city nonetheless will be transformed into a stage for thousands of revelers, performers, dignitaries and even protesters.
Corbett and his wife, Susan, will begin their public appearances at 8 a.m. with a Catholic Mass a block down State Street from the Capitol and can celebrate until midnight if they wish at the inaugural ball at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.
The inaugural ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Corbett’s lieutenant governor-elect, Bucks County Commissioner Jim Cawley, will be sworn in before that.
Corbett, a Republican who is now the state attorney general, will take his oath on the steps of the east entrance to the Capitol, where a large fountain is framed by a granite amphitheater. He’s expected to speak for about 12 minutes.
Temperatures are expected to be a few degrees above freezing. But the National Weather Service is predicting rain, and the event could be moved across Commonwealth Avenue into the ornate — but relatively cramped — Forum auditorium, which seats about 1,800 people.
The state’s Supreme Court chief justice, Ronald D. Castille, will administer the oath. Susan Corbett will hold a William Penn Bible, which Corbett chose for its historical significance to the state. Printed in 1698, it was used by Gov. Dick Thornburgh at his inauguration.
Entertainers will include the 28th Infantry Division Band, the 553rd Air National Guard Band of the Mid-Atlantic, Valley Forge Military Academy & College Herald Trumpet Team, Wildcat Regiment Band and Keystone State Boys Choir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir. Singing the national anthem will be Lancaster County native Heather Harley.
Tickets to the Mass at the Cathedral of St. Patrick and the inauguration are free, but seating will be limited. An additional 3,000 seats are reserved for family members and dignitaries, such as former governors and Pennsylvania’s members of Congress. There is a standing-room-only area, and the ceremony will be televised live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.
The inaugural ball will feature three live bands, 30 bar stations and dozens of chefs toiling in five regionally themed pits preparing modern-day twists on distinctly Pennsylvania foods from venison pot pies to fried-perch sliders to flaming mushrooms.
Susan Corbett is planning to wear a floor-length gown made of butterscotch variegated organza that was created by a Harrisburg-area designer.
Doors to the ball open at 7:30 p.m., and the $150 tickets can be purchased online.
Though some governors have led midday parades through the streets of Harrisburg, Corbett will forgo that, partly to avoid extra work for the police in a city strapped for cash. Some city officials say it should seek bankruptcy protection from creditors.
Protesters from around the state who support a moratorium on shale-gas drilling — and criticize Corbett for accepting large campaign contributions from the industry — plan to assemble behind the Capitol before the ceremony.
In theory, no taxpayer money is supposed to be spent on the events. Still, state police, Capitol police and Harrisburg police will provide security.
Nearly 10,000 state employees who work in downtown Harrisburg have been given the day off to ease traffic and parking congestion, and a number of buildings in the Capitol Complex will be closed.