District promoted during festivities
HARRISBURG – Tuesday’s inauguration wasn’t just about promoting Ed Rendell. For local residents, it was also about promoting their communities.
Two separate floats, touting Fayette County’s richly varied tourist attractions and Greene County’s unique accomplishments in 2002 joined color guards, marching bands and others from around the state in 1.5 mile parade around the capital to welcome the new governor into office.
Greene County’s float featured the drill bit that was used in the successful rescue of nine trapped miners in Somerset County this summer. Waynesburg resident Autumn Marissa, who is the reigning Miss Pennsylvania, donned a sparkly miner’s costumer and rode on the float.
Fayette County’s 18-foot float, named the “The Crown Jewels of Tourism in Pennsylvania,” featured scaled models of some of the area’s renowned attractions, including five-star resort Nemacolin Woodlands, architectural wonder Fallingwater and the historic county courthouse.
“We’re a wonderful county and we need to let people know we have some of the greatest resources in the state which we want to share,” said Brownsville Mayor Norma Ryan.
About 50 area residents braved windy weather in the 20s to march in the parade. Students from California University in Pennsylvania and Mapletown High School participated in the parade. They had to meet at school at before dawn and drive four hours in order to participate in the parade.
“It’s cold, but it’s educational and it’s been fun,” said 17-year-old Mapletown senior Jen Ealy. “It’s all worth it.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Cal U student government president Jesse Hereda, a 22-year-old senior who dressed up as Fat Bird, Nemacolin’s mascot.
With thousands of people from all around the state watching the parade, local residents hoped people unfamiliar with Fayette and Greene counties would take notice of all it has to offer and considering visiting.
“Tourism is one of our biggest industries,” said Fayette County Commissioner Sean Cavanagh. “It’s probably ranked first or second in Fayette County.”
At least one person took notice.
As Fayette’s float made its way past Rendell, marchers unveiled a sign that read, “Fayette County loves the governor.”
“Commissioner, Sean, we’re going to build your airport,” Cavanagh said Rendell yelled, referring to the proposed multi-million airport renovation project that Fayette County officials have been lobbying state and federal officials to fund.
“We’re just amazed,” Cavanaugh said. “That’s good news for the people in Fayette. On his greatest day, he’s thinking of Fayette. It tells us that he’s not going to be a governor for just Philly, but for all of Pennsylvania.”