From Norwalk to Washington: Celebrating the Inauguration
By Emily Beaver
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 -After planting hundreds of Bush/Cheney signs on front lawns, organizing rallies and fundraisers, and knocking on doors to campaign for President Bush, three Norwalk Republicans spent a few days in the capital celebrating the inauguration of the president.
“For me, this just completed the cycle of convention, election and inauguration,” Art Scialabba said Thursday, standing in front of the ballroom at the Washington Hilton.
Scialabba, who is the chairman of the Norwalk Republican Town Committee, traveled to Washington Tuesday along with vice-chairman Kelly Straniti to attend a number of inaugural events.
Dick Moccia also came to Washington to celebrate the inauguration with Scialabba and Straniti.
Scialabba and Straniti spent months campaigning for Bush. Straniti coordinated a campaign to put lawn signs up in Norwalk and worked on a women’s coalition that encouraged female voters to vote for Bush. Scialabba organized a Veterans for Bush fundraiser. Both attended the Republican convention in New York last July.
“We rallied our troops as much as possible to get the vote out for our president,” Scialabba said. “It just shows that the hard work that we did paid off.”
Moccia has been an active member of the Republican Party for more than 25 years and was selected by the Presidential Inaugural Committee to greet the president when he arrived at the Constitution Ball, one of nine official balls held Thursday evening.
“To meet the president-it’s really quite a thrill,” Moccia said.
The group watched from the crowd as Bush was sworn into office at the Capitol at noon. Later, they tried to watch the parade move down Pennsylvania Avenue but got stuck in long security lines.
Straniti said the presence of security seemed less noticeable in Washington than at the Republican Convention in New York, where security guards stood outside hotels with guns. However, she said she welcomed the security measures surrounding the inauguration.
“I’d rather spend a few more moments in line somewhere to make sure that we’re safe,” she said.
Although she enjoyed the inaugural ceremony at the Capitol and sightseeing in Washington, Straniti said she had looked forward to the Constitution Ball the most.
“Its just amazing-it’s an honor just to be here,” she said Thursday, wearing a silver ball gown and watching as women in sequins and men in tuxedos streamed in and out of the ballroom at the Hilton.
“This is definitely the main event,” Scialabba said. “It was definitely worth the effort to get down here.”
“I’m going to tell my friends this was unique,” Moccia said. “I think this inauguration speaks of the close election.but red or blue, everyone came together on one day and honored our president.”
