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Inauguration preps for 47th Governor of Pennsylvania

The stage has been set and everything is almost in place for the swearing-in ceremony for Pennsylvania’s 47th governor. Gov.-elect Tom Wolf (D) will take ...

The stage has been set and everything is almost in place for the swearing-in ceremony for Pennsylvania's 47th governor. Gov.-elect Tom Wolf (D) will take his oath of office around noon on Tuesday during an outdoor ceremony. The ceremony will take place outside of the East Wing of the State Capitol in Harrisburg.

"Actually setting up here, we've been about four or five days. The planning beforehand took about three or four weeks," said Chris Gowen, producer of inaugural events. "We have several thousand chairs here. We are expecting a nice crowd."

Gowen said this year the ceremony will be simple. "I think it's a little different from years past where there is fly-overs, and all sorts of fireworks and things.  My boss really just wants to get to work. I mean he is excited to get sworn-in but I think he is more excited about tomorrow and Wednesday," said Gowen.

The inauguration will feature various live music including several different choirs from around the state and the Northeastern High School marching band from York County.

"It's a new job, so I'm a little nervous about that but I am really proud of the team I put together, who are going to work with me and help me move this state forward. So I'm feeling very comfortable," said Wolf.

At a MLK Day event Wolf talked about his inaugural address. He said he will not get too much into specifics, but he will talk about his hope for bipartisanship. "I'm going to talk about working together. Obviously Pennsylvania voters voted for divided government but I'm going to make the point they didn't vote for dysfunction, they didn't vote for the gridlock. We might be divided by ideology in some ways, divided by partisan identification, but we are all Pennsylvanians," said Wolf.

First up
Wolf said he already knows what his first orders of business will be. "First priority is signing executive orders banning gifts to people in the executive branch. I want to sign an executive order that makes the granting of legal contracts fair and more transparent, tomorrow, right after I am sworn in. Maybe right after I eat," laughed Wolf.

Let's Get Started
In the evening the party will move to the Hershey Lodge. For the 'Let's Get Started' inaugural celebration guests have been asked to wear 'celebrity attire.' Tickets are still available for the event and cost $100 for adults and $50 for seniors and students.

The Pennsylvania-themed menu will include local favorites like pierogi and Kennett Square mushroom brandy sauce, hunter's elk meatloaf sliders on Martin's potato rolls, and a Lancaster County meat and cheese display.

Controversy brewing?
A local favorite that will not be on the menu is Yuengling beer. Some say the decision is politically motivated between the company's owner and the incoming governor. Wolf said this is not the case. "On Saturday I went and bought a case of beer for my house, to replenish every once in a while, and I bought a case of Yuengling," said Wolf.

"We accepted contributions and beer companies volunteered to make a contribution. At the Hershey Lodge you have to pay a corkage fee for every beverage you bring in that they don't supply. We reached a limit of what we could actually use in beer weeks ago, so it's really an economic thing. They came to us and volunteered and we basically already had our fill of beer," said Wolf.

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