BRATTLEBORO — The revelers who packed the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center on the night before Gov. Peter Shumlin's inauguration came in droves.
They were wearing everything from three-piece suits to Carhartt work pants, cocktail dresses to blue jeans, and their hands held seltzer and wine, canes and infants.
They were a teensy bit unruly; so comfortbale with the guest of honor that they shouted out comments in the middle of his welcome speech. That spoke to the familiarity of the guest of honor to the crowd.
“I feel like this is a community event and that Peter, governor or not, is a part of the party,” said Steve West, host of the WKVT-AM radio program Live and Local, and owner of Fearless Computing. “I like that it's regular people here. What do we call him now? Mr. Governor? Pete?”
Shumlin, while enjoying the crowd's welcome, took it all in stride as he waded through the crowd greeting his friends.
BMAC Director Danny Lichtenfeld yelled above the crowd, “Please give it up for your governor-elect!” and the more than 300 people in the museum went wild with enthusiasm.
Shumlin said, as he took the microphone, “Thank God for Windham County!”
The group roared its approval. Shumlin has often said that it was the voters in his home county that eventually pushed the numbers in his favor to narrowly win both a hotly-contested Democratic primary, as well as the general election against Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie.
Shumlin followed this remark with a sigh and moment of personal truth: “Who would have thought a dyslexic kid from Putney would become the governor of the state of Vermont?”
Moving from personal comments at the start to a nod to the agenda he campaigned on, Shumlin went on to remind the crowd of promises made during the election that he has every intention of keeping.
“I just got back from 'Baby Governor's School,'” he said. “I believe I was the only person in that room that had a different vision of what health care should be, and it was clear to me that the other baby governors are already in the hands of the health-care lobbyists. I am not in their hands. We are not in their hands.”
The crowd thundered its approval.
As he continued speaking, Shumlin moved from words that sounded more at home, as he was speaking with his friends, to more formal comments suggestive of the power of the office for which he elected.
He acknowledged another son of Putney - George D. Aiken, who served as Vermont's governor from 1937 to 1941, and then as U.S. Senator for 34 years.
“I will walk in his shadow, every single day,” Shumlin said.
After the speech, Shumlin attempted to move though the crowd to greet and thank his guests. His progress was hampered by television cameras and microphones overhead to catch his every word.
He called friends by name, doled out hugs and handshakes, and even held babies for photographs.
Gordon Bock of Northfield, who does not personally know Shumlin, made the trip to Brattleboro so that he could introduce the Governor-elect to his six-month-old daughter, Samantha.
Shumlin gave the tot a crowd-pleasing traditional peck on the cheek, as she smiled and sat cradled in his arms for a moment.
He also posed with a mother who asked for a photograph for her children, telling Shumlin that her kids had made sure to vote absentee.
“Tell them I love them,” he said with a smile.
Meanwhile, the hundreds of revelers enjoyed locally made foods, while vendors served up beer made at McNeil's Pub over on Elliot Street and Windham Wines popped corks from bottles from its store on Main Street.
Friends and political supporters Larry and Marilyn Cassidy of Dummerston were in charge of the event.
“Everything for this celebration was donated,” said Cassidy. “This is such a great time for Peter to come south to thank everybody prior to his inauguration.”
Nearby, small business owners Kristina and Kelt Naylor, who own Sidehill Farm, a maker of jams and jellies at the Cotton Mill complex, suggested why they had supported Shumlin.
“We felt it was important to support Peter in this campaign,” said Kristina. “The health care piece is so important, and there are many other issues to small business owners in Vermont that we feel he understands,” she said.
Anne Latchis, board member for the Brattleboro Arts Initiative, was happy to support the celebration as well.
“It is so great to have a familiar face in Montpelier. It's been a long time,” she said.
Many children also attended.
Willem Thurber, 5, was more interested in the “Gerb's Gadgetry” exhibit, which included sculptures made from recycled materials that whirled, buzzed, and clanged as he pressed the magic buttons near the sculpture.
Still, the young Thurber, whose parents, Ross and Amanda Thurber, run Lilac Ridge Farm in West Brattleboro, was thoughtful about his reasons for attending the event.
“We have a new governor,” he said with a big smile, “but you better ask my parents about that.”
Ross Thurber, Willem's father, thought it was a great opportunity for his children, who also include Henry, 7, and Isabella, 10, to learn about local politics.
“I told them that it was important that they make political decisions on their own,” he said, “but I also felt it would benefit their worldview to be here tonight.”
Many people suggested that the reception held that night was likely far different from the other “baby governors” with whom Shumlin had recently spent time.
Julie Wesley, chief of staff to former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, said, “We always knew Peter Shumlin is a leader. He is an astute politician, and I truly think with his sound fiscal skills and belief in social responsibility, he'll achieve positive economic growth.”
Former state Rep. Gini Milkey of Brattleboro suggested the new governor would have a lot of help.
“His appointments were fantastic, really great, smart, people,” she said.
Mara Williams, BMAC's chief curator, summed it up for many.
“Of all the new governors in the entire country, I am so happy that Peter Shumlin is ours,” she said.