Governor’s Mansion Open On New Year’s Day (Updated)
While he doesn’t live in Albany full-time, Gov. David A. Paterson and First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson announced today that they “will continue the New Year’s Day tradition of opening the doors of the Executive Mansion in Albany to the public.”
The Executive Mansion Open House will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 1
Tickets to the open house are available by applying online here.
Registration ends Dec 29 at 5 p.m.
The governor’s office plans to have a lottery if the number of requests become excessive, his office said. One ticket allows you to bring a guest and child.
And the governor’s office offered this warning: “Guests are reminded that bags, backpacks, luggage, parcels, briefcases, and like articles will be strictly prohibited from the event sites. Weapons of any kind will not be permitted on the premises. Additionally, no photography will be allowed. Guests with prohibited articles will be turned away at the entrances, and no storage or “check-in area” will be provided for such items.”
It’s unclear why people can’t take pictures, but we’re checking with the governor’s office.
Updated: The governor’s office said that it has long been protocol that the governor doesn’t take pictures with people visiting the mansion for security reasons.
“Restricted use of photography is a long standing policy for all public tours at the Mansion. It was put in place to ensure the integrity of the security for the Governor and his family,” said spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein.
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In other words, in order to get your picture taken with the governor, you have to ante-up large to either his campaign slush fund or the Party itself. For a one million dollar donation, he will strip to his jockey shorts and wear a dunce cap while pictured shaking your hand.
I would like to request a ticket so that Myself and my wife (Sarah Lewis Belcher), may tour the Governor’s Masion on New Years’s day.. We live at 506 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY 12208. Our telephone number at home is 518-426-8310 and cells are 518-248-1354(Sarah), 518-248-1364 (Earl)
Please let me know what the cost would be. I can be reached at above e-mail or by telephone that I have provided.
Sincerely,
Earl V. Belcher, Jr.
Guests are reminded: Belching will not be tolerated in or around the Executive Mansion. This caveat having been duly noted, you will be contacted with due alacrity by the governor, who will personally drop off the tickets at your Albany address sometime Sunday afternoon while he is on his way to the CVS.