Hometown gal is having a ball

January 3, 2007

By Russell Stigall/Frontiersman

WASILLA - Calendars all over the Mat-Su will be marked for Jan. 27. The day the victorious governor and Valley girl Sarah Palin returns home to celebrate her inauguration.

Inaugural balls began as a tradition in 1809, when President James Madison was honored in Washington, D.C. The tradition of honoring outstanding members of a community goes back much further.

Realizing the tradition for Gov. Palin's inaugural ball is the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce. Cheryl Metiva, executive director of the GWCC, is in charge of he Inaugural ball committee.

The towering glass façade of Nye Frontier Ford is the planned venue for Palin's black-tie affair. Tuxedoes are optional, but coat and tie is recommended.

&#8220We want to make sure everyone is comfortable in attendance, and make sure the ball is formal was well,” said Colleen Sullivan-Leonard, director of the governor's Mat-Su office.

Those not wanting to be stuck on the outside, fogging up Nye's massive windows, will need to log on to www.alaskainauguralcommittee.com early on Friday. Tickets are first-come, first-served and sell for $35. The official Alaska inaugural Web site is the sole location to purchase tickets.

The ball is a community-sponsored event, Sullivan-Leonard said, and not a part of Palin's campaign.

Nye's doors will open at 7 p.m. the night of Jan. 27 for local dignitaries and campaign contributors and at 8 p.m. for general ticket holders. Live music and hors d'oeuvres will delight guests until 11 p.m.

The inaugural committee is actively searching for local talent to entertain guests. However, already slated for the musical line-up is singer/songwriter Adele Morgan. An Alaskan since she was 6 weeks old, Morgan performs jazz, country and acoustic music in a crisp contemporary singing style.

Hors d'oeuvres from Indigo Desserts, Glacier Canyon Grill and Alaska Events and Catering will provide party-goers their sustenance for a night of hob-knobbing and dancing.

For the adult beverage set, Great Bear Brewing will be on the scene with cash bar libations. And Oden Distributors will pop the cork for a round of complimentary champagne.

Nye Frontier Ford building provides a comfortable atmosphere and three floors of mingling space, Sullivan-Leonard said.

&#8220We are very excited about this event,” she said. &#8220Gov. Palin is our hometown gal.”

Palin and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will attend the first of six planned Inaugural balls in Juneau Jan. 20.

For more information, interested people may contact Cheryl Metiva at 376-1299 or, after business hours, Colleen Sullivan-Leonard at 354-4380.

Contact Russell Stigall at 352-2267 or russell.stigall@frontiersman.com.