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etcpt t1_jbrl9el wrote

Had the opportunity to spend a week on the capitol campus in middle school working as a legislative page. That was quite a fun experience - got to work on the Senate floor, run messages between offices, ended up broadcast on TVW at one point.

Fun facts I've heard from there:

One of the tour guides told me that sometimes they have brass ensembles come in and play back and forth across the rotunda from the different levels - that must be quite a thing to hear!

Apparently the central chandelier there is large enough to enclose a VW bug, and when the 2001 earthquake hit it didn't stop swinging for days.

The dome is the largest self-supporting masonry dome in the USA, and the light at the very top of the building is the southernmost navigational light on Puget Sound.

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AdventureBum t1_jbrn2sk wrote

I actually met governor Locke there once while singing with my high school chamber choir way back in the 90s (we were on our way back to school from a performance and decided to stop by and take advantage of the acoustics). The Governor heard us and came out of his office to meet us, then invited us back into his office briefly for a photo op which ended up in the school news lol.

I’ve also helped produce the AV for several inaugural balls held there, for governors Locke, Gregoire and Inslee, and ran the jib camera for a couple of them 😁 It’s a beautiful campus.

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sglanders444 t1_jbtxjr1 wrote

My kids went to Centennial elementary school with Gary Locke’s kids. Mona would show up at the school to pick up their kids with her State Patrol entourage. I waited in the hall for kids on many occasions. My daughter had one of the Locke kids in her class and they went to the capital to plant a tree in honor of the third one.

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AdventureBum t1_jbubgyv wrote

I went there too! For a year, anyway. I had just moved to Oly from Shelton and went there for a year before going to Washington Middle School.

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BourbonBurro t1_jbud0rs wrote

I miss having him as Governor. My parents were die hard Republicans, but even they voted for him.

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sglanders444 t1_jbtop97 wrote

I walked to the top of the dome as part of a tour before the earthquake. Lots of stairs but it was incredible and the view of Olympia was pretty good too. If I remember correctly there was only room for 4-6 people at a time in the outside area. The stairs were accessed from the second floor and they hugged the edge of the outer dome.

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etcpt t1_jbtpzfp wrote

Cool! Do you know if they still do that? I got to climb up to the top of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and the view from up there is similarly amazing.

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sglanders444 t1_jbtwm57 wrote

That sounds incredible! I believe that the dome has been closed since the Nisqually earthquake. Too many cracks etc.

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IdaMez OP t1_jbtkytv wrote

I did not know these things, but will definitely share them. Thank you!

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Smoovie32 t1_jbua2p8 wrote

When they get music in there us is quite impressive. Brass or chorale, it tends to be beautiful sounding.

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