Auburn, NY gears up for Gov. Palin's visit

As we reported here, Gov. Sarah Palin will go to Central New York next month to take part in the Auburn's Founder's Day celebration.

Preparations are underway for the governor's visit, and the people around the town are excited about the attention to their community Gov. Palin's visit will bring:

"It's exciting to think that Auburn will have that national spotlight potentially on our community," said Bill Braun who works in Auburn.

Seward House, the historic site which was the home of former Secretary of State William Seward, is being spruced up for the event:

"We've had workmen here touching up the paint, our volunteers have planted flowers," said Seward House Executive Director Peter Wisbey. "We hope that will have taken hold in a couple weeks so the gardens will look at their best."

This year's celebration coincides with Alaska's 50th anniversary of Alaska of statehood, and Gov. Palin is scheduled to speak at a fundraiser and tour the house:

Neighbors say making the 3,700 mile trip says a lot about her character. "I think it says she is interested in Alaska's roots and also maintaining ties with the lower 48 here," Bruce Natale said.

It will be the governor's first trip outside of Alaska since she travelled to Indiana in mid-April to speak at a right to life right to life banquet and attend a breakfast for an organization which supports families who have members with Down Syndrome. She was scheduled to attend several events in New York earlier this month, but the worst flooding ever to hit Alaska's interior region forced her to cancel and send Alaska's First Gentleman to represent her instead.

- JP