THE INAUGURATION A view from the cheap seats

Some at last week’s black-tie Inaugural Ball for Gov. Dannel Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman were so far away from the stage that they might as well have been in Siberia.

But it didn’t matter. Because everyone in the ballroom of the Connecticut Convention Center last Wednesday night, Jan. 5, knew they were in the place to be. This was the biggest social and political event for Connecticut Democrats since Bill O’Neill’s inauguration in 1980, and an evening of friendly celebration for people of all political persuasions.

Escalators delivered about 3,000 attendees to the event, and we were met with organized chaos in the main ballroom. Women dressed in a dazzling array of reds, azures, golds and blacks mingled with men dapper in their  tuxedos. All were looking for the appropriate place to check in, store outerwear or acquire a beverage. We anticipated long waits in many lines, but this wasn’t to be. The hundreds of people enlisted to serve this night moved every aspect of the evening along like a well-oiled machine.

After depositing our coats, we entered the ballroom. Hundreds of tables lined each side of a seemingly endless red carpet that divided the room. Along gold-and-blue spotlit walls were multiple bars and buffet lines. At the head of the room, a grand stage rose from the floor awaiting Connecticut’s new chief executive and his staff. The room was occupied by a melting pot of Connecticut’s citizens. All ages, races and physical abilities seemed to be represented. All were talking and laughing as we waited for the arrival of the guests of honor.

Once attendees had acquired their drinks, the crowd formed lines along each side of the red carpet to see the new governor enter the ballroom.

WFSB-TV’s husband-and-wife team, Dennis House and Kara Sundlun, served as master and mistress of ceremonies. Sundlun, dressed in a pink gown, stood with House on a small stage at the entrance to the ballroom. A swarm of red, black and gold uniforms entered the room as the Governor’s Foot Guard was officially called to deliver the state colors to the front of the stage.

With each new entrance came the announcements from Sundlun and House: Chief Justice Rogers, Speaker of the House Donovan, Senators Blumenthal and Lieberman, Secretary of State Merrill, Treasurer Nappier, Comptroller Kevin Lembo, Attorney General George Jepsen and many others received rounds of applause.

The celebratory theme was decidedly more upbeat than Malloy’s inauguration earlier in the day, in which his remarks were tempered by a serious undertone. “[I] want to talk with you about this moment in Connecticut’s history, our great challenges, what I see as a crossroads of crisis and opportunity; and how if we are all willing to engage in a shared sense of sacrifice, we can realize shared prosperity for everyone in Connecticut,� the governor said at the state Armory.

“Today I see an economic crisis and an employment crisis, both fueled by an unfriendly employer environment, a lack of educational resources, a deteriorating transportation system, and an enormous budget crisis of historic proportions,� Malloy said. “All coddled by a habit of political sugarcoating that has passed our problems onto the next generation. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the next generation is here.�

Newly sworn-in officials were escorted by spouses and family members, along with the ceremonial foot guard. The most notable entrances of the evening, excepting the governor and his lieutenant, were Nappier, waving and giggling, swathed in a crimson gown, and Lembo, the first openly gay candidate to win an election for statewide office, joined by his husband, Charles Frey.

Malloy welcomed the room with a brief speech. “If I haven’t said it before, or if I haven’t convinced you before, I want to tell you how deeply appreciative I am,� he said. “Thank you very much, God bless you, God bless the state of Connecticut. Let’s have a great party.�

Those of us at the back of the room were treated to a delicious buffet of many different foods and desserts. Throughout, guests continued to meet and greet one another. Some met friends and acquaintances while others made new connections. As dinner ended, the dance floor opened for the remainder of the evening, with a band playing modern favorites. With a loving look, Malloy and his wife, Cathy, danced cheek-to-cheek, as though there was no one else in the room.

Soon enough, many said, the celebration would be over and the hard work would begin. And Malloy seemed to be especially cognizant of that fact.

“It’s not going to be an easy road, but the question is not whether we can overcome our challenges and emerge a winner,� the governor said. “We already know we can from our history. And I know from personal experience that we can … I believe the people of Connecticut are willing to make sacrifices if ‘shared sacrifice’ is really shared, that we understand where we’re going, and that it is sacrifice with a purpose.�

At the stroke of midnight, we made our retreat. The evening ended as it had begun, with a renewed sense of organized chaos. Coats were retrieved and there was one last chance to look into the ballroom and feel a real sense of pride — even from the cheap seats — in being a citizen of Connecticut.

Lisa Sanchez is a blogger, photographer and political junkie who lives in Kensington.

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