Governor Sarah Palin & Daughter Piper At Way Fruit Farm

Source: http://www.centredaily.com/news/politics/story/897516.html

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008

STORMSTOWN — The Way Fruit Farm Fall Festival had a surprise pumpkin picker Saturday: Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Palin made the unannounced visit with her youngest daughter, Piper, on her way from a rally in Johnstown to the University Park Airport, where her plane was taking off for Philadelphia.

The visit was kept secret until seconds before John McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” bus rolled up and caught festivalgoers completely off guard.

“I saw the bus come up, took a picture of it,” said State College resident Ty Arbutiski, who had come with his wife and kids to the festival. “The kids were still out petting the bunnies. I said, ‘I’m going to go see if they’re stopping,’ ran up here and sure enough they did stop.”

“I yelled to her, ‘She rocks,’ she waved to me and said ‘Thank you,’ and came over and shook my hand. So I’m a happy guy. I may never wash it again.”

Even Way Fruit Farm’s owner, Brooks Way, and the press had little advance notice.

Sarah and Piper Palin spent a few minutes picking pumpkins with Bellefonte Elementary School student Max Theuer, who Palin grabbed from the crowd while greeting people.

“I said, ‘OK, I’ll help,’ ” Max, 9, said. “I just pointed to a pumpkin.”

Max picked out a plump, round pumpkin that Piper apparently wasn’t satisfied with. After Piper whispered to her mother, Palin said: “An even bigger one? Piper!”

They ended up with two pumpkins, one for Piper and one for Max, before Palin greeted some in the crowd and then left.

“She asked, ‘Would you like a pumpkin?’ ” Max said, who added that he “was kind of excited” about the experience.

“We were floored that she was so down to earth,” said Mike Theuer, Max’s father. “She paid literally out of her pocket.”

Palin spent about 15 minutes at the festival before leaving for the airport. She was scheduled to drop the puck Saturday night at the Philadelphia Flyers game.

“I introduced her to my mom and dad,” Brooks Way said. “They are fourth generation farmers. I’m fifth. My daughter Megan is sixth and my grandchildren Emma and Katie are seventh. She was impressed with that.”

Brooks Way said he doesn’t like to be political because that alienates him from 50 percent of people, and didn’t say if he was a McCain-Palin supporter.

“I am a Republican, yes,” he said. “I have not decided. But it’s changing today. Have you noticed, there’s no signs for either candidate. It will stay that way.”

The fall festival takes place every year on the second and third Saturdays of October. And on this beautiful sunny fall day, it drew hundreds of people.

“Go get her, governor!” screamed a man in the crowd. “Hey,” Palin said, then waved. “Thank you.”

One mother of five tracked down an agent to tell him that she has a son with Down syndrome, as does Palin.

Palin spent a few seconds with them and others who snapped pictures and shook her hand.

She didn’t field any questions from the press and didn’t make any public comment. This was just a quick, drop-in visit, staff said.

Local Republicans had been pushing for Palin to make an appearance in Centre County on Saturday.

Friday afternoon, Fox Hill Road leading up to the University Park Airport was lined with “McCain-Palin” yard signs, and one local Republican committee insider said it was unclear how they got there, stirring the rumors of a surprise Palin visit.

“We saw her and were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we love her!’ ” said Brenda Webb, who had arrived at the festival just before Palin.

“We’ve been watching her in the debates and everything,” Webb said.

Her daughter, Moriah, and Moriah’s friend, Ashley Reed, got to see in person the woman they’ve been so excited to watch on television, Webb said. “It’s so exciting for them. They’ve been really interested, so it was great for them to actually meet her.”

Sara Ganim can be reached at 231-4616. CDT staffer Matt Hymowitz contributed to this report.