The Shadow
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – During four years in office, Virginia governors make hundreds of public appearances in and outside the state.
And at many of those events and appearances, appreciative hosts bestow upon the chief executive tokens of gratitude – hundreds of gifts, ranging from the banal to the bizarre.
Outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s tenure has been no exception. Officials said he attended more than 1,300 commerce and trade events and made hundreds of other appearances on behalf of the state.
“He’s very people-friendly, and whenever he goes out, they want to give him a little piece of themselves,” said Sherrie Harrington, the governor’s confidential assistant. “So it’s a little bit of everything.”
When it comes to gubernatorial gifts, “everything” almost covers it.
As one might expect, there are dozens of books and pictures and plaques, scores of coffee mugs and a ton of T-shirts.
Then there’s the incense burner that a South Korean government official gave to Kaine. And the jar of swampy-looking bio-diesel proffered by Red Birch Energy.
Still trending toward the unique, somebody gave Kaine what appeared to be a hammered silver case in which to put tequila, not realizing, perhaps, that the governor is more of a bourbon man when he imbibes.
During a stop in Roanoke, a street vendor handed his excellency some rocks.
Kaine said that during an event to promote his green-energy initiative in Richmond, a nuclear-energy company handed him a souvenir that looked like “a spent nuclear fuel rod on a plaque.”
“It kept everything warm,” he joked.
The repository of all gubernatorial swag is a locked storage room in the basement of the Patrick Henry building in Capitol Square, which houses the governor’s office and offices of the executive branch.
Harrington is its official custodian and dutifully logs in all gifts, nearly all of which are valued under $50.
She estimated that Kaine received more than 500 gifts during his term.
Among his favorites:
A clock from one of the decommissioned warships that was part of the “ghost fleet” of pre-World War II vessels being removed from the James River in Newport News.
A handmade “peace pipe” presented to Kaine in 2008 by the Chickahominy Indian tribe for Kaine’s ongoing efforts to help them obtain federal status. Chief Stephen Adkins said it was the first pipe conveyed by his tribe in 200 years. “That was pretty special,” the governor said.
A small prayer rug given to Kaine by Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a trip Kaine took to visit U.S. troops. “It’s pretty beautiful,” Kaine said.
Of course, the governor, who in mid-January will move with his family from the Executive Mansion back to more modest digs in Ginter Park, could not possibly use, or keep, all the treasure he’s acquired in office.
So anything that doesn’t make the journey will be donated to charity, to make room in the storage closet for the next governor, Bob McDonnell, whose swag parade is about to begin.
“There will still be tons of stuff to donate to Goodwill,” Kaine said.
