By Ben Gavelek
State Rep. Kathy Kreag Richardson (R-Noblesville) welcomed seven District 29 residents to the Statehouse for her 23rd annual Adult Page Day.
“Every year, I look forward to hosting Adult Page Day,” said Richardson. “It is great being able to meet and interact with members of my community and provide them with a behind the scenes prospective about what takes place at the Statehouse.”
To start off the day, pages met Richardson and were given an exclusive tour of the Statehouse. Pages were able to learn about the capital building and other important events and moments in Indiana history. Also during their visit, pages had the opportunity to meet and interact with Indiana State Auditor Suzanne Crouch and Secretary of State Connie Lawson, receiving personal tours of their offices as well.
“I really enjoyed the experience overall. It gives you a great appreciation about what your elected officials do on a day to day basis,” said Chris Owens of Noblesville, one of the visiting adult pages, who also served as a student page more than 20 years ago.
After their tour, pages had the opportunity to sit and talk with Richardson about a variety of topics from legislative issues to happenings in the community. Then, they joined Rep. Richardson for lunch and were her guests in the House Chamber for session.
Steve and Toni Dickover have participated in the program for the past five years and continue to recommend it to residents of District 29.
“It is always exciting to come to the Statehouse and learn something new,” Steve said. “As someone who watches session live, it was an enjoyable experience to see the process taking place firsthand. I would recommend this program to everyone and encourage them to get involved and become part of the legislative process.”
For Phillip and Marilyn Fitzpatrick, it was their first time participating in the program, and they both thought it was an informative and rewarding experience. Donna and Carl Holl, also first time participants, echoed those sentiments as well.
“We thoroughly enjoyed the unique experience of being adult pages at the Statehouse. Kathy and her staff were great hosts in giving us the opportunity to see our government in action,” Donna said.
