Scott McAdams on Trick or Treat Street

Yesterday was the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, DC, and here in Anchorage there was the Anchorage Rally to Restore Sanity on the Cuddy Quad at UAA.

But it was also Saturday, & I have a story to finish up, so I did what I do on Saturdays: I headed downtown to my favorite writing venue, Side Street Espresso.

Deb & George at Side Street had already told me last week that Side Street would be open a bit later than usual this Saturday because they were a participating business in the Anchorage Downtown Partnership’s Trick or Treat Street, which was set up as a way for kids to come downtown with their folks & trick or treat in a safe & fun way.

But it wasn’t until I got there in the morning that George told me U.S. Senate candidate Scott McAdams would be bringing his family, too. And also some media.

It would be a distraction, while it lasted, from writing, but I was glad for the opportunity to say hello again to Scott McAdams, who I had shaken hands with briefly at the Alaska Pride Conference earlier in the month. At the time, I told him he had my support — in fact it was his speech at the Pride Conference that convinced me — and that I’d be writing a blog post about my support. And so I did. And now I could tell him that I’d also already voted for him.

I believe that Scott & family arrived directly after attending the Anchorage Rally to Restore Sanity.

The media started setting him up for interviews in fairly short order.

In fact, after he arrived, the only table free at Side Street during was the big one right next to the window; but the media there — a national crew from ABC News and another from Fox — were worried about backlighting. I get that — I take a lot of photos, and hate backlighting — so I offered to switch tables, and ended up being right behind the cameras as Scott McAdams sat for two back-to-back interviews.

He was interviewed first by ABC News.

There’s Tom Begich — another Side Street regular — just behind him.

I also had a good view of some of the trick-or-treat action along G Street —

As many adults as kids were in costume.

A few dogs, too.

And the occasional dragon in a stroller.

Here’s Heather Handyside, Scott McAdams’ aide.  She was just as gracious as he was.

Catching a quick sip of coffee between interviews.

His second interview was with Fox News.  I think this was a national news crew, too.

Just before heading out the door, the entire family posed for a photo opp.  I was in the wrong place to get a really good view…

… but earlier, prior to the interviews, I did get a couple of shots of what Scott himself later dubbed “the McAdams McTreaters.”

You can find another photo of the McAdams McTreaters on the McAdams McTwitPic account.

The cameras followed the McAdams family out onto G Street…

… and a half hour or so later, after the family trick or treated up in the direction of 5th Avenue, they reappeared again, talking with voters along the way.

Happy Halloween, Scott McAdams & family.  I hope us Alaskans will be seeing a lot more of you.

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For photos of the Anchorage Rally to Restore Sanity, where Scott appeared prior to arriving on Trick or Treat Street, see The Mudflats, Floridana Alaskiana v4.0, and John Aronno’s Facebook album.