Sunday, November 22, 2009
Palin welcomed by 1000+ fans at Roanoke book signing; with video, photo gallery
More than 300 people camped overnight outside Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Valley View Mall for the chance to meet former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Today, she signed her new memoir, 'Going Rogue.'
Video: More than 1,000 fans greet Palin at Roanoke Barnes & Noble
Video by Jordan Fifer | The Roanoke Times
1:22 p.m.: Palin finished signing books and boarded the bus with her family and handlers. She shook a few hands and waved but didn't address the crowd. Some admirers chanted, "Run, Sarah, run."
Barnes & Noble is closed but will reopen to shoppers at 2 p.m.
1:14 p.m.: With more than 1,000 people lined up outside the Valley View Barnes & Noble Sunday, the Panera Bread restaurant across the parking lot braced for a surge.
The store added five extra workers on each shift and ordered 40 percent more food for the day, said Russell Kidd, regional manager.
This Panera's up about 30 percent in sales today, with "quite a chunk" of customers coming from the Palin signing, he said.
Almost every table was full in the restaurant at 1 p.m.
The restaurant opened an hour earlier than usual, at 6:30 a.m.
Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times
Sarah Palin signs books Sunday at the Barnes & Noble at Valley View Mall.
Related
Photo gallery
Video
Previous coverage
Inside the mall, store owners didn't have the same luck.
Nicole Cunningham, manager at the Hickory Farms kiosk on the first floor, said business had been horrible that morning.
Like many stores inside, the kiosk opened two hours early, at 10 a.m., to cater to potential crowds. Cunningham had only one customer by 12:30 p.m.
"It's a waste of my two hours," she said about opening early. "Even though there's an increase in people, there's no increase in sales."
Barnes & Noble only opened its outside entrance to customers today. The interior entrance into the mall has stayed closed.
11:40 a.m.: Palin signs the books at a table near the far left corner of the store, an alcove closed off by metal detectors and security guards. Her father, Chuck Heath, seated to her left, shakes people's hands and asks their names.
Palin greets each fan with a quick 'Thank you, thank you' and grasps a hand if a fan offers, her smile barely budging.
She rarely glances down at the stream of open books on the table top as she scribbles her loopy "SP" on each one.
Barnes & Noble security is starting to bring the standby line inside the store to get their books signed.
Store spokeswoman Deanna Lemburg won't say how many people have lined up or how many have had their books signed.
10:53 a.m.: Palin's parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, signed books for a small group of fans in front of the "Going Rogue" bus parked to the side of the crowd for about 30 minutes.
"This is fantastic," Sally said, as she held three spare diapers for baby Trig and was ushered inside to tend to him.
When asked if he hopes his daughter runs for president in the next election, Chuck responded: "I don't know, that's all up to her. It surprised me when she ran for governor. We'll support her."
10:32 a.m.: "I watched you on Oprah and I prayed for you during the show," Trish Mixon, 55, of Roanoke County, told Palin as she got her two books signed.
"[Palin] said, 'It's that intercession, it makes all the difference. Keep it up.'" Palin gave Mixon a thumbs-up.
"She looked me in the eye, and she wasn't just signing books," Mixon added. "We're so glad this is so organized. We're going to be able to make it to church," she said, as she and her husband, Mickey, left the store at about 10:20 a.m.
10:24 a.m.: Palin personalized one of the books Annie Lin, 55, of Salem, brought to her.
Lin, originally from Taiwan, spoke to Palin in broken English and handed her a note that said her son, Jerry Wu, had Down syndrome. He couldn't stand in line overnight and be here, Lin said.
Palin signed "Jerry, Sarah Palin" on the cover page.
10:15 a.m.: Sun Hee Muskopf -- first in line since 8 a.m. Saturday -- was the first person whose book Palin signed.
"I told her how much her strength means to us, and whenever she feels down I want her to remember that it's in the past."
"[Palin] said, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.'"
"I told her I'm loving her inner strength," Muskopf said.
Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times
Sarah Palin's tour bus arrives to waves and screams from her 1,000-plus supporters.
9:44 a.m.: Sarah Palin's bus arrives. The crowd waves and screams as she pulls up. Palin's with baby Trig and wearing a purple jacket, black skirt, black tights and high heels. She stops to greet Barnes & Noble staff and is ushered inside quickly without stopping to talk to crowd members.
Also in the tour entourage: Palin's daughter Piper and Palin's parents, Chuck and Sally Heath.
They are all inside the store with the first group of 100 fans.
9:33 a.m.: U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte and state Sen. Ralph Smith just arrived to greet the crowd.
9:16 a.m.: By 9 a.m., an hour before Sarah Palin's scheduled arrival, 700 people had received wristbands for Palin to sign their books (the crowd was divided into seven groups of 100). About 300 or more people are still waiting for wristbands, though they won't be given them until Palin starts signing copies of her "Going Rogue" memoir.
Debbie Turner, 53, of Wytheville, was one of the last people to get a wristband. "She's fresh, she's new, she has the same ideals that I have, and she's my hero," Turner said on why she wants to meet Palin. "They talked about change last year, and she's the change we need."
8:15 a.m.: What will you say to Palin when she signs your book?
* "I'm going to thank her and [say] I'm glad she came to a smaller area. Keep up the good work." -- Faye Hedrick, 57, Vinton
* "Read my lipstick." -- Laura Thomas, 57, Vinton
* "There's not many people in this world that I admire, but she's one of them." -- Jessica Copenhaver, 33, Botetourt Co.
* "I hope you make another run for it. Next to Reagan, you're my man." -- Deborah Charles, 56, Botetourt Co.
* "I loved you so much on 'Craig Ferguson.' " -- Patrick Andrews, 37, Austin, Texas
* "Thank you." -- Peter Ciccarello, 71, Rocky Mount
* "I want to see the regimental band from Virginia Tech in the 2012 inaugural parade." -- Sue Evangelista, 60, Warrenton
* "We don't know, we were just thinking about it. Maybe 'You're pretty.'" -- Brandon Ferrone, 17, Roanoke Co.
* "I'm going to ask her what kind of skin care she uses." -- Gloria Stump, 63, Waynesboro
* "I'm going to say I'm honored she's come to Virginia. We need her." -- Anne Hergerton, 40, Huddleston
* "I don't know." -- Victoria Clarkson, 12, Lynchburg
* "We love you, Sarah." -- Myranda Clarkson, 14, Lynchburg
7:10 a.m.: More than 300 people camped overnight Saturday outside Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Valley View Mall to await former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's signing of her new memoir, "Going Rogue," today. (See video of the campers, who said Palin made a surprise visit Saturday night.)
Bundled in sleeping bags, blankets and hunting jackets, the crowd huddled together, listening to Christmas music piped over the mall's outdoor speakers, in a line that wrapped around the mall's corner.
Lynn Pixley, 61, of Roanoke County, was one of the first 50 people. She and her sister had been there since 6:30 p.m. Saturday, almost 12 hours before.
"Watch it -- that guy in the brown jacket snuck in," she said, pointing to a group of people walking from the parking lot to the line a few yards back.
At 6:20 a.m., the first few people in line -- all armed with two copies of "Going Rogue" each -- were ushered inside the store to receive wristbands and a gold bookmark, then sent back outside to start a new line.
Sun Hee Muskopf of Roanoke County was first and had been camping out since 8 a.m. Saturday. She wanted to tell Palin, "Stick to your integrity."
To accommodate the crowds, Barnes & Noble will open at 9 a.m., three hours earlier than its normal Sunday opening time.
On Sarah Palin's surprise visit to Barnes & Noble Saturday night at 11:45:
"Everyone yelled and screamed, 'Sarah's here!'" said Brenda Sharpe, 57, of Salem.
Tom O'Reilly, 71, of Oxford, Md., said Palin's tour bus arrived and she stepped out of it holding her baby, Trig. Piper, her youngest daughter, was with her, too. Palin thanked the crowd for coming and staying the night and then left after about five minutes, he said.
Said Sharpe of Salem, standing just behind the O'Reilly in line:
"[Palin] said, 'We're going to a warm hotel room, and we feel so bad you're going to be out in the cold all night. But we thank you for being here; you all are doing the hard work.' I don't think anybody was asleep when she came. Everybody was on their feet."
O'Reilly and his wife, Barbara, 69, had driven six hours to arrive at the store at 4 p.m. Saturday and were among the first 30 people in line. Tom O'Reilly had written Palin into his ballot to vote for her for president in 2008.
"This is not for a book," he said of camping out. "We're going to have our books signed by the next president of the United States."
Creature comforts: Coffee, bathroom breaks and canine company
For the hundreds that braved near-freezing temperatures overnight to share about 10 seconds with Palin, the Barnes & Noble and Valley View Mall staff attempted to aid the book enthusiasts' comfort.
Store employees pushed a cart of coffee before the sun came up at 7 a.m., selling cups for $2.75. Overnight, Valley View security had let Palin campers into the mall in groups to use the restrooms.
One couple brought their dog for company. Dixie, a Jack Russell-rat terrier mix, played on the sidewalk next to her owners, Patty and Dan Kaufman of Lithia. "We want her to meet Sarah" if the store will allow it, Patty said. "I think she'll like her."
Kaufman, 53, had a copy of "Going Rogue" tucked in a bag that hung on her fold-up chair. Dixie will read it with her overnight, she said Saturday at 11 p.m.
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