PITTSBURGH — There was definitely a sense of excitement and nostalgia for Pittsburghers on Monday at Mayor Corey O’Connor’s inauguration.
Comedian and friend of Mayor O’Connor, Bill Crawford, emceed the 90-minute inauguration. He talked about O’Connor’s heart of gold and that Pittsburgh is rooting for him because he is Pittsburgh.
“I’m proud of him. He’s gonna do good,” Barbara Goodson said.
It’s a full circle moment for Homewood native Barbara Goodson, who worked with Corey’s late father, Bob O’Connor, when he was the mayor.
“Looking through some pictures that I have with his father down at the City County Building when we had foster kids. I used to work for CYF, and he was there with all the kids, and we took pictures, but I’m going to find it for him and give it to him,” Goodson said.
City commuters and residents weighed in Monday on O’Connor’s trajectory as the 62nd Mayor of Pittsburgh.
“I don’t get excited about politicians much, but I am interested to see what he’s going to do,” said Melvin Gornic, who lives in Oakland.
Some hope to see Downtown thrive again.
“I work in the city so I’m very excited to see Corey come in and bring some life back to this city and build us up,” Danette McKown said. “We were missing some of the vibrance of the city and I’m actually excited to see that come back.”
Others want schools to be a focus of the administration.
“Schools, schools, schools,” Terry and Bill Stahlaer said. “They don’t have enough funding, the buildings are dilapidated. Kids shouldn’t go to schools in buildings like that.”
Crawford joked that if Corey O’Connor were any more Pittsburgh, there would have been french fries and coleslaw cannons for his inauguration.
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