M's fan base spreads through halls of Capitol

PATRICK CONDON, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Tuesday, April 2, 2002

OLYMPIA -- Olga Miller's son went to the Mariners game Monday. And you'd better believe she's keeping score.

"I'm jealous," said Miller, the legislative assistant to state Sen. Val Stevens, as the game played softly on the radio.

Miller, a Lewis County resident who said she hails from a "die-hard Mariners fan family," kept one ear on the game as she typed letters and answered phone calls from constituents.

"It's quiet enough that I can mostly follow it," Miller said. "But it's not the same."

Miller went on to admit that her son is not such a bad guy -- he took her to the game last year on Mother's Day, and she expects several trips north this summer as well.

The halls of the Capitol and state office buildings nearby were eerily quiet at mid-afternoon, leading one to wonder if it was the normal post-legislative session doldrums or if more than a few workers were playing a conveniently timed game of hooky.

Human resources managers at several of the large state agencies said there didn't appear to be a higher-than-normal rate of vacation days or people calling in sick Monday.

Walking by open office doors, you could hear the muffled play-by-play issuing from radios and computers.

"I think most of the people who are supposed to be here are here," said Don Hurst, an assistant sergeant-at-arms for the Senate who stood at his lonely outpost at the security desk in the Irv Newhouse Building. "Maybe a few people somewhere were lucky enough to go."

Hurst was following the game through the small radio on his desk. A longtime M's fan, he's excited for the season to come but is trying to guard against getting too excited.

"Everyone keeps saying they have a better team than they had last year," Hurst said. "I think that remains to be seen. Last year was a special year."

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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