The roadrunner profile photo doesnt seem to tip people off.
Folks in the Twitterverse start hammering out missives to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf -- many of them angry -- and they input the handle @GovernorWolf.
But theyre not speaking to the soft-spoken s 47th governor of the Keystone State or his social media team. (Hes @GovernorTomWolf, by the way.)
Theyre talking to the principal of Bethlehems Governor Wolf Elementary School, Theo Quinones.
The Butztown Road school is named for the states seventh governor, George Wolf, known as the father of the Pennsylvanias first public school system. And the schools Twitter handle dates back to 2012. Tom Wolf was elected governor in 2014.
Quinones sometimes knows Wolf made a controversial decision before he gets a chance to catch the news himself.
The mentions start coming in fast and furious, especially if someone shares a hot take that gets lots of retweets or replies.
Fighting a spreading coronavirus pandemic, Wolf has taken plenty of actions -- shutting down schools and issuing a stay-at-home-order to name a few -- that folks have strong opinions about.
One that really blew up was when he closed the state (liquor) stores, Quinones chuckled. There were a lot of people that have an opinion about that, one way or another.
With the Twitter discourse ramping up in recent weeks, Quinones felt that it was time to again share a gentle reminder that Twitter users are not in fact actually talking to the governor.
This is an elementary school, Quinones said. Theres a picture of a road runner. Hes not reading this. A bunch of moms and PTA people are reading this and they cant do anything about this."
Bethlehem's Governor Wolf Elementary School's Twitter account often gets confused with the actual governor's Twitter handle.Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com
Sometimes people just want to thank Tom Wolf for doing a good job. Sometimes they ask for serious help like a criminal pardon. (Quinones gently lets those folks know theyre talking to an elementary school, not the guv, and wishes them luck.)
When you see his picture pop up, youve got the right one, he said.
Quinones keeps waiting for Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, with whom he attended Albright College, to jump into the Twitter fray. Fettermans a prolific Tweeter with an edge not typically seen on a politicians account.
When Wolf was inaugurated, the school congratulated him and invited him to visit on a signboard outside the school. Wolf took them up on the offer.
As principal of Governor Wolf Elementary, Quinones has learned not many people know much about his schools namesake. Some even wonder if its named for the states current leader.
George Wolfs support for public education was unpopular in his own party. It was believed by some that education was best left to churches and private schools. Pennsylvania German leaders didnt want to lose their language and culture.
He was a big advocate for public education, Quinones said. Not many people know that.
George Wolf attended the Allen Township Classical Academy, where he later became principal, according to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. George Wolf was admitted to the Northampton County Bar in 1798, after studying law with John Ross, of Easton.
He worked his way up to become the clerk of the Northampton County Orphans Court and served one term in the General Assembly. After losing a bid for a state senate seat, he went on to spend nine years practicing law in Easton. He spent three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before serving two terms as governor.
Almost 200 years later after his election, the principal of his namesake school says hes gotten used to modern day mix up.
When asked if the school had ever considered changing the Twitter handle, Quinones quipped:
I like Gov. Tom Wolf, but hell be gone before we are, he said of the second-term Democrat. Weve been around since 1956.
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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email her. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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