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Congressman John Peterson

Senator John Peterson

Representative John Peterson was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 after a long career in local and state politics in Pennsylvania.

Peterson was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee in 1998, where he is currently a member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, the Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment as well as the Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Peterson has been married to his wife, Saundra, for more than 30 years. They have a son and two granddaughters.

This month, Classical WETA 90.9 FM talked with Representative Peterson about classical music, his likes and interests, and how he divides his time between Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.

What is your favorite classical music piece?
No favorite here, I enjoy the relaxing tone of all the classics.

What is your favorite D.C. area restaurant or chef?
Bobby Vans Steakhouse

Which is your favorite local museum?
The Botanical Gardens are beautiful, would encourage all who visit Washington DC to stop by.

Where do you like to go on your day off?
I’m an avid gardener, so I’ll most likely be outside tending to my plants and flowers.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Chocolate

Which three historical people would you most like to have dinner with?
Presidents Lincoln and Reagan, and Ida Tarbell an author from Titusville, Pa.

What is your favorite local sports team?
Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins and Pirates.

What is your favorite local arts venue?
Cook Forest Sawmill Arts Center, Clarion, Pa. (www.sawmill.org)

What is one thing you'd like everyone to know about your home state?
Titusville, Pennsylvania, my home town is the birth place of oil and home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the county.