Dawning clear and bright across Pennsylvania, Thursday, April 4, began as a typical day in the life of United States Sen. John Heinz, 52. The popular Republican—known for his tireless hopping from one small-town gathering to another—had started his rounds at 8 A.M., discussing environmental laws with business and community leaders in Williamsport. Then came a press conference at the Lycoming County Courthouse before he headed to the airport en route to Philadelphia and nearby Media for yet another meeting with constituents. He was upbeat, engaging and folksy as always—never a man whose manner would remind people that he was the sole heir to the Heinz pick-le-and-ketchup fortune and one of the country's richest politicians. Chatting at the courthouse with Lycoming Planning Commission Director Jerry Walls, Heinz said he was looking forward to going trout fishing with him. "I asked, 'When are you going to set a date?' " says Walls. "And he said, 'Twist my arm.' So I twisted it, and he said, 'Okay, I'll be back.' "
Around noon, as Heinz's chartered twin-engine Piper Aerostar neared Philadelphia International Airport, the day was in full bloom, the air warm with the promise of spring. Some 10 miles north, in the suburb of Merion, first-and second-grade students at the Merion Elementary School had just finished their lunch in the cafeteria. Casting their jackets aside, they went out to play as bright sunshine fell on the school's Tudor-style buildings, its pine trees and well-tended lawns.
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