It could have been the corridors of the State House Tuesday evening at the Crowne Plaza only in place of bottled water people carried glasses of wine and nibbled – albeit not too frequently – on hot hors d’oeuvres served from silver platters. The far greater activity was talk – lots of it – and the main attraction was not the expansive food table in the center of the ballroom or the pasta stations lining one wall. In fact, the reason why more than 500 people turned out was barely in the room. Speaker of the House, K. Joseph Shekarchi stood in the doorway to greet people, who in some cases had waited 15 minutes to say hello. One of scores of lobbyists in attendance told us the $200-a-ticket fundraiser was a “must attend event” as the legislative session gets under way. Many lawmakers, state officers, union and corporate leaders and directors of non profits were present. (Warwick Beacon photos)