Local residents ready to attend,
watch presidential inauguration
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A poster advertises the Inauguration Gala at the Sheridan Livery on Main Street. |
As the nation’s 64th Inauguration Day approaches, area residents are planning to celebrate, whether watching the festivities on television locally or traveling to Washington, D.C. to attend the inauguration itself.
For those celebrating close to home, Lexington Democratic Committee member Bridget Kelley-Dearing has been busy organizing the Main Street Inaugural Gala, which is scheduled to include dinner and a live broadcast of festivities surrounding the event next Tuesday.
Members of the Washington and Lee University community, meanwhile, will have the chance to travel to the Washington area for the inauguration. The swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Barack Obama is set to start at 11:30 a.m. on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building. Washington and Lee students and staff will have priority for bus seats, which will cost $35. Organizers say that if there are extra seats, those will be available to area residents.
Obama’s inauguration follows a theme created by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “A New Birth of Freedom,” which pays homage to the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln – another Illinois member of Congress-turned-president. The swearing-in of the first black president also falls on the day after the nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
Besides the swearing-in, inauguration events are scheduled to include a parade, the president’s inaugural address and numerous balls and galas.
Kelley-Dearing said the inspiration for the Lexington celebration was the fact that few local residents, especially the elderly and those with children, will have the opportunity to see the inauguration in person.
“Our community needs a place to celebrate this,” Kelley-Dearing said.
Opportunities to see the inauguration in person could be limited even for those who take the W&L-sponsored bus trip to Washington. How close they can ride to the capital city will depend on traffic, so a long walk or Metro ride could be involved. Security will be tight as well, and with crowds of a million or more expected, getting within sight of the swearing-in ceremony or the inaugural parade will be a challenge.
Congress’ official inauguration Web site says attendees should expect long delays. Prohibited items include signs or posters, umbrellas, strollers, and large bags such as backpacks.
The local Main Street Inaugural Gala will be Tuesday night from 5 to 11 p.m. at the Sheridan Livery Inn with a “black tie to blue jeans” dress code. It will include a wide-screen broadcast of the inauguration activities and live entertainment from the Honest Scoundrels, a Lexington-based band. It is free and open to the public, but attenders are asked to bring a donation to the Rockbridge Food Bank and a potluck dish to share.
Although the Democratic Party is sponsoring the event, it is open to all members of the community regardless of political affiliation, Kelley-Dearing said. She cited Obama as her inspiration for this idea.
“He wants to lean across the aisle, and we want everyone to come and celebrate,” she said.
Washington and Lee junior Chris Rucker, who is helping coordinate the bus trip to Washington, said that because of this inauguration’s historic nature, school administrators thought it was an event the school community should have the opportunity to attend. Rucker said the initiative was the vision of the W&L Student Affairs Office, specifically Deans Dawn Watkins and Tamara Futrell.
For $35 students and staff can secure a seat on one of two chartered buses that can hold up to 90 passengers. Rucker said about 50 seats have been spoken for, but he expects there to be space for other area residents as well. The buses are scheduled to leave at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, to arrive on time for the 11:30 swearing-in. They will return to Lexington that evening.
Rucker said Obama’s inauguration has people excited because his story appeals to people from all walks of life.
“A lot of different people can identify with Barack Obama, not just African Americans but people who are bi-racial or people who are coming from single-parent backgrounds, or who were raised by their grandparents,” Rucker said. “It’s a very compelling story.”
To RSVP to the Main Street Inaugural Gala, e-mail rockwecan2009@yahoo.com or call (540) 460-0535. To secure a seat on W&L’s chartered buses, contact Rucker at ruckerc@wlu.edu.
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