Results tagged “inauguration”

Now that it's June the inauguration may seem like old news, but these films are refreshingly candid, hilarious, and often-poignant records of what D.C. communities were thinking and feeling back in January. "Most of them have even started caring about their futures," a student at Luke C. Moore Academy says of his classmates. "You can no longer go off the same expectations." An older woman captured in one film explains, "I knew it was going to happen, I just didn't know it would happen in my time." A shy fifth-grader tells the camera that she felt "Excited. Happy. All kinds of words."

The AP is reporting a that a group of students have filed a class action lawsuit against Vienna, Va.-based Envision EMI, after they claim the company failed to deliver on promises of special access to President Obama's inauguration in January. The students each paid thousands of dollars for a trip to the inauguration, only to be disappointed: "...the lawsuit says once the students got to Washington, they had no tickets for the inauguration or parade. And the balls they attended were not official events connected to the inauguration." I have a lot sympathy for these kids believing they could buy their way in to a special inaugural experience, and it certainly sounds like this company got greedy and promised way more than they could deliver. But the complaint that the ball they went to wasn't "official" seems pretty naive. There were hundreds of inauguration-themed parties over the course of the four-day long celebration, and only ten of them were "official."

A report prepared for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies concludes that "flaws and shortcomings in the planning process" combined with larger than expected crowds led to the chaos experienced by thousands of inauguration ticket holders. The Post covers the report's executive summary here. Other problems cited include insufficient signage, poor coordination and communication, and not enough personnel to help direct people to the correct lines. So what should be done to fix those problems next time? Better coordination from the top, and open the ticket gates at least an hour earlier. Also of note: the report "suggested that law enforcement officials monitor Twitter and Facebook to keep on top of developing problems."

A: As it turns out, $48.5 million.

Much was made about the impressive statistic that no arrests were made during President Obama's inauguration. But the Examiner's Bill Myers points out that there were four homicides in Ward 8 between Jan. 19 and Jan. 24, which is about three more than is typical for any given week in the ward. Did the deployment of D.C. police officers to inauguration-only duty shifts contribute to the uptick? Hard to say—the article makes the point that the location of one of the murders is typically patrolled by off-duty police officers, but they weren't available during the inaugural festivities.

Economists with the College of the Holy Cross have released a paper (PDF) analyzing the economic impact of presidential inaugurations on the local D.C. economy. And while the paper (written without the benefit of data from the most recent inauguration) caveats that this inauguration was certain to be larger than prior events from the outset, the authors note that analyses of other tourism "mega-events" find that the costs significantly outweigh the benefits.

We've been meaning to post this for a few days now: Flickr user whileseated, a.k.a. the guy in this photo whose name is Michael, proposed to his girlfriend on Inauguration Day while they were down on the National Mall for the Swearing-In ceremony. He posted this photo bleg to the Inauguration 2009 group:

A total longshot, but I wonder if someone on flickr has a picture of my fiance and I, when I proposed to her. It happened right after Lowery finished speaking, on the West slope of the Washington Monument.

Continue reading "Help Locate Photos of An Inauguration Day Proposal"

Via WTOP, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is asking those inauguration ticket-holders who were blocked from entering the Swearing-In ceremony to email a description of your experience to feedback@jccic.senate.gov. Individuals who had blue, silver or purple tickets and were blocked from entering the ceremony due to severe logistical breakdowns have been offered commemorative photos from the committee by way of apology. Ticket-holders who email the committee with a description of what happened will then be sent the promised items. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address.

                    

It's becoming increasingly clear that the security breakdowns associated with certain ticketholder gates at the Swearing-In ceremony last Tuesday were a lot worse than anybody first realized, but if there's one thing that inaugural officials didn't underestimate, it was the number of port-a-potties the city would need. Thanks to the reported 7,500 portable toilets deployed all over the city for last week's festivities, we never once heard anyone complain that they had trouble finding a pot to piss in (of course, that might have something to do with the freezing temperatures outside helping people decide that holding it was worth it).

The however many million people visiting D.C. this week did not disappoint, filling a whole episode's worth of overheards.

Attention all inaugural ticket holders who are still smarting over harrowing security gate experiences: the Presidential Inaugural Committee really does feel bad. To prove it, they are offering to give you free stuff. Said stuff is said to be copies of the Swearing-In invitation and program, photos of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and a color print of the ceremony itself. Does this free stuff make up for you feeling super disappointed/having been actually frightened by an angry mob/spending money and time on something that you didn't get to experience? You tell us.

             

Shortly after his Wednesday night Oath of Office do-over, President Obama motorcaded to the D.C. Armory for the final official inaugural event of an endless weekend.

President Obama's inauguration was a star-studded affair, with some of America's most famous personalities and entertainers showing up at concerts, gala events or with prime seats to Tuesday's swearing-in. One star, though, tried to translate her fame into better seating—with mixed results.

Update: It looks like the inaugural committee has apologized to the 4,000 ticket-holders that were turned away yesterday. And I didn't mean to downplay the plight of being stuck in a security netherworld with little direction or clarity like many ticket-holders were (they even have a Facebook group!). It's just Don Young...he just...makes me ANGRY!

       

The Art of Change was the sort of anti-ball to all the hoopla at the nearby Washington Convention Center. Trying to gain entry through the barriers, closed roads, volunteers and police was just as convoluted and difficult, but it had little else in common with the other balls. Barack Obama only made appearances in the artwork. Celebrity appearances were nil. And the dress code was the funkier the better... but preferably non-flammable.

            

Last night's first ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center ended up being billed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee as the hottest ticket of all of the ten official Inaugural Balls, and from a vantage point in the middle of the packed ballroom, it was easy to see why.

Things were clearly a bit disorganized by the time my friends and I got to the John A. Wilson Building for the D.C. Council-hosted 51st State Ball. We didn't run into the security mess City Desk reported, but there was no signage or schedule posted anywhere, so a lot of people were milling around—it was just not clear where things were happening inside city hall.

Windy City pride was on full display pretty much everywhere this weekend, but it was perhaps no more rampant than at the Big Shoulders Ball, hosted jointly by the Hideout nightclub in Chicago and the Black Cat, benefitting the Future of Music Coalition. At the top of the bill were some big names like Andrew Bird and Ted Leo, and some legendary Chi-town music scene vets, like Eleventh Dream Day and the Waco Brothers.

Not that it's a surprise that an event in D.C. was well attended this week, but the folks over at Slate had to be pretty thrilled at the turnout for their first ever live recording of one of its podcasts. More than 650 people braved the crowds in the District to get to the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue for the taping on Monday—no easy task given the traffic conditions in the surrounding Chinatown neighborhood. (D.C. Metro police had just begun the massive amount of street closures for the inauguration when the taping was getting started.)

A week ago we pointed out that Pepsi might be too closely exploiting the Obama logo and message for the comfort of their Republican consumers. Well yesterday on the National Mall, they continued to link themselves even more shamelessly to the new president by handing out tote bags with distinctly Obama-esque message ("Hope," "Yes You Can") and cards encouraging people to sign an open letter to America's newest leader by sending a text message to Pepsi. Beyond the wisdom of trying to make itself the drink of all Democrats, it seemed a little tacky for Pepsi to be handing out corporate schwag on what is something of a sacred day for America's democracy. Coca-Cola seems to be playing it safe, on the other hand -- the most they've done is run ads on MLK Day advocating diversity and service.

     

>> "...I had a conversation with my hypothetical granddaughter, who wanted to know what it was like in D.C. the day that the first African-American president took the oath of office. Well, it wasn't bad, I told her, you know, I stayed in, had some coffee, sort of took a nap until 11...and that just didn't cut it." [ATTACKERMAN]

We reported this morning that a woman fell on the tracks on the Red Line to Glenmont at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station around 9:30 a.m. DCist has now learned that the woman narrowly avoided being struck by an oncoming train -- largely due to the quick thinking of Houston Transit Authority employee Eliot Swainson, 46, who was in D.C. serving as a volunteer for Metro. Swainson, who was stationed on the Glenmont platform at the Chinatown stop this morning, was able to direct the woman to safety on the track while a train passed overhead, preventing her from being struck and allowing her to be extricated safely a short time later.

Like many District residents, DCist writers and visitors, I made an extra-early trek down to the National Mall this morning for the swearing-in of President Barack Obama. Arriving in darkness, the U.S. Capitol cut a stark contrast against the dark sky as thousands of people populated the Mall in anticipation of the morning's events.

At about 4:15 p.m., a group of about 20 drummers and musicians were parading down the middle of 13th Street NW in Columbia Heights, playing their instruments and headed south to the African American Civil War Memorial at 10th and U Streets NW. The group brought along a wheeled cart with drums and other instruments on it.

We already had a sense that the crime stats were much lower than usual this weekend, and the Examiner reported today that the long, four-day weekend -- at least up until to this point -- has been quite successful in terms of crime prevention. The U.S. Park Police say they have not made any Inauguration-related arrests as of this morning, and MPD spokesperson Traci Hughes told the paper that for the D.C. police, "it's pretty quiet." Obviously, a full evaluation of the weekend can't be accurately completed without factoring in today's activities and tonight's parties to come, but signs so far point to the significant police preparations panning out (even if they're the officers aren't good with directions).

                 

The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, entered his motorcade at around 3:30 p.m. EST at the U.S. Capitol, and started traveling at a slow roll down Pennsylvania Ave. toward the White House.

     

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama escorted former President George Bush and Laura Bush to a Marine Corps helicopter after the swearing in ceremony. The Bushes turned and waved back, and the Obamas, along with Vice President Joseph Biden and Jill Biden, waved to the departing helicopter. The Bushes were flown to Andrews Air Force base and then boarded a plane to Dallas.

By now we've received dozens of tips and reports from readers as they made their way away from the National Mall. Some people told us about how they never made it inside an area where they had tickets—both at the Swearing-In and along the parade route. Others expressed relief at having had an easier time than they expected. There was word of pushing and shoving as crowds trying to leave the National Mall at 14th Street were crushed together. And there was tale of incredible kindness and good spirits as strangers tried to help each other find their way out of the throng.

                     

Written by Sommer Mathis, Jen Chung and Aaron Morrissey

DCist's Amanda Mattos reports from the "orange" ticketholders entrance at the Swearing-In Ceremony, which is near C street at the entrance to the Rayburn HOB. She says she was shuffled into a long, winding line that was supposedly leading to the security entrance, but when she actually reached the gate, there was nobody monitoring the entrance to the security tent, and it seemed like people could have cut to the front of the line without anyone stopping them -- except, as it turned out, the angry mob. A family did try to cut in line, and Amanda says the crowd responded by calling them "Bush"! Apparently shouting "Bush!" is the official insult of Inauguration Day.