District papers are running stories of those heading to Washington for Tuesday's inauguration festivities. We are envious of those going, but didn't ask for or seek a ticket ourselves.
The New Ulm Journal tells the story of the First District DFL chair's last minute decision to go in Sellner to attend Obama inauguration:
When it came time to decide whether to make the trip to the nation's capital for the inauguration, Sellner waited until the last minute. She said a friend of hers convinced her to go.
"This is something that will be historical and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I decided I wasn't going to pass up the chance," she said.
Sellner received her ticket through the national Democratic Party office. The opportunity to attend the inauguration is one extended to all national party delegates.
Sellner was a Minnesota delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this past summer.
Sellner will fly to Philadelphia on Monday and take a train into Washington for the ceremony.
She has no idea yet as to where she will be sitting for the event. Because she does not expect to be able to see the inaugural parade, her VCR at home is programmed to record broadcasts of the entire day.
Sellner is also going to a Minnesota DFL function at the American Legion at the U.S. capitol. She expects the Minnesota Congressional delegation may attend the event, along with party activists.
Others received tickets by other means. One of the people who received a ticket via the lottery set up by Congressman Walz's office has started a blog about the event, 2009 Barack Obama Inauguration Experience. Like Sellner, blogger David and his wife Ellen had been following Obama's career for a while:
Go over to 2009BOIE to see the button and read David's entertaining posts.
The Rochester Post Bulletin reports that a Rochester man will revel in inauguration. Matthew Stolle writes:
When Barack Obama is sworn in as the nation's first black president on Tuesday, George Thompson of Rochester plans to be there, one person amid a jostling mass of humanity.
But not everyone will have Thompson's vantage. His personal perspective on the presidential inauguration will be as someone who has seen within his own lifetime just how far America has come.
Many people have read that history; Thompson has lived it.
Thompson was raised in a world of segregated drinking fountains, bathrooms and public accommodations. As an 11-year-old boy living in St. Louis, his father told him how to avoid getting maimed or killed before taking a trip to Mississippi. If you're walking down a sidewalk and you see a white person coming, step off the sidewalk. Don't look them in the eye. . . .
Thompson's son talked him into attending the event in person:
Truth be told, Thompson didn't intend to attend the inauguration at first. Thompson, a board member of the St. Paul Foundation and former chairman of the Blandin Foundation board of trustees, planned to watch it at home, relaxing. But his son, George Jr., a minister and highly persuasive individual, began a long-distance campaign from his Los Angeles home to convince his dad that they had to attend the inauguration together.
"He's kind of like, 'We've got to be part of this monumental change.' He said, 'Barack is not going to be able to fix things all by himself,'" Thompson recalled, chuckling at this son's insistence.
The biggest obstacle was getting inaugural tickets. It was a sign of his son's persuasiveness that he soon had Thompson beating the bushes for them. Thompson sent out some notes. Soon afterward, Congressman Tim Walz's office called back with news that it had two tickets for the father and son.
Despite the anticipated hassles, Thompson said, he is looking forward to the "phenomenal" event. It will signify, from the perspective of one man's life, just how far America has traveled.
"I've seen it. I've witnessed it. I've been a part of it," Thompson said.
We met George Thompson at one of Congressman Walz's economic summits, when the outgoing Rochester leader introducing himself to us when we were standing next to him in a lunch line. An interesting person indeed.
The overnight manager of Rochester's Hyvee South and his 12-year-old daughter are going, the PB reports in Rochester father, daughter will be witnesses to history :
. . .The two are taking a 1,000-mile, day-long journey by car so they can be present at the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Barack Obama. Bland, who is African-American, says watching the inauguration on TV is not enough. He wants his daughter, who is biracial, to witness in person how the country has changed, that she can be anybody she wants to be.
It helps that Bland's own biography is rooted in the Washington, D.C., area. He was born and raised there until he moved to Rochester in the late 1980s to play football and attend college. The move was a culture shock for Bland, who went from never having played against a white player on the gridiron to being the only black person on the field.. . .
Thompson and Bland's stories suggest an old Sam Cooke song:
In Inauguration is a teaching moment for Sunset Terrace students, we learn that the principal of the Rochester elementary school will be watching the event firt-hand:
When Sunset Terrace Elementary students watch Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, becoming the nation's first black president, principal Jody Goldstein won't be anywhere near them.
Maybe they'll spot her on TV.
Goldstein will be in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Raymond, who serves as president of the International United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Raymond Goldstein was sent an invitation for the pair.
"We kind of sat back and said, 'Is this real?'" Jody Goldstein said. "It's a once in a lifetime deal."
The Mankato Free Press writes about an international student active in the Golden Key honor society heading to DC in MSU student going to inauguration; Takehito Kamata part of honor students' group. Kamata received his ticket by applying to the honor society's program months ago. The MFP also reports in Locals heading to inauguration:
John Bulcock and Nadeem Noor Mohammed, both employed at MSU, are planning to go to Washington D.C. for the Obama inauguration. . . .
. . .Bulcock — the assistant director for student activities at Minnesota State University who advises the university’s fraternities and sororities — is among the more than 200,000 people with tickets to the inauguration. Another million (or 2 million or 3 million) are just planning on showing up to be there when history is made.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I think,” he said.
Nadeem Noor Mohammed also is going. He plans to road trip it with a couple of buddies, which will be his first time in confined quarters with the same people for 12 or 13 hours.
Unlike Bulcock (who requested tickets from Walz’s office days after the election), Mohammed is going without tickets. He’ll be among the huddled masses — or perhaps cheering or roaring masses — descending upon D.C. to be part of it all.
Mohammed, born in India, is the building coordinator for MSU’s Centennial Student Union. He’s also a self-described news junkie — “I’ve always been interested in current events”— and follows especially closely any news story dealing with foreign policy.
Both men will be calling campus on Tuesday, where a major inauguration watching event is being planned. Interest is reported to be high.
Oh, and there's a party at Congressman Tim's office, the PiPress's Political Animal blog reports in Walz invites MN inaugurals in:
A few days after Sen. Amy Klobuchar invited Minnesotans to her office for Spam puffs and potica, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz and his wife announced he'd open his office to folks visiting DC for the inauguration.
Walz promises "light refreshments and hot beverages will be served." No word on whether those refreshments would include spiced pork products.
Spam with mayo would be in order given the importance of both in the First.
Photo: Workers build inauguration viewing stands in front of the White House(top); Senator Obama campaigning in Rochester for Klobuchar and Walz (bottom).
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