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Published Tuesday, January 20, 2009 in Local

Cowetan at inauguration: 'It's a great day for country'

By Winston Skinner

The Times-Herald

Several people from the Coweta County area braved chilling temperatures and icy winds to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office as America's 44th President in Washington on Tuesday.

Obama is the nation's first president of African descent and the first to be the child of someone born outside the United States, Canada or Britain.

"The city is alive with people from all over the country. It's a great day for the country. There's a tangible kind of change you could feel even yesterday and the day before," said Bob Trammell, who practices law both in Newnan and his hometown of Luthersville.

The chill was audible in Josh Hickman's voice as he talked about what he was seeing in Washington early Monday afternoon. Hickman was one of at least three Cowetans -- the others being Willie Boyd and Morris Steward -- to travel to Washington for the inauguration.

"It was hard getting in there," Hickman said. Pedestrians who did not have tickets were repeatedly sent "two more streets" along the route until about 10 a.m. when they were allowed to move into the National Mall area. "Once you got in there, I was able to get a great spot," he said.

"They had lots of giant screen televisions where you could watch it," Hickman said. He said former Pres. Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn got major applause when they arrived for the ceremonies, as did former Vice Pres. Al Gore.

"It was sad to see George and Barbara Bush -- both with canes," he said, referring to 41st President Bush and his wife.

"I think Obama's speech was awesome," Hickman said. He said he felt the president was "forceful with us about responsibility" -- reminding citizens of each individual's part in helping to solve the crises that face the country.

"It was very similar to the tone of JFK's speech," he said.

Hickman said the phrase that stuck with him was Obama's forceful words to hostile regimes: "Your people will judge you by the things you build, not the things you destroy."

Hickman said Obama's acknowledgment of the nation's diversity in terms of both race and religion drew applause.

Hickman, a Baptist minister, stayed with friends, a Muslim-Hindu family, while in Washington. He said Obama's mention of America's Muslims, Hindus and Jews, along with Christians, marked "a major shift."

The weather was a challenge for Tuesday's crowds. "It's twice as cold as it was yesterday," Hickman said Tuesday afternoon.

He said he bought another cap on Tuesday because of the cold.

Trammell said temperatures in Washington on Tuesday were in the 20s. "The wind chill's about 12," he said.

Trammell traveled to Washington with his wife, Jenny, a pharmacist at one of CVS's Coweta locations. "We didn't try to brave the two-plus million people this morning," he said.

"We went to the Georgia Event last night, and we'll be going to the Southern Event tonight," Trammell said.

Dot Moore, a writer and speaker who maintains homes in Heard County and Montgomery, Ala., arrived in Washington a few days ago. On Sunday, she described the town as orderly and "pleasantly expectant" of Obama's movement to the center of the world stage.

" The crowds are wonderful -- lots of families and school groups," she said Monday.

"Obama seems to be everywhere," she said. Moore said "some of our group" were at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday. Obama "showed up, unannounced... to lay a wreath on tomb of Unknown Soldiers," she said.

The soon-to-be chief executive was friendly and waved to the group from Georgia, she said.

Atlanta native U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Earl L. Gay served as deputy chairman of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. In that role, Gay was aware of every detail, every movement and every servicemember assigned and dedicated to ensuring world class ceremonial support to the inauguration.

Gay was involved in formulating the plans to make Obama's the most open and accessible inauguration in history.

"I grew up at the tail end of the civil rights era in Atlanta. To witness the excitement about this inauguration says great things about America and how far we've come," he said.

Numerous elected officials who have visited Coweta County were present for Tuesday's festivities. Among them was U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., who issued a statement: "Today's inauguration is a historic occasion and milestone that honors our new president and measures the progress we have made as a nation. Pres. Barack Obama and his administration will face many challenges both foreign and domestic as he outlined in his address today. I have great respect for him and I look forward to working with him in a bipartisan way, as offered in his remarks."

Chambliss suggested Georgians and other Americans join him "in praying for Pres. Obama and his family on this day and in the future for a safe and successful presidency."

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