Monday, January 21, 2013
Read the full text of President Barack Obama's speech made on the occasion of his second inauguration.
Remarks of President Barack Obama – as Prepared for Delivery Inaugural Address Monday, January 21, 2013 Washington, DC Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, …
The director of "The President's Own" feels a connection to history when conducting.
Burke resident Col. Michael J. Colburn has participated in seven presidential inaugurations with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, starting in 1989 for George H. W. Bush. Monday will be his third inauguration as director of the prestigious group. Of all the duties and responsibilities of the Marine Band, none of them is more special than the presidential inauguration, Colburn said. "It’s a combination of emotions," he said. "It’s thrilling and a little scary and very meaningful to anyone who is interested in American History." The Marine Band was established by an Act of Congress in 1798. It's purpose is unique — to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Monday's …
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Combination of holiday and Inauguration Day means mix of closed government offices, while other county workers will be working.
Most of Fairfax County's government offices — including courts and schools — will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. What will be open? Park Authority RECenters will be open with regular hours. Trash pickup will also be on a regular schedule. Fairfax Connector will operate on a modified schedule: Bus routes with weekday service will operate according to the weekday schedule, except routes 335, 394, 395, 585, 595, and 597 which will not operate. Routes 335, 394, 395, 585, 595, and 597 do not operate when a holiday weekday schedule is in effect. But because Monday is also Inauguration Day, many Fairfax County staff will be on duty, including public safety personnel, as well as staffing the county’s Emergency Operations …
The 16-time Grammy winner will be accompanied by The President's Own U.S. Marine Band. Other performers include Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor.
Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor will perform at the inauguration, on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 21, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced. Beyoncé will sing the National Anthem, Kelly Clarkson will perform “My Country Tis of Thee,” and James Taylor will sing “America the Beautiful.” "When we work with guest artists we coordinate with them and their music directors to get a sense of what they are hoping for in their presentation, and what's their best key," Burke resident Col. Michael J. Colburn, director of The President's Own, said. U.S. Marine Band Staff Sergeant Ryan Nowlin is arranging the selections to be sung by Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson, with Marine Band accompaniment, Colburn said. President …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Metro is preparing to be the transportation mode of choice.
Burke residents who were planning to travel by Virginia Railway Express (VRE) on Monday, Jan. 21 might want to make other plans: the VRE is not operating on Inauguration Day. "VRE does not historically offer service on Inauguration Day," management said during their Jan. 2 online forum "Let's Talk". VRE said it decided to offer service for the last inauguration because the D.C. metropolitan area shut down most major access points for cars to the city, and crowds for the event were exceptionally large. It is different this time. "As there are more options for people to get to D.C. that day, and less people are expected to attend, we feel we can revert to not offering service for the inauguration," management said. Monday is also the Martin…
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Bicycles are not allowed at the inauguration itself, but you can still bike into the district, avoid the crowds and get into and out of downtown quickly. Here’s some advice from the pros.
There's a way to get to the inauguration without worrying about Metro, traffic or parking—take your bike. "Bikes are, by far, the easiest and quickest way into and out of the Mall for the inauguration," said Mark Blacknell, of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee and author of Clarendon Cycles on Patch. Alan Young, of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (and a Burke Patch Local Voices contributor), agreed. Biking to the presidential inauguration downtown is “one of the easiest ways to get in and out there is,” Young said. He biked into the inauguration in 2009 with his sister and nephew. Routes Into the District from Virginia “Only the heartiest will ride from Fairfax City and beyond,” Young said, but he also suggested people …
Metro offers several route suggestions to get to the National Mall, the parade route and to the White House on Inauguration Day.
Whether you are attending the inauguration on the National Mall, taking in the parade along Pennsylvania Avenue or cheering the President's return at the White House, you can expect to do a lot of walking on Inauguration Day. Between metro station closures, parade route street closures and bus route changes, you will be using your own two feet to get you where you want to be once you arrive downtown on Metro. See also: Guide to Taking the Metro to the 2013 Presidential Inauguration. To help, Metro has created a list of walking directions from various locations near to the National Mall area: Arlington Cemetery (1.5 miles to Mall) Walk 0.7 miles toward the Lincoln Memorial (away from Arlington Cemetery). Go around the left side of the …
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Fairfax County is sending 120 officers to help with inauguration security.
With hundreds of thousands of people flooding Washington for the 2013 Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 21, law enforcement agencies from Northern Virginia are chipping in to help with security in the nation's capital. Gwendolyn Crump, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Department, said her agency is working collaboratively with other agencies to make sure the event will be safe and secure for those that travel to Washington to witness the events. Crump would not say how much the security effort for the inauguration would cost. “Our goal is to develop and implement, with the numerous participating agencies, a seamless security plan that will create a safe and secure environment for our protectees, other dignitaries, event participants…
