Pee Dee residents join to watch Obama's inauguration

Residents gathered throughout the Pee Dee on Tuesday to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama as the country’s newest president.

Those hanging around Lake City on Tuesday might not have realized that snow had blanketed the ground 20 miles away or that, much farther north, Obama was being inaugurated as president.

There were some signs of the historic event in the nation’s capital, however. The television in the corner of El San Jose Mexican restaurant was tuned to an inauguration broadcast on a Spanish-language channel.

Most folks seemed more interested in their lunch instead of the exchange of power taking place in Washington, D.C.

Olberto Mejia, however, took a quick break from the cash register to turn up the volume as Vice President Joe Biden took the oath of office.

Mejia discussed his hopes for Obama’s presidency.

“I just hope he does what he said he’ll do to help everybody,” he said.

At the Railway Restaurant, owner Breeze Timmons was channel surfing among ESPN, the Weather Channel, the Food Network and inauguration coverage on Fox News.

He said he thought freezing temperatures led most people to watch inauguration coverage at home.

“The snow day has kinda messed up a lot of it,” he said.

Most people continued talking among themselves during the ceremony, although some eyes at times drifted toward the television.

Steve Stephenson of Georgia, visiting Lake City because of his work in the tobacco business, said he didn’t pay attention to the inauguration broadcast.

“I didn’t vote for him, but he’s my president, so I have to support him — I don’t have to watch him,” he said.

Only a third of the students at the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics in Hartsville were on hand to watch the event at the school because of the snowy weather, but those who were present were joined by members of the faculty and school president Dr. Murray Brockman.

The audience applauded and cheered during portions of the event, and the students said they realized the significance of the moment.

“This is just an amazing day,” student Nicholas Pomata said. “I could hardly believe it even as it was happening. This day we have been waiting for for decades has come. It is the most inspiring moment of my life.”

Becca Peltzman said she moved to tears as Obama took the oath of office.

“When he faltered (during the oath), it just showed how human he is,” she said. “Tears were streaming down my face. It was fantastic.”

Keidre Stackhouse, a senior at Francis Marion University, was among the students, faculty and staff members who gathered at the Grille on campus to see it happen on television.

“You can’t forget it. It’s going down in history. We’ll never forget it,” she said.

Obama’s inauguration should be remembered because it shows how far America has come, Stackhouse said.

“I never thought I would see a black president. I’m sorry to say it, but it was a dream. I guess a dream come true today,” she said. “As an African American and as a woman, it means a lot to me. It means that there are no boundaries as of right now.

“I can do anything — anything is possible. I can grow up and be anything I want to be, whether it be a senator or whether it be a basketball player. I can do it all.”

The halls and classrooms of Hemingway Elementary School were unusually still at mid-day Tuesday as students, faculty and staff focused on boards that showed the inaugural procedure as Obama took office.

Sixth-grader Dnetric Pressley said the new president would be good for the nation.

“He’s gonna make changes,” he said.

“It’s time we have a black president,” sixth-grader Asia Powell said. “It makes me very happy.”

“It’s good to have a black president,” sixth-grader India Porcha agreed. “I’m excited and happy, and gives me the thought of being president someday.”

“I thought is was just great for them to finally get an African-American for president and I think he’s going to do really good in the White House,” another sixth-grader, Heather Lane, said. “Maybe I can be president some day. I depends on what beliefs I have, probably.”

Mario Salam said he was feeling pretty happy at the moment Obama was sworn in.

“Barack Obama will make a good president,” he said.

“He’ll change things. He’ll change the laws on how kids should act in school,” fellow sixth-grader Asonta Eaddy said. “And I think he’ll help people find jobs.”

— Media General Carolina’s Chad Rhoad, Charles Tomlinson and David Green and WBTW News13’s Kelly Gillespie contributed to this report.