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Hernando Residents Are Obama Bound

Hernando Today photo by DAVE CASEY

From left, Veronica Lee, JoSandra Maner and Leechele Booker, principal at Parrott Middle School, all of Brooksville, display a letter from Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, notifying Lee that she's been allotted two tickets to the presidential inauguration.

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: January 17, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Neither rain nor cold nor massive crowds will keep them away from Washington, D.C. next week.

When President-elect Barack Obama places his hand on the Bible Tuesday to become President Barack Obama, witnesses from Hernando will head north to be on hand.

Here are a few of them:

A principal, a teacher, and a generous gift

Leechele Booker says she knew Obama would win and knew that she would be present when he was sworn in on Jan. 20.

The day after Election Day, the principal of Parrott Middle School in Brooksville made flight and hotel arrangements.

It wasn't until this month, though, that Booker learned she would be among the fortunate and relatively few people - 240,000 - who have tickets to the event, affording a closer view of the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill.

Brooksville resident Veronica Lee, whose son Kilo King attended Parrott and got tickets to share with his family, gave hers to Booker and JoSandra Maner, a language arts teacher at Parrott.

Lee was among the fewer than 200 constituents who secured tickets through U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite's office. The Brooksville Republican fielded "several thousand requests," according to a letter Brown-Waite sent to Lee notifying her that two tickets were on the way.

It's the chance to help out two good people and give Parrott's students a window to history, Lee said of her gift.

"The teachers at Parrott, they've been so good to me," Lee said.

Booker, 38, said the gift had brought her much joy.

"I'm so proud to be an American. I'm elated to be part of a historical event," she said. "It's been a little overwhelming."

Maner, 31, agreed.

"Everybody has a part of history to tell, and I'm excited I'll have my own story to tell to our kids," she said.

On Friday, students in Parrott's journalism program peppered Booker with questions. Is she excited? Is she prepared for the weather? (Yes on both counts).

Booker and Maner vowed to give the students a full report, with photos, upon their return.

"They really should be aware there's a change coming about," Booker said.

Veteran can say he helped

Bob Holmes of Spring Hill admits he will watch Tuesday's inauguration with a certain amount of pride.

Sure, there is the pride that Holmes, a 52-year-old African American and U.S. Army veteran who remembers the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Watts riots, will feel knowing his country elected a 47-year-old African-American as president.

But Holmes also is proud to say he helped make it happen. He served as chairman of the Hernando for Obama campaign and one of several state co-chairs for the ultimately successful effort to take Florida.

He even did a stint of campaign work in North Carolina before the primary. He met Obama last May at Tampa International Airport.

"I can't do this without you," Holmes recalls Obama telling a group of volunteers after he got off the plane.

Tuesday's inauguration is "the culmination of 22, 23 months of work," Holmes said.

Holmes, who will stay with friends in Alexandria, Va., has a wife and two teenage daughters who decided to stay home.

The massive crowd, temperatures hovering around freezing and several hours' worth of standing is a daunting prospect even for a once-in-a-lifetime window on history.

"They complain about standing in line at Disney World," Holmes said, laughing.

As a former member of the Army's Special Forces, Holmes is used to uncomfortable conditions, but he'd heard an unsettling rumor about the facilities available to more than a million people expected to descend on the National Mall.

"They're saying about 400 people per toilet," he said. "They recommend to bring your own toilet paper."

Inauguration party

Can't make it to D.C.? Local Democrats are hosting an inauguration party in Brooksville on Jan. 20.

The party will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marine Corps League 708, 8405 Sunshine Grove Road. The swearing-in will be shown on a large projection screen. Lunch will be served, and a cash bar will be open.

Admission is $7 per person. RSVP is requested, but tickets will be available at the door.

The party is a joint effort by the Hernando Democratic Club, The Democratic Women's Club of Hernando County and the Wellington Democrats.

For information or to reserve a space, call Harvey Martin, 686-0686.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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