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Monday, January 12, 2009 3:00 AM
 E-mail to a friend
By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
James Wilkie received some good advice from N.C. Rep. Fred Steen about attending the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama Jan. 20.
Wear good walking shoes and have plenty of warm clothing, Steen told him.
Wilkie, who lives in southern Rowan County, has organized and filled two charter buses that will be taking 102 people to the inauguration next week.
One bus will leave from Sandy Ridge AME Zion Church in Landis, and the other will depart from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Lexington the morning of Jan. 19.
The group will return Jan. 21.
Back in September, almost two months before the election, Wilkie and some friends began discussing the possibility that Obama might be chosen president. If that happened, they said to each other, shouldn't they plan to be in Washington for what would be an historic inauguration?
They set in motion plans for at least a 47-passenger charter bus and made reservations at a hotel in Alexandria, Va.
Wilkie said finding hotel rooms in September wasn't a problem. "It was wide open," he said.
He was surprised, however, at the immediate and overwhelming interest in the bus trip. He eventually needed another bus (which will hold 55 people) as word spread of the trip.
People started signing up from places such as Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Wilmington and Atlanta.
"I didn't advertise nothing," Wilkie said.
Wilkie, 66, said going to the inauguration is important because it represents history to him as a black American.
"I never thought I'd see it," he says.
What do you think? Post your comment below.
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Shivering this morning
Cold blast in DC : Friday, January 16, 2009 7:37 AM
I don't know who to blame, but between the combination of the arctic blast and the traffic jams in DC on Tuesday, some news reporter is bound to call it the biggest humanitarian crisis since Hurrican Katrina---AND blame it on Bush/Cheney. I think Bush could be clever and take one bloggers advice, blaming it on Palin's crazy, demon-casting preacher.
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Shivering from the cold
Will Al Gore Be There? : Thursday, January 15, 2009 5:57 PM
I don't know if Al will show up or not. You know with all the global warming and all. He might not because he won't want his face shown. But let's all blame this cold weather on Bush. Why not?
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Al Gore can't be wrong!! Or can he? Yes, he is wrong.
It's getting hotter. It's getting hotter. It's getting hotter. : Thursday, January 15, 2009 3:10 PM
Artic cold?? You have got to be kidding. Gore never makes a mistake or tells a lie. The weather people predicting this cold weather have got to be right wing Republicans pulling a joke on us. Last time I saw Al Gore he was in shirt sleeves freezing his butt off, but declaring that global warming is here and that he is so hot he is sweating.
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JS
Re You're all wrong : Thursday, January 15, 2009 12:55 PM
It's impossible that there's even an artic front to blame on Bush. In case you haven't heard of Al Gore and Global Warming, the earth is going to catch on fire any day now. I don't care if the temp doesn't get over 20, Al Gore said "the earth has a fever", and I won't accept anything less.
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Bruha
HAHAHAHAHAHA : Thursday, January 15, 2009 11:06 AM
I'm going with stranger than fiction's theory, it's Palin's fault this time. But I will add that it is a combination of her demon casting preacher and her FRIGID attitude blowing this cold front down from Alaska. Look to the skies next week to spot her on her broom flying over Washington! I don't think she will be hunting Moose though...be careful!
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Stranger than fiction
: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 7:13 PM
It's usually Bush's fault, but maybe this time, Sarah Palin's witchdoctor preacher, Reverend Muthu, prayed down an arctic jet stream from Alaska to plague the inauguration! He's the guy who performed Palin's exorcism. It's on YouTube.
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bef
Gas : Wednesday, January 14, 2009 4:31 AM
who is paying for gas??
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meant it
Scootin' Over : Tuesday, January 13, 2009 3:08 PM
Yeah - and hadn't you heard? The arctic front that's coming in is Bush's fault.. C'mon Luke..I'll slide over and you can sit with me! We can laugh at everyone together!
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Prophetic Visions
Sorry there's no room for ya, Luke : Monday, January 12, 2009 8:15 PM
Luke, if they pass out, it will be from exposure to the arctic cold front's freezing temperatures that day. That is, for those whose buses get to DC on time. My prediction is that 2/3 of them want get past Fredericksburg, Virginia. And it will be played up as the biggest humanitarian crisis since Hurricane Katrina.
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Luke
save me a seat : Monday, January 12, 2009 9:36 AM
Anyway someone can save me a seat? I would love to see all the people passing out when they see Obama. Solving the worlds problems and all. I cant wait!!
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