Leah Katz-Hernandez: Reporting From the Lincoln Memorial

TRANSCRIPT

Leah Katz-Hernandez: Hello, I’m Leah Katz-Hernandez from Washington DC. We’re here at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. I’m going to show you what we have seen in the first day of the Inauguration program. We have observed the preparations being undertaken in Washington DC to get ready for the Inauguration... for Obama! Here at the Lincoln Memorial, they are building a stage for music and singing. All the people in the Inaugural crowd will listen to music being played from here. Take a look.

The view from Abraham Lincoln's Memorial. You can't even see the steps at all.

Under the construction site at the Lincoln Memorial.

White tents being erected around the National Mall.

Shown above are the pictures of the current state in DC – full of building and busy preparing for Obama’s Inauguration in less than 10 days. Four million people will come to DC and that’s a lot of visitors to bear with. Here are some pre-Inaugural tidbits:

• Over two thousand porta-potties have been installed around the DC.
• Right now everything is “ugly” because things are still unfinished with the preparation. Look at the pictures to get more ideas. But for Inauguration, everything will be “pretty.”
• Obama is familiarizing himself with DC. How many of you have gone to Ben’s Chili Bowl during your Gallaudet days? He stopped in there for lunch with DC’s mayor Fenty yesterday (Saturday). DCist has all the details.
  
• Police force: Ten thousand extra security forces will be added to the ranks of DC police from the National Guard for the week of Inauguration and they will be working 12 hour shifts for the entire week.
  
• It’s time to PARTY! More than 300 unofficial Inauguration events will be held in the city. That’s not even counting the official Inauguration events (such as state Inaugural Balls). And many of the bars will be open until 5 AM!
• There have been so many "firsts" already... and will they ever stop coming?!?! For this Presidential Inauguration, it will be the first time a woman will lead inaugural national prayer service. Her name is Rev. Sharon Watkins.