Inquirer staff writer Carolyn Davis reports:

CNN teamed up with Facebook for an online inauguration widget, so users of the social-networking site could watch inaugural events online while having real-time chats with Facebook friends.

As of about 4 p.m., people following the inaugural events posted 600,000 status updates through the CNN.com Live Facebook feed, said a Facebook spokeswoman. An average of 4,000 status updates were posted every minute during the broadcast of President Obama’s inauguration, with 8,500 comments posted “the minute Obama began his speech,” Facebook reported.

There were some unconfirmed reports of technical problems, but the Facebook spokeswoman said there had been no difficulties.

Meanwhile, if you wanted a taste of what all Facebook users were saying, CNN.com streamed a sampling of what’s called “status updates,” next to the live video of events.

Yesterday afternoon, for example, Alvin L. Reeves Jr. said he “enjoyed viewing the Inauguration although the power went out here at Ga. State University. Congrats Mr. President!”

Diane Elgan-Towns, of Dover, Del., said she “bets Bush was so relieved to get out of there and curl up with his family at home! He was handed some bad stuff to deal with & I truly believe he did well.”

In addition, Facebook reported today that “Obama’s page on Facebook has nearly 4 million fans” and 500,000 messages from people.

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Inquirer staff writer Angela Couloumbis reports:

In between back-to-back meetings earlier today, state Public Welfare Secretary Estelle Richman stole a few minutes to go into her Harrisburg office, switch on her television, and witness what for her was a “momentous moment in history.”

Richman, 65, who is black, grew up in the South when segregation was a part of everyday life. “While my parents and grandparents were professionals, it was clear we were second-class citizens,” said Richman, who also served as Philadelphia’s Health Commissioner when Gov. Rendell was mayor. “We went to the balcony for theater, and restaurants were segregated. That was the only world I knew.”

So when she saw President Obama place his hand on the Bible yesterday to take the oath of office , “it was like living to a point in history that you never thought would come. I am one of those people who could never imagine this could happen in a lifetime. But it makes you realize, it’s amazing what can happen in a lifetime.”

She said she remembers her grandmother, who lived to be 109, having the same reaction while witnessing Clarence Thomas being sworn in as Supreme Court Justice. “Her perspective was, `how could this be happening?’”

Richman, whose staff used the lunch break to watch the inaugural events, said she was moved by Obama’s inauguration not just because an African-American was being sworn into the nation’s highest office - but because by voting him into office “America showed it wants change.”

And she, like many others, was afraid he wouldn’t get the chance to take that oath.

“I was moved that it actually happened,” she said. “I had this great fear that something would happen tot him and that he would never get to take the oath of office. Now, no one can take that away.”

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Inquirer staff writer Zoe Tillman reports:

Now that President Obama’s swearing-in is complete, the task facing hundreds of thousands of visitors at the mall is finding an open Metro station.

Several stations around the mall will remain closed until the completion of the presidential parade, expected to be about 5 p.m.

Law-enforcement officials and organizers have been directing crowds to stations as far away as a mile from the mall.

Olivia Smith, 56, an assistant city attorney for Denver, said she and her family had been given contradictory directions and had no clue how to get to the nearest open Metro.

“They should have used Jumbotrons to display directions,” she said, referring to the large screens used to broadcast the inauguration.

Philadelphia-born William McGinnis, 41, a nurse in Alexandria, Va., had a simpler solution — use maps “and just follow the crowds.”

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Inquirer staff writer Dan Hardy reports:

At the Toby Farms Elementary School in Delaware County’s Chester-Upland School District, it was all-Obama, and all “Yes We Can,” all day.

At the start of the school day, sixth grade students formed a “Yes We Can” human chain in the school’s parking lot, spelling out the words.

Hallways were decorated with pictures of Obama, surrounded by red, white and blue bunting, under the words “We are Family.”

At an assembly, students, dressed in red, white and blue shirts to honor the day, sang a “Yes We Can” song, along with God Bless America, Lift Every Voice and Sing and the Star Spangled Banner. After the inauguration ceremony, classes engaged in a variety of activities, ranging from building a popsicle stick White House to writing “If I were President” essays and composing “Yes We Can” poems. “Inaugural Ball” student dances were scheduled for the end of the day.

Many of the school’s students saw the Inauguration ceremony streamed through laptop computers and projected on large white boards in the front of their classroom. They clapped and cheered when Obama took the Oath of Office, and throughout his speech.

In one fifth-grade classroom, teacher Stacie Hall-Hardy sought to make the event a teachable moment for her class, all of whom were African Americans. “You will always remember this day, even when you are 60 or 70,” she said. “This is a new day; it brings hope for the people, not just for black people, not just for minorities, but for all the people.” She said that Obama’s message to her students was one of “selflessness; it’s not just about you, but what you can do for other people. Doing something for someone else makes you feel good.”

Many students shared the excitement. “I was happy; I was about to cry a little bit,” said fifth grader Edward Nelson, 11. “It’s good to see, because of all the black violence that has gone on, that someone can stop it.” Nelson also said he hoped Obama can “bring the economy up and help homeless people who don’t have a place” to stay.

Fifth grader Tranieh Womack, also 11, said: “I feel excited … I hope Obama keeps his promise to help our county and make it a better place.”

Patricia Parente-Sofia, the principal of the 540-student school, said she had decided on a whole day of Obama events for the children in order to “do something special, so they can remember this day in history - to remember where they were.” Since Obama’s election, she said, “I see a new brightness on their faces; there is a new attitude. I cry, watching them be so connected to this event. … It’s something I never expected to see in my lifetime.”

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Inquirer staff writer Marcia Gelbart reports:

Watching Obama's speech inside his office, Ernest Jones, president and chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Workforce Development Corp., said he was "personally inspired" - but stopped there.

"I'm somewhat sobered by the enormity of everything that has to be done to get the country moving in the right direction," he said. "You don't want to have your expectations be unrealistic."
At the same time, he said: "I was personally inspired by the events today. The fact we have an African American president means we have gotten past certain things in America." 

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Inquirer staff writer Kristen A. Graham reports:

At Fitler Elementary School in Germantown, where students started the “Obama Hope Organization” to do good deeds in the new president’s name, Rachae Pringle’s fifth grade class watched the inauguration on a giant projector screen.

“They’re watching this all around the world,” Pringle told her students, who dressed in red, white and blue and brought food to school for an inauguration party. “You guys have to understand the magnitude of today.”

Jerome Brown, father of fifth grader Jerome Brown Jr., came to Fitler because he wanted to witness history with his son, who is 10. Jerome Brown Sr. folded himself into a tiny plastic chair and watched the festivities with wonder.

“I don’t have to give him the speech anymore — ‘Son, you can be anything you want to be,’” said Brown, 42. “He sees that now.”

Third grader Makalah Lawton, 9, didn’t take her eyes off the screen as the president delivered his inaugural address. When Obama mentioned “a new era of responsibility,” she clapped and cheered.

“He’s not just black; he’s an American,” said Makalah, a serious little girl who bets she’ll be the first woman president someday. “I didn’t see him in person, but I feel like he’s telling me, ‘Yes, we can.’” 

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Inquirer staff writer Jillian Smith reports:

The Pennysaver convenience store on the corner of Wayne Avenue and Apsley Street in Germantown was empty during the usual lunchtime rush. With no TV, store owner Yunnie Kim and cashier Jimmae Little could not watch the inauguration. To be honest, there was nothing to prove that today was a day in history except for the lack of customers. Maybe they were elsewhere viewing Obama’s speech?

Then, at noon, two men broke the silence in the store to order lunch at the deli counter. “I don't care too much for Obama. I voted for McCain,” said Malik Carter. Carter and his friend Bryant Peoples continued to joke about Obama, mainly about his middle name being Hussein.

Other than that, no real chatter was going on about the inauguration. Work went on as usual with Yunnie Kim, ringing up Peoples’ and Carters’ lunch orders and Little selling lottery tickets to three other customers. Kim’s husband, Han, stocked the shevles with candy.

“People must be really watching it because they're not coming in for their daily numbers!” Little exclaimed. The daily number lottery drawing ended at 1 p.m.

At around 12:15 p.m. Rob Cosson walked in and ordered a sandwich. "I want to watch my shows at 12:30 p.m. Gotta watch my Young and the Restless. I’ll catch everything on the news at 5 o'clock. Why do I need to watch it now? It's going to be on all day!"

Yunnie Kim switched the radio from a hip-hop station to KYW at 12:30 p.m. to listen to inaugural coverage. Not even two minutes later, another co-worker came in and turned the radio back to the hip-hop station. "It's going to be on all day!" he said.
By 12:45 p.m. the store started to get busy - finally. Sandwiches were ordered, lottery tickets purchased. "I guess he's sworn in already," Little said.

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