Berry Craig and Bruce Maples of ForwardKY journeyed to Frankfort on Tuesday to cover the inauguration parade and ceremony. Berry was armed with his trusty Nikon, while Bruce only had his trusty cell phone. 📱 Nevertheless, they both came away with some pretty good pix from the day. The parade pictures are here. And below is a selection from the swearing-in for your enjoyment. (If you click any of the photos, you can see a larger version of all of them in a side-to-side gallery.)
The setup
The first picture is a wide shot to show you where everything was. It’s taken from the media platform (you can see the other folks with cameras; lots of television cameras behind me). To the left is a screen on a lift where the people in the back audience can see what’s going on. To the right is a video screen facing the podium, which they used instead of teleprompters. The second picture is a closer view of the seating for the dignitaries, and the podium. The third picture is a shot from where I was on the media platform to the public viewing section. This is a giant platform built up from all the steps in front of the Capitol, and filled with chairs. Those are the people the elevated screens are for.
Everyone ready and in place?
The flags were flying in front of the Capitol, which is undergoing renovation. The media was all over, ready to stream and record the event. And of course, there was quite a bit of security as well. The former first couple, Steve and Jane Beshear, were in place in the rows behind the rostrum reserved for dignitaries and other important folk. And Berry was ready with his trusty Nikon and telephoto lens. (Almost all of these pictures come from Berry.)
Music, Prayers, and a Poem
Reverend Phil Yates of Little Zion Baptist Church in Burgin delivered the invocation. Ben Sollee sang God Bless America while accompanying himself on the cello. Tyler Childers played and sang, and Silas House (Kentucky’s Poet Laureate) read a poem he had written for the occasion. The Reverend Doctor F. Bruce Williams of Bates Memorial Baptist in Frankfort delivered the benediction. And Dr. Everett McCorvey, accompanied by Dr. Tedrin Blair Lindsay, sang My Old Kentucky Home.
Rocky Adkins, Will and Lila, and Jack Coleman do their part
Rocky Adkins, the Senior Advisor to the Governor, was the emcee for the afternoon. He took that opportunity to deliver his own remarks about working with the Governor, and what they and the administration had been able to accomplish during their first term. At the end of those remarks, he got a handshake from Beshear that turned into a hug. Jack Coleman, the Lt. Governor’s father, introduced her, just as he did four years ago. And just like four years ago, he got a big hug from his daughter. Finally, Will and Lila Beshear, the teen-age children of the Beshears, delivered their own remarks. They both got hugs and smiles from their parents.
The speeches
There were three major addresses, from First Lady Britainy Beshear, Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman, and Governor Andy Beshear. The complete remarks of Coleman and Beshear can be found here. Britainy Beshear’s speech was largely personal, Coleman’s was focused on things they want to accomplish in the second term, and Beshear’s was both a recounting of how Kentuckians had come together during adversity, and how he wanted to govern in his second term.
The swearing in and the wrap-up
The Lt. Governor got sworn in first, with Justice Debra Hembree Lambert of the KY Supreme Court leading the oath. Then Governor Beshear got sworn in, with Justice Michelle M. Keller, also of the state Supreme Court, leading that oath. Once those were completed, there was an artillery salute carried out by the Kentucky National Guard, and Major General Haldane B. Lamberton, the Adjutant General of the Guard, presented Beshear with a casing from one of the shells. Finally, the First Couple waved to the crowd, and the 202nd Army Band of the National Guard began playing a salute to the governor. This went on and on and on, and we were all wondering what everyone was waiting on – when in flew four helicopters from the National Guard in an honorary fly-over, which of course caused everyone to look up. And the ceremony was over.
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