History unfolds at Queens Theatre in the Park

Wanting to share one of the most historic moments in United States history, residents from all over the borough came to Queens Theatre in the Park to view President Barack Obama’s Inauguration.
This was the people’s day with elected officials seated among - and even behind - ordinary folks like the Velandia family from Fresh Meadows, by way of Colombia.
Daniel got the free tickets for his wife Anna Bell, children Daniel, Sarah, Leonardo Jr., Maya and himself, and they even sat in the front row to view the Inauguration ceremony.
Most expected the Claire Shulman Theatre to be packed and many parked far away, expecting a crush. Some of those in attendance included a group of nearly 60 seniors and faculty from Francis Lewis High School in Flushing, who will have a tale they will no doubt tell their children and grandchildren.
Karen Phillips, a teacher escorting more than 100 students from M.S. 217 in Jamaica, pointed out, “This is like being a part of history - this is fixing a compromise of the ideals of the Constitution, and these children will be primary sources.”
The polite reaction to the appearance of various dignitaries (and occasional impolite reaction at the sight of the departing ones) were forgotten at the rock-star reaction to the first Obama sighting - as he strode the final yards of his journey to the Presidency.
There were many resonant lines in the first speech by President Obama, who to the surprise of some did not quote Lincoln, nor Martin Luther King, but a slave holder who guided the country through it’s first and greatest crisis - George Washington.
The truth is, for all the oratory, what resonated with the Queens teenagers there was the new president’s offer to our enemies, “We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
There is reason for hope, agreed Anna Ingraham, an English teacher at Francis Lewis. “I’m going to make my students the same offer,” she said with a smile.