What they're saying

Photographer Colleen Drache asked a few Vernon residents their impressions of President Barack Obama’s Inauguration. She caught up with these folks at the Nordic House coffee shop on Route 94. To Kevin Thompson, Inauguration Day means “hope, hope that the president can turn things around for the economy.” Thompson feels that President Obama “has good values. He is a young president that has great ideas that now have to be put in place.” Chet Baruth describes the new President as a straight-forward person. “We’re ready for a change, we want a change and we want clarity.” As far as the president’s much discussed BlackBerry usage, he feels that “President Obama should consider listening to the Secret Service’s advice. Because he is representing our nation and the Secret Service wants to protect him as well.” Baruth says he’s pleased with the fact that President Obama chose to take oath on the same bible as President Lincoln. Pat Mindos couldn’t find any local radio stations that were broadcasting the Inauguration ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 20. She wanted to hear President Obama take the oath and give his inaugural speech, so she was happy when she discovered while running her errands that A.M. radio station 1010 came through for her. She feels that his speech “was powerful, not sugar-coated and voiced the real concerns” that now lay before the country. When President Obama speaks, Mindos said, he is “to the point, clear and eloquent.” Like many, she hopes that those who question his policies will allow President Obama and his administration time to strike the balance that the American people are looking for. Mindos’ noted that she felt the crowds who boo’d outgoing President George Bush were disrespectful.