On New Years Day, 2010, Robert L. Bowser was
inaugurated for a fourth term as Mayor of East Orange, NJ. At the
same time, five council members were also sworn in during a grand
ceremony held at Cicely Tyson Community School of Performing and
Fine Arts. This article is an account of that event.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh.
At the entrance to the event was a display of
many of the city's most recent construction projects.
Photo by Jim Gerrish
There were also displays in the entrance hall
put together by many of the city's various departments.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh.
The City Council held its reorganization meeting
on the stage of the auditorium, and the first order of business
was the presentation of election certificates and taking the oath
of office by the five most recently elected members. Shown above
is Jamal S. Barnes, First Ward. Others taking the oath of office
included Virginia M. Cross, Second Ward; Theodore R. Green, Third
Ward; William C. Holt, Fourth Ward; Alicia Holman, Fifth Ward.
LR: Duveau Lamadieu, Jasmine Drake, David
Friday. Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh.
Afterwards, the Cicely Tyson Harpists
performed a musical selection.
The next part of the ceremony was the
presentation of the election certificate to the Honorable Robert
L. Bowser, and his oath of office. Unfortunately I had to miss
that part of the event to help one of the band members with an
instrument emergency, but I am sure the mayor's oath was well
covered by all the news media photographers present. See
LocalTalk News HERE
Photo by Jim Gerrish
Emergency over, the entire band posed for a
group photo in the gymnasium before tuning their instruments and
getting ready to play for the guests.
Photo by Jim Gerrish
Whenever there was any free time, the small
groups got together and jammed, just for the sheer joy of making
music together.
Ms Saez, Band Parent Association President, and daughter.
Photo by Jim Gerrish
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
Ms. Saez arrives
in a formal evening gown, but still finds time to repair the
balloon pole where a few balloons have broken loose during the
previous night in the gym.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
As the first guests begin to arrive at the gym
for the Mayor's Reception, the band begins to play.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
Khalil Welch stands up to play his solo on a
muted trumpet. Other band members will also take turns playing
solos, as you will see in the video below. David Friday, whom we
photographed in the theatre playing harp, is now playing the
trombone (third from left in the back row), and all during
football season led the drumline as drum captain. Most of the
students play more than one instrument, and well. In the
programme, the band is listed as the Music Honor Society, and
although that name is not yet official, you can see from the
quality of the playing that it is true.
