B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

Three generations of women from a Newport Beach family sojourned to

Washington D.C. recently for the inauguration of our 43rd president,

George W. Bush. Elaine Park joined sister Jean Carr and family members,

including Janet Terrell and daughter Amy Angelo, and Robin Sanders and

her daughter Kim Christenson, for a five-day whirlwind adventure in the

nation’s capital.

Elaine Park, former president of the Newport Harbor Republican Women’s

Club, and niece Amy Angelo, a former intern in the office of Newport

Beach Rep. Christopher Cox, managed to have the key to the city delivered

to the family suite at the J.W. Marriott adjacent to the White House.

The weeklong extravaganza began with a formal luncheon with the

California State Society held at the Mayflower Hotel.

“It was Hollywood meets Washington,” Janet Terrell said.

Terrell, who was Miss California in 1975, was in the midst of the

Hollywood glitterati who had come to Washington for the inauguration. The

California State Society was a mix of high fashion and hot topics of

conversation, as people from all over the county mingled. Johnny Grant

served as master of ceremonies for the midday affair.

The opening ceremonies took place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

and began with a flyover by Air Force bomber pilots.

“Muhammad Ali, vocalist Charlotte Church, superstar Ricky Martin, “Mr.

Las Vegas” Wayne Newton, Sandi Patty, the Rockettes, John Secada, Jessica

Simpson, composer Andrew Lloyd Weber and Gen. Colin Powell were all in

this amazing crowd,” said Orange County Youth Ambassador Amy Angelo.

“Can you imagine Colin Powell standing next to Ricky Martin and Wayne

Newton?”

The three-hour ceremony concluded at dusk with a spectacular fireworks

show.

On the Friday before the inauguration, Vice President-elect Dick

Cheney lead a salute to American veterans at George Washington

University. Cheney, who was to be the object of a ceremony honoring his

advancement into the second highest office of the land, instead turned

the tables and chose to pay tribute to American Veterans.

Of the 150 living veterans who are recipients of the Congressional

Medal of Honor, 101 of them attended the salute. Elaine Park was seated

next to a chaplain who served the armed forces on D-day during the

landing at Normandy. The rest of the extended Newport Beach family were

in the midst of such political and military luminaries as former

Secretary Of Defense William Cowen and his wife, Bob and Elizabeth Dole,

a number of the joint chiefs of staff and a number of Hollywood

celebrities.

“As you can imagine, it was a very emotional and inspiring occasion,”

said Robin Sanders. “And as Vice President Cheney stood up to offer what

we believed to be his closing remarks, without fanfare, he introduced a

surprise visitor. President-elect George W. Bush and First Lady Laura

Bush entered the room to a continuous wave of cheering, applause and

ovation.”

Sanders, the 1975 Rose Queen, was spotted in the crowd hobnobbing with

Connie Stevens and Robert Conrad of “Wild Wild West” fame. Both Conrad

and Stevens spoke at the veteran’s salute.

The Black Tie and Boots Ball, which was the talk of the nation, took

over the Marriott Wardham Hotel with several thousand people from all

over the country joining in the celebration in true Texas fashion. The

Newport contingent chose formal attire for the party.

“Those Texans really know how to throw a party,” Terrell said.

The ball enveloped eight ballrooms at the Marriott, with most of the

crowd ballroom-hopping most of the evening. Singer Clint Black wowed the

gathering with his country-western talent, naturally perfect for the

Texas crowd.

Saturday morning before the inauguration was spent with Newport Beach

Congressman Christopher Cox, who hosted an intimate brunch for Orange

County constituents attending the inaugural festivities.

Cox chose the Capitol Hill Club to entertain Lee Frodsham and Meryl

Butler and his wife Mary Ellen, among other Newport Beach dignitaries.

Following brunch the crowd walked across the street to the steps of the

Capitol for the inauguration of the president.

“The weather did not dampen anyone’s spirit a bit. What a thrill to be

up close and personal as a piece of American history unfolded,” said Jean

Carr, mother of Terrell and Sanders, and a member of the Newport Beach

Republican Women’s Club.

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* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.