E. Greenwich HS band gets funds to go to inauguration
5:27 PM Tue, Jan 13, 2009 | Permalink
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By C. Eugene Emery Jr. EAST GREENWICH -- The high school band is making final preparations to go to Washington, D.C., to march in a parade in honor of Barack Obama's inauguration Tuesday, after the Town Council voted Monday night to appropriate as much as $5,000 for the trip. "We're set to roll. We're practiced up. Uniforms are pressed. The money came through last night and it helped put us right over the top," band director Brendan Carniaux said today. The state put up another $5,000 because East Greenwich will be representing Rhode Island in the parade. In all, $56,000 had to be raised for the trip, with each of the 89 students chipping in $275. They will be accompanied by 13 adults, crammed into 30 rooms in a Baltimore hotel. "It's quite an honor for the town and the students to participate," said Council President Michael Isaacs. "I know these are difficult financial times, but this really is an historic opportunity." Carniaux said the group will be bused to Baltimore on Sunday, rest up for a day, and then be at the Pentagon by 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The group has a special pass to use roads that will be closed off in anticipation of the crush of spectators. "We're allowed to use pretty much whatever road we want that day," he said. At the Pentagon, the group will get checked out by the Secret Service, and then be escorted by police to the National Mall, where they will rendezvous with a military escort that will stay with them throughout the parade. Then they wait. The band isn't scheduled to start marching until 3:50 p.m. or so. It is expected that the students will be marching for 20 to 25 minutes. The group returns Wednesday. Nearly two million people are expected to descend on Washington that day, and police will be shutting down a large chunk of the city and the bridges crossing the Potomac River. Traffic on Interstates 395 and 66 will also be severely restricted coming into the city. 
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I would love to see how 3 nights in 30 rooms, and a bus trip to DC and back gets a $56,000.00 tab.
If the rooms were $300 per night, that would be $27K, plus lets say we allow $50 per day in food, that is $20K, so are you telling me it cost $9,000.00 for the return bus trip to DC?
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Are you kidding????? the State put up another 5000.00 for this trip. Who were the morons that aproved this???? They should be tossed out of office!!!! Has anyone read any of the papers or watched the news? The State is bankrupt and cutting everything and they give money for a band... I guess if E. Greenwich has that kind of money to give out for something that isn't NEEDED then it seems E. Greenwhich is doing better then the rest of the cities in the State. I am a parent and if my kids wanted to go to Washington I would just pay for it myself, I would NEVER ask the tax payers to front the bill..... Like I said who ever approved this should be tossed out of office, a baby may not be able to get the meds or care it needs when they are sick but lets pay for a band to go to Washington....Shame on all of you!
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