Mary Jones, from Delaware, caught in a jubilant mood as she watches the inauguration at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in Montego Bay, St James, yesterday. - photo by Sheena Gayle

WESTERN BUREAU:

Visitors to the island were caught in a jubilant mood at Montego Bay's Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort yesterday as Barack Obama was sworn into office.

The hotel lobby was transformed into a conference area as several guests focused their attention on one of many big-screen television sets on the property to witness the historic occasion.

A blessing

For the Reid family, who reside in Atlanta, Georgia, watching Obama being inaugurated - even though they are on vacation - was a blessing.

"This means a lot to us to see him get sworn into office. He is the first black president that we've had. We would have preferred to be there (Washington) but our vacation came around at this time, so that's why we are here watching the ceremony," Pearline Reid, who has roots in Jamaica, said.

Meanwhile, an elated Mary Jones of Delaware, who is also an avid Obama supporter, revealed that she almost gave Vice-President Joe Biden a ticket in 1991 when she was a police officer.

"I didn't know who Biden was at the time because I had recently moved to Delaware. It was before I handed him his ticket that I was told that he was the senator (for Delaware). He reminded me of the incident when I saw him sometime ago and we laughed about it," Jones noted.

She further added that Obama's presidency was momentous as it (the presidency) was no longer about colour, but about who could best run the United States at this critical time.

sheena.gayle@gleanerjm.com