The Foundation had planned Food and Tunes for Friday, November 22. By the way, we're hoping to offer an excellent bluegrass band. If you have an opinion about F&T and bluegrass, let us know. We thought we'd spice things up with some interesting variety. I've heard this band (Avocado Estate), and they're terrific. Joe Chao knows about them, too, and he also recommends them.
At any rate, this past week, I got an e-mail from our administration letting me know we can't have F&T on 11/22, because the date has been reserved. By the Village. For the 80th Anniversary celebration. Right, news to me, too. So I wrote back, thanking the administration for the heads up, and asking where the event was to take place, and what the content would be. I did not get a reply.
I understand that Barbara Watts has taken over coordinating this event, and that there is to be a speaker, who will talk about BP history. That's really all I know or have been told. Not by Barbara, though. I suppose I could have dogged this a bit more, but I asked the questions, and I accept no reply as the answer.
So I'm passing this along, in case you were considering some other option for Friday evening, November 22, 2013.
Just for comparison, there was a committee of residents who organized and planned the 75th Anniversary soiree. I'm pretty sure John Hornbuckle, who was also our Mayor at the time, was on that committee. It was a nice evening and a nice event. I was there. There was dinner, a speaker (Seth Bramson, a local historian), a belly dancing show, and a generally good time. The event was successfully planned well in advance. I was the guest of Kelly Mallette, who was a Commissioner and had bought a table and invited me to join her and Juan.
See ya 11/22? Since F&T is off, I myself have no other plans. We'll let you know when F&T is rescheduled.
The 75th anniversary celebration at the Miami Shores Country Club was an elegant evening befitting a 75th anniversary event-i was there. to be honest Fred- nothing really monumental should or will happen until the centennial- The smart thing would have been done is to Piggyback the 80th anniv with F and T- although i personally dont think bluegrass Music would have been appropriate for the piggybacked anniversary event- im sure something appealing to more of the general public with a short program befitting the 80th would have been coordinated and it would have been much easier as far as coordination etc... Just my suggestion/opinion....
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
DeleteThere has been talk for about a year about doing an 80th Anniversary celebration. You can argue the 80th anniversary is not necessarily worthy of much fanfare, and you do argue that, and that's a valid point of view. It's just the ball got dropped on this, and it now appears Watts has taken it over, for whatever are her reasons. As I hope I made clear, I do not approve of this as a one woman show. We have residents who are interested and who should have been offered a chance to make a party. The fact is, who knows when and how we would have found out about this if I hadn't stumbled onto it this past week? I have season tickets to several series through the middle of next year, and I had no reason to know to save 11/22. It's only coincidence that I don't have other plans.
As for bluegrass, that was intended for F&T, not an anniversary soiree. If Watts has a musical plan, I don't think anyone knows what it is, though I did hear a rumor about her trying to engage some group that specializes in '30s music.
Fred
Anything more that a casual reference to our 80th Anniversary seemed like a silly idea. We have a Foundation that has well attended Food and Tunes. They already pay for the music and even arrange for food trucks to show up. If Commissioner Watts wanted to incorporate something from our history it wouldn't have been a big deal. I know the mural was supposed to be the highlight of this party but unless she wrote a check herself, I don't think that's going to happen on November 23rd.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, Commissioner Watts seems to be the only one that has any information on this. Once again, Biscayne Park residents weren't included in this event. I hope, if the Commission is asked to spend any money on this they will do the responsible thing for a change and say, "No."