I now have the most complete update I think I can expect to get regarding the 80th Anniversary do. Here it is:
The weekend begins on Friday afternoon, November 22, 2013, at 6:00. Expected is the unveiling of the mural (work hasn't started yet, but maybe will end on time) at the recreation center. Following this is a lecture on what I imagine will be the history of Biscayne Park. The lecturer is Paul George, Historian for the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. There will also be an Arts and Crafts exhibition and sale, and accompaniment at some point by the 30-piece North Miami Community Band. As I understand it, 1930s music will be featured. The soiree ends at 10:00 PM.
There will be food, and it will be provided by food trucks on site. You wanna eat? Bring cash.
The weekend continues on Saturday, with continued exhibition and sale of the Arts and Crafts from Friday, and a flag football game between the Parks and Recreation/Public Works Department, and the Biscayne Park police. The Saturday events start at 10:00 AM (that's when the football game starts) and are over at 3:00 PM.
If "Be There, Or Be Square" fits, then so be it. I myself will be there. Although I'm a remarkable specimen, I have not, shockingly, been asked to play on either football team, nor to bring my clarinet. Hmph!
When I thought about the event I questioned why I was annoyed at the whole process. It's really the best kind of event. I don't have to do anything except show up. I didn't have to waste my time being involved in the mural project or try to find a speaker let alone decide if we even wanted a speaker. I didn't have to contact food trucks or get my self in shape for a flag football game. I didn't have to ask people what kind of music they wanted or ask artists and craftspeople to give us a piece of work with no guarantees they would get it back in one piece or even see it again. All I have to do is show up for Barbara Watts' 80th Anniversary Vision. In ways it's like celebrating someone else's life. There's really no involvement from our residents in the activities. No real feeling of a community anniversary. I don't know - do communities even celebrate the 80th year of existence?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm really square but I think it could have been fun to have some things for the kids like a decorate your bike or dog parade, a flag football game with the kids who live here, music by a resident's band and even a covered dish dinner from all the residents who are happy to live in Biscayne Park. We could have invited the entire Police force and all of our employees who take care of us so well.
Well I've learned something from this. The next time my family is celebrating something I'll sit back and relax and call Barbara.
Barbara Kuhl
Frankly, Barbara, this comes across as a slightly glorified version of Food and Tunes, which was bumped from this date, by the way, for this event. Some have said BP's 80th anniversary is not worth celebrating. That's a matter of opinion. I would be OK with a celebration, and I would be OK without one. It seems like an excuse to make a party. My only comparative disappointment is that if we were going to make a celebration of it, I would have expected a bit more pomp. Arts and crafts exhibits are great, and we should do more of them. We don't need much of an excuse. Football games can also be fun, but I would much rather participate than watch. The "big deal" is the lecture. I'm not sure that's really enough to say we celebrated our 80th year. Also, if we were going to bother to make ourselves a party, we should have taken advantage of the opportunity to make it a fund-raiser. And as you point out, we seem to have a tradition of liking to pitch in ourselves, and get our own hands dirty. It feels almost like we were deprived of the opportunity.
DeleteSo a bit weak and a bit flat, but a party's a party. I hope I'll see you there. And before you hire Watts to plan your next party, let's wait and see how this one comes out. From what I gather, it's more likely Candido you'll want to hire than Watts.
Fred