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for 17 MAY 04: PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Sunday was a noisy day on South Lumpkin Road, as a store in the Oakland Park Shopping Center held a big celebration. It was just as well that the South Columbus branch library stays closed on Sundays - because no one could have concentrated on their reading.
The big, noisy event was "Customer Appreciation Day" at Millie's Corner. It's become one of the biggest Hispanic community events of the year - and you know it's big when Bobby Peters shows up there to campaign for judge.
(Yes, I happened upon Bobby Peters AGAIN at Millie's Corner Sunday. I'm not sure he heard me when I said, "We've got to stop meeting like this.")
Millie's Corner was a noisy spot because all sorts of speakers were set up for Latin music. An information table on aging was set up right next to one stack of speakers -- so maybe this was their way of providing free heart and blood pressure checks.
Several Hispanic music and dance groups performed at Customer Appreciation Day. When I was there, a group called "Son Tropical" offered salsa and merengue songs. For those of you who are new to this culture - no, "merengue" is not the topping on a lemon pie.
One big attraction for the crowd at Millie's Corner is the line with free tropical food. I was offered curry chicken, along with what one woman called "pigeon feed." It had rice, tiny chickpeas - and a mystery meat I guess I was supposed to leave for the pigeons.
A special guest server for awhile at Millie's Corner was Columbus Councilor Mimi Woodson. She put on a jacket with Millie's name on it - in an obvious attempt to dissuade her from running for office.
The noisy party at Millie's occurred within 50 yards of "Platinum Records," a new store in Oakland Park which opened Saturday. The owners of that shop had to be stunned Sunday - as for once, their hip-hop music was completely drowned out.
The "fiesta" at Millie's Corner came only two days after the annual "Asian-Pacific Luau" at Fort Benning's Uchee Creek area. But I guess it still isn't the right place and time for an "Iraqi-Arabian Festival of the Sword."
BLOG UPDATE: Almost all the Republican political signs were gone from the entrance to South Commons Sunday afternoon. Either all the candidates and campaigns cleaned up after themselves - or people from the Booker T. Washington apartments walked across the street, took signs for souvenirs and hope to sell them online.
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