Spare Room Antics: Merry Christmas

We don't write a script. We just turn the camera on. You never know what you're going to get. It's just random.

Local Kwanzaa activities coming up soon

Kwanzaa founder Maulana Karenga (center) at a Kwanzaa celebration at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003. 

Kwanzaa, the seven-day African family, community, and culture celebration, begins on Saturday, December 26 and ends on Friday, January 1, with lots of local activities. Dr. Maulana Karenga,  a professor of Africana Studies at California State College in Long Beach, founded the celebration in 1966 as a way to honor African heritage in African-American culture. Kwanzaa is built on seven principles drawn from communitarian African philosophy. Following is a schedule of local Kwanzaa events:

UMOJA (Unity) – Saturday, December 26, 6:30 p.m., Gallerie 909, 909 22nd Street S. Contact: Carla Bristol, (727) 565-3930

KUJICHAGULIA (Self Determination) – Sunday, December 27. Individual Observance Recommended

UJIMA (Collective Work and Responsibility) – Monday, December 28, 6:30 p.m., Enoch Davis Center, 1111 18th Avenue S., Bro. Kevin Johnson Family and Friends. Contact: L. Buchanan, (727) 893-7134

UJAMAA (Cooperative Economics) – Tuesday, December 29, 6:30 p.m. Uniquely Original Art Studio, 915 24th Street S. Contact: Catherine Weaver, (727) 239-3696.

NIA (Purpose) – Wednesday, December 30, Individual Celebration Recommended.

KUUMBA (Creativity) – Thursday, December 31, Individual Celebration Recommended

IMANI (Faith) – Friday, January 1, 6:30 p.m., Enoch Davis Center & Community, 1111 18th Avenue S. Bring a dish to share at the "Karuma" Contact: L. Buchanan, (727) 893-7134

Why People Store With Us: Marge Coffing

Our friend Marge Coffing, president of the Mariel Company, stopped by Spare Room Mini Storage and shared some of the reasons why she chose us as her storage place. Thank you to Marge and all our other customers who choose to store with us. Your satisfaction is our primary concern and every day we strive to serve you.

Register now for MLK Day of Service

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS: Gulfport residents, businesses, and civic organizations will join Americans across the country on Saturday, January 16 for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Now is the time to register your Day of Service. This is the second year for this project. Many local residents turned out for last year's event. You can get more information about the day from the official website of the City of Gulfport. You can register your project online or download a registration form. Volunteers will gather from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 16 at Tomlinson Lake Park at 19th Avenue and 54th Street South.

Local favorite covered in state magazine

Don’t know if you noticed but one of the local favorites for fresh seafood — Maximo Seafood Shack — was written up in a new statewide magazine, Florida Food & Farm. The editor, Jan Norris, wrote that in the dictionary under Fish Shack should be a reference: “see Maximo’s.” We agree. It’s favorite place locals know well. Norris summed it up beautifully for readers around the state: “A tiny end-of-the-marina spot on a dock with only a handful of tables, it’s a treat for visitors looking for freshly filleted fish.” The article was illustrated by local photographer Robert Neff. The free quarterly magazine was launched in January and is designed to connect consumers with farmers, food producers, and local markets. You can find out more about Florida Food & Farm here.