JOE LOUIS, INTERNATIONAL HERO
A BIG DAY FOR LAFAYETTE, AL
Yesterday Laurie and Will thought it would be nice to let us have a break from the fields and show us some local culture. Joe Louis, the famous boxer, was born in LaFayette, AL which is about 30 minutes west from where we're staying. Despite being famed as a Detroit fighter, where he learned to box, he had Southern roots. In his honor, a statue was erected and unveiled yesterday in front of the County Courthouse. It was a glorious sunny day for Chambers County.
The morning featured a parade which we did not attend and in the afternoon featured keynote speakers who gathered to address the crowd before the statue was unveiled. Speakers included Olympic athletes from Alabama, an Alabama congressman, the LaFayette mayor (who controls local legislation may not old enough to purchase alcohol), and other local dignitaries. The scene was rather comical; for us big city folk, the turnout of less than 500 seemed small, but to them, it was probably the biggest gathering LaFayette has ever seen. Local police even closed off Main Street for two hours. This really was small town, USA at it's best. This being the bible-belt, the first speaker was a local reverend who led the audience in prayer.
After the festivities, we lunched at Dari-Dee's, a local burger joint. It reminded us of crappy burger places that line Jersey Shore boardwalks. It was awful fast food that wasn't even served quickly. The only items on the menu we were able to consume were onion rings, grilled cheeses, and french fries. The cole slaw was possibly vegetarian but we opted not to find out. The girl working behind the counter literally could not have weighed less than 300 lbs. Clearly she is enjoying all the greasy items Dari-Dee serves. The French dudes really got a kick out of the entire day.
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