It's just past 11 a.m. and city staffers are still rolling in carts of party materials - plastic plates and forks, napkins and cups. Cake and punch will be served at the 2 p.m. sendoff for Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton. This event, held in the Hall of Mayors where most city press conferences are held, is a decidedly more upscale event.
Tables, decorated with white orchids, have been set up around a podium for the speakers.
The mood has also started to shift. The quiet of this morning has given away to anticipation. Members of the media are rolling in cameras and cables.
Longtime radio host Mike Fleming is seated on a bench, calmly watching the commotion around him. Fleming, who first crowned Herenton with the "King Willie" moniker, remembers a vintage Herenton. During a radio interview, a playful Herenton showed up wearing an actual crown.
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