Cutler Bay – Whispering Pines 4th of July Celebration is right around the corner, folks, on Thursday, July 4th at Whispering Pines Park, which is on Ridgeland Drive, one block west of S.W. 87th Avenue. All the great things that make living in a “small town” community so wonderful—-parade floats, decorated bikes, costumes, hamburgers and hotdogs, drinks, popcorn and snow-cones. There’ll be live music for entertainment, a water slide and bounce house for the kids, and of course the historic aircraft flyover as in previous years (weather conditions permitting).
Parade registration is at 8:15 a.m. in the school parking lot, with parade staging and judging taking place at 8:45 a.m. The parade starts at 9:00 a.m., with the parade route looping around Whispering Pines Lake. Awards will be presented at 10:00 a.m. As always, the event is sponsored by the Town of Cutler Bay, the Whispering Pines Civic Association and the Whispering Pines Woman’s Club. Area “pioneer” and activist Louise Lockwood is credited with beginning the town’s 4th of July celebration and the hugely popular event continues to have an impact in the Cutler Bay Community. Be there or be square!
Vote for Cutler Ridge Park! Call it a contest of sorts, but the folks at Coca Cola are having a survey or “election” to determine “the coveted title of America’s Favorite Park.” Residents can go online and vote at www.coke.com/parks. Type Cutler Ridge Park in the search box and follow the instructions to cast your vote. You can tell all of your friends and family members (over the age of 13) to become a coke rewards member and vote every day through July 15, 2013. No purchase necessary. The winning park will receive a $100,000 recreational grant from Coca Cola.
Does politics beckon? If you missed one of the earlier seminars conducted by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, you can still make their next scheduled Campaign Skills Seminar where you can learn the rules and regulations of electioneering if you’re considering running for office or helping someone who is. The two-hour seminar takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 22, in the Miami Beach Commission Chambers, 1700 Convention Center Drive, 3rd Floor, Miami Beach. Speakers will include representatives from the Ethics Commission and the Elections Department. It’s free and open to the public, and attorneys can earn Continuing Legal Education credits from the Florida Bar. For more information or to reserve a seat, call Robert Thompson at 305-350-0630 or e-mail robthom@miamidade. gov.
Need paint or shutters? A county program offers homeowners in single-family residences valuable services at no cost to allow them to have the exterior of their home painted and/or accordion hurricane shutters installed. The Paint and Shutter Program is funded through Surtax dollars and is available through the Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services Department (CAHSD). Homeowners will be required to participate in a forgivable mortgage program which requires them to remain in the home for up to 10 years after the upgrades have been completed. Participation in the program is subject to the availability of funds and is on a first come first served basis. For more information about the Paint and Shutter Program and other services available to assist low income homeowners, call 786-469-4600.
Transportation planning meeting… The Metropolitan Planning Organization seeks resident and business participation to prepare a transportation plan for the future of Miami-Dade. Provide feedback for a safer and more efficient transportation system. It’s on Wednesday June 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Cutler Bay Town Center, Council Chamber Suite 115, 10720 Caribbean Boulevard, Cutler Bay. Call the Miami-Dade MPO at 305-375-4507 for more info.
Thought of the Day:
My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.
— Jim Valvano
Gary Alan Ruse contributed to this column.
Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to Michael@communitynewspapers.com
