Taking a stand… At the Oct. 6 Palmetto Bay regular council meeting the Village Council approved a resolution by a 4 to 1 vote opposing the sale of the UM Pine Rockland property located at SW 127 Ave and 152 Street for the future home of a Walmart, 900 condos, and an LA Fitness.
This is near Zoo Miami. The village has now joined the Town of Cutler Bay and other area communities and organizations in going on the record to try to save the natural habitat of many endangered species of butterfly, animals and plant life. The property was originally given to the UM by the U.S. government. There is some talk of a potential purchase of the property through a joint effort with the EEL program to preserve it. On a related note, initial support by a few members of the council for the Palmetto Bay Village Center’s proposed plan to use its own Pine Rockland property for residential development has been put on hold until more information about its impact can be learned.
You can bet on this… The EDGE’s 2nd annual Casino Night is on Saturday October 18 from 7:00 p.m. to midnight. The theme is “A Night in Casablanca” and who doesn’t remember Bogie and Bergman. Location is Fairways on the Key at the Crandon Park Golf Course on Key Biscayne. It’s the EDGE Foundation’s charity fundraiser to support “children who are homeless, unaccompanied, victims of human trafficking, domestic violence or victimized in any other way.” Pre-sale tickets are $75 or $100 per person at the door. That includes $30 in casino chips, an open bar and food. There’ll be music, a photo booth, a champagne bar (extra) and entertainment. This is for charity, folks, so the “winnings” don’t have a cash value, but it’s a great fun event with a worthwhile purpose. For tickets contact Mercy Hernandez at Mercy@theedgeeducation.com or call 305-298-1763.
Film buffs, take note: internationally renowned film curator Thom Powers is giving a seminar on the art of film curation Saturday, September 18, from noon to 3 p.m. It’s part of the MIFFecito programming at the Tower Theater, 1508 SW 8th Street. He’ll speak about many forms of curation, from sharing your favorite films on social media to running a local film club to working at major festivals, and provide a behind the scenes peek and answer questions. Powers told us, “Today’s cinematic landscape is diverse and plentiful with offerings from all over the world. The curator’s job is to help connect audiences to worthy films whether that’s happening at a film festival or an online site like DocClub. It’s increasingly a key role because it plays a role in what voices get heard. Indeed today we’re all curators of lists we share.
At MIFFecito, I’ll explore what it means to be a curator both as a profession and a hobby.” Powers has programmed for the Miami Film Festival for the past four years, been a curator with the Toronto International Film Festival and served as artistic director for events in New York and New Jersey. For tickets or info on this or the other MIFFecito events, call 1-844- 565-6433 or go online at
www.miamifilmfestival.com/MIFFecito.
Thought of the Day:
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.
— Walter Winchell
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.
