Well folks, Parks & Recreation Director Alan Ricke tells us that the voting is closed regarding the selection of the Town’s next Movie Night, and the film chosen by the Cutler Bay residents who cast votes is The Polar Express, which sounds like a great choice for a family Christmas movie to us. It received 41 percent of the votes, with the movie Elf getting a small but sprightly 29 percent. How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Fred Claus tied at 12 percent, and director Tim Burton’s somewhat creepy holiday flick, The Nightmare Before Christmas, paled by comparison with a mere 6 percent of the votes.
The movie will be presented on Friday December 13th at 7:00 p.m. at Lakes by the Bay Park, located at 8551 SW 216 Street, behind Whigham Elementary School. Admission is free, but bring your own lawn chairs and blankets, and maybe a sweater if that cold front makes it through. You can bring food if you want, but the Perrine Baseball & Softball Association will be selling concession food and drinks throughout the night. For information call the Parks and Recreation Department at 305-238-4166.
What’s in a name? Cutler Bay students say ‘less is more.’ We hear from Councilwoman Peggy Bell, who along with Lead Teacher Justin Koren of the town’s new high school, serve as Council Liaisons to the new Youth Council, that the students of the new High School and Middle School are requesting a change of names. “Currently the name of the high school is ‘Cutler Bay Academy for Advanced Studies, Centennial Campus’.” says Peggy. “The middle school is ‘Cutler Bay Academy for Advanced Studies, Cutler Ridge Campus’.” The students feel that not only are the names too long, they don’t really reflect the fact that one is a high school and the other is a middle school. They’re suggesting ‘Cutler Bay Academy High’ and ‘Cutler Bay Academy Middle,’ respectively, which does seem to make sense. The Town Council unanimously voted to send a resolution to the members of the Miami-Dade County School Board requesting the changes, but there will have to be a public hearing and a committee appointed to review potential changes.
Mark your calendar… Ooops, now erase it! Debra E. Eastman, the Town Clerk, says that the regular town council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, at 7 p.m. in Cutler Bay’s Town Hall, Town Council Chambers has been cancelled. So, since the council just had a meeting last week for November, that means the next meeting won’t be until January, sometime after the ‘Chili Day in Cutler Bay’ event.
Free Workshops on the Affordable Care Act are being hosted by the Miami-Dade Public Library, presented in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Enroll America, and the Health Council of South Florida. Got questions? The workshops on the Health Insurance Marketplace are November 26, 5:30 p.m., Palmetto Bay Branch; December 4, 6-8 p.m., Golden Glades Branch; December 7, 1– 3 p.m., Homestead Branch. For a complete list of participating branches near you, visit www.mdpls.org and click on the Calendar of Events.
Change of plans… The Public Hearing by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on proposed improvements (widening) to the Florida’s Turnpike (S.R. 821) from Campbell Drive to South Dixie Highway has been rescheduled from November 21, 2013 to December 11, 2013 and will be held at a new location, the Hampton Inn – Miami South/Homestead, 2855 N.E. 9th Street, in Homestead. The Public Hearing will begin as an open house at 5:30 p.m., with a formal presentation at 6:30 p.m., followed by a public comment period. This Public Hearing is being conducted to give interested persons an opportunity to express their views concerning the location, conceptual design, social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed improvements.
Wishing everyone a Happy and Bountiful Thanksgiving….
Thought of the Day:
I will prove by my life that my critics are liars.
— Plato
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
