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Hello, Miramar! As COVID-19 continues to impact our lives, with testing and vaccination rollouts we hope to be in a much better place by the summer of 2021. We must continue to wear our masks, social distance and practice proper hygiene.
In January, we had a media kick-off, to highlight six weeks of events and activities which included the celebration of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Black History Month and Reggae Month. It was a pleasure to have been joined at the kick-off by Third World’s Richard Daley and AJ Brown as well as have performances by the Steele Away band and music by WZOP radio.
I launched my initiative of the Art in Public Places legislation with a partnership with our local Bravo Supermarket in Historic Miramar. The community voted for a Caribbean marketplace scene painted by Ivan Roque to be placed as a mural on the facia of the building.
January 18th, we had a reduced version of our annual MLK parade which included a motorcade parade through the eastern and central portions of the City. This was watched by the usual excited neighbors who always look out in anticipation for the annual parade.
February, we celebrated Black History Month and this year were pleased to have been able attend the Miramar Cultural Center for the ‘Art on the Go’ event which promoted the “In Time of Protest” art exhibit that was featured for the entire month.
At the beginning of February, my Thursday “Drop & Go” weekly food distribution initiative for those residents that are unable to attend the drive-thru sites and receive free groceries was temporarily halted. I have since been able to establish a new partnership with Farm Share, Inc. and continue to deliver boxes of much needed food. I am grateful for all those who continue to volunteer their time to ensure that the food insecurities in our local community are mitigated.
On February 9th, I was also proud to join my fellow Commissioners in welcoming new police officers to the Miramar Police Department and joined their families and friends at the swearing in at the ceremony.
On February 11th, I hosted a collaboration with Jamaica and the City of Miramar in a panel discussion examining the contribution and role of reggae in rebellion and the struggle for freedom and justice, with a special look at the Black Lives Matter movement. Our panel compromised of artists and influencers from the Jamaica reggae scene such as Kabaka Pyramid as well as attorney Alexandra Audate, professor Dr. Jeffrey Swain and Florida Senator Shervin Jones. The moderator for the event was Administrative Law Judge Norman Hemming.
February continued with a free family movie night for the residents of Miramar who had an opportunity get out safely and enjoy a drive-in movie called “Selma” at the Ansin Sports Complex.
We closed off Black History month with the Black History meets Reggae “Icon Awards” where I presented the Icon Award to Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin, founder of VP Records and Third World Band. The Marcus Garvey Award, a first for this award, was given to attorney and activist Alexandra Audate.
March saw the tragic violence meted out to our Asian-American community in Atlanta, Georgia. I stood in solidarity at a prayer vigil with our brothers and sisters, condemning hate of any kind, in any form at Ghandi Square in Davie with other elected officials.
March 23rd, I joined my fellow Commissioners to open the new Harbour Lakes playground which was greatly needed for the residents in this area.
March also saw the opening of a permanent State-ran walk-up vaccination site at Vizcaya Park which is opened daily from 9am – 5pm and offers the Pfizer vaccine.
For the month of April, the Miramar Police Department and I once again partnered on a Gun Buyback Program, Guns for Funds, that allowed for individuals to safely dispose of their guns. Guns for Funds was 100% anonymous where individuals received up to a $100 in gift cards for each handgun surrendered and up to a $150 in gift for cards for each assault rifle or shotgun.
As part of the initiative, a Community & Cops event took place in Historic Miramar’s Bravo Supermarket, which gave residents an opportunity to meet their Community Resource Officers, where they found out what resources were available to them and how they could make an impact within their community with jobs and volunteer opportunities.
On April 13th, I was pleased to have been able to attend the grand opening of the historic police substation which I had proposed back in 2013. We now have equitable police presence and facilities in West Miramar, Central and East Miramar.
Save the Dates:
• Haitian Cultural Celebration-Saturday, May 22, 2021 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Caribbean-American Heritage Month Launch – Tuesday June 1, 2021 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Taste of the Islands-Saturday, June 26, 2021 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Miramar Virtual Career & Education Fair – Wednesday June 30, 2021
Please take care of yourselves and each other. To contact my office regarding any concerns, please free to call (954) 602-3155 or email me at apdavis@miramarfl.gov. You may subscribe to receive email updates from my office at www.miramarfl.gov/Davis or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @4AlexandraDavis.
