Junk, trash and debris, faded, mildewed, peeling, discolored paint on houses, and storing of commercial vehicles in residential areas are just a few of the violations that code enforcement officers have to deal with on a daily basis.

But many of our citizens in the City of Miami Gardens seem to think that the code enforcement department is just here to harass them and collect money. That is the furthest thing from the truth. In a perfect world we would love to just inform the citizen of the violation and hope to get compliance without having to issue a fine. Unfortunately in order to get some of the property owner’s [p/o] attention we have to go into the civil violation stage. The number one goal of code enforcement is compliance.

Once a violation is discovered the property owner is given a reasonable amount of time to come in to compliance. If needed the p/o can request additional time to correct the violation. Because the number one goal is compliance we usually grant the request. If for some reason the p/o doesn’t comply then we issue a civil violation notice.

The best way to inform the city of what we expect is to educate them. And some of the ways that we do that is by attending community association meetings, informing the public by mail every time a new ordinance is added, and the cities’ website is readily available to everyone. The city is less than 10 years old, but the community has been here for years. We know it’s not going to happen overnight, but If we can work together and not against each other, we will continue to build one of the most beautiful cities in Florida.

City of Miami Gardens 2010 Census Update – In March the City of Miami Gardens kicked-off its Complete Count Census Initiative. With two City sponsored events and local promotions on several radio programs, the City has been hastily spreading the word about the importance of the census. Their hard work has begun to reap dividends. To date the City of Miami Gardens has achieved a 72% Mail “Participation” Rate, in line with the national average of 72%. However, there are still some who may have not completed their census forms.

Mayor Shirley Gibson and the City Council of Miami Gardens are strongly encouraging all of it residents, and businesses to participate in this initiative. This is the first time the City will have an opportunity to get an official count of all of its residents since being incorporated in 2003.

Recently, Mayor Shirley Gibson’s who also serves as the co-chair of Mayor Alvarez’s Complete Count Committee (CCC) enthusiastic efforts to promote Census Awareness in the City of Miami Gardens and Miami-Dade County was applauded by T. Willard Fair, President of the Miami-Dade County Chapter of the Urban League. “Mayor Shirley Gibson has taken the leadership in the City of Miami Gardens Census count and has worked closely with the Miami Urban League to get all of our Black folks counted.”

Mayor Gibson and the City Council are strongly encouraging its residence to reach out to family and friends to make sure they are counted in 2010.

On March 14, 2010 the City hosted its first initial Census Day at Tony’s Restaurant & Catering in the Cloverleaf Shopping plaza. Free food and entertainment was provided. Over xxx local residents stopped by to receive important information about the census and get answers to their questions regarding the important of Census.

Councilman Andre Williams was on hand to personally greet many of the locals and thank them for coming out to participate. On Sunday, March 28, 2010 the City held its main Census Day event at the Miami Gardens Shopping Plaza. 99 Jamz, Hot 105, Romance 106.7 and Radio Mega 1700AM all participated with live remotes to encourage people to come and complete their census form on site and receive prizes and giveaways.

“Our goal was to have residents take ownership of this year’s census. This is our census. This is our time to be heard,” said Antranette Pierre, Economic Development Manager and Census Project team member. In early May Census Enumerators will be visiting homes in all neighborhoods that have not returned their Census forms. Please be cooperative with the Census workers. They will only need a few minutes of your time to complete this form.

Remember that all Census Workers will identify themselves as Census Workers in the area. If you are unsure, ask for identification and the full name of the Census Worker. Mayor Shirley Gibson and the City Council strongly urge your support and participation in this initiative. For information about the 2010 Census call City Hall at (305) 622-8023.

South Florida Times Contributed to this article

A-List Headliners Bring Record Crowds Despite Transitional Economy – Almost 45,000 music lovers flocked to Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida for the 5th Annual “Jazz in the Gardens” hosted by nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner. The festival kicked off on Saturday, March 20th, 2010, with magnificent performances by Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Teena Marie, Joe Sample, K’Jon and local artists Rachel Brown, Jon Saxx, and Kawan DeBose. The excitement continued on Sunday, March 21, 2010, with John Legend, Boyz II Men, Cassandra Wilson, David Sanborn, Melanie Fiona, Eric Roberson and local artist Jovie. Providing entertainment between acts were Producer/DJ Bryan- Michael Cox, The Brass King and UniverSoul Circus, which spun its magic by turning Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson into a 600 lb. white Bengal tiger.

Despite the economy, festival attendance was up 20% from 2009. With a slight increase in ticket prices, the box office enjoyed a 90% increase in revenue to $1.9M from $1M in 2009.

Increased national and international attention, driven by a star-studded lineup and the festival’s growing reputation as one of the best musical events in the country, brought jazz and R&B aficionados from near and far.

“The investment, the passion, the love, the hard work and everything that goes into making ”Jazz in the Gardens” what it has become, has truly paid off. It’s a beautiful thing to look out into the crowd and see the masses of people that have traveled both near and far to Miami Gardens for this music festival.

Not only have we put Miami Gardens on the map as the nation’s adult spring break destination, we have also become an economic engine for South Florida. It’s really hard for anyone to overlook the major contribution “Jazz in the Gardens” makes to the economy. Five years ago, this was the dream and today it is the dream realized” commented Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson Saturday’s performers Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Teena Marie, Joe Sample and K’Jon were greeted with cheers as they performed well-known hits and introduced new songs to the enthusiastic crowd. Teena Marie reached back to the 70’s with hits spawned during her partnership with Rick James, while Robin Thicke wowed concert-goers with new releases from his latest album, “Sex Therapy.” Mary J. Blige ended the night with an hour-plus performance of songs that spanned her eighteen-year career. She took it back to the 411!

Sunday’s audience was treated to the jazz rhythms of Cassandra Wilson and David Sanborn, while made for the stage, newcomer Melanie Fiona performed her Grammy-nominated hit, “It Kills Me.” Boyz II Men celebrated their twenty-year anniversary with a showcase of tunes ranging from “Motownphilly” to “End of the Road,” and six-time Grammy award winner John Legend closed out the festival with a heartfelt performance that had the audience on their feet, despite the falling rain.

As its reputation for excellence grows, 2011 promises to be an exciting year for “Jazz in the Gardens”. Currently regarded as one of the premiere music festivals in the United States, music lovers are already looking forward to what promises to be the next great event offering the best in entertainment, with agreeable weather, beautiful people, amazing food and exciting activities.

All media inquiries should be directed to Circle of One Marketing at 305.576.3790.

Greetings Miami Gardens, Masses of people visit South Florida to enjoy their spring and summer vacations on our warm, sunny beaches. However, these festivities may be associated with excessive indulgence in alcohol and reminds us of the health effects of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol has long been part of American culture, and it can be enjoyed safely as long as people drink in moderation. Men should have no more than four drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week. Meanwhile, women should have no more than three drinks on any single day and no more than seven drinks per week. To be clear, a drink is defined as a 12-ounce beer, 8-ounce malt, 5-ounce wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of 80 proof liquor.

Greater consumption of alcohol leads to alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is defined as drinking to the point of harming one’s health, relationships, or productivity. Alcohol abuse may interfere with a person’s life at work, school, home, or on the road. Oftentimes, alcohol abuse reaches the point of alcoholism, or addiction to alcohol. Despite the negative consequences of their alcohol abuse, individuals suffering from alcoholism continue their drinking habits.

In order to ensure safety while drinking, certain precautions should be taken. For instance, when a person drinks enough alcohol to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%, his/her motor coordination and judgment is considerably impaired. For this reason, it is illegal to operate a vehicle beyond this level. Tragically, the number one killer of children 1-15 years old is accidents, many of which involve death due to an intoxicated driver. So, if you attend a party and you plan to drink, arrange for a designated driver in advance!

Beyond driving hazards, excessive drinking is directly linked to a higher risk for cancer, stroke, and liver disease. In fact, people who drink very heavily (enough to raise their BAC to 0.4%) have a very high risk for death. Furthermore, though both smoking and alcohol independently increase one’s risk of cancer, smoking while abusing alcohol raises the risk of cancer even further. People who smoke and abuse alcohol are five times more likely to get cancer than people who smoke and do not abuse alcohol. Finally, all pregnant women should avoid alcohol because even a single drink can cause permanent harm to an unborn child