DARE we remind you…? Don’t miss the 4th Annual DARE Arts & Crafts Fair and Car Show, November 16th at Coral Reef Park. It’s from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with more than 40 vendors selling everything from jewelry to clothing to food, and the event supports the Drug Assistance Resistance Program (D.A.R.E.) in Palmetto Bay. The popular anti-drug program for school-age children in the village, led by Palmetto Bay Policing Unit’s Outreach Officers needs your help to provide student workbooks and diplomas used in the important program. Besides all the great arts and crafts items, the food and those amazing vintage cars, there will also be a bounce house, face painting, and student performances with talented youngsters demonstrating their choir, ballet and other abilities. WFLC 97.3 Coast Radio will be broadcasting live from the park with music and on-air cut-ins throughout the day. The Auto Show takes place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and includes a “Best-in-Show” competition. There’s a raffle with prizes, too.
Free parking at Coral Reef Park, which is located at 7895 S.W. 152nd Street, and St. Richard Catholic Church across the street. For info call 305-278-4000 or 305-259-1234.
Calendar alert… The village has two zoning public hearings scheduled for Monday, November 18, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Council Chambers in Village Hall, 9705 East Hibiscus Street. Public input is welcome. Hearing items involve a request to re-plat a portion of the Del-Mar Estates plat, and a request to modify an existing site plan to expand Alexander School, Inc. (no increase in the number of students). Plans are on file and may be examined in the Department of Planning and Zoning at Village Hall.
Are you ready for the holidays? We hear from Maggie Anzardo that Southland Mall has its 5th Annual “Black Friday Balloon Drop” on Friday, November 29, at 8 a.m. in the Sears Wing, Center Court, Macy’s and JCPenney Wings. On-air personalities from Y100 FM will be broadcasting live from Southland Mall from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. This is a big event every year at Southland Mall, and so popular with shoppers because hundreds of balloons filled with mall gift cards, movie passes, store offers and more will descend from the rafters in four separate locations inside the mall mentioned above. But it happens that morning promptly at 8, so don’t be late! The mall opens at 6 a.m. that day, the day after Thanksgiving, if you want to get a head start on gift shopping. Southland Mall is located at 20505 South Dixie Highway.
On a solemn note, Hector Varela, who was a man among men, recently passed away. Hector was a proud author and was particularly proud of the novel that he wrote, Affinity for Trouble: A Puerto Rican Story, which was a story about a boy growing up in Puerto Rico during the ’40s and ’50s. I met Hector awhile back while he was serving on the community council in West Kendall. He stood up for us Horse Country folks many, many times and the developers knew that his position was to “Help Keep Horse Country Green.” And he did, oh so often. One time that sticks in my mind is when he bellowed out… “The line is drawn! No more development in Horse Country.” Hector spoke his mind and I am thankful for what he did for us in Horse Country. Well done, Hector, and now you can rest in peace.
Thought of the Day: To love what you do and feel that it matters
– how could anything be more fun?
– Katharine Graham
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>.
