As Natalie King’s senior year in the International Baccalaureate program at Coral Reef Senior High comes to an end, she continues to receive much deserved recognition and rewards for her academics, leadership and community service achievements.
“I am simply amazed at the generosity of my community,” said King as she spoke of the three college scholarship awards that she received during a whirlwind week in May. As a Silver Knight nominee for World Language for Coral Reef Senior High, King was awarded Honorable Mention and a resultant scholarship. She was rewarded by the Miami chapter of P.E.O. Sisterhood, an international women’s organization whose primary focus is to provide educational opportunities for female students worldwide. King was also honored as one of 20 student recipients at The Rotary Club of Perrine/Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay annual Scholarship Award Ceremony.
The International Baccalaureate program at Coral Reef, a rigorous course of study linking the Humanities, the Sciences, Mathematics, Languages and Community Service, has prepared King for the next step after her high school graduation. In the fall, she will be attending Amherst College, located in central Massachusetts, and plans to study International Relations and major in Political Science. Her long-term goal is to work in the State Department.
“The IB program is known to be strenuous, but I’ve had a peer group that has inspired me and wonderful teachers at Coral Reef who have set me up for success,” said King. “The environment there has always been conducive to learning and open to considering and accepting other viewpoints. It’s helped to mold me into a global citizen.”
No doubt that King’s active involvement in the Model United Nations Club at Coral Reef has influenced her decision to study International Relations at Amherst. She was an active member all four years at Coral Reef, attending four to five Model U.N. Conferences each year. Throughout the years, she was awarded Honorable Delegate, Outstanding Delegate and Best Delegate and at the various conferences. “At these conferences, I would watch in awe as my peers would speak with such poise and eloquence as they represented their country.
It inspired and motivated me to pay more attention to international affairs,” King said. Since her sophomore year, King has been a school ambassador of HOBY, Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation, whose mission is to develop a global community of youth and volunteers dedicated to leadership, service and innovation. During her senior year, King was co-president of HOBY, as well as CleW organizer and facilitator.
“My co-president and I organized CleW, a one-day workshop held in January that was attended by 50 sophomores from Miami-Dade County public and private schools. We had a keynote speaker and held a ‘Community Service Idol’ contest,” said King. “The two winning ideas from that contest will be the next Miami-Dade community service project initiatives.”
King’s work with the Homestead Community Partnership for the Homeless earned her a Girl Scout Gold Award and her Silver Knight Honorable Mention. “I developed a “Book of Me” program for the children age 3-14 in this organization. I encouraged them to express their feelings and write about themselves,” King said. “The ongoing program sparked creativity, self confidence and self worth in these children. It’s wonderful to have such an impact on these young kids.”
It should come as no surprise that King received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for 3,000-plus hours. It may be surprising to learn, though, that she is a member of the Miami Fencing Club and was a qualifier and competitor in the Junior Olympic National Competitions in 2008 and 2009. King is also proficient in three languages, English, Spanish and French, and has played and studied piano since she was five.
“When something is important, you make time for it,” she said.
Palmetto High School junior Melissa Vazquez has spent much of her high school career volunteering at Perrine Elementary’s after school care program where she helps the children with their homework. “If it’s writing or it’s math, I help them out,” she says. “I help the teacher as well. I take them out to play. We do a lot of stuff with them.”
She goes Perrine twice a week, when her homework load allows. “I love the kids,” Vazquez says. “They are always playful and they look up to you. It’s really nice.”
She works primarily with children in kindergarten to second grade. Although she loves to help the kids, she’s also aware that many of them try to manipulate her into doing their work for them. She’ll tell them, “No, you do it yourself and I’ll guide you on how to do it.”
The children she works with on their writing are especially lucky. Vazquez recently won a $100 savings bond, a check for $200 and two plaques for an essay she wrote on the topic “Does America Still Have Heroes” for Voice of America.
“I actually talked about the military and the Navy,” she says. “I don’t think they are recognized as often as they should be.” The essay won first place at the school level and second place in the district. “One of my favorite things to do is writing,” she says. “I plan to write a book in the future, a fantasy, like J.K. Rowling. I started reading Harry Potter when I was in third grade and I couldn’t put it down.”
In fact, Vazquez started writing a book a couple of years ago and is always writing something. “I love to write and I love to read,” she says. “I read everything; everything that looks interesting to me that I can get my hands on, I’ll read.”
She’s multi-talented. Along with being a terrific writer, she also dances and plays the viola. She used to perform in the middle school orchestra and continued to take lessons until recently, but she plays the instrument only for fun now. In college, she hopes to double major – taking pre-med and writing. Her goal is to become a pediatrician. Vazquez attended open houses at the University of Miami and Florida International University. UM is her top choice, but she’s keeping her options open.
In order to be ready to take pre-med courses she’s packing in as much science as she can. She challenges herself by taking Advanced Placement level classes and keeps her grades up in the demanding courses. She is a member of the English Honor Society, the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. Through SHS, she tutors students in Spanish classes.
“Every month we’re assigned to teacher and we tutor the students in Spanish,” she says. “If there are no students to be tutored, then we help the teacher with the class work.” Vazquez also volunteers for BSG Smart Families.
“Every year at Metrozoo, one biology teacher puts on BSG Smart Families,” she says. “They inform parents and kids how to be street smart. They make it fun for the kids, so at the same time they’re learning, they’re having fun.”
This has been a tremendous year for the Pinecrest Garden Club. Membership has grown, the presence in the community is more visible than ever, we’ve had a full schedule of guest speakers and field trips and, thanks to the efforts of volunteers and board members, achievements have been plentiful.
Beginning late last summer after approval was received from the Village Council and Miami’s Historical Review Board, and with funds raised and donated by the Garden Club, noted local landscape artist Geoff Gordon installed a beautiful natural rock waterfall around the pond at the entrance to Pinecrest Gardens. Thanks to the Garden Club, visitors are now invited into the Garden through the gentle activity of cascading water and lush landscaping.
Along with the members of Palmetto Senior High School’s Honor Society, the Garden Club helped plant a beautiful butterfly garden behind the Pinecrest Library. We provided the plants and some of the manpower, and it is now a distinct focal point that attracts a large number of butterflies and bees.
From December through April, Garden Club volunteers could be seen every Sunday at the Farmers Market in the parking lot at Pinecrest Gardens selling green and healthy herb and vegetable plants. All of the funds raised will go toward improvements in the Garden. At the same time, docent volunteers took interested guests on personal guided tours through the Garden’s botanical points of interest. The club also purchased tables and chairs so that the market’s shoppers could have a place to rest while lunching and sampling the food.
Many of the club’s members stripped their yards of healthy plants and on two occasions they gathered at club president Pat Kyle Lawrence’s home to repot them. Other members baked a huge variety of desserts, and they all came together in March for the Backyard Festival at Pinecrest Gardens, where their tables overflowed with potted and bare root plants and sweets for sale. All proceeds will go to the Garden.
In addition, the club funded the rental of four giant heaters for the Community Garden Charitable Fund’s annual Soiree, which was held in Pinecrest Gardens on Feb. 26, one of the coldest nights of this past winter. The heaters were strategically placed throughout the meadow where the dinner and concert took place, and they added warmth and comfort to the Soiree guests.
The club also helped to decorate the Deering Estate this past Christmas, recently donated $5,165 directly to the Garden through the Village Council, taught local children about butterflies at this year’s Earth Day celebration, and donated 180 Spearmint plants to the Honeyshine workshop and the Mother’s Day brunch at Pinecrest Gardens.
All of this was in addition to the regular monthly schedule of meetings where members learned about Plants without Borders, Begonias, succulents, and orchids from various guest speakers who are experts in their particular areas of interest. Members were also enlightened about composting and hydroponic farming during field trips that took place during the year.
The Pinecrest Garden Club is comprised of women and men from diverse backgrounds and age groups who share a common love of nature and a desire to learn about native flora, to network, and to interact. It is a dynamic group that meets monthly from September through May, and membership is open to all who wish to partake and contribute to the community.
Now that the economy is showing signs of improvement, homeowners are once again beginning to think about home improvement projects.
Terry Goldberg, president of Interiors and More, hopes Pinecrest area homeowners give him a call when the consider interior improvement projects such as kitchen remodeling, closet organization, crown molding, custom shower enclosures and any type of custom cabinetry, including wall units. Interiors and More is based in Coral Springs and services all of Broward, Aventura and the Doral area, but the company is making a move into the Pinecrest area.
Goldberg has been in the business for 30 years and he has branch offices in Chicago and Broward County. He’s found a way to make custom cabinets and do renovation projects for less. “Based on past performances, our cost is less expensive than a showroom piece,” Goldberg says. “We don’t have a showroom and we don’t have sales commissions for sales people. So I can save quite a bit of money. To the customer direct, we can save anywhere 25 to 30 percent off the showroom price.”
Goldberg goes to the customer’s home to see what needs to be done and show prospective customers examples his completed projects. “I come in, we talk about what their needs are and what they’re looking for,” he says.
“They show me the area they want done.” Before he leaves, Goldberg takes measurements and makes sure that he and the client are on the same page in terms of what they want to order. He gets design drawings for approval to the customers within a few days before starting work on the cabinetry.
“Everything is an individual basis, no one has two of everything,” he says. “I design the closet so you will be happy with it, so it is functional and you have what you need. We offer 50 different wood grain finishes, all for the same price.” And best of all, the cabinetry is custom made by his employees.
“The quality of the workmanship is much better,” he says. “We are producing it and shipping from the factory to your home. It’s based on the design of your unit and in your color.”
Interiors and More has two factories, one in Deerfield and one in Margate. The custom pieces are made at one of the factories and then trucked to the customer’s home without a delivery charge.
“We install it. If everything looks great, we get the balance of the money and you have a beautiful wall unit,” Goldberg says. “We can give you a whole new kitchen or we can give you cabinet doors. It depends on the customer’s budget.”
Goldberg designs each product himself. He has longtime employees who make sure they get it done properly.
“We cut it, we manufacture the drawers, we order the materials and we build it,” he says. “You’re really getting personalized service and you’re getting a good design and materials. We use European hardware on our drawers and our closet systems.”
The soap opera at city hall continues and some of our never to be revealed sources tell me that they overheard one of our bright eyed and bushy tailed commissioners tell the now old city manager something along this line, “Oh good, you have children. Well, there are five of us up here and we all need some attention.” And boy oh boy, do they need attention and would someone please pay attention to them. You can rest assured, if you don’t give it to them, they will do something real soon to get someone to write about or talk about them. And by the way, how are those hidden microphones doing nowadays?
I hear that at a recent CRA meeting, the board instructed staff not to place any more advertising with us. Hmmm. Well folks, I think that this is wonderful; they didn’t like what we wrote so they’re holding back on giving us paying ads. Golly, I’ll just bet you that if the city attorney researches that type of behavior and checks out the lawsuit that the Broward Reviews filed against the Broward County Sheriff’s Department, he’d tell you all about the real world most of us live in and that the courts gave the Review a bunch of money for the BCSD retaliating against the newspaper. But alas, the city shouldn’t be concerned about that because the last time the city paid us for ads was in November. And all the ads that we have been running for the kids, for sports, for football, for the James Bowman Scholarship fund and a variety of other great causes have been free and we gladly do it.
So, don’t you worry your little pea brains over a thing, and just because your guys come from a slash and burn, take no prisoners, mentality we’ll keep running those announcements/ads as we did before, because we know it’s the right thing to do.
And speaking of that I got a letter and a phone call from the Parks and Recreation Department seeking donations for the July 4th fireworks event. Yes, the city in all its infinite wisdom wants some $35,000 to put on the show. Now, gee whiz, folks. How about you raise the $35,000 and give some scholarships to some kids that need help. Ran into Wayne Brackin (who is now a big wig at Baptist Health) at Deli Lane, and just a few days before there was Dr. Joe Traina having breakfast, and a few tables away was the one, the only John Sorgie, from Sunset Quick Print.
And there is good news on the home front. Sunset Tavern, which is right next door to Deli Lane, has gone NON-Smoking. After all those years of being the place to go for drinks, dinner and a smoke, the smoking will be no more and the smokers will either have to go outside and sit out front under the umbrellas or go…well…elsewhere. Or better yet, just don’t smoke for the 45 minutes that you’re having lunch, dinner and or a drink or two.
My congratulations go out to the owners, Jan and Mike, for doing the right thing. Now that the city fired the old city manager, who had fired just about everyone that the commission wanted gone, just what will this city commission do? I can’t wait to see their agenda and their vision for the future.
And speaking of seeing things, you gotta get your hands on the report that Kenneth Harms prepared for the city, in its quest to fire the Chief of Police. It’s an eye opener and filled with some facts, lots of suppositions and lots of stuff that is not relevant, but there are some allegations that do need more investigation. But, alas, the city didn’t need to find reasons to let him go, but they did, so that it would strengthen the city’s position and weaken the Chief’s position. You must know if the city’s position is strong, they pay out less money. If the Chief’s position is strong, it’ll cost the city more money. So, folks, at the end of the day, it’ll be about the money.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A few months ago, the Miami Herald and several other “news” organizations entered into a relationship, where local media, like Community Newspapers, would provide news / comments and more to some of the local websites inside of “Herald.com.” At the present time we are supplying and posting news on South Miami as well as in Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay. The arrangement is pretty simple and straightforward and it provides readers with the local news and information that people seem to want more of every day. A few weeks ago, an independent contractor, not an employee of the Herald, Edward Schumacher-Matos, who does not live in Miami nor South Miami, nor in South Florida, wrote an opinion piece as the Herald Ombudsman titled, “When a partner goes too far, who is responsible?”
I’d like to point out that Mr. Matos is a distinguished individual with credentials that are amazing and for us mere mortals down in South Miami. But nevertheless his piece clearly reminds me of the old story about the Blind men and the Elephant. The essence of the fable is:
Anumber of blind men try to decide the form of an elephant by feeling the animal. One, feeling the leg, declares the elephant to be like a tree; another, feeling the trunk only, declares the elephant to be like a snake; a third, who feels only the side, says that the elephant is like a wall; a fourth, grasping the tail, says that the elephant is like a rope, etc. So since each one is only getting part of the facts, they don’t know the whole story.
There are some things that I’d like to point out:
For starters, the writer makes reference to us as a “12 paper chain in South Florida.” We’re not in South Florida. My goodness, doesn’t he know we are in Miami?
Next, Matos writes… “Miller in an interview acknowledges…that he writes about his building.” Golly folks, I have never spoken to him, nor has he asked me any question in writing, email or by voice. I did though speak to someone who called on his behalf. She asked me about zoning issues and I had to guess what she was really after and spoke for a few minutes to her. She never asked me about the context of a portion of my column where I wrote about a supposed death threat against an elected official. If he would have spoken to me, perhaps he would have looked at it a scant bit differently and I would have asked him directly, did the column that you are referring to ever make it onto herald. com? Cuz I just can’t find it. Maybe it’s there, and I’ve asked Mr. Matos to help me out and see if he can locate it. I’ve also asked two people from our office to find it, but to no avail.
Then, of course, there are the errors in reporting that perhaps would not have occurred if HE called instead of the lady that did his research for him. In one instance Matos writes… “He writes about the building, for which he has been suing since 1997, but says he does so openly in his column, without hiding his self interest.” Wrong.
That’s not so. Here’s the real deal: The master comprehensive plan that effects us has been around since 1997 and there have been over 20 meetings about the zoning on the street and we sued the city a few months ago. I also told the young lady that we have been writing stories and making comments about this and other zoning issues in my column for years.
And then on the opinion page of the Herald’s website is this complaint from Yvonne Beckman: “I cannot believe that the Miami Herald is allying themselves with the Community Newspapers. There (is) no worse example of yellow journalism I have ever seen. In South Miami that rag is commonly known as the ‘Mullet Wrapper;’ for years and years the owner has openly interfered with politics in South Miami in the most egregious way.’’
I wasn’t quite familiar with the meaning of Beckman’s term “Mullet Wrapper” so I Googled it and son of a gun, it must be some words of endearment as I found a newspaper by the name www.mulletwrapper.com , and it’s a very friendly newspaper, so much so that I made them one of my favorites.
Well, anyway here’s what someone posted on www.eyeonmiami.com : “‘For years and years the owner has openly interfered with politics in South Miami in the most egregious way’…. That is not possible in politics. It is POLITICS! PLEASE MAKE UP YOUR MIND Mrs. Beckman. Are you For or Against Free Speech in the United State of America???
Or Does Free Speech ONLY APPLY to you. When Law enforcement has to escort you out of a meeting in handcuffs or from a Memorial for a public official. But no one else can do/act the way she does because they are trampling on her First Amendment Rights??? It seems by your actions, Mrs. Beckman is free to trample on the free speech of others, especially when she disagrees with or does not like those people.”
Here’s another comment recently posted on the Herald’s website: “At a time when the FCC is making it easier for large media companies to gobble up the little guys, the last thing I want to see is any community newspaper silenced or crowded out in a marketplace.
As Community Newspapers capture the small town news and precious gossip that depict what is going on at the local local local level, those advertisements that you wrap your fish in are from the small business that I try to patronize. At the end of the day, when I pull my car into my driveway, I am in Mayberry. Kids are riding their bikes and the neighbors are watering their lawns. I am glad that the Herald is partnering with CN. It makes perfect sense to me.” Another unsolicited opinion from an active Kendall news source:
“I do not consider local-local-local news a prostitution of the profession. All you have to do is look at what Ruppert Murdock has done to the profession to realize that the spin doctors on the higher levels are the real prostitutes, multi national corporations are the clients and Daddy Murdock is the grand pimp. Local-locallocal keeps us grounded. Gossip is the reality. It is no different to hear Miller gossiping about a community member as to hear Beck, Oberman or O’Reilly gossiping about Senators, Congressmen or the Pres. It is the same thing.
Long live CN.” And to that, we say Thank you!
Gulfstream Elementary is eagerly awaiting new playground
Marilyn A. Horne, one of the teachers at Gulfstream Elementary in Cutler Bay, reports that they are all really excited about the amazing new playground the school will be getting on Saturday, June 12. The kids have needed it a long time, and thanks to some great help from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the Cutler Bay community, it will soon happen in the wink of an eye.
“We are on track – 200 volunteers in place and most of the needed tools,” says Marilyn. “We want to thank the community for their generous response. We are ready for build day on June 12! In addition to the playground, we will be having a state of the art ‘outdoor classroom,’ an Imagination Playground, murals, a map of the US on the basketball court, and picnic tables with chess boards. Pre-Build days are scheduled 8 – 3 on June 10 and 11 and the Build Day is June 12 at 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on that day at 2:30 p.m.”
Marilyn says that Gulfstream principal Susan Lyle and the rest of the staff there appreciate Community Newspapers’ coverage, and that they really want to keep the momentum going. The school is located at 20900 SW 97th Avenue, if you want to drop by and see the spectacle of the playground equipment being set up in a matter of hours, and if you have any questions about it or can furnish any of the tools they still need, please call 305-235-6811
To answer multiple queries received in recent weeks, speed limits on county local roads are set by the County’s Public Works Department (Traffic Engineering Division) and you may contact 305-375-2030 if your need arises to question those limitations. Speed limits of State Roads are regulated by the FDOT and for further information, call office of Gus Pego District VI at 305-499- 2330. Of course, it will save time by determining which roads are DPW or FDOTmaintained before quizzing officialdom.
Well, I guess it was inevitable… The Village of Palmetto Bay is on Facebook. The social networking site that began as a place for teenagers to post personal information (sometimes too much!) and connect up with their friends and schoolmates has in recent years been taken over by businesses, organizations, recording artists, political candidates and others who want to use the internet site to promote themselves, their product, their cause or whatever. And now, apparently feeling their own official website and e-newsletters (not to mention newspaper coverage) are not enough, Village officials and staff are posting photos and news items on Facebook. Check it out at this web address:
And yes…horror of horrors…they’re on Twitter, too! Isn’t the Information Technology Age wonderful? Palmetto Bay Park, a gorgeous facility that deserves more attention and usage than it seems to be getting, is hosting a Father’s Day softball tournament on June 19-20 with the Lady Canes women’s softball team. For more info call the park office at 305-251- 2751
June 23rd hearing by East Kendall Council on eight-story apartment complex on SW 77th Avenue causes that area’s umbrella HOA Chair, Holly White, to Email: “We are concerned that approval of the site plan, by the Community Council, will set a precedent resulting in: high density apartment buildings this side of the Palmetto Expressway; more cut through traffic from commuters avoiding the already existing bottlenecks on S. W. 77th Avenue; increased crime in the area and overcrowding of our schools…” among other objections. For details via Email, contact her at hollybw@bellsouth.net .
Expanding Hammocks still on drawing board
Thanks to Bernardo Escobar in Joe Martinez’s office, we’re able to report that the effort to expand Indian Hammocks Park is still underway — on paper. A resolution adopted May 4 instructs Mayor Carlos Alvarez to conduct a feasibility study on park development and expansion, and report results back to the Commission within 90 days, or by August 4.
During the resolution vote, Director Jack Kardys of the Parks Department said his staff was working with School Board representatives to transfer part of School Board property in the vicinity of the new Terra Environmental Research school to the Parks Department, Kardys felt that legal move to free expansion territory might also take place in 90 days.
Once completed, that land transfer would clear a path to build a proposed aquatic center at Indian Hammocks and begin other improvements the Parks Department hopes to incorporate to improve existing facilities, including a new skate park.
The resolution also directs a study of the “abandoned and derelict” former Haven Center Property, relocation of the Solid Waste Transfer Station, relocation of park maintenance buildings, reconfiguration of the Department of Human Services’ cottage parcels and the existing surface parking areas. As originally proposed by Commissioner Javier Souto, expansion at Indian Hammocks Park clears use of the projected $6 million of BBC funds to build a senior center or consider adding more dollars for a combined community/senior center at Indian Hammocks.
The issue of having a such a center for community meetings and seniors has been kicked around now for nearly ten years while East Kendall’s Community Council meets in zoning sessions at the Village Center to hear applications “on the other side” of Florida Turnpike.
It’s time to wrap up the planning and get these long overdue projects underway, We’ll continue to monitor Commission progress (instead of pigeon-holing) — if only to see that the public gets what we were promised five years ago when the bonding program was sold on its capital improvement projects, several in “this neck of the woods.”
To answer multiple queries received in recent weeks, speed limits on county local roads are set by the County’s Public Works Department (Traffic Engineering Division) and you may contact 305-375-2030 if your need arises to question those limitations. Speed limits of State Roads are regulated by the FDOT and for further information, call office of Gus Pego, District VI, at 305-499- 2330. Of course, it will save time by determining which roads are DPW or FDOTmaintained before quizzing officialdom.
June 23rd hearing by East Kendall Council on eight-story apartment complex on SW 77th Avenue causes that area’s umbrella HOA Chair, Holly White, to Email: “We are concerned that approval of the site plan, by the Community Council, will set a precedent resulting in: high density apartment buildings this side of the Palmetto Expressway; more cut through traffic from commuters avoiding the already existing bottlenecks on S. W. 77th Avenue; increased crime in the area and overcrowding of our schools…” among other objections. For details via Email, contact her at hollybw@bellsouth.net .
No grass grows under West Kendall Business Association, holding its monthly networking session at Gatsby’s, 8578 SW 124th Avenue, Thursday, June 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. while announcing the first in a new series to help small business compete when Lourdes Balegogi of Chispa Marketing, Inc., details “Getting Attention Without Spending a Fortune” when the seminar program debuts June 15 at Nova SE Univesity in Kendall. Call 305-386-4030 or visit www.westkendallbusiness.com for membership and other information.
Go ‘face to face’ with the village online
Well, I guess it was inevitable… The Village of Palmetto Bay is on Facebook. The social networking site that began as a place for teenagers to post personal information (sometimes too much!) and connect up with their friends and schoolmates has in recent years been taken over by businesses, organizations, recording artists, political candidates and others who want to use the internet site to promote themselves, their product, their cause or whatever. And now, apparently feeling their own official website and e-newsletters (not to mention newspaper coverage) are not enough, Village officials and staff are posting photos and news items on Facebook. Check it out at this web address:
Oooops…sorry… Due to an inadvertent typo in our last issue, the item mentioning the candidates who are running for Katy Sorenson’s soon to be vacant District 8 County Commission seat listed “Abdulio Piedra” when in fact his actual name is Obdulio Piedra. Our apologies! Check him out on his website: http://www.votepiedra.com . Palmetto Bay Park, a gorgeous facility that deserves more attention and usage than it seems to be getting, is hosting a Father’s Day softball tournament on June 19-20 with the Lady Canes women’s softball team. For more info call the park office at 305-251-2751.
Marilyn A. Horne, one of the teachers at Gulfstream Elementary in Cutler Bay, reports that they are all really excited about the amazing new playground the school will be getting on Saturday, June 12. The kids have needed it a long time, and thanks to some great help from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the Cutler Bay community, it will soon happen in the wink of an eye.
“We are on track – 200 volunteers in place and most of the needed tools,” says Marilyn. “We want to thank the community for their generous response. We are ready for build day on June 12! In addition to the playground, we will be having a state of the art ‘outdoor classroom,’ an Imagination Playground, murals, a map of the US on the basketball court, and picnic tables with chess boards. Pre-Build days are scheduled 8 – 3 on June 10 and 11 and the Build Day is June 12 at 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on that day at 2:30 p.m.”
Marilyn says that Gulfstream principal Susan Lyle and the rest of the staff there appreciate Community Newspapers’ coverage, and that they really want to keep the momentum going. The school is located at 20900 SW 97th Avenue, if you want to drop by and see the spectacle of the playground equipment being set up in a matter of hours, and if you have any questions about it or can furnish any of the tools they still need, please call 305-235-6811.
To answer multiple queries received in recent weeks, speed limits on county local roads are set by the County’s Public Works Department (Traffic Engineering Division) and you may contact 305-375-2030 if your need arises to question those limitations. Speed limits of State Roads are regulated by the FDOT and for further information, call office of Gus Pego District VI at 305-499- 2330. Of course, it will save time by determining which roads are DPW or FDOTmaintained before quizzing officialdom.
June 23rd hearing by East Kendall Council on eight-story apartment complex on SW 77th Avenue causes that area’s umbrella HOA Chair, Holly White, to Email: “We are concerned that approval of the site plan, by the Community Council, will set a precedent resulting in: high density apartment buildings this side of the Palmetto Expressway; more cut through traffic from commuters avoiding the already existing bottlenecks on S. W. 77th Avenue; increased crime in the area and overcrowding of our schools…” among other objections. For details via Email, contact her at hollybw@bellsouth.net .
Thought of the Day:
The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Gary Alan Ruse and Richard Yager contributed to this column.
The withdrawal of Gov. Charlie Crist from the Republican primary has taken a great deal of interest out of the Aug. 24 primary races for the U.S. Senate. The question was: Would Charlie Crist or Marco Rubio represent the Republican Party against Democrat Kendrick Meek in the Nov. 2 general elections?
Since then, Jeff Greene, a billionaire from Palm Beach, has challenged Meek for the right to go against Republican Rubio and independent Crist. Greene claims that because of his plan to spend his own millions on his campaign he doesn’t have to be beholden to any pressure groups seeking his support because of financial campaign contributions. He can be his own man. Greene must be green when it comes to politics. Campaign contributions are only one of several political pressures on how you vote in the Senate. Pressure from within the party on how and for what you vote, and vote trades between senators is an even bigger challenge to being an independent thinker.
Rubio, not having any real primary challengers, is moving toward the political center acknowledging, by his actions, that neither a leftwing nor rightwing radical can ever win an election. Unfortunately for Rubio his slow move to the center is angering his financial supporters that were attracted to him because of his conservative Tea Party political philosophy. Meek, the Democratic candidate is facing the threat of Crist stealing votes from the more conservative wing of the Democratic Party. On top of this, Meek must contend with the looming problem of his association with and his support of disgraced real estate developer Dennis Stackhouse. You can bet Greene will not let Democratic voters forget Stackhouse this August.
Gov. Crist seems to be enjoying the benefits of sitting right in the middle of the political mainstream. He is conservative enough to appeal to a majority of independent voters who don’t like Rubio and haven’t heard of Meek. Crist has lined up the majority of teachers in the state with his veto of the Republican-masterminded modification of the way Florida pays, promotes and protects its teachers. Parents of school children are moving toward Crist.
It appears, at this writing, that the governor will veto the Republican-passed law requiring pregnant women planning an abortion to have an ultrasound picture of their baby shown to them before they can have the procedure. Most women favor his veto, both those who absolutely support the right to an abortion and those that do not believe in abortions but support the women’s right to make their own decision without governmental intervention.
Crist’s stating that he might call a special session of the legislature to consider a bill banning oil drilling within the 10.5-mile limit — maximum permitted by federal law — of Florida shores will bring more supportive votes this coming August. Oil on Florida beaches is a very strong issue given BP’s failure to control the pollution of the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the unforeseeable future of the Gulf states.
When it is all over, and the politicians have time to debate their actions in this voting cycle, Rubio’s pushing Crist out of the Republican Party will stand out as the biggest political mistake of the election. Rubio could have totally eliminated Crist by encouraging him to stay in the party and end his threat Aug. 24. Now it looks like Crist will be in the Senate and Rubio will be looking for a job.
We appreciate your opinions on this column whether in agreement or disagreement. Please send your comments to (fax number) 305-662-6980 or email to < letters@communitynewspapers.com >. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of this newspaper, its editors or publisher.
One of the best ways to overcome a sports injury is by going to the right physical therapist. There are several in South Miami and one of the best is Gabriel Carvajal, owner of South Florida Rehab and Training Center, 5808 SW 81 St. “My job is to help people,” Carvajal says. “I love helping people.”
Carvajal has been a physical therapist for about eight years and specializes in sports medicine rehabilitation. “I work with all age groups. I specialize in sports-related injuries so my patients tend to be on the younger side,” he says. That’s not to say he’s not capable of working with grandma on her frozen shoulder or helping grandpa recover from knee-replacement surgery.
Carvajal finds his work very rewarding. It’s a thrill helping an injured patient who can’t walk and getting him out of the wheelchair and back on their feet.
“It’s one of the main reasons I do this for a living. I’m good at it,” he says. “It is also extremely rewarding to work with people who are active and want to remain active.” Since he deals with many athletes, he often works with athletic trainers and he actually has two on staff.
“They carry the load for me as far as plan of care and therapeutic exercises of the patients,” he says. “I do all the handson of my patients.”
Carvajal is an early morning kind of guy, normally starting work at 8:30 a.m. He puts in long days, finishing his work by 6:30 or 7 p.m.
“Since I own my own business, I don’t put a limit on when I’m done. I will stay and see my people,” he says. The office is open Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Carvajal takes all the major insurances except for HMOs.
“I’m not a high-volume facility,” he says. “I typically see eight to 10 patients a day.”
That dedication to his patients helps them heal faster and is one of the reasons he wanted to strike out on his own. “My dream was, I would slow things down and I really take my time with my patients,’ he says. “An injury that might take two months, I may get the patient back two weeks early.”
He specializes in baseball injuries. His interest comes from playing the sport as a kid.
“So I know baseball well. When I became a physical therapist, I made it a point to make a niche and work with baseball players,” he says.
Carvajal also has clients that play football and some that play basketball, including players from the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Bobcats. “I see guys who just want tune-ups because they’ve had a long season,” he says. “It’s more personal. It’s more like I want to feel 100 percent. If it’s a big injury and there is surgery involved, then the team or the workman’s compensation insurance pays for it.”
Carvajal also makes it a point to be well versed in the latest innovations in the field. “If you want to be on top, you have to put in the time, you have to do the research and you have to do the education every day,” he says.
He also teaches budding physical therapists at Florida International University, which helps keep him in touch with the latest techniques.
When Christina Gonzalez held the launch party for her first book The Red Umbrella, almost 400 people crowded into Books and Books to hear her speak. The crowd included many men and women who had been a part of Operation Pedro Pan, when Cuban parents took a leap of faith and sent their unaccompanied children to the United States to keep them out of communist hands. Both of Gonzalez’s parents came to the U.S., which was how she got the idea for the novel.
“It was always a part of my family’s history,” she says. “It wasn’t until I heard (Country Walk author) Ruth Vander Zee talking about Erika’s Story that I realized there was a story to be told in my family’s history.” Gonzalez heard Vander Zee speak at a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in January 2006. She began to write the story as the conference continued. Initially, it was a picture book. “When I wrote it as a short story and sent it out, it was pretty much a universal response that it was a wonderful story, but it was not a short story; it was a novel,” she says. “It was 2008 that I was ready to transfer it into a full novel.”
Her family loved the idea of the book. “It was a book honoring what they had gone through,” she says. “They were incredibly supportive and enthusiastic about the whole thing and they wanted to talk more about the experience.”
That summer of 2008 was not exactly the best time to be writing since Gonzalez was in the midst of building a new home. The family moved twice into temporary quarters and then into the new house. She credits her critique groups with helping keep her on track. “I wrote it in eight weeks,” she says. “That was because there was already interest in it.” At another SCBWI conference at the beginning of that summer, she had the first 10 pages reviewed and it caught the interest of both an editor and an agent, who pushed her to finish quickly.
“It’s a part of American history that hasn’t been dealt with, especially in a young adult novel,” she says. “About 13,300 to 14,000 kids were coming to the U.S. by themselves. Most kids aren’t aware of that, even Cubans. People are fascinated by it.”
Writing the book gave her a new appreciation for what her parents and grandparents had to endure during that period. “The fear that the parents had to be living through about sending them away,” she says. “It gives me a deeper understanding.”
The book has been chosen an Indy Bookstore Top Ten for the summer, which has guaranteed the success of the novel, sent it into a second printing and possibly a third.
Locally, Gonzalez has another signing scheduled for June 16 at the Books and Books in Bal Harbor. She says the positive attention for her debut novel, which includes glowing reviews, has been gratifying. “It’s more than I expected,” she says. “It’s more than what I had hoped for.”
“Fleming is still your favorite restaurant,”said Andy Hall, owner of Fleming in Pinecrest, a neighborhood favorite for over 25 years. “We’ve changed, but we haven’t changed so much that our longtime clients won’t recognize us.”
When Hall mentions change at Fleming, he is referring to the transformation of the restaurant décor, kitchen and menu by Chef Gordon Ramsay and his crew as they filmed an episode of Kitchen Nightmares for Fox. After the May 7 airing of the episode, Hall wants all of his faithful patrons and new clients to know that Fleming is now the perfect blend of new ideas and long-time customer favorites.
“It’s important to remember that the show was taped nine months ago. We ran with the new menu for about two months and quickly found out that our clients still wanted many of the traditional favorites,”said Hall. “Our menu now includes some of the new dishes introduced by Chef Ramsay, our best selling traditional dishes presented in an updated way and creative small plate offerings that match the way people are eating today.”
New menu offerings that came from the Kitchen Nightmares crew include the appetizer, Snapper Ceviche, Cuban Coffee Rubbed Rib Eye Steak served with cauliflower au gratin, and Coconut Macadamia Crusted Mahi served with a zesty orange marmalade sauce, pineapple relish and plantain chips.
The traditional menu favorites such as Beef Stroganoff and Wiener schnitzel were brought back by customer demand. Many of the famous Fleming dishes are now served with a variety of sides, including the Pan Seared Dolphin served with warm tomato salad and basil vinaigrette, Snapper Francais served with lemon, butter, caper and parsley sauce over linguini and Grilled Lamb Chop served with spiced couscous, sun-dried tomatoes and mint chimichurri sauce.
“We also returned to the concept of serving crudités when people sat down at their table, and offering the soup of the day and Caesar Salad with their meal,” said Hall. “The dessert display bar is also back. That was a tradition that our customers really missed. We took the best of the best from the Kitchen Nightmares ideas and the process inspired us to make even more changes and updates.”
Fleming’s new theme nights, which complement the regular menu offering, are a hit in the neighborhood. Wednesdays are Wine and Tapas night, featuring small plate specialty dishes and half-price wine. Thursdays feature a Prime Rib dinner complete with potato and vegetable for $19.95. “This offering is usually sold out by 7 p.m., so clients need to come early or call and reserve the Prime Rib,” said Hall.
Fleming Happy Hour is daily from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the new “Economic Recovery Menu” is also offered daily from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and includes 10 popular dishes served with soup, salad, potatoes, seasonal vegetable and a delicious dessert for $19.95. For clients who crave something unique, the Fleming chef offers two to three Daily Specials that are brimming with flavor, including a vegetarian choice. Fleming comes alive on Friday and Saturday nights with live dinner music from 6:30 p.m. to close. Fleming also has two private rooms, with a new contemporary look, to host luncheons, dinner events and parties.
“The new décor is warm and inviting and everyone loves it,” said Hall. “We are so grateful for the experience, the updates and the new kitchen equipment. The show has caused a lot of talk and buzz, and that’s always a good thing. The night the episode aired, we held a Premiere Night and hosted over 180 people for dinner.”
Hall and his wife, Suzanne, have owned Fleming since they purchased the restaurant from the original owner in 2002 and admit they hadn’t made many changes over the years. Now, Hall says that the restaurant has the right formula and they are poised for the future.
“We still have great food, great prices, great value and great service,” Hall said. “We know who we are again and we are ready for the next 20 years.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq-a5PhGtlQ
Fleming is open Tuesday through Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The restaurant is located at 8511 SW 136 St. To make reservations, call 305-232-6444 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-232-6444 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 305-232-6444 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. For more information or to view the Fleming episode of Kitchen Nightmare, visit < www.flemingrestaurant.com >.
The 2010 Sabadell Mellon United Keymorada Invitational Fishing Tournament to benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) recently wrapped up another successful event, raising more than $428,000 for the organization, which raises funds for research and initiatives to help find a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
More than 360 law firms throughout Florida and the United States participated in the tournament. Robert LaTour of Miami won the 2010 Grand Champion title.
“It’s wonderful to be able to raise the amount of money we raise to help find a cure for these terrible diseases, while doing something we all love, and with such a wonderful group of people,” Mitchell Widom said The tournament is the brainchild of brothers Mitchell and Glenn Widom, attorneys with Bilzin Sumberg and Glenn L. Widom, PA, and was inspired by Mitchell’s daughter, Taylor, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2005. Co-chaired by the brothers since 2005, the tournament has raised more than $2.1 million for the CCFA.
The annual tournament takes place in the Florida Keys during May. The 2010 event was held at Hawks Cay Resort in Duck Key.
If you are interested in fishing, participating as a Law Firm Challenger or as a tournament sponsor, more information can be found on the tournament’s website at < www.keymoradafishing.com > or by sending email to Mitch Widom at < mwidom@bilzin.com > or Glenn Widom at < gwidom@sghpa.com >.
Somerset SoMi, the new kids on the block, celebrates the end of its first year! The Charter School is the first bilingual Charter School in South Miami. “This has been a fabulous first year,” said Principal Kim Guilarte Gil. “The students, teachers, parents and administrators have been involved in making this, our first year, a successful one.”
Students have made friends and as a result, families have united to create lasting friendships. From the first gathering as a family at “Habitat for SoMi” to the Preschool and Kindergarten graduations, this year was one where many firsts were initiated. The kids participated in many cultural, after-school enrichment activities that have helped their understanding of the Community and the World.
This year they also helped the South Miami Community with its Thanksgiving food drive, raising toys for Amigos for Kids, and helping with the disaster in Haiti. The kids have learned to be part of a community where they all pitch in and give back.
“The kids have a wonderful family here at SoMi,” said VVIP president Mari Secada. “Both the teachers and administration strive for excellence and that gets passed on to the kids. It’s wonderful to see the kids enjoying school and most of all yearning to learn.”
Also, with the help of Coach Ryan, the SoMi basketball team, The Pistons (4-6th grades) and The Heat (2-3rd grade) went undefeated and were Champions of their Junior Premier Sports League. SoMi’s Flag Football team the Vikings (4-6th grades) also had a phenomenal year! The (2-3rd grade) Chargers came in second place finishing the year 7-1-1, and the (2-3rd grade)Chiefs with a 6-2 record. Great job for their first year.
Many local businesses helped SoMi throughout the year, and Somerset would in particular like to thank Cool-de-sac Play Café for providing the school with a great place to meet for their parent meetings, and Footworks for all their hard work in making this year’s Carnival a tremendous success.
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County has announced the special engagement of Babalu, a loving tribute and phenomenal stage show celebrating the extraordinary musical legacy of Desi Arnaz.
Created, directed, and hosted by Lucie Arnaz, Babalu’s engagement at the Adrienne Arsht Center features multiple Tony Awardnominee and Miami native Raúl Esparza, Broadway’s Tony-nominated diva of dance Valarie Pettiford and, in a rare special guest appearance, Desi Arnaz Jr. playing percussion on his father’s classic hits.
With a live 15-piece orchestra playing from the original Desi Arnaz Orchestra charts, Babalu brings the rhythm of the tropics and the glamour of the Tropicana nightclub to the Adrienne Arsht Center, July 8-11, in the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall.
Tickets range from $35 to $70 and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling 305-949- 6722 or online at < www.arshtcenter.org >.
“Babalu is the perfect show for Miami,” said M. John Richard, president and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “This performance celebrates one of America’s most beloved entertainment pioneers with the music that made Desi Arnaz a timeless Cuban-American hero. To have his children, Lucie and Desi Jr., starring in this show alongside Miami native Raúl Esparza, ranks this engagement in the Adrienne Arsht Center hall of fame!” Featured in the show are Desi Arnaz’s greatest hits, including the hip-swiveling Cuban Pete, his signature conga Babalu, and the beloved theme from I Love Lucy, plus dozens of Latin and Broadway standards — performed to a Cuban beat — in this one-of-a-kind tribute to the most glamorous music of the 1940s and ’50s.
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Who is ahead in the U.S. Senate race in Florida?
The withdrawal of Gov. Charlie Crist from the Republican primary has taken a great deal of interest out of the Aug. 24 primary races for the U.S. Senate. The question was: Would Charlie Crist or Marco Rubio represent the Republican Party against Democrat Kendrick Meek in the Nov. 2 general elections?
Since then, Jeff Greene, a billionaire from Palm Beach, has challenged Meek for the right to go against Republican Rubio and independent Crist. Greene claims that because of his plan to spend his own millions on his campaign he doesn’t have to be beholden to any pressure groups seeking his support because of financial campaign contributions. He can be his own man. Greene must be green when it comes to politics. Campaign contributions are only one of several political pressures on how you vote in the Senate. Pressure from within the party on how and for what you vote, and vote trades between senators is an even bigger challenge to being an independent thinker.
Rubio, not having any real primary challengers, is moving toward the political center acknowledging, by his actions, that neither a leftwing nor rightwing radical can ever win an election. Unfortunately for Rubio his slow move to the center is angering his financial supporters that were attracted to him because of his conservative Tea Party political philosophy. Meek, the Democratic candidate is facing the threat of Crist stealing votes from the more conservative wing of the Democratic Party. On top of this, Meek must contend with the looming problem of his association with and his support of disgraced real estate developer Dennis Stackhouse. You can bet Greene will not let Democratic voters forget Stackhouse this August.
Gov. Crist seems to be enjoying the benefits of sitting right in the middle of the political mainstream. He is conservative enough to appeal to a majority of independent voters who don’t like Rubio and haven’t heard of Meek. Crist has lined up the majority of teachers in the state with his veto of the Republican-masterminded modification of the way Florida pays, promotes and protects its teachers. Parents of school children are moving toward Crist.
It appears, at this writing, that the governor will veto the Republican-passed law requiring pregnant women planning an abortion to have an ultrasound picture of their baby shown to them before they can have the procedure. Most women favor his veto, both those who absolutely support the right to an abortion and those that do not believe in abortions but support the women’s right to make their own decision without governmental intervention.
Crist’s stating that he might call a special session of the legislature to consider a bill banning oil drilling within the 10.5-mile limit — maximum permitted by federal law — of Florida shores will bring more supportive votes this coming August. Oil on Florida beaches is a very strong issue given BP’s failure to control the pollution of the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the unforeseeable future of the Gulf states.
When it is all over, and the politicians have time to debate their actions in this voting cycle, Rubio’s pushing Crist out of the Republican Party will stand out as the biggest political mistake of the election. Rubio could have totally eliminated Crist by encouraging him to stay in the party and end his threat Aug. 24. Now it looks like Crist will be in the Senate and Rubio will be looking for a job.
We appreciate your opinions on this column whether in agreement or disagreement. Please send your comments to (fax number) 305-662-6980 or email to < letters@communitynewspapers.com >. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of this newspaper, its editors or publisher.