palmetto bay news 11.13.2012

ALL TYPES OF COVERAGE

FROM OVER 100 TRUSTED,COMPETITIVE, INSURERS

305.238.1000Savings & Service Since 1950

NOVEMBER 13 - 26, 2012 –––––––––––– communitynewspapers.com ––––––––––––– 305-669-7355

BY GARY ALAN RUSE

T he Village ofPalmetto Bay hasachieved somethingfew other commu-nities have, and in

its first decade since incorporation.The Palmetto Bay Municipal Center(Village Hall) has officially receivedthe elite Platinum LEED designationby the U.S. Green Building Council.

LEED stands for Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design. Ina special ceremony in the councilchambers on Oct. 23, Mayor ShelleyStanczyk and other members of thecouncil, village manager RonWilliams and other staff embers aswell as invited guests celebrated theachievement.

“This major accomplishmentdemonstrates that Palmetto Bay is ashining example of not just what acommunity can do together, but what acommunity should do together,”Mayor Stanczyk said. “And that islead by example, promote smart, effi-cient, sustainable development andhealthier interior spaces, and beresponsible stewards of this fragileplanet.”

Stanczyk mentioned that their firststep toward smart green-design wasthe new concession stand at CoralReef Park, which was the first LEED-certified public facility in Miami-Dade County. She said that the vil-lage hall plans began years earlier.

“Under the leadership of then-mayorEugene Flinn, I joined my fellow vil-lage council members in forging a firmcommitment to go ‘all-out’ green withthe design and construction of thePalmetto Bay Municipal Center.”

The facility has one of the largestsolar-panel arrays in all of Miami-Dade County, with low-energy, low-cost LED fixtures supplying 95 per-

Village Municipal Center earns its LEED Platinum certification

–––––––––––––– See CENTER, page 6

BY RICHARD YAGER

A controversial “US1Express Toll Lane”proposal will beaired during a pub-lic Town Hall

Meeting at Pinecrest Gardens onWednesday, Nov. 14.

The meeting, to be moderated by for-mer Miami-Dade Commissioner KatySorenson, begins at 6 p.m. with an infor-mational reception on Miami-DadeExpressway Authority (MDX) plans, fol-lowed by a panel discussion from 7 to 9p.m. hosted by the Village of Pinecrest,Chamber South Economic DevelopmentCouncil and Mayor Edward MacDougallof Cutler Bay.

MDX currently is studying alterna-tive methods for express toll lanesusing the South Dade Busway alongUS1, similar to the one installed by theFlorida Department of Transportation

US1 Express Toll Lane to be topic of meeting

––––––––––––––––– See TOLL LANE, page 6

After the official ceremony those attending were taken on tours of the facility, pictured here on the roofwith its many solar panels. (Photo by Bill Kress.)

BY GARY ALAN RUSE

T he Nov. 6 elections in PalmettoBay resulted in a decent turnout,delayed vote counts with someprecincts not reporting until

well after midnight, and no clear winnersexcept for sitting council members who weregiven a chance to run for an unprecedentedthird term as a result of village charterchanges. A runoff election for two contestedcouncil seats will take place on Nov 20.

With 11 of 11 precincts reporting, incum-bent Vice Mayor Brian W. Pariser will facechallenger John Edward DuBois in a runoffelection. Leading by a mere 43 votes, DuBoisreceived 3,538 votes (35.10 percent) toPariser’s 3,495 votes (34.67 percent).

Newcomer Karyn Cunningham received3,048 votes (30.24 percent) in a tight racethat saw 10,081 residents voting.

In the race for Palmetto Bay Council Seat2, another runoff election will take placebecause newcomer challenger Tim Schafferreceived 3,522 votes (36.79 percent) to JimAraiza’s 3,470 votes (36.24 percent) withdefeated incumbent Howard J. Tendrichreceiving only 2,582 votes (26.97 percent).

In the long list of sometimes murky changesto the village charter, most passed, withchanging the term limits to three terms insteadof the previous two terms receiving 4,913votes (50.43 percent) to 4,830 “no” votes(49.57 percent). Not passing were charterchanges regarding interactions with adminis-tration and filling of vacancies.

Tight races result in runoffs;council term limits extended

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM November 13 - 26, 2012

BY TERE ESTORINO FLORIN

Registration for Miami Dade College’s(MDC) 2013 spring semester has begun, andstudents are encouraged to register early inorder to get the courses and schedules theyneed to graduate. Classes are expected to fillquickly, and there will be no late registrationonce classes start on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013.

With more than 300 major areas of study,including associate, bachelor and certificateprograms, eight campuses, a major outreachcenter and other sites, and a growing VirtualCollege, MDC is the first step toward a pros-perous future.

MDC’s bachelor’s degree options includebiological sciences; electronics engineering;film, television & digital production; nurs-ing; several education tracks; physicianassistant studies; public safety; and supervi-sion and management.

For those with a passion for food, MDC’sMiami Culinary Institute offers a curriculumsteeped in environmental sustainability andculinary innovation. The institute’s Associatein Science program provides real-world

knowledge, understanding and techniquethrough engaging, hands-on classes in abrand new, state-of-the-art building locatedat the Wolfson Campus.

In addition to its renowned academic pro-grams, MDC will once again present itsbeloved Miami International Film Festivalthis spring, along with many other excitingarts and culture events. Check the MDCwebsite regularly to learn more about collegenews and upcoming events, or get the latestMDC news on Facebook and Twitter!

Please note MDC’s new PriorityRegistration system also is in effect, whichallows early registration by appointment toassist students who need specific courses tograduate. Students can register, pay forclasses, check course availability, printschedules, and more at <www.mdc.edu>.Online service is available 24 hours a day,seven days a week. A $20 non-refundablefee is charged for processing first-timeapplications.

For more information or to register for theSpring 2013 Semester, call 305-237-8888 orvisit <www.mdc.edu>.

Registration underway forMDC’s spring 2013 term

November 13 - 26, 2012 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM

BY LEE STEPHENS

South Florida business and community leaders came

together in October for a fun-filled day at the Deering Bay

Yacht and Country Club to raise money for the Cancer

Support Community Greater Miami. The sold-out 2012 Tee

Off Fore Wellness Golf and Tennis Tournament attracted a

record crowd of more than 250 guests and raised $101,000 for

the organization.

Guests enjoyed the first beautiful day of fall with picture-

perfect weather for the women and men’s doubles tennis

tournaments as well as the golf tournament. Volunteers wel-

comed event participants with luxury gift bags and give-

aways. Guests then enjoyed sampling from premiere food

and beverage sponsors, mini-break spa treatments and on

course contests. Following the sporting events, all were wel-

comed to the 19th Hole Cocktail Party, sponsored by SAP

International. The day culminated in a poolside celebratory

dinner featuring a silent auction and luxury special drawing.

Luxury special drawing prizes included a Prada handbag

donated by Capretto Shoes, South Miami; two Breitling

watches donated by H&H Jewels and Breitling; a fashion

show and lunch for 25 at Neiman Marcus, Coral Gables; a

five-day, Carnival Cruise for two, and a sports prize featur-

ing an autographed LeBron James basketball, two Miami

Heat game tickets and a chance to spin tunes with DJ Irie.

The Cancer Support Community Greater Miami

(CSCGM) is a non-profit providing free support services to

cancer patients and their loved ones. Survivors and active

patients take part in a host of educational programs, nutrition

and exercise classes and support groups all geared toward

helping people deal with the non-medical aspects of coping

with cancer day-to-day.

The golf tournament lead sponsor was Sharp General

Contractors and tennis tournament lead sponsors were

Lindsay Spalding and Julie Steven.

The CSCGM is part of the Cancer Support Community

(CSC) international network. The CSC is considered to be

the worldwide leader in psychosocial oncology. The local

affiliate works in conjunction with South Florida’s leading

oncology professionals and premiere cancer centers. All

funds raised through this tournament and all dollars the char-

ity generates stay in Miami to support local caner patients

and their families. Since opening in 2002, CSCGM has

served more than 21,000 people in South Florida.

Cancer support group raises $101K in golf, tennis events

Pictured are the participants in the

2012 CancerSupport

CommunityGreater Miami

TennisTournament.


Do you like arts and crafts? Do youlike helping a good cause? You can do bothat the D.A.R.E. Arts & Crafts Festival onSaturday Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. atCoral Reef Park. Hosted by Palmetto Bay’sVillage Policing Unit to support their DrugAbuse Resistance Education Program(DARE), the festival will feature more than65 arts and crafts vendors. Proceeds fromvendor registration fees help fund part ofthe popular anti-drug program for school-age children in Palmetto Bay through thepurchase of student workbooks and diplo-mas, says Bill Kress, CommunicationsManager for the village.

“This year, hundreds of school chil-dren around the Village will benefitfrom DARE, the highly acclaimed pro-gram that gives kids the skills they needto avoid involvement in drugs, gangs,and violence,” says Kress. “DARE wasfounded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has

proven so successful that it is now beingimplemented in 75 percent of ournation’s school districts and in about 45countries. DARE is a police officer-ledseries of classroom lessons that teacheschildren from kindergarten through 12thgrade how to resist peer pressure andlive productive drug and violence-freelives.”

The program is coordinated by thePolicing Unit’s Community Outreachteam. Kudos to Officer Glasko for all herpersonal time and extra effort in putting theevent together. For information, visit thePalmetto Bay Policing-Unit Station, locat-ed at 9705 E. Hibiscus Street, weekdaysfrom 9-5, or call 305-278-4000.

Drop everything! Southland Mall ishaving its fourth annual “Black FridayBalloon Drop” on Friday, November 23,at 8 a.m. The day after the Thanksgivingholiday is traditionally known as ‘BlackFriday,’ and on that day, hundreds of bal-loons filled with store coupons, moviepasses and mall gift cards will descendfrom the rafters in four separate locationsinside the mall: Sears Wing, CenterCourt, JC Penney and Macy’s Wings.This year, radio station 97.3 FM TheCoast will be broadcasting live onsite

from 7 a.m. to a.m. The mall is alsoawarding a $500 mall gift card on BlackFriday. People can enter the contest byvisiting Southland Mall’s Facebook pagebefore November 18th.

“The Balloon Drop has become a tradi-tion at the center and is held yearly onBlack Friday as a way of rewarding ourshoppers during the holidays,” saysMaggie Anzardo, marketing director atSouthland Mall. “And don’t forget to visitSanta! Families are invited to bring theirchildren to take photos with Santa fromNovember 17th through December 24th inthe Center Court.”

Southland Mall is located on SouthDixie Highway and SW 205th Street. Formore info call 305-235-8880.

And don’t forget the Annual FallFestival of St. Thomas LutheranChurch, located at 17700 Old CutlerRoad, on Saturday, November 17th from9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will belocal craft vendors, a hotdog & ham-burger café, homemade baked goods, arummage sale, raffle and silent auction,all benefiting Habitat for Humanity,Lutheran Services Of Florida, CamillusHouse and Miami Bridge Youth &Family Services Inc.

Just days before Art Basel 2012, a spe-cial art opening and wine tasting event willtake place at Wine by the Bay inDowntown Miami on Saturday,December 1, at 6:00 p.m. “Transitions”examines the connections between organicand construction through the works ofthree artists: Miami-based, Japanese-Argentinean artist Valeria Yamamoto;Colombian sculptor Claudia Hakim; andIraqi-German painter Fahar.

Location: Wine by the Bay, 888Biscayne Blvd. at the Marina Blue condo-minium, Miami. The Media andCommunity are welcome at this free event,but space is limited and RSVP is required.Email <[email protected]> or call 305-455-9791.

Thought of the Day:The greatest pleasure in life is doing

what people say you cannot do. — Walter Bagehot

Gary Alan Ruse contributed to this col-umn.

Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669-7355, ext. 249, or send emails to<[email protected]>.

Palmetto Bay Police host art fair to help DARE

AROUND TOWN

Michael MillerEXECUTIVE EDITOR


Palmetto Bay News6796 S.W. 62 Avenue, South Miami, FL 33143 • Phone (305) 669-7355, Fax (305) 662-6980

www.communitynewspapers.comPUBLISHER ...................................................................................................................................Grant Miller

EXECUTIVE EDITOR ......................................................................................................................Michael Miller

EDITOR................................................................................................................................... David Berkowitz

WRITERS, COLUMNISTS...............................................................Ron Beasley, Kenneth Bluh, Robert Hamilton,

Linda Rodriguez-Bernfeld, Gary Alan Ruse, Lee Stephens, Al Sunshine, Richard Yager

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES................................. Albie Barnes, Beatriz Brandfon, Roberta Bergman,

Celia Canabate, Diane Chasin, Henry Chau, Amy Donner, Diane Maddox, Denzel Miles, Miller Myers,

Ann Robbins-Udel, Fara Sax, Lori Cohen, Diane Sedona Schiller, Karina Soave, Walter WhiteLEGAL ADVERTISING ..................................................................................................................... Georgia TaitBOOKKEEPING ............................................................................................................................ Jesus ToledoPROOF DEPARTMENT.................................................................................................................... Isabel Vavrek

GRAPHIC ARTISTS ............................................................ Denise Cebrero, Isabel Ortega, Cristian OrtizPUBLISHER EMERITUS.......................................................................................................................................... Ron Miller

Aventura News, Biscayne Bay Tribune, Coral Gables News,Cutler Bay News, Doral Tribune, Kendall Gazette, Miami Beach News,

Miami Gardens Tribune, Palmetto Bay News, Opa Locka News,Pinecrest Tribune, South Miami News, Sunny Isles Beach Sun, West Park

We will not return solicited or unsolicited editorial material including stories, columns and or photographs.

Please make sure that you have duplicate copies of the material.

(FDOT) on I-95 between downtownMiami and the Golden Glades Interchange.

Called “Lexus Lanes” for their use bySunpass commuters whoprefer to pay for fasterspeed, the project is visual-ized by MDX to helprelieve traffic congestionover the 19-mile Buswayroute paralleling US1 fromHomestead to the DadelandSouth Metrorail Station.

According to CarlosGarcia, co-chair of RollBack Tolls, “increasingnumbers of objections for atoll conversion has causedmany public officials andgroups in Cutler Bay,Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest to protest thisidea.”

As a result, a two-part public meetingwas scheduled with a panel discussion thatincludes invitations to MDX officials aswell as participation by a recognized trans-portation consultant and a University ofMiami professor considered an expert inurban transportation planning.

The MDX study began with public“kickoff” meetings on Sept. 7-8 2011, fol-lowed by a Tier One Workshop on May 30,

when MDX spokespersonsdescribed the program. Themeetings were attended by a15-member CitizensAdvisory Committee tomonitor study progress.

“If MDX put forth astronger effort to inform thepublic via direct mail, radio,local TV ads, email and textmessaging to Sunpass users,many more interested partieswould attend and beinvolved,” Garcia said,adding that expansion of theMDX network without pri-

oritizing light or heavy rail alternative wasanother reason for scheduling the session.

“That issue alone involves Kendall oranyone else who uses US1,” he stated.

Pinecrest Gardens is located at 5855 SW111 St. (near Killian Drive and Red Road),

For more information, visit online atmdxway.com/projectsunderstudy ormovemiamidade.com.

PALMETTO BAYJUMPS

cent of all lighting needs; xeriscape land-scaping and a low consumption drip-irriga-tion system; a 40,000-gallon cistern forlandscape irrigation and a 20,000-gallon cis-tern for restroom fixtures; interior glasswalls that maximize daylight inside; vari-able-refrigerant AC system of 36 independ-ent units operating individually and on-demand; occupancy sensors for lighting andexhaust fans; a solar water-heater system;permeable pavers for water collection, and aset of free electric-car charging stations.

Former Mayor Eugene Flinn said he wasvery pleased to see all the effort that wentinto the project that began on his watch andwas completed before he left office finallyacknowledged.

“It’s recognition of a job well done,” Flinnsaid. “We started out on this village hall; wewent through a very long process; weinvolved committees; we involved the public.

“It culminated not just in gold, but in plat-inum certification. It’s going to mean sav-ings in the future; it’s going to mean a build-ing that doesn’t go obsolete, that sets thestandard. This is the final recognition. I’mso proud of staff that really worked hard toget it to where it is today.”

Invited guest U.S. Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen praised it as a state-of-the-artbuilding that truly is a vision of sustainabil-ity, built from recycled materials, thatreduces waste, noise and light pollution, andcreates a healthier and safer atmosphere forthose who work within the facility.

“Today is the recognition of the Village ofPalmetto Bay’s commitment to build a betterfuture and a commitment to serve as a modelfor our nation by working development andenvironmentally sound building strategies,”Ros-Lehtinen said.

“Everyone here today and the more than

23.000 residents who call Palmetto Bay homecan boast that this is the first Platinum LEEDCertified municipal center in the state ofFlorida, in the Southeastern United States,and most impressively, 11th highest LEEDranked building in the world. And to thinkthat it was done right here in ‘the little villagethat could.’”

The center scored an impressive 83 out ofthe 110 in the LEED rating system scale,with a perfect score for innovation andexceptional ratings for energy efficiency.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Lynda Bellapplauded the efforts of the village coun-cil for leading the way and for achievingwhat they had in a relatively short periodof time.

“This is a great day for the Village ofPalmetto Bay,” Bell said. “Government lead-ers at all levels of government must find inno-vative ways to utilize alternative energysources and make the most of what we have.”

Steve Rollin, project engineer of TLCEngineering for Architects, concluded theremarks by listing all the buildings’ innova-tive features and praising the teamwork thatmade it happen.

“We, as a staff, are proud of this building,and as a proud resident, I am happy to saythat the timing to build this was perfect,”Rollin said. “By comparison this is the leastexpensive village hall in all of Miami-DadeCounty. Yet, its design, impressive featuresand functionality are second to none.

“Fewer than 3 percent of all registeredprojects achieve this rating. To have accom-plished this is a testament to the determina-tion of the council — both past and present,the determination of our village manager,the design-build team of Current Buildersand JMWA Architects, TLC for Engineeringfor Architects and a dedicated staff.”

CENTER, from page 1 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– TOLL LANE, from page 1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Project engineer Steve Rollin of TLC Engineering for Architects speaks.(Photo by Gary Alan Ruse.)

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

MDX currently is studyingalternative methods forexpress toll lanes usingthe South Dade Buswayalong US1, similar to the

one installed by theFlorida Department of

Transportation (FDOT) onI-95 between downtownMiami and the GoldenGlades Interchange.



Reconciling my bank account I saw againthe contributions I made to several politicalcampaigns. I am still wondering if my fewdollars meant anything when put up againstthe multimillion-dollar funds created sincethe Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision.

I ask nothing in return for my few dollars— except better government. I ask the samequestion of those that give millions of dollarsto support a particular political interest.

It seemed like Romney had Obama on theropes after the first presidential debate. Itlooked like Obama had little interest inretaining his job in the White House. Thenthe gloves came off and the contest went fullthrottle starting with the opening commentsin debate two. My problem with the debatesis the candidates never answer any of thepublic’s questions or those of the moderator.I wasn’t interested in who could out-bully theother. I, like the rest of the viewers, wanted toknow where the candidates stand.

I liked the idea, jokingly suggested on one

of the late night talk shows. Every time a can-didate shifted from a direct answer a gongwould sound and the candidate’s mike wouldbe cut off with a flick of the moderator’sswitch, and opportunity to comment turnedover to the opponent. For sure, no candidate’smanager ever would agree to such a proce-dure, but it’s nice to dream.

I think it is time for a real third party tocome into existence. I would take the fiscalideas of the Republican Party and the socialprograms of the Democrat Party and rollthem into one “middle of the road” politicalparty. If you watched the party and independ-ent breakdowns you would have seen thatmany states have as many unaffiliated as reg-istered Republicans and Democrats.

A suggestion to the Republican Party: Stoprepresenting only the super rich. Include thosethat want to be rich and those that are middleclass. You will never win another presidentialelection as long as you appear to only representthose earning $500,000 a year or more. Also,Republicans, women are no longer surfs. Stopacting as if the men of the world control what awoman can do with her body. How would wemen act if the shoe were on the other foot?

Democrats, stop taking the black vote forgranted. Ninety percent, plus or minus, votedfor Obama. Most voted for Obama because tra-ditionally they have been Democrats — also

because, if you haven’t noticed, the president isblack. But that will not always be the case.

Also don’t take the woman’s vote forgranted. Some day Republicans will learntheir lesson, unless they want to stay a minor-ity party, and treat women with the samerespect they treat men.

Tallahassee, no thanks for cutting back thedays registered voters got to vote “early.” Itobviously was an attempt to throttle theDemocrat vote. Didn’t work, did it? And,Gov. Scott, your attempt to run three liberaljustices off the Supreme Court boomeranged.

Your callous attitude toward the residents ofFlorida might give you an idea as to why noself-respecting Republican candidate, includingRomney (who is a gentlemen) wanted you athis or her side while campaigning in the state.

Miami-Dade, what a sad situation trying tovote. The Saturday before the election I gotinto line at the Coral Gables library at a littleafter 9 a.m. I walked into the library at 3 p.m.and cast my vote. The nice part of the waitwas I met a very interesting and knowledge-able college professor from Miami-Dade andan equally interesting Realtor who told us

about her marketing Miami real estate toSouth Americans.

Without my new friends the wait wouldhave been enough to discourage ever votingagain. I felt sorry for the elderly who foughtthe gauntlet of men and women shout in theirfaces “Get Rid of Obama” and those asking ifI liked dogs and cats and to remember to votefor their charter amendment.

A number of people wrote and emailedthanking me for writing two columns on theproposed state Constitutional Amendmentsand local referenda. Some thanked me for myrecommendations, while others gave me hellfor taking a position they didn’t like. But,without different opinions we wouldn’t havea race, and life would be very boring. See youat the next election.

We appreciate your opinions on this columnwhether in agreement or disagreement. Pleasesend your comments to (fax number) 305-662-6980 or email to <[email protected]>. The opinions expressed in thiscolumn are not necessarily those of this news-paper, its editors or publisher.

KENNETH’S COMMENTARY

R. Kenneth Bluh • VIEWPOINT •Some miscellaneous thoughts on the recent election


According to United States Attorney WifredoFerre, tax refund fraud has been keeping federalprosecutors busy around South Florida.

“Identity theft and tax refund scams arelike a tsunami that is barreling towards us,”Ferre told me.

For scam victims like South Dade’s LauriKing, waiting for help from the IRS is gettingharder and harder. She doesn’t know whenthe agency may get around to mailing out herrefund and she worries, “They are over-whelmed… this is something they neverplanned for, never expected to happen.”

Ferre told me Miami now has the highestfraudulent tax return rate in the nation.

“There have been over 74,000 potentiallyfraudulent returns filed in Miami resulting in$280 million in bogus returns in 2010,” headded. The city of Miami per capita numbersof fraudulent returns based on ID theft was46 times the national average… and this isabsolutely outrageous.”

A recent Inspector Generals’ report warnedthese scams could cost Uncle Sam $21 bil-lion in fraudulent tax refunds over the nextfive years.

Miami tax lawyer Kevin Packman saidfederal prosecutors are making progress inarresting the scammers, but he believes moreneeds to be done to help the victims. Hewarns that victims like Lauri could still bedealing with this for the next 12-18 months.

The IRS insists that it’s changing proce-dures by tightening up its electronic process-ing systems to avoid more scams next season,and it continues to ask victims to be patientwhile they wait for their legitimate refundchecks to be mailed out.

However it still declines comment on whatit intends to do next year in order to ensuretaxpayers’ refunds end up with the peoplewho earned them, and not the criminalswho’ve been so successful in stealing them.

Here are some tips on what you should doto protect yourself against potential tax fraud:

• The IRS does not make electronic contactto taxpayers. Immediately report any elec-tronic communication (such as email, text orsocial media messages) from sources claim-ing to be the IRS.

• If you receive an email from anyoneclaiming to be from the IRS, forward theemail to the IRS.

• When tossing trash, shred all documentsthat state your name, address, bankingaccounts, social security number, etc.

• Never leave your tax return informationin places that are easily accessible.

• Acquire identity theft monitoring servic-es like LifeLock.

• When filing electronically, make sure touse a strong password to protect the data file.Once your return has been e-filed, save thefile to a CD or flash drive and then delete thepersonal return information from your harddrive. Store the CD or flash drive in a safeplace, such as a lock box or safe.

• When hiring an accountant or tax firm,question them on the measures that will betaken to protect your information.

Remember, identity thieves obtain person-al information through stolen wallets and byaccessing information from non-secure web-sites. Therefore, if you lose your wallet, besure to report it to the police and credit agen-cies so that they can begin social security anddrivers license monitoring.

For more information, visit online at<www.irs.gov/uac/Identity-Protection-Tips>.

Watch Al Sunshine’s “Money Watch”reports Monday-Friday on CBS4. You mayfind Al’s blog at <www.cbs4.com/catego-ry/blogs/al-sunshine>.

CBS MONEY WATCH

Al Sunshine

Here are some hints to protectyourself from tax refund scams

Call 305-238-SUBS Visit WWW.SGTPEPPERSSUBS.COM

17225 S DIXIE HWYPALMETTO BAY

LOCATED ACROSS FROMTHE NISSAN DEALERSHIP

& SHELL SERVICE STATION

SW 174th ST

SW 170th ST

SDI

XIE

HWY

/ US

1S

DIXI

EHW

Y

SW95

THAV

E

“WE GOT BIG ONES”

The Sgt. Peppers experience:

� ONLINE ORDERING

� DELIVERY & CURBSIDE SERVICE

� PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET

� BEER & WINE (all day, everyday)

� OUTDOOR SEATING FOR ALL

INCLUDING PET LOVERS

� KIDS MENU & EVEN A PET MENU

COMING SOON to Palmetto Bay!!!!


BY GARY ALAN RUSE

St. Thomas Lutheran Church’s annualFall Festival takes place on Saturday,Nov. 17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The family-ori-ented event benefits local charities.

The fair will feature local craft vendorsof all types and will have a “hotdog andhamburger café” as well as homemadebaked goods and a rummage sale. Therewill be a raffle and a silent auction.

“The Fall Fair was started over 30 yearsago and is organized by the Women of theChurch,” said Diana Orme, co-coordina-tor of the Fall Festival. “It began withonly crafts made by the women andevolved to include outside craft vendorsabout 15 years ago. The entire congrega-tion now participates in the production of

the fair. In the past three years we haveincluded the raffle, silent auction and cafeto benefit Habitat for Humanity’s FaithHouse.”

They have expanded the number ofdonors this year for the raffle and silentauction and hope to have lots of winners.Other proceeds benefit Camillus House,Lutheran Services of South Florida andthe Miami Bridge Youth and FamilyServices Inc. in Homestead.

St. Thomas Lutheran Church is locatedat 17700 Old Cutler Rd. in Palmetto Bay.

“The fair proves to be a fun day of fel-lowship, food and shopping that providesoutreach to the community,” Orme said.“We hope to see you there.”

For information, call 305-232-1227 orsend email to <[email protected]>.

St. Thomas Lutheran Church’sannual Fall Festival, Nov. 17

Pictured is last year’s fair at the church.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


BY JENNIFER AGRESS

During the weekend of Sept. 20-23Palmer Trinity School student Juan ManuelCorrea (Class of 2018) competed in theRotax Pan American Championships, inEnglewood, CO, and placed second in theRotax Junior Division.

Racing for nearly six years — with aresume of accomplishments that includes a2009 Ecuador National Championship,placing third in the NationalChampionships in South Bend, IN, and

qualifying for this November’s WorldFinals in Portugal as a middle school stu-dent — Correa already is an integral partof Jay Howard’s Team Motorsports DriverDevelopment (Team MDD).

Developing a passion for karting at ayoung age, when he watched his first kartrace with his dad — who raced rally cars— Correa believes racing is a part of whohe is.

“I like it because it’s something differ-ent,” Correa said. “It has just become mysport.”

Palmer Trinity School student Juan Manuel Correa drove to a second place finish in the Rotax Junior event, qual-ifying him to compete in the World Finals taking place in Portugal this November.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Palmer Trinity student earning international fame in kart racing

communitynewspapers.com


BY GARY ALAN RUSE

Once every three years SouthwoodMiddle School’s Magnet Dance programpresents its traditional holiday productionof The Nutcracker ballet. This year marksthe return of the special event and it takesplace on Dec. 6 and 7, 7 p.m., in the schoolauditorium.

Hilda M. Jimenez, Magnet Dance direc-tor at Southwood, said that 110 students areinvolved in the production, along with pro-fessional guest artists dancing the role ofSugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier.

“Our Magnet Dance program is a three-year program and The Nutcracker is doneevery three years, so every dancer willhave the opportunity to be in it one of thethree years they are here,” said Jimenez,who is in her 18th year at the school.Besides the dance students, students frommagnet programs such as drama, music,photography and other departments are

involved in the production.“I think it’s important for all artists to

experience other art forms because at somepoint you will cross over into one of the artforms,” Jimenez said. “As an artist youwant to be well rounded or at the very leastbe exposed to other forms that you are nota part of. In addition, collaborating withother departments brings the school togeth-er and gives us all a sense of family andgreat school spirit.”

Jimenez, who currently is the school’sonly dance director, said that the way thestudents, parents, school staff and others allpitch in is what makes it such a spectacularproduction with the costumes, sets andother details.

“My program could not ever survive orexist to the caliber it does if it wasn’t for allthe parent and faculty and staff participa-tion,” Jimenez said. “There are manydetails that go into having a top notch pro-gram and it can’t be done by one person.

“In addition, I think it sends a positivemessage to the dancers and the communi-ty to see their parents and many teachersgetting involved. It makes the dancers feelspecial and these great adults are setting afantastic example for all. I encourage alldance teachers to embrace their parentsand faculty and staff, they make a worldof difference.”

Rehearsals have been underway forweeks already and continue as the dancestudents fine tune their performances. Allseem to be excited about participating inthis year’s production.

“I feel honored to be in such a specialevent as The Nutcracker because it’s awell known ballet that will be part of mydance memories forever,” said 13-year-old Alexis Leonard. “I was very excitedwhen I was picked as the lead CandyCane and I know this will only enhancemy future in dance.”

Ginger Grande, also 13 years old, islooking forward to the event as well.

“To be participating in The Nutcracker issuch a privilege because not many dancersever have the opportunity to be part ofsomething so magical,” Grande said. “It’s agreat experience for all and now for me asthe role of Dew Drop.”

Thirteen-year-old Emely Zamora agrees,remembering past productions she hasseen.

“Participating in The Nutcracker hasalways been a dream of mine since I was alittle girl and to be the Snow Queen hasmade it even more special,” she said.

Southwood Middle School is located at16301 SW 80 Ave. in Palmetto Bay.

Tickets will be sold one week in advanceat the school — $5 for students and chil-dren, $10 for adults, all general seating. Forinformation call magnet lead teacher Mrs.Llano at 305-251-5361, ext. 2224.

The Nutcracker ballet returns to Southwood Middle in December

Pictured during rehearsal are (l-r) Emely Zamora, Ginger Grande, Marcelina Lancaster and Leslie De Los Reyes.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Pictured (l-r) are Olivia Cosio, Emely Zamora and Leslie De Los Reyes as they rehearse for the production.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

BY GARY ALAN RUSE

Sarah Roda, a 13-year-old Palmetto Bayresident for the past five years, is pursuing adream with a determination and wisdom nottypical of many youngsters her age.

An eighth grader at Southwood MiddleSchool who loves horses, Sarah has beenaccepted into the three-month exclusiveEmerging Dressage Athlete Program inWellington.

“Anyone who has known Sarah will with-out a doubt admit that she is ‘horse crazy,’”said her mother, Laura Roda. “Not your typ-ical young child horse craze, but one that isintellectually intertwined with the love ofhorse psychology and physiology and howwell it combines with the graceful art ofClassical Dressage.”

Her mom said that Sarah dreams ofbecoming an Olympic Dressage competitorand one day have her own barn where shecan disseminate her knowledge to otherdreamers and their horses. This will requiretraining and hard work, but she is sure Sarahis more than up to the task, especially afterbeing selected as one of only 12 riders fromaround the country to participate in the pro-gram at Wellington.

“She’s a very centered and mature young13-year-old who kind of stuck her neck out

there and didn’t think in a million years she’dmake it, and basically she will be leaving forthree months going to Wellington to train fulltime with Lendon Grey,” Laura Roda said.

Grey is well known in the Dressageworld, having participated on two Olympicteams (1980, 1988) and in the WorldChampionships and World Cup.

“I think Sarah’s the only one here inFlorida that will be going there,” Laura Rodasaid. “She’s actually one of the youngest.The majority of them are 18, 19 or 20.Lendon Grey is very well known for helpingyouth. Every year she does a special summerfestival up in New York. This was the inau-gural year for the winter intensive trainingprogram and she actually managed to get oneof the biggest farms in Wellington to open upits doors to permit her to do this, and the farmgave her 12 stalls.”

Grey sent out a letter to all interested partiesasking for resumes. From those it was nar-rowed down to a smaller group of students whowere asked to send in videos of what they’vedone and scores from their competitions.

“Of course, Sarah being young she didn’thave as much as some of these other girls,”Roda said. “But she said, ‘Oh, it doesn’t mat-ter, Mom, I’m going to do it anyway.’”

Another challenge was that Sarah’sArabian gelding, Tryst, is smaller than the

breeds of horses normally used in Dressage.But that didn’t stop Sarah either, and LendonGrey is reportedly looking forward to work-ing with the remarkable team.

Sarah is enthusiastic.“I’m really excited and it’s an amazing

opportunity for me because I found a pas-sion; I love it so much,” Sarah said. “I absorbmyself in it, and to be able to do this is real-ly cool because I feel like I’m moving for-ward in following my dream and I can reallystrive toward what I want.”

Sarah first learned about Dressage whileher family was living in Germany for twoyears due to her father’s job. She acquired herlove of horses early on. Her whole familyrides and her sister competed nationally withthe Arabian districts in other types of eques-trian events. Then a year and a half ago Sarahdecided to change course, did her research onDressage, found a trainer and started.

“You can make it competitive, but I like tomake it about building up, going through thelevels of Dressage, and my trainer, Christina

Fiebeck. She’s really helped me a lot; she’sreally great. It’s just about following mydream, what makes me happy.”

Being in the Olympics one day is a goal,but remarkably not her main one. Her out-look is more “grownup” than that of someadults. For her, it’s more about learning thanwinning ribbons.

“I’m going to push my hardest and try myhardest and you know if I don’t end up goingto the Olympics, at least I’ve done what Iwanted to do,” Sarah said. “I just want tohave fun with this, try my hardest and knowthat I at least did what I wanted to do.”

To raise funds to help cover the costs ofthe three-month stay in Wellington, LauraRoda has set up a website at<www.gofundme.com/D4K-for-Sarah>.Sarah also hopes to have a “dog wash” eventin Palmetto Bay’s Dog Park to raise money,and to put together with her Dressage trainera “holiday fun day” sometime in Decemberto get kids and grownups involved and learnmore about Dressage.

Sarah Roda and her Arabian horse are following a dream

13-year-old Sarah Roda gives a kiss to her horse Tryst. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


BY PAULA FERNÁNDEZ DE LOS MUROS

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s state-of-the-art DiMare Science Village, coveringmore than 25,000 square feet and featuringfive buildings including the Clinton FamilyConservatory featuring a splendid butterflyexhibit, the Glasshouse Café, Windows tothe Tropics Conservatory, and the WhitmanTropical Fruit Pavilion, is scheduled to openon Dec. 1.

“The opening of the ButterflyConservatory and Science Village bringstogether the fusion of nature’s magnifi-cence and the enormous breadth of scien-tific research and technology available atour fingertips today,” said Dr. Carl Lewis,director, Fairchild Tropical BotanicGarden. “Educating our children todayabout conservation science, the careersavailable to them, and the impact they canmake, is absolutely critical in the 21stCentury.”

A canopy of oak trees, some more than 50years old, frame the architecture of the con-servatory’s exterior. Leading visitors throughthe conservatory is a unique path garnishedwith a variety of plant imprints courtesy ofFairchild Garden’s staff, volunteers and chil-dren who participated in summer camp pro-grams. As guests enter the ButterflyConservatory, volunteers will be on hand tooffer information and welcome them into theconservatory, which is ADA accessible.

Creating a wonderland of nature, an out-door screened enclosure arouses the senseswith butterflies by the thousands, hum-mingbirds, palms and trees wrapped withFairchild’s extensive collection of rareorchids, all alongside a beautiful streamthat flows throughout the length of the con-servatory.

Upon entering, visitors encounter aButterfly Metamorphosis lab where,through a glass wall, they can view butter-fly chrysalis that are undergoing metamor-phosis. Butterfly Conservatory staff can be

viewed in the lab conducting research andobserving as the butterflies emerge.Emerging butterflies will be released twicea day into the conservatory as part of itsinteractive programming for guests.

Visitors continue next into the Windowsto the Tropics Conservatory where theywill experience some of the tropicalworld’s rarest plants; plants too sensitiveeven for Miami’s mild winters. In addition,visitors will enjoy a majestic “CorchidTree” — a large cork-covered PVC treethat is designed to exhibit rare epiphytesand orchids.

Next, the Tropical Fruit Pavilion intro-duces visitors to the world of tropical fruit.Guests will see cacao (from where choco-late comes), the vanilla orchid, the rareMangosteen and more.

The new Glasshouse Café, which isdirectly across from Fairchild’s rainforest,exhibits a large glass chandelier by DaleChihuly and 20 foot high ceilings that peerinto the Conservatory through floor to ceil-

ing glass doors. The café’s popular menuhas been broadened to include organic andlocally grown food, includes seating of upto 150 people and is available for privaterentals.

The Science Village will showcase thetalent and accomplishments of Fairchild’sconservation team by directly connectingscientists and their activities with the hun-dreds of thousands of visitors to theGarden. Fairchild’s five-year vision is tosupport the science education initiativeswith 10 PhD scientists, 20 PhD studentsand 40 undergraduate research students.

The undergraduate and graduate courseofferings taking place at the ScienceVillage bring Fairchild’s existing environ-mental educational programs, TheFairchild Challenge, the highly successfulmultidisciplinary environmental educationprogram for grades K-12 directly into apipeline.

Fairchild has upheld strict environmentalstandards during the development phase,

the result of which allows the ScienceVillage to become LEED certified. Thisnew scientific hub marks the first time in50 years that Fairchild’s team of scientistswill be working on-site with the opportuni-ty to interact with students, visitors and thecommunity. Since the 1960s, Fairchild‘sscientists worked from a separate facilityone mile from the garden.

Fostering a strong sense of pride inMiami’s environment, conservation sci-ence and community, the Science Village isequipped with the Dr. Jane HsiaoLaboratories — four cutting-edge educa-tional labs including the Jason VollmerButterfly Metamorphosis Lab for pupaerearing, a Micro-propagation Lab for prop-agating rare orchids, palm, cycads andother endangered topical plants; a DNALab for biodiversity and conservation stud-ies; and a Microscopy and Imaging Labwhich enables scientists to study plants andbutterflies in minute detail.

A unique alliance for scientific study, thelaboratories are installed with computerscreens, Wi-Fi, and live webcams to facili-tate lectures, and allow visitors to experi-ence the work taking place inside of thelabs, outside. The large-sized classroomsallow college and graduate students fromFlorida International University, theUniversity of Miami and the University ofFlorida to extend their education.

The Tropical Science Institute named inhonor of Dr. James A. Kushlan, a well-known South Florida biologist and wetlandconservationist and sponsor of Fairchild’sbird conservation initiative will be housedin the Science Village. Its overarching goalis to collect under one umbrella the scienceactivities of the garden and to facilitatecoordination and increased cooperationamong South Florida’s scientists, conserva-tionists, and educators engaged in tropicalscience, conservation and higher education.

For additional information, visit<www.fairchildgarden.org>.

Science Village to open Dec. 1 at Fairchild Botanic Garden

Pictured is the Clinton Family Conservatory.(Photo by Ben Thacker)

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––



BY LINDA RODRIGUEZ BERNFELD

Justin Menendez’s family was devastatedwhen his 13-year-old brother Jason commit-ted suicide a few years ago. Menendez creat-ed the JAM Foundation in honor of hisbrother and set out to alert teens and theirfriends about the teen suicide crisis.

“I was in contact with the medical examin-er in Miami-Dade County,” Menendez said.“In 2011, there were 27 suicides of young peo-ple under age 25. Eight of them were 19 andyounger. In 2012, from January to June, therewere already 25 suicides and eight of themwere 19 and younger. When I saw the numberof teens is already tied, it was like, wow.”

Some of those suicides were by kids asyoung as 12. It frightened him that thosenumbers were so high in just the first sixmonths of the year.

“I was telling my mom, ‘I’m scared to fol-low up; I’m scared to see what that numberis now,’” he said.

Now a student at FIU, Menendez goes toarea high schools to speak to students aboutthe problem of teen suicides.

“As of now, we have five that are alreadyin contact with us and want us to have apresentation at that school,” he said.

“When we present to a school, we partnerwith the Ganley Foundation. I speak withtheir executive director. Grace Carricartefrom the Ganley Foundation always givesthe mental health perspective and the depres-sion and I go up and talk about my brother.”

For far too long, suicide was a taboo sub-ject, but Menendez wants to bring it out intothe light.

“This isn’t contagious, you can’t catch itby talking about it,” he said. “But talkingabout it brings awareness.”

The purpose of the talks is to teach thekids the warning signs.

“If two kids can relate to what I’m saying,then I’ve done my job and everything is per-fect,” Menendez said.

His courage in coming forward and sharinghis pain with fellow students in assembliesearned him a Silver Knight nomination fromArchbishop Coleman Carroll High School.

“The feedback from the schools is life-chang-ing,” Menendez said. “We’ve had anythingfrom ‘I was planning to kill myself next week’to ‘I was planning to kill myself tonight.’”

He said depression is the leading mentalillness that leads to suicide, although it’s notthe only one.

“The Stand Up and Speak campaign Istarted is helping,” Menendez said. “Even ifyou stand up and speak for the kid who walksthe hall by himself. You can be a non-depressed student and feel lonely. Depressionis the most common mental illness.”

Gay and lesbian teens are at risk for sui-cide. Menendez said he has talked to a fewwho told him his talk helped them.

“I’ve spoken to many of them. That’s def-initely another huge thing. They are takingtheir lives because of their sexual orienta-tion, which is absolutely terrible.”

So far in 2012 he and Carricarte have spokenat eight schools and to some 3,500 students.Next school year he would like to branch outand speak to schools outside of Miami-Dade.

“I hope to do this for the rest of my life,”Menendez said. “It’s not easy balancing full-time student work and the organization butit’s worth it.”

Menendez was scheduled to participate inthe Out of the Darkness Community Walksponsored by Stand Up and Speak, a projectof the JAM Foundation, on Nov. 11 at theUniversity of Miami.

For more information go online to<www.standupnspeak.com> or <www.the-jamfoundation.org>.

Student goes to schools to talkto kids about suicide prevention

Justin Menendez speaks to students at Robert Morgan Education Center about the problem of teen suicide.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


We buyWe buyold goldjewelrybraceletsearringsdental goldscrap goldgold coinsbroken orunwanted rings

TAKE ADVANTAGE OFTAKE ADVANTAGE OFHISTORICALLY HIGH PRICESHISTORICALLY HIGH PRICES

F OR

(305) 255-6162

With ad receive $5.00 Cash when you sell $50 or more

9839 S.W. 184th StreetPalmetto Bay, FL 33157

( Just East of US 1 )

Rotunda Jewelers


BY JENNIFER AGRESS

Palmer Trinity School, on Oct. 27, ded-icated a 22-kilowatt solar power system,the first project of its kind in SouthFlorida, in conjunction with SolariaDesign and Consulting Co., a companybased in the Florida Keys.

This independent educational institu-tion, serving grades 6-12, plans to utilizethis new addition not only to save energycosts but also as an educational tool tocontinue to promote sustainability efforts.

Designed to provide 22 kilowatts ofelectricity to the school, this solar electricpanel installation comprises 1,866 squarefeet of Trina solar panels. This photovolta-ic system includes a total of 98 solar elec-tric panels, each of which produce 225watts of electricity. These solar panels arepowering the athletic fields as well as a

portion of the school library.Also included in the design is a solar

charging station to give students and facul-ty the opportunity to charge their comput-ers and cell phones.

“We are very excited about this new ini-tiative, which allows us to explore ways tolower our energy cost while extending ourefforts in sustainable education,” saidSean Murphy, head of school.

Because the school’s new solar powersystem is attached to the electric utilitycompany grid, it provides electricity to thecommunity when not being used on cam-pus. As a result of this effort, PalmerTrinity School also received a rebate fromFlorida Power & Light Company (FPL).

During this event, Murphy honoredJulie and Bob Reynolds, parents of PTSstudent Delaney (Class of 2017), for theirgenerous contributions to the project. Dr.

Leopoldo Llinas, direc-tor of sustainability atPTS, and FabianaVivacqua (Class of2014) explained howthis new installationwill serve as an educa-tional tool to all PalmerTrinity School students,and representativesfrom FPL brought oneof their electric vehiclesto the event and wereon-site to answer anyquestions about theinstallation’s renewableenergy technology. Thisceremony took place atnoon, just before kick-off of Palmer TrinitySchool’s HomecomingGame.

“Students are nowable to view online, in

real time, the productionof the solar panels, ana-lyze how production isaffected by weather con-ditions, determine theamount of money savedon energy, and calculatethe pounds of carbondioxide averted from theatmosphere,” Dr. Llinassaid. “With this system,our school is transitioningto a future that includesmore sustainable energy,and is helping studentsevaluate energyresources.”

For more informationabout the school, visit<www.palmertrinity.org>.For more informationabout FPL, visit online at<www.FPL.com>.

Palmer Trinity installs largest solar system of its type in Miami-Dade

The photovoltaic system includes an array of 98 solar panels.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Pictured (l-r, front) Fabiana Vivacqua, Delaney and Owen Reynolds; (rear) Dr. Leopoldo Llinas, Bob and JulieReynolds, and head of school Sean Murphy.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Because the school’s newsolar power system is

attached to the electric utility company

grid, it provides electricity to the

community when notbeing used on campus.As a result of this effort,Palmer Trinity Schoolalso received a rebatefrom Florida Power &


BY RACHEL SHAPIRO

Representatives from Miami-DadeCounty and the Economic DevelopmentCouncil of South Miami-Dade joinedFlorida Career College (FCC) for the offi-cial ribbon-cutting ceremony of its 11thand newest Florida campus, located at11731 Mills Dr. in Kendall.

“We look forward to being a vital part ofthe Kendall community by providing neweducational opportunities that reflectindustry-current job training require-ments,” said David Knobel, president andCEO of FCC. “Our mission is to train stu-

dents for careers that are in demand so theycan move directly from the classroom intothe workforce.”

The Kendall Campus offers diploma anddegree programs with hands-on careertraining for Medical Assistant Technician;Patient Care Technician; Medical FrontOffice and Billing; Health ServicesAdministration; Cosmetology; Nursing,and Heating, Ventilation and AirConditioning.

For more information about the KendallCampus of Florida Career College, call thecampus at 305-384-7900 or visit<www.careercollege.edu>.

Florida Career College celebratesopening of new Kendall Campus

Pictured (l-r) are Peter England, vice chair of the Economic Development Council of South Miami Dade; DavidKnobel, president and CEO of Florida Career College, and Mick Jones, CEO and executive director of the EconomicDevelopment Council of South Miami Dade.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

NOW OFFERINGPRIMAL RAW.

SINGLE SOURCERAW DIETS AND

TREATS

Open 7 Days a Week


BY LEE STEPHENS

The Miami-Dade County Parks,

Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s

Disability Services Division has been

awarded a 2012 Olympic Opportunity

Fund grant totaling $24,000 — from the

U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC),

Paralympic Division.

The funds will be used to create Miami-

Dade County Parks’ new “COVERT

Project” (Connecting the Outdoors with

Veterans through Education, Recreation

and Training) that will enable local dis-

abled veterans to enjoy the sports of

archery, sports shooting (air rifles/guns),

kayaking and swimming.

The following are the upcoming

COVERT session days, times and locations:

Archery, 10 a.m.-noon, Nov. 15, 29, and

Dec. 6, Camp Owaissa Bauer, 17001 SW

264 St., Homestead;

Shooting Sports (Air Rifles/Guns), 10

a.m.-noon, Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb. 6, 13, 20

and 27, Trail Glades Gun Range, 17601

SW Eighth St., Miami;

Kayaking, 10 a.m.-noon, Mar. 7, 14, 21,

28, Apr. 4 and 11, Crandon Park, 4000

Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne, and

Swimming, 10 a.m.-noon, Apr. 18, 25,

May 2, 9, 16 and 23, AD Barnes Pool,

3701 SW 72 Ave., Miami.

Program dates are subject to change.

Limited transportation will be provided

from the Bruce W. Carter Department of

Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami.

Participants must pre-register in order to

secure spots as space is limited. Program

participation is limited to disabled veterans

with the following disabling conditions:

spinal cord injury, amputation, and trau-

matic head injury. Some restrictions in par-

ticipation may apply to certain sporting

activities.

For more information and to pre-regis-

ter, contact Miami-Dade County Parks

Certified Therapeutic Recreation

Specialist Jody Cox at 305-234-1673 or

send email to <[email protected]>.

Miami-Dade County Parks Disability

Services is one of a few organizations

nationwide to receive the 2012 Olympic

Opportunity Fund grant through the

USOC, U.S. Paralympics Division. The

USOC has awarded more than $2 million

in grant funding to a total of 97 organiza-

tions in support of Paralympics sport and

physical activity programs for disabled

veterans and disabled members of the

Armed forces. The Olympic Opportunity

Fund is provided through a partnership

between the USOC and the Department of

Veterans Affairs.

Grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000

were provided to USOC partner organiza-

tions to increase the number and quality of

opportunities for physically and visually

impaired veterans to participate in physical

activity within their home communities

and in more advanced Paralympic sports

programs.In its third year, the Olympic

Opportunity Fund has provided more than$4 million to 223 USOC partner and com-munity programs resulting in thousands ofveterans with physical and visual impair-ments who are participating in sports pro-grams and opportunities at the regional andnational levels.

For information about Miami-Dade

County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit

<www.miamidade.gov/parks/>.

USOC grant enables disabledvets to enjoy outdoor sports

BY ALICIA WHITLEY

The official start of the holiday season getsunderway when the 16th annual Miracle on136th Street Holiday Parade marches into TheFalls on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 4 p.m.

Sponsored by South Miami Fiat, BeachesResorts, Cox Radio (Easy 93.1 and 97.3 theCoast), and Baptist Children’s Hospital, thisyear’s Holiday Parade benefits the South DadeYMCAFamily Center, which is opening a brandnew facility at the end of the year.

Celebrity grand marshal Coco Jones, fromDisney Channel’s original movie Let It Shine,will lead the way. Jones also has had recurringroles on Disney Channel’s So Random! andGood Luck Charlie. Coco recently signed toHollywood Records and has been in the studioco-writing and recording all-new original musicfor her highly anticipated debut album.

Free and open to the public, this year’s paradewill feature local marching bands, bag pipers,stilt walkers, junkanoo band, mariachi band,Brazilian dancers, Dixieland band, penny-far-thing bike, local dignitaries, and more. The JollyOld Elf himself will make his long-awaited firstarrival of the season along with Mrs. Claus andtheir little helpers.

“The Falls is thrilled to welcome Coco Jonesand our other special guests to the Miracle on136th Holiday Parade,” said Julie Goldman, mall

manager at The Falls. “It isexciting to celebrate our 16thyear of this event. The Falls’Miracle on 136th StreetHoliday Parade has become aSouth Florida tradition thatwelcomes the spirit of theseason.

“We always enjoy seeingso many people attend theparade. We are honored tohave the opportunity tobring such a wonderfulevent to the community thathelps create holiday memo-ries that will last a lifetime.”

Spectators are encour-aged to arrive early to lineboth sides of the paraderoute before the 4 p.m. start.The parade route, which is located on theBoulevard in between the center and the parkinglot, will start at the east end of The Falls in frontof Bloomingdale’s and wind through the entirelength of the center, west toward Macy’s.

Coco Jones will take the stage at 6:30 p.m. onCenter Court following the holiday parade to per-form joyous holiday music, plus a single off herupcoming album. Guests also will see Two NightStand by Macy’s, and performances by Cache plus afire-eating dancer by Bloomingdale’s. Additionally,

the guests will see routines by aBrazilian Dance Troupe and aPolynesian Drum Band on theCenter Court stage.

Following the Parade, thelights of the season will comeaglow at The Falls as hundredsof thousands of lights thatshowcase giant animal topiar-ies and elaborate water ele-ments to include elephants,giraffes, peacocks, camels,dolphins and more will illumi-nate the shopping center’s gar-dens and waterfalls. Santa willtake up residence and be avail-able for photos in Center Courtat the Santa House.

Retailers will offer great hol-iday shopping opportunities,

in-store promotions and specials. Many of theseare included in The Falls Holiday Coupon Book,including a chance to win the family vacation ofa lifetime to any Luxury Included BeachesResort, located in the beautiful Caribbean islandsof Jamaica and Turks & Caicos. Visit SimonGuest Services at The Falls for more informa-tion, including rules and regulations.

The YMCA of Greater Miami and the SouthDade YMCA Family Center is a leading non-profit committed to strengthening communities

through youth development, healthy living andsocial responsibility. The Y impacts the GreaterMiami community by nurturing the potential ofkids, improving individual and communityhealth and well-being, and giving back to ourneighbors. The Y connects the communitythrough four Family Centers, three preschools,and many after-school, youth sports and daycamp programs throughout Miami-DadeCounty and the Upper Keys.

In January 2013 the South Dade YMCAFamily Center opens a new wellness centerwhich will serve more than 3,500 familiesthrough healthy and life-changing programs. Tolearn more, visit <www.ymcamiami.org>, con-nect on Facebook or Twitter, or call toll free 1-877-969-9622 to find a Y near you.

The Falls, located on SW 136th Street at S.Dixie Highway (US1), is one of the largestopen-air shopping, dining and entertainmentcomplexes in the U.S., featuringBloomingdale’s, Macy’s, American Girl, andmore than 100 stores, restaurants, and cafés aswell as Regal Cinemas and The Fresh Market.Stroll the one-level, covered walkways sur-rounded by a million-gallon waterscape andlush tropical foliage. The Falls sits on a 55-acre site featuring 821,000 square feet ofretail space with more than 100 specialtystores and two department stores,Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s.

Celebrity grand marshal Coco Jones joins South Florida holiday tradition

Coco Jones––––––––––––––––––––––––


BY DONNA SHELLEY

R&T Signature Grill recently began itsspecial fundraising efforts on behalf of theMiracle League of Miami-Dade.

Dan Kaplan, the restaurant’s owner hitupon an idea to attract customers to his neweatery while fundraising. On the thirdFriday of every month from 4 to 10 p.m., 15percent of all purchases will be donated tothe Miracle League. Donations will helpfund the construction of the first leaguebaseball field in Miami designed specifical-ly for children with special needs.

When speaking of his charitable effortsfor the league Kaplan said, “I’ve alwaysknown that giving back is good for businessand good for the community. Every kid andparent should have the opportunity to expe-rience sports and the joy of sports.”

The field where dreams of baseball will,at last, be realized by children with specialneeds begins with the Howard PalmettoBaseball Softball Association (HPBSA), alongstanding organization that has beenintegral to youth sports in South Floridasince 1962. HPBSA offers boys and girls T-ball, baseball, and softball played in theparks of Miami-Dade County, Village ofPalmetto Bay and Village of Pinecrest. In

2011, HPBSA turned its attentionto building a program for childrenwith special needs.

The goal of the newly formedMiracle League of Miami-Dade isto construct a new type of baseballfield that removes the barriers thatkeep children with special needsfrom enjoying one of America’smost popular sports. Fundraisingfor the $1.5 million project wasgiven a major boost by a $100,000donation from the Florida Marlins.

Nationally, there are 235Miracle Leagues in the U.S., manyof which receive significant finan-cial support from Major LeagueBaseball teams. The league haspartnered with Miami-DadeCounty Parks to locate the field atTamiami Park, 11201 SW 24 St.

Keith Reilly, executive boardmember and co-chair of theMiracle League, has been, accord-ing to co-chair Karl Sturge, the“fuel” behind the idea.“The impetus for this was having

a child with special needs come tothe HPBSA and having no way forhim to play. This effort has already

proven to be a tremendous success for fam-ilies and the league,” said Reilly.

Anthony Nodarse and his mother,Grissel, attended the event. Anthony andother children with special needs were look-ing forward to their first game to be playedin the beginning of November. Wearing hisnew baseball shirt, Anthony proudly smiledfor the camera.

“It has been so hard to find some placefor him to play baseball. He wasn’t accept-ed. I signed him up for the Miracle League.He just wants to play,” said Grissel, fightingback tears.

Roasters ’n Toasters (open for breakfastand lunch) recently added a new concept totheir business, the R&T Signature Grill, afamily and sports-oriented lunch and dinnerspot. Roasters ’n Toasters (established in1984) is a New York-style deli and cateringbusiness. Roasters ’n Toasters has threelocations — in Pinecrest, Skylake andMiami Beach. R&T Signature Grill is locat-ed at 9471 S. Dixie Hwy., in Pinecrest,across from Shorty’s.

For more information, call 305-663-3000or visit the website at <www.rntsignature-grill.com>. To get involved with theMiracle League, visit its website at<www.miracleleagueofmiami.org>.

R&T Signature Grill hosting Miracle League fundraisers

Dan Kaplan, owner of R&T Signature Grill, donates check for MiracleLeague to Sandy Robinson, executive board member and fundraisingcochair, with Elijah DeArmas (left) and Anthony Nodarse (right).

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


BY STEPHANIE ROJAS

Baptist Health South Florida recentlypartnered with local Girl Scout volunteersfor a morning of “green happiness” as theyplanted more than 350 native small treesand shrubs at Girl Scout Camp Mahachee.

The historic site, spanning more than 11acres, was dedicated for the use of GirlScouts of Dade County in 1948, and hasserved as a troop camp, day camp and acenter of community activities. The volun-teer efforts aimed to restore the native ham-mock and develop the canopy in the area.Baptist Health South Florida donated awide array of native foliage, includingGumbo Limbo, Marlberry, Satin Leaf andKrug’s Holly, among others.

“The native habitat at Girl Scout CampMahachee is a priceless asset to our localGirl Scouts,” said Sally Ann Boggess, chiefoperating officer for the Girl Scout Councilof Tropical Florida Inc. “We are grateful toall the Baptist Health volunteers whohelped ensure that Girl Scout CampMahachee will be enjoyed by generationsof Girl Scouts to come.”

Additionally, the greenery planted duringthe event helped to restore the tree canopy as

a part of the Million Trees Miami Initiative, acommunity-wide effort to plant 1 milliontrees by 2020 in order to achieve a 30 percenttree canopy cover for Miami-Dade County.Planting these trees supports the HealthyCommunities goal area in GreenPrint, a com-munity plan to reduce greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions, cut energy, water and fuel

consumption, and help develop a sustainablecommunity for future generations.

Baptist Health South Florida is thelargest faith-based, not-for-profit health-care organization in the region. BaptistHealth includes Baptist Hospital, SouthMiami Hospital, Baptist Children’sHospital, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular

Institute, Mariners Hospital, HomesteadHospital, Doctors Hospital, West KendallBaptist Hospital and Baptist OutpatientServices. Baptist Health Foundation, theorganization’s fundraising arm, supportsservices at all hospitals and facilities affili-ated with Baptist Health. For more infor-mation, visit BaptistHealth.net.

Baptist Health, Girl Scouts partner to restore camp’s native hammock

Baptist Health South Florida and Girl Scout volunteers join together for a morning of “green happiness” as they plant more than 350 native small trees and shrubs at GirlScout Camp Mahachee.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


BY JENNIFER TISTHAMMER

For the first time in 10 years, the Deering Estate atCutler will host the 2012 “Deering Goes to the Birds”on Saturday, Nov. 17, featuring lectures and walkingtours of the natural areas led by local birding expertsand enthusiasts.

From the moment you walk onto the estate,bird activity is evident. Red-bellied woodpeckersnest in trees; mockingbirds sing in the short-leafed fig trees; ospreys are spotted carrying a fishto a favorite perch. Visitors might even catch aglimpse of a catbird, a blue-gray gnatcatcher, or,if you’re lucky, the sudden swift flight of a white-crowned pigeon.

Shorebirds search for food in the mangroveprop roots and a plethora of songbirds can beheard in the surrounding hammock of trees.Activities and programs for the entire family andbird enthusiasts of all ages will be held at this annu-al event, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event is free with regular admission — $12for adults and $7 for children (ages 4-14).Participating organizations include TropicalAudubon Society, Nature Conservancy,Everglades National Park, AIRIE–Artists inResidence in Everglades, Florida InternationalUniversity, Crandon Park Nature Center, andMiami-Dade County EcoAdventures.

Schedule of events for Deering Goes to the

Birds on Saturday, Nov. 17:7:30 a.m. — Bird Walk: Take a 1.5-hour trek

through the Deering Estate’s tropical hardwoodhammock and pine rockland habitats in search ofSouth Florida’s elusive avian residents;

10 a.m.-1 p.m. — Book Nook by the Bay“Birding,” enjoy family story time, on-site eco-arts and crafts, science programs and more;

10:30 a.m. — “Episodes and InterestingUnknowns with John James Audubon” withArtists in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) pho-tographer Krista Elrick. Follow her on a photo-graphic journey as she shares her perspective andcontinues to make photographs in the same wet-lands, forests, and shorelines where John JamesAudubon hunted, wrote about and painted birds.

Noon — First lecture (30 minutes with time forQ&A after)., Topic is “Urban Oases: the impor-tance of South Florida to migratory birds.” Haveyou ever wondered why South Florida is such animportant habitat for birds? Come learn about theimportance of your own backyard in providinghabitat and shelter for migratory birds, as well ashow urbanization is affecting these birds and howscientists and citizens are working together to dis-cover ways to improve these habitats. FeaturedSpeaker: John Withey, PhD. Dr. Withey is an asso-ciate professor in Florida International University’sSchool of Environment, Arts and Society. Hisresearch focuses on the responses of terrestrial ver-

tebrates, especially birds, to human influence. Hetakes an interdisciplinary approach by integratingavian ecology with economics, urban planning,and other social science to better understand birdsin urban systems.

1 p.m. — Second lecture (45 minutes withtime for Q&A after). Topic, “The AtlanticFlyway and Conservation Efforts.” The AtlanticFlyway encompasses some of the hemisphere’smost productive ecosystems, including forests,beaches, and coastal wetlands. The DeeringEstate at Cutler is part of the Biscayne BayImportant Bird Area (IBA) which includes BirdKey, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park,Biscayne National Park, Deering Estate atCutler, and Matheson Hammock Park. Comelearn about conservation efforts TropicalAudubon Society leads in our community andhow you can help. From the northern AtlanticCoast and through the Caribbean to SouthAmerica, Audubon is working to support thisavian superhighway’s 500-plus bird species andmillions of individual birds.

Featured Speaker: Laura Reynolds, executivedirector, Tropical Audubon Society. Reynoldsfirst became involved in TAS as a member andthen as a board member in 2005. Since 2008, shehas served as the executive director of TropicalAudubon Society. Tropical Audubon Society is anon-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization

comprised of dedicated citizens who care aboutthe quality of South Florida’s environment andserve as outspoken advocates for betterment.

2 p.m. — Workshop: Caring for Injured Birdsand Wildlife. Learn how to properly care for andhandle injured birds and other wildlife you mightencounter in your daily life. Find out whom tocall, what to do, and how to make sure that bothyou and the animal stay as safe as possible.

5 p.m. — Bird Walk: Take a 1.5-hour trekthrough the Deering Estate’s tropical hard-wood hammock and pine rockland habitats insearch of South Florida’s elusive avian resi-dents.

The Deering Estate at Cutler, a Miami-Dade County Park, is located at 16701 SW 72Ave. Palmetto Bay. This 444-acre natural andarcheological preserve and historic site is list-ed on the National Register of Historic Placesand serves as a center for education, cultureand recreation. Historic house tours areoffered daily with admission to the estate.EcoAdventure Tours also are offered through-out the year for an additional fee.

For more information on the DeeringEstate’s educational and cultural programs,visit <www.deeringestate.org>.

For more information about the TropicalAudubon Society visit <www.tropi-calaudubon.org>.

‘Deering Goes to the Birds’at Deering Estate, Nov. 17 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM November 13 - 26, 2012

Pictured are the new owners of Lots of Lox (l-r) Steve, Jimmy and Nick Poulos.

THE ORIGINAL LOTS OF LOX• Catering Available • Dine In or Take Out •

14995 South Dixie Hwy.Tel: 305-252-2010 • Fax: 305-232-7560

BREAKFAST SPECIAL$6.45

INCLUDES COFFEE OR TEAMON. THRU FRI. 7AM TO 11AM

NEW HOURSOpen Monday thru Friday 7:00 AM - 9:00 PMDinner Specials from 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Saturday and Sunday 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM


BY SUE ARROWSMITH

One of the leading healthcare servicesproviders in the region, Leon MedicalCenters, is investing in the future of theindustry by making a $5 million donation toMiami Dade College’s (MDC) acclaimedSchool of Nursing on Oct. 30.

The special event with students, faculty,alumni, healthcare professionals, and com-munity leaders took place at MDC’s WolfsonCampus where a check presentation wasmade and remarks delivered. The donationalso coincided with the 50th anniversary ofthe School of Nursing which opened itsdoors in 1962.

The school will be renamed the BenjaminLeon School of Nursing at Miami DadeCollege. More importantly, the donation willcreate program enhancements, opportunitiesfor faculty development and a cohort of Leonnursing scholars to bolster Leon MedicalCenters’ workforce and the industry’s.

The United States is facing a critical short-age of nurses, with no sign of abating. Theproblem is especially severe in SouthFlorida. The Leon gift will go a long way inmitigating these hurdles in the region’shealthcare industry.

“I cannot think of many other institutionsthat have positively impacted as many livesin our community as Miami Dade College,”said Benjamin Leon III, president and CEOof Leon Medical Centers and an MDCTrustee. “This is our way of thanking thisfine institution and encouraging it to contin-ue building a better community through edu-cation and opportunity.”

Leon Medical Centers selected MDCbecause of its shared commitment to medicalexcellence and to the community both organ-izations serve.

“This donation is one more step in ourcommitment to medical excellence and ourcommitment to our community,” saidBenjamin Leon Jr., chair and founder ofLeon Medical Centers. “You can’t have med-ical excellence without having exceptionallyprepared and professional nurses. They arethe frontline of medical excellence.

“We are fortunate to have many MDCSchool of Nursing graduates serving thepatients of Leon Medical Centers and withthis donation look forward to having manymore,” he added.

“We are extremely grateful and pleasedwith the generosity of the Leon family,” saidDr. Eduardo J. Padrón, president of MiamiDade College. “They have raised the bar ofcivic engagement and giving for all to follow.Thanks to their gift, we will take our alreadynationally renowned School of Nursing toeven greater heights and, more importantly,expand our impact in the community.”

Meeting local workforce demands,MDC’s Medical Campus has trained morethan 50 percent of the nurses in Miami-DadeCounty. It also offers more than 20 in-demand programs including PhysicianAssistant studies, Opticianry, EmergencyMedical Technician studies, PhysicalTherapist Assistant studies, Dental Hygieneand much more.

Its students also serve the community pro-viding critical healthcare services, perform-ing 52,000 clinical days per year at 800 sitesin Miami-Dade and Broward counties, plusan additional 30,000 hours of communityservice. The School of Nursing is celebrating50 years of excellence during this 2012-13academic year.

For more information about the School ofNursing, call 305-237-4101 or visit online at<www.mdc.edu/medical/Nursing>.

Leon Medical Centers donates $5M to MDC School of Nursing

Pictured (l-r) are Benjamin Leon Jr., chair and founder of Leon Medical Centers; Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, presidentof Miami Dade College, and Benjamin Leon III, president and CEO of Leon Medical Centers and an MDC Trustee.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

BY JEREMY KATZMAN

Nearly 700 community, business andsociety notables were taken through a boldand elegant depiction of “A FrostedMasquerade Affair” at Miami Children’sHospital Foundation’s 2012 DiamondBall on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the JWMarriott Marquis Miami.

The event raised nearly $4 million,including announced gifts, to supportworld-class care at Miami Children’sHospital.

Guests of the Diamond Ball had theopportunity to see the world premiere ofthe Bald, Brave, Beautiful I Will Survivemusic video (visit YouTube.com/MiamiChildrens to view), whichGrammy Award-winning artist GloriaGaynor recorded with Miami Children’sHospital patients and supporters to raisefunds to help find a cure and providehope to children facing cancer.

“No child should ever have to face alife-threatening disease like cancer,”said Gaynor via video salute. “I am ask-ing you to step up and support the Bald,Brave, Beautiful patients at MiamiChildren’s Hospital because kids andchemo do not go together.”

Following the music video premiere,Gaynor was inducted into theAmbassador David M. WaltersInternational Pediatric Hall of Fame.

Guests of the Diamond Ball had theopportunity to hear from 10-year-oldleukemia patient Briana Vega, whoappeared in the music video withGaynor and shared her experience as apatient at Miami Children’s Hospital.

“This hospital is not a regular hospitalto me,” Vega said. “It’s a carnival withsome bumpy rides. I’m lucky to be get-ting my treatment where the nurses anddoctors are kids at heart and where it’sall about the children.”

Miami Children’s Hospital

Foundation board member RavneetChowdhury and Anand Chowdhurywere so inspired by Vega’s story thatthey immediately pledged a $1.75 mil-lion donation in the young girl’s honor.

Named for the first chair and presi-dent of Miami Children’s HospitalFoundation (MCH Foundation), theAmbassador David M. WaltersInternational Pediatric Hall of Fame wascreated in 1986 to recognize and honorindividuals who have made significantcontributions to the health and happi-ness of children everywhere. It is thehighest honor bestowed by MCH

Foundation.Previous inductees include leg-

endary children’s advocates Gloriaand Emilio Estefan, Barbara and JackNicklaus, Dwyane Wade, BeyoncéKnowles, Walt Disney and AudreyHepburn, among others.

“We are blessed to celebrate a womanwho was selected for her work on behalfof children not just in her own backyard,but on a global level,” said LucyMorillo-Agnetti, president and CEO ofMCH Foundation.

“For years Gloria has supported avariety of leading children’s causes and

other philanthropic organizations andwe are proud to induct her into our mostprestigious fraternity.”

Ranked among the top fundraisers inFlorida, the Diamond Ball also featuredDaymond John, founder and CEO ofFUBU and Star of ABC’s Shark Tank, asemcee, with entertainment by the DrewT Band.

Other notable Diamond Ball attendeesincluded Miami Heat guard MarioChalmers, Sports Illustrated supermodelNina Agdal, actor Juan Soler, CBS 4anchor Shannon Hori and The RealHousewives of Miami cast membersAdriana DeMoura and Alexia Echavarria,and others.

In addition to the gift from theChowdhurys, Miami Children’sHospital Foundation announced threechallenge grants from the BatchelorFoundation totaling $800,000 over thenext two years ($500,000 and$150,000 for 2013 and another$150,000 for 2014).

The Diamond Ball Committee wasled by chairs Marile and Jorge LuisLopez, iinternational chairs Ravneetand Anand Chowdhury, and auctionchairs Lauren Sturges-Fernandez andDJ Kerr.

Sponsors included Premier Beverage,Sabadell United Bank, Duty FreeAmericas, Brown & Heller, AmericanAirlines, Tri-City Electric, Selecta maga-zine, Accord Productions, Lava Studio,Maria Elena Headpieces, WOW Factor,JW Marriott Marquis Miami, Rene Ruiz,Mayda Cisneros, Laura Buccellati andShark Branding.

To learn more about the MiamiChildren’s Hospital Foundation and offersupport, visit <www.mchf.org>, become afan on Facebook at<www.facebook.com/MCHFoundation>,or call 305-666-2889 (toll free: 1-800-987-8701).

Diamond Ball raises nearly $4M for MCH Foundation

Pictured (l-r) are 2012 Diamond Ball International chair and Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation (MCHFoundation) board member Ravneet Chowdhury, MCH Foundation president and CEO Lucy Morillo-Agnetti, 2012Diamond Ball chair and MCH Foundation board member Marile Lopez, and 2012 Diamond Ball Auction chairs DJKerr and Lauren Sturges-Fernandez.

(Photo Credit: Orlando Garcia)

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


The World’s Best Pan con Lechon

OriginalCubanFlavor

Follow Us on

Facebook and Twitter

Authentic Cuban Gourmet Food

Open Lunch and Dinner • Generous and Delicious and Fun! • Mon-Thu-Sun 11am - 9pm Fri & Sat 11am - 11pm

12313 S Dixie Hwy. Miami, FL 33156 | 305.259.1550


BY RICHARD YAGER

They call it “Rock that Burger” with aColombian flair.

When you enter Kendall’s newest ham-burger emporium in Snapper Creek Plaza,you quickly will understand why. One wallis emblazoned with a tribute to “Rockers” ofpast years, their photo images arranged in achecker board-like montage.

On an opposite wall hangs a dismantledrocker’s drum set, artistically placed as modern“pop” art and flanked by a row of guitars.

“The design was my sister’s work, partlydue to my rock band, Detour, that I led forthree years,” grinned 37-year-old FlavioAlarcon who guided Kendall’s latest ham-burger venture into a rocker’s heaven withbrother, Andres, 25; sister. Angela, 31, and ahelping assist from their mom, MiryanAlarcon.

Wooden slat chairs and eight tables alongwith chrome-plated stools for a small lunch-eon bar in a blazing red color scheme com-pletes an upbeat interior décor.

But what about the burgers — and those“Yellow Dogs?”

“They’re different,” explained theAlarcons. “You have to taste them to seewhy. We have a special seasoning that makes

them that way.”What makes their “Yellow Submarine”

hamburger unique is a homemade pineapplesauce, a holdover from the days when theAlarcons’ popular Yellow Submarine foodtruck drew passionate crowds of WestKendall Colombians for rarities like apineapple-spiced hot dog.

“Oooooh! Is that hot dog good!” tweetedone customer who said the Yellow Dog“won my heart in the hot dog world.”

A colorful menu card lists that “ParadiseCity” hot dog with a combination of moz-zarella cheese and house-made pineapple,mustard and tomato sauces.

The “Yellow Submarine” burger high-

lights the same pineapple-spiced toppingalong with tomato, lettuce and onions.

You can also Rock Your Burger with acombination of exotic-toppings includingjalapeño peppers and banana peppers.

To keep an American flavor, there’s also achoice of Chicken Wings (10 for $6.99) withhomemade barbecue or Buffalo sauce, as wellas French or “Loaded” chili fries. Beveragesvary from canned sodas to Corona, Budweiseror Heineken beer, topped off by an espresso,latte or cappuccino.

So how can a Colombian family outdo aShula Burger, due to open just a mile or sosouth of their 6-month-old operation?

“Just try us, and you’ll see!” chorused theenterprising trio who grew up learningAmerican tastes after the family left itsnative Cali 15 years ago to open a businesscalled Home Necessities before branchingout into catered food services.

“Folks have spread the word about ournew place, including many fellowColombians who knew us from our YellowSubmarine days on Kendall Drive at SW147th Avenue,” Flavio added.

Rock That Burger is open from noon to 9p.m. every weekday and from noon to 10 p.m.Saturdays and Sundays at 7138 SW 117 Ave.For take-out, call 305-270-2110.

Burger emporium wants to ‘rock’ your tastebuds

Andres, Angela and Flavio Alarcon bring Rock That Burger to Kendall. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––



BY LAURA PHILLIPS

Not knowing how to use a computer orbrowse the Internet puts families at adisadvantage.

Families with school-aged childrenneed to be digitally connected and literatein order to help their children thrive inschool, and Internet skills are basicrequirements for many jobs in today’scompetitive marketplace.

Digital literacy is virtually a necessity tocomplete homework assignments, writeresearch papers, apply to college, find andapply for jobs, and to file for unemploy-ment. As part of a growing national effortto bring digital literacy and the power ofthe Internet to the people who do not cur-rently have access and skills, the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and OpenSpaces Department has partnered withComcast to offer Miami-Dade families atrio of free “Internet Essentials” computertraining classes at Goulds Park, 11350 SW216 St.

The classes are:“Basic Computers and Microsoft

Software” — Offers an introduction tocomputer basics, such as general computercomponents and acronyms; powering-onand shutting down a computer; use of themouse and keyboard, and installing andmaneuvering Microsoft software programs,including Microsoft Word and Excel.

“Finding and Applying for Jobs Online”— Presents strategies for successful onlinejob-hunting and submitting resumes andjob application forms.

“Keeping Children Safe on the Internet”— Informs parents about potential threatstheir child may encounter while browsingthe Internet and offers tips for keeping them

safe and responsible in their Internet use.The Internet Essentials classes will take

place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from11 a.m. to noon; Mondays and Wednesdays,6-7 p.m., and Saturdays, 9-10 a.m.

There is no need to bring a computer, aslessons will be taught on classroom com-puters; however personal laptops may beused. To ensure appropriate accommoda-tions, advance registration is required forthe Internet Essentials classes. To register,and for information about these and otherMiami-Dade County Parks programs andrecreational activities available to the com-munity at Goulds Park, call 305-255-2399,or visit <www.miamidade.gov/parks>.

About 30 percent of Americans, many ofwhom are living near or below the povertyline, remain on the wrong side of the digi-tal divide. They possess little to no com-puter literacy, do not have broadbandaccess at home and/or do not have a homecomputer or device capable of supportinghigh-speed Internet use. That’s whyComcast created Internet Essentials — thelargest and most comprehensive broadbandadoption program in America.

As a component of Comcast’s InternetEssentials program, Comcast is providinglow-cost broadband service for $9.95 amonth and the option to purchase a full-service, Internet-ready computer for under$150. Households with at least one childwho receives free or reduced price lunchesthrough the National School LunchProgram may qualify. Call 1-855-8-INTERNET (1-855-846-8376) to requestan application, and visit <www.inter-netessentials.com>.

For information about Miami-DadeCounty Parks call 3-1-1, or visit<www.miamidade.gov/parks/>.

County joins Comcast to offerfree internet training classes


11th Miami Short Film Festivalannounces films, new events

See us online at:www.communitynewspapers.com

BY JESSIE ALLEN

With more than 700 international sub-

missions, 80 short films (under 20 min-

utes) have been chosen to screen in the

11th annual Miami Short Film Festival.

There will be 15 different blocks, each

consisting of seven or eight films that

share a common theme — including love,

horror, locals, documentary, and experi-

mental. Some notable appearances

include Gael Garcia Bernal in Zalet(Republic of Serbia), and Tony Award

winners Ed Asner and Mark Rydell in

Good Men (USA).

Films will screen Nov. 26-30 at the

Paragon Grove 13 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.,

and Miami Beach Cinematheque at 9 p.m.

On Nov. 25, a special Kid’s Program will

run at the Miami Children’s Museum

including five films targeted to children

ages 2-8 from noon to 4 p.m. On that same

date, a complimentary family-friendly

showcase of highlights from the festival

will take place at the North Beach

Bandshell as part of the City of Miami

Beach Cultural Affairs Program and

Cultural Arts Council’s “Fresh Air Fund”

program from 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 24, begins the festival at

The Lot Bar in Paragon Grove 13 and will

include the unveiling of custom artwork

by local artist, and President Obama’s

two-time winner of “Runway to Win,”

Phil Fung. After parties will occur follow-

ing the last screening block every week-

day in various venues throughout Coconut

Grove and at Chalk on South Beach. The

festival ends on Dec. 1 with an awards

ceremony at the Mutiny Hotel, where

winning filmmakers in different cate-

gories will be announced.

This year’s sponsors include Paragon

13, The Lot Bar, Stella Artois, The Mutiny

Hotel, Conill, Figment Group, Midtown

Video, Concept International Realty. The

festival is made possible with the support

of the Miami-Dade County Department of

Cultural Affairs and Cultural Affairs

Council, Miami-Dade County Mayor and

Board of County Commissioners, City of

Miami Beach Department of Tourism and

Cultural Development, Office of Cultural

Affairs, and the Miami Beach Mayor and

City Commissioners.

The Miami Short Film Festival is a

501(c)(3) non-profit cultural organiza-

tion dedicated to promoting national,

international and local short films. For

more than 10 years, the event has been

the launching point for original scripts,

new cinematography and film tech-

niques, innovative perspectives, and

unique forms of true emotion and expres-

sion captured on film.

For more information visit online at

<www.miamishortfilmfestival.com> or

call 786-510-3738.


BY LUISA YEN

The Orange Bowl recently announcedits new Kicks for Kids Business Challenge,a program providing SouthFlorida business owners theopportunity to get involved ingiving back to the local com-munity, and to make a splashon the biggest stage in collegefootball.

The Kicks for KidsBusiness Challenge will sup-port the Orange Bowl’snewest youth program by thesame name.

Entering its second year,Kicks for Kids provides SouthFlorida children with new orgently used athletic footwear,ensuring them the opportunityto participate in and reap therewards of youth sports andexercise. Last year, more than 1,000 chil-dren received shoes as a result of the pro-gram, enabling them to play sports, and inturn, benefit in the way of leadership,socialization, cooperation, interpersonalskills and overall health.

To drive collections this college footballseason, the Kicks for Kids BusinessChallenge invites locally based businesses tojoin in the collection. The business that col-lects the greatest number of youth athleticshoes, and/or makes the largest donation tothe Kicks for Kids program will be awardeda 2013 Discover Orange Bowl marketingpackage valued at more than $25,000. It’s achance to market the business to approxi-mately 70,000 fans who will be in atten-dance and millions watching at home.

Components of the grand prize packagewill include:

• Four tickets to the 2013 DiscoverOrange Bowl;

• Four tickets to theOrange Bowl Game Day FanZone;

• A parking pass;• One page advertisement

in the 2013 Discover OrangeBowl game program;

• One video board men-tion during the 2013Discover Orange Bowl;

• A dedicated websitestory on OrangeBowl.org;

• One page advertisementin a future issue of Inside theOrange Bowl magazine, and

• One TV feature segmenton a future Inside theOrange Bowl TV show air-ing Tuesday afternoon on

Sun Sports.“Kicks for Kids is a tremendous pro-

gram that eliminates the most basic roadblocks so South Florida kids can partici-pate and reap the benefits of sports,” saidEric Poms, CEO, Orange BowlCommittee. “Last year the Orange Bowldonated 1,000 pairs of shoes and this yearwe are increasing our goal to 1,500.

“The Kicks for Kids Business Challengeis an exciting way for the Orange Bowl toengage the local business community whilehelping as many children as possible.”

The Kicks for Kids Business Challengewill run through Nov. 30. For more infor-mation including registration, shoe collec-tion and full contest rules, visit online atcommunity.orangebowl.org.

Orange Bowl engages businesswith Kicks for Kids Challenge

To drive collections thiscollege football

season, theKicks for Kids

BusinessChallenge

invites locallybased

businesses tojoin in the collection.

BY GINNY GUTIERREZ

PortMiami, the Cruise Capital of theWorld, is poised for new growth as it wel-comes an impressive roster of new cruiselines and new vessels to its fleet in comingweeks boosting even further the cruiseindustry’s contribution to local tourism.

The 2012-13 cruise season was to launchwith the arrival of six ships in eight weeks,the first being the Regent Seven SeasNavigator on Nov. 8. Along with the reloca-tion of its sister ship the Regent Seven SeasMariner on Jan. 7, 2013, the luxury brandwill now homeport at PortMiami.

Also, coming in the next eight weeks are:Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest and largest

ship, the Carnival Breeze;Oceania Cruises will introduce its newest

ship, the Oceania Riviera to the U.S. mar-ket at PortMiami;

Celebrity Cruise Lines will begin sailingits newest ship, the Celebrity Reflection,from PortMiami. The ship is the fifth in theline’s premium Solstice Class, and

Disney Cruise Lines will enter the Miamimarket when the Disney Wonder beginssailing from PortMiami for the first time.

Additionally, the Mediterranean line,MSC Cruises will begin sailing from

PortMiami in Fall 2013 when it brings itsnewest ship the MSC Divina here.Furthermore, in 2014, Norwegian CruiseLine will launch the Norwegian Getaway,currently under construction in Germany.

“PortMiami, long known as the CruiseCapital of the World, is well-positioned fornew growth,” said PortMiami director BillJohnson. “We look forward to what is ourlargest expansion ever of new cruise brandsand new build vessels in a single cruise sea-son.” Johnson noted that PortMiami recent-ly trademarked its designation as “CruiseCapital of the World,” which recognizesthat the port is where modern day cruisingbegan and is the world’s leading cruise port.

PortMiami is Miami-Dade County’s sec-ond most important economic engine con-tributing $18 billion annually to the localeconomy and supporting more than 180,000

jobs in Greater Miami. For the past fouryears, more than four million cruise passen-gers have traveled through PortMiami annu-ally, more than any other port in the world.

PortMiami’s impressive roster of 14cruise lines offers a wide-range of itiner-aries to destinations in the Bahamas,Mexico, Caribbean, South America andbeyond. PortMiami terminal facilities areamong the most modern in the world andprovide easy passenger boarding and depar-ture. Currently underway are $15 million inimprovements to PortMiami’s CruiseTerminal D, which will homeport theCarnival Breeze.

The growth at PortMiami is in conjunc-tion with the tourism numbers recorded bythe Greater Miami Convention and VisitorsBureau (GMCVB) which earlier this yearannounced a record-breaking 13.4 millionovernight visitors in 2011. Greater Miamiand the Beaches offers a wealth of pre- andpost-cruise options for cruise passengers toextend their travel or vacation with stays inthe destination.

“Cruise passengers are important to thecontinual growth of Greater Miami’s traveland tourism industry as they contribute mil-lions of dollars annually to the local econo-my and generate jobs by staying in hotels,

riding in taxis, eating in restaurants, visitingattractions and shopping,” said GMCVBpresident and CEO William D. Talbert III,CDME. “We are delighted to welcomecruise passengers from around the worldwho come to PortMiami and contributemightily to tourism, Miami-Dade County’sNo. 1 industry.”

Welcoming events will be held by theGreater Miami Convention and VisitorsBureau for each of the new ships scheduledto set sail and the public is welcome toattend them at Smith & Wollensky inMiami Beach. Details for those scheduledto depart before year’s end are as follows:

Oceania Riviera (Oceania Cruises):Scheduled to set sail on Nov. 29 at 6 p.m.with its welcome event from 5 to 7 p.m.

Carnival Breeze (Carnival Cruise Lines):Scheduled to set sail on Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. withits welcome event from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Celebrity Reflection (Celebrity Cruises):Scheduled to set sail on Dec. 5 at 4:30 p.m.with its welcome event from 3:30 to 5:30p.m.

Disney Wonder (Disney Cruise Line):Scheduled to set sail on Dec. 23 at 5 p.m.with its welcome event from 4 to 6 p.m.

For more information on PortMiami, visit<www.miamidade.gov/portmiami>.

PortMiami welcoming new vessels, more cruise lines

CRUISE NEWS


Nominations open for 25th year of In the Company of WomenBY EDITH TORRES

The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade, inpartnership with the Miami-Dade CountyCommission for Women and Miami-DadeParks, Recreation and Open Spaces, isseeking to honor outstanding Miami-Dadewomen for the 25th Annual In theCompany of Women Awards Ceremony tobe held in March 2013.

Timed to coincide with Women’s HistoryMonth, In the Company of Women recog-nizes the accomplishments of professionalfemale leaders in the community in the fol-lowing categories:

• Outstanding Woman in Arts andEntertainment;

• Outstanding Woman in Business andEconomics;

• Outstanding Woman inCommunications and Literature;

• Outstanding Woman in Education andResearch;

• Outstanding Woman in Governmentand Law;

• Outstanding Woman in Health andHuman Services;

• Outstanding Woman in Science andTechnology;

• Outstanding Woman in Sports and

Athletics;• Community Spirit Award;• Mayor’s Pioneer Award, and• Posthumous Award.New this year, two women will be select-

ed for the category of “Outstanding Womanin Government and Law,” one elected andone non-elected.

The Community Spirit Award recognizesan outstanding woman who, through volun-teering, has made a difference within thecommunity. No professional background isrequired.

The Mayor’s Pioneer Award honors atrailblazer who has proven leadership, cre-ativity, and vision in addressing communi-ty issues and advancing the status ofwomen in Miami-Dade County.

The Posthumous Award is in honor of awoman who has passed away and recognizesher contribution within Miami-Dade County.

All honorees must demonstrate professionaldevelopment, community responsibility, lead-ership and vision, contribution to women’sprogress and promotion of pluralism.

To download the nomination form, visit<www.miamidade.gov/parks/women.asp>.Completed forms must be mailed to LauraMorilla, executive director, Miami-DadeCounty Commission for Women, 111 NW

First St., Suite 1034, Miami, FL 33128.Nominations must be postmarked byFriday, Dec. 14.

A committee of community leaders willreview nomination forms in order to deter-mine the nominee’s eligibility. Emphasiswill be placed on the nominee’s contribu-tion to women’s progress in her profes-sion/area of interest. For the Mayor’sPioneer Award, emphasis will be on overallinvolvement in the community andwomen’s progress. Appointees fromMiami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A.Gimenez office will review the nomina-tions for the Mayor’s Pioneer Award.

Nominators are required to complete thenomination form and submit nine copies ofthe form along with nine photocopies ofany newspaper or magazine articles about

the nominee, if available. If nominating forthe Mayor’s Pioneer Award, submit onlythree photocopies of the nomination form,along with three photocopies of recommen-dation letters from three individuals, notincluding the nominator, and any support-ing materials including newspaper or mag-azine articles.

Nominations that fail to include theseitems and/or do not meet the applicationdeadline will be automatically disqualified.Nominations will not be accepted viaemail. Past recipients of the In theCompany award are not eligible.

For more information and for a list of pastaward recipients, go to<http://miamidade.gov/parks/women.asp>or contact Laura Morilla at 305-375-4967,or via email at <[email protected]>.


BY JESSE SCHECKNER

The first thing a person will notice afterwalking into Batteries Plus, located at 6400S. Dixie Hwy., is how welcoming it is. Theshelves are well stocked with batteries andlight bulbs, but everything is convenientlywithin reach. Interactive displays compar-ing the cost benefits and energy efficiencyof their light bulbs are all over the store andthere is every imaginable kind of batteryavailable, from cell phone and laptop bat-teries to ones for motor vehicles and cord-less tools.

This is all part of the design that hasallowed the company, which presently has517 stores nationwide, to grow in such adifficult economy. It is one of the manythings which attracted Carlos Quinones, avital and friendly husband and father oftwo, to purchase a franchise two years ago. One doesn’t just buy a Batteries Plus fran-chise, order inventory and set up shop,however. There is a considerable amountof preliminary work to be done before thedoors ever open.

“Part of the reason we’ve been so suc-cessful is that we go through an intensivetraining program which includes threeweeks of battery and bulb ‘boot camp’ and53 hours of online work,” says Quinones.

All five of the people employed have gonethrough the process, making for a very welleducated and informative staff. With the advancement of both battery andlight bulb technology, purchases may bemore costly, but are fewer and further inbetween. It is natural to assume that a busi-ness such as Batteries Plus would considerevery sale to be important – and they do – butthey also are very much interested in creatinga lasting relationship with their clientele.

“Before we sell someone a battery, wetry to do a full analysis of the device tomake sure the purchase is necessary and

that the problem doesn’t exist elsewhere,”Quinones says. “We try to educate the cus-tomer by asking important questions andgive them the bulb or battery that best suitstheir needs.”

This particular Batteries Plus franchise isalso involved with the community in otherways apart from commercial retail. In addi-tion to participating in a national batteryrecycling program that is free to local resi-dents, the store is also taking part in anambitious program – assisted by govern-ment grants and incentives – to re-lamplocal businesses with CFL (compact flores-cent light) bulbs.

“Companies used to have to pursue thesedeals,” Quinones says. “Now we and thegovernment are proactive about it.”

The company is very aware of the imme-diate needs of the surrounding area as well.This was exemplified in the days leadingup to what fortunately wound up beingmuch-ado-about-nothing in HurricaneIsaac. When many businesses were bury-ing their heads in the sand, Batteries Pluswas not only open, but was receiving anemergency delivery full of hurricanenecessities.

With such positive community relationsand an equally honest and straightforwardapproach to their business practices,Batteries Plus appears to be headed in theright direction for success. Though it tookthem 13 months to find the right locationfor their first store, Carlos Quinones iseager to begin branching out.

“As the business takes off, hopefullywithin the year we’ll start looking for morelocations and grow at that rate,” he says. Batteries Plus is open seven days a week.

For more information, call 305-661-4567, email <[email protected]> or go online at <www.batteries-plus.com>.

Batteries Plus charges ahead

Pictured are(l-r) BatteriesPlusemployeesFelipe Pelaezand RoxanaSoler, withowner CarlosQuinones.

BY PATRICIA ROJAS

While military deployments and hospitalstays may keep many of our nation’sheroes away from their families this holi-day season, the American Red Cross is col-lecting and distributing cards that sendwords of encouragement, gratitude andcheer.

Now through Dec. 7, Americans cangive something that means something bysending a card of thanks and support tomembers of the Armed Forces, veteransand their families.

“It just takes a moment to sign a card toshare your appreciation for the sacrificesmembers of the military communitymake,” said Sam Tidwell, CEO, AmericanRed Cross South Florida Region. “You saythanks, we’ll do the rest.”

The Red Cross is inviting the public tosend messages of thanks and holiday cheeruntil Dec. 7 by mailing them to: HolidayMail for Heroes, PO Box 5456, CapitolHeights, MD 20791-5456.

Pitney Bowes Inc. receives cards at thespecial Holiday Mail post office box, andscreens them for hazardous materials.Pitney Bowes screens, packages and shipsthe cards at no charge, and contributesthousands of volunteer hours at sitesaround the country.

Red Cross volunteers across the United

States and on military installations over-seas then sort and deliver the cardsthroughout the holiday season. The RedCross and Pitney Bowes have received anddistributed more than 4.7 million cards formembers of the U.S. Armed Forces, veter-ans and their families since the programbegan in 2006.

To ensure that cards are delivered in timefor the holidays, they must be postmarkedno later than Dec. 7. Individuals are askedto refrain from sending “care packages,”monetary donations, or using glitter or anyother kinds of inserts with the cards. Moreinformation and card requirements are atredcross.org/holidaymail.

The public can connect with fellowcard senders through Facebook at face-book.com/redcross and Twitter.com/red-cross using the hashtag #holidaymail.

The Red Cross relies on the support ofthe American people to carry out its mis-sion of service to the 2 million membersof the U.S. Armed Forces, 24 millionveterans and their families. During thisholiday season, people also can supportall Red Cross services by making afinancial donation at redcross.org or bycalling 1-800-REDCROSS. Individualsalso can give the gift of life by makingan appointment to give blood at red-crossblood.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS.

‘Holiday Mail for Heroes’available through Dec. 7


BY BRIAN FOX

Kendall Toyota presented a ToyotaTundra to the Pelican Harbor SeabirdStation (PHSS) at the dealership onThursday, Nov. 1, as part of the Toyota “100Cars for Good” program, a major philan-thropic initiative in which the automaker isgiving away 100 cars to 100 nonprofits overthe course of 100 days. The 100 Cars forGood program is the first Toyota initiativethat engages the public to determine howcorporate philanthropic donations areawarded.

PHSS will use its new Tundra to surveylocal marinas for injured pelicans andwildlife, rescue and care for wounded ani-mals and as transportation for PHSS staff togive educational presentations at neighboringschools throughout Miami-Dade County.

“We are overwhelmed by Toyota’s gen-erosity,” said Brian Fox, PHSS executivedirector. “Receiving a truck as a donationwill significantly enhance our ability to saveand treat injured wildlife in the Biscayne Bayarea. This will certainly enable us to increaseour overall efforts in Miami.”

Founded in 1980, PHSS is recognizedboth nationally and internationally for itsdedication to seabird rehabilitation. While itspecializes in brown pelicans, the center

rescues, treats and cares for all sick, injuredor orphaned wildlife with a mission to fos-ter and promote the preservation, protectionand propagation of pelicans and otherwildlife. Each year, PHSS heals thousandsof animals affected by mankind and returnsthem to their ecosystem. The organizationalso provides other community services toinclude education programs, conservationresearch, outreach initiatives and resolvinghuman-wildlife conflicts.

“We are proud to be a part of Toyota’s100 Cars for Good program and presentSeabird Station with their new Tundra,”said Frank Marsala, Kendall Toyota generalmanager. “We live in a vibrant city andSeabird Station is a remarkable place mak-ing a huge impact in Miami and the wildlifethat inhabits the area.”

Kendall Toyota is located at 10943 S.Dixie Hwy. The dealership has beeninvolved in various charities to include its

most recent and favorite initiative of award-ing Miami-Dade County Teacher of theYear with a new Toyota.

“At Toyota, we appreciate what a signifi-cant impact a new car can have for nonprof-its in their work,” said Michael Rouse, vicepresident of diversity, philanthropy andcommunity affairs for Toyota Motor Sales,USA. “All 100 of the winners of the 100Cars for Good program are providingextraordinary and much-needed services,and we thank Kendall Toyota for their rolein delivering Pelican Harbor SeabirdStation’s car to help them with their impor-tant work.”

The selection process began May 14 byprofiling five finalists at <www.100carsfor-good.com>. Individual members of thepublic were able to vote for the nonprofitthey believe can do the most good with anew vehicle. The charity with the mostvotes at the end of each day became thewinner of one of six Toyota models.Additionally, each runnerup will receive a$1,000 cash grant from Toyota.

A six-year, 100,000-mile powertrain war-ranty also will be provided for each vehicle,compliments of Toyota Financial Services.To learn more about the 100 Cars for Goodprogram, visit<www.100carsforgood.com>.

Toyota donates a truck to local wildlife hospital

Frank Marsala (left) of Kendall Toyota presents Brian Fox (right) of Pelican Harbor Seabird Station with a 2013Toyota Tundra as part of Toyota’s “100 Cars for Good” program.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


The Doctors Cohn make Miami Smile

What could be better than working with one of your children every day?Dr. Jack Cohn has the good fortune of having two of his sons, Adam, andAaron follow in his professional footsteps.Dr. Jack Cohn grew up in South Miami and attended Coral Gables High

School. Years later after graduating Dental school at Medical College ofVirginia in Richmond he longed for his South Florida weather and lifestyle.Dr. Jack has practiced Dentistry in South Miami/Kendall for thirty-sevenyears. During this time he has been President of the South Dade Dental So-ciety and a delegate to the Florida Dental Association. Dr. Jack has achievedthe status of Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. His constant par-ticipation in post-graduate education is probably what piqued Dr. Adam’sand Dr. Aaron’s interest in the dental field.Dr. Adam Cohn grew up in the Palmetto area and attended Palmetto Sen-

ior High School then attended the University of Florida and received hisdental degree at Nova Southeastern University. His plan was always to re-turn to his neighborhood and join his father. Since graduating from dentalschool in 2007 he has been involved in several local dental societies andstudy groups. Dr. Adam has participated in the pro bono Pankey InstituteDental Access.Dr. Aaron Cohn also grew up in the Palmetto area and attended Palmetto

Senior High School. He then attended the University of Florida for under-graduate studies and ventured north to receive his dental degree from Tem-ple University Dental School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After a fewwinters he was glad to head back to his hometown of Miami. Dr. Aaron im-mediately immersed himself in the local Dental Societies as had his fatherand brother.The Drs. Cohn also brought computerization and the latest digital radi-

ography (x-rays) to the practice which recently relocated to 9840 S.W. 77Ave. Together Drs. Cohn designed their ideal office with state of the arttechnology. A website has been added to facilitate patient education atwww.smilemiamidental.com. All of the latest cosmetic procedures areavailable and implant based Reconstructive Dentistry is also performed.The caring part of patient doctor relationship s is what Dr. Jack has em-

phasized during their tenure together, “Nobody cares how much you knowuntil they know howmuch you care.” Maintaining this type of work enviro-ment has been their mission. The doctors have a gentle bedside manner andthis “family” practice is a labor of love. They employ a gentle and caringstaff that have been a part of the team for many years. The staff takes pridein making sure each and every patient is relaxed, comfortable and at ease.Smile Miami invites you to visit the office at 9840 SW 77th Avenue,

Suite 201, Miami, FL. For more information call 305-598-1428.


Recognized by Florida International Magazine, Florida Best Eateries 2011

117 Miracle MileCoral GablesTel. 305.529.9922

www.angeliqueeurocafe.com(Reservations Suggested)

Friday, November 23rd - Sunday, November 25th

Coral Gables' Neighborhood GemCoral Gables' Neighborhood GemOffering Foodie FavoritesOffering Foodie Favorites

Coral Gables' Neighborhood GemOffering Foodie Favorites

Angelique's Turkey Detox Weekend Brunch

Serving up our famous Turkey Detox brunchwith sweet and savory favorites include;

Golden Torreja with crème anglaise, Tortilla Chorizo, Pasta Carbonara,and the Cantimpalo Burger, 100% Angus Beef topped with sliced Spanish

chorizo, manchego cheese and much more. Available Friday - Sunday

Angelique's French Spice 3-Course Dinner $33Dinner selections include Seafood Bouillabaisse, Scottish Salmon,Coq au Biere, plus Steak au Poivre & Frites, starters range from

Escargot Champignon, Artisan Salad and Vichyssoise Soup. Sweetfavorites include: Raspberry Chocolate Bread Pudding with creme

anglaise and Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake.Available Tuesday - Saturday.

Happy

from

Don't miss our Live Jazzevery Friday &

Saturday evenings


We DeliverOpen 7 days • 9am to 10pm

Free Valet

Homestyle Cuban FoodFrom New York to Miami

Family owned and operated for over 30 years!

305-670-22287360 S.W. 90th St. Miami FL 33156www.elsitiorestaurant.com

Kendall Dr.

Palmetto

Exp

y.82

6

S.dadel

and B

lvd.

US-1

PublixEl Sitio

dad

elan

dBlvd

73PL

Restaurant Corner

11238 SW 137 Ave.

DELIVERY The Best Churrasco!!

www.farozgrill.com

10% OFF10% OFFper plate

*With coupon only

Follow me on


The Kia Optima may be the best buy in amidsize family sedan on the U.S. markettoday.

Since being completely redesigned in2010, Optima has become Kia’s best seller.Built at Kia’s plant in West Point, GA, the2013 Optima lineup has been expandedwith the new and sporty top-of-the-lineLimited trim.

The Optima has a sleek silhouette, anaggressive stance and a bold face, with theKia badge on the tabbed grille complement-ed by projector headlights. The rooflineconnects with the pronounced shoulderline, leading to sculpted flanks and accentu-ating the extended wheelbase. Flared wheelarches and a raked cabin create a sedan witha graceful muscular presence.

On the inside, the instrument panel iscontoured toward the driver to create a“cockpit” feel, with precise gauges and

steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.The seats and trim are of Nappa leather,with wood interior accents, an electronicparking brake and a first aid kit. A sport-inspired Sportmatic shifter delivers crispshifts, while an available panoramic sun-roof provides an open-air feeling.

All Optimas come well equipped, withthe LX trim offering dual exhaust withchrome tips, solar glass, exterior mirrorturn signal indicators, front fog lights, exte-rior heated mirrors, chrome-accented exte-rior door handles, 16-inch alloy wheels anda six-speed automatic transmission. The EXhas larger 17-inch alloy wheels, while theSX has more stylish 18-inch polished alloywheels, unique front and rear lowerbumpers and side sills, a rear lip spoiler,aero wiper blades and HID headlights withauto leveling.

The new top-of-the-line Limited trimbrings a level of sporty refinement, addingunique 18-inch chrome wheels, daytimerunning lights, red brake calipers, chrome-accented side sills, chromed-side mirrorsand a rear spoiler.

In addition to its sporty personality, theOptima is loaded with standard conven-ience features and functionality, such as a

six-way adjustable driver’s seat with powerlumbar support, tilt and telescopic steeringcolumn, glove box cooling capabilities andautomatic light control. Additional standardinterior features include power door locks,power windows and sun visor extension.

The 2013 Optima offers a choice of twofuel-efficient, powerful Theta II engineswith gasoline direct injection (GDI),including a 2.4-liter GDI four-cylinder or a2.0-liter GDI turbo engine. A 2.4-literhybrid powertrain also is available. The2.4-liter GDI engine produces 200 hp,while the 274-hp 2.0-liter turbo GDIengine (SX models) delivers V-6 type

power with four-cylinder efficiency. Eachengine is mated to a six-speed automatictransmission with Sportmatic clutchlessshifting. Both engines deliver good fueleconomy; the 2.4-liter four-cylinder posts24/35 mpg while the 2.0-liter turbo GDIgets 22/34 mpg.

Base price on the 2013 Kia Optima LX is$21,200.

Ron Beasley is the automotive editor forMiami’s Community Newspapers. He maybe contacted by calling 305-662-2277, ext.261, or by addressing email correspon-dence to <[email protected]>.

2013 Kia adds sporty Limited trim to Optima lineup

LET’S TALK CARS

Ron BeasleyAUTOMOTIVE EDITOR

Kia Optima has asleek silhouette, an

aggressive stanceand a bold face,

with the Kia badgeon the

tabbed grille complemented by

projectorheadlights.


Fine antiques to contemporary pieces. Find one piece or decorate your entire room!

305.491.5651

Upscale Furniture Consignment GalleryUpscale Furniture Consignment GallerySummer Specials Up ToSummer Specials Up ToSummer Specials Up To 50% OFF50% OFF 50% OFF

www.UpscaleFurnitureConsignmentGallery.com

Visit OurShow Roo

mToday!

In the FamousWarehouse District bythe Falls next to Battaglia Shoes

8845 SW 132 St. • Miami, FL 33176

Open: Monday to Friday 10:30am - 6pm - Sat. & Sun. 10am - 5pm

[email protected]

Where Class & Vintage Meet

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM

TUTORING SERVICESSubject Areas Taught:

SAT Prep (math), ACT Prep (math), GRE Prep (math), Algebra I & II, Geometry, Calculus, Statistics,

Physics, College Physics, Chemistry, Organizational Skill, Memory,

Technical Writing.

Shane Smoleny

786-367-671315 Years Experience

Office near Baptist Hospital

SERVICESSERVICES SERVICES SERVICES

HELP WANTED FOR SALE

SERVICES

NEED ATUTOR?• Reading • Math • Language Arts • Español

Get help from the best!786.651.0862

ANDREA

SERVICES

November 13 - 26, 2012

HELP WANTEDSERVICES

HELP WANTEDHELP WANTED REAL ESTATEHELP WANTEDHELP WANTED REAL ESTATEREAL ESTATEHELP WANTED

SERVICES

HELP WANTEDSERVICES SERVICES

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

BLACKSTONE, INC. DORAL, FLBachelor’s Degree in Communications +5yr expin massive consumer products industry. Will es-tablish distribution networks, market researchstudies, implement advertising campaigns topromote sales of products and services; followthe organization’s working capital, knowledgeof foreign exchange BsF/US$; knowledge ofVenezuelan import/export customs regulationsand tariffs; will work with foreign banks in SouthAmerica; project management (planning, exe-cution, monitoring and controlling results), im-plement marketing strategy; will promote ourservices abroad (Central and South America).

Email resume:[email protected]

OPERATIONS RESEARCH ANALYST

��

��'��"$��%& ��'$��" #�!(

��

FOR SALE2 wheelcairs

2 walkers1 oxygen machine

1 toilet seat305.662.8097

HOUSE CLEANINGI take pride in my work!Call Claudia

786-216-3344

PAINTER•

HANDYMANCall me forestimate

786-337-2374

SOCIAL WORKER POSITION AVAILABLE at NewHorizons Community Mental Health Center in Miami, FLJob duties: Provide counseling and related services toadults experiencing mental health issues and problems.Counsel and aid family members to assist them inunderstanding, dealing with and supporting the clientor patients. Assist in providing quality care for thepsychiatric client within the therapeutic milieu. Conductclinical assessment of patients.

Fax resumes to: Attn: Stella Marrero, HR, 305-638-7006.

BABYSITTER (42)

Working in daycare.Babysitting evenings

& weekends.References available.786.537.0127

ARCHITECT CAD DESIGNERPrepare auto CAD format drawing

of architectural designs, sketches andrough drafts, obtain data and complete designs visiting job sites, check others

members drawings. Bch degree in Architect CAD drafting no exp need.

Mail resume: Triangle Associates Inc. 7880 West 25 Ct. Hialeah, FL 33016

SERVICESSERVICES SERVICES

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITYLooking to relocateMake your own hoursBe Your own boss

Now at Beauty Essence you have the opportunity if you are a Hair Dresser or Nail Technician

with following clientele.Beauty Essence is a very spacious Hair Nail Salonwith excellent parking in the heart of Pinecrest.For more details CALL Sara at 305-609-9360

BEAUTYESSENCE.COM

ProfessionalManicuristNeeded!

Need to rent3 chairs

$130 each.305.254.6292305.772.3823

LANDSCAPE CREW SUPERVISOR NEEDEDJob Description:• Full Time Position. 40+ Hours• Hands-on working Crew Leader managing a crew of 2-6 people during

landscape/ irrigation installations and maintenance.• Be able to work along with a team effectively • Be able to communicate with clients.• Responsible for ensuring crew meets installation deadlines.• Responsible for the completion of daily time sheet for entire crew

including materials and equipment used. • Daily loading of equipment, tools, and materials needed for completion

of projects • High degree of organizational skills, multi-task, and ability to prioritize. • Understanding and implementing landscape and irrigation plans. • Perform inspection walk-through during and at end of work day

to insure accuracy of installation.Requirements:• Minimum of 1-3 years experience managing landscape installations

and maintenance.• Minimum of 1 year experience working with conventional and drip

irrigation systems.• Must have a valid Florida driver’s license and a clean driving record.• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a must.• Strong work ethics • Knowledge of equipment and materials.• Adhere to the Company’s safety policy.• Familiar with IPM treatments a plus.• Basic computer skills a plus (Word, Excel).

Please email resume to: [email protected]


BUSINESSBUSINESS BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS

SERVICESSERVICES HELP WANTEDHELP WANTEDSERVICES HELP WANTEDHELP WANTEDSERVICES

Scott Ray(305) 389-4006

S

Outdoor GFI Outlet IALCALL SPEFFALL SPE

S (305) 389-4006

Ideal For Holiday LightsWITH COUPON

$ Dr. Patricia BrumleyRealtor - Associate

Certified New Home SpecialistCRS - Certified Residential Specialist

SRES - Seniors Real Estate Specialist -sensitive to age 50+ issues and priorities

12498 SW 127th Ave. • Miami, FL 33186E-Mail: [email protected]

LET ME SELL YOUR HOME!With my market savvy and knowledge of yourneighborhood, I can sell your home fast and for

top dollar. “Your Real Estate Consultant For Life!”Call Pat at 305-613-8421, I can make it happen!

Cell: 305-613-8421 • Fax: 305-251-4094 • Office: 305-251-4044

Independently Owned

and Operated

- CLASSES FOR KIDS & ADULTS -

MATH INTERNET COMPUTERS PUBLIC SPEAKING EBUSINESS

Algebra, Geometry, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Email, FaceBook, Twitter, eBay, PayPal, Skype, Photoshop, Web Pages, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Apps, Video Editing, Business Presentations.

Call us Today at 305-298-8907 IN ENGLISH EN ESPAÑOL EM PORTUGUES

DO YOU OR A LOVED ONE NEED HELP WITHALCOHOL OR SUBSTANCE RELATED ISSUES?

Paul Merker has helpedhundreds of individualsand families

PAUL MERKER, MS, CAPAddiction TherapistConfidential Counseling

[email protected]

7600 SW 57th Ave, Suite 215South Miami, FL 33143


Misunderstanding the IRS can cause unnecessary Audit$$$.

We speak financial at an affordable price!Stop the tax love notes.

We can take care of all your small business accounting needs

786.366.6838 • www.afbservice.com

Attention Small Businesses & Organizations!!



Fantastic Flea MarketLord of Life Lutheran Church

December 87:00am - 3:00pmVendors Welcome!

9225 SW 137th Avenue, MiamiCall Rena at 305.380.8986

• NCSF Certified• Reiki Master • Post Rehab Training• Functional Training for Older Adults

Sibyl Adams

All ages and fitness levels welcomeFitness blogger for seniority matters.com

A Personal Touch FitnessSensitive Personal Training

[email protected] Phone: 786.395.1588

305.742.0103seflorida.maidbrigade.com

15$ OFFYour First & SecondRegular Cleanings

New clients only. Some restrictionsapply. Call for details.

exp. 12.31.12

All teams trained, uniformed, bonded & insured

Every cleaning inspected & guaranteed

refreshrefresh

your home,

your routine

Property Tax AppealsFor houses, hotels, apartments, shopping centers, office buildings,

restaurants, warehouses, hospitals, commercial properties.Contingent basis. $20 filing fee.

Law Offices ofPost & Gonzalez, P.L.

66 W. Flagler Street, Suite 300 • Miami, Florida 33130(305) 379-1500

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our quali�cations and experience.



ARE YOU 62 OR OLDER? Then a Reverse Equity Mortgage could be right for you!

Para Información En Español: 305-491-6862

For A No Obligation Review Call786-247-0547

Equal Opportunity Lender

9485 SW 72 Street, Suite A150Miami, Florida 33173

FHA Approved Lender

• Use the Cash Any Way You Choose • Continue to Own and Live In Your Home• Buy a Home

• Proceeds Are Tax-Free • No Monthly Mortgage Payments• No Income or Credit Qualifications

NMLS ID# 816508 • FLORIDA MORTGAGE LENDER SERVICER #MLD360

FREE ESTIMATES • 305-233-0699

Licensed & Insured

• Tree Trimming• Consultation• Stump Grinding• Landscaping• Lawn Services• Fertilization• Sprinkler Repair• Debris Removal• Backhoe Service• Driveway Pavers• Fencework - All Types• Chickee Huts• Outdoor Kitchens• And More

Impact resistant Windows and DoorsHigh Performance Accordion Shutters

Hurricane Panels

CLOSED OPEN

��

Call 305-803-7602for a free estimateLicensed and Insured

Florida State License SCC 131150340

Miami Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties Approved

PROTECT YOUR BIGGEST INVESTMENT NOW!!!We Manufacture and Install


CORPORATE APPROVED



DESSERT: Pumpkin & Apple Pie (Not Included)

1995$per person

(Drinks, Tax & TipsNot Included)

Only

10% OFF Meals

at Restaurants

TurkeyServed with two sides:

Mashed potatoes & gravy,sweet potatoes, green beans,

broccoli & sweet corn

Baked HamServed with two sides:

Mashed potatoes & gravy, sweetpotatoes, green beans, broccoli

& sweet corn

STARTERSGarden Salad,

Served with raspberry vinaigretteMAIN ENTREES

(Served with dinner roll)

22400 Old Dixie Hwy,

TEA ROOM : 305-258-0044

HAPPYHAPPY

Caribbean Meat LoafServed with two sides:

Mashed potatoes & gravy, sweetpotatoes, green beans, broccoli

& sweet corn

&Miami, Florida 33170


What’s The Difference? Don’t be confused

305.267.1426

• 25 years in Tree and Landscape Care,disease control, nutritional programs, interiorand exterior pest management and treetrimming services.• Fully licensed, insured, State CertifiedPest Control Operators and ISA CertifiedArborist.• On-going,in-house, twice a weektechnician’s training.• Quality control personnel conductingon-site property evaluations• All vehicles have GPS for routingefficiency and tracking.• One Two Tree is a drug free work placeand all employees undergo backgroundchecks.• Family owned company you can trust.

We’re the innovators..not the imitators!

Tree & Landscaping Care

7250 S.W. 42 Tr. Miami, FL 33155www.onetwotree.com

Certified tree andpalm trimming

Licensed Interior & Exteriorpest control

Education Training Accountability

STATE OF THE ART BANKING

Cutler Bay20351 Old Cutler RoadCutler Bay, FL 33189-1831Phone: 305-238-0925

Coral Gables2901 S. Le Jeune RoadCoral Gables, FL 33134-6690Phone: 305-567-0600

Palmetto Bay14095 South Dixie HwyMiami, FL 33176-7222Phone: 305-256-0900

www.sunstatefl.com • State of the Art Banking

Fun Times at The Palmetto BayBusiness Association Luncheon at

Christ Fellowship on November 1, 2012


OPENING DOORS TO SOUTH FLORIDA REAL ESTATE

ESSLINGER WOOTEN MAXWELL, INC., REALTORS305.329.7744 • [email protected] • WWW.DREWKERN.COM

DREWKERN

As a second generation real estate professional, and a Miami native,I have an intimate understanding of our local market.

Let me help guide you through the sometimes turbulent waters of buyingand selling your most valuable asset. The process should be easy and enjoyable

when you have the assistance of the right professional.

107400 SWW 1211 StLovely 3 bdrm/ 2 bath family home in the

Pine Shores community. Bright and spaciouskitchen with lots of storage and room for a

large eat-in area or den.Formal living & dining rooms. Privatefenced backyard with covered patio and

pool. 2 car garage.$385,000

73600 SWW 1088 TerSpacious 5 bdrm, 3 bath home boasts over4,200 square feet, with large screened inpool and outdoor bar. Updated kitchen.

Front bedroom combines two bedrooms tomake one large room. Spacious formal

living and dining rooms. Perfect forentertaining. 2 car garage.

$845,000

19000 Pizarroo StMediterranean style home in Coral Gables! 4

bdrm/ 3 bath, built in 1989. Renovatedkitchen with custom cabinetry, granite

counter tops and stainless appliances. Onebdrm & full bath downstairs. Great for enter-

taining w/ courtyard off dining room andpavered patio in backyard. 1.5 car garage.$724,900/For rent $4,500 per month

238011 Overseass Highwayy (MileMarker 23.8) Rare opportunity to find 9.46acres on the Bay in Summerland Key.Commercial property, previously a shrimplarva farm. Seller represents 7.71Acres areupland (335,848 sq ft) 990 feet of frontageon Overseas Highway, West side is onKemp Channel, and the east side is on alagoon. $1,495,000228000 SWW 1555 AveCustom built 3 bdrm/ 2 bath home in TheRedland. Tucked away on half an acre sur-rounded by lush landscaping includingfruit trees. Master bedroom has woodburning fireplace & balcony. Two bdrmson the first floor. Quiet neighborhood, sit-uated on a corner lot on a dead-end street.$299,0003644 SWW 199 RdBeautifully renovated Old Spanish homein The Roads. 3 bdrm/2 bath with 2,374 sqft of living area, on a 6,750 sq ft lot.Kitchen has stainless steel appliances, gasrange, granite countertops, and woodcabinetry. Indoor laundry. French doorslead to patio overlooking landscapedbackyard and work shed.$495,000

170700 SWW 744 Pl

Tastefully updated 4 bdrm/3.5 bath,3,700 sq ft home in gated community of

Old Cutler Palms in Palmetto Bay.Beautiful kitchen, expansive living

areas, great for entertaining. Lush land-scaping surrounds private pool andhome on just over 17,200 sq ft lot.

3 car garage. $725,000

27566 Dayy Avee #403

Great opportunity for young professionalsor investors. 2 bdrm/ 2 bath condoin secure & gated, Grove Haus building.Updated kitchen. Laminate flooringthroughout. 1 assigned parking space.1 block from Biscayne Bay. Walkingdistance to the shops and restaurants ofCoconut Grove. $235,000


palmetto bay news 11.13.2012

Documents