Miami Dade County Community Forum

Monday, January 31, 2011

From The County Recall Election to Modern Art: A Conversation with Civic Activist and Philanthropist Martin Margulies


6 p- 6:30 social time (cash bar) 
6:30-7:30 Delicious Dinner: (Cost: $25/$20 student)
7:30 - Program (The program only is free and open to the public)
 
Martin Margulies has been a successful builder who developed Grove Isle among other unique projects. He followed his passion for Modern Art and started the extraordinary Margulies Collection Museum located in Miami. (We will see a series of images from his collection.) His concern for the quality of life in Miami developed into several substantial philanthropic gifts to the residents. He has also become an outspoken advocate against the public funding for museums in Bicentennial Park as well as the Marlins stadium. Margulies is now supporting the Mayor Alvarez recall and efforts to stop state funding for the Dolphins (Sunlife) Stadium. He will be questioned by UEL Vice President and UM Professor Gregory Bush about how his life in development, art, and civic activism relate to each other.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Last week to register for Bus Trip.

Use paypal today. You can pay by credit card at this paypal link. The link is at right.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The UEL Bus Tour last chance to reserve.


The Urban Environment League presents the Upper East Side -- a tour of Miami’s newest hot neighborhood.  

Join the Urban Environment League on Friday, February 4th, for a guided tour of Miami's Upper East Side to explore both new and enduring landmarks and sights.  
 
Participants will enjoy a visit to the Little Haiti Cultural Center, stop by an actual urban farm, tour the MIMO District to see some of its collection of outstanding Miami Modernist Architecture, visit the Rubell Collection featuring exciting and often unseen contemporary art, and have lunch in one of the Wynwood District's newer restaurants, with a viewing the Wynwood Walls.  
 
The tour is available for only $35 and includes admission to all facilities, a comfortable ride in a tour guided modern coach bus and gourmet lunch at Wynwood Kitchen and Bar.
 
Meet at 9:15 at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 464 NE 16th Street. The bus will return at 2:30. Parking is available.  Payment can be made by Paypal at: www.UEL.org or by check mailed to UEL-Suite 114, 1000 NW North River Drive, Miami 33136.  Or pay right here! See the link at right on this page.
 
Seating is limited so don't delay!! If you are sending a check let us know it is on the way at:
uelinfo@bellsouth.net
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Who: The Urban Environment League
What:  Bus Tour of Miami’s Upper East Side
Where: Meet at 9:15, AM, Trinity Episcopal Church, 464 NE 16th Street, returning at 2:30 (parking available on site)
Cost: $35 – checks to UEL, Suite 114, 1000 NW North River Drive, Miami 33136 or by Paypal at www.UEL.org .

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Meeting Tomorrow on Do it Yourself Park in Downtown By Sonia Succar Ferre

(hit the image to enlarge it)

Former Miami Arena site to convert into a "Do It Yourself Park!" Come learn about an exciting park project that’s taking place on the former Miami Heat Arena site in downtown Miami. A coalition of volunteer professionals will employ the homeless and convert a stalled red field development into an active green field park in 30 days!

A presentation of the park project will take place followed by Q&A at the Loft 3 space in Grand Central, overlooking the park project site. 697 N. Miami Ave. Wednesday, Jan 26th from 6-8pm.

New City of Miami ordinance proposed for converting regular billboards to LED billboards all along 95 and 395.

Second Vice President of the Urban Environment League said about the proposed light intensive billboards proposed by Mark Siffin Media Towers:

"It is time to take a firm stand. Many of our current and former friends in government have been blinded by the revenue potential for good municipal purposes. Revenue for a good purpose is not worth selling out for a universally known blight."

Here is partial copy of a new Sign Ordinance to be heard Thursday, January 27th unless it is postponed. Hit on the page to enlarge it.



This is most of the text that will be added with the ordinance:

Monday, January 24, 2011

The UEL Bus Trip



The UED bus trip February 4th will include a free gourmet lunch at the Wynwood Kitchen and Bar, a favorite of art lovers.

Saying Goodbye to The Miami City Club

The blog, South Florida Lawyers bids farewell to the Miami City Club atop the Wachovia Bank Building.

It was a lunchtime institution for lawyers. At one time they had 900 members in the 55th floor club.

The South Florida Lawyers blog has historical photos from the club.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Bus Trip Shaping Up to Be a Special Time.

We have just buttoned down our lunch for the bus trip at the Wynwood Kitchen and Bar. Expect an excellent meal at this trendy new restaurant. We are also looking forward to a visit to the Rubell collection's new exhibit.

If you haven't made a reservation yet for our bus trip it still isn't too late. Join us -- February 4th. You can reserve by paypal on the right of this page. It is a bargain at $35.00 The admission alone to the Rubell Collection is $10.00. Add to that the bus, the gourmet lunch, tax and tip and you will see what we mean.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

CALL TO ACTION: On Big Cypress National Preserve

South Florida Sierra Club members and supporters have been following the story of the Addition Lands of the Big Cypress National Preserve for some time. Described by congress as a place of "unique wild beauty," and as "habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals, including the Florida panther, the bald eagle, native orchids and many other species", the 146,000 acre Addition has also been a favorite getaway for many who live in this crowded part of the world.

That is about to change. After 14 years of public meetings, newsletters and comment periods, the National Park Service (NPS) has decided that these fragile and completely unique lands will be opened to motorized hunting and recreation in order to allow for a 'diversity of users'. According to the NPS itself, the price to be paid for that 'diversity' will be compaction, rutting and oxidation of soils; destruction of surface vegetation and roots; spread of invasive plant species throughout the Addition; changes to the Addition's hydrology, wetlands and water quality; and disturbances and degraded habitat for red cockaded woodpeckers, Everglades snail kites, eastern indigo snakes, and the critically endangered Florida panther (23 of which were killed in 2010 - as habitat continues to shrink by about 1% per year). Human visitors will also experience a very different landscape and soundscape as motor vehicles become a major part of a weekend outing. For many of the Addition's 31 animals and 96 plants listed as threatened, endangered, or species of special concern, the impacts are not known (or simply not considered by NPS).

Although the plan was released just before Thanksgiving, as of this date that decision has not yet been signed. Please take a moment to send a brief message to National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis and ask him to reconsider this bad decision. Most of the 582,000 acres of the original preserve are already motorized and provide ample opportunity for those who desire motor vehicles as a way of experiencing the Big Cypress. It is completely unnecessary to bring this level of damage and degradation to the Addition Lands. Jon Jarvis can be reached by email at: jon_jarvis@nps.gov or by fax at 202-208-7889

Two outings have also been scheduled for the Addition on February 13th and March 20th - sponsored by the Broward Group of the Sierra Club. If you're up for some adventure, come and see what the fuss is all about. The Miami Group will lead an outing to the Florida Trail north of I-75 (also a part of the Addition and soon to be converted into a thoroughfare for off-road vehicles) on March 5th, it is almost full so sign up quick!

Thanks for all you do -
Matt Schwartz, Conservation Chair, Broward Group
Debbie Matthews, Chair, Miami Group

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Miami Dade County Legal Opinion On Power if There Is a Recall

Legal Opinion: The powers/responsibilities that can not be performed by anyone except the Mayor.


Friday, January 14, 2011

Fran Bohnsack's Tribute

Frances M. Bohnsack, Ph.D.
Eighteen Years of Service in Support of the Miami River


The City of Miami pays tribute to Dr. Frances M. Bohnsack, honoring her exceptional service and
dedication as Executive Director of the Miami River Marine Group. We value Dr. Bohnsack’s overall knowledge and passion for the advancement of a working waterfront along the Miami River, the Fifth largest port in the state of Florida, a port serving as economic catalyst for the South Florida region and providing vital shipping links -- logistics, food, equipment and household goods-- to the shallow draft ports of the Caribbean and Central and South America. We applaud Dr. Bohnsack’s leadership and legal vigilance that resulted in favorable judicial outcomes for Miami River shipping interests, her critical input and expertise important to this special triumph. It is with genuine respect and gratitude, on behalf of our citizens, that we join her colleagues and friends to honor Dr. Frances M. Bohnsack’s eighteen years of superior work, a tenure representing the hallmark of integrity. As Dr. Bohnsack leaves to accept a well-deserved position with the Federal Maritime Administration,
we extend best wishes for continued success!

Presented on behalf of the City of Miami by
Tomás P. Regalado, Mayor
Wifredo “Willy” Gort, Commissioner
January 13, 2011

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Fran Bohnsack Honored Today By City of Miami


Co-President of the Urban Environment League Dr. Fran Bohnsack was honored for her service to the community this morning.

Mayor Regalado, on behalf of the City of Miami, presented Dr. Frances Bohnsack with a commendation for her many years of service to the Port of the Miami River and the community at large. Debbie Zimmerman, aid to Congresswoman Ileana Ros Lehtinen, also read a letter from the Congresswoman praising Fran for her tireless efforts on behalf of the maritime industry and the Miami River at a special meeting for the Miami City Commission Jan. 12, 2011.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Watch the Miami Dade County Meeting Today

Today at 2pm Miami-Dade's Infrastructure and Land Use Committee meets and has on the agenda two resolutions sponsored by Carlos Gimenez that should be of interest to all our readers. The chair of the Committee is Natacha Seijas. Also on the Committee is Barbara Jordan, Bruno Barreiro, Jose Pepe Diaz, Jean Monestime and Rebeca Sosa. We suggest you watch the meeting to see what happens to these two worth resolutions (they should come up towards the middle of the meeting):

102596 Resolution Carlos A. Gimenez, Prime Sponsor

RESOLUTION CALLING A COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, [ ], 2011, FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE HOME RULE CHARTER SHALL BE AMENDED TO: SPECIFY THE EXCLUSIVE PROCESS, FORM, CONTENT, AND METHOD FOR CERTIFICATION OF CITIZEN INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, RECALL, AND CHARTER AMENDMENT PETITIONS, REPEAL ALL PROVISIONS IN CURRENT ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS THAT REGULATE CITIZEN INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, RECALL, AND CHARTER AMENDMENT PETITIONS, AND PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SHALL NOT ADOPT ANY RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE THAT REGULATES SUCH PETITIONS

102597 Resolution Carlos A. Gimenez, Prime Sponsor

RESOLUTION CALLING A COUNTYWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE ELECTORS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY THE QUESTION OF WHETHER TO AMEND THE HOME RULE CHARTER TO PROVIDE THAT, EFFECTIVE WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER ELECTIONS IN 2012, NO PERSON ELECTED FOR MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE FOUR-YEAR TERMS AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO QUALIFY FOR, NOR SHALL BE ELECTED AS, A COUNTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE NEXT SUCCEEDING TERM

Monday, January 10, 2011

Wynwood Walls

Goldman Properties has been reinventing neighborhoods for 40 years and is a presence in the Wynwood area.

We are going to Wynwood on our bus trip to see the revitalization in progress there. There are over 40 art galleries in the Wynwood Arts District. The new addition is a collection called Wynwood Walls. Goldman Properties has created an area with many decorated wall murals between the Wynwood Kitchen & Bar and Joey's Restaurant on NW 2nd Avenue. Our bus tour will include a tour of the Walls.

One of the elements that makes Wynwood unique are the wall murals all over the area. Some of you may remember an early example on the walls of the building housing the Margulies Collection which bordered I-95.



There are also Art Complexes in Wynwood such as: Artopia, Bakehouse, Inkub8, Mitrani Warehouse, Museo Vault and University of Miami Project Space. There are 6 art studios in the area belonging to A. Dale Nally, Daniela Wicki, Nahila Campos, Sid Hoeltzell and Whale & Star.

We will be stopping also at the prestigious Rubell Family Collection as well as the Wynwood Walls.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Governor Scott names development exec. as top Florida planner

From the Florida Hometown Democracy Group:

St. Joe executive Billy Buzzett has been named Secretary of the Department of Community Affairs. Mr. Buzzett’s claim to fame is the recently constructed $300,000,000 taxpayer funded white elephant airport in the Panhandle. The airport was constructed on 4,000 acres of land donated by St. Joe. (Just like the “Taj Majal” First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee!)

St. Joe’s business model is to develop its vast holdings around the airport. According to a recent report, St. Joe is establishing its new corporate headquarters near the airport’s entrance, and has “said it intends to construct a covered, 300-space off-site parking facility that will offer car washing and detailing.”

In order to get Southwest Airlines to fly into the new airport, St. Joe is covering Southwest’s fuel costs if the carrier fails to break even on ticket purchases during the airport’s first three years of operation. St. Joe has also recently been sued in a number of class action lawsuits by shareholders claiming that St. Joe executives deliberately overvalued land holdings.