Wednesday, November 3, 2004
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CONTENTS:More public hearings for Zoning Code rewrite
City to launch "Park & Pay by Cellphone" Program in January
City to fund $175,000 to local cultural arts
City delegation visits Granada, Spain
Charter Review Committee meets again in November
Cibao Park now named Rotary Centennial Park
Town Hall meeting with School Superintendent
regarding Gables schools
Celebrate Pioneer Day 2004
Coral Gables High School hosts garage sale and bazaar
Coral Gables Elementary presents Music in the Gables concert
Multi-cultural World Music Festival comes to the Gables
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More public hearings for Zoning Code rewrite >>> November 10 and 17th are the next scheduled public hearings where interested parties can provide comments or ask questions regarding the Zoning Code rewrite. The first date will focus on residential, commercial and mixed-use districts, followed by discussion of development standards on the 17th. The review/hearings will be conducted in the City Hall Commission Chambers, Second Floor, at 4 p.m. with informal study sessions beginning an hour earlier at 3 p.m. The revised Code is available at www.coralgables.com. Comments can be submitted via e-mail to rewritecomments@coralgables.com, regular mail, or fax at 305-460-5327. For a video clip that explains why the City is taking this important endeavor, click here.
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City to launch "Park & Pay by Cellphone" Program in January >>> Starting in January of 2005, residents and visitors of the City Beautiful will have a more convenient way of paying for parking - through the use of cell phones. This park-and-pay by cellular phone in all on-street and off-street parking locations operated by the City is the first of its kind program in North America. Consumers will be able to call a posted telephone number from a mobile phone to start a parking session and do the same to end the session. The program calculates the appropriate parking charges based on the total elapsed transaction time and the cost is charged against the customer's credit card. This simple, easy, and convenient way for Coral Gables residents and visitors to pay for parking, is also easy for municipalities to enforce with greater compliance, reduced costs and increased user satisfaction. For more information call 305-460-5541.
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City to fund $175,000 to local cultural arts >>> Forty-four arts groups will receive cultural grant funding from the City of Coral Gables ranging from $500 to $13,000 for cultural development, special events, festivals and community projects. Among the cultural groups that will receive monies totaling $175,000 for this fiscal year are the New Theatre/Teatro Nuevo, GableStage, Fairchild Tropical Garden, Lowe Art Museum, Actor's Playhouse and Centro Cultural Espaņol. The City will also provide funding for festivals and special events produced by the Miami Bach Society, Teatro Avante, Coral Gables Congregational Church, City Theatre, Friends of Chamber Music of Miami, among others. Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library, Merrick Festival, are also among the grant recipients for sponsoring community projects that foster the arts in the City Beautiful.
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City delegation visits Granada, Spain >>> Last week, a delegation from the City of Coral Gables, which included Mayor Don Slesnick, visited Granada, Spain as part of a 40-year old Sister City program. The delegation of City and community leaders, who paid for their own travel and expenses, were there to promote business and cultural exchange between the European city and Coral Gables, linked in many ways through their history, culture, and architecture. Coral Gables has similar Sister Cities relationships with Aix-en-Provence, France; Pisa, Italy; La Antigua, Guatemala; Cartagena, Colombia, and Quito, Ecuador.
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Charter Review Committee meets again in November >>> The Charter Review Committee will meet on Monday, November 29, 5:30 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of City Hall to further discuss the proposed changes to the Charter of the City. The meeting is open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend. For more information call 305-460-5207.
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Cibao Park now named Rotary Centennial Park >>> Cibao Park, located at 512 Ponce de Leon Boulevard in North Gables, has changed its name to Rotary Centennial Park, in honor of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables and the Rotary International's 100th Anniversary. The local Rotary Club will provide funding and in-kind contribution toward landscaping and maintenance of the park. The City of Coral Gables is grateful for the partnership of the Rotary Club toward enhancing and improving our local parks.
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Town Hall meeting with School Superintendent regarding Gables schools >>> Today, Wednesday, November 3, from 7-8:30 p.m., parents from schools in the Coral Gables area can meet with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rudy Crew at a town hall meeting in the auditorium of Booker T. Washington High School, 1200 N.W. Sixth Avenue, to hear plans for improving schools. Senior district staff will assist in open-mike questions regarding North Central Area schools which include Coral Gables Elementary, Coral Gables High School, Ponce de Leon Middle, Carver Elementary and Carver Middle. For information call 305-324-8900.
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Celebrate Pioneer Day 2004 >>> The City of Coral Gables and the Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board will host Pioneer Day 2004, a celebration of the oldest cemetery south of the Miami River. The event takes place on Saturday, November 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Pinewood Cemetery located at Erwin Road just south of Sunset Drive. Pioneer Day will include a tour of the historic Pinewood Cemetery and will feature presenters in pioneer costumes and guest speaker, historian Harriet Liles. This event is free and open to the public. For information call 305-460-5093.
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Coral Gables High School hosts garage sale and bazaar >>> Donate useable items for a good cause and join the Coral Gables High School staff and students as they host a garage sale and craft bazaar on Saturday, November 13, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 450 Bird Road. The bazaar will feature an array of vendors displaying handmade items, as well as a student-run carwash between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Community donations will also be accepted at the Coral Gables High School cafeteria on November 12, from 3-8 p.m. All items not sold will be given to charity. For information call 305-443-8535.
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Coral Gables Elementary presents Music in the Gables concert >>> Join the Coral Gables Elementary School PTA as they feature local young musicians in an ongoing concert series. Music in the Gables is a non-for-profit event that will showcase the musical talents of local students of all ages throughout South Florida. All proceeds from the concert will benefit music programs at inner city schools in Miami-Dade County. The first event will be held at the Coral Gables Elementary School Auditorium, 105 Minorca Avenue, on Thursday, November 18, at 7 p.m. Admission is $7 adults and $3 for children under the age of 16. For information call 305-448-1731.
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Multi-cultural World Music Festival comes to the Gables >>> From November 3-6, the City of Coral Gables will be the site of the Mantra International World Music Festival. The multicultural and international music festival will be a celebration of music, art, and film, featuring five world music bands, art exhibits/sales, food and drinks, and free educational workshops for families. The event takes place at Books & Books, located at 265 Aragon Avenue. For information call 305-576-6882.
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