Miami Gardens Community News Dec 2012 - Jan 2013

Miami Gardens’ 8th annual two-dayJazz in the Gardens music festivalat Sun Life Stadium is proud toannounce its first round of artists.

Earth Wind & Fire, Charlie Wilson, NewEdition, Najee, Mary Mary and RachelleFerrell will take the stage for the March 16and 17..

The City of Miami Gardens is thrilled toannounce UPTOWN Magazine as its present-ing sponsor for the festival, a perfect partner-ship as this popular national brand is known forcelebrating the luxury lifestyle of professionaland influential urban consumers. Nationallysyndicated radio personality Michael Baisden,known for his love of great entertainment, hasjoined the line up as the festival’s host.

Tickets on sale now at www.jazzinthegar-dens.com, the Sun Life Stadium Box Office,www.ticketmaster.com and at Ticketmasterlocations.

Jazz in the Gardens success is attributed tothe list of legends that grace the stage each yearalong with its incredible food, affordable tick-ets and Miami Gardens’ amazing Marchweather. For the past seven years, the festivalhas enjoyed unprecedented growth and hasconsistently delivered increases in attendance.More than 40,000 music lovers from the

Caribbean, United States and all over Floridaattended the 2012 festival.

“This is the 8th yearof Jazz in the Gardensand we’re hitting ourstride. We want to makethis the best entertain-ment experience anyonecould ever attend in theU.S. It’s gonna be an allthe way live weekend,”said Miami GardensMayor Oliver Gilbert..“And with our firstround of performers, I’mvery thrilled with thisshow already and thereare more acts toannounce! Once the fulllineup is revealed, thiswill be the best festivalwe’ve ever had.”

The 2012 Jazz in

the Gardens featured performances from leg-endary artists including Mary J. Blige, JillScott, Patti LaBelle, KEM, Kenny G, DougE Fresh, Kevin Eubanks, Ramsey Lewis andNicole Henry.. Previous years have includedcelebrated artists such as Erykah Badu, JohnLegend, Robin Thicke, the late TeenaMarie, Wyclef, Babyface, Frankie Beverlyand Maze, Chaka Khan, Chrisette Michele,Common, Anthony Hamilton, Ms. LaurynHill, Al Jarreau, Gladys Knight, The IsleyBrothers, EnVogue, Lalah Hathaway,Branford Marsalis and Roy Ayers..

For more information about the 8thAnnual Jazz in the Gardens, please call the gen-eral hotline at (877) 640-5299 or visitwww.jazzinthegardens.com. Like at www.face-book.com/jazzinthegardens, follow @jazzgar-dens and use the Twitter/Instagram hashtag#JIG8.

Sponsorship requests should be directed toRoane Consulting Group at (804) 506-4020 [email protected].

INSIDETHIS

ISSUE• • • • • • • • •

2ND ANNUAL HISTORIC

PRESERVATIONAWARDS

• • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • •

MICHAEL BAISDEN

NEW EDITION

EARTH WIND & FIRE

CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1958

DECEMBER 2012 - JANUARY 2013

Community NewspapersMiami Gardens

PPhhoonnee:: 330055--666699--77335555

All-star lineup of talent to performat ‘Jazz in the Gardens’ in March

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM December 2012/January 2013

Miami Gardens’ 8th annual two-dayJazz in the Gardens music festival at SunLife Stadium is proud to announce as thefestival host, nationally syndicated radiopersonality, Michael Baisden.

Michael Baisden is undeniably one ofthe most influential and engaging person-alities in radio history. His meteoric rise toNo. 1 is redefining radio with the numbersto back it up. The show is nationally syn-dicated and is heard in over 78 marketsnationwide with over eight million loyallisteners daily. His career began when hetook a leap of faith to leave his job drivingtrains in Chicago to self-publish his bookand began touring the country sellingbooks out of the trunk of his car. Baisden,who now has four best-selling books to hiscredit, has hosted two national televisionshows, and has recently produced threefeature films.

“I’m excited to be hosting the 8thAnnual Jazz in the Gardens musicFestival. I had the pleasure of hosting the2011 festival and it was an awesome expe-rience. Each year the event gets bigger andbetter,” stated Michael Baisden. “I’mlooking forward to inviting my listenersfrom around the country and the world tojoin me for two days of food, fun, andincredible music. My goal is to make thisthe most successful Jazz in the Gardensfestival ever!”

Jazz in the Gardens success is attrib-uted to the list of legends that grace thestage each year along with its incrediblefood, affordable tickets and MiamiGardens’ amazing March weather. For thepast seven years, the festival has enjoyedunprecedented growth and has consistent-ly delivered increases in attendance.Nearly 50,000 music lovers from theCaribbean, United States and all overFlorida attended the 2012 festival.

Tickets on sale now at www.jazz-inthegardens.com, the Sun Life StadiumBox Office, www.ticketmaster.com and atTicketmaster locations.

“Baisden is of the premiere radio per-sonalities in the U.S. and a connoisseur ofgood music and great entertainment. It’salways good to have someone with hisreputation, credibility, popularity and lovefor a really good show on our team,” saidMiami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert.

The 2012 “Jazz in the Gardens” fea-tured performances from legendary artistsincluding Mary J. Blige, Jill Scott, PattiLaBelle, KEM, Kenny G, Doug E Fresh,Kevin Eubanks, Ramsey Lewis and

Nicole Henry. Previous years have includ-ed celebrated artists such as Erykah Badu,John Legend, Robin Thicke, the lateTeena Marie, Wyclef, Babyface, FrankieBeverly and Maze, Chaka Khan, ChrisetteMichele, Common, Anthony Hamilton,Ms. Lauryn Hill, Al Jarreau, GladysKnight, The Isley Brothers, EnVogue,Lalah Hathaway, Branford Marsalis andRoy Ayers.

For more information about the 8thAnnual Jazz in the Gardens, please call thegeneral hotline at (877) 640-5299 or visitwww.jazzinthegardens.com. Like at face-book.com/jazzinthegardens, follow @jaz-zgardens and use the Twitter/Instagramhashtag #JIG8. Follow Michael Baisden@baisdenlive / #BaisdenLive and like atwww.facebook.com/michaelbaisdenlive.

Sponsorship requests should bedirected to Roane Consulting Group at(804) 506-4020 or [email protected]. Food and merchandisevendor requests should be sent to [email protected]. All mediainquiries should be directed to Circle ofOne Marketing at (305) 576-3790.

About City of Miami GardensThe City of Miami Gardens was

incorporated on May 13, 2003 as the 33rdcity in Miami-Dade County. At a popula-tion of approximately 110,000, it is thethird largest city in Miami-Dade County.Miami Gardens is a solid, working andmiddle class community of unique diversi-ty. It is the largest predominantly African-American municipality in the State ofFlorida and boasts many Caribbean andHispanic residents. The City hosted the2010 FedEx Orange Bowl, the 2010 NFLPro Bowl™ and Super Bowl XLIV™.This is the second time that the City hashosted the Super Bowl under MayorShirley Gibson’s Leadership. Recentlythe City of Miami Gardens dropped 5places from 35th in crimes being commit-ted in metropolitan areas to 40th in thenation according to CQ Press ofWashington, D.C., who publishes theannual Crime in Metropolitan Americanreport. The City attributes this achieve-ment to its successful implementation ofits own Police Department. To learn moreabout the City of Miami Gardens, go towww.miamigardens-fl.gov.

About Michael BaisdenMichael Baisden is a recognized best-sell-ing author, nationally syndicated radio

personality and TV talk show host. Hishigh-octane energy and love for interact-ing with his listeners is just one reason forthe popularity and success of his numberone rated Michael Baisden Show, which is

broadcast to over seven million listeners inover 76 affiliate stations across the coun-try. Baisden is known for spearheadingthe historic Jena Six March, The MichaelBaisden Foundations 2010 One MillionMentors National Campaign to Save OurKids where he spoke in over 72 citiessigning up mentors and the recent TrayvonMartin awareness campaign. In March,Baisden along with Rev. Al Sharpton helda rally in Stanford, FL to protest the injus-tice over the lack of an arrest in the killingof Martin, a teenager who was just walk-ing home from the store. Over 30,000people attended the rally along with theteenager’s parents and other leaders. Withnearly 2 million books in print, both hardand soft cover, his work blends the perfectcombination of entertainment, humor andsexuality. Michael’s vibrant personalityon and off the air has made him a peoplemagnet He first began attracting attentionwith primarily female followers as anauthor and publisher of the highly success-ful best-selling books: “Men Cry in theDark”, “The Maintenance Man,” “God’sGift to Women” and a hot new book “DoMen Know What They Want.” Baisdenhas released the “Collectors Edition ofMaintenance Man” followed by his sixthbook “Maintenance Man II: Money,Politics & Sex...Everyone Has A Price” one-book and hard cover.

December 2012/January 2013 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM

Michael Baisden, Nationally Syndicated Radio Personality, Signson as Host of the 8th Annual Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival

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Lights On Afterschool is a nationwidecelebration of afterschool programs designedto bring awareness about high-quality after-school and summer learning programs forchildren, youth, families, in local communi-ties.

In recognition of the Lights OnAfterschool, the City of Miami Gardenssponsored an event at the Betty T. FergusonRecreational Complex on October 18th, 2012to call attention to the importance of after-school and summer programs in the City toincrease awareness and support for all com-munity based afterschool and summer men-toring and enrichment programs.

Mayor Oliver Gilbert opened the cele-bration and stressedthe need for the CityCouncil and thecommunity to con-tinue to support sucheducational pro-grams that willimprove the lives ofall students in theCity of MiamiGardens and produceproductive, responsi-ble citizens.

In addition thecelebration includeda performance fromthe Alliance for Musical Arts Youth DrumLine and The Miami Gardens SchoolCrossing Guards presented the “Safety TownU.S.A.” display and provided children I.D.cards with their fingerprints. The MiamiGardens Police Community EnrichmentTeam made a presentation that emphasizedthe importance of stranger danger. TheShining Stars Afterschool Program partici-pants performed skits and presentations forthose in attendance.

The City’s afterschool program is current-ly held at five different sites and has over 125participants. The program is designed to notonly provide a safe environment for the chil-dren but to deliver an educational and reward-ing experience. There are certified teachersthat provide homework assistance and educa-tional guidance along with chess instruction

and recreational activity. The City providestransportation from the schools to the vari-ous sites at a nominal cost.

If you are interested in receiving moreinformation regarding the City’s ShiningStars Afterschool Program, please feel freeto contact the Parks and RecreationDepartment at (305) 622-8080.

Lights on Afterschool


The Miami-Dade County HistoricPreservation Board, for the second consec-utive year, has recognized individuals andorganizations that have been strong advo-cates for historic preservation. Among theeight award recipients acknowledged at theHistoric Preservation Board meeting, theCity of Miami Gardens received the“Excellence in Municipal HistoricPreservation Efforts Award.” Miami-DadeCounty Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez waspresent for the occasion which was held onOctober 17, 2012, at Pinecrest Gardens.Newly elected Councilwoman Lillie Q.Odom and Daniel Rosemond, AssistantCity Manager were present to accept theaward for the City. Jay Marder, the City’sDevelopment Services Director who leadstaff in the City’s historic preservationefforts was unable to attend the presenta-tion.

Shortly after its founding in 2003, Citystaff discovered the City’s legacy of Mid-Century Modernism (MiMo) architectureepitomized by the Sunshine StateInternational Park Arch. The character ofmid-century modern architecture that is

peculiar to South Florida is known as MiMoor Miami Modern(ism). Developer WilliamWebb’s deep appreciation of Florida’s envi-ronmental beauty inspired his vision of theSunshine State International Park as anattractive, environmentally friendly com-merce park rather than a utilitarian metalwarehouse district. A grant from theDepartment of State funded the documenta-tion of all examples of MiMo architecturein the City. That information is available onthe city’s web site under the Planning andZoning Department. In 2005 Randall C.Robinson, co-author of MiMo, MiamiModern Revealed and coiner of the term,“MiMo,” lead the City Council on an edu-cational tour of the industrial park and near-by MiMo houses. At that point the Citygained a new appreciation of its historicheritage, adding to the new city’s identity. All during this time, then city staffer LillieQ. Odom was compiling a series of scrap-books to document the city’s historythrough newspaper articles. In 2007, thenCouncilman Melvin Bratton lead the effortto designate the old two-story farmhouse atthe former Archdiocese property at the cor-

ner of NW 183rd Street and NW 12thAvenue.

In August 2011, the Miami-DadeCounty Historic Preservation Board desig-nated the Sunshine State Industrial ParkArch, the first structure in Miami Gardensto gain historic status. This effort was fullysupported by the Mayor and City Counciland was the first official action to start pre-serving the city’s heritage. The city hasrequested that the County’s HistoricPreservation Office move forward with thepreparation of a historic district nominationfor the rest of the Sunshine State IndustrialPark, which county staff believes to be theonly MiMo style Industrial Park in thecountry.

The County also designated the EnricoFarmhouse in 2012, which the City plans torehabilitate into a local historical museumand community research facility. The Cityof Miami Gardens has embraced historicpreservation as one tool for economic revi-talization as well as a way to preserve ourheritage. Historic preservation enhances thecommunity’s identity, which is a crucialcomponent to improving the quality of lifefor residents. There are also certain saleablefinancial benefits. For example, once theSunshine Park is designated as a historicdistrict, property owners will be eligible toapply for a property tax exemption.Specifically, the owner will be able to apply

for a ten (10) year property tax exemptionfor the value of a new improvement. Thiscan be significant when the property isexpanded or improved for a new tenant.More information about the City’s historicpreservation program is available by con-tacting Jay Marder at 305-622-8025 [email protected].

Miami-Dade County Recognizes the City of Miami Gardens at the 2nd Annual Historic Preservation Awards

The historic Arch of Industry at Sunshine StateInternational Park.

A recent Rose Garden ceremony held by the Miami Gardens Commission for Women at the beautiful EnricoDairy Farmhouse site.

The City would like to encourage res-idents and business owners to keep our Citybeautiful by keeping our storm drainagesystem clean and debris free. The stormwater drainage system in our city helps ourcommunities in many ways. Storm drainsare important and necessary in minimizingflooding in our streets and rights-of-way,treating and trapping pollution that is instormwater runoff, which could hamperdrainage and protect from pollutants. Bypaying attention to and keeping our stormdrains free and clear of debris runoffensures that our drinking water stays cleanand keeps our cost to treat our water low.

Below are some things you can do andavoid with our storm drain systems; to helpus all keep our city clean and green.Do’s• Regularly inspect drainage inlets, parkinglots and open areas. If you see litter ordebris, clean it up before it gets in thedrains• Inspect your local storm drains each May.If you see litter or the drain is clogged, callthe number below to have our PublicWorks Department respond• Use a broom or rake and rake up and dis-pose of vegetation and yard clippings. Leaf

blowers blow this vegetation into ourdrains, which get clogged and stop working• Keep all chemicals away from stormdrains and bodies of water• Keep your swales clean and green throughregular mowing and maintenance• For businesses, store all chemicalsindoors or under cover.Don’ts• Hose down driveways, paved areas orspills as a cleaning practice; sweep updebris and dispose in a trash can• Use leaf blowers to clean sidewalks anddriveways. Vegetation will end up in thestreet, and when it rains, it will all end up inour drains• Place your grass and yard clippings overstorm drains• Clean equipment next to or near stormdrains• Park your cars on swales, or place gravelin swales! Compaction of swales leads toincreased flooding in our neighborhoods.

For more information on our stormdrains, or to report clogged drains, contactthe City’s Floodplain ManagementProgram (Mike Gambino), at 305.622.8039or Email: [email protected].


Residents and businesses:Help Keep Our City Clean and Green!

City of Miami Gardens Staff DirectoryName Department E-mail MainJulie-Ann Smith Asst. to Mayor [email protected] 305-622-8010 Sonja K. Dickens City Attorney [email protected] 305-622-8055 Ronetta Taylor City Clerk [email protected] 305-622-8003 Danny Crew City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8007 Renee Crichton Deputy City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8006 Daniel Rosemond Asst. City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8005 Vernita Nelson Asst. City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8008 Tasha Codner KMGB Director [email protected] 305-622-8009 Sharon Ragoonan Director. Building & Code [email protected] 305-622-8018 Patti Varney Finance Director [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2780 Mike Gabino Flood Plain Administrator [email protected] 305-622-8039 Taren Kinglee Human Resources/ Risk Director [email protected] 305-622-8030 Kara Petty Parks & Recreation Director [email protected] 305-622-8080 Jay Marder Planning & Zoning Director [email protected] 305-622-8025 O. Tom Ruiz Public Works Director [email protected] 305-622-8004Pam Thompson Procurement Manager [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2490 Ula Zucker-Williams Events and Media Coordinator [email protected] 305-622-8035Matthew Boyd Miami Gardens Police Chief 305-474-1400 Hilary Marshall Assistant to Council [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2793

(Vice Mayor Campbell, Davis, D. Williams)Tashek Hamlette Assistant to Council [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2705

(Gilbert, A. Williams, Robinson)Lillie Q. Odom Community Outreach Specialist [email protected] 305622.8000 ext 2760David Motola Fleet Manager [email protected] (305) 622-8024 ext 1


NAME DEPARTMENT E-MAIL MAINLavar Franklin Assistant to Mayor [email protected] (305) 622-8010Sonja K. Dickens City Attorney [email protected] (305) 622-8055Ronetta Taylor City Clerk [email protected] (305) 622-8003Danny Crew City Manager [email protected] (305) 622-8007Daniel Rosemond Assistant City Manager [email protected] (305) 622-8005Vernita Nelson Assistant City Manager [email protected] (305) 622-8008Tsashai Codner KMGB Director [email protected] (305) 622-8009Shellie Ransom Jackson Director Building & Code [email protected] (305) 622-8054Patti Varney Finance Director [email protected] (305) 622-8000 Ext. 2780Mike Gabino Flood Plain Administrator [email protected] (305) 622-8039Taren Kinglee Human Resources/Risk Director [email protected] (305) 622-8030John Rebar Parks & Recreation Director [email protected] (305) 622-8000 Ext. 2528Jay Marder Planning & Zoning Director [email protected] (305) 622-8025O. Tom Ruiz Public Works Director [email protected] (305) 622-8004Pam Thompson Procurement Manager [email protected] (305) 622-8000 Ext. 2490Matthew Boyd Miami Gardens Police Chief (305) 744-1400Hilary Marshall Assistant to Council

(Odom, D. Williams, Mayor Gilbert) [email protected] (305) 622-8000 Ext. 2793Tashek Hamlette Assistant to Council

(Ighodaro, Davis, A. Williams and Robinson) [email protected] (305) 622-8000 Ext. 2705David Motola Fleet Manager [email protected] (305) 622-8024 Ext. 1

City of Miami GardensMayor and Council’s Corner

MayorOliver Gilbert III

CouncilmanDr. Erhabor Ighodaro

(Seat 6)

Vice-MayorLisa C. Davis

(Seat 2)

Councilwoman Felicia S. Robinson

(Seat 4)

CouncilmanRodney Harris

(Seat 3)

CouncilmanDavid Williams, Jr.

(Seat 5)

CouncilwomanLillie Q. Odom

(Seat 1)

To contact your Council representatives, call 305-622-8010.

December 2012 - January 2013 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM

When it was time to purchase newpolice cars for the city, the choice was nolonger the obvious one. For decades theFord Crown Victoria was crowned the bestoverall police car; it could do it all, it wasthe Earvin “Magic” Johnson to basketball.To all you young folk, “Magic” was anoutstanding player for the Lakers whenthey coined the expression “three-peat,” aplayer that could play guard, forward, andcenter not just good but great winningthree championships. Today Ford nolonger makes the Crown Victoria;“Magic” has retired, so we needed to finda new franchise player to crown. EnterKing Lebron “Tahoe” James, a recentlyintroduced Police vehicle that is rugged,priced right, great resale value, and com-manding presence in the “paint” (basket-ball expression, you are tough) for us onthe streets. We didn’t set out to buyTahoe’s. We had every manufacturerdemo their vehicles for us; we looked atvehicles at other police departments. Webasically looked at two things; owner-shipcosts and will the vehicle do the job.Ownership costs, based upon 6 years100,000 miles of service we project that it

will cost less to operate Tahoe’s than othermodels. When it came to attributes, theTahoe was the only vehicle that could doeverything we needed. The Charger is agreat vehicle, but for marked police serv-ice the trunk is extremely small and limit-ed prisoner space with a cage installed.The Caprice is narrow further complicatedwith a floor mounted shifter limiting lap-top space. The new Ford Sedan has a greatlayout and a unique front wheel driveallowes it to pull right on hard accelera-tion. Pulling would be good for NASCARespecially if it was to the left, but forpolice cars it is a problem! Basically youcould say we put every vehicle through athorough assessment center. The franchiseplayer, I mean vehicle was our selection tolead our franchise. We ordered 58 Tahoe’sand hope to have them in service by theend of the first quarter of 2013. Youshould see the reaction on people’s faceswhen we tell them our price consideringwhat they go for new at a Dealership andthey get better fuel economy than theCrown Victoria. I have already been askedto start a list now for people who want tobuy them used when we are done.

Tahoe takes the Crown

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Nissan’s mid-size Altima sedan has beenredesigned for 2013 and the all-new fifthgeneration of the popular family sedan isreally a honey of a car. The interior and exte-rior are completely new with the focus onmore of an upscale look, while, at the sametime, the government’s crash testing of theAltima resulted in a perfect five stars foroverall safety and frontal and side protection.

For 2013, Altima keeps the same basicdimensions as the previous generation, butnew attention to aerodynamic design helpsgive the totally restyled body a more upscaleappearance. More importantly, the newbody features a new front tower strut bracesimilar to those found on sports cars, andadditional rear structural support built intothe rear parcel shelf to enhance structuralrigidity and lateral handling response.

At the same time, overall body weight hasbeen reduced with aluminum hood andbumper reinforcements and greater use ofhigh-tensile steel (more than half the steel in

the body is high-strength steel). The totalvehicle weight has been reduced by about 80pounds.

This latest incarnation of the Altima has anamazing list of new components and changesthat make it a much better automobile. Forexample, while it may look the same, the bodyis lighter, more rigid and cuts a cleaner paththrough the wind. It’s powered by a 2.5-liter,182 hp inline four-cylinder engine that’slighter, stronger, quicker and more fuel-effi-cient than the previous 2.5-liter engine design.The engine is mated to a next-generationXtronic Continuously Variable Transmission(CVT) that introduces a new dimension ofsmooth operation and fuel efficiency.

There’s also a new, refined rear multi-linksuspension that resembles those found inEuropean sports sedans and a hybrid powersteering system that combines the feel of atraditional hydraulic box with the efficiencyof modern electric control.

On the inside, the front seats weredesigned for comfort with inspiration fromouter space technology, and the intuitive 3D-effect information display is easy to view andthe navigation system is never outdated andcontinuously tells you where to go. There’salso a music connection to Pandora to satisfyyour every mood. Even the armrests aremore padded than in most other cars.

Other new wrinkles include a tire pressuremonitoring system that tells you when a tireis low and an advanced RearView Monitorcamera that detects four views and availableBlind Spot Warning (BSW), Lane DepartureWarning (LDW) and Moving ObjectDetection (MOD).

Even the 2013 Altima’s color palette hasbeen expanded, as Storm Blue joins CayenneRed, Pearl White, Java Metallic, Brilliant

Silver, Saharan Stone, Metallic Slate andSuper Black.

Pricing on the new 2013 Nissan Altimastarts at $21,290.

Grant Miller is the publisher ofCommunity Newspapers. He may be con-tacted by calling 305-662-2277 or byaddressing email to<[email protected]>.

CAR CORNER

Grant Miller

2013 Nissan Altima evolves with innovative technology

2013 Nissan Altima has been totally restyled to give the body a more upscale appearance while retaining aero-dynamic design.

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


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When school is out this winter break,the City of Miami Gardens is the place tobe. Children ages 5 to 12 can enjoy theCity’s 2012 Winter Wonderland Camp.The camp activities will thrill and chal-lenge youngsters with a variety of activitiesfrom fitness, movie day, and arts and craftsto recreational games and exciting fieldtrips. This year the children will go to LionCountry Safari and Boomers. The campwill run from December 26, 2012 throughJanuary 4, 2013 from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.at two convenient locations; Miami CarolCity Park Recreation Center, 18500 NW 32Avenue and Scott Park, 17710 NW 15Court. The camp fee is $65.00 for Miami-Dade County residents and $75.00 for non-residents. The fee includes a hot nutrition-al lunch and a healthy afternoon snack.

If you are interested in registeringyour child for the Winter WonderlandCamp, please visit the Parks and RecreationAdministration Office at 1515 N.W. 167Street, Bldg. 6, Suite 300 from 8:00 a.m. to5 p.m. or the Betty T. FergusonRecreational Complex at 3000 N.W. 199Street from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.Registration will require a copy of thischild’s/children’s birth certificate and par-ents picture identification. For more infor-mation, you can contact us at (305) 622-8080.

**A $5.00 non-refundable registration feeis applicable. Camp schedule is subject tochange. No refunds or credits will be madedue to absences.

MIAMI GARDENS WINTER WONDERLAND

DECEMBER 2012DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1111

Miami Gardens Excellence in Education Council

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Council Chambers @ 6:00 p.m.

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1122SSppeecciiaall MMaasstteerr HHeeaarriinngg

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Council Chambers @ 9am – 3pm

JJuunniioorr CCoouunncciill1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Miami Gardens, FL Council Chambers

@ 3:30pm-6pm

CCiittyy CCoouunncciill MMeeeettiinngg1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Miami Gardens, FL Council Chambers @ 7pm

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1133100 Women of Virtue/Council of the

Elders Meeting1515 NW 167th Street, Bldg. 5-200

Miami Gardens, FLCouncil Chambers @ 6:30pm-8:30pm

* Councilman Ighodaro

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1177Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)

Police Department1020 NW 163 Drive

Miami Gardens, FL @ 7pm

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1188Caribbean Affairs Advisory

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Council Chambers @ 6pm

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 1199Elderly Affairs Advisory

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200Conference Room @ 3:00pm-4:30pm

Commission for Women Meeting

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200Conference Room

@ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 2200Nuisance Abatement Board

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Miami Gardens, FL

Council Chambers @ 5pm

Parks & Rec. Advisory1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

City Hall Conference RoomMiami Gardens, FL @ 6:00pm

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 2244CChhrriissttmmaass EEvvee

CITY OFFICES CLOSED

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 2255CChhrriissttmmaass DDaayy

CITY OFFICES CLOSED

DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 2266Special Master Hearing Code Cases


DDEECCEEMMBBEERR 3311

NNeeww YYeeaarr’’ss EEvvee

JANUARY 2013JANUARY 1

New Year’s Day

CITY OFFICES CLOSED

JANUARY 2Zoning Meeting

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Council Chambers @ 7pm

JANUARY 3MLK ORATORICAL APPLICATION

DEADLINE @ 4pm

For more information, please visit www.miamigardensmlk.com

JANUARY 8Miami Gardens Excellence in

Education Council1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Council Chambers @ 6:00 p.m.

JANUARY 9Junior Council

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200Miami Gardens, FL

Council Chambers @ 3:30pm-6pm

City Council Meeting1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200


JANUARY 10100 Women of Virtue/

Council of the Elders Meeting1515 NW 167th Street, Bldg. 5-200

Miami Gardens, FLCouncil Chambers @ 6:30pm-8:30pm

*Councilman Ighodaro

JANUARY 14 Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)

Police Department1020 NW 163 Drive

Miami Gardens, FL @ 7pm

JANUARY 15 Caribbean Affairs Advisory

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 CouncilChambers @ 6pm

JANUARY 16Elderly Affairs Advisory

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200Conference Room @ 3:00pm-4:30pm

Commission for Women Meeting1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Conference Room @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

JANUARY 17 Nuisance Abatement Board

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Miami Gardens, FL

Council Chambers @ 5pm

Parks & Rec. Advisory1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

City Hall Conference RoomMiami Gardens, FL @ 6:00pm

JANUARY 21 MLK Day Celebration

3000 NW 199 StreetBetty T. Ferguson Recreational

Complex @ 12N

CITY OFFICES CLOSED

JANUARY 23Special Master Hearing


Junior Council1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Miami Gardens, FL Council Chambers

@ 3:30p-5:30p

City Council Meeting1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200


Miami Gardens Calendar of EventsDecember 2012/January 2013 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM


Miami Gardens’ property tax rate willdrop in the coming year under a nearly$113 million budget approved by CityCouncil in September. The tax decreaselowers the millage rate from 6.626 mills to6.326 mills. A mill is equal to $1 per $1,000of taxable value. The decrease amounts toa savings of approximately $21 a year for ahouse with a $70,000 taxable value.

In the new fiscal year which beganOctober 1st, officials expect to spend onitems such as debt payments, road paving,

staff salaries and capital projects. Includedin the new budget are 10 additional policeofficers partially funded by a federal grantand replacement vehicles for the City’saging police fleet. Other projects includethe paving of NW 25th Avenue adjacent tothe County Service Center and the con-struction of a pedestrian bridge for schoolchildren across the 42nd Avenue canal at175th Street. This project is funded by a $1million grant from the Florida Departmentof Transportation.

City Cuts Tax Rate for 2013

Crime Rate Drops 33% SincePolice Department Formed

Five years ago, Miami Gardens’ crimewas out of control. As a result, the CityCouncil approved switching from theMiami-Dade County Police to its owndepartment. The new department beganservice on December 16, 2007. In the suc-ceeding four years, the City’s overall Part I(serious) crime rate has fallen by 33%. The

reductions have been across the board, withthe exception of homicide which ahsremained steady. Using Florida Departmentof Law Enforcement [FDLE] statistics for2007 (the last year of County police) and2011 (the end of the fourth year of Citypolice), the table below shows the reduc-tions by category:

City’s Rate Lower than Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando

In conjunction with the above informa-tion, the City also used FDLE data to com-pare the three-year average of crime ratesfor various other local cities. The findingsconfirmed that Miami Gardens now has alower overall crime rate than Miami,Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, PompanoBeach, North Miami, and even St.Petersburg and Orlando.

While homicides and gang activitycontinue to be at the forefront of issues bothlocally and nationally, the City is currently

developing preventive and proactive strate-gies to combat violent crime, particularly asrelated to youthful offenders.

The take over of police services by theCity of Miami Gardens has been a signifi-cant and meaningful step in creating a Citywhere residents can be safe and receiveeffective and efficient service. The numberof officers has notably increased and serv-ice levels have been improved while at thesame time, we have created an increasedlevel of accountability to our residents.


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Fitch Ratings, a New York basedmunicipal credit rating firm, announced inlate September that after a re-review ofMiami Garden’s latest financial numbers, itwas re-affirming it’s 2010 “A” rating of theCity’s City Hall financing and its “A+” rat-ing of the City’s general finances. It alsoissued a “stable” outlook for the future.

Fitch Ratings’ credit ratings provide apublic opinion on the relative ability of anentity to meet its bonded financial commit-ments such as interest and repayment of

principal. Credit ratings are used byinvestors as indications of the likelihood ofreceiving the money owed to them inaccordance with the terms of the City’sbond financing.

Fitch rates cities on a sliding scaleranging from the lowest rating, a “D” to itshighest rating, a “AAA.” Each of these rat-ings are further defined by a “-”or a “+”.Investment grade bonds have a rating of atleast a “BBB.” The higher the rating, thelower the borrowing cost for the city.

Plenty of Bang for the BuckThe Miami Gardens Police Department

BY DR. DANNY O. CREWCity Manager

During the recent budget adoptionprocess, I was asked on several occasionsabout the cost of the City’s police depart-ment; especially as compared to when wewere using the Miami-Dade police depart-ment prior to 2008. There has been a lot ofhearsay concerning this, so I want to set therecord straight. 1) According to the City’s official audit forFY 2007 (the last complete year we usedthe County police), the City paid theCounty $30,483,370 for police services. Atthat time, the County provided 144 sworn

officers working out of the local sub-stationon NW 27th Avenue and provided special-ized services from their Doral headquarters.2) Today, according to the City’s adoptedoperating budget for FY 2013 (Oct. 1, 2012– Sept. 30, 2013), our total net expendituresfor the City’s police department are$29,265,866. This includes 211 sworn offi-cer positions.

So, after five years, the City has 67more police officers than it did under theCounty, and the cost to our taxpayers is$1.2 million less, not to mention that ourresidents no longer have to go to Doral topick up police reports or to recoverimpounded property.

New York’s Fitch Ratings Affirmsthe City’s A+ Credit Rating

This Dog’s for YouThis is Little Wolfie, a young

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and beautiful dog that came from

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gets along well with other dogs,

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when she meets people. Little

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BY PRESTON MICHELSON

On Friday, Nov. 30,

NBA Commissioner

David Stern handed

down a punitive

$250,000 fine to the San

Antonio Spurs for send-

ing superstars Tim

Duncan, Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker

home before a game at the American

Airlines Arena.

Stern believed the “Spurs did a dis-

service to the league and our fans.”

The Spurs did indeed lose the game

against the Heat, but in a nail-biting,

five-point matchup.

Before the game even took place,

Stern promised that he would hand down

“substantial sanctions” for Head Coach

Gregg Popovich’s decision.

Stern would not have been as livid if

this game had not been a nationally tele-

vised matchup. The commissioner val-

ued his relationship with the money-pro-

ducing television executives more than

he did with the head coaches throughout

the league, matching his track record.

David Stern indeed has an obligation

to oversee the happiness of some of the

largest revenue producers that the league

interacts with. He, after all, does manage

the monetary well being of the NBA.

However, disciplining a head coach for

his personnel decision making sets a

dangerous precedent.

What if Popovich believed that his

team had a better chance to win with his

bench players than with his fatigued

starters? If so, his decision would have

been a purely basketball-related one.

Head coaches should not have to factor

in opposing team’s fans and television

deals when making their personnel deci-

sions.

Where does Stern’s control end? If

Popovich had not sent some of his play-

ers home before the game, but merely sat

them on the bench, does Stern still get

upset? I do not believe that he does.

Therefore, Stern is punishing the way in

which Popovich controlled his team, not

the action itself.

Both sides of the argument are logical,

and reasonable minds can disagree.

Because of the Heat’s dynamic pricing

system, tickets to the Spurs game were

the most expensive that they can reach.

The purchase of a ticket entitles the

buyer to the possibility of a competitive

basketball game and, if applicable, the

stars of the visiting team, barring injury.

Heat fans received a competitive basket-

ball game and a win to boot. However,

they did not get a chance to see the

Spurs’ stars on the team’s only visit to

South Florida during the regular season.

The real issue in this dilemma does not

lie within the Heat fans or the television

deals, or the Spurs decision making. The

NBA scheduling necessitates a major

overhaul. The Spurs game against the

Heat was the second half of back-to-back

games, and it was their fifth game in

seven days – all of them away games.

The Heat had played three games in nine

days, and it had been five days since

their last contest.

If Stern values his precious television

deal so much, why not construct the

schedule in a way that would show off

these high-caliber teams when they are at

their best?

Gregg Popovich is exactly the type of

“don’t-care” coach who has the audacity

to do something like this. If Popovich

knows one thing, it is how to manage his

team effectively. After all, the Spurs

have not had a losing month in 13 years.

It’s hard to tell a team that has that kind

of history that they are “doing a disserv-

ice to the league and our fans.” I think

they have earned a little more credit than

that.

Preston Michelson is a senior atPalmer Trinity School where he is thepublic address announcer for all varsitysporting events. Contact him on Twitterat @PrestonMich or by email at<[email protected]>.

David Stern was wrong to fine San Antonio Spurs

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Miami Gardens Community News Dec 2012 - Jan 2013

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Transcript of Miami Gardens Community News Dec 2012 - Jan 2013