WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009

Coral Gables Delegation Visits Sister City Of Cartagena

Last week, a joint trade mission from Coral Gables visited Cartagena, Colombia, spending two days in high level meetings with business leaders and government officials. Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, along with representatives from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce made the trip to foster new business development opportunities. Cartagena became Coral Gables’ first Sister City when an agreement of cultural and business exchange was established in 1957. While in Cartagena, the Coral Gables delegation visited with the Mayor of Cartagena Judith Pineda, taking the time to commemorate the anniversary of the Cartagena/Coral Gables relationship which has lasted more than 50 years. In addition, members of the business community in Cartagena from important industry sectors such as accounting, architecture, franchising, law, travel and technology met with their American counterparts to create new commercial opportunities. On this trade mission, the Chambers of Commerce’s delegation also spent time in Bogota and Barranquilla. The City of Coral Gables also has sister city relationships with Aix-en-Provence, France; Granada, Spain; La Antigua, Guatemala; Province of Pisa, Italy and Quito, Ecuador.

Montgomery Botanical Center
Celebrates Golden Anniversary

Celebrating 50 years is the Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC), established in Coral Gables in 1959. The Montgomery Botanical Center is the living legacy of Robert and Nell Montgomery, widely known as the founders of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Housed on their 120-acre Coral Gables estate at 11901 Old Cutler Road, the Center includes the largest and finest private collections of palms and cycads in the world. This independent, nonprofit institution is devoted to advancing the science of tropical botany by collecting seeds from wild populations of palms and cycads from around the world and then germinating these seeds in its nursery, resulting in documented, scientific collection of plants. The Center cooperates with many botanical institutions and countries around the world by making its plant collections, knowledge, and expertise available to their scientists, educators, and students. Since 1990, MBC has conducted over 70 research and collecting expeditions, and supported 12 Research Fellows from countries around the world. MBC’s Arthur Montgomery Guesthouse has hosted plant scientists from over 50 countries, while they study the living plant collections. The Montgomery Botanical Center is open to interest groups by appointment only. For more information, click here.  

Celebrate Miami Symphony Orchestra At Biltmore

You’re in for a treat on Sunday, May 3 as the Miami Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 20th anniversary concert series at the Biltmore Hotel. Bring the family for a night of live music beneath the stars, featuring the 40-member orchestra under the direction of conductor Eduardo Marturet. Don’t miss this open air concert at the Biltmore Hotel Courtyard, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, beginning at 4 p.m. The Miami Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1989 by Maestro Manuel Ochoa, has been providing professional classical music experiences to the community for 20 seasons. For more information, click here. 

Celebrate Arbor Day At Riviera Park On May 7

The City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Garden Club cordially invite you to an Annual Arbor Day Celebration and presentation of the Landscape Beautification Awards. The event takes place on Thursday, May 7, beginning at 10 a.m. at Riviera Park, 6611 Yumuri Street. The City of Coral Gables, a Tree City USA for the past 24 consecutive years, celebrates Arbor Day to recognize the importance of planting trees for future generations. City officials and members of the Coral Gables Garden Club will participate in a ceremonial tree planting at Riviera Park. Winners of the Landscape Beautification Awards, selected by the Landscape Beautification Advisory Board, will also be recognized for having the landscaped properties in Coral Gables that best represent the character of the City. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Public Service Department at 305-460-5131. 

Fallen Officers To Be Honored At Police Memorial

Also taking place on Thursday, May 7, is a Police Memorial Ceremony to honor Coral Gables Police officers who have tragically lost their lives in the line of duty. Beginning at 4 p.m. at Merrick Park, across from City Hall, the City of Coral Gables will remember eight officers killed in the line of duty and one who died while on duty. A gun salute and a moment of silence will be observed on police radios as the following nine Coral Gables fallen officers will be remembered: Sgt. Francis Cyril Guest (December 25, 1928); Sgt. Homer Barton (June 5, 1938); Constable Luther T. Hardison (February 17, 1951); Officer Billy Stephens (November 22, 1957); Officer Walter Stathers (December 19, 1967); Officer Robert Dekorte (January 21, 1972); Officer Louis Pena (April 2, 1978); Sgt. Alfred Terrinoni (October 12, 1980); and Officer Robert Bonnet (January 17, 1992). May they rest in peace knowing they will never be forgotten. 

Local Senior Advocate Receives State Award

Congratulations to Norma Lemberg, member of the Coral Gables Senior Citizens Advisory Board for receiving the State of Florida’s C. Colburn Hardy Older Advocate Award. This award is given annually to an outstanding senior Floridian in recognition of their volunteer efforts demonstrating vision, advocacy and leadership regarding the future of Florida's growing aging population. At the age of 91, Norma has devoted her life to better the lives of Florida elders. Since 2003, she has served on the City’s advisory board dedicated to enhance the services of Coral Gables senior citizens. The award was presented on April 22 at the Department of Elder Affairs 2009 Golden Choice Awards held in St. Petersburg, Florida. The award was established in 1998 by the Florida Foundation on Active Aging in honor of C. Colburn Hardy, a long standing member of the Florida Council on aging and active supporter of senior citizen services.  

Get Prescription Discount Card Online

If you haven’t had a chance to get your free prescription discount card, don’t worry. You now have the option of printing a discount card directly from the internet, by clicking here. The City of Coral Gables has launched a new program that offers free prescription drug discount cards to residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC). The discount cards offer residents an average savings of 20 percent off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs. The discount cards may be used by all residents of Coral Gables and have no restrictions based on age, income level, or existing health coverage. You can also pick up the prescription discount cards at Coral Gables City Hall, War Memorial Youth Center, Coral Gables Fire Stations 1, 2 and 3, and the Coral Gables Library. Residents only have to show the discount card when purchasing medication. There is no enrollment form required to get a card, no membership fee of any kind and City residents and their family members can use the card any time their prescription is not covered by insurance. For a complete list of participating pharmacies and more program information, click here.