WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2009

Next Week Is Back To School

Next Monday, thousands of children from Miami-Dade County will go back to school eager to learn and share their knowledge with classmates and teachers. As the new 2009-2010 school year begins, parents of school-aged children also begin another daunting experience trying to learn more about the elementary, middle or high school institutions located in Coral Gables. To make this experience more productive and enjoyable, Coral Gables Television, in cooperation with the Miami-Dade County Public School System, has produced a comprehensive video called “Our Gables: Our Schools.” This program takes an inside look at all the public institutions located in Coral Gables and explains why they have been recognized for their scholastic achievements. This video is also good to watch if you’re thinking of moving to Coral Gables and need more information about where your children can attend school. To view “Our Gables: Our Schools,” click here for the first segment and here for the second segment. And remember to slow down while driving around school zones and to obey the posted speed limits.  

Trolleys Offer New Options For Advertisers

The ubiquitous Coral Gables Trolley, with its classic design and trademark green, gold and red colors, is now carrying more than just passengers along downtown Coral Gables. The trolleys and trolley stops are now being used as methods of advertising for businesses. All trolley vehicles are now equipped with flat-screen monitors, which carry content and ads produced by Trolinet, a local company that produces visual advertising, public service announcements, and content accenting points of interest in Coral Gables. At any given time, there are eight trolleys travelling along the Ponce de Leon Boulevard route. An advertisement will air on each of the trolleys about 720 times per day. With trolley ridership reaching an all time high of 6,000 riders per day, this exceeds radio and television rotation by a considerable margin. Businesses located along the trolley route can also take advantage of the option to showcase a business logo on the trolley stop signs. Each trolley stop is marked with an assigned number, street name, and four circular logos. To find out more information about these advertising options, contact Trolinet at 305-447-2262.  

Citizens Crime Watch Offers Invaluable Service

During times of economic hardship, crime rates often show an alarming increase nationwide. Thankfully, the Coral Gables Police Department is doing a good job in keeping those statistics down in our city. Another organization that also works hard to promote a safer community through education is the Coral Gables Citizens Crime Watch. This group provides resourceful information to neighborhoods concerned about the safety of their surroundings. Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., Crime Watch representatives are available to provide a one-hour presentation to a group of neighbors interested in knowing more about protecting their homes and possessions and from becoming another crime statistic. By arranging a crime watch meeting, residents as well as businesses can find out about receiving, at no charge, a valuable home or business security check, how to register your home for additional patrolling while you’re away, how to check police reports online to be aware of activity in your neighborhood, and how to participate in the DataDot program. This latest service, also available for free to Coral Gables residents, consists of micro-dots, the size of a grain of sand, applicable onto any valuable possession such as jewelry, electronics and even vehicles as a unique DNA that can later be identified if those items are stolen. The Coral Gables Crime Watch also offers other important public safety information such as fire prevention and free batteries for smoke detectors. To organize a Citizens Crime Watch meeting in your area, please contact the organization’s Executive Director Pat Kiel at 305-441-5760. 

Venetian Aquatic Club Celebrates 50 Years

What started half a century ago with a group of stay-at-home moms looking to do a good deed has grown into a well-greased volunteer organization of about 125 people dedicated to teaching water safety. The Venetian Aquatic Club was formed in 1959 as a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching swimming classes to children and adults at the beautiful and historic Venetian Pool. The certified volunteer instructors give swimming classes throughout the summer, offering a great benefit to the community. Swimming lessons for children and adults of all skills and levels are offered every year during the day and night from June through August. One volunteer that has been there since the beginning is Jean Roth, a golden resident herself who has faithfully given her free time for 50 years to teach children how to swim. Congratulations to her and to all the members of the Venetian Aquatic Club for making water safety a high priority in this community. 

Retired Fire-Resistant Suits Get Second Life

Coral Gables Sister City of La Antigua, Guatemala received a practical donation from the City of Coral Gables that will be put to good use in this Central American municipality. Fifteen retired fire- resistant suits were presented to La Antigua’s mayor Dr. Adolfo Vivar for the benefit of their firefighters whom are mostly volunteers. The Guatemalan firefighters are in charge of rescue and fire prevention for a population of nearly 40,000 residents. These fire suits will replace the old and worn out suits that La Antigua firefighters have been using. A message of gratitude was sent to the City of Coral Gables and its residents for lending a helping hand, even in these times of economic crisis. Coral Gables and La Antigua share a close sister city relationship since 1993.  Most recently, a six-member delegation from La Antigua visited Coral Gables in June to promote cultural and business exchanges between these two cities.   

City To Offer Free CPR Courses

Beginning next month, the City of Coral Gables will offer an American Heart Association CPR certification course for those interested in knowing how to perform life-saving skills. The course will also teach how to use the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) which is now required in certain large public buildings in Coral Gables. The educational program is made possible through a generous grant from Tenet Healthcare Foundation and Coral Gables Hospital. The three-hour courses begin on Monday, September 14. Subsequent classes will be offered the first Monday of each month, from 9 a.m. until noon, at Fire Station 3 located at 11911 Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables. After completion of the course, a CPR/AED certification card, valid for two years, will be issued. For course information, please contact Laura Rodriguez, Coral Gables Fire Department Public Education Specialist at 305-460-5576 or via e-mail at lrodriguez@coralgables.com. 

Enter Biltmore Images For National Photo Contest

Did you know that the Biltmore Hotel is a National Historic Landmark? If you like to take photos of the Biltmore’s beautiful architecture, then consider entering in the Tenth Annual National Historic Landmarks (NHL) Photo Contest. The National Park Service is sponsoring this photo contest and the winning entries will appear in next year’s NHL Calendar. To participate, submit a photograph of the Biltmore Hotel to help ensure that our region is well represented. Entries must be received by September 4, 2009. For more information, click here.  

Save On Gas, Help The Environment

With the national price of gasoline being around $2.65, the automotive experts of the City of Coral Gables want you to save on gas and help the environment. The following list of tips will help you improve the fuel consumption of any vehicle:

• Don’t stop and start the engine unnecessarily; idling for 30 seconds uses the same amount of fuel than starting the engine;
• Don’t idle the vehicle for more than one minute for cars and three minutes for trucks;
• Don’t speed: whenever possible travel at 55 MPH to get the best mileage possible;
• Don’t travel fast or far in low gears. Change up as soon as possible but don’t let the engine bog down;
• Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds as it reduces drag;
• Drive steadily. Don’t slow down and then speed up as this wastes fuel;
• While driving, don’t rest the left foot on the brake or the clutch pedals as this causes a mechanical drag causing premature wear and fuel usage;
• When stopped for train crossings, a long stop light, or if you’re stuck in traffic, place the transmission in neutral. This eliminates the internal drag in the transmission reducing wear and fuel usage;