WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2010

City Manager Presents Status Of City Affairs

On March 10th, the City of Coral Gables held a Special Commission meeting on the University of Miami campus. City Manager Pat Salerno provided the Commission and those in attendance a briefing on the current status of City affairs. To read the City Manager’s remarks, click here. 

Busy Intersection Is Beautified

As part of a citywide effort to remove asphalt at intersections and replace it with landscaping, the City has made improvements to a small triangular paved property on the southeast corner of LeJeune Road and Ingraham Highway. City crews have worked on this unsightly area at the request of City Manager Pat Salerno who with a fresh perspective realized this intersection was out of character with the rest of the City Beautiful. City workers replaced the asphalt with landscaping and irrigation, and planted climbing vines around the graffiti-prone pole to eventually cover all four sides. The results are quite obvious by looking at the before and after photographs. Other City locations, some of which have been identified by members of the City Commission, are being considered for similar improvements.

BEFORE

AFTER 

Where’s Your Green Today? Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

You must be wearing your best green outfit because today is St. Patrick’s Day. Beginning at 5 p.m. is JohnMartin’s Restaurant and Irish Pub’s St. Patrick’s Day Street Fair with live music along Salzedo Street and Aragon Avenue. The restaurant will feature a traditional St. Patrick's Day menu and Irish beverages. A portion of the proceeds of today’s event benefits the Coral Gables Rotary Club. JohnMartin’s is located at 253 Miracle Mile. For more information, click here. 

Kings Bay Guardhouse To Be Dedicated March 19

The public is invited to attend the plaque unveiling ceremony for the Kings Bay Security Guardhouse on Friday, March 19, at 4:30 p.m. The guardhouse, located just east of S.W. 67th Avenue and Mitchell Drive, was petitioned by the citizens of Coral Gables residing in Kings Bay. The City of Coral Gables administered the project by acting as the General Contractor, resulting in a savings of close to $100,000 to the residents. Funding for this $345,000 project is provided by the Kings Bay Homeowners Association and Miami-Dade County Special Taxing District. Through an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Coral Gables and Miami-Dade County, the county is responsible for the operation of the guardhouse, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

Senior Residents Invited To Annual Luncheon

The City of Coral Gables is inviting seniors 55 years and older to the annual Senior Luncheon on Wednesday, March 24, at the War Memorial Youth Center courtyard, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Guest speaker is Max Rothman, President and CEO of the Alliance for Aging. The event is presented by The Palace Group. Pre-registration for the luncheon is required and space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. The War Memorial Youth Center is located at 405 University Drive. For more information and to pre-register, call the Parks and Recreation Department at 305-460-5609.  

Celebrating Coral Gables Pioneers

The City of Coral Gables and the Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board cordially invite you to attend Pioneer Day on Saturday, March 20 at 10 a.m. Guest speaker Harriet Stiger Liles will talk about the history of the cemetery. The event is a celebration of the early pioneer families featuring presenters dressed in pioneer costumes. The cemetery is the final resting place for more than 200 pioneers from the 1800s and early 1900s, including veterans of the Seminole Indian War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I as well as victims of the 1926 hurricane. The event is free and open to the public. Pinewood Cemetery is located on Erwin Road just south of Sunset Drive. For additional information, contact Historical Resources Department at 305-460-5093.  

Coral Gables Mayor Skydives For The Military

As president of the Florida League of Mayors, Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick leads by example, even when it means parachuting from a plane — 13,500 feet in the air. The Coral Gables Mayor organized the parachute jump of 16 other Mayors from across Florida in support of a community covenant signed February 27, 2010. The local officials committed to build partnerships that support the strength, resilience and readiness of soldiers and their families. After an initial jump cancelation due to bad weather, Mayor Slesnick was caught on camera giving a "thumbs up" on March 1 while skydiving with the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team, before landing safely at Homestead Air Reserve Base.