WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2010

City Saves Thousands Rebuilding
Instead Of Replacing

After years of service keeping Coral Gables’ canals and waterways clean, the City’s Water Witch fell into disrepair. The vessel is used to maintain waterways free of seaweed and debris buildup. It also assists with bridge and channel marker repairs. Some time ago, staff recommended the purchase of a new Water Witch at a cost of approximately $210,000. Although the decision to purchase a new vessel had been made prior to City Manager Pat Salerno coming onboard, he nonetheless asked the new Automotive Director, Steven Riley, to review the purchase. Riley recommended and the Commission approved cancelling the purchase, and rebuilding the current vessel instead of replacing it. Several upgrades were also made to better handle the rigors of a saltwater environment. The final cost of the overhaul was approximately $20,000, a savings to the City of $190,000. Repairs were recently completed and the Water Witch is now in service. The photo below was taken of the newly rebuilt vessel right before being placed back into the water. Its operator says it runs like it is “brand new.” This is just one example of how the City is currently rethinking the way it conducts business.

The city's rebuilt Water Witch

Senior Residents Beware
Of Con Artists Targeting You

Last week, members of the Coral Gables Police Department canvassed the neighborhood bordered by South Dixie Highway, Sunrise Drive, Sunset Road and Red Road to alert senior citizens about con artists targeting this area. Within the last several months, individuals portraying themselves as surveyors, contractors or exterminators or posing as someone attempting to locate a lost dog or a child, have approached homeowners, mostly seniors, and engage them in distracting conversation while an accomplice enters the house and steals their valuables. These criminals will appear to be polite or soft-spoken individuals with bogus photo identification cards, uniforms, and vehicles made to look like government or company vehicles. They also communicate with someone via hand-held radios or cellular phones. Beware of individuals knocking on your door posing as local gas, electric or water department employees seeking to inspect the water pipes and/or to replace the water meter. Others pose as a repair or construction worker wanting to inspect your home or your neighbor’s home. If you encounter any of these situations where you feel pressured in allowing a stranger into your home, please contact the Coral Gables Police Department non-emergency number at 305-442-1600 and allow a police officer to respond to determine whether or not the visitor is legitimate. The Coral Gables Adult Activity Center is organizing a lecture about how seniors can be alerted to fraud. The free lecture is scheduled for Friday, May 21, from noon to 1 p.m. at the University Baptist Church, 624 Anastasia Avenue. For more information, call 305-460-5609.

Technical Assistance Series For Small
And Minority Business Owners Continues

On Tuesday, May 25th, the City of Coral Gables will host the Minority Business Enterprise Center (MBEC) for a workshop followed by office hours counseling available to the local business community.  At the workshop “How to Prepare a Winning Business Plan,” attendees will review the purpose of a business plan, learn the MBEC outline, find out what lenders look for, and get the blueprint for a successful business. During the MBEC office hours, participants can chat one-on-one with a MBEC professional to find out how to become a Certified Minority Business Owner. The MBEC is one of 43 nationally funded programs of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. MBEC’s focus is to assist small businesses, including disadvantaged, women-owned and minority-owned enterprises, by providing them with managerial counseling and technical assistance. Among the services provided include business plan development, marketing research and development, minority and small business enterprise certifications, government and corporate procurement sourcing, construction services, business financial analysis and loan packaging, international trade research and training (import/export), managerial counseling, and entrepreneurship training through seminars and workshops. This free and informative workshop will take place from 12-2 p.m. and will be followed by one-on-one appointments from 2-5 p.m. at the City of Coral Gables Economic Sustainability Department, One Alhambra Plaza, Suite 617. To RSVP for the workshop, contact the City’s Business Development Specialist Jessica Wotherspoon at jwotherspoon@coralgables.com or 305-460-5314. Top schedule a post-workshop one-on-one session, contact the MBEC at 786-316-0888. 

Click It Or Ticket Campaign Saves Lives

If you're one of the few people who still don't buckle a seat belt when driving or riding in a car, truck or SUV, it's going to cost you. The Coral Gables Police Department will be enforcing the Click It or Ticket safety campaign in our roadways from May 24 through June 6 ticketing all those vehicle drivers and passengers who don’t buckle up. During the crackdown, if children under 18 are not properly protected, the driver gets the ticket. The enforcement blitz is aimed at increasing the use of seat belts especially among young people who are less likely to buckle up. The Florida Department of Highway Safety estimates three thousand people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2008. More than 30 percent of them were not wearing a seat belt. The statistics show that one greatly reduces the risk of being killed or seriously injured in an automobile accident if wearing the seat belt. If you need a good reason why you should buckle up, remember that seat belts save lives.

Book Club Is Looking
For More Coral Gables Members

Every Saturday morning, the Next Chapter Book Club at Coral Gables meets from 11 a.m. to noon at Barnes & Noble in Miracle Mile. The club, organized by the Easter Seals of South Florida, is looking for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities interested in reading and learning, making friends, and enjoying a fun moment. Members meet weekly for one hour at Barnes & Noble, 152 Miracle Mile, to read and discuss a book of their choosing. Anyone can participate, no matter their reading or ability level. Trained facilitators guide each group. If you’re interested in participating, contact Trinidad Argüelles at 305-547-4730 or 30-325-0470.