PayByPhone parking app coming to Coral Gables

Pay for parking

You can sign up for the PayByPhone by downloading the app for smartphones, go online at www.paybyphone.com, or call 866-990-7275.

Technology has overtaken the parking lot. Starting Nov. 1, Coral Gables will be upgrading from its old parking payment system to a newer PayByPhone technology for 4,200 parking spaces throughout the city.

“The new system is a more suitable way to pay for parking, it is used by a number of cities in our region and provides more services and options for our customers than our existing system,” wrote Maria Rosa Higgins Fallon, public affairs manager for the City of Coral Gables, in an email.

The city initially implemented PayByPhone in 2005, and will upgrade the system to allow access via any smartphone.

The original electronic system required users to pay a monthly fee or hang a tag in their car. Now, you just open the app, enter the space number, select how long you want to park and press enter.

For the less tech-savvy, old-school options remain.

Coin payments will remain available in all metered spaces, and many of the city’s metered parking spaces still accept credit cards, according to Higgins Fallon.

Other cities that have implemented this system include Miami, South Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

A selling point: If you get busy at, say, a musical at Actors’ Playhouse, or run into old friends while having a bite on Miracle Mile, there’s an alternative to rushing back to the meter and carrying pocket-stretching spare change. Hit the app and add more time without having to dash madly to the meter.

“This will help customers avoid parking tickets by providing a method of paying if they have no change for the meters. In addition, you can receive a text alert letting you know when your meter is about to expire,” Higgins Fallon wrote in her email.

Users can continue using the old phone system through Nov. 10, after which they will need to switch the new app.

A dining hall cashier wins her appeal following being fired when a man didn’t pay for breakfast. 1351651060

A free street party is on tap Saturday night with food by Allen Susser, Michelle Bernstein and Norman Van Aken.

The University of Miami’s Momentum2 fundraising campaign continues to make healthy progress toward its $1.6 billion goal, as UM officials announced on Friday that the campaign has just surpassed the $1 billion mark.

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Cutler Bay hires new clerk, talks about budget

Cutler Bay council members hired a new town clerk and talked about their annual budget Thursday night.

The Town Council chose Debra Eastman as successor to interim town clerk Missy Arocha.

Eastman, currently the Islamorada town clerk, has been a clerk for more than 30 years, first in New Hampshire and most recently in Miami Lakes, Surfside and Islamorada.

Interim town manager Rafael Casals worked with Eastman when he was the assistant town manager of Miami Lakes.

“The manager’s office has to work so closely with the town clerk,” Casals said. “It’s great to get someone like Debra that has so many years of experience under her belt.”

Arocha, who recently was named the assistant to Palmetto Bay town clerk Meighan Alexander, will remain with the town as a consultant until Eastman begins in late September or early October, pending final background checks and drug tests.

Next, Casals presented the council a preliminary proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

According to Casals, the proposed budget would take $2.3 million from the town's reserves to cover existing loan payments and the creation of a new high school.

The proposed numbers come out to a $2.7 million increase in the budget from last year. Changes include a $300,000 increase to public works for sidewalk repairs, a $300,000 decrease to the police department and a $50,000 increase to the town clerk’s office, which will provide for livestreaming council meetings.

Casals said police staffing will not be reduced.

The numbers can change later this month when the budget goes before the council for votes.

“This budget is going to include a situation in which we will be dipping into our reserves,” Casals said of the tentative figures. “This budget is a worst case scenario.”

According to Mayor Ed MacDougall, the biggest expenditure in the last year was the high school.

“When we look back at the course of the last six years, it’s unbelievable we haven’t had to go further into our reserves,” MacDougall said. “What I foresee, we’ll see a great improvement.”

The council members brought up raising taxes versus taking out money from the reserves as a topic that will be discussed at September’s hearing.

“Personally, I feel that we can’t take out any more debt,” said council member Peggy Bell. “Anything unnecessary this year I would hope and pray that our fellow council members put away for another year.”

MacDougall did not rule out the possibility of raising taxes to pay for the new school.

“The idea of the time was we want a high school and were willing to pay for it,” he said.

Among the items council members asked to be considered for the budget: LED signs for Old Cutler and Caribbean Boulevards, more programs for seniors, and a founder’s day for the town.

The two budget hearings will be held at 7 p.m. on Sept. 10 and Sept. 24 at Town Hall, 10720 Caribbean Blvd.

Cutler Bay residents must choose a vice mayor and decide on more than a dozen changes to the Town Charter.

Council members cancelled plans for a tax increase, opting to spend more of the town’s savings instead.

Ten years ago, residents voted to incorporate the village of Palmetto Bay. Many positive changes have occurred, including improved quality of life, the sixth-lowest tax rate in Miami-Dade County, a AA bond rating and a $9 million reserve fund. However, it is election time and a new, politically motivated committee is creating an ugly atmosphere.

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Letter: Palmetto Bay recall election would be costly

How to sound off

To submit your letter, email sandron@MiamiHerald.com or write Soapbox, c/o Neighbors, One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132. Fax: 305-376-5287. Letters must address a specific LOCAL issue and must be signed with a name, city or neighborhood, as well as a telephone number for verification purposes. Letters more than 350 words will not be accepted, and writers are limited to one letter every four weeks. Letters will run as space allows and may be edited for length, style and clarity. The deadline for letters is noon Wednesday.

Ten years ago, residents voted to incorporate the village of Palmetto Bay. Many positive changes have occurred, including improved quality of life, the sixth-lowest tax rate in Miami-Dade County, a AA bond rating and a $9 million reserve fund. However, it is election time and a new, politically motivated committee is creating an ugly atmosphere.

The Recall Palmetto Bay 2012 effort is not only counterproductive, but could cost residents approximately $60,000 or more. Ironically, the alleged motivation for the recall is the village spending money to defend itself, yet this group thinks it reasonable to burden residents with $60,000 in recall procedure expenditures. While seeking to place blame squarely on current council members, legal cost relative to Palmer Trinity’s expansion began in 2006 with a different Village Council. The current council voted only once to appeal a court’s decision on Palmer Trinity’s expansion.

How do the three recall committee members justify burdening residents with an expensive recall? We have a mechanism in place to replace council members. If we don’t approve of their performance, we can replace them with our vote. Isn’t the real reason for the recall to help get their candidates elected so that they will have three votes on the council in order to support their development-oriented agenda and try to defeat the neighborhood protection ordinances?

Mayor Shelley Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Brian Pariser and council member Joan Lindsay have consistently provided support to their constituents’ concerns and opinions as expected, not serving the demands of special interests as evidenced by the Palmer Trinity issue. Residents deserve and expect that kind of dedication from their elected officials.

According to the campaign signs displayed in their yards and their close personal associations, the Recall Committee is supporting John Edward Dubois and Jim Araiza. Residents should take a look at candidates’ contributors. This will indicate what is in store for Palmetto Bay should candidates supported by special interest groups win the election. Check the financial reports for Dubois and Araiza on the village’s website (village clerk’s page – 2012 Election, Q1 and Q2). They have significant contributions from Palmer Trinity’s attorneys and charter school developers.

Anthony Gorman, Palmetto Bay

New development must follow rules

Residents have had the opportunity to view plans for a new shopping center on Old Cutler Road at Marlin Drive. The developers have presented their plans at a Concerned Citizens meeting in March and at a zoning hearing just this month. The plans all highlight that the anchor tenant will be a Publix Supermarket.

Yet, in two separate inquiries to Publix, they have denied that they have committed to move into this new location. A separate denial was also made in a letter to Community Newspapers several months ago.

The property that this shopping center is on is only zoned for a 25,000-square-foot building, but the applicants are requesting to build a 54,000-square-foot. “big box” retail building. Without a confirmed commitment from Publix to occupy this store, could we end up with an unwanted tenant occupying that space, or worse, an unoccupied building?

While many in the community welcome a new Publix, the developer’s plans are less then ideal and in no way reflect the vision outlined in the charrette, nor are they reflective of the town’s progressive environmental stance. Instead the applicant wants variances including fewer trees, more lot coverage, and less reflective paving materials in the parking lot. These environmentally unfriendly requests concern me and should concern Publix — the presumed anchor.

If Publix is truly planning to occupy this site, then we ask them to make their commitment clear to the community and our Town Council. We ask them to commit to ensure that this project is more then just another “big box” development and that they insist it is LEED certified or adheres to Florida Green Building Coalition standards.

Our council members should not be persuaded to veer from the community vision for Old Cutler Road, as outlined in the town’s charrette. All parties involved should strive to create a development that is in keeping with the values of the community that they will serve.

Barbara Condon, Cutler Bay

Park manager retires, says thanks

After 36 years of service with Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation, I will be stepping down and retiring at sunset on Sept. 30. I would like to thank the community for allowing me to be a part of your lives and having a positive impact in both at Cutler Ridge Park for 28 years, and now at Southridge Park for 8 years. It has been my pleasure to have taken care of your children. My staff and I have always tried to provide high quality programs. I hope you will continue to use Miami-Dade parks.

It is a very sad time for me, as this job has been my whole life. But now, it is time to step down. I will be remaining in Dade-County, and I hope to run into you all and continue to watch your kids grow into mature adults.

Barbara “Miss Pen” Penrod, Park Manager, Cutler Ridge Park and Southridge Park

Palmetto Bay residents face one of the most contentious local elections in Miami-Dade County this year. 1351273014

Some observers in Palmetto Bay have questioned whether it is legal for a candidate to accept campaign contributions from attorneys who are suing the village. The answer is yes. 1351272050

Palmetto Bay’s new Village Hall Complex achieved the highest rating in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program from the U.S. Green Building Council. 1351281772

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Vive la France: French Week Miami kicks off

Although France is more than 4,500 miles away, South Floridians can savor the handmade croissants and imported wines this month at French Week Miami.

French Week Miami is actually more than a week: It’s a month-long event that showcases French culture and its prevalence in South Florida. It is sponsored by the French-American Chamber of Commerce and is organized in partnership with the Consulate General of France.

In its fifth edition, French Week Miami will showcase aspects of French cuisine, business, culture, and education.

The festival had its kick-off with the Miami-Nice Jazz Festival last weekend.

“By starting off the program with this, people get to see the partnership between Miami and Nice through their fabulous music,” said Nathalie Cluzet-Bertot, a press attaché for the Consulate General of France in Miami.

French Week Miami coincides with the start of French Spice.

French Spice includes 20 restaurants that will all serve a prix fixe menu meant to showcase French food and wine.

“This celebration of French cuisine will attract people’s stomachs and will hopefully be just as successful as the famous Miami Spice,” said Laure McKay, the executive director of French Week Miami.

Restaurants participating in French Spice will offer lunch specials under $20 and dinner specials under $50.

For the first time, five French cafes and bakeries will participate in Café Spice.

Café Spice will show what an authentic French coffee break is with café and croissant or macaron combinations for $4.

The French ambassador to the United States, Francois Delattre, will speak in a luncheon on Thursday at the Atrio in the Conrad Hotel.

He will have an open debate focusing on innovation and its importance in French relations with the United States.

Florida International University will also feature French films throughout the month.

During the Miami Book Fair International, French novelist Marc Levy will speak at a cocktail event.

“Levy represents a novelist that has made it big in both France and the United States,” said Cluzet-Bertot. “His work represents just how widespread the influence of both nations can be when working together.”

The conclusion of French Week will be at Daniel Boulud’s db Bistro Moderne, with the Miami Tower lit in the colors of the French flag – red, white, and blue.

“We like to say French Week is where French business and culture meets, but it is more than that,” said McKay. “It is where French business and culture unites with South Florida to show the importance of being interconnected.”

If you go:

Luncheon with the Ambassador of France to United States

Noon-2 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1, Atrio at the Conrad Hotel Miami, 1395 Brickell Ave.

FACC Members: $50

Non-members: $60

French Film Series at Florida International University

Graham Center at the Maidique Campus, 11200 SW Eighth St.

1:30-2 p.m., Nov.7

12-2 p.m., Nov.8

12-1 p.m., Nov. 14

2 nd French Week Miami Golf Cup

12p.m. Nov.18, Abacoa Golf Club, 105 Barbados Dr.

Entry fee: $120 per player

Guest fee for cocktail: $40 per person

Cocktail with French novelist Marc Levy

6-9 p.m., Nov. 16-18, Nikki Beach, 1 Ocean Dr.

FACC Members: $20

Non-members: $30

French Week Closing Cocktail

6-9 p.m., Nov.29, db Bistro Moderne, 255 Biscayne Blvd Way

FACC Members: $30

Non-members: $40

Jolt Radio, a local online radio station, is throwing a Dia de los Muertos celebration featuring local bands at Churchill’s on Friday.

French Week Miami is a month-long event that showcases French culture and its prevalence in South Florida, including French films, discussions and deals at restaurants and boulangeries.

At 6 p.m. on Nov. 8, hundreds of local residents will commemorate the 74th anniversary of "Kristallnacht," or the Night of Broken Glass, which was considered to be a major turning point in Hitler's campaign to annihilate Jewish people in the early days of World War II.Sponsored by the Holocaust Memorial of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, participants will gather at the Holocaust Memorial at1933-1945 Meridian Ave. in Miami Beach for a program of inspirational addresses, poetry readings and musical performances. Speakers willinclude an eyewitness to "Kristallnacht," as well as Andrew C. Hall, Esq., the first child survivor of the Holocaust to serve as chairmanof the Holocaust Memorial.

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New classrooms and programs to debut Monday at Centennial Middle

When students arrive Monday for classes at Centennial Middle School in South Miami-Dade, they will see many of the traditional trappings of education. There will be long corridors, freshly waxed floors and the echo of new voices in stairwells.

But tucked away on the second and third floors, completed in a matter of months, is something new: A set of rooms that are part classroom, part brainstorming session.

Gone are the traditional, neutral-toned walls and tidy rows of desks. In their place are a giant work area, pained in pink, yellow and green, nooks with cozy furniture and, for the hungry, a kitchen nearby.

It’s part of iPrep, one of three specialized programs within Centennial this year as it opens up and begins its transition from a middle school to a senior high school. This year its students will be seventh- through ninth-graders.

And Centennial’s iPrep is among the dozens of new specializations debuting at various Miami-Dade public schools this year, with focuses ranging from to finance to technology to the arts.

Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho visitied the campus Sunday and called the programs part of the district’s “demand-driven reform,” giving students and parents more choices.

At Centennial, 8601 SW 212th St., students will be in one of three programs, which are called academies.

One is the Centennial Ocean Academy of Science and Technology, also known as COAST, which teaches marine and environmental studies.

The second is Liberal Arts, which focuses on the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.

And the third is iPrep, which takes students outside the traditional classroom using innovative spaces and technology. It encourages independent work, and every student receives a laptop computer to use at school and at home.

The school also is working on certification for its Cambridge Program, a rigorous college-preparation curriculum similar to the International Baccalaureate program, said principal Yamila Carballo.

In the new area, three walls separating classrooms were torn down to create a single working space. It was repainted and fitted with different breakout areas so students can collaborate in whatever way works best. When they get hungry, they can shift over to the iCafe.

Also included in the improvements were renovated traditional classrooms and four new science labs, said Victor Alonso, the school district’s administrative director of design and sustainability.

The changes were made through a partnership of the Miami-Dade school district and town of Cutler Bay. Earlier this year, the town agreed to put about $2.7 million toward Centennial’s renovations and programs.

This year, Centennial gave up its sixth grade to Cutler Ridge Middle School and gained ninth graders. Next year, Centennial will turn over seventh grade to Cutler Ridge and gain 10th graders.

Eventually, the two schools will form one campus covering students from the sixth through 12th grades, with Centennial as the upper school.

Among the school’s first class of ninth-graders is 14-year-old Livan Bec, who will be part of the iPrep program. “I thought it was just a normal school,” Bec said, “Now there’s an exciting high school.”

A man who teaches P.E. at South Dade Senior High is accused of using his barber shop as a front for gambling and drug sales. 1351650278

In recognition of the gift, the nursing school — located at MDC’s Civic Center-area Medical Campus — will be renamed the Benjamin Leon School of Nursing at Miami Dade College.

Miami-Dade got the support of its teachers union just before the deadline. The districts will find out in December if they win any federal money in the competition.

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Dismissed UM dining hall cashier is reinstated by food service firm

After several weeks of student uproar at the University of Miami, the food service provider that dismissed a dining hall cashier after she didn’t charge a customer the required $6.80 breakfast fee has reinstated her.

Betty Asbury, 55, however, won’t be able to return to her post as a cashier at the Hecht/Stanford Dining Hall. Rather, Chartwells, the company in charge of the dining halls and most food service at UM, said she could continue to work in the dining hall but not handle cash. Her re-employment begins Wednesday.

Chartwells dismissed Asbury on Oct. 10, which she said was the day after a man walked past her without paying $6.80, the fee for breakfast. Asbury said she didn’t see the man because she was ringing up the customer who walked in with him.

On Oct. 22, Chartwells sent corporate human resource personnel from Naples to review her dismissal.

According to the results of the termination appeal finding, Asbury will not be allowed to handle cash and will be put on “final progressive counseling,” which functions as a final warning.

“I’m going back to work in fear,” Asbury said Tuesday. “You think they’re still going to treat me fairly? I don’t believe so. I still ain’t going to have a voice.”

Though Asbury will be given another job with similar hours and back pay for her time out of work, Chartwells released a statement Monday saying the original dismissal was warranted.

“A thorough review has been completed, and Chartwells has concluded that while the original dismissal decision was appropriate, after careful consideration of all aspects of Ms. Asbury’s work record, she will be given the opportunity for continued employment within campus dining services,” the statement read.

Asbury said she has never been written up in the past, and in August, her pay increased to $9.58 an hour.

Many, including Asbury, believe the original dismissal was linked to her involvement in the push for a Chartwells union at UM.

Philipp Schwind, a UM philosophy graduate student who started the petition on change.org, said Tuesday that companies are likely to respond negatively to workers they suspect are involved in union activity.

“Betty stood up for the union, and she got treated in a way that was clearly unfair,” he said. “What does that mean? Nobody can prove that it was for this reason, but I think if you approach this issue with open eyes, you can see that connection.”

Patricia Whitely, UM vice president for student affairs, called a meeting Monday about the results of the investigation. Among those in attendance was Joe Natoli, UM senior vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer.

“From the university administration standpoint, we are pleased that the appeals process seems to have worked as it should,” Natoli said in the meeting.

Although Asbury has mixed emotions about her return to work, she is glad to see a steady income again. She believes this would have not have been possible without student support.

STAND, an activist organization on campus, hosted events throughout the week to rally students.

“If the students, the community and STAND weren’t behind me, they wouldn’t have reinstated me,” Asbury said. “I can’t be heard at Chartwells, but I can be heard in the community.”

A dining hall cashier wins her appeal following being fired when a man didn’t pay for breakfast. 1351651060

A free street party is on tap Saturday night with food by Allen Susser, Michelle Bernstein and Norman Van Aken.

The University of Miami’s Momentum2 fundraising campaign continues to make healthy progress toward its $1.6 billion goal, as UM officials announced on Friday that the campaign has just surpassed the $1 billion mark.

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UM fundraiser hits $1 billion mark

The University of Miami’s Momentum2 fundraising campaign continues to make healthy progress toward its $1.6 billion goal, as UM officials announced on Friday that the campaign has just surpassed the $1 billion mark.

After a period of silent fundraising, UM publicly announced its new campaign in February.

At that point, the university had secured $906 million in donations. The school hopes to hit its $1.6 billion goal by 2016. The money raised will go to a variety of initiatives, including student scholarships, endowed professorships, and construction/renovation of university buildings.

- MICHAEL VASQUEZ

The University of Miami’s Momentum2 fundraising campaign continues to make healthy progress toward its $1.6 billion goal, as UM officials announced on Friday that the campaign has just surpassed the $1 billion mark. 1351594983

The State Farm Celebrity Music Teacher for a Day, Gustavo Galindo, visited South Miami High School to help raise awareness about teen driver safety through musical education. Galindo gave a motivational speech to students and a live performance.

The state award recognizes school leaders who use data in innovative ways to improve student performance.

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