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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Cutler Bay Vice Mayor faces reelection challenge

Ernest N. Sochin (incumbent)

• Age: 76

• Occupation: Sales manager at Master Distributors, a national electronics distribution company.

• Education: Associate’s degree in electronic engineering, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston.

• Other: Former president of Whispering Pines Civic Association.

Ed Wolmers

• Age: 50

• Occupation: Owner of American Lenders Service Company of Miami, a towing and recovery company.

• Education: Associate’s degree in electronics engineering, National Education Center.

• Other: Member of original Cutler Bay charter committee and Cutler Bay charter revision committee.

Cutler Bay Vice Mayor Ernie Sochin faces a challenge from activist Ed Wolmers in the town’s Nov. 6 election.

The vice mayor’s race will be the only one on the town ballot. Council member Sue Ellen Loyzelle was automatically reelected because no one ran against her. The other three council seats don’t expire until 2014.

The vice mayor’s salary is $604.67 per month.

Sochin, 76, is a sales manager at Master Distributors, a national electronics distribution company. He has served on the Town Council since Cutler Bay incorporated in 2006. He represented Seat 2 on the council until 2008, when he became vice mayor. If he is reelected, he will have to leave the council when his term expires in 2016 because of term limits.

Wolmers, 50, a Cutler Bay resident since 1997, owns a franchise of a national towing and recovery business called American Lenders Service Co. of Miami. Although he was against incorporation, he is an active community member who served on the original town charter committee during incorporation and on the charter revision commission from late 2011 to mid-2012.

This is not Wolmers’ first campaign for a seat on the Town Council. In 2010 he ran against current mayor Ed MacDougall and in 2006 he ran for a seat on the council after incorporation.

In his bid for reelection, Sochin said the most important issues are education and what he calls “new urbanism.” To him, this means integrating more stores and recreational facilities into residential areas, specifically along Old Cutler Road.

“I love the idea of people being able to live and play and work in their own hometown without having to drive away,” Sochin said.

He also plans to get community businesses, such as the local Mercedes dealership, involved with high school students to offer apprenticeships for those willing to learn a trade.

“There are jobs but not people prepared to fill them,” Sochin said.

Wolmers said he wants to improve transparency and communication between the Town Council and the community.

“The council has the responsibility to respond to the community,” he said. “What can I do differently? Honestly, just stand up and fight for the people.”

Wolmers said he is running against Sochin because he believes he can play a more active role on the council.

“In the last year, I felt that he’s been asleep at the wheel,” Wolmers said. “He has not been 100 percent awake and fought for the people.”

He said he would also make it a priority to prevent bickering amongst council members and maintain decorum at meetings.

Background checks revealed little of note for either candidate, except Wolmers filed for bankruptcy protection in 1999 and was discharged three months later. Wolmers said the bankruptcy came after a long struggle with finances that were sparked by a 1991 boating accident that claimed the lives of his daughter and niece, both 4, and his 28-year-old brother.

Financial reports show that Sochin has raised $10,736 in contributions, $5,000 of which he loaned himself. Wolmers has raised $300, $200 of which he loaned himself.

Wolmers said he is not seeking contributions from residents due to the state of the economy.

“People are hurting right now,” he said.

A series of amendments to the town charter — the town’s constitution — have been proposed by the town’s Charter Revision Commission and will be included on the Nov. 6 ballot. Voters will be asked whether to:

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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Cutler Bay drops plans for tax hike

Cutler Bay residents will not see an increase in their property tax rate next year.

Town council members decided in a 4-1 vote to keep the tax rate the same as it was this year: $2.57 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

Under the current rate, the owner of a typical home with an assessed value of $115,000, taking the standard $50,000 homestead exemption, pays about $167.20 in property taxes per year. The council initially voted for a tentative rate of $2.80 for every $1,000 of assessed property value, on Sept. 10, but decided against the higher rate at Monday’s meeting.

Longtime homeowners can still expect a 3 percent higher tax bill due to increased assessed home values, however.

With the $2.57 tax rate, the town will have to plan to take an extra $372,000 from its savings account to balance the budget. This means a total planned dip of $2.1 million into the town’s reserves for next year.

Initially, most council members expressed concern over taking money out of the reserves.

“Things cost money,” council member Mary Ann Mixon said. “I’m all for not raising taxes. I want to give the public what they want, but I’m struggling about where it’s going to come from.”

Mayor Ed MacDougall and council member Sue Ellen Loyzelle echoed her thoughts, with Loyzelle saying: “I’m very nervous about dipping into the reserves.”

Council member Peggy Bell and Vice Mayor Ernie Sochin argued against a tax increase.

“I feel very comfortable staying at the existing rate,” Sochin said. “There’s no real danger in not raising taxes.”

In the end, only council member Loyzelle voted against keeping the tax rate flat. She had expressed concern about dipping into the reserves.

Interim town manager Rafael Casals said the town may not need to take as much money out of the reserves as budgeted.

“Historically, we don’t get to that number because we tighten our belt throughout the year,” Casals said.

Even if the town did take the full $2.1 million out of the reserves, it would be left with $13 million, which Casals said is about 74 percent of the town’s yearly expenses.

The Government Finance Officers Association says a healthy savings account should reach about 10-15 percent, Casals said.

“We’re super healthy because our reserves go well beyond that,” he said.

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.

View the original article here

Town Council OK’s smaller-than-advertised tax hike

Taxes may be going up in Cutler Bay, but not as much as initially proposed.

The Cutler Bay Town Council on Monday tentatively approved a tax rate of $2.80 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. That’s down from the $2.93 recommended by interim town manager Rafael Casals, but still an increase of about 9 percent from this year’s rate of $2.57.

With this increase, the owner of a typical home with an assessed value of $115,000, taking the standard $50,000 homestead exemption, would pay $192, an increase of $25. Under Casal’s original plan, the increase would have been $34. That assumes a home whose assessed value increased by 3 percent.

The new tentative tax rate would bring in an additional $372,000 in revenue for the town, Casals said.

The tax increase required four of the five council members to approve. Casals’ original proposal was defeated when council member Peggy Bell and Vice Mayor Ernie Sochin voted no.

“I feel that an increase in taxes will hurt our seniors, will hurt our working families, and will hurt those living on the edge,” said council member Peggy Bell.

But Mayor Ed MacDougall said town residents are willing to pay more because the budget includes money for a new high school — something the community has long sought.

“The biggest line item is the education of our kids, and there’s a price to pay for that,” he said.

The budget includes about $2.7 million to help the county school board add high school grades at Centennial Middle School starting this year. The town had previously been zoned for Southridge High School.

Eventually, the council agreed to the smaller tax hike, with only Sochin dissenting.

The council also approved the proposed budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which accounts for $53.3 million in expenses.

One significant change from last year is a decrease in the police budget. This year the town allocated $170,000 for the one-time purchase of police cars, but the town is not planning to purchase new cars next year.

“There are no reductions in police staff,” Casals said.

Council members also decided to delay the start of principal payments on Town Hall and the building next door for another two years. According to Casals, this will save the town $882,000 for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

With this new savings, the town has planned a $1.7 million dip into its reserves, instead of the previously budgeted $2.3 million. This money will be used to cover the payment made for the town’s new high school.

This dip estimates that $13.5 million will remain in the bank, but Casals said the actual number could be higher.

“If staff continues to tighten the belt as it’s done before, we may not even reach that number,” he said.

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.

View the original article here

University of Miami’s Richter Library celebrates its 50th

Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy, still smarting from the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion that aimed to overthrow the Castro administration, had just about 13 months left to live. Superstars Barbra Streisand, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and Dionne Warwick all began their recording careers. And a major library was born on the Coral Gables campus of the University of Miami.

Over the years, the school’s Otto G. Richter Library, built for $3 million, has grown into one of Florida’s largest repositories for some of the region’s most significant collections of memorabilia and history. The Pan Am airline collection soars here. The departed Orange Bowl is documenting every step of the way. The Charles Deering and Marjory Stoneman Douglas collections afford visitors and researchers a tantalizing look into South Florida’s history.

Additionally, the Cuban Heritage Collection on the library’s second floor gathers more than 50,000 books, periodicals, photographs and newspapers from colonial times to the present.

Friday evening, the 50th anniversary of the 1962 dedication was celebrated at an invitation-only event before more than 150 UM dignitaries, donors and alumni.

The group included humorist Dave Barry, who, upon learning from UM President Donna Shalala that the library was students’ favorite hot spot on campus, theorized “that’s because of the free heroin program.” Barry quickly corrected the misinformation. “It’s crack,” he said.

Barry, 65, who contributes columns for The Miami Herald, sat for an interview session conducted by Shalala. On the eve before polls opened for the 2012 presidential election, they discussed very important world matters.

Barry, at Shalala’s questioning, opined on why he didn’t much like Neil Diamond’s 1971 hit song, I Am...I Said , and how that viewpoint triggered a firestorm with Herald readers. (“They say people don’t care about issues.”) He talked about the futility of using explosives to remove a rotting beached whale off the storm-tossed coast of Oregon — makes quite a mess, for one thing.

What any of these discussions had to do with the celebration of the library’s silver anniversary is a mystery Barry might have to unravel in a future column. But the funny man was an inspired choice for the occasion, said Cristina Favretto, head of special collections for the Richter Library: “We wanted to bring a speaker who was a Miami person who has written about Miami and who could engage with President Shalala. What can be better than someone who is smart and who cares about the city and where it’s been and where it’s going?”

The Richter has become a resource for the community, researchers and producers who want to find out about South Florida’s past and potential future.

“We’re used by students’ classes every week as they are learning about a variety of topics. One might be looking at Latin text, rare books from the early 1500s, then, next week, a class might look at our Haitian Women of Miami Collection,” Favretto said, adding that the Pan Am Collection is one of the most popular draws. This was especially the case last year when producers of the defunct ABC series Pan Am called on the Richter’s staff to authenticate images they planned to replicate on television.

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.

View the original article here

Books & Books turns 30 and the party’s on them

More information

If you go

What: Thank You South Florida Readers & Writers Party, 30th anniversary celebration for Books & Books

Where: Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables

When: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, children and family activities; 7-9 p.m. street party with food by celeb chefs, drinks on the house and live music

Information: http://www.booksandbooks.com/

As major book sellers struggle to compete with online retailers and a readership gone digital, one local chain celebrates its 30th anniversary this weekend with the zest of a page-turner.

Books & Books, founded in 1982 by Miami Beach native Mitchell Kaplan, a former English teacher at Southridge High with a jones for literature, remains a regular must-visit for presidents to promote their memoirs, for basketball stars to press the flesh with fans, and for creative thinking in an industry beset by numerous challenges.

Books & Books has gone into publishing, and continues as the official bookseller behind, arguably, the biggest book fair in the country — the annual Miami Book Fair International.

Books & Books’ anniversary celebration this week includes a street party Saturday night in front of the flagship store on Aragon Avenue in Coral Gables complete with food provided by celebrity chefs, including Allen Susser, Michelle Bernstein and Norman Van Aken.

Kaplan couldn’t predict 30 years ago that Books & Books would outgrow its original location in the Gables and survive 30 years later. But there was no other path for him. Books & Books, quite simply, had to succeed.

“I made a decision early on to be in the book business because I love literary culture and all its aspects,” Kaplan says “I never thought of moving on to anything else so long as we are able to survive and the community supports us. So 30 years, in retrospect, makes sense.”

Kaplan acknowledges the challenges facing the book industry are immense.

In fact, just as Kaplan pondered his 30th, two industry publishing giants, Random House and Penguin, announced a merger. Books & Books, however, has grown to include stores in Miami Beach on Lincoln Road Mall, Bal Harbour Shops, Fort Lauderdale’s Museum of Art, Miami International Airport and licensed branches in Grand Cayman, Bahamas, and New York’s Westhampton Beach.

“The fact we have survived 30 years is a testament to the literary community in Miami, to our readers and writers, and the fact they support us,” says Kaplan, who has ventured into filmmaking as well.

Some of Kaplan’s favorite memories:

•  Isaac Bashevis Singer (author Yentl the Yeshiva Boy and many others). “One of our earliest signings, we had Isaac and he lived on Miami Beach for many years and ended up coming to the bookshop quite a bit. The first event we had almost 30 years ago, too many people that could fit in the store came. We had to take his books up to his apartment and have him spend a couple hours signing books.”

•  Elie Wiesel (Nobel Peace Prize winning author). “I remember the first time I met Elie Wiesel and presented him and how moving it was to hear him speak, how impressive he was not only as an author but as someone with an incredible message to tell.”

•  U. S. presidents: “About all of them that are alive. The very first one was Jimmy Carter. He was probably the fastest book signer I have ever seen. We could barely keep up with the sales.”

Bill Clinton was a huge hit in 2004, drawing more than 5,000 people who camped out for hours for a chance to get a signed copy of his memoirs, My Life, and a handshake from the dextrous Commander in Chief. Clinton, by the way, signed copies with his left hand while shaking hands with his right — and making eye contact.

Clinton could sign only 2,000 books but he didn’t want to disappoint all of the throngs crowding Aragon Avenue.

“He actually went outside and started signing books, he drove the Secret Service crazy,” laughs Cristina Nosti, Books & Books director of events and marketing.

•  Christopher Hitchens (author God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything). Books & Books often uses satellite locations, such as churches and temples, to host popular figures who draw overflow crowds. This was how people had a chance to meet former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, M*A*S*H star Alan Alda, Charles Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, 1972 Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern and controversial celeb biographer Kitty Kelley. Hitchens, the noted atheist, sat on a panel discussion with a rabbi, a Buddhist monk, a representative from the Christian community and an Islamic scholar at …Temple Judea.

“Hitchens destroyed everyone, except the Buddhist monk,” chuckles Nosti.

Follow @HowardCohen on Twitter.

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

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