Putting the "Bed" in Bedlam!

September's here, and that can only mean one thing, the yearly Great Grove Bed Race returns to the streets of Coconut Grove this Sunday, September 2. Will The Grove Spot group hold onto their crown as the fastest bed for the past two years? After all, they auctioned off the winning bed earlier this month. Will the police take it this year? Will the fire department?

The Pit Row Parade and judging starts on Grand Avenue at 1 pm, then at 2 pm sharp, it's off to the races -- beds will roll! All day Sunday, Center Grove will be filled to capacity. 30 beds have signed up for the racing season. Text your vote is back, where you can vote for your favorite bed (BED01, BED02, BED03, etc. to 88588) as the beds are numbered, from 1 to 5 pm on race day. This is presented by the Miami Parking Authority.

The Junior Chamber's Easter Seals Toy Drive and Children's Hospital are beneficiaries of this year's Race.

Magic 102.7 has an interactive Rock Band game at one of the intermissions and also the new Cars2Go, has a special intermission musical audience participation event in front of the VIP tent. The Manatees, a bunch of fat guys will be performing live, you've seen them on Regis and Kelly, Marlins Stadium and on CNN and also in the New York Times!

There are pit crews, the "cone heads" (the JCI group who runs the show) a vip area, a special grand marshal and of course lots and lots of people in and off the course! The course goes from the Grove Post Office down toward the Sandbar Grill, where the finish line is. Get there early, grab a special place to view it all! Get out early and enjoy the beds and performances at Pit Row (in front of the post office, behind the main stage).

There will be face painting and games for the kiddies during the race and after all the racing, head on over to The Barnacle on Main Highway for the Up Past Bedtime Movie out on the big back long along the bay!

Coconut Grove businesses and restaurants will have specials all day. Enjoy a cool drink and a delicious lunch at any of the Grove's fine restaurants and bars. Get a tattoo and Grove Ink or a piercing a few doors down. Sit out at a cafe and enjoy the ambiance. Take in Coconut Grove, enjoy what we have to offer. This is a day where the whole Grove community is out! Come and join us! All are welcome. Help us put the NUT back into Coconut Grove.

There's plenty of parking in and around the Center Grove. There's lots of surface lots and garage parking. You'll easily find somewhere to park. Here's a map, look at all the places available!

There is also the 'Cudapalooza Block Party, which starts at the Barracuda Bar on Fuller street at 3 pm and goes until 11 pm. The street is closed and bands and lots of other entertainment will take place there. Speaking of the 'Cuda, there's a Pajama Pub Crawl the night before, on Saturday, September 1. A bunch of Grove bars are part of the fun. The cost is $25 per ticket, but get tix at Dealtificate for only $15 right now! The crawl is limited to 300 people. That's it! So get in now!

Barracuda is at 3035 Fuller Street, call 305-448-1144 for info.
Here's a little taste of last year's Great Grove Bed Race.

Keep up with all updates and fun on twitter at http://twitter.com/grovebedrace
And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatgrovebedrace
Come back to the Grapevine early Sunday morning for the day's full lineup of events.

The Grove Spot team, bed at left, races (and won) the FestiDan team at last year's race.

Up Past Bedtime movie/pajama party

Wrap up the Great Grove Bed Race on Sunday, September 2, with a pajama party at The Barnacle Historic State Park. Bring the whole family for an Up Past Bedtime Movie presentation of The Tale of Despereaux, “the story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread."

Gates opens at 7 pm and the movie begins at 8 pm (sorry, no pets or entry after 8:15). Chairs, blankets, and coolers welcome. Flashlights are recommended and modest pajamas encouraged. Tickets are $5 for ages 6 and up, $3 for ages 2 to 5, and free for children under 2.

The Barnacle is located at 3485 Main Highway. For additional information contact 305-442-6866 or visit www.TheBarnacle.org.

Kampong Tours starting up for the fall season

Looking for a something to do this Labor Day? On Saturday, September 1, consider a guided tour of the Kampong, the 11-acre botanical garden and historic waterfront estate on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove. Locals and tourists alike will enjoy the walking tour, which provides a behind-the-scenes peek into the private house and gardens that plant explorer David Fairchild built. 

“Spend your Labor Day outside, taking advantage of the gorgeous South Florida weather,” said Ann Parsons, Director of The Kampong. “Guests are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds after their tour.”

Tours run most Saturdays and Wednesdays from September to June. Reservations are required – please go to kampong.ntbg.org to reserve your spot or call 305-442-7169 for more details (limited spaces available). Gates open at 10:00AM, and the 2-hour tour begins at 10:30AM.

Tour fee is $20 for adults, $15 for ages 62 and over and students with ID, $10 for children 4-12 years, and free for children 3 and under (accompanied by adult).  

For more information call 305.442.7169 or email: kampong@ntbg.org

Update on the assault on Matilda Street

This in from Commander Richard Gentry, regarding the assault last week on Matilda Street:

Detectives from the Miami Police Department's Special Victims Unit responded and investigated this incident and subsequently arrested the subject, (Gary Arroliga, D.O.B 4/5/87) for Armed Robbery, Armed Sexual Battery, False Imprisonment and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.  (Court case # F12021185)

This subject is a convicted felon, "Signal 200" and does not reside in Coconut Grove. The weapon he utilized during this crime was a BB gun. 

Lieutenant Vincent Laricci, Commander of our Special Victims Unit advised that since this subject was in possession of a BB Gun and not a firearm during this incident, they were unable to present this case for Federal charges.  Since a BB Gun is not classified as a firearm per Florida State Statute, this case was forwarded to the Dade County State Attorney's Office for prosecution and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

This was an isolated incident and a cowardly act committed by this convicted felon.   

This convicted felon was out on Felony Bond due to an open case regarding a Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting arrest with violence and Escape that occurred in May of 2012.  (Court case # F12011065)

Just so you know, there were two (2) Miami Police marked units from the midnight shift in the area of the Business District from 4:00 am to 6:00 am on the day of this incident. One of the units was at Grand & 32 Avenue and the other unit was near McFarlane and Main Hwy.  Both of the officers immediately responded to the area and arrived in seconds of the dispatched call to assist the Coral Gables Police Department with locating a missing female.  During this time, the Miami Police Department was unaware and did not have any knowledge of any potential crime when responding to assist the Coral 

Gables Police Department who was already on the scene.   The male victim who went for assistance drove to Coral Gables and notified them of a missing person and did not make reference to any details regarding a crime.  

Due to the keen sense of alertness from the two midnight officers (Officer Guerra and Officer Grass) from the Miami Police Department, they were able to locate the victim and ensure her safety and take the subject into custody at gunpoint without further incident.   I will be writing a commendation commending both of them for their due diligence and a job well done that resulted in the apprehension of this convicted felon who committed this cowardly act. 

The Miami Police Department takes the safety of all citizens as our # 1 priority and our daily efforts will continue with our due diligence with curtailing crime and promoting a safe community.

In an effort for us as a team to effectively and efficiently combat crime, we need all of our citizens to call 911 (Emergency) or (305) 579-6111 (Non-Emergency) for all suspicious persons or vehicles that are in our community who may be in the area to commit crimes.  Always trust your instincts and judgment.

The Pajama Pub Crawl; get your tix early

The Pajama Pub Crawl is this Saturday night, September 1. Get in early and save! Only $15 if you buy the tickets before the event. At the door, they are $25. Note that the crawl is limited to only 300 people.

To purchase early, go to Barracuda before Saturday night (3035 Fuller Street). The night of the Crawl, you may purchase the tix at the Sandbar, the starting off point for the Crawl (3064 Grand Avenue).

The Crawl is:
Sandbar - 6 to 8 pm
The Grove Spot - 8 to 9 pm
Fat Tuesday - 9 to 10 pm
The Goose - 10 to 11 pm
Mr. Frog's - 11 to 12 am
Barracuda - 12 to 1 am
The Tavern - 1 to 2 am
Mr. Moe's - 2 am til?

Then Sunday, all day in Center Grove, is the Great Grove Bed Race!

Spend the Blue Moon on the water

In Partnership With The Paddle house Shake-A-Leg Miami is presenting "Paddle and Sail" events.

On Saturday, September 1, take you pick of Blue Moon Paddle or Blue Moon Moonlight Sail, both from 7:30 to 10 pm.

Blue Moon Paddle ia $25 for a single kayak and $35 for a double kayak.

Please contact the Paddle House to reserve your spot at: 786-307-3816

The Blue Moon Moonlight Sail is $20 Per Person. Pleaser reserve your spot by contacting Jenny at 305-858-5550 ext. 123 or jenny@shakealegmiami.org.

Miami Hurricanes radio show direct from Grove Spot

The Grove Spot (3324 Virginia Street) is the new location for the Hurricane Hotline radio show, which began yesterday, August 28.

Fans are encouraged to join second-year head coach Al Golden, various assistant coaches and players each week during the 2012 football season. The Hurricane Hotline, hosted by Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr., airs from 7-9 pm, on WQAM – players from 7-7:30, Coach Golden from 7:30-8:30 and and assistant coach from 8:30-9.

Season and single-game tickets for the 2012 football season  are available online, by phone at 1-800-GO-CANES (1-305-284-2263) or in-person at the Miami Athletics Ticket Office, which is now located on the bottom level of BankUnited Center.

For the latest information on Miami Hurricanes Football, follow @HurricaneSports on Twitter and the official blog for Hurricanes Football, www.theufootball.com.
Photos by Brian Bishop

Nabbing Peacocks

Who is the guy in the white van nabbing peacocks in the North Grove?

We will try to get his license plate and report it, but if you see something, please email us the info.

Thanks.

Is now the time for Trader Joe's?

For years, we have talked about Trader Joe's coming to town, but the excuse has always been that their closest store was in Atlanta, so it would be a problem servicing the Grove store. But now I see that a store is coming to Sarasota on Sept. 1, the end of this week, that's their grand opening day.

There is also a store in Naples one is planned for Gainesville. Now I think there is time for one or two in Miami and Coconut Grove would be perfect. There are plenty of locations in the village, from Village West to the 3444 Main Highway building, which will be turning into something else in a few years.

I have been to many Trader Joe's around the country. It's an excellent store with an excellent reputation and they are always full with people.

The advantage of Trader Joe's is that it's a destination, so it would bring people here.

Rev up your beds, it's time for the Bed Race!

Now that Isaac is out of the way, we can have our Great Grove Bed Race this coming weekend. The weekend starts with the Pajama Pub Crawl on Saturday night, then Sunday is race day. The Barnacle is holding a family movie night after the races, too.

The track will be on Grand Avenue as usual, there was talk of changing it around a bit, but Grand seems to be the best place for the race. It's between the post office area and the Sandbar. The Junior Chamber's Easter Seals Toy Drive and Children's Hopsital are beneficiaries of this year's Race

There are quite a few new teams this year. Just last week, the Obama campain office won The Grove Spot bed, which won the two past races, the Grove Spot runners wanted something new to race this year, so they'll be building a new bed.

Here's the score:

Saturday, September 1 is the

Michelob Pajama Pub Crawl

6-8 pm, register at the Sandbar
Great Grove Bed Race is Sunday Sept. 2nd in Center Grove
Beds will line up starting at noon. At one end of Grand Avenue.

1 pm - Pit Row Parade & Judging

2 pm - Races start!

3-11 pm - Cudapalooza Block Party, Fuller Street

5 pm - Finals & Awards on main stage on Grand Avenue

7 pm - Up Past Bedtime Movie (Barnacle State Park)

Open up the waterfront

Jensen Beach waterfront

I was in Port St. Lucie this past weekend, the beach in that area is Jensen Beach. It reminds me of Hollywood Beach, Venice Beach on the west coast and many of the small village-style beaches up and down the west coast of Florida -- it looks a lot like Anna Maria Island, which is  below Tampa.

This is a big draw for locals and tourists because it's "real." They spend time, drink at bars, eat at restaurants, hang out at the piers and it's a taste of Florida. It's a shame that Coconut Grove can't be that because that is what Coconut Grove used to be. With all the talk on the waterfront changes these days, maybe something "real" can be added. I know it won't be bait shops, God forbid. But a pier, seafood-type restaurants (you know, like Scotty's but with good food) and an open view.

I know, this is where the Burn Notice park comes in. I do agree that should be a park, but in time, let Burn Notice finish their run, it doesn't have to happen overnight.

And the mangroves need to be opened up for a start and the non-native Seaside Mahoes need to be removed. What ever happend to the "windows especially at Peacock Park near the Amy Billig memorial and at Kennedy Park.

Sound stages in Village West?

Someone mentioned in the comments section yesterday, in the Burn Notice story, about having sound stages built in Village West to accommodate film and tv production in Miami. A few years ago, a friend brought that up, too. I don't know if I mentioned it then, but I thought it was an excellent idea.

The only drawback of course are the neighbors who don't want that type of infringement on their neighborhood. Talk has been that stores and residences will be going in, but so far nothing has been done. Sound stages on the property could be serviced by US1 and it would be an easy in and out access. Again, the problem would be these massive structures right there in someone's back yard. But then again, so would the supermarket, stores and condos that are being discussed for the area.

More on the Burn Notice perspective

The Burn Notice saga goes on, there are more stories when it comes to this subject than they actually have on the tv episodes it seems! Now County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has offered to take on Burn Notice, should they not want to remain in Coconut Grove at the Expo Center, he has offered to accommodate them somewhere else in the county, outside of the City of Miami.

Burn Notice will most likely be picked up for another season. And you know what, while I would hate to see them go, the move from Coconut Grove may be a great thing for them. New scenery and premises may keep the show in the air for years to come. When one door closes, another opens. They may get a second wind and fresh story lines and ideas by making the move to another area of the county.

As for figures, just in a nutshell here are some hard numbers (and independently verified by the Office of Film & Entertainment Incentive folks) from years One through Five. Six is not yet complete:

Number of Florida Workers from 2007 - 2012:  15,017

Number of total Hotel Nights from 2007 - 2012:  13,244

Florida Wages Paid from 2007 - 2012:  $62,908,280

Florida Vendors Paid from 2007 - 2012:  $46,328563

Incentive Reimbursement Amount:  $35,605,599 (expenses that were approved for the incentive and made the cut)

Approved Florida Expenses:  $109,236,843 (expenses that may not have qualified for the incentive but still have to be approved by the Film office and FOX)

So we all hope that a final agreement happens and that they stay in Coconut Grove, but if they don't, at least this money will remain in the county, that's if they take up Mayor Gimenez's offer and also if they do receive the go ahead for a seventh and maybe an eighth season.

Fuller Street?

This on Fuller Street was Grove Ambassador Louis Del Borrello's idea, he sent this to me. I love it. I could totally see it happening there as a month-long (or longer) art installation. Plus we could use these all over the place this weekend.

About that incident on Matilda Street

I was awakened yesterday morning by a text from someone (about 6:15 am) and then others emailed, tweeted and called. They said it was about an armed robbery, right outside Coconut Grove Elementary School, but it ended up being a rape, too. This was about 5 to 5:30 am.

I was called today by some high end figures in our community, including a couple of politicians, a lobbyist and many disgruntled business owners as well as neighbors. They want action and they want it fast. They wanted me to write about the crime, but I held off until I saw it elsewhere first.

Now that the Miami Herald and other news agencies have reported the crime, I guess I should address it. I am always torn about what to write. I am told by some that when I write about unpleasant things it only tears the Grove down. I am told that since I am sort of the authority on all things Grove, that I should be only writing nice things since tourists see the Grapevine first. I suspect that is why other blogs were started recently -- to draw the attention away from the Grapevine and the real world. If you read them, you think we live in Wizard of Oz land or something. But I am writing for the locals, not the tourists. If the tourists want to check in, too, that is more than ok, but I am trying to cover the news and events for those of us who are here every day.

I am always torn. Are the tourists reading stories like this and not coming here? Of course not. They come to other areas of Miami with worse crime than the Grove has. Besides, I am told by many tourists that they visit because of what they read in the Grapevine, not despite it. 

Bike thefts proliferate all over the county, so do robberies, hold ups and rapes, and we are just a part of it in Coconut Grove, we are part of society and this is what's going on in society. Today there was a shooting near the Empire State Building in NY. We aren't immune from crime here. Are people going to stop going to New York now because of this shooting? I don't think so.

One of my callers today suggested more lighting on the streets, that's a start, but I think we need more than that. Maybe more of a police presence in high crime areas. Matilda Street, the street in front of the school where the rape occurred is notorious for car break ins in the middle of the night. Maybe police should enforce that one particular street. At City Hall, they are fighting over the budget, they are trying to make our City look like a budget mess while throwing the Mayor under the bus. How about you all stop that nonsense, hire more cops and do the right thing?

The rape was the final straw.

Join the Miami Short Film Festival as a sponsor

The Coconut Grove Grapevine is proud to be a sponsor of the Miami Short Film Festival, coming to Coconut Grove November 24 to December 1. You can help sponsor the event, too. There is a "Locals Only" Sponsorship Package with three levels: Coconut, Grovite and Peacock.

These packages are priced lower than the regular sponsorships to motivate local businesses to get involved.  The Festival is reserving perks like coupons and promotional items on the goodie pack only for businesses in the Grove. Additionally, they will take a video video showcasing the business of one Grovite sponsor and one Peacock sponsor.

It  is important to stress the fact that this Festival can only happen and stay in Coconut Grove with the support of the community. This is a first class event, something we need in the Grove, not only for the prestige it brings, but for the many people it will draw in from outside the Grove.

The general advantages of the sponsorship are outlined in a package that Karla Merrill, Director of Events can send you, You may email her here: karla@miamishortfilmfestival.com or fill in the form here.


Also, there is a great video that summarizes the first 10 years of the Festival. You can get an appreciation of the quality of the event by watching it.

The Great Grove Magical Mystery Tour

It's not really a mystery tour, but it will enhance the knowledge of Coconut Grove to the very people who work here every day! They may not be in a convertible, most likely they'll be in a golf cart, but Louis and Audrey, the Grove Ambassadors, are taking a little road trip. They aren't going far, they are actually giving tours of the Grove to local concierges at our local hotels. They want to show them what's outside their doors and down the block.

It's the Discover Inform and Excite Tour. They will highlight our historic treasures and unique boutiques, also the shopping and entertainment along with our picturesque parks and the waterfront.

The tours are under two hours and include a snack and refreshments at one of the Grove's outdoor cafes. This is sponsored by the BID.

Once the local concierges get their tours, Louis and Audrey may reach out to other areas of the county to inform and excite those concierges in Coral Gables, South Beach, Brickell, etc.

It has started . . .

They started demolishing the trees today on Florida Avenue. Hopefully the new trees will be in soon and will bring back the beauty.


That is this scene here, that Burn Notice used a month ago.

 

Conservatory presenting Great American Songbook

American music will be celebrated this fall, when the Miami Conservatory of Music presents the Great American Songbook on September 15.

The concert features an entire century of American music from such masters as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, George and Ira Gershin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and so many more. The critically acclaimed Mary Adelyn Kauffman leads the party at the piano.

Faculty members, Justin John Moniz and Amy Ione Alvarado will be lead singers.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to present such an exciting program for the Miami community this fall. As classical musicians, it’s not every day that we have the opportunity to cut loose and let the emotion dictate what notes and rhythms come out of our mouths. The program will feature songs much of our audience will know and love with some new and exciting surprises along the way,” says Moniz. He adds, “Our collaborator, pianist Mary Adelyn Kauffman, is a musical genius, particularly in the genre of American music. Her innovative improvisations and flawless playing leave you in awe. Ms. Alvarado and I are honored and humbled that she has agreed to join us for this project.”

Rising young tenor, Justin John Moniz is earning praise for his "confident and compelling" work on both the concert an the operatic stage. He has recently been called a "refined lyric tenor" by the Miami Herald and "superb" by the South Florida Classical Review, having starred in over fifty operas, operettas, and musicals to date. Known for his consistently dynamic performances, Mr. Moniz’s rising career has included performances with the New York Grand Opera, Opera New Jersey, the Lake George Music Festival, the Orchestra of Northern New York, the New Jersey Symphony, the College Light Opera Company, the Hawai’i Performing Arts Festival, the Miami Bach Society, SoBe Institute of the Arts, and this season, Florida Grand Opera and the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theater.

Miami Native, Amy Ioné Alvarado began her singing career at the age of seventeen, winning an honorable mention award in the Young Arts Competition of the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts and the Miami-Dade Artist Access Grant (2008, 2010). Ms. Alvarado studied opera and classical voice at Florida International University, earning her B.M. in Vocal Performance. At FIU, she took on roles including Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro and Theodorine in Offenbach’s comedic one act opera, The Island of Tulipatan. Ms. Alvarado continued her professional training at the Florence Voice Seminar, the Crittenden Opera Workshop and Opera in the Ozarks where she sang the role Micaëla in Carmen. During the 2009 season, Ms. Alvarado went on to make her Florida Grand Opera debut as Una Novizia in Suor Angelica. 

Dr. Mary Adelyn Kauffman, pianist, vocal coach and conductor, has just returned to Miami. A doctoral fellow at the University of Miami and former member of the Young Artist Program at the Greater Miami Opera, she moved to Europe in 1993 after having completed her D.M.A. in Accompanying and Chamber Music under the tutelage of Dr. J. B. Floyd, Mr. Frank Cooper and Dr. Paul Posnak. 



Tickets and Information
What: The Great American Songbook 
Where: Miami Conservatory of Music Recital Hall, (2911 Grand Ave.), Coconut Grove.  
When: Saturday, September 15, 7:30pm  
Tickets: $15, General Admission | $10, Students (with ID)
How: To purchase tickets or for more information, visit  www.miamiconservatoryofmusic.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door 30 minutes prior to the performance, subject to availability.                                                                  

Grove Collaborative business breakfast is Friday

The Coconut Grove Collaborative is inviting people to a breakfast on Friday, August 24, which includes area business leaders, developers and stakeholders at Miami-Dade County’s Economic Advocacy Trust’s Business Breakfast. It's at 8:00 am at Focaccia Bistro (3111 Grand Avenue).

Wrap up your week and get a good start on weekend with some informative views and information regarding funding opportunities and the utilization of $3 million of General Obligation Bond monies allocated to Coconut Grove’s TUA (Targeted Urban Area).

Guest speakers include Charles Byrd, Chairman of the Grove Collaborative and J.S. Rashid, President and CEO of the Collaborative.

For more info, please call Maria at 305-375-5661 x 93472.

Hurricane predictions

Every year, Ellen, the town psychic, gives me her hurricane prediction. She says that if it rains on the Sunday during the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, we are in the clear for that year (it didn't rain this year). She told me about six months ago that we should look out for Helene in August. She said it would be coming right at us.

About a week or two later, she saw me and called me over, she revised her prediction -- she said that Helene was going to skim us instead and head to South Carolina. Well, Helene didn't do that, but Isaac is coming right to us, so Ellen was one name off. It was the "I" storm, not the "H" storm.

Let's see what happens. Hopefully it just disappears. But looking at the track today, Ellen was sort of on track herself.

They're collecting for Coconut Grove Dog Rescue

Grove Ink (3062 Grand Avenue), New Age Body Piercing (3070 Grand Avenue) and The Sale Rack (3444 Main Highway) are collecting money for the Coconut Grove Dog Rescue group. It's a non-profit animal welfare and rescue organization right here in our village.

The group finds home and medical treatment for lost and homeless dogs. All donations will go to the cause and the owners of the stores will match all donations, doubling them.

$1 goes a long way!

PJ Pub Crawl schedule announced, tix available

The night before every Great Grove Bed Race is the Pajama Pub Crawl. That's Saturday, September 1 this year! And the Michelob Ultra Pajama Pub Crawl Schedule has just been announced. Tickets are $25 for an 8-establishment-slipper-clad-experience for beer or well drink. Pillow Fights optional!

Advanced tickets available at Barracuda Bar and Grill (3035 Fuller Street). Capacity is 300 for the crawl and no RSVP's are available. So get 'em while they are available.
ID required, all public dress code laws should be followed (pajamas ok, undies and nudity is not!) Here are some pix of last year's event.

Order of Crawl..

6-8 PM - Sandbar (Registration)
8-9 PM - Grove Spot
9-10 PM - Fat Tuesday
10-11PM - Goose
11-12 PM - Mr. Frogs
12-1AM - Barracuda
1AM-2AM - Tavern
2AM-? - Mr. Moes

Miami Short Film Festival coming this fall

The Miami Short Film Festival (MsFF) is coming this fall. From November 24 through December 1, over 80 films will be featured, films from around the world, representing 39 countries.

The main venue is Paragon Grove 13 at CocoWalk, but there will be other venus, as well.

There will be red carpet premiers, a number of cocktail receptions, seminars and workshops, student outreach screenings, nightly Q&A sessions with visiting directors, Oscar-style awards, a closing night gala and over 300 industry and film professionals in attendance.

The films are all 20 minuts or less. MsFF was founded to showcase Miami as a leader in contemporary filmmaking. They aim to exhibit the best of the best.

They are still looking for short films to present.

More information at their website here: http://www.miamishortfilmfestival.com/

Let the sun shine in!

This is was a tree on Mary Street, guess the homeowners had no use for it. A reader sent it in. Turns out the tenants who rent the house complained about the falling leaves, so the landlord/homeowner, demolished the trees. Wait till they see the fine they are going to receive, it would have been cheaper to hire a kid to rake up the leaves once a month.

UPDATE: The tenants did not complain about the trees, the house owner was concerned about having the tree trimmed for hurricane insurance reasons, the insurance company asked that it be done. A tree service was hired and while no one was present, they had at it and this is the result. The incompetent tree trimming service did this without anyone's permission!

Speaking of trees, the tree removal is about to start on Florida Avenue, the surveyors are out, they are ready to change out the old trees for new trees. 



I took this photo over the weekend, it's the new paint job at Coldwell Banker at the triangle of McFarlane, Main and Grand. Looks great. But my friend who was with me joked and said that I should photoshop the trees out since they will not be there when the street scape project gets to that section. I left the trees in the photo, but when that huge tree is down, I'll post another photo of the after shot. We'll compare.

UPDATE: After this story was run I was notified that we don't need to compare, I am told this is not one of the trees that is being switched out. The goal is hopefully to get rid of the two lanes going south and just have one lane, which would allow the sidewalk to be widened and allow the large tree to stay! People would then just walk on either side of the tree and still be on the sidewalk.


Here are a couple of shots of Florida Avenue yesterday, the tree demolition begins. This looks like Villa Mayfair valet parking area to be. I heard that Villa Mayfair is returning in October, revamped from a high end French restaurant to an American-style restaurant.

"Please govern yourself accordingly," hee hee

I'm laughing because I just received a letter from someone with the same threat. I had forgotten about an old cease and desist letter that Comm. Marc Sarnoff sent me in February 2010, regarding a comment on the Grapevine that someone else made, one of you anonymous guys. This whole incident actually made the news around the country and it is being taught at Ivy League schools about how not to be a politician. Freedom of press is legal in this country, wars were fought over it. The Grapevine is part of curriculums because of this incident!

Anyway, Al Crespo dug up this old letter and so many other interesting things like the illegal traffic circle on Virginia Street. I saw my name mentioned in his article and had to check it out. Your hair will curl when you read this, as I don't have any hair, my toes are curling instead.

I suggest those guys on Florida Avenue today, who are about to massacre the trees, hold off  for a bit until all the money can be tracked. But I am betting Al is already on that.

"Please govern yourself accordingly!" I was told that recently by a roofer who screwed up a job. When I complained that is what I got back. I am about to sue a local restaurant for not paying their adverting bill. Why is the victim always told to, "Govern yourself accordingly!" Is that what the restaurant is going to respond to the lawsuit? If they do, I'll let you know.

I received a threatening letter from an attorney representing a local developer a few years back. The letter started off threatening me that if I showed anyone the letter that was threatening me, I would regret it! I was actually threatened to not show the threatening letter! I saved it, I'll expose that ass of a lawyer one day. And get this, they were suing me because they said I was protecting Sarnoff in various stories and anonymous comments. They wanted me to expose the anonymous commenters because they claimed all that inside information was coming from Sarnoff's office. I refused of course to divulge anything and the whole thing was dropped when the Miami Herald ran the story and it turned out all the anonymous comments were right on. 

Call to Artists for Mad Hatter Arts Festival

The 8th Annual Mad Hatter Arts Festival returns this year to Coconut Grove on November 17 and 18. The Festival will be held on the grounds of The Barnacle Historic State Park and along the sidewalks of Main Highway. This juried event features artists of all types of media.
Artists wishing to be considered in the jury process should submit an application. This year's Mad Hatter Arts Festival is shaping up to be quite the event as music, contests, and fun for the whole family encircle the main attraction of this Festival: Artists’ Original Works.

Be a part of this zany arts festival -- for more information or to request an application packet, contact director@MadHatterArtsFestival.com

FestiDan -- party with a purpose at Peacock Park

Festidan is back in the Grove Saturday, August 25 at Peacock Park. This is the sixth year of the event, third year in the Grove.

This is Dan yearly birthday party, that he turned into a chairty festival since it got so out of hand, as it grew year after year.

Four bands will be performing this year, guests are encouraged to come as if they are tailgating at a game, since the slogan is "This is Tailgating!" It starts at 2 pm and goes until around 10 pm. The last band takes the stage at 9 pm.

Everyone is welcome, 21 and over, cost is $30 at the door, $25 in advance at www.festidan.com, with the entrance fee you get all the beer you want, provided by the sponsors.

It's very casual -- t shirts and sandals are the norm.

The charity that benefits is the ALS Foundation, which was founded to help fund scientific research to fund a cure for the disease commonly known as "Lou Gehrigh's Disease." It's all done in honor of German German Muñoz, a friend who sucombed to the disease.

Our photographer Ari will be out and about, so look for him and we'll post your pictures in the Grapevine and Facebook the day after.

Here are pics from last year.
And the year before.

Caught at The Bookstore

They no longer allow dogs at The Bookstore, guess rabbits are ok though.

Enjoy the art of a famous advertising guy

I ran into Michael Schoor and Chris Banerjee at the Gallery Walk earlier this month. They were enjoying the art at the galleries on Commodore Plaza.


One popular exhibit is at Frame Works (3196 Commodore Plaza). Mike Tesch, famous ad man, has his work on exhibit until the end of September. Mike is the one who came up with the "When it absolutely, positively has to be there," Federal Express campaign. He has won over 500 advertising awards. He also came up with the Dunkin Donuts slogan, "Time to Make the Donuts!" Those two commercials out of his many, were voted the top 50 commercials of all time by TV Guide. Frame Works is open daily, stop in and enjoy Mike's work.

Live aboards and good deeds

Today's Miami Herald had a cool story feature about the Coconut Grove live aboards around Dinner Key including Erica Korpela.

Reminded me of this cool story I did which featured Erica, called, "The Red Duffle Bag and the Good Samaritans," from January 2011, it involves Pascal, a French Olympic sailor, too.

Obama Wins -- The Grove Spot bed!

Joyce Nelson, left, and Mary Ellen George, flank Daisy Lewis.
Joyce and Mary Ellen won the Grove Spot bed for the Obama Campaign Office.

The local Coconut Grove Obama campaign office bid on The Grove Spot's bed Friday night at the Bed Race's Get Rolling Gathering at Mr. Moe's. It was a lot of fun. Bed Race director, Daisy Lewis stood up on top of the bed and the crowd bid. Bidding started at $50 and many dropped out at about $300. But the ladies from the campaign office stayed in and they got it for $425.00. It was worth about $1000 between the construction time and material.

 
We brought two beds over, The Grove Spot bed and the local police's Grove-50 bed. As Armando Paz and I wheeled The Grove Spot bed down the blocks from Virginia Street to Commodore Plaza, people were hooting and hollerin' and they knew what was going on! Most knew that that was the bed up for bid! So many of them asked us, "Is that the bed being bid on?" I guess people around here do pay attention to what's going on!

The funniest thing was when we went back to get the Grove-50 bed from where it is stored and as we walked down the block, in the rain, I got a phone call. It was one of the local Grove cops, asking me where I was going with his bed. This was really funny, I looked around, didn't see any cops, but he must have seen me and I think Daisy was with me.

I said to him, "Can't a person walk down the street, in the rain with a bed on wheels without everyone noticing? This town is too damn small!" Which really is funny when you think about it.

 
Danny here has the right idea, he was taking photos of the bed on site to get an idea of how they were put together. This is the Grove-50, a winning bed. Anyway, the Get Rolling Gathering was nice, I saw a lot of familiar faces and lots of people I hadn't seen for a while. It was a typical fun Grove event where everyone knew everyone's name.

The Great Grove Bed Race is Sunday, September 2. There is still time to sign up here if you think you want to try getting a team up: www.thegreatgrovebedrace.com.


Lisa Shallenberger, Lisa Fiore Kargauer and Mercedes, the bartender at Mr. Moe's.

Herald Hunt coming to Coconut Grove in December

The Herald Hunt is coming to the Grove on December 1. The details are being worked out, more information will be available next week.

You long time Miamians know that this started out as the Tropic Hunt. Tropic was the color magazine section in the Miami Herald every Sunday. The hunt was started in 1984 by columnist Dave Barry, along with Tropic editors Gene Weingarten and Tom Shroder.

It's sort of a weird puzzle game where everything could be a clue, you may see a man standing on the corner smoking a cigar, that could be a clue. A lady eating ice cream could be a clue. There may be lots of huge dice on one corner and a big clown head on another.

Up to date, there have been 16 hunts. I vaguely remember the first one or two taking place all over the county, clues were everywhere, but I think when it changed from the Tropic Hunt to the Herald Hunt, after the demise of Tropic Magazine, it was then contained to one area, I'm sure it was much safer that way, too.

I remember attending the one in Coral Gables and I think there was one in South Beach and now it's Coconut Grove's turn.

There's a Herald Hunt page which shows what happened in the previous years is here.There are photos and ideas of how the clues were played out.

First prize is usually a cruise for five. It's a lot of fun.

We'll keep you posted when we know more of the details.

Focus group planned about Village West's future

Coconut Grove Collaborative, in coordination with the City of Miami Preservation Officer and Coconut Grove Homeowners & Tenants Association (HOATA) is convening a community focus group to obtain resident and stakeholder input on existing design guidelines for the Village West community. The objective being, to formalized the existing Bahamian Design Guidelines into mandatory written standards for Coconut Grove’s Village West sector.

Please mark your calendars for our Monday, August 20, for the 5:30 to 7:30  meeting at Coconut Grove Net Office, 2820 McFarlane Road).

To view Current NCD Regulations go here.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to collaborate and craft a vision and so residents can implement the intent of preserving crtical culture in the Grove.

Stand Up Comedy at The Grove Spot

The Grove Spot presents Stand Up Comedy night on Saturday, August 18, starting at 8:30 pm. Admission is free. There's a stage set up in the middle room and you can grab a table, enjoy some drinks and a meal and enjoy the show.

It's a cozy room and every seat is a good seat.

John Wynn is the headliner this weekend, he'll introduce the comediens. It's easier to get a table if you reserve your seats by calling 305-774-6696. 

The Grove Spot is at 3324 Virginia Street.

Stepping up police patrols part of new plan

As a result of the July 24 crime meeting, Commander Richard Gentry immediately instituted a 60-day Operational Plan by the MPD which targets the neighborhoods with increased police presence. Patrol cars have been seen around day and night. Comm. Gentry said at the meeting,  "Please express to all of your neighbors that the Miami Police Department will ensure our due diligence at the highest caliber in our efforts to curtail crime and promote a safe community," and he was as good as his word.

There was a 12 point plan listed as a partial solution to the crime problem and slowly it is working.

Regarding a police shortage, at the meeting it was brought up that the department was 95 officers down, good news now is that 34 new officers have been hired and another 30 will be hired.

Another pressing issue in the Grove is cars speeding down the streets. Recently an older friend named Pia, was brushed by a car as she was walking home on Tuesday, August 14, approximately 8 pm. She was on Oak Avenue at the intersection of Alamanda. 

Pia is a long time, very active resident of Coconut Grove. She was working at the Fire Station on election day and was on her way home after the polls closed. A car suddenly came out of nowhere, speeding down the street and bumped into the bag she was carrying, which caused her to lose her balance and she fell. As the older woman fell, the driver just took off. Pia screamed for help and a neighbor and cyclist came to her rescue, they immediately notified the fire rescue and she was taken to Mercy Hospital with a broken ankle, she had surgery yesterday and will have to go through intensive physical therapy. All because a driver was speeding down the side streets and of course, just kept going after Pia fell.

I park at the Coconut Grove parking lot all the time, on Mary and Tigertail. As I am crossing the street to get to the Mayfair, it's almost impossible. Cars speed down Mary as if they are in a terrible rush, just to get to the stop sign on the corner. They see people standing or trying to cross, but it's a war to see how they could not allow the pedestrian to cross. I would love to see some police cars staked out around the Grove to get these speeders. 

A friend, Raphael says, "The reckless driving traffic in the Center Grove has gotten out of control. This is an on-going topic among neighbors; now we need to come together and address this problem with the City for some immediate solutions."

Special family NanoDays event at MiaSci

Nano, a 400-square-foot interactive exhibition that encourages families to investigate nanoscale science, engineering and technology, is now on view at the Miami Science Museum (3280 S Miami Avenue). And there is a cool family event on Saturday, August 18, involving Nano science interactive exhibits, called NanoDays.

More info here.

Have you signed up for the Bed Race yet?

Thousands of spectators, pride and PR, tie your shoelaces and register now! The Great Grove Bed Race is coming September 2, and there's no better way to promote your biz! August 26 at 5 pm is the final entry deadline. Now is the time to sign up! Imagine your corporate or biz logo seen everywhere, via social media, mainstream media, blogs, tv, etc. It's the place to promote!

$125.00 is the registration fee for all registrants, vets and virgin alike. The returning champions are registered, over a dozen virgins are gearing up, and next week, Friday, August 17, is the Get Rolling Gathering and Bed Building Workshop at Mr. Moe's at 3131 Commodore Plaza at 6 pm, where you'll earn inches at the starting line for just showing up.

Sign up online here: www.thegreatgrovebedrace.com, or stop by The Bookstore (3399 Virginia Street) to pick up the forms. You don't have to know the whole team at this point, just the one person can sign up now as captain and you can sort out your team then.

Also, the winning bed from The Grove Spot is up for bids at the Get Rolling Gathering, so you can actually bid on that and use the bones of that bed, redecorate it and be ready for race day! This Friday, August 17, from 6 to 10 pm, at Mr. Moe's (3131 Commodore Plaza) is the Get Rolling Gathering / Bed Building Workshop Happy Hour. Like last year, the Tinker Tank group will show you how to! They'll show you everything you need to know from materials you need to how to put it all together to make a winning bed.

Come out for Happy Hour specials and your first drink is free! And each person who signs up under your team's name gives you an inch start at the starting line on race day. So bring everyone you know, the more people you bring, the more inches you get!

There's a new staring line this year, you'll want to hear about that, too! So see you at Moe's.

Women's Kite Boarding Clinic and Group Lesson

Melissa Gil, professional rider.

Meet professional rider Melissa Gil, who has the world speed record, currently competing on the wave riding world tour. She'll be at Adventure Sports Miami (2750 SW 26 Avenue), Friday night, August 17, for a Kiteboarding Clinic for Women.

The clinic is from 6:00 to 8:00 pm

In this clinic they will cover the basics of kiting on a kite simulator. Be the first one to see the Siren Collection -- a specific girl kite collection by Cabrinha kites. Wine and Hors d'oeuvre will be served.

Price- $20 ( Single night clinic price)

Then on Saturday, August 18 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, there's a Group Kite Lesson at Matheson Hammock. (Class could be rescheduled upon weather conditions). Price -  $60 (single day clinic price or purchase the 2 day package for $75).

Skills which they will be covering during this clinic: Knowing your surroundings & weather/wind conditions
Learn how to rig your kite
Launching and landing procedures
Right of way/ Upwind/Downwind
Kite Flying Skills
Body Dragging

RSVP is mandatory, please call (305) 591-3559 in order to reserve your space

By signing up to this clinic you'll also receive:
$150 Gift Certificate towards a Kite ( valid for 3 Months).
30% off Kite lesson packages - (valid for a 6 months period from initial purchase date).

Why is he saving Brickell's trees?

Today Comm. Sarnoff has been tweeting and Facebooking, telling people how to stop the destruction of trees on Brickell Avenue. Isn't he the guy behind the tree removal in the Grove? Why are protesting Brickell neighbors being heard and not the Grove residents when we protest? The Grove trees are black olives, too. Why are they safer on Brickell than here?

Is someone going to send out the arborists to test the trees on Brickell to see if they are safe to walk under, you know, like the ones in the Grove? I would like to send out the same ones who fear that our trees are going to fall and kill people, let them do an assessment on Brickell's trees, too.

By the way, the link he has there goes here: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/irsn87

They are hurting their own cause

Speaking of voting, The Obama election office opened on Saturday. I went over to cover the event, starting Sunday up until last night, (I have received about 14 emails from the local Obama campaign office. About six a day on Sunday and Monday and a couple on Tuesday, all different emails. It's annoying and illegal because I never signed up for these, I handed one person my card at the event as a courtesy so he knew why I was taking pictures and there is no unsubscribe link on the non-stop emails. You can't just put people on an email list without their permission and if you do, there legally has to be an unsubscribe button. I never signed their email list.

These guys at the event on Saturday were quite aggressive, too. Very rude, pushy and not very professional. They seem to be green college kids and it's very admirable that they are pushing the re-election campaign, but they need to back down a bit or they will turn off the very people they are trying to engage.

I had to call the organizer personally to get off their email list (which I am still not off) and I had to fight off a guy at the door at the event who would not take no for an answer when I was asked to sign up for volunteer positions and I said I wanted to think about it. Very unprofessional. I don't think Obama would approve.

By the way, when I voted yesterday in the local elections, I did not vote for any politicians that had my house called daily with robotic messages. None. And all those judges that spammed every empty lot and fence, I didn't vote for them either. Now let's see how long it takes for that litter to be taken down. 

I can see why people don't vote

There has to be an easier way.

I went to vote yesterday at the Science Museum, which is where my precinct votes. It was about 9:15 am, there was no one in there except the poll workers, about 12 of them, and one guy in front of me who happened to be former Mayor Manny Diaz.

There were seven poll workers at the tables where you sign in. But for some reason, only one was assigned to help Manny and myself, since we were both in the same book.

The guy helping us was totally incompetent. Now I know it's a thankless job, working at the polls, it's long hours for little pay, but I do think the people should have a run through before they take the stage. And if one is occupied, I do believe that the others sitting there should have some means to help those next in line, rather than just sit there and twiddle their thumps trying to make jokes to awakwardly pass the time.

The guy helping Manny had no idea who he was, even though he was the Mayor for many years. He grabbed his ID and fumbled through the book. He managed to find Manny's name and hand him a Republican ticket, Manny told him that he was voting Democrat, the guy wanted to argue that Manny was a Republican. Manny actually had to prove it to him, by showing him the voter ID card. I don't think the poll worker even looked at the card, he was using the driver's license only.

Next, as Manny walked away, he realized he didn't sign his name in the book, the guy forgot to have him actually sign in, so Manny came back and told him, "You forgot to have me sign in." The guy then asks for Manny's ID again -- his driver's license. He couldn't remember the name and he didn't have a clue who it was.

He fumbled again, not finding the name and this whole check in for Manny took about 20 minutes or so. I was tempted to walk out a couple of times, but I don't think I ever missed a vote since I first started voting at 18, so I wasn't going to miss it now.

I patiently waited, Manny was very patient, and finally we got through the mess. I wanted to start yelling and I am sure Manny did, too, but we both kept our composure as to not make spectacles of ourselves.

Now remember, there were only two of us. I was wondering how they were going to handle three or four or five people at a time. One lady said to me, embarrassed by watching her co-worker stumbling, "We've been here all morning." Meaning they were exhausted. Mind you, it was only 9:15 am.

I'm sure it was a long day for those people.

You gonna vote today?

So many people are talking about a change of leadership in the comments section. They want to know when elections are and they want to vote out certain people.

I hate to break it to all of you, but the people (or person) you want to vote out was in the November elections, that was eight months ago and speaking of eight, only 8% of the registered voters actually voted! That's 92% of the voting public that couldn't be bothered.

Election day was a beautiful sunny, November day, about 75 degrees and perfect. The whole two weeks of early voting before that basically had the same weather, yet only 8% voted.

Did you vote in November, will you vote today?

Yup, now is your chance for the lackluster turnout in November. Today is election day, the county Mayor is up for election, so is the Property Appraiser for each district, the State Attorney, School Board members and judges. There's even the repeal of the pit-bull ban in Miami-Dade County which is up for vote.

Our friend Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who was our State Rep. for many years is running for Property Appraiser in our district, hope you vote for him, he's an honest guy and does a lot of good for our neighborhood.

See you at the polls.

Are you going to participate in Dine Out?

I'm newly involved with a charity called "No Kid Hungry," through Tomversation, my comic strip. I wrote a blog story about how we hooked up here at Tomversation. Anyway, from September 16 to 22, the annual Dine Out for No Kid Hungry kicks off. I am asking local restaurants to participate.

This is a nationwide event where restaurants develop creative promotions to raise money for Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in America. I am asking local restaurants to get involved, there is no cost to you. 

I thought the figure was eight million, but it's actually double -- 16 million kids in America live with the threat of hunger every day! And if it's not them, it's their parents, who will give up a meal or two or three in order to feed their children. That's daily, in the United States!

The dollars raised through Dine Out For No Kid Hungry support the No Kid Hungry campaign to help ensure that every child in the U.S. gets the healthy food they need, every day.

This is a fundraiser, but no financial commitment is required to participate. Decide how to raise funds during the week of September 16-22 and you can go longer if you wish. Many restaurants find success with customer driven promotions, where you reward your customers for making donations. For example, if a customer makes a $1 donation, reward them with a $2 coupon they can use on a future visit. Simple menu promotions are also popular, and are a good way to introduce a new or special menu item, or entice customers to order a dessert or appetizer –just tell them how much of the purchase price you will donate to the No Kid Hungry campaign.

Visit the Participant Resource Center, found in the upper right-hand corner of DineOutForNoKidHungry.org to find case studies, downloadable templates, materials and training guides to help you promote your participation.

Engage and train your staff, promote the event and run your promotion September 16-22, 2012 or longer.

Register here: www.DineOutForKidHungry.org. There is no cost to sign up.

Bingo is back at the Woman's Club this Thursday

Bingo is back at the Woman's Club of Coconut Grove (2985 S. Bayshore Drive), Thursday, August 16, starting at 7 pm.

Admission is $5.00 for adults and children under 12 play free.

Cost is $1 per card, with a 5 card minimum. Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served and there's a cash bar on the premises. 

Prizes will be gifts and gift certificates. The last game is for a cash prize of $500 with the entire Bingo Card in 46 balls.

Everyone is welcome, Dads, Moms, Kids, friends. Stop by for a night of fun.

For info: 305-446-2909.

Grovites host weekly ArchiTALK radio program

Season two recently started for the ArchiTALK radio program, on 880 am, the BIZ in Miami. 

Our friends Jane Decker and Sebastian Eilert are the hosts. Many of you may know Jane from all that she does in Coconut Grove, she's involved with the JCI's and is a great asset to the Great Grove Bed Race every year! Sebastian is also very involved in the community, he's always out there on the track, working from morning to night during the Bed Race. But both do so much more for the community.

The radio program is about arthitecture and architects, they talk to architects, developers and other building professionals about projects in South Florida and beyond. With the recent stories about new construction planned for Coconut Grove, I'm sure Jane and Sebastian have that subject on their radar, it would be interesting to hear what's planned and hear from the actual planners and builders.

They're always looking for innovative thinkers and guests, so if interested, please reach out to them. They're looking for sponsors, too. You can reach them through their website and also see their bios, they are both quite accomplished: www.architalkradio.com. 

The program is Mondays at 11 am, once again on The BIZ, 880 am.