I had reported that the July 4th fireworks may not happen this year, the Grove Chamber didn't want that job anymore, which ended up being a lot of work and expense, since they turned it all into a mini festival with food and games and things like that. It was a great effort and always was a lot of fun, but I can see their point in wanting to step out.
The good news is that the City of Miami has stepped in and they will hold the fireworks at Peacock Park, so the tradition continues.
The good part, or bad, depending on how you see it, is that there will be no other hoopla at the park, no food, drink, etc. The local businesses will benefit in that there is talk of some perhaps putting together a box lunch that people can bring to the park and they could enjoy that while sitting on blankets, etc. Or of course, people can bring their own food and drink, which is what I think will happen.
I'll post more details as I get them. But if you had planned on bringing the family to Peacock Park for fireworks as you do every year, you still can.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Notes from the last Waterfront Advisory Meeting
These are notes from the last Waterfront Advisory Committee:
Dinner Key Marina dock master building update: the administration concluded it is not cost effective to scrap the project. Costs to pay off architects, engineering, and contractor costs as well as renovation to the existing building, and constructing the smaller dock master facility over the Water and Sewer Dept. area was not feasible.
Kennedy Park shoreline restoration update: exotic plant removal work underway, stump work still to come. Some minor mangrove trimming also needs to be done. The street outfall currently landlocked needs to be moved to the mangrove area that still has tidal flow.
Spoil Islands master plans and Tiki huts update: meeting scheduled for June 12, with Gulliver Prep for student master plan project for Spoil Island E. Purchase Order issued for Tiki shelters. The Sailing Club suggested naming Spoil Island E Clarington Island. The committee approved the idea and asked that District 2 place the item on a commission agenda. Mr. Robert Clarington who was a Club dock master for over 50 years and the name would be in his honor.
Spoil Island C floating dock update: FDEP permit obtained, only Army Corp still required before work can start. The dock is listing at all tides now.
Spoil Island C – B swim area update: Coast Guard ok'd plan with modification to swim buoys. No rope between buoys is allowed. There are current environment concerns with some boats beaching at the shoreline to make repairs, paint bottoms, etc.
New business for June 12 meeting (5:30 pm, City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive): Is there a master plan for Peacock Park? Does the Parks Dept. have any involvement with planning? The Planning Dept. has not seen any plans.
Dinner Key Marina dock master building update: the administration concluded it is not cost effective to scrap the project. Costs to pay off architects, engineering, and contractor costs as well as renovation to the existing building, and constructing the smaller dock master facility over the Water and Sewer Dept. area was not feasible.
Kennedy Park shoreline restoration update: exotic plant removal work underway, stump work still to come. Some minor mangrove trimming also needs to be done. The street outfall currently landlocked needs to be moved to the mangrove area that still has tidal flow.
Spoil Islands master plans and Tiki huts update: meeting scheduled for June 12, with Gulliver Prep for student master plan project for Spoil Island E. Purchase Order issued for Tiki shelters. The Sailing Club suggested naming Spoil Island E Clarington Island. The committee approved the idea and asked that District 2 place the item on a commission agenda. Mr. Robert Clarington who was a Club dock master for over 50 years and the name would be in his honor.
Spoil Island C floating dock update: FDEP permit obtained, only Army Corp still required before work can start. The dock is listing at all tides now.
Spoil Island C – B swim area update: Coast Guard ok'd plan with modification to swim buoys. No rope between buoys is allowed. There are current environment concerns with some boats beaching at the shoreline to make repairs, paint bottoms, etc.
New business for June 12 meeting (5:30 pm, City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive): Is there a master plan for Peacock Park? Does the Parks Dept. have any involvement with planning? The Planning Dept. has not seen any plans.
Multi Chamber mixer tonight at The Flat Miami
Join the Downtown Miami & Brickell Chamber of Commerce tonight, along with the Chambers of Coconut Grove, Argentina, Camacol,Colombia, Chile, Doral Airport, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Junior Chamber International, Medley,Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland,Sweetwater, and the Brickell Rotary Club, at the Monthly Multichamber of Commerce networking event.mix and mingle.
The event is from 6 to 9 pm, tonight, June 5, at The Flat Miami (500 South Point Drive, S. Beach).
It's a great way to meet hundreds of local professionals, promote your business, share your ideas, expand your network and have fun. Includes: Enjoy complimentary drink and appetizers for an hour. Bring your business card to participate in raffle to win surprise prizes.
Valet Parking: Available for $5
Dress Code: Business Attire
In advance:$10 Members, $15 Non-Members At the door (cash only):
$15 Members, $20 Non-Members
Tickets at: Multichamberevents.com
RSVP: join@miamibrickellchamber.com
The event is from 6 to 9 pm, tonight, June 5, at The Flat Miami (500 South Point Drive, S. Beach).
It's a great way to meet hundreds of local professionals, promote your business, share your ideas, expand your network and have fun. Includes: Enjoy complimentary drink and appetizers for an hour. Bring your business card to participate in raffle to win surprise prizes.
Valet Parking: Available for $5
Dress Code: Business Attire
In advance:$10 Members, $15 Non-Members At the door (cash only):
$15 Members, $20 Non-Members
Tickets at: Multichamberevents.com
RSVP: join@miamibrickellchamber.com
Deciding our waterfront's fate
Two groups submitted their plans, which were quite extensive and modern. Shula's is said to be part of one of the plans and also a fish restaurant.
None of the selection committee seems to be connected with Coconut Grove in any way, shape or form, so it's quite absurd that they are making decisions about the future of our waterfront.
The committee, as you can see by the memo are:
Enrique Torre, Director of Public Facilities, City of Miami
Felix Garcia, Chief Lending officer of Pacific National Bank
Cathy Hardy, Certified Marina Manager, Miami-Dade County
Steven Perricone, owner of Perricone's Restaurant on Brickell
Steve Kneapler, Owner SJK Advisors, LLC
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Yucky's is now Lucky
The former Yucky's space on Main Highway is now Lucky 14 Gifts, transformed into a new place by Noel Garcia, who also owns New Age Body Piercing and Grove Ink, the tattoo place, both on Grand Avenue. This sign is the original Yucky's sign from the 1960s, the black wood framing it, was taken from the original shelves in the store.
Lucky 14 Gifts will be about 60% smoke shop and the rest will be gifts and novelty items like collectible lunch boxes and antique salt and pepper shakers, coffee cups and things like that. Along with the smoke items will be fine cigars and humidors.
There's a party Wednesday, June 5, starting at 7 pm, to welcome Lucky 14 to the neighborhood. Stop by for champagne and cupcakes and hors d'oeuvres will be served, too.
"I wanted to make it more Grove-like," said Noel, regarding the transformation. "I wanted it to look good and clean. After 44 years, I wanted to make it up to date."
The staff has been working hard and the place does look great. They didn't want me taking many photos because they want you to stop by and see it all for yourself.
Lucky 14 Gifts is at 3418 Main Highway. Same phone number as Yucky's: 305-444-4997.
I loved the little Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pipes because not too long ago, I interviewed Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of the Ninja Turtles, for the Huffington Post and I sort of got close to the characters during the process.
The sound of no sound sounds great!
This is interesting. The City of South Miami is going to consider today whether gas-powered leaf blowers should be allowed to be used within 50 feet of any residence or commercial outdoor dining area, which sort of means, they could be used near office buildings or places like that only.
I wrote about this a few years back and got jumped all over. People wanted to know how the gardeners and maintenance workers would get their work done without leaf blowers. My response was, "Use a rake, old school style." Maybe with an old fashioned rake, the gardeners would actually pick up the leaves and debris and put them in bags rather than just blow them into the street like most do now. In most cases the crews using the leaf blowers really just move around the leaves, they don't really remove them.
South Miami's ordinance would also include lawn mowers and other loud machinery.
I wrote about this a few years back and got jumped all over. People wanted to know how the gardeners and maintenance workers would get their work done without leaf blowers. My response was, "Use a rake, old school style." Maybe with an old fashioned rake, the gardeners would actually pick up the leaves and debris and put them in bags rather than just blow them into the street like most do now. In most cases the crews using the leaf blowers really just move around the leaves, they don't really remove them.
South Miami's ordinance would also include lawn mowers and other loud machinery.
Looks like they're having a mulching party
Well it's not really a party, but it's a get together to get rid of the remaining mulch that is left over from last weekend's TreeMendous Miami plantings. The US 1 planting and maintenance day went very well, but there is still a lot of mulch left to be placed down.
Volunteers are needed to meet on Wednesday afternoon, June 5, between 4 and 6 pm (come whenever you can) to disperse the mulch around the plantings. Meet at the "mulch piles" left around SW 19 Avenue off US1 where most of the undistributed mulch is located.
The mulch would then be distributed with wheel barrows into the native plant area immediately adjacent to the piles as well as load containers of mulch into supplied vans to bring to areas further away.
Last Friday, weed killer was sprayed around the flowering trees in the stretch between 17th to 19th Avenues, along US1 and more will be sprayed this week.
The main idea with the mulch is to get rid of it, so if you have containers you would like to bring, you are more than welcome to take some for your own homes.
Everyone is asked to help if possible and if you can, please bring pitch forks, yard rakes, wheel barrows and suitable containers if you have them.
At the end of the work, beer and dinner at a local dive are planned. Bring an extra shirt to change into for dinner. "Local dive," their words, not mine.
Volunteers are needed to meet on Wednesday afternoon, June 5, between 4 and 6 pm (come whenever you can) to disperse the mulch around the plantings. Meet at the "mulch piles" left around SW 19 Avenue off US1 where most of the undistributed mulch is located.
The mulch would then be distributed with wheel barrows into the native plant area immediately adjacent to the piles as well as load containers of mulch into supplied vans to bring to areas further away.
Last Friday, weed killer was sprayed around the flowering trees in the stretch between 17th to 19th Avenues, along US1 and more will be sprayed this week.
The main idea with the mulch is to get rid of it, so if you have containers you would like to bring, you are more than welcome to take some for your own homes.
Everyone is asked to help if possible and if you can, please bring pitch forks, yard rakes, wheel barrows and suitable containers if you have them.
At the end of the work, beer and dinner at a local dive are planned. Bring an extra shirt to change into for dinner. "Local dive," their words, not mine.
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