Bal Harbour OK's new police station in Bal Harbour Shops

BAL HARBOUR
Bal Harbour OK's new police station in Bal Harbour Shops
Mall cops? Sort of. Village police will have a new station at The Bal Harbour Shops.
BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
Bal Harbour's finest will soon be joining the top retail names like Gucci, Chanel, and Cartier that call The Bal Harbour Shops home.

On Tuesday, the village council agreed to a seven-year lease that will give Bal Harbour a 2,554 square-foot space on the mall's second floor to house a police substation.

The women's fashion store Escada will be vacating the site.

Police Chief Thomas Hunker says the current police station has leaks and some mold problems. He also added that his officers need the extra space.

''We have out grown the space that our officers are operating now,'' he said.

The new station will become a defacto headquarters for 22 uniformed officers, a secretary, four dispatchers and two public service aides. The department would move its communications equipment, a locker and property room there as well. Forfeiture funds, which come from confiscated criminal proceeds, will be used to purchase new equipment.

The administrative and investigative functions of the police department -- including the chief's office, two captains and four detectives -- would remain at the current station, 655 96th St., next to Village Hall.

Residents would be able to make police reports at both facilities. The Shops will offer free parking.

But some residents say it is not the time to invest in a new police station.

''This village hall has served the police department well over the past 50 years,'' Dina Celini, a member of the Bal Harbour Citizen's Coalition, said at the meeting. ``I don't think in this time we should be spending $400,000 of taxpayer money to move over there. It could turn out to be a disaster.''

The village will make 84 monthly payments to cover the cost of renovating the interior of the mall space. The cost will be capped at $400,000, according to the village's agreement.

Bal Harbour also will be charged an interest rate by the Shops, which cannot exceed 6 percent. Owner Randy Whitman told the council he would try to bring that interest rate down. The monthly payments will be paid using money from the village's general fund.

Hunker told the council the new location will come in handy if a major disaster affects the village.

''The security of the communications center is better on the second floor,'' he said.

Village Manager Alfred Treppeda says the project could be complete in about six months.

Swine Flu is a serious threat.

A recent outbreak of swine flu in Mexico and the United States is raising concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the issue has the possibility of evolving into a "pandemic potential". WHO already called for an emergency meeting of flu experts to discuss how to prevent this deadly flu from spreading. Officials say they have never-before-seen a virus of the likes and adds hat it is a very serious situation. So far, the outbreak killed about a dozen in Mexico and sickened at least eight in U.S. However, there are 62 people in Mexico who died from severe pneumonia caused by a flu-like illness. Mexican authorities already have closed public areas like schools and museums. Health officials say to clean your hands and avoid touching other. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan says, "This is an animal strain of the H1N1 virus, and it has pandemic potential because it is infecting people."
So, if I don't shake your hand, well, don't take it to the heart.

Chavez a good salesman?

There are several things wrong with this picture. Number one, Venezuelan "President", Hugo Chavez is shaking president Barack Obama's hand at the Summit of the Americas, which took place at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The handshake isn't the problem, the ignorance is Chavez handing a book in Spanish to Obama. Ah, excuse me Mr. presidente, but are you aware that Obama is fluent in English? The only words Mr. Obama might just know in Spanish is "Hola" and "Como estas". No offense to Mr. Obama, but I am sure learning Spanish is the least of his concern. So, Mr. Chavez bestows “Open Veins of Latin America” in Espanol. Do you honestly think, Mr. Obama and his staff have time to catch up with what happened in the so-called revolution's hey days? They might brief Mr. Obama, but that's about it. I found it funny, when Mr. Obama said he thought Chavez was handing him a book he personally wrote. At that point, Mr. Obama said he thought of giving him one of his personally written books, which are best sellers. Now, here is what I don't understand: Chavez gives him the book and the next day "Open Veins of Latin America" is the number two best seller on Amazon bestselling book list. It's not the time this happens, in 2006, Chavez said at a United Nations meeting to read "Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance" written by Noam Chomsky. That put the author in the best sellers list too. In conclusion, it seems that people listen to this egotistical leader because people buy the books he promotes. I wonder how much he is making from advertising the books. Also, I wonder who are the people who buy it? I must admit, I bought Chomsky's book. But, I bought it out of curiosity. I don't think I'll be buying the latest book he advertised. That's just feeding the devil. Hey, maybe Chavez could start selling homes. He might just get us out of this recession. It seems to be he has a knack for selling things no one wants. I guess, he is a good salesman aside from being a great liar.

Watch me on CGTV.

Sand coming to Bal Harbour

BAL HARBOUR
New sand from Orlando will replenish Bal Harbour's shoreline
Help is on the way for the village's shrinking shoreline.

RODOLFO R. ROMAN / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD
Photo BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
Bal Harbour's shrinking beach has caught the eye of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen took a tour of Bal Harbour's beach last month, walking with residents who say they are concerned about the natural erosion that has eaten away at the shoreline.

Buffering the beach is essential, Ros-Lehtinen said.

And help is on the way: In May, more than 30 feet of sand will be trucked in from Orlando to add height and width to beaches in Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles Beach and Miami Beach.

''The sand is coming and it is something we need to do again and again,'' she said. ``It's the only way you are going to protect these properties and these lives.''

Ros-Lehtinen said erosion also jeopardizes South Florida beaches' draw as a major tourist attraction.

Natural erosion, along with several active hurricane seasons, has shrunk Bal Harbour's beach to small dunes, leaving residents and tourists with little space to enjoy the ocean. During high tide, residents say the water becomes a danger.

''The water sometimes goes over the dunes,'' said resident Brian Mulheren, a member of the Bal Harbour Citizen's Coalition. ``If we have a hurricane, the water goes up to the lines of the buildings.''

The coalition lobbied lawmakers, e-mailing and making phone calls to Ros-Lehtinen and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Ros-Lehtinen lauded the group for being ``proactive.''

''They have been unified and that brings success,'' she said.

The sand should help swimmers feel safer.

''The project will serve as a Band Aid until a large regular project will take place in 2011,'' said Brian Flynn, a representative for the county's Department of Environmental Resource Management. ``This project will use an offshore sand source.''

Flynn, who has been working with Bal Harbour, said state and county funds will be used for the proposed truck haul re-nourishment project, which could last about three months.

Ros-Lehtinen adds that the project could cost about $10 million. She also said there are additional funds earmarked for beach renourishment, which could be used for the 2011 project.

''The Army Corps of Engineers has a certain amount of money geared toward beach renourishment, so someone is going to get it,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``We are going to fight like heck to make sure we get it.''

South Florida comes out to help.

Folks came out to donate at a local church. More than 2 tons of food was collected, which helped South Florida's needy.

Sanz appointment

BAL HARBOUR
Bal Harbour Jaime Sanz resigns, then gets reappointed to new council seat
Bal Harbour Councilman Jaime Sanz resigned from the council but got appointed to fill a vacant seat on the dais only days later.


BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
Only three days after Bal Harbour Councilman Jaime Sanz resigned from his seat, the village council appointed him to sit back on the dais.

On Monday, the village council unanimously appointed Sanz to replace former councilman Joel Jacobi's seat.

On April 10, the Friday before the meeting, Sanz had turned in his resignation letter to the village, which didn't specify why he was stepping down from his District 3 seat.

Sanz beat out seven residents who had submitted their resumes hoping to replace Jacobi for the District 4 seat, including Lynne Bloch-Mullen, Jacobi's former opponent whose two-year legal fight challenging his residency helped lead to his resignation last month.

More than a dozen residents came to her support, asking the council to appoint her at last week's meeting.

Bal Harbour Coalition member Michael Krop handed the council 110 signatures from residents asking to give Bloch-Mullen a council seat.

''We have a woman here who has lived in Bal Harbour for many years,'' said Krop, a former school board member, to the council.

``She's been interested in village politics, attended many council meetings. She's acted in Bal Harbour organizations and has a deep love for the village.''

Assistant Mayor Jean Rosenfield said she preferred appointing someone she was familiar with.

''The best option is to go with experience,'' she said at the meeting.

Sanz's term was set to end in just a few weeks: Patricia Cohen was elected to the District 3 seat this month, and will be sworn in April 20.

Sanz no longer qualified to run for that seat because he had moved from his District 3 since taking office in 2005.

He said he used to live at the Harbour House, but added he was one of many residents required to leave the building while the structure was undergoing renovations in 2005.

Sanz then moved to his current home at 284 Bal Bay Dr. -- which is in District 4.

Sanz said it wasn't ''financially smart'' to return to the Harbour House condo complex.

''I tried to go back there. But, they wanted too much money and it had too much problems in the building,'' he said.

``The way the economy is, it wasn't viable for me to move.''

Under Bal Harbour's charter, candidates for the village council must reside in the village for at least one year before filing to run for office. He said he looked forward to taking his new seat.

''This opportunity came up. I enjoyed working with the council. I love the village,'' said Sanz, who submitted a letter of intent along with the other applicants.

``I've been a resident for a long time. I can contribute to the village and keep it the way it is and improve it.''

Despite losing out at another chance to sit on the council, Bloch-Mullen said she still felt like a winner.

''I may have not gotten the seat,'' said Bloch-Mullen, who is a Bal Harbour Citizen's Coalitions member, ``but people came up to me and congratulated me for the courage, and for being able to go through what we went through.''

She also said not to rule her out as a possible candidate for the District 4 seat when Sanz's term ends in 2011.

''It depends how much work I can accomplish off the council,'' she said.

``Believe me, I'll keep working for Bal Harbour for as long as I live.''

McDonald's All-american Games come to the Gables

Coral Gables Girl's Storm team makes it big

Fish hold the best record in the majors.

How about them apples: The Florida Marlins are 7 and 1. The team holds the best record in baseball and have equaled the best start in franchise history. Only two other clubs, the 1997 and 2004 clubs also opened the season by going with the same winning record. The beat the Atlanta Braves 10-4. You might remember how the Braves would toy with the fish. Now, it is the opposite. The Marlins are brining the heat to each and every team they have played so far. They only have one loss and that is to the lousy Mets, which we have embarrased several times in their own home. So, can ESPN start giving us some credit? Sure, we don't have an expensive team, but they are winning and that is what counts. Go Marlins!

Marlins win five games in homestand...

The Marlins defeated the lousy/choking Mets 2-1 in a well pitched game by Josh Johnson. Marlins scored two run thanks to a Mets error. Well, they scored one run thanks to that error; they had one earned run. The Mets only run came all the way in the ninth inning. It was great to leave the hot ballpark and watch the disappointed faces on Mets' Fans. Ahh...the joy. Thousands attended the game and watched the fish kick the lousy Mets butts. So long Mets, we'll see you in a few just to only kick your butts again. Before the game, kids ran to the field to pick up eggs on the Marlin's Easter egg hunt. I think the kids ran faster to pick up the eggs than the sorry Mets. I guess the kids want it more than the Mets. All these New Yorkers can go back home to Queens and enjoy their new ball park along with a crappy team. As for us, we can enjoy victory. Hopefully, maybe, we can start getting some recognition and prove that the fish are for real. The Marlins have an 5 and 1 record.
Here are some pictures of the best the Mets have to offer Johan Santana. Too bad he didn't bring any of his heat cause the fish where too much. Also, the kids rush the field to pick up eggs. Enjoy and Happy Easter!

Rosenfield, Cohen elected to the Bal Harbour council

BAL HARBOUR
Rosenfield, Cohen elected to the Bal Harbour council
A newcomer and an incumbent win spots on the village council. The council meets Monday to discuss appointing a third position to replace former councilman Joel Jacobi.


Special to The Miami Herald
A fresh face will take her place on Bal Harbour's village council, while incumbent Jean Rosenfield retained her seat at Tuesday's village elections.

Newcomer Patricia Cohen won the District 3 seat with 227 votes, beating Barbara Grossman who had 138.

Cohen, who owns a landscaping company, will replace Councilman Jaime Sanz, who did not run for reelection.

Rosenfield, a public school teacher, kept her District 1 seat after defeating Dr. Abraham G. Gotman, an obstetrician and gynecologist, who is Bal Harbour Citizen's Coalition member.

Cohen said she is excited to serve on the council.

''I am very happy. I can't wait to attend the first meeting,'' said Cohen, who resides in the Harbour House.

Cohen's eligibility as a candidate has come under scrutiny because of what she says was a mistakenly filed homestead exemption on her Surfside property.

A Bal Harbour resident raised concerns to village officials after she said she ran across Cohen's homestead exemption while researching Surfside real estate.

Cohen said she mistakenly filed for the homestead exemption, but insisted her condo in Bal Harbour is her current residence. She said she had lived at the Surfside address while Harbour House was undergoing renovations -- one of many residents required to leave the building until work was completed. She returned permanently to Harbour House in October 2007, she told the council in a meeting last month.

After reviewing the documents, the council agreed Cohen was eligible.

''I am legally approved to be a councilwoman. Anyone can bring any allegations that they want,'' Cohen said in a phone interview after the elections results were tallied. ``The citizens have elected me. I have every qualification that matters required.''

Under Bal Harbour 's charter, candidates for the village council must reside in the village for at least one year before filing to run for office.

Rosenfield, who serves as assistant mayor, defeated Gotman 235 votes to 169.

''I am very happy I won. I want to thank all of the people who voted for me,'' she said. ``I hope to be able to serve all of the people of Bal Harbour.''

Rosenfield has served four years on the council.

Both Rosenfield and Cohen will serve a four-year term. The new council will be inducted at 10 a.m. April 20.

Also joining the council is Joni D. Blachar, who won the District 5 seat unopposed when she did not draw any challengers by the end of the qualifying period March 7. She will replace Mayor Howard Berlin, who did not seek reelection.

The council will also appoint another member to replace former councilman Joel Jacobi at 7 p.m. at a special council meeting Monday Jacobi announced his resignation last month during a trial challenging his residency during the 2007 election. His resignation took effect April 1.

The village has been accepting résumés from those interested in serving on the council. The application period ended Friday. The appointee would serve until the end of the Jacobi's term in 2011.

Crowd boos Britney

Smoky conditions made Britney Spears walk off the stage in Vancouver during her latest stop part of her Circus tour. In a statement to the Vancouver Sun, "It's become uncomfortable and unsafe for the performers." She walked off the stage, which led to a 30 minute delay. This happened just after she sang three songs. The sold out crowd retaliated with boos. Apparently, cigarette smoke was too much for Britney Spears to perform. I wonder if she ever remembers the good ole days when she used to party hardy in Miami Beach. Does anyone remember the toilet incident? Do you remember the no panties incident? I wonder what caused that? Isn't weird that a person who used to do something damaging to their body all of sudden starts complaining about others doing it? Does that question make sense? I think this is senseless. Nonetheless, the pop queen came back and performed and she apologized on her blog. Yawn!

Put on your dancing shoes, Jason.

Former Dolphins player, Jason Taylor is without a team. He last played for the Washington Redskins. Now, Taylor's future team is up in the air. He says that he might even wait after the NFL draft to decide were he'll like to play. Taylor is memorable here in South Florida for being an outstanding defensive player. He is also known for is somewhat super stardom on the small screen. The defensive player showed of his skills, not on the field, but on the dancing floor when he appeared on ABC's "Dancing with the stars". Many thought that appearing on the show would mark the end of his football career because he would seek a job in Hollywood. However, that hasn't happened yet and he claims to have that urge to comeback and play. So, should the Dolphins take a soon to retire defensive player? Well, one thing is for sure, the Jets, Patriots and Bills have interest in the man. Remember, all the teams mentioned are in the Dolphins division. One thing seems to be certain, Taylor says he won't play for the Jets. So, lets see if the Big Tuna, Bill Parcels takes a risk with the veteran, since he is looking to rebuild the fins. From the looks of it, it seems like Taylor has Dolphins blood and would like to retire here. But, if no team decides to take him here is a message to Taylor: Trade the cleats for the dancing shoes. Who knows what the outcome will be?

Marlins on top of the world, so far

Yes, it is way too early for us to celebrate, but let's take a moment to enjoy that the Florida Marlins are indeed undefeated. The Marlins swept the lousy Nationals. It is true, the Marlins are 3 and goose egg. Florida scored 26 runs in the series, and the Marlins’ starters went 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA. I am no one to predict anything, but the last time they started a season undefeated was in 1997, when they won their first World Series. At that point, the fish had a phenomenal squad that included Bobby Bonilla, Moises Alou and Gary Sheffield to name a few. This time around they have Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez and Rickey Nolasco. Sure, they aren't as big as the players the team had in 1997, but they are hard hitters who are hungry, which is a perfect combo for victory. So good luck to this year's boys of summer as they raise hell in the National League.

Ludacris was the bomb.

Ludacris came through with an outstanding concert last week at F.I.U. A little more than a thousand people were jamming to Luda, who had the crowd bumping and grinding. He sang all his favorite hits such as "Get out the way" and "Area Codes". It was really funny to see students mosing to "Get out the way". Who knew that a mosh pit could happen in a rap concert? Hey, there is a first for everything. The man sang for almost two hours, until they started kicking him out. He buddies from DTP also joined in the fun. After the concert I went to church to watch my dirty mouth.

As promised, here are some of the pictures taken at the Ronald McDonald's All-American Basketball game. The game was great and I had the opportunity to interview a future N.B.A. star who was five times my height.

The Obama administration adds a Hollywood actor best known for his role as a cannibis loving med student to it's team.

Actor Kal Penn left his job of acting on Fox's TV show "House" to join the Obama administration. Penn is well-known for playing the role of Kumar a cannibis loving med student who uses his power of medicine to purchase marijuana in "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay." According to sources, the star would join the staff as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison. No word on how much the star will get paid.

Florida Marlins win season opener

Congratulations to the Florida Marlins who defeated the Washington Nationals 12-6. In the game, Hanley Ramirez hit his first grand slam. Nolasco pitched a pretty good game. The doubters can start believing that the new stadium will benefit the county. Sooner or later, we will have an all-star game and a another World Series championship. Go Fish!

Mickey Rourke appearance at Wrestlemania was a snoozer

All the weeks of hyping the Chris Jericho vs the Hall Of Famers match was baloney. Don't get me wrong, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is still in great shape and can pull off a good fight. However, bringing Mickey Rourke to Wrestlemania 25 was pointless. All he did was square off with Y2J and danced around the ring. He took a cheap shot and that's all she wrote. Honestly, the hype was worthless because seeing Jericho job to an actor is berating the athlete. What was McMahon thinking? Sure, the movie was great, but don't try to imitate reality. Those millions of dollars McMahon paid Rourke weren't well spent. If you don't believe me just check out the pay-per-view buys. Beside Rourke's flop, Wrestlemania 25 in general was boring. The best match was Taker vs Micheals and that's pretty much the only memorable moment in that ppv. For it being the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania, WWE should have had a better show.

Earthquake

My heart goes out to the victims of Italy's deadliest earthquake in three decades. At least 150 people were killed today. The 6.3-magnitude catastrophic natural disaster damaged ancient and modern buildings and everything on its path. The earthquake has destroyed or damaged historic buildings, which are part of human history.May God help the rescue workers who are searching for victims who are stuck in the rumble.

All American Games

Getting to know these future NBA stars was a great experience. The Ronald McDonald's All-American Games, where in Coral Gables and boy the games where awesome. Both the girls and boys game went down to the last second. The games were both nail bitters. Several celebrities where in the crowd such as Ronnie Brown, Pat Reily and , of course, Alonzo Mourning. The game itself was a media frenzy. The game was televised live on ESPN. Almost 6,000 basketball fans showed up at the Bank United center to watch the future Lebron James and Kobe Bryants. The marching band played music, while the arena speakers blared hip hop music. You know, sure, the game was great, but in the end the Ronald McDonald's House benefits. Guests who stay at the McDonald's house really face reality because their children are being treated for serious issues. I interviewed a teen who had a tumor removed from his cheek. His mother stayed at the house, while he was getting operated. It was really sad, yet motivating to see this guy stand up on his own two feet and live his life like if nothing ever happened. I was truly inspired. The man helped me opened my eyes to see how fortunate I am. Not just me, but if you walk, talk, hear, and have a job consider yourself blessed. We really have to take a look at those little things because we are blessed. Thus, covering the games where great, but I really felt like my heart witnessed something glorifying. I'll be putting up some pictures in my next blog.

Bal Harbour Elections

BAL HARBOUR
Tuesday's election to decide two seats in Bal Harbour council
Four candidates -- including one incumbent -- are facing off in Tuesday's village elections.
BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
Two newcomers to Bal Harbour politics are vying for a seat on the council, while incumbent Jean Rosenfield gears up to defend her seat in the lead-up to Tuesday's elections.

Patricia Cohen and Barbara Grossman, both residents of the Harbour House condos, are challenging each other for the District 3 seat currently held by Jaime Sanz, who is not running for reelection.

Rosenfield is battling Abraham G. Gotman, a member of the Bal Harbour Citizen's Coalition, for the District 1 seat.

Joni D. Blachar won her District 5 seat unopposed when she did not draw any challengers by the end of the qualifying period March 7. She will replace Mayor Howard Berlin, who did not seek reelection.

Grossman, 70, a real estate broker, has lived in the village for 19 years and says she would like to prevent high-rise buildings in Bal Harbour.

''I am very much against building high-rises,'' said Grossman. ``I feel that would destroy the beauty of Bal Harbour. We want to keep the prices up here.''

She says her background in real estate would be beneficial for the village.

''I know what people are looking for. When they come to me I suggest Bal Harbour,'' she said, ``because of the beauty and design and the council could benefit. They'll know what people are looking for.''

Grossman also suggests the village should look into creating a recreational area for pet owners.

Her Opponent, Cohen, 50, who owns a landscaping company in Surfside called Garden Angel, says preserving the village's aesthetics is on the top of her agenda.

''Guaranteeing that the beach stays attractive for tourist is important because of the revenue,'' said Cohen, who adds that she has lived in the village for 10 years. ``We are going into a beach replenishing project, which is great. We have to moderate that because it needs to be done.''

Cohen also says Bal Harbour needs to reel in ``top quality tourist.''

''I don't think we are doing enough to attract additional quality tourist to market ourselves in a meaningful way,'' she said.

She adds that school boundaries should be reconsidered.

Cohen's eligibility as a candidate has come under scrutiny because of what she says was a mistakenly filed homestead exemption on her Surfside property. Bal Harbour resident Anamarie Kelly brought her concerns to village officials after she said she ran across the Cohen's homestead exemption while researching properties in Surfside.

Cohen said she mistakenly filed for the homestead exemption, but insisted her condo in Bal Harbour is her true residence.

She said she had temporarily moved to Surfside while the Harbour House was under renovation -- one of many residents required to leave the building until work was completed. She returned permanently to Harbour House in October 2007, she told the council.

After reviewing the documents, the council agreed Cohen was eligible last month.

Under Bal Harbour 's charter, candidates for the village council must reside in the village for at least one year before filing to run for office.

Also on the ballot: Assistant Mayor Jean Rosenfield, who is running against challenger Gotman for the District 1 seat.

Rosenfield, 76, who has lived in the village for more than 30 years, said keeping the village's tax rate low is a top priority.

''I am passionate about keeping our village millage rate low, which has one of the lowest in the Miami-Dade County,'' said Rosenfield, who served four years on the council. ``I attempted to make it even lower. I am very concerned about that.''

Rosenfield says she is concerned about safety and wants to continue educating residents in case of a major hurricane. She also wants to control development.

''We really have no space where to develop as you well know,'' said Rosenfield, who is a public school teacher. ``I want to control it because it is important to preserve the beauty that we have in Bal Harbour.''

Gotman, 75, who has lived in Bal Harbour for 11 years, agrees that development should be limited.

''I believe in progress, but I believe progress has to go slower,'' said Gotman who is a trustee on the village's police department pension board. ``I am for maintaining a village, not a metropolis.''

Gotman, a gynecologist, says he would like the village to buy The Bal Harbour club.

''Maybe the city should buy the property and convert it into a green park,'' he said. ``We can place the City Hall, police department and build a library and a club for all the residents.''

The council will appoint a replacement for former Councilman Joel Jacobi this month. Jacobi announced his resignation earlier last month during a trial challenging his residency in the 2007 election. His resignation took effect April 1.

Tuesday's voting will be Tuesday at Church by the Sea, 501 96th St., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For details, call 305-866-4633.