Mayan boy visits Miami Beach on 5 month journey

Although Miami Beach was as hot as an oven, it didn't stop dozens of people from welcoming a young Mayan boy from Mexico, who is on board a wooded ship and will navigate the ocean's water for about five months. The kid, who is joined by his father, 12 crew men and a dog will venture the high seas and visit several countries such as Israel, spain and Italy. And, yes, he will miss school, but he says he'll gain two more years of experience thanks to his tour. Look out for this interesting story in the Miami Herald next week.

Consulate marks Tel Aviv centennial in Miami Beach

The Israeli consulate helps usher in Tel Aviv's centennial celebration with a South Beach pool party. Other festivities are scheduled in the months to come.



BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
A little more than 100 years ago, about 40 people gathered on a desolate sand dune on what is now Tel Aviv, one of Israel's modern cities.

The first settlers of Tel Aviv, which means Hill of Spring, wanted to leave a long-lasting historical image. So they took a picture of themselves on the outskirts of Jaffa, marking the city's beginning.

Flash forward to last week, when hundreds of Miami Beach partygoers raised their shot glass at the Catalina Hotel on South Beach in honor of what those settlers accomplished a century ago.

``It's great to share this moment in Miami because we aren't there,'' said Lital Diener, an Israeli native who studied computer science in Tel Aviv for four years.

The Israel consulate hosted a celebratory pool party on Aug. 23, helping kick off Tel Aviv anniversary festivities in South Florida. Photographer Thomas Loewy took a commemorative centennial photo of the young and hip crowd from the Catalina's rooftop saluting Tel Aviv. The picture will be mailed to Tel Aviv's mayor, Ron Huldai. For Diener, the party brought back memories of Tel Aviv.

``The party life over there is incredible,'' said Diener, who moved from Tel Aviv to work as an airline pilot in the U.S. and now lives in Surfside. She visits her country about three times a year. ``They call it the nonstop city because it keeps going 24/7.''

Known for its beaches, clubs, bars and social scene, Miami Beach is similar to Tel Aviv, making it the perfect spot to have the celebration, said Consul General Ofer Bavly.

``It's a modern and vibrant city,'' said Bavly, who recently visited Tel Aviv. ``It's multicultural and ethnic like Miami.''

Partygoers from all over the world threw beach balls in the pool and enjoyed music, a drum show, raffle and hookahs.

They also had a chance to taste some Israeli food and wine, which was mostly donated.

``This party conveys a message that Tel Aviv is a fun place to be, and it's our intention to show this to the people of Miami,'' Bavly said.

John Pagelsohn, from Venezuela and lives in Miami, said the party hits close to home.

``Tel Aviv is where my heritage is because my mom is from there,'' said Pagelsohn, who enjoyed some drinks with friends. ``It's great the city is still around.''

He said the party has inspired him to visit Tel Aviv, possibly next year.

Bavly said it's important to reach out to the future.

``We haven't given a lot of attention to the young,'' he said. ``I thought it would be a good idea to address this group of people who are in their 20s and 30s and get them to visit Israel.''

The pool party celebration reminded Moises Maya of his time in Tel Aviv, where he moved after leaving Cuba in 1961.

``This brings me a lot of memories; it was a great time over there,'' said Maya, who spent a short time studying in Tel Aviv before moving to the United States. ``For us young people back then, Israel was awesome. I sometimes wonder if I would have stayed.''

Many cities around the world are celebrating Tel Aviv's centennial.

The Israeli consulate is planning several activities that will last well into next year, including a street celebration scheduled for October that Tel Aviv's mayor plans to attend, according to the consulate.

Concerts celebrating Tel Aviv will be held at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in October.

For more information, go to www.consulateisrael.com.

Coral Gables' couple donates living room

Overtown's Theodore R. and Thelma A. Gibson Charter School gets a makeover

ALL HANDS ON DECK: A TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS WORKS TO SPRUCE UP THE RELOCATED THEODORE R. AND THELMA A. GIBSON CHARTER SCHOOL

BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
It's been three months since Stephen Bridges graduated from the former St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Overtown.

On a recent Saturday, he made one more stop at his old campus, but it wasn't for educational purposes: Stephen, 14, joined dozens of Hands on Miami and UPS volunteers to help beautify the relocated Theodore R. and Thelma A. Gibson Charter School, which replaced the Catholic school after the Archdiocese of Miami closed it due to budget constraints.

``This change will help kids get a better education,'' Stephen said of the mini face-lift. Stephen, who lives in nearby Town Park Village and is starting Monsignor Edward Pace High this school year, helped lift logs and trim trees at the campus playground.

``Before, it was mostly dirt. It looks good now,'' he said at the Aug. 15 clean-up.

The playground was just one area the 85 volunteers helped refurbish. Volunteers also painted three portables, administrative offices and two kindergarten classrooms at the school, which will emphasize the arts.

Volunteers needed 10 gallons of paint and 750 bags of mulch for the children's playground, 182 native plants for landscaping, and $12,500 in furniture for the kindergarten classrooms.

Principal Brenda Dawson said the building needed the help, which came days before the beginning of the school year on Monday.

``This is an old building. It was run down,'' she said.

The 72-year-old Overtown building, 1698 NW Fourth Ave., housed St. Francis Xavier. Its closure took effect at the end of the school year, June 30. The property is owned by the Archdiocese of Miami, but it is leased by the Gibson Charter School Foundation.

The school was founded by Thelma Gibson in honor of her late husband, the Rev. Theodore Gibson, a civil-rights activist and the first African American to serve on the Miami City Commission.

Since its opening in 2003, the Gibson charter school has been located at 450 SW Fourth St. in Miami.

Hands on Miami searched throughout the community for a location that would benefit from a service project, said Mia Batlle, director of development for Hands on Miami.

``This is a performing arts school and it provides the community with that resource,'' she said, noting that residents of Town Park Village housing projects also would benefit from the new school. ``There is a commitment to bring excellence in education.''

A sweaty Shawn Fanshier, senior vice president of UPS Americas region, said she braved the heat and rain to help those in need.

``If you don't support communities, there won't be a difference in the world,'' said Fanshier, whose gloves were full of dirt and mulch after helping with the playground and landscaping. It was a busy day for UPS volunteers. More than 100 also gave St. Paul Lutheran School in Southwest Miami-Dade, a face-lift.

Volunteers at the Gibson school spent the day painting the kindergarten classroom in colors like lime green and organizing books and furniture.

Dawson said the school still needs help with supplies. To make a donation, call 305-438-0895.

Coral Gables Health Care Reform pictures

Over a hundred people stood outside protesting against the health care reform advocated by President Obama in front of Sen. Bill Nelson's office in Coral Gables.

Bal Harbour gets new bus shelters

BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald

Congress is stepping in to help Bal Harbour replace village bus shelters. Bal Harbour will receive $250,000 in federal funding from the Transportation Appropriations Bill to replace the village's bus shelters, which are stationed at 14 locations.

``These shelters are important to both residents and visitors who utilize public transportation,'' village manager Alfred Treppeda said. ``With the extreme heat and frequent thunderstorms here, we have had frequent requests for structures that provide more shelter than our current ones.''

The village has been working on the project for about a year. The village submitted federal appropriations requests to U.S. representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz for a number of projects, including bus shelters.

``I know all too well how our local municipalities are struggling during these tough economic times,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``So every bit of Washington aid helps.''

Because of the salty environment in Bal Harbour, the current bus shelters, which were installed in 1999, are rusting. The new bus shelters would buffer against wind, rain and heat.

Brian Mulheren, who lives in Bal Harbour, said the equipment will be an asset.

``The shelters we have don't protect you from the rain and elements,'' Mulheren said. ``Residents use the buses tremendously.'' The new shelters will be installed during the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.

The Fighting Force Episode 2

The Fighting Force---Episode 1

The Fighting Force. Check out the first episode that's making headlines in the Mixed Martial Arts world. This episode was filmed August 9, 2009. Please leave a comment and enjoy.

UFC 101:Yawn

UFC 101 delivered boredom. Let's be honest, most of the bouts had a lackluster performance. When you think of the event as far as memorable moments, only one comes to mind, the Anderson Silva right hook that sent Forrest Griffin to the canvass main-event, B.J. Penn vs Ken Flo for the light weight belt, also had numerous dull moments. The crowd booed and asked for more. At the sports bar I watched the fight at people where chanting for the Marlins because their victory against the Phillies was more exciting despite it had already happened. I am hoping UFC 102 will be a lot more exciting because there's nothing like nasty knockout, which we didn't see last night.

Proposed El Portal charter school encountering resistance from residents concerned about increased traffic

EL PORTAL
Proposed El Portal charter school encountering resistance from residents concerned about increased traffic
Council members table a vote on a charter school on the site of a former church until next month. Neighbors say the school will bring unwanted traffic and other headaches to their community.


BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
El Portal officials have asked for more detailed traffic information before voting on a proposed charter school that has drawn opposition for many residents.

At a recent meeting, council members deferred a vote on the plans to turn the former Rader Memorial United Methodist Church building into a charter school.

Dozens of residents turned out at the July 28 meeting to oppose the proposed school, which they say will have a negative impact on their neighborhood.

``You should tell these people to take their plan elsewhere,'' said resident Luis Edmonson.

Village manager Jason Walker recommended that the council defer the plan of MG3 development group's interests in purchasing the church building at 205 NE 87th St. and expanding it to a for-profit charter school because proper information wasn't available at the meeting.

``The village thought the traffic study was insufficient, and we requested to expand it,'' Walker told council members. ``Instead of bringing something incomplete, we would rather have a chance to review a traffic study and bring it to the public.''

Walker said the village and developers' staff members met July 23 to discuss the proposed school. But he added that the village needed more information before coming to a conclusion. The village council agreed with Walker's request.

Developers addressed their plans at planning and zoning committee meetings in May and July. The village council told representatives of the MG3 Developer Group to tweak their application to address concerns, such as easing traffic in and out of the school.

The charter school would require the council to approve a special exception to convert the lot into a school, as well as site-plan approval. The developer, with offices in Hollywood, plans to lease the property to Imagine Charter Schools. Imagine, which started in 2003 and has more than 70 schools and 35,000 students nationwide, has five schools in Florida.

The former Rader Memorial United Methodist Church once housed a private preschool and the Revelation Academy. In 2006, the property was sold to the Archdiocese of Miami, which planned to use the building as a residence for cloistered nuns.

But plans fell through and the church put the property on the market.

Plans have since changed since the first meeting. Originally, the developer wanted to expand the building from 28,000 to 54,231 square feet to accommodate a school for 900 students. The school would serve students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The developers decided to reduce the student number to 600 and nixed plans to expand the building.

Gus Carbonell, an architect for MG3 Developer Group, said the school will have no problem reducing the number of students.

``The school can function with the smaller [number],'' he wrote in an e-mail. ``Of course, we will be able to serve fewer students.''

Residents say the school would bring a traffic headache to the bedroom community. The village is already dealing with traffic issues. For the past year and a half, Northwest 87th Street and Second Avenue has been under construction. That's why resident Donna Stavel said consulting a traffic study right now wouldn't be appropriate.

``These people are doing a traffic study when the street is closed,'' she said. ``It's going to be a mess even if it's 600 students; that is 600 people parking and picking their children twice a day.''

Despite opposition from residents, Carbonell said the new learning institution would bring ``a quality school that is free to the children of El Portal within walking distance'' along with ``preservation of the historic building and enhancement.''

The village council is scheduled to vote on the proposed school at its Sept. 15 meeting.

Pictures from the HOPE in Miami Beach event.

Organization helps homeless in Miami Beach

BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
More than a month ago, Richard Carter left his hometown of New York -- recently laid off, unable to pay his rent and hoping to find a job in South Florida.

But Carter hasn't been able to find employment -- instead, he's been living on the streets of Miami Beach.

``I've been down. It is way too difficult,'' said Carter, who hoped for better opportunities in the Sunshine State. ``I've been going through some setbacks.''

Carter, along with 80 other homeless people received free haircuts Aug. 1 at Miami Beach Community Church, part of an event sponsored by HOPE in Miami Beach that helped 274 homeless people with free food, medical aid, clothing and haircuts.

The haircut was especially important to Carter, who said he had lined up a job interview, but didn't have money to pay for a trim.

``I need to make a good impression,'' said Carter, who declined to say what kind of employment he was looking for.

``I am humbled to hear others have it worse than me.''

The nonprofit organization HOPE has three offices in Miami-Dade County. The agency started organizing similar events at the historic Miami Beach church, at 1620 Drexel Ave., in 2002. Since then, the event has been held every other month. The effort is spearheaded by HOPE founder and television personality Rev. Pedro Martinez.

``Whenever we help out the homeless, we are doing ourselves a favor,'' said Martinez, who preaches at Iglesia Cristiana Amor in West Miami-Dade and is a fixture on the Spanish-language variety show La Cosa Nostra. ``Any community that has people living on the streets, always the quality of living is not going to be the same. It's going to be worse.''

Martinez, along with more than 70 volunteers hit the streets of Miami Beach to pass out fliers to get the word out about the event. The Miami Beach Community Church also works with the nonprofit to promote the event and accept donations.

``It's a great feeling that as a community we are able to give them a hand,'' Martinez said.

Martinez says more than 200 pounds of food were donated by distributors and local restaurants like Maya Tapas & Grill, which donated enough pasta to feed 250 people.

``We are blessed to be able to give back some of what we receive and believe in helping those who are less fortunate,'' said Rolando Maya, owner of the Miami Beach restaurant.

Also on the menu: sausages, roasted beef, bagels and dessert, coffee and soda. Organizers also got donations of clothing, eyewear and shoes.

Another nonprofit, Solidary, donated brand-new pairs of pants.

Like Carter, Alfredo Rodriguez, who has lived on the streets for almost a year, enjoyed his haircut.

``It's nice to see the church helping out people in need,'' said Rodriguez, who sat on a chair in a makeshift barbershop on the church's walkway while volunteer Gori Giliberti shaved him bald using electric clippers.

``I need a haircut. It is really hot out here because of the heat,'' he said.

Martinez came up with the idea after spending time on the beach with his wife, Maria Martinez. He noticed the city's large homeless population.

``This is when I told myself, `God someone needs to do something about this,' '' he said. ``I asked God, and he told me I should do something about it.''

The city of Miami Beach's homeless outreach program also came in to lend a hand.

``I took the city vehicle at 7 a.m. and picked up several people off Miami Beach streets and drove them to the event,'' said Bo Hall, who works for the homeless outreach program.

Martinez adds that he has seen a recent influx of families seeking help -- a sign of tough economic times.

``We have seen an increase of more families,'' he said. ``Some of the people used to work in the construction industry and now are finding themselves with nothing.''

As for Carter, he is optimistic that his job interview will go well.

``The lesson learned is even when in doubt your spirit will lead to blessings,'' said Carter, who carried in his hands a bag packed with donated food.

The Miami Beach Community Church accepts donations from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For information or donations, visit www.hopeinmiamibeach.org.

Football season is upon us

From February till August life is full of boredom for a man. For those six months, a man can’t release his emotions like the way he knows how to. Why? Because there is no football. No offense to baseball, hockey and basketball, but in all honesty, there is no excitement and adrenaline rush like the one football brings to the world. The hits, rush, blood, sweat and tears that the game brings upon us is non like no other. In just a few weeks, we will be, finally, watching 22 men on the field hitting and running with all their might. Watching two plastic helmets clash and causing a loud, “boom”, while the sound of shoulder pads making a “crush” sound makes you want to get off your lazy boy chair and scream for your team. So,don’t won’t worry and hold on to your seats cause football is here. It is time to watch some bone crushing action that will make you forget about your troubles. Viva le Football!

Bal Harbour's beaches get life preservers

BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
Beachgoers in Bal Harbour now can feel safer hitting the surf.

The village has installed 10 life preservers on poles along the nearly mile-long stretch of beach.

Village councilman Martin Packer suggested the idea to Village Manager Alfred Treppeda about two months ago after hearing from residents concerned about safety and a newspaper article about Lauderdale-by-the-Sea's use of the life-saving equipment.

``I had a couple of phone calls from my constituents that we had children in the area, and that why we didn't have lifeguards,'' said Packer, who said the cost of hiring lifeguards was too expensive.

The village installed the life preservers a couple weeks ago near the emergency ``code blue'' telephones, as well as on walking paths leading to the beach. Each ring hangs on a white pole with red letters, stating ``Emergency Use Only.''

Each numbered pole is spaced about 250 feet apart, with a life preserver behind every building on the shore.

The numbered poles allow for rescue crews to locate an emergency easier, officials said. If someone needs to call police or fire rescue, but can't give an exact location on the beach, they can just give the pole's number.

``The police dispatcher has a map of all the poles, and we will send help to the area,'' Bal Harbour Lt. Charles R. Merrill said.

Merrill said Bal Harbour has had several drownings over the years and that rip currents add to safety concerns.

The police department tries to keep a close eye on beachgoers, he said.

The life rings cost a total of $1,600 and is funded by tourism money.

Packer said installing the life preserver is an asset to the beach.

``If someone is in trouble, someone can just throw a life preserver,'' he said.

``I just hope it doesn't have to be used.''