Frausto Decisions Fujii, Lombard Retains at Bellator 34

Frausto Decisions Fujii, Lombard Retains at Bellator 34

Council delays voting on request to expand Bal Harbour Shops

The Bal Harbour Council puts off voting on a plan to expand Bal Harbour Shops.


BY RODOLFO ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
A proposal to expand Bal Harbour's upscale shopping mall has been put on hold.
At Tuesday's local planning agency meeting, the Bal Harbour Council unanimously voted to defer an ordinance by Bal Harbour Shops to amend land usage for two locations: Church By The Sea, 501 96th St., and Village Hall, 655 96th St.
The owners of Bal Harbour Shops want to purchase the sites to expand the mall to include retail stores, a high-end movie theater and a banquet facility, said attorney John Shubin, representing the Whitman family, who owns the mall.
``Many of you have probably lived here a long time probably knowing that the idea of expansion at The Bal Harbour Shops has been thought about by the Whitman family for probably 20, 30, 40 years,'' Shubin said. ``So there is no secret that expansion has been on the mind of the Bal Harbour Shops.''
A contract to purchase both properties and a site plan had not been finalized, he added.
The item will be discussed at next month's council meeting. The proposal would need two votes to be considered.
Mayor Jean Rosenfield said it was too soon for the council to decide the issue.
``We are committed to an open transparent process on all matters that come before the Bal Harbour Village Council,'' she said. ``I will make certain that all parties are heard on this matter prior to any decision being reached.''
In September, the Bal Harbour Shops submitted its application to amend the land usage on the Church By The Sea's 0.62 acres from institutional to commercial, and Village Hall's 0.336-acre property, from municipal to commercial.
Developer and owner Stanley Whitman, who was at the meeting, opened Bal Harbour Shops in 1965 on the site of the former World War II army barrack. Whitman persuaded Neiman Marcus to open its first store outside of its native Texas. In 1976, Saks Fifth Avenue followed. Currently, the mall houses 100 stores, from Prada to Gucci to Bulgari, in addition to Neiman's and Saks.
Shubin said the Whitmans submitted the application because of Amendment 4. If approved on Tuesday, the proposed statewide amendment to Florida's constitution would require voter approval of changes to comprehensive plans that guide development in cities, towns and counties across the state.
The amendment, if approved, would give voters veto power over elected officials' decisions, such as the type the Whitman family is seeking.
Shubin said an approval by the council would have at least started negotiations, but also noted the process would not move forward unless there was a demand from retailers.
``We would like a signal from you of an affirmative vote that is worth our time and effort to at least begin the dialogue,'' Shubin said.
Not knowing the impact of Amendment 4, resident Neil Alter said approving the proposal would be premature.
``It seems like they are pulling the cart before the horse,'' he said. ``I don't know why it is necessary to approve something when, in effect, the respective counter parties have had no opportunity to consent to the process.''
Surfside's interim town manager, Roger Carlton, suggested the council be cautious, noting that traffic could become an issue if expansion occurred. Surfside lies just south of Bal Harbour.
``The studies for both of these applications of traffic acknowledges that 53 percent of the traffic movement coming to and from [the mall] is south of 96th Street,'' he said. ``Yet the study that was done on traffic is to the north of 96th Street.''
Bal Harbour resident Dina Cellini said she wouldn't be opposed to the mall's expansion. ``If this expansion is fabulous and tremendous for the community, in many respects it'll sell itself,'' she said.

Former Bal Harbour councilman suspended from law practice

Joel Jacobi, a former Bal Harbour councilman, is suspended from his law practice due to a finding by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.

BY RODOLFO ROMAN
His failure to list the rental income he earned on a co-op he owned in Bal Harbour and a house he owned in North Miami Beach violated the Florida Bar's Rules of Professional Conduct. The Bar fined him $1,475.
The Ethics Commission ruled against Jacobi in February 2009; Jacobi appealed and a county court appellate panel upheld the conviction. The finding by the Ethics Commission led to more than $3,500 in fines, a Letter of Reprimand and the suspension ordered by the Florida Supreme Court.
In addition, Lynne Bloch-Mullen, Jacobi's opponent in the 2007 election, also filed suit, contending that Jacobi did not live in Bal Harbour in the year preceding the election, as required by the village charter.
A few days into last year's trial, Jacobi, who served on the council since 2002, resigned citing ``personal issues.''
In a phone interview Monday, Jacobi's attorney Joseph Geller said his client agreed to settle with the Florida Bar.
``Mr. Jacobi agreed voluntarily to settle any questions about his conduct with the Florida Bar by agreeing to this brief suspension. We are confident he will be back practicing law in the near future,'' he said.
``It is unfortunate that someone who served with such dis 2tinction as a public official has had such a difficult outcome for what were essentially inadvertent mistakes, but Mr. Jacobi takes full responsibility for his actions and is moving forward with his life, and awaiting the birth of his second daughter any day.''

El Portal voters to choose mayor, two council members

BY RODOLFO ROMAN
SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD

Voters in this tiny Northeast Miami-Dade village must choose a mayor and two council members.




Three Village Council seats -- including the mayor's -- are at state in El Portal's Nov. 2 election.
Early voting already has begun.
Incumbents Mayor Joyce A. Davis, Vice Mayor Harold E. Mathis Jr. and Linda Marcus all face challengers. Councilwoman Claudia V. Cubillos won Seat 2 after her opponent, former Mayor Anna Ward, dropped out of the race.
Seat 3 will be determined in a separate election 30 to 90 days after Nov. 2. Only one person, Omarr C. Nickerson, filed to run for that seat, but he didn't qualify because he was not registered to vote in the village, according to the village clerk.
The village's population is 2,479 according to the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
Each voter gets to cast a ballot for mayor, Seat 1 and Seat 4.
Council members are paid $2,000 a year.
MAYOR
For the mayoral seat, Davis will face current council member Daisy Black, who served as mayor in the late 1990s.
Davis vows to balance the village budget, provide services for seniors and children, and avoid a tax increase.
``I have a proven track and numerous results to prove that during my administration, El Portal had flourished in spite of the economic downturn that the entire country is experiencing,'' she said. ``I will continue with the progressive leadership as I have employed for the previous 2 years.''
Her opponent said she will bring experience if she were elected to the Mayoral position.
``I think there is a lack of training and cooperation in the council,'' she said. ``I have the experience there.''
Black was elected to the council in 2008. She also wants to be cautious of the village's finances and wants to bring back a part-time code enforcement officer, a position that was eliminated a year ago. Currently, police officers take care of code enforcement duties.
Both candidates agree that state and federal grants could help pay for community services.
SEAT 1
For Seat 1, Mathis, will face off against political novice Marcus Parramore, 22.
Although he is a fresh face to the political arena, Parramore is not a stranger to El Portal. He has lived in the village for over 15 year, except for college. If elected, he hopes to bring transparency between the council and the community adding that residents aren't aware of their elected officials.
``In order to move forward it's vital to establish a clear connection between the leadership and residents,'' he wrote in an e-mail. ``I want to do that by creating an informative, festive, reader-friendly newsletter that will reach everyone in El Portal.''
Parramore has been active in the community by serving food for the homeless among many efforts. He also plans to bring focus on economic development and community empowerment.
Mathis plans to dedicate his efforts on fiscal growth and community services and enhancements. During his term, he said he has reached out to major electronic companies to help El Portal's green initiative.
``I have, with the assistance of the village administrative offices, contacted Blackberry and Apple to enlist as a test city to obtain the blackberry playbook and/or the Apple iPad to make the Village more electronic in its day to day operation and a truly `paperless village,' for the most part,'' he wrote in an e-mail.
SEAT 4
For Seat 4, longtime Councilwoman Marcus, 43, faces political rookie, Sadri Manrique Medina, 32.
Marcus' political platform focuses on fiscal growth, infrastructure maintenance and stewardship of multi-zoned areas along with the quality of life issues for villagers.
She would like the village to buy the Rader Memorial United Methodist Church site located at 205 NE 87th St.
``I have worked with three managers on this issue and I believe we are closer to a working proposition,'' she wrote in an e-mail. ``I have often wished for a city hall or community center flexible enough to fill a variety of uses and yet is not a fiscal drain.''
Her opponent wants to emphasize on building a stronger code enforcement committee and protect the core services for village families and retirees.
``I want to create a transparency between the village council and the people,'' said Medina, who moved into the village about two years ago. ``We want to create a closer bond.''
Medina, who recently got married at Village Hall, was born in Honduras and credits his family for getting involved with politics. Moving to the village has been a dream come true.
``I am here to stay. I am embedded to the community,'' he said. ``I'll have an open door policy. I wanted to live in El Portal over 13 years ago.''

Leukemia group hopes to raise $850,000

More than 2,000 people are expected to carry colorful balloons up Biscayne Boulevard on Thursday in honor of those affected by blood cancer at the annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk.
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BY RODOLFO ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
In 2007, Luke Webb, 30, had a dream wedding with his wife, Molly, in the Cayman Islands.

But just a short time away of celebrating their one-year anniversary, Webb was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells.

``It came as such as a shock since I was so young,'' said Webb, who was 27 at the time.

Webb learned of the disease after he went to the hospital for acute abdominal pain.

Luckily for Webb, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, stepped up to help him with financial assistance and information about the cancer.

``It was confusing at the time when you get diagnosed because you don't know much information about the disease,'' said Webb, a general manager at Miami Ski Nautique.

In February, Webb was notified that he was cancer-free and he will be celebrating his survival as an Honored Hero at the 10th annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ``Light the Night Walk'' from 6 to9 p.m. Thursday at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd.

The nonprofit society guided Webb through the difficult times, he said.

``I am excited and honored,'' said Webb, who was put on Gleevec, an oral drug used to treat different cancers, and continues to take it twice a day. ``It's an important organization that helps a lot of people with this disease.''

Webb will be the main speaker at the event.

At the walk, the street will be lit as participants will hold illuminated colored balloons -- white for survivors, red for supporters and gold for remembering a loved one.

Each balloon will have a small twinkling light. Supporters will walk for about a mile. The stroll starts at Bayfront Park, goes behind the Intercontinental Hotel and then up on Biscayne Boulevard to Bayside and finishes back at Bayfront Park.

The Light the Night walk raises money for blood cancer research and patient services. It is an opportunity to honor and commemorate lives touched by blood cancers said Sheriann Namer, campaign director for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in South Florida.

``This is the one event where we get to work so closely with patients and their families,'' she said. ``It is such an inspirational site to see all the lit balloons and know that each color has significance.''

With headquarters in New York, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has 59 chapters in the United States and Canada. It is the world's third largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services.

Joanne Davis, executive director of the society's South Florida chapter, anticipates about 2,500 people to attend with over 100 teams raising funds. The team with the most money raised receives an award at the post walk award reception.

The goal this year is to raise $850,000 between three walks that take place in Southern and Western Florida, said Davis.

Last year the events raised $760,000.

The walk has been held in different locations since it started in 2000 including Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.

Namer said the event makes a major difference in cancer research.

``This walk is extremely important in our fight against blood cancers because 76 cents of every dollar raised from the walk goes straight to our mission to find cures for blood cancers by funding blood cancer research while improving the quality of life of patients and their families,'' she said.

The Light the Night event will also be held in Fort Lauderdale at Huizenga Plaza, 32 East Las Olas Blvd., on Nov. 13.

As for Webb, he is grateful for the assistance.

``I was fortunate, but there are others who haven't and this for their honor,'' he said.

For more information on the walk, go to www.lightthenight.org/sfl.

Conference gives parents needed advice

A conference this weekend gives parents advice on helping their children enter the workforce despite disabilities.




BY RODOLFO ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
Parents of teenagers and young adults with disabilities can learn more about job-training, education and other opportunities for their kids at a conference this weekend.

The first Students Transitioning to Educational/Employment Pathways (STEPS) conference will take place 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Jackson High School, 1751 NW 36th St. Registration starts at 8. There will be free breakfast, lunch and transportation. The free program is geared primarily toward students between the ages of 14 and 22 with mental, emotional or physical disabilities.

Keisha Robinson, a curriculum support specialist for the county school system, said there is a major need for the program.

``Some of the students reach an age that they can no longer be in school and this is about educating on the process after high school,'' she said.

The keynote speaker will be Jordan Knab, director of Project 10, a state program aimed at helping young people with disabilities transition into adulthood.

Conference participants also can attend breakout sessions on topics ranging from cyber bullying to starting your own business. Workshops will be held in Creole, Spanish and English.

Will Gordillo, head of Miami-Dade's Division of Special Education, said the conference will serve as an opportunity for parents to network.

``With more than 38,028 students with disabilities in our county, a conference such as this is extremely beneficial,'' he said.

The program will be a big help for parents, Robinson said.

``The parents, they don't know where to go and the students don't know where to go,'' she said. ``This is a way to bring them under one roof and give them what they need.''

For information, go to ese.dadeschools.net.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/12/1870316/conference-gives-parents-needed.html#ixzz12Kyu8T7e

Friends honor the memory of a North Miami man who fed the poor.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY GATHER TO HELP THE HOMELESS IN HONOR OF A NORTH MIAMI MAN WHO MADE IT HIS MISSION TO FEED THE HUNGRY


BY RODOLFO ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
Eric Graves remembers watching a Heat game at AmericanAirlines Arena when he got a call from his brother asking to buy him bottles of water and bring them outside.

Just across the street from the arena, Bruce Graves was distributing food for the homeless.

``He was on a mission and it was to feed the hungry,'' said Eric Graves, who stayed after the 2008 game to help his brother. A year after Bruce Graves, 37, was killed in a motorcycle accident, friends, family and co-workers volunteered at the Miami Rescue Mission, 2250 NW First Ave.

``He always told me food should never go to waste,'' said Eric Graves.

Inside the mission's dining area, around 50 volunteers who knew Bruce Graves came out to serve food, cook and donate items such as clothes and toys.

Prior to serving dinner, participants held a prayer in honor of Graves as they circled the kitchen area. In the center's chapel, a slide show displaying pictures of Graves was shown on a projector screen, while P. Diddy's I'll be missing you played. More than 100 meals were served for residents of the shelter. The meal included rice, lettuce, meat and doughnuts for dessert. Volunteers also later helped feed the needy at the nearby Homeless Assistance Centers, 1550 North Miami Ave.

Graves' godsister, Quesha Swain, helped organize the event.

``It warms my heart because he would have loved this,'' said Swain, who flew in from Atlanta. ``I know he is smiling looking down at us.

Graves, who attended Bethune Cookman University, lived in North Miami and is survived by daughter Acura Graves, 9. Graves was a Miami-Dade Transit bus driver and owned Best Choice Catering. After catering events, he would gather friends and family to serve the homeless leftovers.

``He would set up underneath the bridge all by himself with no help from the police,'' said Jessie Lee Randle, an Alpha Phi Omega fraternity brother. He remembered going out with Graves after midnight to feed the homeless near Northwest 14th Street and Second Avenue.

The Miami Rescue Mission, founded in 1922, serves 1,000 people at three campuses in Miami, Hollywood and Pompano Beach. The Christian faith-based center also offers several programs to help the homeless find work. The center for men can house 250 people. Two blocks away, the women's center can hold 17 adults and 40 children.

Before volunteering, friends and family gathered at his grave site located at Dade Memorial Park, 1301 Opa Locka Blvd. On Sunday, a service was held in his honor at Salem Baptist Church, 2945 NW 62nd St., led by Grave's father, Pastor John Graves.

``It makes me feel good to see these people gather,'' he said.

John Graves said he and his wife, Myrtle, taught their son the importance of helping the less fortunate. ``We taught him the values of giving back.''

Coral Gables Newsdesk Oct. 1

Oktoberfest comes to South Florida starting this weekend.

By RODOLFO ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald
South Floridians will be dancing to polka and raising beer mugs in celebration of Oktoberfest.
Several locations across the region will be hosting festivals in regards to Germany's major party.
In South Miami-Dade, more than 100 children of all ages will showcase German culture and heritage through music, costumes and contests at the 19th annual Oktoberfest at the German American Social Club, 11919 SW 56th St., from noon to 7 p.m. Oct. 9. Admission and parking are free.
The affair is organized by the German International Parent Association, but more than 80 volunteers participate. Event chairman Susan Schuler said the event is a way to unite different communities and raise awareness of the German culture.
``It is a cultural event, where we want people to see the German culture and show how large it is,'' said Schuler, who is a full-time German teacher at Sunset Elementary School.
Sunset Elementary, G.W. Carver Middle and Coral Reef Senior High students will perform wearing traditional German attire. Girls will wear the typical dirndl, while men will entertain the crowd styling lederhosen. The youngsters will sing songs they learn in class.
Daniela George's children, Connor, 9, and Clay, 8, will sing the German song, Theo, Theo. Watching her kids entertain reminds her of her birthplace, Germany.
``It makes me feel proud that the children participate and they dance and sing to things I used to do, when I was young,'' she said.
The Double Espresso, a rock band made up of parents, also will hit the stage. Several carnival rides, from carousels to rock climbing, will be available. A wrist band for $25 will be sold for unlimited rides. Soccer clinics and a dunking booth will be another source of enjoyment.
The German festival is celebrated every year running from late September to the first weekend in October. It started when the late Prince Ludwig of Bavaria called for a celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on Oct. 12, 1810.
At the festival, a large variety of German food including pretzels will be available. For $15, adults can enjoy a menu that includes authentic German sausage, potato salad, sauerkraut, bread, dessert and beverage. The kids menu will be $6 and include hamburgers, chips, beverage and hot dogs.
Beer lovers also can enjoy typical alcoholic beverages from Germany. Artwork of the Berliner Mauer by Marta Culver will be on display. Several vendors also will be on hand to promote the European country.
Proceeds of the event will help pay the salaries of four local part-time German teachers. A raffle and a silent auction will be held.
For information visit, www.gipa.org.
Other Oktoberfest events will include:
• Coral Gables: Oktoberfest on the Bierhaus Plaza in front of Fritz & Franz Bierhaus at 60 Merrick Way. The free event will be held from now through Oct. 10. Featured artists include The Group Gastein. Money will be raised for the nonprofit organization Charlee Homes for Children to be the beneficiary of sales from the raffle tickets. For information visit www.oktoberfestmiami.com.
• Miami Beach: Shake Shack, 1111 Lincoln Rd., will host Shacktoberfest now through Oct. 10 with specials including garlic sausage with bacon-and-beer sauce and crushed pretzels, and German chocolate cake concretes (extra-thick milk shakes, $6.25) and seasonal beers. Call 305-434-7787 for information.