August 10, 2006
South Florida Airports Open Under Increased Security
Travelers going to and from South Florida airports, especially MIA, should expect delays for the next couple days. In light of the thwarted terrorist plot in Great Britain, airports both domestic and international have beefed up security. The national threat level has been raised to Red, the highest level, for flights scheduled between the U.K. and U.S. As was common practice with many airlines after the TSA took over for private screenners, airlines will likely do additional screening prior to boarding. CBS4's Gary Nelson offered the following information in his broadcast:
Officials at South Florida airports echoed warnings from US Homeland Security to leave such items out of your carry-on baggage before leaving home. Necessary liquids, such as medicine and baby formula, will be examined at checkpoints and may be allowed, but the extra checking will delay the security process.Concourses C and D at Miami International are reporting check-in delays, as is Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. TSA officials say flights will be traveling as scheduled, but they are urging flyers to allow extra time when arriving at airports.
Photo Credit: Gabriel
| August 7, 2006
Castro's Daughter Starts with CNN
Last week Fidel went in for surgery, exiles in Little Havana started dancing, his sister made a few comments and his daughter found a new gig with CNN. CNN hired Castro’s daughter Alina Fernandez (50) as a contributor from Miami. She will assist as an analyst of sorts with news developments related to Cuba and more specifically the status of her father and uncle. In an article we found at donga.com the following excerpt was included along with some information about the rest of the Castro Family.
My uncle Raul is different from my father Fidel, but he has a strong hold on the military forces.” Fernandez further stated, “My father had surgery to stop intestinal bleeding in the 1960s,” and recalled that her father was an attentive person, playing games with her but that their relationship changed as she grew older. Fernandez added, “I decided to seek asylum for my daughter because I couldn’t stand daily life in Cuba.”
August 5, 2006
Chris Is Dead!
The weather system we called Tropical Depression Chris,Thropical Storm Chris, Hurricane Chris is no longer a threat. This morning at 4:21 am ET the National Hurricane Center declared Chris dead. We still could see some rain at some point,but it's all good for now. The run on gas and groceries can wait!
Photo Credit: NOAA
August 4, 2006
Bank of America Tower Going Jamaican For Four Days
In commemoration of Jamaica's 44th anniversary of Independence, the Bank of America Tower at International Place, will take on the colors of the Jamaican flag for four days. The black, gold and green will stay lit through the weekend as a tribute to the impact of the Jamaican people in South Florida according to a piece published in the Jamaican Observer. Almost 600,000 Jamaicans live in the tri-county.
Photo Credit: luckylady777
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August 3, 2006
Something In The Water Or Just Coincidence?
Add backup center Dale Davis to the list of athletes arrested for mischief in Miami. Last night, at the South Beach Marriot, Davis caused a disturbance which led to police questioning. When the police arrived they were forced to use a taser to calm him down.
If you feel like this is not the first athlete this year getting into it with police, that's because Davis is one of many. First Juwan Howard made out with an extra pair of sunglasses which he was later able to avoid somehow. Guard Gilbert Arenas and Awvee Storey of the Washington Wizards as well asOhio State receiver Santonio Holmes have all been arrested for run-ins with Miami Beach police.
Photo Credit:Detnews.com
August 1, 2006
Copy of Castro Letter To the People
"Announcement From the President to the Cuban People"
Source: Granma
DUE to the enormous effort made to visit the Argentine city of Córdoba, participate in the MERCOSUR meeting, in the closing session of the Summit of the Peoples in the historical University of Córdoba and the visit to Altagracia, the city where Che lived as a child, and in addition to that immediately attending the commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of the assault on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes garrisons on July 26, 1953 in the provinces of Granma and Holguín, compounded by days and nights of continuous work with barely any sleep have all resulted in my health, which has stood up to every test, being subjected to extreme stress and breaking down. This provoked an acute intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding which obliged me to undergo a complicated surgical operation. All the details of this health accident are confirmed by X-rays, endoscopies and filmed material. The operation has obliged me to take various weeks of rest, at a remove from my responsibilities and duties.Given that our country is threatened in circumstances like this by the government of the United States, I have taken the following decision:
1) I provisionally delegate my functions as first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba to the second secretary, comrade Raúl Castro Ruz.
2) I provisionally delegate my functions as Commander in Chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces to the abovementioned comrade, General of the Army Raúl Castro Ruz.
3) I provisionally delegate my functions as president of the Council of State and the government of the Republic of Cuba to the first vice president, comrade Raúl Castro Ruz.
4) I provisionally delegate my functions as the principal instigator of the National and International Public Health Program to member of the Political Bureau and Minister of Public Health, comrade José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera.
5) I provisionally delegate my functions as the principal instigator of the National and International Education Program to comrades José Ramón Machado Ventura and Esteban Lazo Hernández, members of the Political Bureau.
6) I provisionally delegate my functions as the principal instigator of the National Program of the Energy Revolution in Cuba and cooperation with other countries in this sphere to comrade Carlos Lage Dávila, member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers.
The funds corresponding to these three programs: Health, Education and Energy, should continue being managed and prioritized, as I have been doing personally, by comrades Carlos Lage Dávila, secretary of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers; Francisco Soberón Valdés, minister president of the Central Bank of Cuba; and Felipe Pérez Roque, minister of foreign affairs, who have accompanied me in these matters and who should constitute a committee for that objective.
Our glorious Communist Party, supported by the mass organizations and all the people, has the mission of assuming the task entrusted in this announcement.
The Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, scheduled for September 11-16, should receive the greatest attention of the Cuban state and nation to take place with the maximum brilliance on the agreed date. I would ask everyone to postpone the anniversary of my 80th birthday, which thousands of personalities so generously agreed to celebrate on August 13, to December 2 of this year, the 50th anniversary of the Granma Landing.
I ask the Central Committee of the Party and the National Assembly of People's Power to give their firmest support to this announcement.
I do not harbor the slightest doubt that our people and our Revolution will fight until the last drop of blood to defend these and other ideas and measures that are necessary for safeguarding this historical process.
Imperialism will never be able to crush Cuba.
The Battle of Ideas will continue advancing.
¡Viva la Patria!
¡Viva la Revolución!
¡Viva el Socialismo!
¡Hasta la Victoria Siempre!
July 31, 2006
President Bush In Town To Connect With "Common Folk"
Yesterday, President Bush returned to Miami to get out of the beltway and reconnect with the common folk. After landing last night, the president took a stroll down Collins before heading to Joe's Stone Crab - a routine stop for presidents. The public relations spokesman for Joe's told the Herald he was not sure what the president planned to eat, but unlike President Clinton's decision to eat fried chicken, Bush likely ate some stone crabs.
This morning, President Bush ate breakfast in Little Havana then made his way to the National Hurricane Center before a speech at the Coast Guard Command Center. All of this before his final stop in Coral Gables for a Republican National Committee luncheon. We are not sure how a fundraiser at Armando Codina is connecting with the common folk, but maybe they can discuss Codina's muti-million dollar payment for developing inside the Urban Development Boundary (see Letter's To Editor). Wishful thinking never hurt anyone right?
Photo Credit: DMalkoff
Letters To The Editor
Three eye opening headlines graced the front page of the Miami Herald website last week, yet only two were responded to in "letters to the editor."The House of Lies, a multimedia package about homes intended for low income buyers instead being sold to speculators who are flipping the property, received a letter titled, "County delayed developer's South Miami project."
Re last week's series, House of lies: I was disappointed with how our involvement in building the administrative headquarters for the Miami-Dade Housing Agency at the South Miami Metrorail Station was portrayed.The project is being delayed because the county failed to disclose and misrepresented in the contract with Hometown Station Ltd. that the property had encroachments, utility easements and underground construction from the adjacent county garage.
The other article, ''Why Miami struggles to be a world-class city," caught the attention of one reader who said she was in dismay about this article and the opinions of Marivi Iglesias.
Let's be fair. We are a young city making amazing strides. In two months, our performing arts center -- destined to be one of the world's great arts venues -- will open. And I challenge anyone to find better public art than the remarkable new works commissioned by Art in Public Places for this complex.
The article that caught our attention was the piece about Armando Codina's project in Hialeah, "Deal reached on Stadium Land." In case you're not familiar with Armando Codina we wrote about him several weeks ago. He is one of many accomplished Pedro Pans, a long time developer in South Florida and a good friend of the Bush family. In fact, President Bush will be at his home in Coral Gables today for a fundraiser. Despite several attempts by Miami Lakes residents, environmental groups and the Department of Community Affairs to stop the project, Codina is going to build a 5 million square foot complex inside the Urban Development Boundary. Codina has done some impressive projects in South Florida but this one just doesn't make since.
July 27, 2006
Michael Putney Lands Interview with President Bush
This post should probably come with a traffic report, but the itinerary for President Bush's visit to Miami next Monday is still not confirmed. For obvious reasons the White House may not release an itinerary, but should you attempt to drive anywhere near the presidential motorcade know that it is likely the president traveling ahead of you. One thing we do know is that Michael Putney, Local 10's senior political reporter, will interview the president while he is in town. We imagine Putney has a bag full of questions, but Local 10 is still hoping you will fill up their message boards with suggested questions and topics.
Photo Credit: Flickr-BrianR
Miami Beach, Past & Present
The release of “Miami Vice” on Friday has fueled a barrage of articles about the Miami Beach of today versus the pre-“Miami Vice” Miami of old. This story is about as overplayed as Kelly Clarkson, but props to USA Today for the most complete analysis. The piece appearing in today's paper is basically a history of Miami Beach since 1930 infused with some "Miami Vice" tidbits. The story does beg the question, “Will a blockbuster film with Miami in the title help the city evolve even more?”
July 25, 2006
UM Football
Last Friday, UM backup safety Willie Cooper was shot in the buttocks. Since then, rumors have been swirling about players, guns and "Thug U." An AP story appearing on SI.Com is one of the few stories we were able to find that actually discusses the details of the shooting. The incident is still being investigated but this is what has been reported thus far. Standout safety, Brandon Meriweather and Willie Cooper noticed a suspicious car outside their home at 6:30 a.m on Friday morning. When they stepped outside to investigate, a man fired at Cooper and Meriweather, pulled his gun from his waste and returned three shots.
Like it or not, the story involving two football players being shot at outside their home, has turned into a sports talk frenzy. This was the lead iin yesterday's Washington Post.
The days of the University of Miami acting like a hellion football program, one worthy of the "Raising 'Canes" moniker it earned in the late 1980s and early '90s, have largely ended. The residue of that era, fair or not, remains.
Earlier in the week, the once troubled linebacker Willie Williams announced his intention to leave UM, so the media with nothing else to talk about except the Tour De France began to link UM football incidents. Let it go people. Brandon Meriweather is not Willie Williams and not a member of the 7th floor crew. Of course Coach Coker would prefer his players refrain from owning firearms, but involving Brandon Meriweather in a discussion about Willie Williams and the UM of old is cheap shot.
July 21, 2006
Everglades Big Dig
The Acceler8 progam to restore the Everglades begins next month. Acceler8 is a massive joint effort between the federal government and the state. Engineers will spend the next 30 years and $10.5 billion dollars to build one of the world's largest man made resevoirs.
Photo Credit: Flickr-stevemc
July 20, 2006
Two Hydroponic Labs Busted in Kendall
If one makes the decision to grow marijuana in their home it seems logical to refrain from drawing attention to the illegal operation. That includes shooting a gun inside the home. Yesterday, residents in a Kendall neighborhood heard shooting inside a corner home at 150th Street and 148th Avenue and alerted the police. The police later discovered 55 trees and found a small lab in the bedroom according to the Miami Herald. Just a few blocks away police must have been tipped off about another lab at a home of a different owner. Between the two houses police nabbed 105 trees and $50,000 worth of marijuana.
Photo Credit:jwarran
We Have A New Trash Collector
This is likely the most boring report in Miami business news history, yet we feel compelled to mention that one of our waste companies is leaving town. A Canadian waste services company purchased Allied Waste for $61 million in cash with a small future payment. Waste Services is actually a publicly traded company (WSIID) and plans to ship our garbage to a landfill in central Florida. Apparently picking up our junk will allow this company to add $7 million in revenue before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. So that's the latest in trash news, at least you know the story behind the new big blue trucks in your neighborhood.
July 19, 2006
Arts Center Gets A New Name
The new performing arts center being built in Miami received its name today. The center will be called the Carnival Center for Performing Arts after Carnival CruiseLines who contributed $10 million, in addition to the original $10 million contribution Carnival had already made. Construction is scheduled to be completed by August 4th, according to The Miami Herald, where you can read more about the deep-pocketed donors. This list includes the John S. and James L Knight Foundation, who purchased naming rights to the symphony hall.
Photo: www.pacfmiami.org