WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2010

Ambassador Program Coming To Downtown

Need help navigating through the City’s Downtown area? Want to find an Italian restaurant? Just ask the Coral Gables Ambassadors. By the end of the year, these friendly and easy-to-spot Ambassadors should be providing the public street-side, concierge-like services in Downtown Coral Gables. Noticing the growing trend among urban commercial districts, City Manager Pat Salerno asked staff to develop an “ambassador” program designed specifically for Coral Gables. Parking Enforcement Officers, who are on the streets daily serving as the eyes and ears of the community, will be selected for this program. The Officers are well positioned to be “ambassadors” as they see and talk to residents every day.

These individuals would provide hospitality services, answer questions about the City and its history, give directions, hand out literature such as maps and brochures, and provide information on local hotels, restaurants and current happenings in addition to their regular duties of enforcing parking regulations. Approximately four out of the City’s 10 Parking Enforcement Officers will provide this service in the Downtown area. The Officers will receive multi-faceted training in hospitality, customer service, first aid, public transportation and City services. Bright, easy-to-identify uniforms with logos and distinctive vehicles will make the Coral Gables Ambassadors easy to spot. They will be well equipped to answer a variety of questions regarding where to park for extended stays, where to live in or near Downtown, where to have a romantic dinner and what local entertainment and events are taking place. Whether it’s enforcing parking regulations or directing customers to a local business, the goal of the program is to make Coral Gables a better place to do business and provide everyone who visits, works, lives and shops in the Downtown area a friendlier experience. Watch for more information as the City gets closer to implementing this new program.

Calling All Green Residents:
Submit Your Information
To Serve On The Green Task Force

The newly created Green Task Force, which will advise City officials on environmental issues that support a sustainable community, becomes effective October 1. The 11-member Task Force will make recommendations regarding the environmental sustainability of City programs, services, equipment, and facilities, as well as assist in developing a plan for increasing environmental awareness and participation. The Task Force will be comprised of a landscape architect, a planner, a person interested in historic preservation, an engineer, an architect, a member from the University of Miami, one from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and another from the Garden Club, as well as three City residents, two appointed by the Commission and one by the City Manager. If you’re interested in participating in this group, please submit your résumé by September 1, along with a cover letter specifying in which capacity you would like to serve, to the Office of the City Clerk, 405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, FL 33134. The information received will then be forwarded to the City Commission and City Manager for consideration. You must be a resident of Coral Gables to serve on the Green Task Force.

30 Years Later: Citizens’ Crime Watch
Continues To Help Protect Lives & Property

For 30 years,  a well organized group of citizen volunteers and members of the Coral Gables Citizens’ Crime Watch have been safeguarding their blocks, their neighborhoods and surrounding areas – keeping a watchful eye for suspicious activities and protecting their homes and families from the bad guys. The Coral Gables Citizens’ Crime Watch was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the summer of 1980 after community activists combined their efforts to take a stand against crime. The original founders of Crime Watch were Carole Fewell Buell and Dorothy Thomson, who in 1980 worked tirelessly to create this program for the benefit of the community. Today, hundreds of Coral Gables residents are looking out for each other in their neighborhoods, keeping tabs on any police reports nearby, and reporting unusual and suspicious activities to the Police Department. Beyond preventing crime and reducing fear, Crime Watchers have forged a strong bond among themselves while looking out for the safety of their own surroundings. Citizen and law enforcement relationships have also improved: with the support of the Police and Fire Departments, Crime Watch makes regular presentations regarding crime/fire prevention and public safety information to neighborhoods, civic groups and religious organizations in Coral Gables. Beyond the popular block parties which are scheduled to bring awareness to residents, Crime Watch is also involved in organizing the Mobile Patrol units, sponsoring self-defense classes, arranging for home security checks and the installation of DataDot anti-theft property trackers, and informing the community about fraud alerts, senior safety tips, fire prevention, drug abuse education, graffiti prevention, and homeland security issues. Coral Gables residents and businesses are welcome to participate in this fight against crime. To contact the Coral Gables Citizens’ Crime Watch, call 305-441-5760.

Going Out Of Town This Summer?
Police Can Watch Your Home To Keep It Safe

When you’re too busy making traveling plans, one forgets to think about what we leave at home. Home security is a basic component of crime prevention and the Coral Gables Police Department would like to make your vacation time worry free. Residents can request an “out-of-town house inspection” to have police officers stop by, check the doors and make sure your home is secure while they’re away. Remember to contact the post office and daily newspapers to put a temporary delivery stop. If your house is being tented, please notify the Police Department so they can keep a watch on your home during this service. Homeowners can also sign up for free home security surveys performed by crime prevention practitioners who have been certified by the Attorney General of Florida. To request any of these services, contact the Coral Gables Police Department at 305-442-1600.

Enjoy Free Days at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Located in Coral Gables, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden has 83 acres of tropical palms, cycads, flowering trees and breathtaking vistas. And now you can visit these beautiful gardens on certain days — for free. Admission is free to all visitors on the first Wednesday of the month until December, specifically on August 4, September 1, October 6, November 3 and December 1, 2010. Every Sunday in August is also free from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Don’t miss the plant sales, live music, yoga, food vendors and free tram rides that are scheduled on these special Sundays. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden gets its name from one of the most famous plant explorers in history, David Fairchild (1869-1954). Fairchild, an educator and scientist, was known for traveling the world in search of useful plants. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located at 10901 Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables. For more information, click here.

Driver’s License Mobile Unit Coming To Coral Gables

Since the closing of the Ponce de Leon office of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Coral Gables residents have had to travel outside the city to obtain a driver’s license. But thanks to the University of Miami Police Department, the Florida Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) will be close to home three days in August. If you need a Florida State Driver’s License or identification card, the Mini-FLOW will come to the University Center, 1306 Stanford Drive (not to be confused with the BankUnited Center), on Wednesday, August 25; Thursday, August 26; and Friday, August 27, from 9:30 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. Services will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis and no appointments are necessary, but please come in early. The Mini-FLOW will be set up in the first floor lounge of the University Center and will serve both students and residents. Residents are advised to use the parking meters along Stanford Drive unless you have a daily permit to park on campus. Please note that Florida has new documentation requirements for residents renewing or obtaining a new driver license or identification card. For office visits, you must bring original documents that prove your identity social security number and residential address. All documents must be original or certified copies, no photocopies will be accepted. Before you go, please verify that you have a complete list of acceptable documents, by clicking here.