WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2010

Coral Gables Is A Playful City USA

For the second year in a row, the City of Coral Gables has been selected as a Playful City USA community. The announcement was made by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives. Coral Gables is one of 118 communities across 35 states to be recognized for their expressed commitment and willingness to take action for play. In times when childhood obesity reaches epidemic proportions in the United States and the tough economy restricts children’s play-related activities, Coral Gables remains as an outstanding community dedicated to making play time a priority, which in turn, enhances opportunities for children to grow up healthy. As a Playful City USA, Coral Gables continues to demonstrate its commitment to offer quantity, quality and access to play time. Each year, thousands of children attend the Parks and Recreation Department facilities, services and programs offered at the War Memorial Youth Center, the Biltmore and Granada Golf Courses, the William H. Kerdyk Biltmore and Salvadore Tennis Centers, the Venetian Pool, and the other 31 neighborhood parks and open spaces. Coral Gables families can enjoy year-round the City’s ball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic tables, playgrounds, walking paths, exercise trails, pet-friendly parks, pavilions and park benches, activities that produce endless benefits and enhance their quality of life.

City Attorney Receives Award

Coral Gables City Attorney Elizabeth Hernandez is this year’s recipient of the Paul S. Buchman Municipal Attorney of the Year Award from the Florida Municipal Attorneys Association. Ms. Hernandez is a past president of the association and has been a member since 1995. The Paul S. Buchman Award is named for a former Plant City city attorney who was recognized for his expertise, knowledge and highest level of professional ethics. The award recognizes a municipal attorney for his or her outstanding contribution to the field of municipal law. Based on input from the recipient’s peers in local government, this award is presented to an attorney at the FMAA’s annual conference which was held this year in Fernandina Beach. Ms. Hernandez has been the Coral Gables City Attorney for 15 years. Active in numerous community organizations, Ms. Hernandez has also served as past president of the Cuban American Bar Association and is the former Chair of the Florida Bar’s City, County and Local Government Section. Founded in 1981, the primary mission of the Florida Municipal Attorneys Association is to provide a permanent forum for municipal attorneys to identify and address legal problems of common concern among Florida’s municipalities, and to study, summarize, and disseminate legislation, court decisions and administrative rulings affecting municipal operations.

Historic Restoration Program Selected As Finalist
In Awards For Municipal Excellence

The National League of Cities (NLC) announced that the City of Coral Gables is a finalist for the 2010 Awards for Municipal Excellence. The awards recognize cities and towns for outstanding program that improve the quality of life in America’s communities. The City of Coral Gables was chosen for the Restoration of Historic Landmarks program which has returned the Country Club Prado Entrance, the DeSoto Fountain and the old Police and Fire Station to their original appearance.  For all three landmarks, the restoration work has been painstakingly performed in order to bring back all of the design features and structures which are crucial elements to the identity of Coral Gables. It has also involved the creation of private/ public partnerships, securing of private donations, grant funding and/or matching funds from the City’s Capital Improvement Fund. The National League of Cities received nominations from cities and towns in 40 states. Finalist programs were chosen for exhibiting exceptional public-private partnerships, productive citizen and community collaborations, great management of municipal resources, implementation of government policies, project implementation with tangible results and/or the ability to replicate the project in other cities. The winners of the 2010 Awards for Municipal Excellence will be announced during NLC’s Congress of Cities and Exposition scheduled for November in Denver, Colorado.

It’s Back To School:
Observe The Speed Limit In School Zones

On Monday, August 23, thousands of children are expected to head back to their classrooms. The City of Coral Gables wants to remind motorists to take extra precaution when travelling through school zones. Many children will be walking or riding their bicycles to and from school. If you’re driving near a school zone, please remember to slow down and observe the speed limits at all times and be alert for children walking or riding their bikes, especially at intersections or as you back out of your driveway or leave the garage. Please stop your car when you see lights flashing on a school bus which indicates that students are getting on or off. Be aware that a child may dash across the street. If you’re walking to and from school, remember to always use the sidewalk and cross only at corners or marked crosswalks. If you’re riding a bicycle to get to school, remember to always wear a helmet and be sure to have reflectors on the pedals, frame and wheels. By following these simple rules of the road, the City of Coral Gables wants to keep safety a priority and ensure that everyone has a safe and happy school year.

Sign Up For Code Red
To Be Notified In Case Of Emergency

Hurricane season is gearing up to its most active weeks, which is why is so important to be in the loop and receive any emergency messages that can protect your life and property. Coral Gables is using the Code Red Emergency Notification System for which you can sign up now for free and online. This ultra high-speed telephone communication service is intended to notify and distribute information that is vital to the safety of the community and is capable of dialing 50,000 phone numbers per hour and delivering an emergency recorded message to a live person or an answering machine. This system will be used to inform you about pre- and post-hurricane notices, evacuation notices and routes, drinking water contamination, fire or flood information, and other notification that is essential for life safety. If you live in the City of Coral Gables, operate a business or own property within City limits and would like to receive Code Red emergency messages, click here.

Shop ‘Till You Drop During Coral Gables Week

You have until Friday, August 20 to be frugal and happy during Shop Coral Gables Week. More than 40 Downtown Coral Gables retailers are offering extraordinary discounts of up to 60 percent and end-of-the-summer-season deals you won’t want to miss. Savvy shoppers can save on apparel and accessories for men and women, jewelry, home furnishings and more at stores including Hip.e Boutique, Sweet Boutique, Dulce Shoes, I. Designs and Design Within Reach, just to name a few. Select restaurants such as The Globe, JohnMartin’s Irish Pub and Charlotte Bistro will be offering special deals for shoppers when they come to dine and unwind. For more information, click here.