WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2011

Pilot Parking Meter Project Begins

Your parking experience on the 200 block of Miracle Mile is now much more con­ven­ient. The Parking Department is currently field testing a cutting-edge single-space park­ing meter system. All 40 meters on the block were replaced with solar powered devices that accept coins, credit/debit cards and support the City's existing Pay-By-Cell Phone program. After a trial period of four months, the City will evaluate whether to purchase these meters.

City Offers Two-Month Grace Period
For Compliance With Truck Restrictions

The City of Coral Gables has prevailed in the legal court case challenging the City's ordinances restricting the parking of trucks. The City's truck ordinances seek to preserve the integrity of residential areas and the unique aesthetic qualities of the City of Coral Gables. The Third District Court of Appeal previously upheld the constitutionality of section 4-411 and 4-412 of the Coral Gables Zoning Code pertaining to trucks parked in residential and commercial areas. On May 18th, the Florida Supreme Court decided not to review this decision, and the City will now enforce the restrictions following a grace period. Based on the provisions that have been upheld, the parking of trucks in residential areas is prohibited unless the truck is parked in an enclosed garage. Likewise, the parking of trucks upon the streets or other public places in the City is prohibited between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. of the following day. The City is offering a two-month grace period before intending to enforce these restrictions in order to provide time for individuals owning trucks to come into compliance with the law. Written notices will be issued until August 8, 2011. A public education campaign is being conducted to inform the public about the recent court rulings and the timeline when tickets will begin to be issued if compliance has not been achieved. Historically, the City of Coral Gables has gone through great lengths to preserve its unique character through the enforcement of its strong Zoning Code, a reason why in a downward economy property values in Coral Gables have fared better than other neighboring communities in Miami-Dade County. For more information, please contact Code Enforcement at 305-460-5226.

Youth Center Soccer Teams Outshine The Competition

Congratulations to two competitive youth soccer teams for representing the City of Coral Gables so well. The U13 Toros Soccer Team won last month the U13 Florida Championship Cup. The local champions defeated 30 of the best soccer teams from across the state of Florida. Representing the City of coral Gables in the under 13 years of age boys division, the Coral Gables Toros went undefeated during the preliminary rounds of competition, and continued their winning streak through the quarter and semi-finals culminating with a victory at the state championship level by beating the Plantation FC Eagles with a score of 3-1 on May 22. In addition, a younger group of local athletes, the U11 Toros Soccer Team, which was selected three months ago to play in the Soccer Danone Nations Cup, won the championship this past Memorial weekend. This win qualified them to represent the United States in an international soccer competition to be held in Madrid, Spain in October. They will compete with children representing Belgium, Uruguay, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Romania, China, Italy, Brazil and 32 other countries. Congratulations to all the players, coaches, and parents for supporting these two outstanding Coral Gables teams.

U13 Toros: Top row (L-R): Marcelo Ruiz, Peter Gonzalez, Ignacio Sapetnitsky, Diego Puig, Liam Wood, Michael Landau, Cesar Roman, Renato Corghi and Rodrigo Diego. Bottom row (L-R): Coach Frank Tomasino, Francisco de la Camara, Cole Deuel, Anthony Castro, Mattias Tomasino, Patrick Hannau, Andrew Geraghty, Sebastian Waseskuk, Ryan MacGregor, Salomon Iza, and Coach Brian Geraghty.

U11 Toros: Top row (L-R): Coach Benjamin Fernandez, Alessandro Milessi, Julian Zighelboim, Alfred Perez, Miguel Padrino, Joshua Jackson, Jordi Avila, Samuel Gonzalez, Coach Eric Vasquez. Bottom row (L-R): David Polanco, William McGregor, Truman Gelnovatch, Kevin Youmans, Jonathan Strieben, Thomas Gay-Betton, and Jesus Sahagum.

Beware Of Phone Scams Demanding
Money In Exchange For Kidnapped Relative

The Coral Gables Police Department (CGPD) is warning residents of a phone scam in which a caller claims to have kidnapped a family member and demands money to be sent to a bank in Puerto Rico. The caller claims that a family member has been involved in a traffic crash and demands that damages be paid. They threaten to hurt the family member if the demands for cash are not met. The Crime Against Persons Unit of the CGPD is currently working on several reports of these scams being perpetrated recently against unsuspecting Coral Gables residents.  Similar types of phone scams have been reported in Osceola and Orange counties in Florida. Intelligence information has traced the calling numbers to prepaid cellular phones with a connection to Puerto Rican prison inmates. If you receive a phone call of this nature, please contact the Coral Gables Police Department to report the incident and relay all pertinent information about the caller to detectives. To contact to Police Department’s emergency number dial 911; for non-emergencies call 305-442-1600.

June Is Romance Month In Coral Gables

Love is in the air this June, as Romance Month is being celebrated countywide, and what a better place to fall in love and celebrate L’Amour than in Coral Gables. A month-long promotion is putting emphasis on everything needed to celebrate love and affection, from getting engaged, to having a bachelor/bachelorette party, tying the knot, planning a ceremony, going on a honeymoon or celebrating an anniversary. Miracle Mile in Downtown Coral Gables is South Florida’s most famous bridal shopping destination and a few retailers and restaurants are offering special promotions through the month of June. Be sure to visit www.shopcoralgables.com/bridal to find everything you need for this special occasion from the gown, to the shoes and even the wedding cake. A Miami Romance & Wedding Showcase is taking place at the Westin Colonnade in Coral Gables, on Sunday, June 19, from noon until 4 p.m. The event features an array of vendors offering money-saving romantic deals, a chance to win a dream wedding, a stunning bridal showcase and the latest trends in cake design, flowers, video, invitations and event planning. For more information on this event, email romance@gmcvb.com.

Preparation Is Key During Hurricane Season

The six-month hurricane season is here and thankfully Coral Gables has been spared the wrath of Mother Nature in the past few years, but don’t count your lucky stars. Preparation is key, both at home and at work, especially with the above-normal predictions for this hurricane season. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, is predicting across the Atlantic Basing for this year 12 to 18 named storms of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes of winds of 74 mph or higher, including 3 to 6 major storms or Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricanes. Natural disasters can happen anywhere, as seen in the recent floods and tornadoes affecting the United States. To help prepare you for this hurricane season, NOAA has created a series of video announcements available in English and Spanish. To learn more about how you can be prepared this hurricane season, click here. Also, the University of Florida’s Cooperative Extension Service is hosting a free Hurricane Preparedness Workshop on Thursday, June 9, from 6-8 p.m. at the Coral Gables Branch Library, 3443 Segovia Street. Coral Gables residents will learn all about this year’s hurricane season predictions, hurricane safety, building a personal hurricane kit, developing a family plan and storm-resilient landscaping. For more information, call Lisa Krimsky at 305-421-4017 or via email at lkrimsky@ufl.edu.