WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2011

Mayor Jim Cason Gives
His First “State Of The City” Address

Mayor Jim Cason gave his first “State of the City” address on September 15 to a sellout crowd at the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Good Morning Coral Gables Breakfast. The event also featured the installation of the Chamber’s 2011-2012 Board of Directors, including incom­ing Chairman Drew Kern of EWM Realtors. Mayor Cason, who was elected to office in April, thanked the Chamber and its members for their support and dedication to serving the community. To view Mayor Jim Cason’s State of the City speech, click here.

Residents Can Buy One, Get Two Free
Tickets For Canes Vs. Georgia Tech Game

Coral Gables residents will have a chance to buy one ticket (per resident) and receive two free tickets for the “Coral Gables Day” game between the Canes and undefeated Georgia Tech scheduled for Saturday, October 22 (Time is TBA). The football showdown will take place at Sun Life Stadium, 2269 N.W. 199th Street in Miami Gardens. This offer is made possible thanks to a 20-year Development Agreement between the City of Coral Gables and the University of Miami. Coral Gables residents must show proof of residency at the time of purchase. This promotion is good for all available seating excluding suites and club seating. Tickets are on sale now and must be purchased in person at the Hurricane Ticket Office, UM Hecht Athletic Building located at 5821 San Amaro Drive, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. This promotion is not available for online or phone ticket purchases. These special tickets will be available at the Ticket Office until Friday, October 21. For more information, call 305-284-2263 or 1-800-GO-CANES.

Photo credit: JC Ridley. In the photograph is student athlete Mike James.

Coral Gables Receives Honorable Mention
For Excellence In Economic Development Award

The City of Coral Gables received an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Economic Development Award for The Palace Senior Housing Development in the category of Real Estate Redevelopment & Reuse for communities with populations of 25,000 to 200,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on September 20 during the IEDC Annual Conference held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Excellence in Economic Awards Program annually recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders.  The program honors organizations and individuals in 28 categories for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Coral Gables was honored for creating a public/private partnership with the Palace Group to build an upscale 243-unit senior living building utilizing an aging City garage property and a parking lot across the street, both of which were in a distressed condition, but well located within a block from Downtown Miracle Mile and close to local hospitals. A unique feature of the partnership was the creation of a Community Development District used to finance the public parking portion of the project with the issuance of tax exempt bonds. The Palace at Coral Gables is currently under construction and is set to open in 2013.

Coral Gables Museum To Launch Inaugural
Exhibits During “Creating The Dream Weekend”

The Coral Gables Museum will be honoring the City of Coral Gables’ historic relationship with Spain through a series of weekend events that pay tribute to George Merrick’s vision for the City Beautiful. On Thursday, October 20, the public is invited to a grand dinner featuring three renowned chefs of the Paradores of Spain, one-of-a-kind state-run hotels found in historic buildings throughout Spain including former castles and palaces. The “Real Castles in Spain” dinner takes place at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are required. The Coral Gables Museum opens to the general public on Saturday, October 22 at 1 p.m. to celebrate the civic arts of architecture, city planning, landscape architecture, historic and environmental preservation and history.  The Coral Gables Museum is a public/private partnership between the City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Museum Corp., a private, not for profit corporation. For more information on Coral Gables Museum, or to purchase tickets, call 305-603-8067 or click here.

Looking For Past JOBC Tennis Championship Players

For the past 49 years, the most promising young tennis players around the world have started their careers at the Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship. Last year alone, more than 1,250 players from 75 countries and 40 U.S. states participated. Notable players such as Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Bernard Tomic, Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijster, Monica Seles, Chris Evert, Jim Courier and Mary Joe Fernandez were among the new faces that showed early signs of greatness. To celebrate this year’s 50th anniversary of the JOBC International Tennis Championship to be held in December, organizers are extending an invitation to all past winners and participants that have gone on to have successful professional tennis careers.  By involving these individuals, the 50th anniversary celebration will be a memorable one that will continue to inspire future generations of tennis players. If you know of a professional tennis player who participated in the JOBC International Tennis Championship, please contact Tennis Director Jodi Steinbauer at 305-662-6072 or via email at tennis@jrorangebowl.com.

Coral Gables Tennis Prodigy On His Way
To Train With Top USTA Coaches

Alfredo Perez, a Coral Gables resident, is one of the top ranked U.S. national tennis players in the 14 and under boys’ category. Alfredo was one of five male players selected to participate in a national camp to be coached by Jose Higueras, USTA Director of Coaching and former personal coach for great tennis player Roger Federer, and USTA National Coach, Mike Sell. At 14 years of age, Alfredo has quickly reached a level of athletic performance that is turning heads. Aside from achieving multiple victories over other top players in his category, he also overcame numerous personal challenges. At nine years old, Alfredo had just migrated to the U.S. from Cuba and had to quickly overcome and adapt to a new language and cultural differences. Struggling with social and nostalgic issues typical of a young immigrant, he didn’t waste any time to pursue his goals of tennis glory. While practicing at the William H. Kerdyk Biltmore Tennis Center, Alfredo caught the keen eye of Coral Gables Professional Tennis Operations Supervisor, Robert Gomez, who immediately began coaching him. After four years of training under Robert’s wing, Alfredo is a more polished tennis player who is ready to take on all challengers. The Coral Gables Parks and Recreation Department provides world-class professional tennis services and manages 26 public tennis courts. Its two key facilities are the William H. Kerdyk Biltmore Tennis Center at 1150 Anastasia Avenue and the Salvadore Park Tennis Center at 1120 Andalusia Avenue. For more information, contact the Coral Gables Parks and Recreation Department at 305-460-5600.

Dangerous Giant Land Snails Detected Near Coral Gables

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has alerted City officials of a recent invasion of Giant African Snails in Miami-Dade County that have been detected near Coral Gables. These snails have been found in the 2700 block of Southwest 33rd Court and adjacent streets. In the last few weeks, agriculture officials have collected more than 4,500 snails which scientists consider to be one of the most damaging snails in the world because it is known to consume at least 500 different types of plants, and can pose a serious health risk to humans. These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas because they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments. If you spot a Giant African Snail in your garden, please do not touch it as it can carry a parasitic nematode that can lead to meningitis in humans. The last reported outbreak and eradication of the Giant African land snail in Florida occurred in 1966 when a boy smuggled three Giant African land snails into Miami as pets.  The boy’s grandmother released the snails into her garden and seven years later, more than 18,000 snails were found costing more than $1 million and taking an additional 10 years to successfully eradicate this pest from Florida.  This is the only known successful giant African land snail eradication program. Anyone who believes they may have seen a Giant African land snail or signs of its presence should call the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services toll-free at 888-397-1517 to make arrangements to have the snail collected.