WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2011

Junior Orange Bowl Parade Brings Marching Bands
& Colorful Floats To Downtown Coral Gables
On Monday, January 2

Hundreds of children and young people will take to the streets of Downtown Coral Gables on Monday, January 2, 2012, beginning at 3 p.m. for the 63rd annual Junior Orange Bowl Parade. This year’s theme is “Soaring to New Heights!” Jobie, the JOB mascot welcomes Cat in the Hat to the parade as well as the 240-member Clemson University Tiger Band, the JOB Queen and Princesses, and some of the audience’s favorites including Lil’ John Fire Wheelie Truck, the Mahi Shriners, Miami Children’s Hospital, along with many other colorful floats. While the JOB Parade is free to the public, grandstand tickets are on sale for those who want premium seats. Ticket-holders also have the added benefit of being treated to a Pre-Parade show featuring music and dance by Miami Children’s Theater. Grandstand tickets can be purchased by calling 1-866-999-9735. The Parade begins at 3 p.m. by heading south on Ponce de Leon Boulevard starting at Alhambra Circle. It will continue west on Miracle Mile and finishes in front of the grandstand seating area on Biltmore Way, right in front of Coral Gables City Hall. You can also watch the parade live on Coral Gables Television, Channel 77 if you’re a Comcast subscriber or via live streaming at www.coralgables.com. For more information on the JOB Parade, click here.

The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band at last year’s JOB Parade.

Free UM Men’s Basketball Game
Tickets For Residents Only

If you’re a Coral Gables resident, don’t forget that you can receive up to four free tickets per household for upcoming Canes Men's Basketball games. This special offer is made possible thanks to the 20-year Development Agreement between the City of Coral Gables and the University of Miami. “This is another example of how the City of Coral Gables and the University of Miami are working together for the benefit of residents,” said City Manager Pat Salerno. Last season, all tickets were distributed. Tickets for the following games are available:

• Game 1: Sunday, January 22 at 12 noon. University of Miami vs. North Carolina State. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Monday, January 9 at 8 a.m.
• Game 2: Wednesday, February 1 at 8 p.m. University of Miami vs. Maryland. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Monday, January 23 at 8 a.m.
• Game 3: Saturday, February 18 at 1 p.m. University of Miami vs. Wake Forest. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Thursday, February 2 at 8 a.m.
• Game 4: Sunday, February 26 at 6 p.m. University of Miami vs. Florida State University. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Wednesday, February 15 at 8 a.m.

The games will be played at the BankUnited Center on the University of Miami campus. Tickets will be distributed in person at the War Memorial Youth Center, 405 University Drive, no earlier than the designated distribution date. Residents must show proof of residential address. Tickets are limited to four per household. For additional information, contact the Parks and Recreation Division at 305-460-5600.

Photo above: UM’s shooting guard Garrius Adams in action.

City Launches Crime Fighting
Text Messaging Tip Service

Coral Gables is the first municipality in Miami-Dade County to offer mobile phone users the ability to report anonymous crime fighting tips to its Police Department.  The service called TipSoft, allows citizens to send anonymous tips online or by sending a text message to “CRIMES” (274637) with the keyword GABLES from a mobile phone.  iPhone and Android mobile phone users also have the ability to send tips through the service’s free application, TipSubmit. Using TipSoft, the public knows that it’s safe for them to do the right thing without ever disclosing their identity. TipSoft, which is made by CrimeReports, allows agencies and members of the public to have a two-way dialog that is completely secure and anonymous. The service specifically allows text message providers to remain anonymous by encrypting the text messages, assigning them a unique alias and ID, and routing them through secure servers, protecting the personal details of the information provider. The City of Coral Gables is demonstrating its commitment to public safety by using technology to prevent, reduce and solve crime.  With TipSoft, agencies can invite the public to take an active role in making their communities safer. “By using this service we can empower, and partner with, our citizens to receive tips on suspicious and criminal activity within our community,” commented Coral Gables Police Chief Dennis Weiner. Citizens are encouraged to use TipSoft to report information about any non-urgent illegal activity, such as unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, the sale and distribution of drugs or information about crimes that are being planned in the community or in schools. For instructions on how citizens can submit anonymous tips using TipSoft, please click here. For more information regarding the use of TipSoft, please contact the Coral Gables Police Department at 305-460-5401 or via email at piocgpd@coralgables.com.

City Receives CAPRA Accreditation For Parks & Recreation

The Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) at its meeting on November 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia, approved the accreditation of the City of Coral Gables Parks and Recreation Division. CAPRA accreditation, which is valid for five years, means that the City’s parks and recreation programs and facilities meet national standards of best practices. To achieve accreditation, Coral Gables had to comply with 144 national standards, conduct a self-assessment report and receive an on-site visitation by CAPRA representatives. The City of Coral Gables was originally accredited in 2001, and was also previously re-accredited in 2006.

Students, Parents & Teachers
Work Together to Beautify Carver Elementary

A great example of community pride took place on December 10th, when students, parents and teachers all worked together to help beautify G.W. Carver Elementary. The School’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was awarded a $2,000 beautification grant by the University Baptist Church. More than 300 shrubs and 100 plants were planted on the main entrance of the school along Grand Avenue. The happy volunteers were grouped to help paint the historic school sign and to help decorate special mosaic tile plant vases. At the end of the day, the participants enjoyed an outdoor barbecue and celebrated the successful completion of this school beautification project.

Parents of Carver Elementary students help plant bushes at the school’s main entrance.

Come Out And Watch Exciting
JOB Tennis Championship Finals!

The Junior Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship is considered to be one of the most important and prestigious junior tennis tournaments in the world.  The world’s best 14 & under and 12 & under tennis players are competing for the top prize with the main draw taking place on December 23rd. This year’s tournament has received a record 1,325 entrants from 75 countries, and 40 U.S. states. Former professional tennis player and two-time Junior Orange Bowl Tennis Champion Mary Joe Fernandez is the honorary chair of this year’s Championship. The finals for the boys’ 12 & under will be held at Salvadore Park at 9 a.m. on December 22nd. This year’s finals for the boys’ 14 & under, girls’ 14 & under, and girls’ 12 & under will all be held at the University of Miami Tennis Center on December 23rd starting at 9 a.m. Admission is free. For more information, click here.

Coral Gables Chamber Helped
The Holidays Shine Brighter

As the season of  giving and celebrating is upon us, the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce hosted its 15th Annual Magical Holiday Party, presented by Cherry Bekart & Holland on December 8th at the historic Biltmore Hotel. Guests were asked to bring an unwrapped gift or gift card to bring a smile to the face of a child, teen or senior. All of the gifts collected were distributed to the following charities: CHARLEE Homes for Children, Police Athletic League of Coral Gables, Merrick Educational Center, Home Instead Senior Care, Family Resource Center and The YMCA of Greater Miami. The event was sponsored by many local restaurants and corporations including 1862 Room at the Westin Colonnade, Anacapri Italian Cuisine & Market, Cibo Wine Bar, CRAVE, Fontana at the Biltmore Hotel, Havana Harry’s Coral Gables, La Cofradia Restaurant, Monserrate Restaurant, Pardo’s Peruvian Cuisine, Seasons 52, S&S Diner, Shula’s 347 Grill, Sports Grill of South Miami, Sweet Art by Lucila, Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill, The Dome Bar, Tropical Cheese Industries, Bacardi USA, Baptist Health South Florida, Brown-Forman Beverages, Credomatic, City National Bank, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors, Gallo Winery, Generations Skin Therapy, Miami Marlins, Touché Beauty, Waste Management and Right Space Management.