WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2012

Driver License Services Return To Coral Gables

Good news: residents no longer have to travel outside the City to get to a driver license office and then wait hours to be helped. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) has opened a mobile office at the Coral Gables Branch Library, 3443 Segovia Street. On the second Monday of the month, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., DHSMV staff will set up mobile computer stations inside the library. Walk-ins are welcome. Mayor Jim Cason asked City Manager Pat Salerno to find a way to make driver license services more convenient and accessible for residents. City staff located a site within the City and coordinated the implementation of this program with DHSMV, Miami-Dade Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the Miami-Dade Public Library System. The mobile units provide residents with a convenient method to renew a driver license, obtain a replacement driver license, change a name or address on a driver license, get an identification card, and order specialty license plates. Driving or written tests will not be available at this location. Customers can also renew vehicle tags and get a vehicle plate when a replacement is needed, services that are not offered at any main office. In May of 2010, DHSMV closed its local office. The nearest main office is currently located at the Mall of Americas. DHSMV requires specific documentation depending on the service. For a checklist of accepted documents, click here, or pick up a checklist at City Hall’s Help Desk.  

Mayor Cason discusses with a DMV clerk how things are going on the first day. A total of 27 individuals were served.

No Plans For Lunch Today? Check Out
“Jazz In The Gables” Lunchtime Concert

Don’t miss today’s performance by Nicole Henry, one of the jazz world's most acclaimed and respected young vocalists, as part of the second annual Jazz in the Gables, the lunchtime concerts taking place every Wednesday through March 28, 2012. The concerts begin at 12:15 p.m. on the Plaza of the Coral Gables Museum located on Salzedo Street, two blocks north of Miracle Mile in Downtown Coral Gables. Lunch will be available for purchase from Tropico Restaurant. There will be prize drawings every week. Scheduled to perform on Wednesday, January 25 is Sound of Vision, South Florida's leading smooth jazz band known for blending contemporary jazz with multi-cultural urban funk and Latin rhythms.  The concerts are free and open to the public. The event is presented by the City of Coral Gables in partnership with the BID/Downtown Coral Gables, Coral Gables Museum and Miami Jazz Cooperative, with a portion of the funding being provided by the Knight Foundation. For more information, contact the Economic Sustainability Department at 305-460-5313 or click here.

Nicole Henry

Free UM Women’s Basketball Game Tickets
Available For Coral Gables Residents Only

Free tickets, this time for upcoming Canes Women’s Basketball games, are being made available to Coral Gables residents, courtesy of a 20-year Development Agreement between the City and the University of Miami. Residents of Coral Gables can receive up to four free tickets per household for the following Women’s Basketball games:

• Game 1: Thursday, January 26 at 7 p.m. University of Miami vs. Wake Forest. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Wednesday, January 18 at 8 a.m.
• Game 2: Sunday, February 5 at 2 p.m. University of Miami vs. Clemson. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Friday, January 27 at 8 a.m.
• Game 3: Sunday, February 19 at 3:30 p.m. University of Miami vs. Florida State. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Tuesday, February 7 at 8 a.m.
• Game 4: Sunday, February 26 at 1 p.m. University of Miami vs. Boston College. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Friday, February 17 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 City of Coral Gables Parks and Recreation Division at 305-460-5600.

Nominate A Random Act of Kindness Today!

The City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce will soon recognize indi­viduals, groups or organi­zations that display “Random Acts of Kindness” throughout the community. This monthly award program will honor individuals who live or work in the City of Coral Gables as well as organizations and groups that have done a caring deed that helped make our community a great place to live or work. We are seeking the unsung in our community. Heroes who are not honored or recognized every day, who often go unnoticed or unheralded and deserve to be thanked. Random Act of Kindness are defined as spontaneous and unexpected good deeds done simply out of the will to extend goodness without expecting anything in return. Anyone can nominate someone who has performed an act of kindness. Nomination forms are available at City Hall’s Help Desk or can be downloaded by clicking here. Return completed nominations to: City of Coral Gables Office of Public Affairs, 405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, FL 33134 or email it to e-News@coralgables.com. For more information, call the Office of Public Affairs at 305-460-5205.

Coral Gables Farmers Market Opens This Saturday

The Coral Gables Farmers Market opens this Saturday, January 21 for its 21st season. Every Saturday from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., through March 31, 2012, the Farmers Market offers the best produce, along with baked goods, gourmet specialty foods and plants, in front of City Hall, at the intersection of LeJeune Road and Biltmore Way. Other activities include live music, a free Tai Chi class at 8 a.m., a free gardening workshop conducted by local experts at 9 a.m., a master chef demonstration from one of Coral Gables’ finest restaurants at 10 a.m., followed by children’s activities for the younger market shoppers at 11 a.m. Enjoy the great outdoor weather by visiting our Farmers Market every Saturday morning for your choice of fresh fruits and vegetables and then walk to Miracle Mile to spend the rest of the day at any of Downtown’s various shops and restaurants. For a schedule of the Farmers Market activities, click here or contact the Parks and Recreation Division at 305-460-5600.

Merrick House Is Looking For Volunteers

If you made a New Year’s resolution to become more involved in your community, here’s your chance to make it happen. The Historical Resources Department is looking for volunteers to serve as docents at the Coral Gables Merrick House, the historic boyhood home of City founder George Merrick. Interested individuals, who would like to devote one or two afternoons per month, will learn all about the home’s history and will conduct public tours of this historic house museum each Wednesday and Sunday afternoon.  The Merrick House, located at 907 Coral Way, is a beautiful example of regional architecture and it exists today much as it did in the 1920s. If you would like more information about this volunteer opportunity, please contact the Historical Resources Department at 305-460-5093. 

Calling All Chocoholics To The International
Chocolate Festival This Weekend At Fairchild

It’s  that time of the year again when chocoholics from far and wide flock to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden for none other than the International Chocolate Festival. All chocolate lovers must attend this event taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 20-22. For three days visitors will be immersed in the diverse and wonderful world of chocolate, coffee and tea, from chocolate treats to tree sales, delicious cups of coffee and soothing cups of tea, cooking demonstrations to fun and educational activities for children. The event is open from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road. For fee and schedule information, click here.