miami beach news 4.18.2013

APR. 18 - MAY 1, 2013 –––––––––––– COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM –––––––––––– Phone: 305-669-7355

BY ALAN A. LIPS

The ConventionCenter…to improveor not to improve …that is the question!Well sports fans, letme tell you that this isnot an option. Theplanned improvements to theConvention Center are necessary forthe future of our vibrant community.Our world here in this great city thriveson tourism; tourism is the economicdriver of our dynamic city. The worldcomes here to stay and play, and we allhave a choice to ensure that this contin-ues. The experts have made it clear thatan improved convention center andhotel will draw far bigger and betterconventions than currently possible.This means more heads in beds, whichdrives the balance of our exciting urbanbeach economy. Microsoft said it loudand clear over 10 years ago – they arenot coming back unless the facility isupgraded. Our city has grown, and inorder to ensure our future, we mustmove this development forward. Withthe proper facilities, conventioneerswould choose Miami Beach over virtu-ally any other venue. In case youhaven’t noticed, the world meets hereand the numbers don’t lie.

Our community has been fortunate tohave two world class developers spend-ing tremendous amounts of time listen-ing and developing solutions to accom-plish our convention center goals. Thecommunity has the chance to be heard.Time is running out, so I encourage youto speak up now. Speak to our Mayorand Commissioners to share yourthoughts and ideas. They are there tolisten and lead.

We are one community with onegoal…to make this a better place towork, play and live. This is the missionof our Miami Beach Chamber. Iencourage you to get involved andexperience the power of membership!

At your service,

Alan A. Lips

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For the fourthyear in a row,Mount SinaiM e d i c a lCenter’s mis-

sion-driven operations havebrought positive earnings andreinforced the medical center’sstrong image as a healthcareleader and community resource.Mount Sinai’s 2012 net revenueswere $497.1 million in 2012, upfrom $484.9 million in the prioryear, representing a 2.5 percentincrease. This is due to anincrease in cardiac-related proce-dures, outpatient surgical volumeand emergency department visitson the hospital’s Miami Beachand Aventura campuses.

The Mount Sinai HeartInstitute, a partnership with NewYork’s Columbia University, con-tinued to produce strong cardiacsurgical volume by capturing thelargest market share of all cardiacsurgeries in Miami-Dade, as wellas the largest market share of car-diac valve and bypass surgeries inSouth Florida. In addition, diag-nostic cardiac catheterization andangioplasty procedures increasedby 6.9 and 12.9 percent, respec-tively, as compared to the prioryear. The Florida Agency forHealth Care Administration(AHCA) data shows that MountSinai continues to be the area’sleader in cardiovascular care.Mount Sinai has the best cardiacsurgical outcomes in Floridaamong adult hospitals that per-form more than 600 cases. Inaddition, Mount Sinai’s chief ofcardiac surgery, Dr. JosephLamelas, performs the most heartvalve surgeries in Florida. MountSinai also offers patients the bestheart attack survival rate in the

state, according to the Centers forMedicare & Medicaid Services(CMS) Hospital Compare data.

Mount Sinai’s emergencyroom visits increased by 5.1 per-cent, or 3,091 visits, as comparedto the prior year, driven by thefreestanding emergency room inAventura, which showed a 5.8percent increase in visits. TheMiami Beach campus’ emer-gency room showed a 4.9 percentincrease in visits. Additionally,Mount Sinai’s satellite facilitiesin Hialeah, Coral Gables andKey Biscayne experienced con-tinued outpatient growth. MountSinai Hialeah and Mount SinaiKey Biscayne experienced a 77and 18 percent growth, respec-tively, from the prior year.

The Mount Sinai

Comprehensive Cancer Center isthe only oncology program inFlorida to receive the AmericanCollege of Surgeons Commissionon Cancer (CoC) OutstandingAchievement Award three con-secutive times. Mount Sinai wasalso the first hospital in SouthFlorida to receive accreditation inradiation oncology by theAmerican College of Radiology(ACR) and The American Societyfor Radiation Oncology(ASTRO). The ACR-ASTROseal of accreditation representsthe highest level of quality andpatient safety. Fewer than 10 per-cent of radiation oncology pro-grams nation-wide are accredited.

The medical center continues tobe a leader in lifesaving researchand remains committed to its

teaching program, training morethan 166 residents and fellows in19 medical specialties. MountSinai also serves as the trainingground for 342 allied health stu-dents and 577 student nurses.

Consistent with its mission,Mount Sinai provided more than$119 million in charitable servic-es and uncompensated care thatwas not reimbursed through tra-ditional safety net programs in2012, compared to over $99.6million in 2011. Mount Sinairemains dedicated to the healthand well-being of the SouthFlorida community, which isdemonstrated by its ongoingefforts to make healthcare moreaccessible, while providing thelatest treatment options as aworld-class healthcare provider.

Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach’s only hospital, continues to be a national healthcare leader and valuablecommunity resource.

COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM April 18 - May 1, 2013

Paulina Rugg began her career in theTourism and Hospitality industry in 2004.Serving as an Event Manager and Consultantwith Global Spectrum at the Miami BeachConvention Center (MBCC), Paulina hasbeen an integral part of the successes at thefacility since 2008. She is responsible formanaging some of the largest conventionsand groups that come to the City of MiamiBeach, to include Miami Fashion Week,Cruise Shipping Miami, FloridaInternational Medical Expo, AmericanAcademy of Periodontology, Best Buy, andNike.

Born and raised in Mexico City and aSouth Florida resident since 2001, Paulina’slove for customer service combined with thechallenging fast-paced details of event pro-duction put her on the path to this industry.She is a graduate of Florida InternationalUniversity’s School of Hospitality andTourism. During her time at FIU, she workedat the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure andserved as an intern with the Mexico TourismBoard. All of these experiences are whatultimately propelled her to land her currentposition at the MBCC.

“Paulina has a tremendously bright futurein this industry,” said MBCC GeneralManager Bob Balsam. “She is the consum-mate professional and provides a personal-ized hands-on approach with all of herevents. Her attention to detail and proactivethinking make her one of the best EventManagers I’ve had the opportunity to workwith.”

In addition to her on-site responsibilities atthe MBCC, Paulina takes time out of theoffice to support the local community. Herlove for the outdoors and staying active isapparent in her day-to-day lifestyle. Shestrives to help her local community while at

work by supporting initiatives, such as mak-ing sure all unused materials from events aredonated to the Education Fund. Paulina isalways looking for new opportunities tohelp. She regularly participates in volunteeropportunities involving organizations andinitiatives including ECOMB’s Adopt-A-Beach, City of Miami Beach Blood Drives,Tree-mendous of Miami-Dade County, theHands-On Broward Program, Bike-To-WorkDays, and Earth Day just to name a few.

“I am so fortunate for my personal andprofessional experiences here at the MiamiBeach Convention Center,” said Rugg.“Over the last five years at the MBCC, theseexperiences have strengthened my passionfor this industry and my love of SouthFlorida. I look forward to continuing togrow with this community!”

PAULINA RUGG

LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHTLEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHTPAULINA RUGG

April 18 - May 1, 2013 COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM

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The Miami Beach City Commission hasshortlisted two qualified architecturalteams to develop master plans for a pro-posed 52-acre Convention Center Districton the grounds of the current conventioncenter.

The redeveloped Miami BeachConvention Center is poised to be the focalpoint of the City of Miami Beach, creatingnot only a state-of-the-art meeting placefor large-scale events, like Art BaselMiami Beach, but a truly unique space thatwill serve to support hotels, retailers, andrestaurants and enrich the lives of those inthe Miami Beach community. A modern,redesigned Convention Center will giveMiami Beach a competitive edge to bid formore substantial business that will benefitboth residents and tourists alike and enablethe city to attract high impact conventions,meetings, and tradeshows in an increasing-ly competitive environment.

It will also redevelop the surroundingarea, transforming the Convention CenterDistrict into a new vibrant neighborhoodwith year-round activities; increasing out-door public space; creating a walkable dis-trict that connects the Convention Center,Lincoln Road and the City’s historical andcultural district; providing iconic architec-

ture in keeping with the City’s history ofsignificant design and incorporating sus-tainable (LEED) design principles whilebeing sensitive to the area’s residentialneighborhoods.

The city is encouraging communityinput around the Convention Center plans.The next public meeting is Monday May13, at 6pm in the Flamingo Ballroom at theMiami Beach Convention Center. Therewill also be Commission workshops toprovide information and foster under-standing of the plans. At the June 5, 2013City Commission meeting, the two teams,Portman CAC and South Beach ACE willeach present their final master plans. TheCity Commission will then select the finalcandidate. South Beach ACE includesRobert Wennett, the developer behind1111 Lincoln Road, the Tishman Hotelgroup and international architect RemKoolhaas.

Portman CAC includes developersPortman Holdings and Ugo Colombo andarchitects Bjarke Ingels and West 8, whichcreated the Miami Beach Soundscape nextto the New World Symphony.

For information on the Miami BeachConvention Center Redevelopment project,visit http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/news.

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Swiss Property Management is an exclu-sive Property Management company forhigh-end residential home owners in thegreater Miami Beach area.Swiss Property Managementoffers absentee home ownermanagement, property manage-ment, investment property man-agement, portfolio manage-ment, vacation rentals, supervi-sion of construction, andconcierge services.

From absentee home manage-ment to supervision of construc-tion, no job is too small or toolarge. Oliver Oberhauser, pres-ident of Swiss Property Management, grewup in Switzerland in the hospitality indus-try, worked 20 years in the banking indus-try and has 10 years of experience in inter-national real estate. As a result of Mr.Oberhauser’s background, his companymaintains an exceptionally high level ofcustomer service and organization.

Being Swiss and a former banker, Mr.Oberhauser understands the needs of thewealthiest clients, as well as how to work

with and attract European investors inMiami. Swiss Property Managementexudes reliability, professionalism and an

understanding of the needs ofwealthy people from around theworld. Mr. Oberhauser is activein the community and he boastsa vast network of professionalcontacts. Swiss PropertyManagement knows how to treattheir clients— monitoring e-mails, answering phone callsand providing 24/7 availability;they listen to their clients. Astheir website states: “SwissProperty Management’s

“Swissness” makes the difference in thelevel of service we provide.”

To explore how Swiss PropertyManagement can serve you and your busi-ness, visit www.swiss-pm.com, followthem on Twitter at @SwissPropMgt, onfacebook at SwissPropertyManagement,call them at (305) 777-2304 or schedule ameeting and visit them at their offices,located at 550 11th Street, Suite 202,Miami Beach, FL 33139.

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Oliver Oberhauser–––––––––––––

Pillar Reception at City National Bank

Chamber Chairman Alan Lips and Adam Kravitz

Grazia Bizzotto, Cristian Galleguillos and Fidenzio Bizzotto

Joseph Landesman, Mike Kiely and Max Sturman

Steven Carlton,

Marc Hurwitz

and

Eric Mannis

Ana Maria De

Alba, winner of

the INcard give-

away, Chamber

President & CEO

Jerry Libbin and

Chamber

Chairman

Alan Lips

Mirielle Enlow and Maria Chang Mayer

SEE MORE PHOTOS NEXT PAGE

Seth Markowitz and Julia Tankhelson

Erik Becskehazy and Charity Chacon


Pillar Reception at City National Bank

Carrie Schaffer, Silvia Martin, Juan Carlos Cortes, Maria Delgado and Isabel Fernandez

Eric Johnson, Chamber President & CEO Jerry Libbin and Edward Dalton

Aaron Perry, Stephanie Ruiz and Chamber President & CEO Jerry Libbin

Stephanie Ruiz, Jamie Russell and Aleksandra Marzec

Betsy Earle, Josh Rose and Iris Rait

Chamber Chairman Alan Lips andPast Chairman Jason Loeb

Chamber President & CEO Jerry Libbin, Chamber Chairman Alan Lips, Mirielle Enlowand Joseph Cross

Chamber President & CEO Jerry Libbin and MallFreiman


BY ISADORE HAVENICK

So what is everyonein Tallahassee talkingabout these days?Seems like the buzz inthe legislative hall-ways the last fewweeks has centered onDave and Buster’s and

Chuck E. Cheese’s. Why are grown men and women

spending so much time preoccupiedwith businesses that feature children’sgames?

It seems that an exemption granted tothese entertainment facilities, bestknown for hosting teenager’s birthdayparties, has been exploited by operatorsof unregulated slot machine operations.

These operators prey upon the elder-ly by offering a cup of coffee or a sliceof cake while providing entertainment

in the form of slot machines pro-grammed to return less than 70% of themoney played in the machines.

By contrast, machines at the regulat-ed Miami-Dade and Broward Countypari-mutuel casinos are required toreturn at least 85% of the money insert-ed in these machines.

In fact, all of the regulated casinosmake well less than a 10% return withsome returning over 93% to theirpatrons. The “house” retains about 7%of the money played in the machineswhile redistributing 93% back to theircustomers.

At these so-called patron friendly“adult arcades,” conversation anddessert takes a 30% bite out of thepatron’s pockets. Regulation and fullpublic disclosure makes the Miami-Dade and Broward County facilities afar safer bet for those inclined to trytheir luck.

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Becker & Poliakoff is pleased toannounce the addition of attorney AdamKravitz to the firm’s Corporate LawPractice Group in the Miami office. Mr.Kravitz has more than 20 years of legalexperience in international corporatefinance, mergers & acquisitions, and secu-rities law. Additionally, he has a uniqueentrepreneurial background,with experience in providingbusiness and legal counsel toseveral notable start-ups.

“We are pleased to welcomeAdam Kravitz to the firm,”said Gary Rosen, managingshareholder, Becker &Poliakoff. “His unique legaland business skill set and hisexperience with start-up andearly stage companies will addtremendous value to our cor-porate practice.”

From 1999 through 2005,Mr. Kravitz served as a founding directorand general counsel of Spark Networks,which runs leading online dating websites,including JDate.com andChristianMingle.com. At Spark Networks,he was responsible for all legal affairs, aswell as administrative and strategic respon-sibility for its international offices.

Prior to Spark Networks, Mr. Kravitzwas an attorney with the London office ofZellermayer Pelosoff, one of Israel’s best-known law firms where he acted as leadcounsel in several IPOs in London andFrankfurt and represented clients in diverseinternational transactions.

Mr. Kravitz also served as CEO ofeVoter, Inc., a voter information websitethat he co-founded in 2009. The site attract-ed over 1.2 million voters in six states andforged strategic partnerships with Yahoo!and NBC Local Media.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Kravitz wasGeneral Counsel of The AppletreeCompanies, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed foodmanufacturer and distributor based in BocaRaton.

A resident of Miami Beach, Mr. Kravitzwas appointed to the Community RelationsBoard for the City of Miami Beach and is

President of the Alton RoadHomeowners and ResidentsAssociation. He is also on theBoard of the FloridaAssociation for InsuranceReform.

Mr. Kravitz received hisJ.D. Degree from theUniversity of Houston andB.A. from Montreal’s McGillUniversity. He also receivedan M.S. Degree in Historyfrom the London School ofEconomics.

He is licensed as an attorneyin the U.S. and Great Britain (solicitor).

ABOUT BECKER & POLIAKOFFBecker & Poliakoff is a diverse commer-

cial law firm with more than 155 attorneys,lobbyists and other professionals in 18domestic and international offices.Celebrating its fortieth (40th) year of serv-ing clients, the firm has eight primaryareas of practice: Real Estate,Construction Law & Litigation,Community Association, Customs &International Trade, Business Litigation,Corporate, Government Law & Lobbying,and the Intellectual Property & EmergingTechnologies practice. For more about thefirm, visit: www.becker-poliakoff.com orwww.becker-poliakoff.com/blogs/ to accessforums on the latest ideas and opinions onlegal matters hosted by Becker & Poliakoffattorneys.

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Barbara Buxton, J.D., LL.M.Florida Attorney

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RECYCLE!

The Environmental Coalition of Miami& the Beaches, ECOMB, in partnershipwith SIR International (www.sirinterna-tional.com ), makes it easy for MiamiBeach residents to recycle electronicwaste, batteries and compact fluorescentlight bulbs at its Miami Beach Center forthe Environment.

The Center also accepts all othertypes of Single Stream Recyclables -glass, plastic, metal, paper, cardboard,magazines, junk mail, phone books, etc- for those businesses and residents thatdo not have a recycling program inplace. This has been made possiblethanks to an agreement establishedbetween the City of Miami Beach andour local waste haulers: WasteManagement and WSI.

With ECOMB in the “hood”, it’s noweasy to be part of the green movement. Allyou have to do is call ECOMB’s office orstop by to visit us.

WHY:Because the average American throws

out seven and a half pounds of trash eachday! And it all ends up at the landfills,where it just sits, compacted, buried, tak-ing up space ... forever.

Recycling is important because it helpskeep our resources plentiful, not only forus but for our future generations: our chil-dren, grandchildren, and so on ...

WHERE:Miami Beach Center for the Environment

210 Second Street and Collins Court

(alley between Washington & Collins Ave.)

Miami Beach, Fl 33139

TIME:• GENERAL RECYCLABLES :

SINGLE STREAM (glass, plastic,metal, paper, etc): 24 HOURS A DAY

• ELECTRONICS, BATTERIES, CFLs:from 10 am to 5 pm.

Must call first to make drop-off arrange-ments.

ABOUT ECOMB:ECOMB, a 501 (c) (3) founded in 1994,

is dedicated to the promotion of environ-mental sustainability and the preservationof our community’s ecology.

Phone: 305-534-3825 [email protected]@ecomb.org

Educating People. Engaging ourCommunity. Effecting Environmental Change.

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Former Bank Lawyer Fightsfor Miami Homeowners

By Ann LinoShould I pay the mortgage on my home? What about the taxes and

condo fees? What’s the worst that can happen if I don’t pay? What’s the

best I can hope for?

There are so many people offering advice. Realtors will tell you to sell.

Bankruptcy attorneys will tell you to go bankrupt. Loan modification

services will tell you to ask nicely for a loan modification. One attorney

who spent years representing banks in foreclosures, Bruce Jacobs, will

tell you to negotiate from strength.

Bruce Jacobs is not only a former bank lawyer, he is also a foreclosure

defense client. “I didn’t want to go bankrupt or spend the rest of my life

paying for this mortgage mess,” said Bruce. “I had five mortgages on two

properties underwater by almost $500,000.00. I stopped paying and put

up a fight. Now, I have one property with one mortgage.”

There are plenty of reasons to fight. Banks got a bailout of $7.7 Trillion

in almost interest free loans from our taxpayer dollars. They pay out billions

in bonuses to Wall Street executives while Main Street is left to fight

for themselves. The loan modification programs are not working.

Homeowners run in circles before getting denied or offered a deal that

only helps the bank make more money.

Bruce is part of a national group of dedicated lawyers fighting back

against banks. They train at seminars around the country and online to

share resources and develop cutting edge strategies in foreclosure

defense. Many of the attorneys are former bank lawyers who, like Bruce,

are passionate about fighting for meaningful help for their clients.

Bruce has lectured on foreclosure defense at continuing legal education

seminars for other attorneys and realtor offices so more homeowners have

access to his strategies.

“The goal is either a meaningful loan modification with a principal

balance reduction, a release from the debt, or to fight to clear the mortgage

off the property,” said Bruce about most of his clients. “There are reasons

banks filed ‘robo-signed’ fraudulent documents in foreclosures all over

the country. Many have serious paperwork problems which makes

proving the right to foreclose in a

courtroom difficult.”

To schedule a free consultation

with Bruce Jacobs at his

downtown Miami office please

call (855) BANK-LIE (226-5543)

or watch their free webinar:

“Strategies for an

Underwater Mortgage” at

www.negotiatefromstrength.com.

“Not paying your mortgage

is only a strategic default

if you have a strategy.”


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BY MICHAEL LOVE Specialty Chef

Epicure Gourmet Market & Café

It’s no secret that Ilove to cook. After along day at Epicure,which begins with soupproduction in the morn-ing followed by endlesstrays of brownies and60-pound batches ofcookie dough in the

afternoon, Michele gingerly asks me,“What are you cooking for dinner tonight?”As I stand in the kitchen, still wearing mychocolate and tomato stained chef’s coat,we both smile at the thought of me spend-ing the next hour preparing dinner. Shesmiles because it’s such an unreasonablerequest given my daily work agenda com-bined with my disheveled weary appear-ance. I however, smile because as tired asI am, and no matter how raw my hands are,I still want to cook something delicious.This is the life of a chef.

I’m pretty certain that when you gethome from your job, whether or not youlove what you do, the last thing you reallyfeel like doing is cooking. Maybe you area “weekend warrior” in the kitchen, butduring the week you probably don’t reallyenjoy going through the motions of cook-ing the same chicken dish that alwayscomes out bland, along with an uninspir-ing salad and overcooked veggie. I couldbe wrong, but my goal here is to get youexcited about cooking dinner, so playalong. Rather than give you recipes in atraditional format, I’m going to simply tellyou how to pull together a simple yet deli-cious meal consisting of a salad, chicken,rice and a vegetable that will take yourcooking skills and the end results toanother level. More importantly, you willenjoy the fresh ingredients, the fundamen-tal techniques that make it all happen andthe layers of flavors you enjoy in otherpeople’s kitchens.

THE RICE – This will take the longest, so get it start-

ed first. Bring 2 cups of water to boil. In aglass baking dish, combine 1 cup of brownrice, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of

dried herbs (your choice), 1 teaspoon ofsalt and the boiling water. Cover with foiland bake in 350 degree oven for exactlyone hour.

THE SALAD – In a bottle with a cap, (you can use an

empty water bottle if you have a funnel),combine juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons ofwhite wine, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard,1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake.Taste. Add salt. If too tart to your liking,add a tiny amount of honey. Shake again.

THE VEGETABLE – Place broccoli, brussels sprouts or

asparagus in a small baking pan. Sprinklewith kosher salt, pepper and drizzle withabout 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Place inthe oven when the rice has 15 minutes left.

THE CHICKEN –Take boneless chicken thighs (or breast

cutlets if you prefer), dry them with papertowel, salt and pepper both sides and add toa hot non-stick pan with olive oil. If youdon’t hear a sizzle, the pan isn’t hotenough. Sear for two minutes each side.When flipping the chicken, add the lemonhalves that you used earlier, cut side downinto the pan. When chicken is browned onboth sides, remove to a baking pan with 1/2cup water and place in oven at the sametime as the vegetable. Leave the lemons inthe non-stick pan and turn off the heat.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER –Toss mixed greens or arugula with the

dressing. Take out the rice and fluff with afork. Taste for salt. The chicken and roast-ed vegetables will be ready at the sametime. Plate the rice, lay a piece of chickenon top of the rice and place broccoli next toit. Squeeze the caramelized lemon over theentire plate. Done.

Michael Love is the Specialty Chef atEpicure Gourmet Market and Café andthe creator of “Epicure with Love,” anall-natural gourmet line of food includingsoups, prepared entrées and desserts.Michael is also available for private andgroup cooking instruction and can behired for dinner parties and events.Contact: [email protected].

EEppiiccuurree wwiitthh LLoovvee COMMUNITYNEWSPAPERS.COM April 18 - May 1, 2013


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The 2nd Annual Billy Shockett MemorialGolf Tournament will be held on Friday,May 17, 2013 at the Normandy Shores GolfTournament to benefit the Miami BeachParks and Recreation Program Youth GolfClinics. Billy Shockett’s legacy is honoredby the program’s mission: “Teaching life-lessons and skills to underprivileged chil-dren of Miami Beach.”

The Billy Shockett Memorial GolfTournament will begin at 1:00 p.m. at a costof $100 per player to include box lunch,beverages, favors and cocktail party; how-ever, the opportunities to participate do notend there. Numerous sponsorship opportu-nities are available to gain exposure foryour company while supporting this won-derful cause, including: Golf CartSponsorship, Box Lunch Sponsorship,Cocktail Reception Host Sponsorship,Beverage Cart Sponsorship, Hole-in-OneSponsorship, Tee and/or Green signage.

Everyone in Miami Beach remembersBilly Shockett as a terrific friend and an out-standing community leader. Billy served asChairman of the Board of Governors at theMiami Beach Chamber of Commerce aswell as City Commissioner and Vice-Mayorfor the City of Miami Beach. In his sparetime, he loved to play golf at Normandy

Shores. Scholarship funds raised in Billy’sname will keep his legacy alive and ensurethat every child who wants to play golf in

Miami Beach has the chance to do so. Allplayers and all donations are welcome.

For reservations, to make a donation of

any size or for sponsorship informationcontact: Steve Farrell [email protected].

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Modern stress-information overload,global warming, rising cost of living, etc.causes the inevitable question, “How can Iattain stable happiness and good health inthis crazy, unstable world? The answer,well, that’s easy... do Yoga! At SynergyYoga in South Beach and Synergy CastleBeach, anyone can learn lots of 5,000 yearold stress-busters, get massages, have theirchakras balanced and soak in Miami’sfamous Russian/Turkish Baths.

Yoga for better health is definitely on therise in the US with numbers between 16 and20 million Americans now doing it regularly.Studies has shown, and what people haveknow for thousands of years now, even a lit-tle Yoga can, among many other benefits,ease or erase back & neck pain, increaseoxygen intake to inhibit the inevitable effectsof aging and can even reprogram neuroligi-cal wiring in the brain producing happier andcalmer minds.

“Yoga is such an amazing, all natural wayto live a super-healthy, inspired life” saysSynergy Yoga Director & Teacher, VictoriaBrunacci. “by offering tons of yoga classesand healing arts like massage and energybalancing more people can get into a healthylifestyle and keep it up and our communitycan grow stronger together because we’re

here for each other!”Synergy Center for

Yoga and Healing Arts at435 on charmingEspanola Way for over 18years is Miami Beach’sfirst and original YogaCenter. It offers up to 8classes a day as low as$12 and also volunteeropportunities for worktrades for in-depth Yogaworkshops & trainings.There are different stylesof Yoga and classes forbeginners, kids and pregnant moms.Synergy is also provides private healing ses-sions in modalities such as Thai Massage,Reiki, Acupuncture and BreathingInstructions.

Synergy has produced and trained someMiami’s best Yoga Teachers and has hostedstretching & stress-busting yoga celebs suchas Katie Kuruch, brothers Russell and Run(of Run DMC) Simmons and rock iconLenny Kravitz among others.

If you’d like more information about Yogaand Synergy Yoga please contact VictoriaBrunacci at 786-444-1817 or [email protected]

Victoria Brunacci–––––––––

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First of all, thank you for taking the timeto read this column. This column will beabout how to increase sales in your busi-ness, whether you are a business owner ora business professional such as a Realtor,Mortgage professional etc. Whether youown your company or not, you are in busi-ness for yourself. What this column willhelp you with is how to build a more prof-itable company.

Before we start talking about how toincrease your sales, referrals, and how tobuild a profitable business, I think it wouldbe appropriate to tell you about myself andthe Referral Institute Miami.

Referral Institute Miami is a worldwidefranchise that started in 2002. It wasfounded by Dr. Ivan Misner, who alsofounded the world’s largest networkingorganization, a company called BNI. TheReferral Institute is in 14 different coun-tries and has 50 plus franchisees. TheReferral Institute Miami helps businessowners create an exceptional, amazing lifefor themselves and their employees, whilebuilding a very profitable company andhelping others achieve the same thing inthe process. The Mission of ReferralInstitute Miami is to restore the humannature of social community to the market-place through the development of planned,strategic business referral relationships byproviding cutting-edge group educationand impactful individualized coaching thatenables business owners to build efficientand effective referral partner teams.

My name is Kelly Fisher and I am theowner of Referral Institute Miami. I grewup and spent most of my life in the greatstate of Alaska. I recently relocated toMiami in December of 2011. I was in realestate sales for many years before becom-ing a BNI franchisee in 2003. I have a BSdegree in organizational behavior fromCapella University and have owned my

Referral Institute franchise for almost 5years. What this means is I have almost adecade of experience in helping businessowners create more sales, referrals, andbuild profitable companies.

I am also currently an assistant Directorfor Jeff Stay, of BNI Miami Dade. In addi-tion to my own classes and trainings, I alsoconduct a monthly class in collaborationwith the Miami Beach Chamber called theExecutive Training Series.

Now that I have introduced you toReferral Institute Miami and myself, let mejust say that I hope you continue to readthis column on a regular basis as I believeit will hold great value for you if you are abusiness owner or business professional.In the ongoing column you will learn howto do business in a different way. In a waythat will change your life and your busi-ness. Again I hope you have enjoyed read-ing this and I hope to see you back here forthe next edition. Have a great day!

IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn ttooRReeffeerrrraall IInnssttiittuuttee MMiiaammii

Kelly Fisher–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


The 2014 MINI Paceman is a superb allaround vehicle, offering practicality, fun,efficiency and all-weather capability. ThePaceman’s precise steering inspires confi-dence and the sport suspension does agreat job of keeping the crossover vehi-cle’s body movement in check while deliv-ering a fun ride.

Introduced in March, the Paceman repre-sents another MINI expansion into a newsegment, following the debut of the MINIALL4 all-wheel-drive system in the MINICountryman. ALL4 gives drivers an evenmore focused experience of the car’s driv-ing fun through curves and in cornering –on rough terrain, as well as smooth roads. The MINI Paceman is the eighth modelavailable with ALL4 either standard or asan option. The Paceman, dubbed a “premi-um compact Sports Activity Coupé,”optionally teams up ALL4 with the dieselengines in the MINI Cooper SD and MINICooper D, as well as the gasoline driven

MINI Cooper S. Also available is the MINIJohn Cooper Works Paceman with the all-wheel-drive system as standard and a 218hp, race-developed engine for those want-ing extreme driving fun with excellent han-dling in any situation. All models comestandard with a six-speed manual gearbox,while a six-speed automatic is an option.

ALL4 gives drivers of eight MINI mod-els a noticeable boost to traction, direction-al stability and agility through corners.ALL4 is available as an option for the MINICooper S Countryman, SD Countrymanand D Countryman, while the MINI JohnCooper Works Countryman sends its powerthrough all four wheels as standard.

ALL4 was developed specially for MINImodels and since its introduction in 2010has won many new fans. The all-wheel-drive system uses an electromagnetic cen-tre differential to distribute power seam-lessly between the front and rear axles. Innormal driving situations ALL4 diverts upto 50 per cent of the engine’s power to therear wheels, rising to as much as 100 percent in extreme conditions such as on iceand snow-covered surfaces. The controlelectronics of the MINI ALL4 system areintegrated directly into the DSC (DynamicStability Control) management unit,

enabling drive to be channeled through thewheels in milliseconds.

This set-up offers a number of advan-tages; in regular driving situations it opti-mizes fuel economy. But ALL4 alsoresponds to fluctuating requirements togive the MINI Countryman or MINIPaceman driver the intense experience ofthe MINI go-kart feeling. It uses the datacollected by DSC to tweak the power splitand allow fast cornering and sport driving.

The system feeds a higher proportion of theengine’s power to the rear wheels to maketurn-in as precise as possible.

Pricing on the 2014 MINI Pacemanstarts at $23,900.

Grant Miller is the publisher ofCommunity Newspapers. He may be con-tacted by calling 305-662-2277 or byaddressing email to<[email protected]>.

CAR CORNER

Grant Miller

2014 Paceman is latest offering in MINI series

2014 MINI Paceman is a premium compact Sport Activity Coupé.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


On Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 6:00 PMuntil 10:00 PM, Fertile Earth Foundation (FEF),a Florida based 501(c)(3) non-profit organiza-tion, best known for its composting and wastereduction initiatives, will host their 2nd Annual“Underground Miami” fundraising event alongwith The Miami Beach Chamber of Commerceto benefit the organization.

Fresh off their success with the Ladies ofManure 2013 Calendar, the ladies of FEF willget you to rethink all your waste with speciallycommissioned art installation made with, youguessed it, manure!

“We want our community to remember that itis not waste until we waste it. We love doingthings with a special twist. This will certainly bea night to remember,” said Lanette Sobel,FEF’s co-founder and Executive Director.

Held at The Palms Hotel and Spa at 3025Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140,Underground Miami will also feature an exoticinvasive species dinner by Signature Chef JulieFrans of Essensia Restaurant, Chef ToddErickson of Haven and award-winning MiamiChef Kris Wessel of Florida Cookery. On themenu are Lion Fish, Wild Boar, Snake HeadFish, Python and more.

Another highlight of the evening will be a

“Cow Chip Tossing Contest” between MiamiBeach Mayoral Candidates. Jerry Libbin hasissued a challenge to all Candidates to partici-pate. There will also be a silent and live auction.

Ticket prices range $75 - $125. Early birddiscounts available for $50 and $87.50 untilApril 16th. For tickets go to: http://www.fer-tileearth.org/shop-events

ABOUT FERTILE EARTH FOUNDATIONFEF is a local 501(c)3 non-profit organiza-

tion based in Miami, Florida. The organiza-tion’s mission is to bring abundance, health andself-sufficiency to our community and be at theforefront of the green movement by facilitatinginnovative technologies and ideas, which takeinto account people, planet and prosperity. Theorganization has spearheaded projects such as“Fertile Roots Miami,” a food compostingproject with the City of Miami and local restau-rants; an earthworm farm in Homestead andcurrently has a food donation program forhumans and animals in partnership with theHomestead CRA.

Visit www.fertileearth.orgFollow us on Facebook at: https://www.face-

book.com/FertileEarthFoundation or Twitter:@Fertile_Earth_

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Want to try something new and excitingthis summer? Miami Beach camps offer anunforgettable way to spend your summer.We offer camps that create everlastingmemories while meeting the needs andinterest of children of all ages and abilities.

All day summer camps begin Monday,June 10th through Friday, August 2nd. Allfacilities will provide a “mini-camp”from August 5th through August 16th.Day Camps, offered at six of our recre-ation facilities, will provide children fromtots to teens an organized and supervisedschedule of activities that range from iceskating to the coolest field trips in SouthFlorida. Day camps run from 9:00 a.m. to5:00 p.m. The fee for these 10 weeks offun is $525 for Miami Beach residentsand $775 for non-residents. Fee reduc-tions and/or waivers are available forqualified Beach residents.

The Recreation Division also offers avariety of Specialty Camps focusing onspecific interests. These one to two week

camp series provide an opportunity to pur-sue a hobby, develop a craft or learn some-thing new. Some of these camps includefishing, golf, baseball, gymnastics, videoproduction, Jr. lifeguard and kayak, just toname a few. Specialty Camp times and feesvary; and, scholarships for Beach residentsare limited to a one time usage based onavailability.

Day Camp registration for Miami Beachresidents is open and Specialty Camp reg-istration begins April 8th. Non-residentsmay register at the camp site beginningMay 6th. Please call 305-673-7730 for reg-istration locations or visit our website atwww.miamibeachparks.com for details.On-line registration is also available.

Be on the lookout for the “RecreationReview” magazine with Summer Campand year-round information on your parks,coming to your mail box in May 2013.

For more information visit our website atwww.miamibeachparks.com or call 305-673-7730.

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BY WILLIAM D. TALBERT III, CDME

HOW’S BUSINESSDEMAND FOR TRAVEL TO GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES REMAINS STRONG -GREATER MIAMI & THE BEACHES RANKS #1 IN AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE(ADR), #2 IN REVENUE PER AVAILABLE ROOM (REVPAR) AND #2 IN HOTEL ROOMOCCUPANCY FOR JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 AMONG THE TOP 25 U.S. MARKETS

For January - February 2013, Greater Miami and the Beaches showed increas-es vs. 2012, ranking #1 in Average Daily Room rate (ADR) at $215.99, #2 inRevenue Per Available Room (RevPar) at $182.17, and #2 in Hotel Room

Occupancy at 84.3% among the Top 25 Markets in the U.S. Smith Travel Research compares thetop markets in the United States based on Occupancy, Average Daily Room Rate (ADR) andRevenue Per Available Room (RevPar).

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AAVVEERRAAGGEE DDAAIILLYY RROOOOMM RRAATTEE

MMaarrkkeett $$ %% CChhaannggee vvss.. 22001122

11.. MMiiaammii $$221155..9999 1100..99%%

2. Oahu Island $209.11 17.6%

3. New York $196.21 4.1%

4. New Orleans $168.98 15.9%

5. San Francisco $165.08 1.5%

RREEVVEENNUUEE PPEERR AAVVAAIILLAABBLLEE RROOOOMM ((RREEVVPPAARR))

MMaarrkkeett $$ %% CChhaannggee vvss.. 22001122

1. Oahu Island $183.64 18.4%

22.. MMiiaammii $$118822..1177 1155..33%%

3. New York $147.21 13.2%

4. San Francisco $117.81 3.1%

5. New Orleans $108.31 14.6%

AAVVEERRAAGGEE DDAAIILLYY OOCCCCUUPPAANNCCYY

MMaarrkkeett %% OOccccuuppaannccyy %% CChhaannggee vvss.. 22001122

1. Oahu Island 87.8% 0.6%

22.. MMiiaammii 8844..33%% 44..00%%

3. New York 75.0% 8.7%

4. Orlando 72.5% 3.8%

5. Los Angeles 72.3% 3.5%

GMCVB’S 2ND ANNUAL MIAMI GOLF MONTH RUNS THROUGH APRILGMCVB’s 2nd Annual Miami Golf Month runs through April 30, 2013. Greater Miami has plen-

ty to brag about when it comes to golf courses. We feature some of the most difficult courses in theworld, and some courses have been rated in the top 10 courses by Golfweek. Join us during Aprilfor special offers at our renowned golf resorts and courses. This year, several courses are makingit easy for beginners to take advantage of the game by offering 9-hole specials as low as $20.

For details, visit www.MiamiGolfMonth.com.United Way Miami Wine & Food Festival – Now VeritageMiami Is Set for April 17-20, 2013

What was the United Way Miami Wine & Food Festival is now VeritageMiami. Set for April17–20, 2013, VeritageMiami brings together a who’s who of more than 3,000 wine, beer, spirits andfood lovers from all across South Florida along with top sommeliers, notable chefs, prestigiouswineries, winemakers and breweries and an impressive line-up of auction lots all to benefit theSouth Florida community. Celebrating its 18th year, VeritageMiami benefits United Way of Miami-Dade, supporting programs in our community that are focused on improving the education, finan-cial stability and health of our residents. For more information on the multiple events and to pur-chase tickets, visit www.VeritageMiami.com.

HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER – ATTEND ONE OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNITY MEETINGS

There are still opportunities for the public to get informed and be involved in shaping the futureof the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC). The next public community meeting will be heldMay 13, 2013 at 6 p.m. at Miami Beach Convention Center, (MBCC Flamingo Ballroom 4 Hall CEntrance).


Mount Sinai’s Wien Center forAlzheimer’s Disease and MemoryDisorders will host the annualFocus on Caregiving, an educa-tional seminar geared towardscaregivers of Alzheimer’s patients,presented in part by the Miami-Dade County Alzheimer’s DiseaseInitiative.

The public seminar will be heldon Monday, April 29, from 8 a.m. –2 p.m. at Mount Sinai MedicalCenter located at 4300 Alton Roadin Miami Beach.

“This program is designed to pro-vide knowledge, skills and methodsof coping to family caregivers andothers involved in the care of indi-viduals with Alzheimer’s diseaseand other memory disorders,” saidDr. Ranjan Duara, Director of theWien Center at Mount Sinai and oneof the seminar’s presenters.

Experts from around SouthFlorida will discuss various topicsrelated to the care of Alzheimer’spatients and be on hand to interactwith the audience. Dr. Duara willprovide an update on the latest researchand treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Sarine Salama, of the Alzheimer’sAssociation Southeast Florida Chapter,will discuss the effects of living withAlzheimer’s on caregivers. Sophia Salver,Esq., will discuss elder law issues. JudiHamelberg, a physical therapist and certi-fied driving rehabilitation specialist, willaddress the challenges and evaluationprocess of safe driving. The program willconclude with Dr. Dolores Perdomo, fromthe University of Miami Miller School ofMedicine Department of Psychiatry, dis-

cussing caregiver stress. The event will also serve as a means to

earn continuing education units (CEUs) forhealthcare professionals such as nurses,social workers, marriage and family thera-pists, mental health counselors and certi-fied health education specialists.

Cost to attend is $10 for caregivers, stu-dents and professionals; $20 for profes-sionals seeking CEU credits.

Complimentary breakfast is provided. To register for the Annual Focus on

Caregiving seminar, contact Julia Salas at305-674-2121, ext. 54461.

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Mount Sinai’s Focus on Caregiving event aims to assist care-givers of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

An educational seminar for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients

‘Evil Dead’ is an over-the-top-gore-festBY LAUREN COHEN

Buckets and buckets ofblood are the star of FedeAlvarez’s “Evil Dead.”It’s been said that wellover 50,000 gallons offake blood were used, andwhen you see the endresult, that’ll come as no

surprise.A remake of the fiercely loved 1981 cult

classic “The Evil Dead,” this new versiondecimates all the camp and bits of humorthat made the original a classic, leaving uswith nothing more than another humorless,over-the-top horror flick.

The general premise is the same, witha few key changes: five friends head outto a remote cabin in the woods, onlyinstead of going there to party, they’rethere to help Mia (Jane Levy) cut herdrug addiction cold turkey. Mia is ourprotagonist this time around; there is noAsh. A smart move, especially since notone of these actors has even an iota ofthe charisma and charm exhibited byBruce Campbell in the 1981 version. Therest of the plot is more or less the same:when one of the characters finds a creepy

book bound in human skin and wrappedwith barbed wire that says “LEAVETHIS BOOK ALONE,” instead of stay-ing far away like any sane individualwould, he reads from it. And then all hellbreaks loose.

The change in the initial setup does morethan just set this one apart from the original— it gives the characters a somewhat

clever reason to not catch on as quickly asthey probably should. Why automaticallyjump to demon possession when yourfriend is cracking under the stress and painof withdrawal? However, that’s where thepraise for the screenplay swiftly ends.Talented screenwriter Diablo Cody(“Juno”) was enlisted to do script revisions,but her mark is nowhere to be seen. There’s

no wit or comic relief present in the finalproduct; no punchy dialogue to keep thingsfun. Instead, the script has the possessedMia sprout out sexually laced profanities àla Linda Blair in “The Exorcist” (she looksand sounds like her, too). Is this textbookdemon behavior or something? Either way,when you make a movie this forgettable,the last thing you want to do is poorly imi-tate a far superior film.

“Evil Dead” doesn’t provide scares somuch as it elicits cringing and downcasteyes. To put it plainly: this is a blood-and-guts fest through and through. And really,that’s all this movie aspires to be. A box-cutter slices a tongue in half, eyes arestabbed with needles, the sky even literallyrains blood at one point. For those lookingfor gore, they’ve come to the right place.For those looking for scares, move along— there’s nothing to see here.

Rating: C+

MOVIE

REVIEW

Jane Levy in Evil Dead––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


miami beach news 4.18.2013

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