miami laker 2016 may 6

A LookInside:

n The Miami Laker recom-mends YES on all Charter pro-posals........................................2

n News and Notes of interestfrom the Town of Miami Lakes.See pages................................6 & 7

n Miami Lakes Chamberhosts M-D Schools MichelleHicks-Levy on May 11.........9

n Miami Lakes-based NationalAuto Lenders celebrates its 20thanniversary.............................10

n A Residents Profile: ClaudiaLuces, extraordinary school andcivic activist...........................13

n William B Graham golftournament raises $26,000 for S.Florida Boy Scouts..................18

n Rafaela Cruz and JeannetteGalup named Barbara Gole-mans top teachers................22

n Community Calendar, 15,School, sports and church news,18-28, Classified ads.........28-31

Vol. 42 No 9 305-817-4078 MIAMI LAKES, FLORIDA MAY 6, 2016

The original northwest Miami-Dade community newspaper for the Town of Miami Lakes & surrounding areas

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TheMiamiLaker @TheMiamiLaker @themiamilaker www.miamilaker.com

Miami Lakes ManuelSanchez named topPrincipal........... (See Page 8)

BARBARA GOLEMAN HIGH SCHOOLS Badminton team wins Divisional Championship title atGMAC competition. (See story on Page 18.)

Goleman wins GMAC badminton championship

BRIAN MCCORMACK and STEPHANIE DYANE are featuredin the cast of Stage Kiss which runs through May 15 at the MainStreet Playhouse. (Photo by Dennis Lyzniak.)

(See story on Page 15.)

Stage Kiss runs through May 15

Miami Lakes Town Council:Mobility Fee ordinancereplaces traffic concurrency

By David L. SnellingThe Miami Laker staffMiami Lakes Councilmembers

gave their final approval for anordinance to supplant the townsineffective traditional traffic con-currency system with a mobilityfee based on the projected numberof daily trips on a roadway forfuture building projects.

At last weeks special meeting,lawmakers unanimously gavetown staff the green light to imple-ment a new traffic concurrencysystem which is consistent withthe changes lawmakers and resi-dents called for in the towns newStrategic Plan.

Brandon Schaad, Miami LakesPlanning & Zoning director, saidthe new ordinance is fair and amore effective system to pay foralternative modes of travel toimprove movement throughoutthe 6.5 square-mile town, and helpoffset mitigation costs for thetown over the next 15 years.

He said the new mobility feecould generate about $12 millionby 2031.

Traffic concurrency is requiredby the state in which roadwaycapacity must keep up with devel-opment of residential and com-mercial facilities, or buildingplans must wait until they do so.

The towns old system mainlyaddressed roadway capacity andbuilding infrastructure to accom-modate developments, and thedeveloper would pay a lot ofmoney for a traffic study, and forMiami Lakes to review it to makesure the homes or buildings dontcause an adverse impact on theroads.

The process was too time con-suming and expensive for bothparties, where the town incurred adebt in mitigation costs thatdepended on the roads which wereimpacted and how much capacityremains on them, Schaad said.

(Please see Page 9)

THE TRUTH behind the SpecialElection misinformation campaign

Miami Lakes voters receivedtheir Special Election Mail Ballotson Thursday, April 28, and withinhours, their phones were alivewith automated phone calls, inEnglish and Spanish, urging aNo vote across the ballot for all10 recommended CharterAmendments.

On Saturday, April 30, townresidents opened their mail boxesto find the cover of a cleverly-worded flyer with scare head-lines warning of Tax increases,Wasting Tax Money, Politics AsUsual, and Residents LosingTheir Rights if they dont voteNo against the Amendments.

And on the inside, completelymisinformed reasons why thereshould be a No vote on each item.

What about the source of theautomated phone calls and thescare tactics mailer?

The effort was credited toConcerned Voters of MiamiLakes. Some residents took tosocial media to label itConcerned Liars of MiamiLakes.

According to a Statement ofOrganization of Political

Committee filed with the Miami-Dade Elections Department onApril 13, Concerned Voters ofMiami Lakes has a chairman andtreasurer - both the same person -Charles A. Safdie, a known politi-cal consultant who lives in MiamiGardens.

And, there will be no treasur-ers report required until 30-daysafter the filing which means noone will know who is financingand/or contributing to thisPolitical Committee until after theSpecial Election close of May 17.

The truth about the misinfor-mation:

In the English version of theautomated calls, one of the reasonsto vote No was members of theCharter Revision Commissionwere not elected by Miami Lakesresidents.

Truth: As required by theCharter, members of theCommission are appointed bymembers of the Town Council,including the Mayor, who are dulyelected representatives of the resi-dents.

In the Spanish version of theautomated calls, one of the reasons

to vote No was that the mayoralpowers are being transferred toothers not elected.

Truth: In the several proposedAmendments that replace theword Mayor with Council,this means the entire Council,which includes the Mayor, allelected by the people, would acton various appointments includingTown Manager, Acting TownManager, and Town Attorney.

On the same Amendments, theflyer purports this to be a politicalcoup that takes away the power ofthe people to democratically electtheir Mayor and give him theauthority to nominate candidatesfor these positions and be heldaccountable to the people.

Truth: This takes nothing awayfrom the power of the people norfrom the Mayor, who, as a memberof the Council, will still recom-mend administration candidates,along with other members of theCouncil.

In the scare tactic flyer,there are several references tounnecessary waste of taxpayerdollars.

(Please see Page 2)

MAY 6, 2016 THE MIAMI LAKER

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The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be made solely upon advertisements.Before you decide, ask us to send you free information about our qualifications and experience.

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THE TRUTH, not misformationTruth: In the event of a runoff

election to elect mayoral andcouncil candidates, yes, therewould be additional cost. Runoffelections are an integral part of thedemocratic process and the onlyfair way for candidates to be elect-ed by a majority of the voters.Historically, no taxes have everbeen raised due to a runoff elec-tion.

The flyer claims deleting anobsolete provision regardingCharter Revision Commissionmembership is an unnecessarywaste of taxpayer dollars.

Truth: This Amendment doesnot waste taxayers dollars. Itmerely eliminates the requirementfor Commission representationfrom the Town Councils residen-tial districts which were eliminat-ed in the last Charter Review. OurCouncil members are now electedat-large.

The flyer claims our cher-ished form of government thatgives us our rights should not bechanged by a committee of politi-cally motivated people.

Truth: None of the members ofthe Charter Revision Commissionhad any political motivations, save

for Councilmember CeasarMestre, a candidate for Mayor,who was a non-voting memberappointed by the Mayor.

In summary, many residents arewondering what has happened totheir peaceful, tranquil town.Voting YES on the CharterAmendments, as proposed by theCharter Revision Commission,comprised solely of Miami Lakesresidents, and after much delibera-tion, will steer our beautiful Townback to the prestigious communitywe are proud to live in.

(Continued from Page 1)

The Miami Laker recommendsYES on all Charter proposals

The Miami Laker and its ownerrecommend the following voteson the 10 proposed Town ofMiami Lakes Charter amendmentscontained in the Special ElectionMail-In Ballot:

Representation of the Town YES, Fill in circle 100 Amending the Citizens Bill

of Rights to preserve our NaturalResources and Scenic Beauty andfor our government to operateEthically -

YES, Fill in circle 102 Providing for a Council-

Manager Form of GovernmentRather than a Mayor-Council-Manager Form

YES, Fill in circle 104 Filling a Vacancy in the

Mayoral Seat YES, Fill in circle 106 Providing for the Council,

which includes the Mayor andCouncilmembers, to Appoint theTown Manager

YES, Fill in circle 108

Selection of Acting Managerby the Council, which includes theMayor and Councilmembers -

YES, Fill in circle 110 Providing for the Council,

which includes the Mayor andCouncilmembers, to Appoint theTown Attorney

YES, Fill in circle 112 Providing for Four Council-

members to Call a SpecialMeeting to ensure Special CallMeetings are important and neces-sary

YES, Fill in circle 114 Providing for the Election of

Mayoral and Council Candidatesby Majority Vote to make sureevery residents vote counts andthat the Majority, not the Minority,elect our officials

YES, Fill in circle 116 Deleting Obsolete Provision

Concerning Charter RevisionCommission Membership

YES, Fill in Circle 118

More information concerningSpecial Charter Election items

The ballot question concerningRepresentation of the Townreplaces the word Mayor withthe Town would designate therepresentatives.

The ballot question concerningAmending the Citizens Bill ofRights would add two additionalrights:

1. "Natural Resources andScenic Beauty," which adds a pol-icy that the Town conserve andprotect its natural resources andscenic beauty, and that this policyinclude limiting the amount of airand water pollution, and excessiveand unnecessary noise, wheneverpossible.

2. "Ethics in Government,"which provides that the Town'soperations and government mustmeet the highest ethical standardsand demonstrate the highest levelof achievement in its adherence toethics laws.

It is vitally important that allregistered voters understand theintent of the proposed amend-ments and cast their ballots, Yes orNo, on each question.

The Town's Voters Guide isavailable at www.miamilakes-fl.gov/votersguide and furtherinformation may be obtained bycontacting the Town's Clerk'soffice at 305-364-6100.


Spoken Word atruns May 20-21 atM. St. Playhouse

In association with Conun-drum Stages, Inc., The MainStreet Players will presentUNBROKEN, two evenings ofspoken word poetry and perform-ance by Chaos Theory at theMain Street Playhouse on Fridayand Saturday, May 20-21.

Conundrum Stages will pres-ent the prominent poetic ensem-ble Chaos Theory, comprised ofthree of South Floridas mostdynamic spoken word artistsincluding Reagan Mendoza, FlowDiva and Mori Taiye.

Both shows start at 8 p.m.Tickets can be purchased on linefor $10 at www.conundrum-stages.net or at the door for $15.

THE MIAMI LAKER MAY 6, 2016 PAGE 3

Miami Lakes Mail Ballots must be returned by May 17Miami Lakes registered voters

received their mail-in ballots onApril 28 for the May 17 specialelection involving 10 proposedamendments to the Town's Charteras recommended by the recentCharter Revision Commission.

Its important to note that allballots must be received byMiami-Dades Elections Depart-ment on or before May 17 to becounted.

Residents also received animpartial Voters Guide preparedby Town staff to thoroughlyexplain each question and therationale that led to the CharterCommission recommending theirplace on the ballot.

Despite a series of automatedcalls and a mail flyer containingscare headlines attempting toconvince voters to vote no on all10 amendments, the owners, pub-lisher and staff of The MiamiLaker believe all the amendmentsshould be adopted with a yesvote to preserve the integrity anddignity that this community wasfounded upon.

One of the most important pro-posed amendments is Providingfor the Election of Mayoral andCouncil Candidates by MajorityVote and is the ninth proposedamendment located on the secondpage (back) of the ballot.

The Charter currently allows acandidate who receives the highest

number of votes in an election tobe declared the winner. The resultis that a candidate may be electedby less than 50 percent of the vot-ers. For instance, if there are fourcandidates running for a position,a candidate can be elected withless than 26 percent of the votes,meaning approximately 74 percentof the voters did not vote for thecandidate being elected!

When the Town's Charter wasoriginally adopted in 2000, it pro-vided that a candidate must receivemore than 50 percent of the votesto be declared a winner, and that arunoff would be held if no candi-date received more than 50 percentof the votes. The proposed amend-ment would return to the originalCharter language, requiring candi-dates to obtain more than 50 per-cent of the vote to be elected.

This could have a profoundeffect on the Town's general elec-tion in November where there arealready three Mayoral candidates(Councilmembers Ceasar Mestre,Manny Cid and Wayne Slaton, andpossibly Michael Pizzi, eventhough he has not filed paperworkwith the Town), three candidatesopposing the reelection of TonyLama for Seat 3, and four candi-dates running for Cid's vacant Seat5. Nelson Rodriguez is unopposedto date for his reelection to Seat 1.

Former Florida Governor andretired U.S. Senator Bob Graham

sent a mailer to all residentsstrongly supporting this amend-ment based on personal experi-ence.

Grahams mailer said: As alifelong resident of Miami Lakeswho had the honor of serving asyour state legislator, state senator,Governor and U.S. Senator, I havealways been an advocate of CivicEngagement and Good Gover-nance.

I write to you because yourvote for the Towns proposedCharter changes is very important.I plan to vote YES on all proposedCharter Review items. While all ofthe issues are important, I believethe most significant item is theamendment regarding MajorityVote.

This issue is personal to me. Ifinished second in the 1978 cam-paign for governor. BecauseFlorida had a Majority Vote elec-tion, which required a majority ofFlorida voters support to be elect-ed, there was a run off. I was thenelected and had the honor to serveyou for 8 years.

The Majority Vote amend-ment is by far the most importantone to vote YES on because itstands for making sure your voteCOUNTS. Our Mayor and TownCouncil should be comprised ofindividuals that the majority (over50%) of the voters have chosen torepresent our beautiful Town of

Miami Lakes.Another important proposed

amendment is Providing for aCouncil-Manager Form ofGovernment Rather than aMayor-Council-Manager Formwhich is on the front side of theballot.

When the original Charter wasadopted in 2000, the form of gov-ernment called for a "Mayor-Council-Manager" form of gov-ernment. In reviewing differentforms of government, the CharterRevision Commission learned thatthis form of government is not awidely-recognized term and thatthe form of government known as"Council-Manager" more accu-rately reflects the way the Townfunctions.

The proposed amendmentdeletes the word "Mayor" toreflect the Towns government iscomprised of a Council (Mayorand 6 Councilmembers) thatenacts legislation and sets policy,and a Manager who is responsiblefor the day-to-day administrationand implementation of legislationand policy.

The successful adoption of thisBallot Question would remedy theperception that Miami Lakes has a"Strong Mayor" form of govern-ment, which it does not.

Filling a Vacancy in theMayoral Seat is a proposedamendment that would clarify the

Town's responsibilities in the eventof a vacancy in the Mayoral seat.The existing Charter languagewhich provided for the 2013Special Election to fill Pizzi's seatwhen he was removed from officeby Governor Rick Scott due tocriminal charges filed against himby the FBI involving a grant scamwith the City of Medley andMiami Lakes, would be amendedto state that the Vice-Mayor wouldfill the Mayor's seat if it becamevacant for the duration of the Vice-Mayor's term. If the Vice-Mayor'sterm is shorter than the Mayor'sterm, then, when the Vice-Mayor'sseat is up for election, a specialelection would be held to elect aMayor to complete the remainingtime of the original term of theMayor.

Other ballot questions -Appointing a Town Manager,Selection of an Acting TownManager, Appointing a TownAttorney, and Permission to Calla Special Meeting - replace theword "Mayor" in each amendmentwith responsibilities delegated tothe Town Council which includesthe mayor, thereby allowing all ofour Councilmembers to participatein these important decisions for us.

(Please see Page 2)


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Childrens Dental Special

20 VOLUNTEERS from several Graham Companies divisions painted the exterior of the compa-nys sponsored Habitat for Humanity home on April 23.

Graham Companies providessponsorship and volunteersfor Habitat for Humanity home

As a sponsor of a home throughHabitat for Humanity, TheGraham Companies financialcommitment provides an opportu-nity for the company to providevolunteers to participate in thedirect construction of the house.

With a commitment of over200 hours, two teams were sent tothe Habitat home on separateoccasions. On March 30, 15 vol-unteers from The GrahamCompanies, Hotel Indigo and

Shulas Golf Club installed insula-tion throughout the home andhelped at a neighboring project bycompleting framing out its interi-or.

On April 22, 20 volunteersfrom The Graham Companies,Shulas Hotel, Shulas AthleticClub and Hotel Indigo put theirpainting skills to work as theypainted the exterior of their spon-sored home.

Miami Lakes Great StridesWalk and previous 5K eventraise $60K for Cystic Fibrosis

THE MIAMI LAKES GREAT STRIDES WALK, and the previousRunning with Danny 5K at Hialeah Park, raised a total of$60,000 to benefit research to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis.Dannys father Mike Quesada said more than 400 participatedin the Great Strides Walk at Graham Park in downtown MiamiLakes. Pictured with Danny and his family are (on the right) ViceMayor Tim Daubert and Councilmembers Nelson Rodriguezand Ceasar Mestre.


Offers expire 5/31/16


News and Notes from theTown of Miami Lakes

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Paint a Picture for Mom andFlower Show set for May 7

Miami Lakes Cultural AffairsCommittee is hosting the annualPaint a Picture for Mom andFlower Show event just beforeMothers Day on Saturday, May 7,from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at MiamiLakes Picnic Park West, 15151N.W. 82 Avenue.

This years event also includesa Community Bike Ride hosted bythe Towns Neighborhood Im-provement Committee. Registra-tion for the Bike Ride begins at8:30 a.m. with bikers riding out at9 a.m. along a path that will dis-

play some of the Towns complet-ed Trails and Bikeways.

Adults can enjoy the Flowerand Craft vendors while childrenof all ages have an opportunity tobe creative and paint somethingspecial for their moms. Canvas,brushes and paint will be providedfree of charge.

For more information, contactSpecial Events and Committeecoordinator Clarisell De Cardenasat [email protected], or 305-364-6100.

Town receives 9th Tree CityUSA honor and Growth Award

Miami Lakes has been recog-nized for the past nine years as aTree City USA Award recipientand was recently honored with aGrowth Award as well.

The Arbor Day Foundationsponsors the Tree City USAProgram in partnership with theU.S. Forest Service and theNational Association of StateForesters.

According to the Foundation,The residents of Miami Lakesshould be proud to live in a com-munity that makes the plantingand care of trees a priority.

The Tree City USA GrowthAward is given to communitiesthat go beyond the four standardsof Tree City USA that demonstrateimprovement and growth of localtree care.

It is a great testament to thededication of our residents, staffand Council that Miami Lakes hascontinued to exceed recognizedcommunity standards and goneabove and beyond to ensure thatthe Miami Lakes brand of beauti-ful tree-lined streets remains inplace, said Mayor Michael Pizzi.

Free SAT Prep classes will beavailable over summer months

Miami Lakes EducationAdvisory Board will once againoffer free SAT Prep classes forstudents entering their junior andsenior year of high school. Theprogram is open to Miami Lakesresidents and is limited to 20 stu-dents and provided on a firstcome, first served basis.

The three sessions will takeplace from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. atTown Hall, 6601 Main Street, dur-ing the following weeks:

Session I: June 13-17

Session II: July 11-15 Session III: August 8-12All interested students must

register at www.miamilakes-fl.gov/eab. Registration and a $20deposit (cashiers check or moneyorder) must be received one weekprior to each session to reserve thestudents spot. The deposit will berefunded once the student com-pletes the SAT Prep course.Registration will close once theclasses reach full capacity.


News and Notes from the Town of Miami Lakes

Town Council Regular MeetingTuesday, May 3, 6:30 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Cultural Affairs Committee MeetingThursday, May 5, 7:00 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Elderly Affairs Committee MeetingWednesday, May 11, 8:30 AMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Youth Activities Task Force MeetingWednesday, May 11, 7:00 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Education Advisory Board MeetingThursday, May 12, 6:30 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Economic Development Committee MeetingTuesday, May 17, 5:30 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Planning & Zoning Board MeetingTuesday, May 17, 6:00 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Veterans Committee MeetingThursday, May 19, 6:00 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Neighborhood Improvement Committee MeetingThursday, May 19, 7:00 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

Public Safety Committee MeetingTuesday, May 24, 6:30 PMMiami Lakes Government Center, 6601 Main Street, Miami Lakes, Fla.

In accordance with the provisions of F. S. Section 286.0105, should any person seek to appealany decision made by the Council with respect to any matter considered at these meetings, suchperson will need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made; which recordincludes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons needing specialaccommodation to participate in the proceedings should call Town Hall at (305) 364-6100, nolater than (2) days prior to the proceeding for assistance.

Please be advised that two or more Councilmembers may be in attendance at the aboveevents/meetings.

This Notice dated April 29, 2016at Miami Lakes, Fl.Gina Inguanzo, Town Clerk

TOWN OF MIAMI LAKESNOTICE IS HEREWITH GIVEN that meetings of the Town Council of the Town of Miami Lakes, Florida, and its committees, have been scheduled for the following dates, times and locations:

Town marks Public Safety Appreciation WeekIn recognition of National

Public Safety Appreciation Week,Miami Lakes Public SafetyCommittee will recognize thebravery and exception service ofpolice officers and firefightersduring May 16-21.

The committee encourages allresidents to join in embracing allpublic safety providers by partici-pating in some or all of the follow-ing ways:

When you see safety person-

nel out and about in the communi-ty, take a moment to say hello andthank them for their service.

Take lunch or drop off bakedgoods at the police and fire sta-tions.

Write letters of appreciationand drop them off at the police andfire stations.

Post a message of thanks onsocial media pages. Use #mlherosand #IHeartMiamiLakes.

Recognize public safety per-

sonnel at the schools and businesses. Change personal Facebook

icons to the Public SafetyAppreciation icon located on theTown of Miami Lakes Facebookpage. Tag posts with#IHeartMiamiLakes.

Send photos of appreciationefforts to post on the Miami Lakessocial media pages. Submit pic-tures to [email protected].

Servicing Seniors Expo setfor May 14 at Collins Center

Miami Lakes Elderly AffairsCommittee, in partnership withMiami-Dade Commissioner Este-ban Bovo Jr., will presentServicing Our Seniors Expo onSaturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to2 p.m., at Mary Collins Commun-ity Center, 15151 N.W. 82Avenue.

The following agencies will beparticipating in the Expo:

Alliance for the Aging Through a network of provideragencies, the Alliance provideshome and community-based serv-ices that help older adults age inplace in their own communities.

Community Action andHuman Services Department Miami-Dade Countys largest pro-vider of comprehensive social andhuman services offering a varietyof elderly assistance programs.

Department of Children &Families DCF Adult ProtectiveServices will provide informationon abuse, neglect and exploitationawareness for the vulnerableadult(s) population.

Department of MotorVehicles Florida Department ofHighway Safety and MotorVehicles MiniFLOW (FloridaLicensing on Wheels) will beonsite to help renew, replace orobtain new Florida DriversLicenses. Written exams and driv-ing text will not be offered.

Miami-Dade Fire RescueDepartment Will provide seniorfire and life safety education aswell as register participants for theSenior Smoke Alarm Installation

program. Miami-Dade Elections

Department Will assist withvoter registration, voter cardreplacement, name changes, polit-ical party changes, signatureupdates, absentee ballot requestsfor the November general elec-tion, restoration of civil rightsinformation. (Note: The ElectionsDepartment will not be acceptingor collecting Mail-In Ballots forthe Town of Miami Lakes May 17Special Election.)

Miami-Dade Public Library Will provide information on howto obtain a library card and how toaccess its services.

SafeLink Wireless Organization makes wireless tele-phone service more affordable byoffering Lifeline service for quali-fied customers.

Miami-Dade TransitDepartment The Golden Pass-port EASY Card allows Miami-Dade residents who are 65 yearsold or older to ride free on thetransit system.

Miami-Dade TransitDepartment The Special Trans-portation Services (STS) is avail-able for people with a physical,mental or intellectual disabilitywho cannot ride Metrobus,Metrorail or Metromover.

Walgreens Pharmacy Willbe providing free flu shots.

For further information, contactClarisell De Cardenas at [email protected], or 305-364-6100.

Towns 1st Quarter Report isreleased, available on website

Town of Miami Lakes has pub-lished its First Quarter Reportfrom October to December 2015.The report highlights statisticsfrom the Lakes Life Mobile appwhich launched last July. To date,the app has over 1,200 users.

Over the first quarter, the Townreceived 284 requests from resi-dents. The app allows users tosubmit requests such as street lightoutages and pot holes, track theMoover buses in real time, andaccess the Towns local businessdirectory the Miami LakesMarketplace.

The majority of requests wererelated to street repairs whichresulted in the repair of 56 pot andsink holes triple the number ofrepairs done last year during thefirst quarter.

Performance measures areeffective and reliable ways toassess the efficiency and effective-ness of our service delivery, aswell as our responsibility to begood stewards of our residents taxdollars, said Town Manager Alex Rey.

The entire report can be foundon the Town website by visitingwww.miamilakes-fl.gov/manager.

Business Workshop scheduled May 25Miami Lakes Economic

Development Committee will hosta Business Workshop in conjunc-tion with CareerSource SouthFlorida on Wednesday, May 25,beginning with registration andnetworking from 8:30 to 9 p.m.and the workshop thereafter atTown Hall, 6601 Main Street.

Business owners are encour-aged to come and learn about flex-

ible, business-driven grants andcustomized training programsavailable through CareerSource.This workshop is part of a contin-uing effort aimed at educating thelocal business community of themany resources that are available.

For more information about theTowns Economic DevelopmentCommittee, visit www.miami-lakes-fl.gov/edc.


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MLMs Manuel Sanchez named top MD Principal

MIAMI LAKES MIDDLE SCHOOLS Dr. Manuel Sanchez,named Principal of the Year for Miami-Dade County, is congrat-ulated by Miami-Dade Public School Board Chair Perla TabaresHantman.

Dr. Manuel Sanchez III, whoserves as principal of Miami LakesMiddle School, won top honorsand a cash prize as the DistrictsPrincipal of the Year. Miami-DadeCounty Public Schools (M-DCPS)honored its finest principals andassistant principals at an awardsceremony sponsored by the DadeAssociation of SchoolAdministrators (DASA), on April21 at Jungle Island.

Sanchez has served as principalof Miami Lakes Middle since2011. He brings more than 20years of experience in administra-tion and curricular expertise. Hebegan his career as an ExceptionalStudent Education teacher atMiami Park Elementary in 1994,worked in special education,became a program specialist coor-dinating the ESE department, andearned a masters degree in specialeducation and Ph.D. in education-al leadership.

Sanchez was nominated by thefeeder pattern school for MiamiLakes Middle School, which isHialeah Miami Lakes Senior HighSchool, and after rounds of elimi-nations through committees, theNorth Region four finalists wereannounced and presented before adistrict committee that decidedupon Sanchez.

It is humbling to be honest,said Sanchez. Even though it is aprincipal recognition, I see thisaward as a validation of the schoolas a team and the work weve donetogether.

Despite Sanchez humility,teachers and students alike sing hispraises. Once the word Dr. was

uttered at the announcement of thePrincipal of the Year, Sanchezwasnt even able to hear his namestifled out by the roars andapplause of his faculty and admin-istration.

Under Sanchezs guidance, theschool moved from being drasti-cally under enrolled at 700 stu-dents to near capacity this year.The school has also welcomed theinclusion of the Legal StudiesAcademy and Cambridge programand a number of clubs such asrobotics, FEA, and student coun-cil. This is the first year in over adecade that the school will pro-duce a yearbook.

I feel my job is to meet theneeds of the kids, said Sanchez.Some kids are so far above whatschools can offer that the onlyoption is to provide them with thatopportunity somehow. We had twosixth grade students that complet-ed all the levels of mathematicswithin middle school curriculums,so we arranged for them to takealgebra 2 and chemistry so theycan continue reaching their poten-tial.

Retention rate has reduceddrastically after the implementa-tion of tutoring, mentoring, andincentives like field trips.

Miami Lakes law firm collectsGirl Scout cookies for military

KELLEY KRONENBERG, a diverse full-service business lawfirm, organized a firm-wide Girl Scout Cookies collection for mil-itary troops as part of its ongoing Kelley Kronenberg Cares(KKC) program. Members of the firms Miami Lakes office joinedwith the firms other offices to collect more than 300 boxes ofGirl Scout Cookies for donation.


Town Council approves Mobility Fee ordinanceSince Miami Lakes is not enti-

tled to transportation impact fees,which belongs to the county, thetown relies on PTP and gas taxmoney that only covered half ofthe mitigation costs for develop-ment projects.

The plan we are looking at,which is 40 items we are familiarwith, is a $20 million cost to thetown, Town Manager Alex Reysaid. The PTP and gas tax moneyonly covers half of the plan, andthe town will have a deficit of $10million over the $15 years. Thenew mobility fee replaces thatamount.

Schaad indicated the old systemfell way short of fixing the townstransportation plight.

I have worked for the town forfive years and the old system hasdone little to help our transporta-tion problem, Schaad said. Weare proposing to replace it with amobility fee based on daily tripson a roadway to determine thecapacity and improvements needto meet concurrency.

Rey said: Providing roadwaycapacity has not worked.

In 2011, the Florida Legislatureallowed municipalities to replacethe traditional concurrency withmore innovative solutions basedon growth of population and theaddition of vehicles on the road-ways.

Miami Lakes new systemallows the town to apply a mobili-ty fee for developers based on thenumber of daily trips on the roadsand use the money to upgradetransportation and movement forpedestrians and bike riders as well.

Rey said the old system onlyaddressed the capacity of the road-ways to handle cars but never con-sidered other modes of transporta-tion such as walking, bike riding,crosswalks and pedestrian signals.

The old system was toimprove capacity, Rey said. Thenew one is a broader scheme to

move more people. We are notfocusing on moving vehicles,were focusing on moving peo-ple.

Under the new system, Rey saidMiami Lakes can impose a reason-able amount for the daily trips forresidential, office, commercial andindustrial developments based ona formula that includes a 10 per-cent of redevelopment capacityand the resulting levels ofincreased development by land usetype and associated increases indaily trips.

Rey said the town can use themobility fee to add two lanes in

each direction along Miami LakesDrive, the towns most clogged uproad during peak hours, by eradi-cating the median in the swale areato improve mobility.

The town can reduce the mobil-ity fee for developers throughactions that will mitigate trans-portation impact, such as designsfor improvements and, for com-mercial development, off-peakcommuting times and encourage-ment of alternative means of trans-portation.

Residents who have plans torenovate their homes or drivewaysare exempt from the mobility fee,

Rey said.For years, Miami Lakes resi-

dents have been reeling from thetraffic congestion on the townsroads during peak hours in themornings and evenings, asmotorists are stuck in gridlock for30 minutes.

For the roads that went from aD to an F for traffic, Schaadsaid the new mobility system givesMiami Lakes more ability to targetimprovements for those streets,such as more completed streets,bike lanes and more traffic turnlanes to help reduce gridlock.


M.L. Chamberhosts MD SchoolsMichelle Hicks-Levyas guest speaker forMay 11 luncheon

MICHELLE HICKS-LEVY

Michelle Hicks-Levy, execu-tive director for the Office ofEconomic Opportunity withMiami-Dade Public Schools, isthe guest speaker for the MiamiLakes Chamber of Commercemonthly membership meeting.

The event is scheduled forWednesday, May 11, at DonShulas Hotel, with networking at11:30 a.m. followed by lunch at noon.

Hick-Levy has been employedwith Miami-Dade County PublicSchools for more than 12 years.She has worked in the areas ofProfessional Development, Capi-tal Improvement and now withthe Office of EconomicOpportunity.

In her current role, she isresponsible for promoting theeconomic growth of Small, Microand Minority Women BusinessEnterprises through certification,community outreach compliancemonitoring and contractor pre-qualification.

A Miami native, she earned herBachelors Degree of BusinessAdministration from FloridaInternational University and aMasters Degree in HumanResource Management fromNova Southeastern University.

Her previous professionaldevelopment includes manage-ment positions with FedExGround and Iron Mountain. Sheis proficient in organization andleadership skills which is anattribute to her current position asexecutive director with the Officeof Economic Opportunity. A con-summate organizer, Hicks-Levyis often sought out for her skillsas a personal event planner andcoordinator. She is committed topublic service and volunteers hertime and talents within theMiami-Dade community.

Chamber members and theirguest must reserve a table by 2p.m. Friday, May 6.

For more information, contactMarta Diaz at 305-556-2212 oremail her at [email protected].


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M. Lakes-based National AutoLenders celebrates 20th anniversary

By R.A. RomeroThe Miami Laker staffNational Auto Lenders (NAL),

headquartered in Miami Lakes, iscelebrating the 20th anniversary ofthe company that is located at14645 N.W. 77 Avenue, Suite 203.

NAL first moved to MiamiLakes 12 years ago with a 14-per-son staff, 10 of which are still withthe company, and has grown to astaff of 100 and the largest tenantof the building they occupy lead-ing to the eponymous naming ofthe building.

CEO and founder Ozzie Ramosfirst opened NAL to serve a grow-ing need in the community to offerauto loans apart from banks andcredit unions. NAL works withdealerships to provide alternativesolutions for quality automobilefinance. While there are othercompanies that do offer autoloans, a majority focus on amountsmeant for low-priced vehicleswhereas NAL strives to offer loansfor customers with imperfect cred-it who are seeking low mileage ornew cars within a range up to

$20,000. NALs motto reads Wehelp our customers with less thanperfect credit drive nicer vehicles.

Though they first started exclu-sively within Dade County, as thebusiness expanded, so did NALsnetwork which now works with700 dealerships all around Floridaand in 16 other states. Despitetheir expanding network, NALcontinues to call Miami Lakes home.

Miami Lakes as a businessheadquarters works well becauseit is a combination of location,infrastructure of highways, and thesmall town feel which is unique toSouth Florida, said Ramos. Wehave the capabilities of a largecity, and the sophistication withoutthe negatives of being in down-town with congested areas.Graham Properties are great land-lords and we appreciate how thecity is maintained.

NAL employs workers from asfar north as Boca Raton and as farsouth as Homestead. A number ofthese employees began workingwith the company as part-timersright out of high school and havesince earned their degrees andmoved upward in the company toadministrative positions.

Our company is like anextended family, said Ramos.

NAL has also partnered withlocal banks and participates incommunity events. The companyrecently raised $9,000 for theJuvenile Diabetes ResearchFoundation.

For more information,visitwww.nalenders.com.

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Miami Lakes Senior GamesTrack and Field events wereheld April 9 at Dade Christian

WINNERS of the various Track & Field events during the 10thannual Senior Games are pictured with their ribbons and pins atDade Christian School.

On April 9, Miami LakesElderly Affairs Committee heldtheir 10th annual Senior GamesTrack & Field events at DadeChristian School.

The competition included a110-meter dash, shot put, discusthrow, 200-meter dash, standingbroad jump, 400-meter run, socceraccuracy kick, archery and horse-shoes.

The Senior Games, held at var-ious times throughout the year,now include softball, dominoes,

bunco and canasta. DuplicateBridge will take place June 6 atMary Collins Community Center,and the basketball free throw,three-point shooting and bean bagtoss is scheduled August 27 atShulas Athletic Club.

The games are open to partici-pates ages 50 and up. The topthree participants in each age/sexgroup wins pins/ribbons. All par-ticipants receive a 10th yearSenior Games T-shirt. There is noentry fee to participate.

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Miami Lakes Branch Library plans events for MayMiami Lakes Branch Library

announced the following programsare available for the public duringMay:

For Children and Families:Read the Book, Watch the

Movie Share in stories and enjoythe book based films. Filmsinclude Mulan, Jungle Book,and Max. Event is sponsored bythe Miami Lakes EducationAdvisory Board at 3:30 p.m. onWednesdays, May 14, 21 and 28.

Star Wars Day Craft Maythe Fourth be with you. CelebrateStar Wars Day with unique and funcraft activity at 4:30 p.m. onWednesday, May 4.

Star Wars Day MovieScreening - Enjoy a screening ofStar Wars: The Force Awakenswith other Star Wars fans at 11a.m. on Saturday, May 7.

Paws to Read Certified ther-apy dogs listen to children readaloud which can help with readingskills at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 14.

Drums of Noto Hanto:Integrated Music and Literature An interactive performance ofJapanese taiko drumming andfamous Japanese legend of thepeople of Nabune, Japan, on theNoto Hanto coast, who, in 1576,cleverly save their village frominvading samuai by frightening theenemy away with masks and fireson the beach and...drums.Presented by the Town of MiamiLakes Education Advisory Boardand recommended for ages 5 andup at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.

For Teens:Teen Club - Teens meet to play

video games, watch anime, draw

or discuss books at 5:30 p.m. onTuesday, May 31.

Teen Club Movie Night TeenClub presents the Bruce Lee clas-sic Enter the Dragon in honor ofAsian Heritage month. Presentedby the Miami Lakes EducationAdvisory Board at 5:30 p.m. onTuesday, May 3.

YOUmedia Miami On-the-Go: Introduction to Filmmaking In this 3-week workshop, teenswill learn about cameras, filmcomposition and cutting, scripting,storyboarding, sound design andaudio production. Workshop isbest for teens ages 13-17 who arenew to filmmaking. Contract thebranch for registration. Workshopscheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.on Tuesdays, May 10, 17 and 24.

For Adults:Strengthening Families and

Communities University ofMiamis Families First programoffers a free 12-week group forparents of children ages 1 to 7years of age. Parents will discussand learn ways to help childrenidentify and express their feelings,improve childrens behavior, andteach children to handle stress.Registration required by calling305-243-8425 or email [email protected]. Sessions sched-uled from 10 a.m. to noon onFridays, May 6, 13, 20 and 27.

Go Club of Miami Lakes Now everyone can embark on ajourney and uncover the ancientgame of strategy, attack anddefense, the Game of Go. Meetsfrom noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays,May 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Commissioner Esteban BovosMobile Office CommunityOutreach This provides anopportunity for the community tospeak with the Commissionerand/or his representative from 1 to3 p.m. on Monday, May 9.

USCIS Information Table United States Citizenship andImmigration Service staff will pro-vide information, materials andanswer general questions regard-ing the citizenship process at 5:30p.m. on Monday, May 23.

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart Community Outreach Amember of his staff will be onhand to discuss federal issues orany problem a constituent mayhave with a federal agency at 2:30p.m. on Wednesday, May 25.


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Keyes launches new look; Lakes awards announcedThe 90-year-old veteran South

Florida Real Estate firm, TheKeyes Company, announced thelaunch of a new, fresh look for theindependently owned organiza-tion. Inspiration for the movestems from the companys familyorientation, its values of heritage,sincerity and individuality, and itsmission to empower bothAssociates and customers through

a full suite of real estate productsand services.

The new brand encompassesthe meaning of what has madeKeyes unique. Keyes CEO MikePappas said, We are stronger thanthe sum of our parts. Im thirdgeneration in this business, andits exciting to see our brandreflect our complex organizationwith a modern new look. 2015was a record-setting year, thanksto our Leadership Team and ourtop notch Associates.

Alex Ruiz, manager of TheKeyes Miami Lakes WelcomeCenter branch office, said, OurMiami Lakes team has once againcelebrated a successful year withmultimillioin dollars in produc-tion. We have Associates that spe-cialize in all aspects of real estateincluding commercial, businessand land, but most of all, we arethe Miami Lakes Home TownRealtor.

KEYES MIAMI LAKES WELCOME CENTER 2015 award winners include (front, from left) YuriSaenz, Cristina Santamaria, Silvia Suarez, Maria Hadra, Les Dorn, Adele Leonardo, DeniseRodriquez-Reyes, Luisa Mackay and Benjamin Gene; (back, from left) Alan Pelaez, Angel Alvarez,Carlos Fraguio, Marigel Johnson, branch manager Alex Ruiz, Ron Valentine, and Tanya Milton.(Not pictured: Jacquelyn Cue, Rosa Nell Hammer, Nora Leon, Gregory Matheny, Maria Rivera,Melisa Aponte, George Luna, and Frankyn Valdes.)

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A Residents Profile:Claudia Luces, extraordinary school, civic activist

David L. SnellingThe Miami Laker staffThe moment Claudia Luces set

foot in Miami Lakes during a visit,she instantaneously knew the com-munity was the best place for sheand her family to live.

My husband brought me hereand I immediately fell in love withthe tree-lined streets, the parks andeveryone knew each other, shesaid. It was a welcoming commu-nity and I wanted to raise my chil-dren here. I fell in love with it theminute I lied my eyes on it.

Twenty years later, Luces is notonly a resident, but she has playeda leading role in helping preservethe towns quality living standardsfollowing incorporation, especial-ly for education where she volun-teers her time to make sure MiamiLakes kids adroitness are a tokenof a top-notched education, allevi-ate overcrowding at the schoolsand providing solace to kids strick-en with autism.

Luces served on the MiamiLakes Education Advisory Boardfor four years, volunteered at BobGraham Education Center for nineyears, and she has been activelyinvolved in other town-wide issues.

As residents venerate her as acommunity activist, Luces con-ceivably had the biggest task as amember of the Miami LakesCharter Revision Commission.

Our job was to review thecharter and put forth proposals toprotect residents. Our intent wasmisrepresented regarding the truegoal of the commission, and I

found that the most difficult tocomprehend.

The overcrowding at BobGraham Education Center leftLuces and other moms scram-bling for a solution to preserve thestudents quality of education.

She said it was an arduous taskand with the help of Miami-DadePublic Schools Chair PerlaTabares-Hantman, the SchoolBoard added a facility on theschools property to give studentsenough space in the classrooms.

Many residents applaudedLuces for helping to foster the suc-cess of preserving the studentsenvironment for them to achievetheir potential, as she spent count-less hours sifting through reams ofpaperwork for research to find aresolution.

It was long hours of researchand a lot of sleepless nights for usmoms, she said. But we workedtogether with Perla Hantman andthe School Board and they heardour concerns and were active inhelping us solve the problem. Itwas a grassroots effort by a groupof determined moms. Education isimportant to the kids because theyare our future and its important tous moms to make sure they receivethe best education.

But a Lennar residential devel-opment project near Miami LakesDrive and west of Northwest 87Avenue may jeopardize the stu-dents quality of education at BobGraham Education Center, theclosest K-8 Center facility in thearea.

Where are we going to putthem? she asked.

Providing an emotional lift tostudents with autism is also a roleLuces embraces as well.

She is part for Hope for Autism,a non-profit organization that rais-es awareness of the neurodevelop-ment disorder and provides behav-ioral therapy and specialized edu-cation for children with autism andpervasive development disorders.

She said she joined forces withthe groups coordinator MarianelaAlvarez to cater to the needs of 60kids with autism at Bob GrahamEducation Center.

Though her own kids are notstricken with autism, Luces saidshes touched by the efforts andchallenges parents endure in help-ing their kids.

Marianela Alvarez fought longand hard for kids with autism for avery long time. I dont have anykids with autism but we know thechallenges parents go through andwe love to help them, said Luceswho fought back tears. They do agreat job in fund-raising and we

love their efforts on keeping aneye on the kids with parental inputas well.

Luces also has taken on the roleof a vocal critic of Miami LakesMayor Michael Pizzi since hisarrest on public corruption chargesin 2013.

Following his acquittal andreturn to political office, Luces hasbeen scolding the mayor at councilmeetings for his actions that led tohis arrest, and his two lawsuitsagainst Miami Lakes to reimbursehis attorneys for his federal trailand reinstatement court fees.

She said its unfortunate that theshameful behavior of some electedofficials overshadows the trueidentity of Miami Lakes, such asthe Relay for Life event, whichraises money for cancer researchand awareness, and the eventsorganized by the Youth ActivitiesTask Force that bring the commu-nity together.

It takes away the beauty ofMiami Lakes, she said. This is abeautiful community with goodpeople and Miami Lakes is nice

and well kept. Its unfortunateelected officials are engaging inbehavior thats not in the bestinterest of the town.

CLAUDIA LUCES


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In Memoriam:Longtime resident, Graham veteran Jo Ann Walker

By Dale AdcockSpecial to The Miami LakerJo Ann Walker, originally from

Indiana, Pennsylvania and a long-time resident of Miami Lakes,passed away on April 14.

She was a 14-year employee ofThe Graham Companies where sheheld the position of Conferenceand Catering director for DonShulas Hotel and Golf Club priorto her retirement in 1998. Beforethat, she was a 20-year generalmanager of the Lakeview Inn andCountry Club located in WestVirginia.

Jo Ann attended Indiana StateUniversity in order to become anelementary school teacher, but shesoon found herself called into therestaurant and hospitality industry.It was a perfect fit for her.Throughout most of her career, sheheld positions of importance and

was a well-respected and hard-working employee at several loca-tions and resorts. She is survivedby a very large family of friends

and acquaintances who will missher tremendously.

There are no scheduled cere-monies, but her biggest ceremonyand legacy will be the memoriesleft behind with all of those whoknew and loved her so well. JoAnn could be tough at times butshe was generous to a fault. Shewould often leave home cookedmeals for friends or hotel guests byleaving them on their doorsteps ordelivering them upon their arrivalhome. She was a mentor to manyfriends and employees at work.

It was not hard to spot her walk-ing Mr. Christian, her beloved petSchnauzer, throughout the MainStreet area day or night. She wastruly an amazing woman and theobvious Queen whenever shewent back to the hotel or restaurantfor visits. Just being with her atthat time was truly a treat. The

love for her was attested to bythose who so lovingly cared forand watched over her during herlast days before her passing. Shewill be greatly missed but not for-gotten.

Thank you so very much toOleathia, Ellen, Lisa, Roseanneand Eva for your most kind andloving care. Jo Ann appreciated it.

JO ANN WALKER

MiamiLakes

Meeting & Class Calendar

Town of Miami LakesTown Council Meeting May 3 6:30 pm M.L. Govt. CenterCultural Affairs Com. May 5 7:00 pm M.L. Govt. CenterElderly Affairs Com. May 11 8:30 am M.L. Govt. CenterYouth Activities T. F. May 11 7:00 pm M.L. Govt. CenterEducation Adv. Board May 12 6:30 pm M.L. Govt. CenterEconomic Devel. Com. May 17 5:30 pm M.L. Govt. CenterPlanning & Zoning Bd. May 17 6:00 pm M.L. Govt. CenterVeterans Committee May 19 6:00 pm M.L. Govt. CenterNeighborhood Improvement Committee

May 19 7:00 pm M.L. Govt. CenterPublic Safety Committee May 24 6:30 pm M.L. Govt. Center

(The following classes are free and open to the public)Yoga (for adults) M/W 7:45 am MCCCTai Chi M/T/W 9:00 am MCCCComputers W/T/W/Th 9:15 & 11:30 am MCCCArts & Crafts Mon. Noon MCCCPainting 1 & 2 Fri. 9 am/12:30 pm MCCCPainting 3 Wed. 9:30 am RACCBallet/Jazz M/T/W/Th 4:30 pm MCCCMartial Arts M/T/W/Th 4:30 pm MCCCLine Dancing T/Th 11:30 am MCCCDominoes M/T/W/Th/Fri 4:30 pm RACCTable Tennis Tues./Thurs. 7:00 pm RACCMartial Arts M/T/W/Th 4:30 pm MCCCSpanish for Adults M/T/W/Th 6:00 pm MCCC

Homeowners OrganizationsLake Elizabeth May 2 7:00 pm MCCCLoch Lomond May 3 7:00 pm MCCCRoyal Palm Estates May 5 7:00 pm MCCCLake Carol May 5 7:30 pm MCCCLoch Ness May 9 7:30 pm MCCCSilvercrest North May 9 7:00 pm MCCCSilvercrest South May 10 7:00 pm MCCCLoch Lomond East May 11 7:00 pm MCCCLake Cynthia May 11 7:30 pm MCCCWindmill Gate May 12 7:00 pm MCCCLoch Andrews May 16 7:00 pm MCCCLoch Isle May 16 7:00 pm MCCCLake Glen Ellen May 17 7:30 pm MCCCLake Katharine Villas May 17 7:30 pm MCCCSerenity Point May 18 7:00 pm MCCCRoyal Oaks May 18 7:30 pm MCCCGramercy Park May 19 7:30 pm MCCCRegatta Pointe May 19 7:00 pm MCCCAnchorage May 19 7:00 pm MCCCLake Elizabeth May 23 7:00 pm MCCCLake Martha May 24 6:30 pm MCCCLoch Lomond West May 24 7:30 pm MCCCVilla Vizcaya May 25 7:30 pm MCCCLake Sandra May 26 7:30 pm MCCCFountain Park May 30 7:30 pm MCCC

Miami Lakes Clubs, Professional & Volunteer GroupsM.L. Garden Club Bunco May 4 11:15 am MCCCM.L. Chamber/Commer. May 11 11:30 am Shulas HotelM.L. Garden Club May 23 7:00 pm MCCCM.L. Bridge Club Mondays 11:30 am MCCCMLCA Bridge Thursdays 11:00 am MCCCM.L. Quilting Club Tuesdays 11:15 am MCCCM.L. Kiwanis 2nd/4th Thurs. 6:30 pm Pampered ChefM.L. Toastmasters 1st/3rd Tues.7:00 pm ML Educational CenterM.L. Lions Club 1st/3rd Tues. 7:00 pm Dennys Hialeah

MCCC is Mary Collins Community Center, 15151 N.W. 82 AvenueRACC is Robert Alonso Community Center, 16500 N.W. 87 Avenue

The Town of Miami Lakes, homeowners associations, professional andvolunteer groups have scheduled meetings and classes during May:

Main Street Players Stage Kissopens to rave reviews; runs to May 15

Main Street Playhouse wasfilled with smiles and laughter asopening weekend crowds fell inlove with Stage Kiss, the secondshow of the 2016 season.

The cleverly written romanticcomedy by Sarah Ruhl illustrateshow easily the lines can becomeblurred when onstage chemistrytranslates into offstage romance.When two actors who have roman-tic history are both cast in a show,

anything can happen.The talented cast of Larry

Chidsey, Sofi Sassone, DarrenBlaney, Stephanie Dyane, BrianMcCormack, Rei Capote and RonTorres bring the story to life anddraws the audience into the zanyworld of backstage farce withhilarious results. A kiss is just akiss or is it?

Stage Kiss will run two moreweekends, through May 15, at the

Main Street Playhouse, 6766 MainStreet. Shows are Fridays andSaturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at2 p.m. Tickets can be purchasedonline atwww.mainstreetplayers.com or atthe door. Standard tickets are $25,and discounted tickets for seniors,students, and military personnelare $20. For more information,visit www.mainstreetplayers.com.


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William B Graham golf tourneyraises $26K for S. Fla. Boy Scouts

SOUTH FLORIDA Council Deputy Scout Executive RobertJohnson (left) congratulates members of the Costa Realty teamwhich placed first in the recent 42nd William B Graham GolfTournament. Pictured (from left) Wayne Rinehart, Mike Cebeyand Adolfo Zunino. (Not pictured team member Izzy Delvalle.)

The Graham Companies host-ed the 42nd William B GrahamGolf Tournament on April 18 ben-efiting the South Florida Council,Boy Scouts of America, atShulas Golf Club.

The winning team was CostaRealty represented by WayneRinehart, Adolfo Zunino, MikeCebey and Izzy Delvalle. In sec-ond place was Great WasteRecycling and MillerConstruction came in third.

Winning team members eachreceived the prized, hand-madestained glass Cow trophydesigned and crafted by MiamiLakes resident Ed Gansert.

Silver Eagle sponsors includedMarilyn K. Gaylord Trust -Kenneth G. Lancaster PA, alongwith Miami Lakes AutoMallwhich also returned as the Hole-in-One sponsor.

This years tournament raisedmore than $26,000 for the benefitof the South Florida Councilwhich serves over 45,000 youthand their families in Miami-Dade,Broward and Monroe counties.Last year, more than 154,119community service projects wereconducted of which 43,389 camethrough Eagle Scouts projectsalone, helping make their com-munities a better place.

Barbara Goleman wins NorthDivision GMAC title inbadminton championship play

For the second time inGolemans history, the schoolsbadminton team won theDivisional Championship Title atthe Greater Miami AthleticConference (GMAC).

We had a good season with agreat finish, said Coach DebbiePerez.

Three-year Boys Doubleschamp, senior Danny Xie andAnthony Dally went undefeated infive matches to declare victory.Also undefeated was juniorPatricia Miranda in Girls Singles,which is a first in this category forGoleman.

Senior Neil Maragy had a goodshowing in fourth place in BoysSingles. Girls Doubles seniorsGabriella Sallai and AshleyOsorio finished in second placewith seniors Kirsten Cabarcas andMegan Lopez in third place.

Also undefeated was MixedDoubles with seniors MarcusTavarez and Claudia Alonso play-

ing hard and in sync to retain theirtitle from last year. With a strongsecond place win, juniors GabrielBrok and Chelsea Henriquez lookforward to next season.

As most of the team has playedtogether for the past four years,this victory is bittersweet. Despiteleaving high school with a win-ning final season, this is indeedtheir last season together. Thefriendships and memories madeover the past four years will belong cherished amongst team-mates.

Having these amazing kids tomentor over the past four yearshas been such an honor and sorewarding. These student-athletesare in the top 10 percent of theirclass and have so many amazingopportunities waiting for themupon graduation. I will miss eachand every one of them and wishthem success and greatness intheir futures, said Perez.

www.miamilaker.com


Nationally-ranked Arch. McCarthyends Gators season in quarterfinals

BARBARA GOLEMANS baseball team wins DistrictChampionship with 8-1 win over Miami Springs.

By David L. SnellingThe Miami Laker staffBarbara Goleman Highs base-

ball team faced an uphill battle inthe Region 4-6A quarterfinal gamelast week against defending statechampion and nationally-rankedArchbishop McCarthy.

But after winning the DistrictChampionship and GMAC tourna-ment, the Gators just couldntkeep up with the Mavericks, wholeft Goleman with an 11-1 defeatin a game that was called in thesixth inning.

Archbishop McCarthy facedtheir district foe, AmericanHeritage, in the semifinal this

week, hoping to advance to thestate tournament and win theirsixth state title in seven years.

The Mavericks lead 5-0 in thefirst inning and poured it on fromthere until the game was stoppedbecause of the mercy-run rule.

All season long, the Gatorsbats were hot but the Maverickspitching staff cooled them off.

Pitcher Yordani Carmona deliv-ered a stellar performance, retiringthe first 11 Goleman batters infour innings of work.

Johnny Leone and Joe Perezfinished the Gators batters off toseal the victory.

After winning the GMAC tour-

nament, the Gators defeatedMiami Springs, 8-1, to win the 16-6A District Championship for thesecond consecutive year.

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American High cheerleadersbring home first place fromFlorida Cheer/Dance event

AMERICAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS 2016 CompetitionCheerleading Squad participated in the national title FloridaCheer and Dance Association in Orlando that was held on April23 where they brought home a first place win as 2016 statechampions. Pictured (from left) is Lakeitha Brennen, CristalSmith, Brittanie Johnson, Jenell Jenkins, Arial Hethington(coach), Toddra Martin, Nathalie Hervia, Tamia Climpson,Fransheska Morel, Nyia Johnson, Tomyia Clayton, KennishaMiller (coach), Aryahna Abraham, Amari Thomas, KaylaWilliams, Chelsea Clare, Kianna Robinson, Melanie Bailey, andDiamond Weeks.

Pace High School will be host-ing its second annual SpartanSTEM Boot Camp for students ingrades 5 through 8 on May 14 atthe Spartan Center. Students areinvited to an exciting hands-onday of science, technology, engi-neering, and math with sessionson Coding/Programming/ Robo-tics, Engineering, Biology, andChemistry led by teachers fromPaces Signature STEM Academy.

Check-in opens at 8:15 am andattendees will participate in allfour sessions over the course ofthe camp from 8:45am to 2pm,with lunch in between.

The cost is a $10 donation withlunch included. Space is limitedand spots are filling up fast. Toregister, visit bit.ly/pacestemcampor email [email protected] more information.

Pace High hosts annual SpartanSTEM Boot Camp on May 14


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Pace Highs baseball team advancesto regional semi-final vs. Gulliver

PACE baseball team wins District championship with 5-4 winover Mater Lakes Academy.

The good times continue toroll for Monsignor Edward PaceHigh Schools baseball team, asthe Spartans beat Key West, 2-1,to advance to the 4-5A regionalsemifinal to face Gulliver Prepthis week.

Gulliver beat Mater Lakes, 12-0, to advance to the semifinalmatch-up with Pace.

In the Key West game,Spartans pitcher Chris Rodrigueztossed a two-hitter and fanned 15batters in a complete game.

Pace trailed by one in the fifthinning but rallied with back-to-back one-out doubles by JonathanReyes-Diaz and Bray Diaz.

Pace took the lead in the sixthinning and held on for the victory.

The Spartans have been on aroll as of late.

Pace captured the Class 5ADistrict championship by edgingMater Lakes Academy, 5-4, andshut out Coral Springs ChristianAcademy, 10-0, to cap off 17 con-secutive wins to end the regularseason.

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Pace softball squad edges KeyWest in regional quarterfinals;loses semi-final game to Gulliver

After capturing the DistrictChampionship, Pace HighSchools softball team knew itsposed a stronger challenge to KeyWest than any other teams in theregional playoffs.

The Lady Spartans were right.Pace edged the Conchs, 5-4, in

the regional quarterfinals, settingup a match-up with nationally-ranked Gulliver Prep.

But the game was not kind tothe Lady Spartans, as Gulliverwon a 16-4, six-inning, mercy-runrule game in the Region 4-5 semi-final contest.

Trailing 13-2 in the bottom ofthe fifth-inning, Pace scored tworuns to extend the game to thesixth inning.

Gulliver then scored three runsand the game was stopped.

Pace took an early 2-1 lead inthe first inning when MonicaMarquez belted a home run thatbrought home two runners.

Pace considers 2016 a goodseason, beating Mater Lakes, 6-1,to win the District title and stop-ping Key West from advancing tothe semifinal in a potential match-up with Gulliver Prep.

PACE HIGHS SOFTBALL TEAM celebrates after winning theDistrict Championship beating Mater Lakes Academy 6-1.

Michelle Saracco and financialadvisor Cesar Lacerda will behosting a free financial workshopat the Edward Jones InvestmentMiami Lakes office, 8032 N.W.154 Street, on Friday May 13,

between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lacerdawill also provide a market updateand will be open to questions.Anyone in the community who isinterested can feel free to stop onby, no appointment needed.

Edward Jones Miami Lakes officehosts financial workshop on May 13


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Prom for Autism students set May 17Miami-Dade County Public

Schools (M-DCPS) is hosting the6th annual prom for students withAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)on Tuesday, May 17, from 9 a.m.to 1 p.m. at the Doubletree byHilton Miami Airport andConvention Center, 711 N.W. 72Avenue in Miami.

Approximately 500 high schoolstudents will attend this milestoneevent which provides an unforget-table experience as students withASD bond with their peers in cel-ebrating this important rite of pas-sage. Students will participate inthe total prom experience bydressing in tuxedos and formal

dresses, taking a prom picture,dancing to music provided by aprofessional disc jockey, andcrowning a king and queen. Theevent is free.

For more information, contactAngie Torres at 305-275-9801 orat [email protected].

Pace Highs Flag Footballteam captures District titlewith 26-0 win over Norland

Pace High Schools flag foot-ball team defeated MiamiNorland, 26-0, last week to cap-ture the District Championship.The win gave head coach JohnRodriguez the 100th win in hiscareer.

The Lady Spartans clobberedGoleman High, 63-0, in the firstgame of the district tournament to

reach the championship game. In other high school sports

news, in softball, Gulliver Prepshut out Mater Lakes, 15-0, in the4A Region quarterfinals, andMcArthur defeated MaterAcademy, 13-3, in the Region 8Aquarterfinals, and Americanshutout South Miami, 15-0, in theRegion 4-9 quarterfinals.

PACE HIGHS flag football team wins the DistrictChampionship.

The Fr. Flynn Council #4772 ofthe Knights of Columbus heldtheir annual drive to assist citizenswith disabilities on the weekendof March 17-20 at the MiamiLakes Publix.

KofC members passed outTootsie Rolls and thanked contrib-

utors for helping people in need.Funds raised will be presented tolocal agencies to assist their indi-vidual needs.

Council chairman Andy Izzoextended his appreciation toPublix and the store patrons forsupporting the fundraising activity.

Knights of Columbus thank Publix andLakes residents for fundraising support


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Cruz, Galup named B. Golemans two top teachersBy R.A. RomeroThe Miami Laker staffRafaela Cruz and Jeannette

Galup have been named Teacherof the Year and Rookie Teacher ofthe Year, respectively, at BarbaraGoleman Senior High School.

Cruz. an Honors Chemistry andPhysical Science teacher, has 27years of experience in teachingbeginning with her role as a teach-ing assistant at Rutgers Universitywhere she earned her BSN in nurs-ing, M.S. in zoology, and Ph.D. in

Biochemistry. Having always been interested

in science and harboring a love forteaching since childhood, the NewJersey native migrated south andbegan working within the Miami-Dade County Public School sys-tem where she taught courses inbiology, anatomy and physiology,earth science, research and zoolo-gy. With a long history in educa-tion both as a student and teacher,Cruz suggests to parents looking toimprove their childrens learningand education to participate and beinvolved.

In addition to her work in theclassroom, she is a part of theESAAC Committee, BlackHistory Committee, Science Club,Science National Honor Society,Blood Drive Coordinator and shetutors after school. Outside ofschool Cruz is a nurse, collectsitems for Camillus House, andspends time with her husband andsix grandchildren.

Nominated once before asTeacher of the Year at a middleschool, Cruz once again won overthe nominating committee for herwin this school year.

It was an honor to be nominat-ed and be congratulated by the stu-dents and faculty, said Cruz. Icredit my success to the students,past and present, and my experi-ence through the educational sys-tem.

Galup. the drama teacher atBarbara Goleman, completed herbachelors degree in Theatre atFlorida International Universityand while in college she discov-ered she enjoyed directing, whichis similar to teaching, she noted.

Galup first came to appreciatethe theatre at age 15, the same ageas many of the students she leadsin productions. As a former alum-na of Goleman, class of 2002,Galup has come full circle, teach-ing where she once learned andeager to instill a passion for theatrein students. She enjoys the abilityto encourage students to expressthemselves.

The theatre scene in Miami isgrowing, said Galup. What bet-ter way to keep it growing thanteaching and inspiring the nextgenerations of artists?

Galup, staying true to inspiringthe next generation, led her stu-dents to their first competition andbrought home a first place win.Apart from her time guiding stu-dents for self expression, Galupruns the summer acting camp atMain Street Players on Main Streetand spends time with her husbandand daughter. She explores Miamiduring her downtime includingvisiting art shows, museums,farms, plays and the beach.

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Resident Judy Parker retires from 35-year careerBy David L. SnellingThe Miami Laker staffWherever Judy Parker goes, her

former students always recognizeher, even if they dont see her face.

I was ordering food at thedrive-thru at KFC and a formerstudent recognized my voice, shesaid. She said, is that you, Mrs.Parker? Its amazing when peo-ple, especially the kids who youhave taught, recognize you afterall of these years.

For 35 years, Parkers voiceechoed through the classroom andhalls at Twin Lakes ElementarySchool in Hialeah, and albeit she isdrifting off into the sunset, thebuilding will encapsulate her lega-cy and the impact she has left onthousands and thousands of stu-dents.

The longtime Miami Lakes res-ident is retiring on May 31 follow-ing a 40-year teaching career thatbegan as a substitute teacher andtook her to the same classroom shesat in as a first-grade student atTwin Lakes Elementary.

Her students, former pupils,family and the schools facultystaff members will celebrate herretirement with a luau, a tradition-al Hawaiian party with entertain-ment, food, music and hula.

Parker, who teaches the 6thgrade, said she will miss teachingstudents, helping them learn andreading to them their favoritebooks.

She said she always had theirundivided attention.

When I am explaining a sub-ject to them, a light bulb goes offand they would say, I got it, shesaid. Over the years, I felt like Ihad an impact on the students whohave gone on to become doctors,lawyers, dentists and even work-ing in Miami-Dade PublicSchools. They have been success-ful and that is the biggest and thebest part of teaching.

Teaching wasnt even a periph-eral thought for Parker as she waspreparing to graduate fromHialeah High School until she reada book about a woman who taughtunderprivileged children.

Touched by the womans pas-

sion and drive to work with penu-rious children and bring them onthe same learning tier as theircounterparts, Parker decided topursue a teaching career.

She initially worked with stu-dents at James H. BrightElementary School while attend-ing Miami-Dade College, and afterearning her Bachelors Degree inthe first-ever graduating class ofFlorida International University in1974, she became a substituteteacher for six years.

She finally landed a permanentteaching job at her alma mater andwas thrilled to be be back home.

I have gone through manyprincipals, many kids and manygrades. I will miss my friends andchildren who still love you nowbut may not when they are in highschool, she quipped. But they allstayed in contact with me.

Teaching will always be a partof Parkers life even while shebuilds a bridge toward her nextcareer.

She teaches adults at herchurch, the Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints, and is pursu-ing a career as a genealogist.

I still love to teach and work-ing in the church, she said.

She loves to listen to theBeatles and root for the Green BayPackers. Parker said her fatherlived in Wisconsin and moved toMiami before the birth of theMiami Dolphins.

He continued to be a die hardfan of the Packers, famous fortheir Cheeseheads and theLambeau Leap, and his fondnessfor the team rubbed off on his fam-ily members.

Parker recalls vividly the play-ing days of former quarterback

Bart Starr, who led the Packers tothe NFLs first two Super Bowls,and is still a big fan of formerquarterback Brett Farve.

We wear the cheese heads,Parker said. We still root for theGreen Bay Packers.

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