The Miami Beach Commission on the Status of Women will accept nominations for the Women Worth Knowing awards until Wednesday, January 4, 2006. Women Worth Knowing honors four local women for their contributions to the community; Nominees should be involved in civic or professional activities that have changed the community. The woman must either be a resident of Miami Beach for at least two years or own or work in a business in the community for at least two years.

E-mail nominations to mariamartinez@maimibeachfl.gov, or mail to the City of Miami Beach, Attn: Maria E. Martinez, Assistant City Clerk, 1700 Convention Center Drive., Miami Beach, Fl. 33139. For information call Maria E. Martinez at (305) 673-7411.

Giving Back to the Community - See the Photos

Police Toy Give-a-Way, Tues. December 20, 2005 at the Police Station
Fire Toy Give-a-way, Weds. December 21, 2005 at the North Shore Bandshell

City Wins National Honors For Successful - "Vote Miami Beach" Initiative - On Thursday, August 25, the City of Miami Beach's "Vote Miami Beach" initiative was honored by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA), a national organization comprised of municipal communications and marketing officials. The local voter registration campaign took top honors in the Citizen/Public Participation Program category.

Miami Beach Hispanic Community Leaders Honored -- Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration -- The City of Miami Beach Hispanic Affairs Committee will honor Miami Beach's Hispanic community leaders at a reception on Thursday, September 29 at 6:00 p.m. at Española Way, as part of the City's Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration.

VOLUNTEER MIAMI BEACH - CIVIC PARTICIPATION WEEK - See pictures.

Community Planning Workshops. Help Shape Your Community - CREATE A MASTER PLAN. North Beach Oceanfront Parks & Public Spaces.

• Thursday, December 1, 2005 – 3:30 PM – 7:00 PM at the Dezerland Hotel
• Saturday, December 3, 2005 – 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM at North Shore Park Youth Center Auditorium

From 1 to 4 December 2005, MIAMI BEACH, Florida, will be home to Art Basel Miami Beach, the International Art Show. This is the most important art show in America and the favorite winter meeting place of the international art world. 195 galleries from the USA, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa will take part.

More Than Words is an exhibition celebrating book month in Miami. The exhibition features artists who make use of the written form in their artwork. Text and letters evolve into visual abstract forms, conveying a message, much like a paint stroke or selected hue, compiling a visual language.

Created by ArtCenter/ South Florida On view October 16 - November 25 at Miami Beach's City Hall, 4th Floor Public Gallery

Miami Beach RDA Bond Rating Raised to “A” - On August 15, 2005, Standard & Poor's (S&P) Ratings Services raised its standard long-term rating and underlying rating (SPUR) on Miami Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA) outstanding City Center/Historic Convention Village tax increment revenue bonds to 'A' from 'A-.’ The upgrade is in part based on continued strong growth in the agency's incremental assessed valuation, which has led to significant reduction in taxpayer concentration. The outlook is stable.

Miami Beach to Host Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Courses -- Another year of free sessions to educate citizens on disaster relief

Proposed Swale Ordinance - During the planning process for the neighborhood improvements to be constructed through the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and funded through the General Obligation (GO) Bond, residents asked how the City would protect the investment that was planned for the swale areas. A group of interested residents representing most of the affected areas was created to propose an ordinance to regulate swales. The draft ordinance represents these residents' concerns and is intended to reflect the level of regulation that they feel is appropriate to achieve the goal of more attractive swale areas in the City.

Enrollment Opens for City's Fall Neighborhood Leadership Academy -- Fall Classes Begin September 12-- The Miami Beach Neighborhood Leadership Academy continues to foster a more positive relationship with residents by offering fall classes that begin on September 12, 2005. The 13- part academy is part of an overall commitment by the City to increase resident's participation in decisions that affect Miami Beach and an effort to increase the understanding of City official's and employees' duties and responsibilities as well as city department services available to residents.

2004 Water Quality Report (Acrobat)

Miami Beach Receives Large Grant from The Children's Trust to Enhance Youth Services - The City of Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Department was recently awarded $500,000 by The Children's Trust to expand and enhance both the after-school and summer camp programs at the North Shore Park and Youth Center. The Miami Beach North Shore Park and Youth Center out-of-school program is funded in part by The Children's Trust. The Children's Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.

Municipal Clerk's Week is celebrated nationwide during the week of May 16 - 20, 2005. This is the third year that students participate in a Miami Beach mock commission meeting. Also during this week, electronic presentations will be shown at the Miami Beach City Hall City Clerk Department's front counter; a historic exhibit is on display on the fourth floor of City Hall, and a time capsule was buried last month in commemoration of the City's 90th birthday.

Mock DUI-Car Crash Teaches Teens Reality of Driving Under Influence - "Cheat the Reaper - Live To See Your Future"

City and Residents Collaborate to Launch Pet "Pooper Scooper" Pilot Program - Dog waste has become a growing issue in Miami Beach as the City's density and animal population increases. Due to the increasing number of concerns expressed by residents, the City of Miami Beach is implementing a new pilot program to address this issue along West Avenue beginning on May 1. The six-month "Pooper Scooper" program will assist pet owners in curbing their pets while keeping the City's swales, sidewalks and green spaces clean and beautiful.

Miami Beach Voter Participation Program Offers Discounts -- Voter Registration Drives Scheduled – In an effort to increase voter registration and participation, the City of Miami Beach continues its Vote Miami Beach campaign to create and stimulate awareness among Miami Beach residents about voting. The incentive program offers Miami Beach voters a discount at local businesses.

Miami Beach City Manager Jorge M. Gonzalez takes time out of his busy schedule to read some his favorite children’s stories to students at North Beach Elementary, Miami Beach, which is celebrating National Reading Month with various events. Other City team members also read to children throughout the week.

90+ Years in the Making…. Happy Birthday Miami Beach -- A Vibrant, Tropical, Historic Community -- Miami Beach is marking its 90th anniversary during this year and it has a lot to celebrate. Miami Beach has an exciting past and equally enticing future. The Town of Miami Beach was incorporated on March 26, 1915, and has since grown from a community of 100 people to a world-class city with almost 100,000 residents with a diverse economic base. The City is known for its vibrant, tropical, historic flair.

The City of Miami Beach celebrates the completion opening of the new 42,088 sq ft. Miami Beach Regional Library, located at 227 22nd Street, on Friday, April 1, at 2:00 p.m. The new Miami-Dade County library joins the Bass Museum of Art and the Miami City Ballet buildings as another cornerstone of the Collins Parks Cultural Campus, a master plan envisioned by the City in 1998 and one that is sure to become yet another important civic and cultural area in Miami Beach.

Celebrating 31 Years of Inspiring Community, Achieving Success – For 31 years, the City of Miami Beach has been a participant in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in Miami Beach has provided broad-based community services to meet the physical, economic and social needs of the City and to its residents. The HOME Program provides formula grants to states and localities that communities use—often in partnership with local non-profit groups—to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people.

Beach Restoration Project Underway - Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) began the beach restoration project from 24th to 29th streets. Access to the beach in this area will be limited for several weeks during the construction period. The boardwalk remains open. The beach in the area fell victim to severe beach erosion. For more information on beach renourishment, contact the Miami-Dade County DERM Office at 305-372-6789 or the Miami Beach Office of Environmental Resource Management at 305-673-7080.

Click Photo to Enlarge Pictured: Class 41-05: Dwight Nicholas, recruit Marlenis Smart, recruit Daniel Martinez, recruit Alan Lopez, recruit Damon Keller, recruit Nicolas Dalessandro, recruit Jeremy Bloomfield, recruit Digna, Abelo

Miami Beach Fire Department Graduates New Class of Certified Firefighters - On Friday, April 1, 2005, a new class of certified firefighters graduated from the Miami Beach Fire recruit training program after nine weeks of physically and mentally challenging lectures, tests and drilling evolutions. Recruits begin their day with a grueling exercise routine. During training recruits must learn and demonstrate proficiency in the use of hand and power tools, fire behavior, firefighting tactics, and fire prevention. Recruits also must memorize street maps and receive training on emergency vehicle operations (EVOC) to learn to safely drive and operate emergency vehicles. Following graduation recruits are assigned to a fire station and continue on the job training and additional written, verbal and performance based testing and evaluation.

Council for Excellence in Government Visits South Florida to Benchmark Community Leaders & Organizations -- Miami Beach City Manager Tops the List of Municipal Government Leaders – On Wednesday, March 30, twenty-eight senior federal executives participating in a leadership development program with the Council for Excellence in Government will be in South Florida to meet with several leaders and organizations to benchmark their best practices to take back to their federal agencies and implement some of their findings at the federal level. These federal executives visit leading private, not-for-profit and government organizations to meet with leaders who share their insights on achieving high performance.

End of Youth Camp Concert Encourages Voting - Vote Miami Beach Campaign Continues--

Sexual Offenders & Predators Awareness Seminar - Sept 1, 2005

Summer Campers Have "Tall Tales" To Take Back To School This Fall - Miami Beach summer campers have been learning the ancient art of walking on stilts in a program presented by the City's Parks & Recreation Department and the Miami Performing Arts Center (MPAC). Stilt-training teaches children how to balance, move, and perform on stilts while encouraging creativity, promoting physical fitness, and helping the children to build confidence and self-esteem.

Miami Beach Feature Movie in the Park Pool - The free “Movie in the Park” is back with a twist. Now you can watch free outdoor movies from your lawn chair or your pool float.

MTV Video Music Awards 2005 - The MTV Video Music Awards (Sunday, August 28 at the American Airlines Arena) and other associated events are expected to bring large amounts of visitors to our beautiful City. The City of Miami Beach has been planning diligently to implement a comprehensive and coordinated Major Events Plan (MEP) and will be enhancing staffing throughout the upcoming weekend to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the City and to see cooperation with respect to the City's quality of life.

2005 Miami Beach Gay Pride Month exhibition "At Home" at City Hall, 4th Floor Public Gallery,
curated by ArtCenter/South Florida

Miami Beach Holds Fourth Annual Hurricane Fair - The Saturday, June 11 Community/Hurricane Fair that was to be held at Normandy Circle has been postponed until further notice.

Miami Beach Auctions its Surplus & Police Confiscated Inventory - The City of Miami Beach will conduct an auction of surplus vehicles (more than 100) and police confiscated items (i.e. electronics, jewelry, cell phones, car radios, clothing, tools, computers, plus much more).

Celebrate World Oceans Day with the City of Miami Beach -- Turtle Rangers on Hand to Educate Public on Sea Turtle Nesting -- Learn about sea turtles with the Miami-Dade Parks Sea Turtle Nesting and Relocation Program. Turtle Rangers will be at the Miami Beach City Hall, June 8, 2005 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will provide information for people of all ages. The goal of this event is to raise awareness about the importance of the endangered sea turtles and the importance of their home -- the ocean.

Miami Beach Holds Fourth Annual Hurricane Fair – The City of Miami Beach will be hosting the fourth annual Hurricane Information and Preparedness Fair on Sunday, June 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on the 1000 block of Lincoln Road (between Lenox and Michigan avenues), and a community fair on Saturday, June 11, from10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Normandy Circle. The event will provide important information as to what Miami Beach residents and businesses should do to prepare before and after a hurricane.

City Hosts a College Fair - The City of Miami Beach will be hosting a College Fair on Friday, April 15, 2005 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in the third floor of City Hall, located on 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach. The event is free and open to the public.

City of Miami Beach to Participate in Biscayne Bay Cleanup (Acrobat) - Saturday April 16, 2005

E.A.R.T.H. Expo ‘5 -- Miami Beach Celebrates the Environment – The City of Miami Beach celebrates Earth Day with a free event to create awareness of local and global environmental issues. E.A.R.T.H. Expo ‘5 – Miami Beach (E.A.R.T.H.: Environmental Awareness and Resources Towards Healing) will be held on Sunday, April 10 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Miami Beach’s Lummus Park.

You’re Invited! Collins Avenue/State Road A1A Improvement Project Public Meeting.
Tuesday, April 5, 2005. 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Fact Sheet (Acrobat)

The City of Miami Beach begins the improvements to Fire Station No. 2 (FS2), located at 2300 Pine Tree Drive. The new fire station will include full historic renovation of the existing building, and construction of a new facility that will include three apparatus bays and living quarters for the fire crews, as well as an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and needed modifications to the site drainage.

Community Design Workshop for New City Hall Parking Complex – A Community Design Workshop will be held for a new City Hall parking complex on Thursday, February 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers. Several design concepts will be presented. This project will add a substantial amount of parking and will free up parking in the garages along Lincoln Road and accommodate the New World Symphony Project. Some limited retail is also proposed, and a connection to the main City Hall building and 777 Building. The entire design creates a City Hall “Campus.”

Miami Beach Fire Department earns 2003 Life Safety Achievement Award - The City of Miami Beach Fire Department has been presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award for the year 2003 by the Residential Fire Safety Institute (RFSI). The award was announced by Roy L. Marshall, Director of the RFSI.

79th Street Causeway Bridge Rehabilitation Begins February 28, 2005 - Please be advised that beginning on Monday, February 28th, the contractor for the 79th Street Causeway Bridge Rehabilitation Project will begin setting up the Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) required to perform project-related improvements to the westbound Bascule (moving span) Bridge that connects Miami Beach to North Bay Village.

Miami Beach Commission Opposes Slot Machines in Pari-mutuel Facilities – On Wednesday, February 23, 2005, Miami Beach Commissioner Luis Garcia requested that the Commissioners take a formal position on the issue of slot machines in pari-mutuel facilities since the election is taking place on March 8, 2005.

Your Victory Garden - Rows of seeds are sown and nourished hoping the buds would sprout and wield a handsome crop under the South Beach sky. Broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, and more are now all growing side by side in Miami Beach’s newest fruitful parcel of land. Welcome to the garden adventures in South Pointe, an area known more for its sky rocketing condominiums than for its fertile garden-varieties. On Thursday, February 17, 2005, at 10:30 a.m., the City of Miami Beach will celebrate the opening and relocation of its community garden, now named the Victory Garden, at 226 Collins Avenue.

City Auctions Waterfront Property in Normandy Shores – The City will be auctioning waterfront property on Friday, February 18. The auction comes as a result of a referendum approved on March 9, 2004 election, when voters were asked whether the City should sell waterfront property located at 2620 Biarritz with the sale proceeds to be utilized for the City’s renovation of the Normandy Shore Golf Course. The property will be sold to the highest bidder and zoned for a single-family residence.

Miami International Boat Show Sets Anchor in Miami Beach - Celebrating its 64th anniversary, this year's show will feature the latest powerboats, engines, electronics, and accessories from more than 2,300 exhibitors on more than 2.5 million square feet of exhibition space. The Miami International Boat and Sailboat Show is the greatest boat show in the world. The show will be open from February 17 through 21, 2005. Show hours are Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday - Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Additionally, the Yacht Brokerage Show is held on Indian Creek Waterway (February 17 – 21).

Community Meeting to Discuss Toyota Miami Tropical Marathon and 5K - On Tuesday, January 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the City of Miami Beach Commission Chambers, City Hall, third floor, 1700 Convention Center Drive, a community meeting will be held to discuss the Toyota Miami Marathon and 5K that is scheduled for the weekend of January 29 and 30, 2005. The event will affect roads in Miami Beach on Sunday, January 30, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

Flu Shots Available at Miami Beach City Hall - The Miami-Dade County Health Department, in conjunction with the City of Miami Beach Neighborhood Services Department, will be administering flu shots on Monday, January 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Miami Beach City Hall’s Commission Chambers, third floor.