Historian Arva Moore Parks having Grove book signing
Miami's favorite historian, Arva Moore Parks, will be signing her new book, "Miami, the Magic City," at The Bookstore (3399 Virginia Street) on Thursday, May 28 at 7 pm.Arva, a lifelong Miami resident, graduated from the University of Florida and earned a master's degree from the University of Miami. She is the author of more than half a dozen books on South Florida. She has produced films on Miami and Coconut Grove and has
received several honors, including an Emmy Award from the Florida Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In addition, she has volunteered her services on many civic boards and committees. She chaired the Florida Endowment for the Humanities in 1982.She is best known for her dedication to preserving Miami's history and fighting for it's survival. She recently lost the struggle with the St. Stephen's little church massacre last week. That probably will come up during the bookstore discussion.
posted by Tom Falco at 1:00 PM
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Arva Moore Parks is a Miami native, historian, author, preservationist and community leader. She has studied Miami and its roots for more than four decades and has authored, co-authored, edited or contributed to more than 30 books and film documentaries. More than an objective onlooker, Parks has taken an active role in improving her hometown, preserving its historic landmarks and bringing its diverse people together.
She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and her master’s in history from the University of Miami. Both institutions have named her an alumna of outstanding distinction.
Widely honored for her writing and activism, she was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame and the City of Miami Women’s Hall of Fame. Within the last year she received the Florida Historical Society’s Caroline B. Rossiter Woman in Florida History Award, the first Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce George E. Merrick Spirit of Excellence Award, the Miami Woman’s Club Historian of the Year Award and the American Red Cross of Greater Miami and the Keys Rosalind R. Ludwig Chairman’s Award.
She has served on numerous boards and commissions and had the honor of being the chairperson for the City of Miami Planning Advisory Board.
I hope I'm recovered enough to extend my day for this event. Arva rocks!
Isn't it interesting that in her chapter on Coconut Grove's history, AMP not only didn't include a photo of the "oldest church in Miami" she didn't even mention it. And while she wrote about Flora McFarlane's founding of the Housekeepers' Club she left out any mention of Flora McFarlane's being the primary moving force in the founding of St. Stephen's Church -- gathering a group of women together for prayers in 1906 which ultimately led to the founding of the church in 1910.
And isn't it interesting that during the summer of 2008 when St. Stephen's was going through their permitting process AMP was the Chair of Miami's Planning Advisory Board.
And while we're on the subject of interest in St. Stephen's -- isn't it interesting that while Jorge Hernandez was the architect of their last building project in the early 00's he toured Soper Hall and said "this building can't be saved; it must come down". And isn't it interesting that when St. Stephen's undertook their latest construction project the job of architect was first offered to Jorge Hernandez, who said "No thanks".
I guess the "Little Church Around the Corner" really wasn't all that important after all.
The PAB & the City Commission were shown a rendering of the project which shows that chapel being preserved. Commissioner Sarnoff is very upset about being lied to by the church and by the architect. Who would have expected the church to lie. Mayor Manny Diaz is also extremely upset at the church for lying.
Jorge Hernandez said over and over again that the main components of the chapel still exist and are in fine condition- Dade county pine trusses, pre-cast concrete columns, solid block walls. He also said that any mold could be remediated (it's done every day) & he said that a proper site drainage plan would alleviate any flooding or drainage problem.
Arva didn't include the chapel in her book because Dr. Paul George just wrote a whole book just about Saint Stephen's, so she thought it was best to highlight other parts of the Grove since Paul George had Saint Stephen's covered.
Saint Stephen's and their architect also lied to Dr. Paul George - they even gave him a picture of the "false rendering" to publish in his book. Dr. George is very upset about this and even went on NPR to talk about it.
Saint Stephen's obtained their approvals under false pretences and should have their building permit revoked. For a church to go so far out of their way to build a large (tax exempt) commercial building (it will be the largest on Main Highway) on the site of its own original historical chapel is absolutely obscene.
I hope the Episcopal Diocese has been notified. Here is link where everyone can post their complaint.
http://www.diosef.org/directory/contact-us.shtml
Celebrate, Preserve Our Past.
May in Miami is when opposites meet. The dry season ebbs as the wet season approaches. May is also Preservation Month, and just as we experience our seasons coming together, preservation has cause for both celebration and sadness.
At 8 p.m. Thursday on WPBT Channel 2, we can celebrate the screening of a new documentary, Vizcaya, the first presentation of the full story of our world-renowned estate. New images tell the story of James Deering's creation of Vizcaya and the people who brought his passion to life. We learn of Deering's nieces and the brave Dade County leaders who understood the enormous gift Vizcaya would be to future generations.
Amazingly, this understanding, which seems obvious today, was not so clear then. Some questioned the county's ability to maintain such a gift. The priceless furnishings, extraordinary buildings and formal gardens seemed beyond the capacity of a local government. But the Deerings knew what was important. To help the acquisition and encourage the county to proceed, they loaned Dade County money to facilitate the purchase.
Today, it is incumbent upon all of us to stand firm against anything that might threaten Vizcaya's future. But as we celebrate Vizcaya's story, we have lost one of its contemporaries. The 1912 original St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, a sentinel along Main Highway that kept the earliest days of Coconut Grove alive to the present, has perished. Although its massive Dade County pine trusses and beams resisted nine decades of hurricanes, they succumbed to one powerful bulldozer that shredded its walls, pulverized its concrete columns and turned the loving work of Miami's pioneer families, the home of almost 50 years of worship and another 50 years of preschool, into dust.
Our historic places store memories and safeguard lessons of the past. They hold precious pieces of our lives and connect us to each other. When they are lost, they are gone forever. Grand and humble, this living fabric of history gives character to place and its people. May we be ever mindful of the need to be vigilant and protective of the irreplaceable.
ARVA MOORE PARKS
Historian
www.miamiherald.com/opinion/letters/story/1058403.html
"Just Mortified", the only one lying is YOU. How do you sleep at night? How do you look at yourself in the mirror? What do you stand to gain by perpetuating these lies? Madam, your 15 minutes will soon be up, and then what?
and then...hopefully, no more historical landmarks will be torn down?
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