'Amusement Ride Ordinance' is dead

Unfortunately it's too late for Melreese Park.

I had posted the opinion piece by former Mayor Maurce Ferré about his concern about the "Amusement Ride Ordinance," where our small amount of green spaces were being considered for development by the city commission. A ferris wheel and other things were talked about as being part of an RFP that would allow commercial development in the parks.

Well, in some sort of miracle, the City Commission unanimously voted against the ordinance that would open the parks for development at the March 28 commission meeting. If zoning changes are to be made, they decided that city parks would not be involved in the zoning change.

It does make you wonder about the soccer stadium in Melreese Park and the schools in Peacock Park and even the mall on the water at Scotty's Landing, but I guess anything further is closed for discussion.

A note regarding Ultra from Comm. Russell

When Virginia Key was recommended as a potential location for the Ultra Music Festival, I voted against it. I was concerned about the potential impacts to the environment and on traffic and noise. Unfortunately, these were some of the challenges experienced on its first day. I have been in contact with our city manager, police and fire chiefs as well as festival management regarding the challenges we experienced the first night of the event. Changes to the transportation plan are being implemented today. I’m hopeful that plan will prevent the disruptions experienced yesterday and early this morning. I will continue to work with our committed City of Miami police and fire professionals and Ultra to ensure that our residents and festival attendees are safe. Ultra must do a better job working with the City of Miami to address the serious issues we experienced. If you have concerns, please reach out to my office at krussell@miamigov.com.

Commissioner Ken Russell District 2, City of Miami

The Ultra nightmare; make it stop

There was a time I went to the Ultra Music Festival. I liked it. Now I hear the thump, thump, thump from across the bay and can't sleep. Whose idea was it to move it to Virginia Key? They should be made to stand in the middle of it all for all three days without moving. Without earplugs.

At the end of Friday night, fans were stranded on Virginia Key. Everyone left at once and there was a massive bottleneck. Many walked across the causeway after waiting for two hours for shuttle buses, which where in short supply, and ended up taking cabs and Ubers back to their South Beach hotels.

Trees literally caught fire due to sparks from the massive fireworks display at the end of the night, which surely woke up everyone in the middle of the night from downtown Miami to Brickell, to Key Bicayne into Coconut Grove.

I'm sure fragile Virginia Key will never be the same after being trampled by thousands and set on fire due to the fireworks.

These moronic City of Miami Commissioners just don't care much about anything except money. They didn't want Ultra to end up anywhere else in the county after it vacated downtown Miami, so they just allowed it to take over anywhere it would fit. "Let's squeeze it onto a fragile island, so what if the animals, foliage and residents are inconvenienced."

Police had no control over the crowds.

Part two and three coming up Saturday and Sunday.

Restored park boardwalk open; let's keep it maintained

Photo by Sunny McLean

The boardwalk at Peacock Park is finally open again, it had been destroyed by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and took this long to be restored. People love it.

"Finally! My beloved boardwalk is open again after a year and a half after hurricane Irma destroyed it, went down there today to check on it and there it was with the gates open, hope they are planning to put some benches along there," said Erika King.

"This morning I walked down to Peacock Park to see the restored  boardwalk. Absolutely beautiful, especially on this cool and lovely  morning. However there was the inevitable trash in and around the  mangroves. Let’s help keep the boardwalk and mangroves beautiful by taking 
2-3 minutes to pick up and throw away any trash you see. There is a can by both entrances/exit. I was able to pick up trash it took me about two minutes to make a difference in the  appearance of the boardwalk area. If we all did this the beauty of this special place will be maintained," says Sunny McLean.

Photos by Erika King

'Birds Matter' Student Art Exhibit at Audubon Society's Doc Thomas House

Danielle Medina, Piping Plover, Silkscreen Print, grade 9

Tropical Audubon Society has invited Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart to install a representation of its BIRDS MATTER student art show at the conservation organization's historic Doc Thomas House headquarters on 5530 Sunset Drive. The opening night reception is a free community event taking place Friday, April, 5 from 6 until 8 pm. Light refreshments will be served. The exhibit will hang through the end of April. Hours vary so please contact Events Director Amy Creekmur at events@tropicalaudubon.org to make an appointment.

The impressive works convey each artist's unique interpretation of a bird that inspires them, presented in a range of mediums including ceramics, encaustics, watercolor, cyanotype and silk screen prints, acrylics, collage and mixed media. Created by Carrollton students from Montessori to seniors, these artworks were conceived as part of their research of endangered and threatened birds to honor the recent Centennial of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Life International and National Geographic teamed up to facilitate this Centennial initiative.

For those unable to attend the opening night festivities, tours of the historic 1932 home will take place on Saturday, April 6 at 1 and 3 pm., at which time visitors can enjoy the BIRDS MATTER Carrollton exhibit and also learn more about the Florida Cracker-style cottage that is in the National Register of Historic Places, is a Florida Heritage site and is a Dade County Historic Landmark.

Too late; the horse is out of the barn

Maurce Ferré

When I was growing up, Maurce Ferré was the mayor - for 12 years, sort of like if you were a kid in the 1930s and '40s, Franklin Roosevelt was the president for most or all of your youth.

Ferré has an opinion piece in the Miami Herald, where he regrets his part in the over-building of Miami. I have always resented him for that. He was always a kind and gentle man, but he tried to turn Miami into New York City. That's how I felt as a kid and I feel the same now. 

I know, it's progress. I don't like progress when it's masked in over-development. 

Now Ferré is asking for the protection of the little green space we have left in Miami. He fears that the Miami waterfront will become carnival-like and the Mayor and City Commissioners will open it up for development. I think they did that when they voted to approve the Soccer complex in a city-owned park. Our local parks, Peacock, a city-owned park in particular, is taken over by a private school these days. The glass house in the park is a private restaurant.  

Ferré regrets the building of The Chart House here in the Grove; not the fact that it existed inches from the waterfront, but that it was built as a fortress and was not open to the waterfront. That section is blocked today due to more construction in the area. Right on the water's edge. 

He's concerned about development in that green space next to American Airlines Arena, which could have become the soccer stadium at one time. He also wants to protect further building in the parks, including the park newly named after himself.

He says, "What is as alarming as the 'Amusement Ride Ordinance,' is the fact that on April 18, the city has allowed the Bayfront Parks Trust to put out an RFP that could bring major commercial development, not only to the slip, but to the green area adjacent to the slip in the Maurice A. Ferré Park."

Too little, too late. He should have thought of this all in 1973. 

One possible solution for creation of affordable home ownership

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Part 2 of Andy Parrish's issues regarding Coconut Grove housing:

As much as we all like to think the T3 R (single family residence SFR) and T3 O (duplex) transects should never be “up-zoned,” maybe we should examine that possibility.  Because of the well documented  “Housing Affordability Crisis in Miami,” perhaps we should at least consider the following possible way to produce more homes for ownership by low-to-moderate income families in Coconut Grove (especially in NCD 2 but also in NCD 3).  To do so, we would have to reconsider a new version of the planning tool known as PUD’s (Planned Unit Developments).

Blue Water Workforce Housing/photo courtesy Blue Water

Consider St. Hugh Oaks and Lemontree developments in NCD 3, which technically were Condominiums not PUDs and which also are not even close to as dense as the “mini-PUDS” being considered here.  More to the point is DPZ’s recent Blue Water “Workforce Housing” development  in Tavernier.

There are also a few small older apartment buildings scattered throughout the T3 R single family neighborhoods of all sections of the Grove that are compatible with their single-family home neighbors.  All of these suggest “cluster homes” and “Courtyard cottages” as a possible avenue for redevelopment of T3 R and T3 O assembled lots comprising as little as 25,000 sq. ft. of land but only in neighborhoods that want and agree to have such low-rise housing built.  

HOW COULD THIS BE POSSIBLE? First assume that there might be funding for land acquisition from the City, or County, or State, or CRA, or “Community Benefits,” or wherever.  Then assume:


Read more »

Do we need another traffic light?

It looks like a traffic light is being installed at Poinciana and Douglas. Most neighbors were not informed or asked about it and most are not pleased. But other neighbors asked for it, actually they asked for a traffic circle, but it would not fit so it's the light instead.

But I guess as more construction and residents enter the area, it's bound to add more traffic and now traffic lights.

I still resent the light at Ingraham Hwy and Douglas Road, which was installed maybe 10 years ago.

This is a Miami-Dade County project.

50th anniversary celebration for Friends of the Everglades

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Friends of the Everglades, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. There will be a benefit on April 7 at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. April 7 is Marjorie Stoneman Douglas' birthday, the founder of the group. Ms. Douglas passed away at 108 years old in 1998.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails overlooking the gardens, live music, an environmentally-themed silent auction, and a keynote address by Everglades restoration leader Maggy Hurchalla.

The group fights to protect the Everglades including the wetlands and thousands of plant and animal species. They pride themselves on their grassroots approach to elevate citizens’ voices, and to make a powerful impact.

Marjory's house, a small bungalow in South Grove will receive a Florida Historic Marker, which will be unveiled at the April event.

Louis Aguirre, channel 10 news anchor is MC, and the 50th Anniversary Award recipients are Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and Coconut Grove attorney Paul Schwiep.

The Friends of the Everglades benefit on April 7 is from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person and include membership to the Friends of the Everglades.

Net proceeds from the event will support Friends’ work to carry on Marjory’s legacy of standing up to politicians and other powerful interests to defend her beloved River of Grass.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit everglades.org or call 305-274-4772. 

Fairchild Garden is at 10901 Old Cutler Road.

How bigger houses tend to increase gentrification

LETTER OT THE EDITOR

Last night I was invited by the Village West Homeowners and Tenants Association to present some thoughts on what is happening in the Village West Grove community. I took the opportunity to provide my thoughts on why “Bigger New Houses Help Cause Increased Gentrification,” i.e., displacement of less affluent residents by new more affluent ones.

I started by pointing out that the dozen or so new 3 BR/2BA detached single family residences (SFR’s) built by my company Wind & Rain back in 1994-2005 had an FLR (Floor area to Lot size ratio) of only 0.24 (1,200 sq. ft.).  These houses on 5000 sq. ft. lots were all sold to working families in Village West Grove with Adjusted Gross Family Income (“AGI”) of around $24,000 (as mandated by HUD’s requirement that only 30% of AGI should be spent on housing cost).  Most of the families who bought these homes for under $100,000 are still in them today, despite being offered as much as $350,000 by developers wanting to knock them down and build bigger ones.

HERE’S WHAT IS DRIVING THE DISPLACEMENT OF EXISTING RESIDENTS (while acknowledging I’ve simplified the math):

I. Assume Construction Cost (“sticks and bricks”) of $150 per square foot (psf) of building whether in Village West Grove or elsewhere, even though finishes might vary tremendously).
A. Village West on 5000 sq. ft. lot T-3 R SFR lots
1200 sq. ft.  X $150 psf = $180,000 (0.24 FLR)  Wind & Rain Homes
2500 sq. ft.  X $150 psf = $375,000 (0.50 FLR)  Max size allowed today
B. North/South Grove on 6000 sq.ft. lot  (lots tend to be larger)
3000 sq. ft.  X  $150 psf = $450,000 (0.50 FLR)

II. Assume Average Sales Price of New Home per square foot.  I call this “Houses by the pound” since realtors tend to track house sales in each area by their psf price, with Village West Grove lagging behind the rest of the Grove).
A.  Village West
1200 sq. ft. X $300 psf = $360,000          3 BR /2 BA 
2500 sq. ft. X $300 psf = $750,000 4 or 5 BR/ 3 BA
B.North/South Grove
    3000 sq. ft. X $400 psf = $1,200,000

III. SUBTRACT I. FROM II. and you get “PROFIT” AVAILABLE TO BUY THE NEXT LOT
A.  Village West
$750,000 - $375,000 = $375,000  (there are no remaining property owners willing to sell for $180,000 so I’ve used the higher number.  However, a T- 3 O “Duplex “ zoned lot would still be cheap at $375,000 on Day Avenue since the lot cost is cut in half psf for each new duplex built).
B.North/South Grove
  $1,200,000 – $450,000 = $750,000

IV. NOW ASSUME the FLR is raised to 0.60 (60%) in Village West which would allow a new house to be 3000 sq. ft. on a T-3 R Single family zoned lot.
SALE PRICE 3000 sq. ft. X $300 psf = $900,000

LESS CONSTRUCTION COST 3000 sq. ft. X $150 psf = ($450,000)
    ________

       “PROFIT” AVAILABLE TO BUY THE NEXT LOT = $450,000

SUMMARY:  You can correctly say that lot cost (along with all “soft costs” such as permit, brokerage, legal and architectural fees) should be deducted from “Profit” if you were developing just ONE house, but once you are developing multiple houses/townhomes sequentially, you then have “Profit” available to buy the next lot, and the next, even as lot prices increase PROVIDED you can build larger and larger houses/townhomes. While you can certainly make the “Property Rights” argument that each existing property owner—and developer-- is entitled to sell for the greatest amount achievable in a free market, there is no doubt that zoning which allows larger and larger houses drives lot prices upward, with resulting increased gentrification in less affluent but desirably located communities.


Anthony R. “Andy” Parrish, Jr.
Coconut Grove

Zanmi Beni Spring Fair at Ransom Middle School

The 2019 Zanmi Beni Spring Fair is coming to Ransom Middle School on Sunday, April 14.

The fair is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Friends of Zanmi Beni, a Miami-based organization whose mission is to support Zanmi Beni, a residential home for children outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The home was founded following the 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti's capital city. Zanmi Beni is now home to over 60 children who were orphaned or displaced following the earthquake, including several children with disabilities who had been living in the city's General Hospital prior to the quake.

Zanmi Beni is not an orphanage, it is these children's home. Forever. They will never "age out." The mission of the Friends of Zanmi Beni is to support the day-to-day operations of the home and to provide the children with access to quality health care, education, and opportunities for growth in a loving, stable environment.

The event is from noon to 4 pm at Ransom Middle School, and will feature classic carnival games and prizes, face painting, slime making, delicious carnival treats, an exciting auction, and much more.

Pre-sale tickets, through April 12 are $30 per person, which includes lunch and 10 tickets per child. An all-inclusive band for rides is $95 per child which includes lunch, carnival booths and activities. Tickets are the door are $40 per person and $105 per child respectively. Tickets may be purchased at friendsofzb.org.

Ransom is located at 2045 S. Bayshore Drive.

Another beautiful mural added to the Grove

Coconut Groove, founded by Dan Travieso, hosted a Daybreaker event at The Barnacle on Saturday where there was a yoga class to help celebrate International Women's Day. This was followed by a dance party and then later in the afternoon, some of the people went over to Dan's house in the South Grove for a mural painting party.

"We're trying our best to inject some flavor and buzz back into our historically artistic neighborhood and create some more community friendly gatherings!" said Dan. 

The artist responsible for the design is Mike Halley. Mike stenciled in the designs and friends and family painted it. The youngest painter was two-years-old and the oldest was 94!

That's Dan painting the detail work.

The finished product.

New Tigertail + Mary restaurant to open in May

James Beard Award-winning chef-restaurateur Michael Schwartz announced his newest restaurant, Tigertail + Mary, will open in May at 3321 Mary Street at Tigertail Avenue. He calls is "a lush neighborhood retreat for fresh, vegetable-forward American cooking."

Harry’s Pizzeria’s on McFarlane Road is another successful restaurant created by Schwartz.

“Coconut Grove feels good I think because it doesn’t try too hard to be something. It is consistently, 100 percent itself, full of good energy and honesty. Food should be this way, too,” explains Schwartz. “We’ve always embraced this notion as a restaurant group, and as we’ve grown, it has become an extremely important lens that defines our Genuine approach in each new space we inhabit. For us it’s about food that is unhindered in its sincerity to the ingredient and the way we want guests to feel welcome when they join us.  Being in the Grove in many ways reminds us of what we aspire to be, and creating this restaurant and the dining experience has been an affirmation of our commitment to know ourselves better and be who we are. We’re having fun making good food and making a place our neighbors can feel good calling home.”

Tigertail + Mary’s offers seating for 120, including bar, main dining room, private dining room and outdoor patio. The front lawn opens up to neighborhood streets and homes.  Textured fabrics and natural materials in the design develop the relaxed feeling of the outside environment in the dining room, and the open kitchen with hearth and charcoal grill conjures a welcoming feeling.

The restaurant opens in mid-May and will offer breakfast bakery items from its walk-up café with seating at tables in the park, lunch, dinner and brunch.

Bingo is Thursday at the Woman's Club

Bingo is back at the Woman's Club of Coconut Grove on Thursday, March 28. They are celebrating the giving ladies of the club, the "Giving Tree Members."

Bring your family and friends, doors open at 6:30, Bingo begins at 7 pm. 

Admission is $5 for adults and free for children under 12. There is a $1 per card with minimum of five games.

Enjoy the cash bar and free snacks. Gift Certificates are part of the prices. The last game will be $1000 cash prize with full Bingo card of 46 numbers called.

All proceeds benefit the club.

Parking is available at St. Stephen's for a flat rate of $3.

The Woman's Club is at 2985 South Bayshore Drive.

Freebees, trolleys and Ubers

I read this interesting article in the NY Times called "Owning a Car Will Soon Be As Quaint as Owning a Horse," about cars not being part of our future, or not being part of our possessions in the future. I've toyed with the idea, I'd like to use Freebee, the trolleys and Uber more often. 

For many years I leased my car and every three years I would have to turn it in, which I know would delight most people, you know, turning in your car and getting a new one, but I didn't like that. I would get attached to the car and not want to turn it in. I'm the same with electronics, I like my TVs and cell phones and other things, I'm not one of those people waiting in long lines to get the newest item. I get attached to mine and I guess that's why I don't like changes around the village - the new buildings and things like that, but that's another story. Back to the cars.

My last car, I purchased, and decided that I would keep it until I ran it into the ground. But since I don't put much mileage on it and service it at proper intervals, it's like new. Which is a good thing. I only put about 4500 miles a year on the car. About 20 years ago, I put maybe 100 or so miles a day on the car, that's over 36,000 miles a year - now I do that 36,000 miles in 8 years.

I have been using Freebee more often. The way parking is around the village, it seems like Freebee is the most sensible thing to do. I'm in NYC often and I take the subway there 99% of the time, I love Hoboken, NJ, which is one train stop away from Manhattan. When I go to Long Island I'll take the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or my cousins drive, when I go from NY to Connecticut I take AmTrak and when I spread out through New England from Boston, I take commuter rail, so I don't drive as much as I used to. When I am in Mahnahttan, I'll walk as much as 10 miles a day. I stop in between, but in a 10 hour day, according to my meter on the iphone, I'll do as much as 10 miles by foot in between the subways and ubers.

I like the concept of no car. My friends ride bikes, they do lots of long distance riding, I should get into that, but I don't. I get into Freebee and Uber instead.

I remember when digital cameras came out, I couldn't understand how we would use cameras and not have film as a backup. The same with the house phone, it took me years to finally get rid of my house phone, for 10 years, my house phone was forwarded to my cell phone, but yet, I could not in my head get rid of the house phone. Now my thing is cable tv, I want to cut the cable, but am slow at that.

New traffic circle is open

The new traffic circle at McDonald Street and Day Avenue is open. According to the City of Miami Capital Improvements Dept, "Finishing touches are being made to the area."

Photo by Capital Improvements

It's Fleet Week at the Coconut Grove Rotary Club

Capt. Janik

Navy Captain Scott Janik, Commodore of Training Air Wing 6, will speak about the Navy the Nation Needs at the March 28 Rotary Club of Coconut Grove meeting. Captain Janik will include historical perspective, an overview of the service, areas of conflict where the Navy is currently engaged and the impact of the Navy on the Miami area. 

A native of Corvallis, Oregon, Captain Scott Janik was commissioned in 1995 via the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program at Villanova University and was designated a Naval Flight Officer in August 1996. He assumed command as Commodore Training Air Wing Six in July 2018.

Captain Janik has logged more than 3,000 hours and over 500 arrested landings in tactical aircraft while flying more than 120 combat missions. His decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medals, strike flight Air Medals, Navy Commendation Medals as well as other individual, campaign and unit awards. 

The Rotary Club of Coconut Grove meets every Thursday at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive at 12:30 pm. The cost of the meeting is $25 with lunch or $10 without lunch. Open to the public.

The walking bag

This video has been all over the internet this week, but I don't think anyone mentions that it's right here in the center of Coconut Grove. Singer Katy Perry even shared it with her 104 million Twitter followers.

But I guess the question is, "Is this a bag or a ghost walking across the street?"

Keeping Seaworthy Program alive

High school and middle school students with disabilities from five Greater Miami schools will be finishing up a 26-week water orientation program at Shake-a-Leg Miami at the end of May. The program, known as “Seaworthy,” involves students from Homestead Middle School, Felix Varela High School and Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School, My Own Teacher Academy, and Project Bridge. 

Seaworthy students learn kayaking, sailing, fitness, wellness and marine/environmental science to make improvements in their levels of fitness, knowledge, water safety and boating, social skills, self-sufficiency and self-confidence. The students attend the program one day a week for 26 sessions from October through May. Although the program was funded over the last 26 weeks by the Taft Foundation, funding for the coming October 2019 – May 2020 period has not yet been achieved.    

Any person or organization wishing to contribute to the coming year’s Seaworthy Program may do so by contacting Harry Horgan, Executive Director, at Shake A Leg Miami at harryh@shakealegmiami.org or by shakealegmiami.org.

Free concert in Regatta Park

The U.S. Navy Band Southeast will play a free sunset concert at Regatta Park on Wednesday, March 27. The event is open to the public. The family-friendly concert is part of a full lineup of Miami Navy Week special events throughout the community and will feature performances that residents of all ages can enjoy: 

• Phenomenal live music from the nationally-renowned U.S. Navy Band

• A U.S. Navy Drill Team performance

• Interactive informational displays showcasing the U.S. Navy’s broad mission

• And a thrilling drop-in aerial jump by the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs parachute team

The event starts at 6:30 pm 

Regatta Park is at 27 Avenue and S. Bayshore Drive. 

I'm missing our street artists

You know what? I'm missing Xenz and James Brazil. They were working on that mural at Grand and Matilda for so long that they themselves were part of the scenery and the community. They stopped and cheerfully talked with everyone, they were proud of their work and happy to talk about it.

They are supposed to come back and work on another project here in the Grove, but that section of town is a bit quiet now. I really liked them.

They sort of reminded me of the time Eileen Seitz, below, was painting the info booths around town. There was always someone around visiting with her as she worked, it added a bit of liveliness to the streets.

There has been talk of adding artists to the streets, you know, on a daily basis, painting and mingling with everyone who walks by. This has been talked about for so many years, but it will add a lot of enjoyment and life to the streets, you know, one or two a few days a week - local color. Literally.

Related stories
Elegant, refined murals are a new part of the Grove
The new mural is ready for its premier
The mural light show premiered Monday night
All the color is brightening up that dark corner
Dressing up the information booth

Next Chamber networker is at Atchana's

The Chamber of Commerce is holding its next networker at Atchana's Homegrown Thai restaurant on Wednesday, March 27.

The event is from 5:30 to 7:30 pm

General admission is $10 and members price is $10. Members price applies to members of the Chamber and includes a complimentary drink ticket, hors d'oeuvres and happy hour prices.

Bring your business cards and enjoy!

Atchana's is at 3194 Commodore Plaza.

Jennings & Keller to perform at The Barnacle

As we were walking through the Mad Hatter Arts Festival last weekend, a friend said, "That sounds like Joni Mitchell singing." It wasn't Joni of course, it was modern day troubadours Jennings & Keller who were on the stage. We walked over to meet them when they took a break and were excited to see that they will be back at The Barnacle for an evening of live entertainment on Saturday, April 13, as part of the Barnacle Moonlight Concert Series.

“Songwriter’s songwriter,” Dana Keller, is a veteran pedal steel, dobro, and guitar player who has spent years performing with such luminaries as Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Stevie Wonder, and The Allen Brothers, to name a few. Laurie Jennings Oudin has performed for many years on the stage as a professional singer and a former Shakespearean actress. Together, the duo has released four CDs and has received accolades and airplay from radio stations from coast to coast. They have traveled the country in their motor home, bringing their fusion of many different musical elements and eclectic style to audiences at festivals, cafes, wineries and house concerts. Along with developing a large and loyal fan base, they have earned a reputation for quality musicianship and expert storytelling.

Park in the neighborhood and use the Freebee shuttle service or stroll over to the pedestrian entrance. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for members of The Barnacle Society, $3 for children ages 6 to 9, and free for children 5 and under. Please leave pets at home, but feel free to bring low lawn chairs and rolling coolers. Arrive early to choose the best spot to spread out a picnic blanket on the spacious front lawn and enjoy your own treats and beverages.

Purchase tickets at the gate beginning at 6 pm on and enjoy a performance from 7 to 9 pm. 

The Barnacle is located at 3485 Main Highway.

Daybreaker celebrates International Women's Day

Coconut Groove, founded by Dan Travieso, will be hosting another Daybreaker at the Barnacle on Saturday, March 23.  From 10 to 11 am there will be a yoga class taught by local Grovite Virginia Ansaldi.  Come out and celebrate International Women's Day!

Women's Day began in 2011. Over one million people stood up to support equality. This month, cities around the globe, we’ll dance together as a female founded and female dominant community.

Then as always, there will be a dance party until 1 pm. Tickets start at $17, get them here. Wear something that nods to the future — intergalactic gear, metallic leggings, robo hats…

The Barnacle is at 3485 Main Highway.

As a special treat to Coconut Grove neighbors, Dan would like to extend an invitation to continue the dance party after the Barnacle and participate in a live mural painting at his and his wife's new home (the old Dharma House) at 3860 Crawford Avenue.

"We're trying our best to inject some flavor and buzz back into our historically artistic neighborhood and create some more community friendly gatherings!" says Dan. 

Mural painting will commence at 3 pm. The artist responsible for the design is Mike Halley. Mike is going to stencil it out so everyone can paint it out.

"Coconut Groove is an outlet for musical artists to create high energy moments in an intimate setting," says Dan. "We look to partner up with musical artists that play for the evolved ear.  New and fresh sounds that keep you moving and vibrating at a high frequency."

Join the Artisan Experience at Books & Books

Chocolate courtesy of Cao Chocolate

The Café at Books & Books in Coconut Grove is partnering with select, local artisans to present a free series of talks and tastings featuring locally-produced and sustainable food and drinks called the Artisan Experience. Join the artisans themselves, learn about the philosophy behind what they are making, and sample the foods, wines, craft beers and chocolate deliciousness that is being produced. 

The talks will be Tuesday, March 26 – Friday, March 29. 

The talks will include places like Cao Chocolate, where they will have a tasting where you can learn more about the process of hand-crafted chocolates made in Venezuela from owners Ricardo Trillos and Anelith Ortega who started their Miami company in 2009. The Florida Wine Company offers an experience of wines made form grapes and other fruit grown in Florida. Zak the Baker will discuss the philosophy of bread and pastry making. And there are so many others - flower arranging, coffee tasting, tea tasting, and more.

The whole list is at Books & Books website, where you can sign up for each event separately. They are all free and open to the public.

Books & Books is located at 3409 Main Highway.

Local biologist to address Rotary Club

Christine Pardo

Christine Pardo, a UM doctoral candidate, will be the speaker at the March 21 meeting of the Coconut Grove Rotary.  She has extensive research experience in Alaska, Peru and at the Harvard Forest In Massachusetts, and will be speaking about invasive plants in tropical forests. She is currently studying this phenomenon at the Las Cruces Biological Station and Wilson Botanical Garden in Costa Rica.

Pardo is the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Ecological Society of America’s Graduate Student Policy Award that gave her the opportunity to interact with congressional decision-makers, federal agency officials and others engaged in science and public policy.

The Rotary Club of Coconut Grove meets every Thursday at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive at 12:30 pm. The cost of the meeting is $25 with lunch or $10 without lunch. Open to the public.

The mural light show premiered Monday night

A few lucky Grovites who came out at sunset on Monday night were treated to the new mural at Grand and Matilda come alive. It was lit up and the electronic show did its thing. The lights react to your emotions and heartbeat. This project was funded by the Coconut Grove BID.

It was a test run and still needs to be tweeked, but those present loved the show.

Monty Trainer, who was there said, "It's beautiful. Perfect for the Grove, but we don't want to turn into Wynwood." Commissioner Ken Russell who was also present felt the same, "No, we don't want to overdo it and turn the Grove into Wynwood." AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt called it, "The future of murals."

James Brazil, one of the artists, did an incredible Grove-like piece of work. It fits in with the Grove. It says Coconut Grove. As you remember, I interviewed the other artist, Xenz, who was concerned that he was all sweaty and messy in that video. My friend Liz Gibson walked up to him on Monday night and asked, "Aren't you the sweaty guy?" Xenz laughed and said, "Yes, that's me!"

It was a fun evening. Stop by any night after sunset to see the show.

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There is no confusion regarding the Playhouse

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

In response to the recent Letter to the Editor by Arquitectonica Principal, Laurinda Spear, that seeks to “clarify” the confusion surrounding the Coconut Grove Playhouse —

There is NO CONFUSION, despite the vast efforts of Arquitectonica, (alleged) preservation architect Jorge Hernandez, and Michael Spring to create as much confusion as possible, so they can demolish our historic Playhouse in broad daylight.

There is NO CONFUSION about the 2004 voter mandate to use our tax dollars for complete restoration of our Playhouse.

There is NO CONFUSION about the intent of the 2005 Historic & Environmental Preservation Board’s 8-0 vote to include our ENTIRE Playhouse on the designation report.

There is NO CONFUSION about the unanimous vote by the State Historic Review Board to nominate our entire Playhouse, including the interior, for the National Register of Historic Places.

There is NO CONFUSION about the recent assertion by the State that, “the significant architectural elements within the historic theater are intact and in very good condition, underneath removable layers of plywood, drywall and plaster that were installed during multiple renovations over the years” — hence the unanimous vote.

There is NO CONFUSION about the precise guidelines for complete restoration that are specifically outlined by the National Park Service for the restoration of buildings that are on the National Register, such as our Coconut Grove Playhouse.

There is NO CONFUSION about our Playhouse being a single building and NOT two buildings, as misrepresented by Arquitectonica, (alleged) preservation architect Jorge Hernandez and Michael Spring.

There is NO CONFUSION about the HEP Board’s recent 6-4 vote against demolishing our historic Playhouse.

There is NO CONFUSION about the motivation for Arquitectonica’s minimized 300-seat theater “room” designed for the property of our demolished historic 1000+ seat theater — 

• To meet the Playhouse deed requirement that a theater exist on the property
• To leave plenty of room on the site for a brand new, multiple phase, multistory, mixed-use mega office, retail, condo, parking garage and FIU satellite campus project, known as CocoWalk 2.0.

There is NO CONFUSION about the inappropriateness of FIU’s new bilingual MFA satellite campus on our demolished historic Playhouse site — the gateway to Miami’s first black community.

There is NO CONFUSION about the State being the responsible entity obligated to take over our Playhouse due to the County’s gross violations of their lease agreement with the State. The State will not auction off to a developer, our precious historic cultural resource that they themselves so arduously nominated for the National Register.

THERE IS NO CONFUSION. 

There is only fraud, negligence, wanton disregard, collusion, unjust enrichment, disenfranchisement and a severe lack of professional ethics, integrity, dignity and respect.

Sincerely, 
Melissa Meyer Assoc. AIA LEED AP BD+C
Adjunct Professor Miami Dade College 
School of Architecture and Interior Design