Watchdog Report Vol. 15 No. 25 October 12, 2014 EST 05.05.00 -I go when you cannot – Celebrating 5 Years

>>> The Watchdog Report publisher would like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation www.knightfoundation.org for funding by the Knight Foundation with technical support from the Knight Centerwww.knightfoundation.org to maintain my webpage. The Watchdog Report webpage is free, has no pops-up and is just the news in a mainstream reporting manner.
ARGUS REPORT – Heard, Seen on the Street
>>> U.S., Rep. Garcia and GOP candidate Curbello going for the throat Curbello lobbyist client becomes news but will it affect election in tight race?
The Congressional Race for House Dist. 26 has heated up after voters were barraged by negative attack ads by the two candidates incumbent school board member Joe Garcia, D-Miami and school board member Carlos Curbello running as a Republican.  Garcia’s attack ads have called for Curbello won’t release his lobbyist client list and in a The Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article2670974.html
>>>> U.S. Sen. Nelson says Import Export Bank critical to Miami, Greater Miami Chamber needs to have “Prayer session” with Congress to break legislative logjam
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. Told the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Wednesday that when he was a payload specialist on the Space Shuttle the earth from space looked serene since there were no ethnic divisions and demographic tensions he said from space and he noted “We are all in this together” when it came to the planet and issues the world faces such as Climate Change. The Senator first elected to office in 2000 is the highest ranking Democrat in Florida and he was born at the old Victoria hospital in Little Havana and he reminisced about living in Miami decades ago and when it came to the iconic Orange Bowl Parade, he once participated in the parade at age six as a “Latin Dancer,” he told the packed luncheon crowd that included a host of service personal from enlisted members to senior military brass attending to hear the Senior Senator from Florida’s comments.
What about the Import Export Bank?
Nelson told Chamber members that they should hold a “prayer session” with Congress members since the Import Export Bank it is being stymied by the body and it helps finance businesses in other nations and helps with the nation’s trade deficit and business in general. Editor’s Note: I will complete this story next week.
What about the King tide flooding last week?
What happened with the King tides Florida coastline and why he is beating the drum that Climate Change is coming and must be addressed in current plans for projects along the waterfront. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article2633647.html

Nelson

>>>>Web page announcement: The Knight Foundation is looking for big ideas on how to make communities better and for more on the program go to Knight Cities Challenge 2014-15 Initial Application – Hide GuidelinesEnds on 11/14/2014 what’s your best idea to make cities more successful? The Knight Cities Challenge seeks new ideas from innovators – activists, designers, artists, planning professionals, hackers, architects, city officials, companies, educators, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, block captains, social workers, and neighbors, anyone – who will take hold of the future of our cities. From a pool of $5 million we’re awarding grants at the city, neighborhood and block levels – and all sizes in between. No project is too small – so long as the idea is big. We are looking for fresh ideas that focus on one or more of these three key drivers of city success: attracting and retaining talented people, expanding economic opportunity, and creating a culture of civic engagement.

The rules are simple: A submission may come from anywhere but the project must take place in or benefit one or more of 26 Knight Communities. Your idea should focus on one or all of three key drivers of city success: attracting and retaining talent, expanding economic opportunity, and creating a culture of civic engagement. Apply today! Read more at the Knight Cities Challenge homepage and in the FAQ. If you would like to submit a proposal for the Knight Cities Challenge please review ourTerms of Use and Privacy Policy. Submit

>>>Zogby press release: The Anatomy of Mistrust: 37% don’t expect the Truth from Either the President or GOP Leadership By: John Zogby Forbes.com

Contributor The new Zogby Analytics poll conducted last weekend shows just how low public confidence in our governing institutions is right now. While twice as many voters (37%) “Trust the President more to speak the truth” than the GOP leadership (17%), another 37% don’t trust either and another 9% are not sure. Even more staggering are the details in the cross-tabulations. The President kind of wins the battle among independents 22% to 10%, but 53% trust neither and another 15% are not sure. Conservatives are far less likely to trust neither than liberals or moderates – 46% of conservatives, 18% of liberals and 39% of moderates. Among age groups, young people are more trusting overall – 18-29 year olds trust the President more than the GOP (41% to 11%, with 29% neither and 19% not sure); and among 30-49 year olds, the President leads in trust (43% to 14%, 33% neither and 9% not sure). Boomers (50-64 year old) give the edge to the President (30% to 20%, but 41% say neither, and 9% are not sure). Voters 65 and older are evenly split (28%-27%, but a huge 43% say neither and 2% are not sure).Please click on the link below to view the full release:
http://zogbyanalytics.com/news/504-the-anatomy-of-mistrust-37-don-t-expect-the-truth-from-either-the-president-or-gop-leadership

>>>> GOV RICK SCOTT: WHITE HOUSE PUTTING SOME TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON EBOLA COUNTRIES IS COMMON SENSE

Press release: Governor Rick Scott today released the following statement following his briefing this morning with Florida health and emergency officials and an afternoon conference call with President Obama:

“We are still urging the President to fulfill our request for 30 testing kits the state has requested from the CDC and an additional 100 units of high-level protective gear. Florida still does not have any confirmed cases of Ebola, and we hope we never do, but we must continue to do everything possible to keep our citizens and our visitors safe.

“As to the discussion on international travel restrictions, I agree with Senator Bill Nelson and Governor Bobby Jindal that the White House needs to look at certain restrictions on travel from countries battling Ebola to keep Americans safe. This is not a partisan decision. It is a common sense decision. I assume the administration is doing everything they can to secure our country and combat the spread of this disease. That is what we are doing in Florida and I assume they are taking the same steps at the federal level.”

>>> EMS Union press release: Safety Stand Down for Ebola Preparedness

The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history and has spread to multiple countries in West Africa. The first confirmed case in North America was recently reported in Dallas, Texas, where the 9-1-1 system was used to treat and transport the patient to the hospital. The patient has since died. The ambulance crew – all members of Dallas, TX Local 58 – have been taken off duty with pay and are under continuous medical observation at their homes. For more information on what you need to know about Ebola, click here.It is highly likely that more individuals infected with Ebola will seek assistance from emergency response personnel as the disease spreads. The IAFF is urging every affiliate to conduct a “safety stand down” with their employer and review all infectious exposure policies, procedures and guidelines. You should assess your department’s preparedness for responding to and caring for patients with possible symptoms of the Ebola virus and whether you have the equipment and training needed for safely responding to worst-case scenarios in potential Ebola exposures should this virus spread in the United States and Canada.

All policies, procedures and guidelines should at a minimum address the following:

·         Use standard precautions, including fluid resistant and or impermeable long-sleeved gowns, single or double gloves, eye protections, leg coverings, and disposable shoe covers. The IAFF recommends N95 respirators for all patients with respiratory symptoms.

·         If there is a potential exposure, or the crew thinks they have been affected, DO NOT return to the firehouse. After transport, remove the unit from service while at the hospital. If an engine and EMS unit both respond, they should stay together throughout the call to keep other fire fighters from potential contamination. Exposure reporting should be activated from the hospital or while in route to the hospital with the patient.

·         Establish follow-up and reporting measures after caring for a suspected or confirmed Ebola patient.

·         Develop policies for monitoring and management of EMS personnel potentially exposed to Ebola. Policies should be flexible in terms of the amount of time required for monitoring and potential isolation of exposed personnel.

·         Establish sick leave policies for personnel that are non-punitive, flexible and consistent with public health guidance.

·         Ensure that all personnel, including staff who are not directly employed to provide patient care but provide essential daily services, are also aware of the sick leave policies.

·         Ensure that fire and EMS personnel exposed to blood, bodily fluid, secretions or excretions from a patient with a suspected or confirmed Ebola virus immediately:
1) Stop working and wash the affected skin surfaces with soap and water and irrigate with a large amount of water or eyewash solution.
2) Contact an occupational health supervisor for assessment and access to post-exposure management services.
3) Receive medical evaluation and follow-up care as appropriate. Medical evaluations should include fever monitoring twice daily throughout the Ebola incubation period, which is two to 21 days.

·         Establish return-to-work protocols according to EMS agency policy and discussions with local, state and federal public health authorities.

·         Fire and EMS personnel who develop sudden onset of fever, intense weakness or muscle pains, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pains or any other symptoms after an unprotected exposure should NOT report to work or, if at work, immediately stop working, isolate themselves, notify their supervisor (who should notify local and state health departments as appropriate), contact an occupational health supervisor for assessment and post-exposure management service and comply with work exclusions until they are considered no longer infectious to others.

·         Identify a single occupational health representative for reporting exposures.

·         Fit test all personnel for use of N95 masks and provide them, as well as appropriate eye protection.

The transmission of the Ebola virus occurs through direct contact with blood and bodily fluids of an infected person. It can also be transmitted through exposure to objects that are contaminated by the bodily fluids, such as needles. Healthcare workers, including fire fighters and EMS personnel, are at the highest risk of becoming sick because they are exposed daily too many patients with common symptoms of Ebola and other infectious diseases.

The IAFF stresses the importance of consistently using standard precautions during every patient encounter and having the proper training and equipment to safely respond to and care for individuals exhibiting signs of Ebola.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides important guidance documents, most notably the Interim Guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for Management of Patients With Known or Suspected Ebloa Virus Disease and EMS Checklist for Ebola Preparedness. For more CDC infection control guidelines, click here.For more information on what you need to know about Ebola, click here.

>>>  Mike Fernandez, the low key Coral Gables civic leader, philanthropist,  and healthcare billionaire who is suggesting having an iconic Flag of Gratitude and a U.S. Army veteran made a presentation at the Chamber luncheon Wednesday along with a moving video, especially since the room was filled with South Florida military personnel from all the different branches of services. Editor’s note I will complete this story next week. >>> From Fernandez’s webpage: It is astonishing how much ugliness my simple idea detailed in the Aug. 7 article in The Miami Herald, Billionaire pitches proposal for massive flag over Miami, has generated. By ugliness I do not refer to the disagreement with an idea or a position, rather I mean hurtful ugliness to my offer to pay for the design, building and installation of what some called my “monstrous idea,” A Flag of Gratitude, in downtown Miami. It would be on a 450-foot-high flagpole, located behind American Airlines Arena and would cost between $5 – $10 million.

Those who disagree have every right to do so. Maybe some misunderstood my motives. Maybe I didn’t explain well enough why I’m such a grateful citizen of our great country. So, let me explain.

Personally, I take very little for granted. Even simple things like our ability to turn on a faucet and expect water to flow from it, most people on earth do not have this benefit. Many born under our form of government take what we have for granted and simply do not understand how those of us who came from elsewhere cannot take that for granted. I don’t think our country is perfect, but is there a better form of government, a more generous people anywhere in the world? The Flag of Gratitude that I would hope our city would support isn’t for me, born in Cuba, but on behalf of all who have been embraced by our great nation. I wish to say thank you on behalf of the Irish, English, Chileans, Japanese, Vietnamese, Italians, Romanians, Nigerians, South Africans, Mexicans, Venezuelans, Germans and, yes, the Pilgrims who preceded us. All these, and more, came looking for a better place, for freedom. I want to show our gratitude to these great United States from all its adopted sons and daughter. All of us.

A few who wrote suggested I should take my Cuban “back end” and build a flag there. Sir, this is my home, this is my country and I am not going back. Very similar to your ancestors who chose to stay, I, too, will stay. A few called me an ungrateful egomaniac. Know that it was never my intention to ask for my name to be on this. Others told me my proposal was callous, and that any such dollars ought to go to health services, inner-city education, supporting those less fortunate. In fact, I have done all of these things, too.

This is my community, and this is my country, and I want to say, thank you. This country gave me opportunity, and no guaranteed results. That is the opportunity for all of us. I don’t know if this Flag of Gratitude will be built in Miami. Let me simply say to my country, our country: We are grateful to be your adopted sons and daughters. For more go to www.flagofgratitude.com MICHAEL B. FERNANDEZ, CORAL GABLES

FLORIDA

>>> Scott campaign Attack ads keep hitting Crist, but is MO shifting to former gov. with Hispanic voters, as debates loom in days ahead?

The race for governor has tightened up with just a few percentage points separating the candidate’s Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist now running as a Democrat after Crist early on had an early lead in the polls around the state but a barrage of negative campaign ads have taken their toll on Crist and a third Party candidate running as a Libertarian Adrian Wyllie has bled off some of the undecided and independent voter’s key to a Crist victory on Nov. 2 after being hammered by negative ads by the Scott campaign. However, Crist  is only getting lukewarm support in Broward County which is rich in Democratic voters and while Democrats hate Scott they have mixed feelings about Crist who only turned Democrat after being a former Jeb Bush and Ronald Reagan Republican and Crist is embracing the President Barack Obama administration but Scott is expected to spend some $100 million to Crist’s roughly $50 million on campaign ads and neither candidate has articulated what they will do if they were elected and the campaigns are focused on negative campaigns and trashing the other candidate as untrustworthy and up for sale, yet there is no evidence that Crist sold judgeships when he was in office in the past in reference to the Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein. And with the statewide polls tightening up the Scott campaign is feeling optimistic about the race and its theme of jobs and the Florida economy doing better than when Crist was in office. And Helen Ferre interviewed Wyllie on WPBT 2 Issues this past week http://video.wpbt2.org/programs/ and for more on the governor’s race go tohttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article2225931.html and both Crist and Scott will be debating Oct 15 on WFOR CBS 4 and this debate should help some undecided voters make up their minds. And to watch and earlier one on Spanish television go to http://news.yahoo.com/video/crist-scott-face-off-1st-211400154.html and to see the Oct. 15 debate go to http://miami.cbslocal.com/video/10676887-crist-scott-face-off-in-1st-debate-wyllie-protests/ However in statewide polls Crist is doing better than Scott when it comes to Hispanic voters and turnout of these voters will be key if Crist is to go back to the governor’s office.

Crist

Scott

Wyllie

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article2671161.html

On the well-being of our children. Visit The Children’s Movement website to read their stories and share your own. >>> I find it unacceptable, as all of us should, that at least a half-million children in Florida – all citizens — have no health insurance. How could this be in our beloved country that seeks to be a beacon to the world? Health insurance for all children is one of the five major planks of The Children’s Movement. With the support of Florida Covering Kids and Families, The Children’s Movement is working with dozens of local partners to help build a meaningful signing-up initiative in more than a dozen Florida communities. Already we have: Completed 18 KidCare trainings around the state. Signed up, trained and deployed more than a hundred volunteers. Begun to build a growing collaboration between local school districts and KidCare outreach coalitions. It’s a good start, but only the start. If you’d like to become a volunteer, just click here. Another way to help is to make a contribution – of any size – to help support this work. It is easy. Just click here. A real movement isn’t possible without your helping in some meaningful way. Dave Lawrence, Jr., Chair The Children’s Movement. >>> Update: Two encouraging meetings… The first, a visit from the Governor to the Rainbow Intergenerational Child Care center in Little Havana where he discussed his early learning priorities. That includes his support for “Help Me Grow,” a statewide parent resource system where parents would be able — via phone and online — to get answers to questions about their child’s development and connected with the proper resources. The second, a meeting with future House Speaker, Rep. Jose Oliva from Hialeah. He’s a father of three, a real reader of history and student of policy, and committed to better understanding early learning. Dave Lawrence, Chair The Children’s Movement.

>>> House Dist. 112 race getting ugly with endless attack campaign pieces in the voters mailboxes

State Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami is being challenged by GOP candidate Daniel Diaz Leyva in a tough fought race that has the candidates going after each other and in many attack campaign flyers by both men who are attorneys and House Dist. 112 is a swing district and Diaz Leyva is getting support from long serving GOP Congress woman Ileana Ros Lehtinen, R-Miami and former Congressman Adam Putnam in the state House race. Rodriguez won the House seat when he defeated Alex Diaz de La Portilla in 2012 when he got 54 percent of the vote over the former state senator, but there was significant controversy with DLP that is not the case in this current race and insiders consider the race a toss-up and will depend on Democratic Party voter’s turnout.

Rodriguez

Diaz Leyva

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article2666455.html

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

>>> FORMER MIAMI-DADE VENDOR ARRESTED FOR WORKERS’ OMPENSATION FRAUD SCHEME

IG press release: Pedro M. Diaz, the owner and President, of Best Janitorial & Supplies, Inc. (Best Janitorial), a former Miami-Dade County vendor, was arrested today as a result of a joint investigation by the Miami-Dade County Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. Diaz was charged with one count of Workers’ Compensation Fraud of more than $20,000, a second degree felony, in violation of §440.105(4)(b)6, Florida Statutes, and one count of Grand Theft, a third degree felony, in violation of §812.014(2)(c)3, Florida Statutes. The joint investigation revealed a scheme to conceal employee payroll in order to avoid or diminish the amount of workers’ compensation premiums paid by Best Janitorial. Diaz’s payroll misrepresentations also defrauded Best Janitorial’ s contracted payroll company, SouthEast Personnel Leasing, Inc. (SouthEast), from the full amount of administrative fees due to the company.

Best Janitorial provided cleaning services to County facilities from 2004 until 2013. Some of the facilities serviced by Best Janitorial included Miami-Dade police stations, courthouses, and the Juvenile Justice Center. SouthEast, through an employee leasing agreement, provided Best Janitorial with workers’ compensation insurance, payroll, and payroll tax compliance. Best Janitorial paid SouthEast an administrative fee based on the amount of wages and workers’ compensation premiums processed. The investigation uncovered that Diaz underreported the salaries to SouthEast. Diaz paid the balance of the employee wages through Best Janitorial checks or with checks issued by another company he owns, Hugo Cleaning Services of South Florida (Hugo Cleaning). The OIG investigation found that Best Janitorial employees often were unable to cash the Best Janitorial and Hugo Cleaning paychecks due to non-sufficient funds. For the three years that were the focus of the OIG investigation (2009, 2010, and 2011) Diaz’s scheme allowed him to underpay workers’ compensation premiums by a total of more than $34,000 and to divert more than $19,000 in administrative fees owed to SouthEast.

“Workers’ compensation fraud would have left low-wage workers on their own if they had been seriously hurt on the job.  Pedro Diaz would have benefitted while the workers and Miami-Dade County would have lost—big time,” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.  “It is only through the work of dedicated Investigators and Prosecutors that schemes such as this are detected and eliminated.”

“Employers seeking to cheat the system and gain a financial advantage, place the County and their employees at risk.  The OIG is steadfast in its commitment to ensure that all who contract with or provide services to the County comply with the law,” said Mary Cagle, Inspector General of Miami-Dade County.

Suarez

Gimenez

What about the swearing in of new Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava on Nov. 18^th ?

The newly elected commissioner Daniella Levine Cava asked Commission Chair Rebeca Sosa last week if she could change the date for her swearing in ceremony (to Nov. 18) and when the commission votes on its new chair to Nov. 24 and the body agreed to the date change and while a motion was her first victory on the 13 member commission.

Further, Levine Cava elected to the District 8 seat on the dais has been having Sunshine Meetings with her fellow commissioners to hear their views on a variety of matters and is showing she is doing her homework prior to sitting on the body after she defeated incumbent Commissioner Lynda Bell in a tough well financed commission race, that also had the support of Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

Gimenez

Levine Cava

Press release: Effective September 15th, the initiative to create Miami’s longest urban linear park and trail, the GreenLink, is being renamed and branded The Underline.

Friends of the Underline in cooperation with Miami-Dade County is leading The Underline initiative to transform the underutilized land beneath the Metrorail from the Miami River north of Brickell Station to Dadeland South into a 10-mile linear park and bicycle and pedestrian commuter/exercise trail.

The cities of Miami, Coral Gables, South Miami, and the Village of Pinecrest unanimously endorsed the project citing the potential positive economic impact to their communities and the health impact for the nearly 400,000 residents within a 10-minute walk of the park and trail. “The Underline’s new name, logo and website are all ‘Wow’ reflecting the iconic nature of the vision and scale of the project,” said Meg Daly, Friends of the Underline founder.

The new name, logo and branding were inspired by the physicality of the space, a linear park that runs directly under Miami’s Metrorail. The logo itself is a visual metaphor: the green lettering of the word The Underline represents the park space, the black bar above the word Underline represents the concrete and metal tracks above the park. Last, when you underline something, you’re emphasizing or highlighting it. The Underline will highlight Miami’s US1 corridor for 10-miles from Dadeland South station to Brickell Avenue Station.

“This innovative project will set Miami’s legacy of great linear parks to new heights. With The Underline, our community will join the ranks of leading cities that invested in a network of great parks. This project will transform nearly ten miles of underutilized Metrorail right of way into the world’s only great linear urban park that is fully integrated into transit while transforming the region through its economic, environmental and health benefits” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.

“The Underline is another testament to Miami’s growing appetite for breakthrough ideas and innovation,” said Matt Haggman Miami program director for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, one of the project’s funders. “We are hopeful about the tremendous impact that it could have on further building Miami’s urban core and attracting young talent to the city, who increasingly gravitate toward more walkable, transit-friendly communities.”

The Underline will be linked to multiple neighborhood parks that will create a system of superbly designed open spaces that offer recreational, educational, and other public amenities. Set along US1, one of the County’s busiest transportation corridors, it will serve as both an urban oasis and a new way to explore Miami for biking, running and strolling. It will be an iconic Miami linear park that brings together cutting-edge urban planning, park, landscape, and public space design and the arts.

Event: To kick-off the new branding, HistoryMiami, a Smithsonian Affiliated museum and a premier local cultural institution, located at 101 W. Flagler Street in downtown Miami, will feature The Underline: Make It Yours exhibition in its Community Gallery from Tuesday, September 16, until Sunday, November 16. The exhibition showcases the key components of the initiative, a 20-foot wide trail, park spaces, and transit station development.  Visitors are encouraged to post comments directly on the walls of the exhibition.  This feedback will be collected and used in The Underline’s master planning process beginning in 2015.  Visit historymiami.org for hours of operation and directions.  The Underline: Make It Yours exhibition is free to the public.

Economic Impact Study: This Fall 2014 semester, the University of Miami School of Business Administration, under the direction of Professor Andrea Heuson, and partnering with Urban4M’s Hillit Meidar Alfi, will study the potential economic impact on adjacent and neighboring properties along The Underline.  The study will be completed and published by the end of December, 2014. Miami-Dade County Resolution to Endorse The Underline: October 7, 2014, sponsored by Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, the Miami-Dade County

MIAMI-DADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

>>> Audit Board Chair Shapiro after 11 years honored for his dedication and efficient running of key oversight board watching over $ 4. 4 billion in public money

Jeffrey Shapiro an attorney and former prosecutor after 11 years is stepping down as the school Board’s Audit and budget Review Chair and he was honored at the school board meeting Wednesday and the praise came from all quarters after he took over the leadership slot held a decade ago by Hank Mack who refused to step down and since Shaprio was in the position the normal leadership rotation took place consistent with Board Rules that were ignored when Mack was chair and this group of citizen volunteers is the nation’ fourth largest public districts fire wall in regard to accountability and how public dollars are being spent and this board is one of the reasons the public has not seen the numerous scandals that rocked the District years ago and Shapiro will be missed as he goes back to private practice and he had a good temperament but did not suffer fools in front of the board giving lame excuses and the Watchdog Report gives him a Tip of the Hat for his years of honorable service.

Shapiro

PUBLIC HEALTH TRUST

>>> 3^rd Consecutive year of surplus, has Jackson Health System CEO Migoya saying if said in the past “people would have assumed we were all crazy,” he tells Trust board after major concessions from union employees over the years

PHT President and CEO Carlos Migoya said at this month’s televised board meeting that the Trust is closing its third consecutive year in the  row in the black and had we said this would happen years ago “people would have assumed we were all crazy.” Said Migoya regarding the turnaround of the Trust that hemorrhaged millions in the red for years. Migoya noted that a major tactical marketing initiative was paying off and that there were, “30 deliveries at the hospital” which had in the past done many less in such a time frame but was now being promoted by the health system.

>>> PAST WDR: $830 million Bond oversight council will interview all 13 applicants but no architects applied to be on the board a critical opening given the magnitude of the infrastructure JHS needs to be competitive with over community hospitals

PAST WDR: The PHT Nominating Council reviewing the 13 applicants that applied to be on the oversight board of how the new $830 million in GOB bond money will be spent met on Tuesday and the members discussed the qualifications of the applicants that were to have certain skill sets such as being an engineer, a CPA, experience in real estate development, emergency medical services and a professional architect. The Council decided to have a “Meet and greet” with the applicants on Oct 8^th but the fact that no architect applied was of concern given the massive infrastructure planned at the main campus of the County public hospital and Commissioner Audrey Edmonson thought no applicants of that profession applied because they wanted “the work,” she suggested and that slot will be left open for one year, since these skill sets are significant to have on any new oversight board and it was hoped the mayor’s appointment to the board might be someone with such skills, but it also highlights the fact that the public and top notch people are tired of applying to these board’s when the commission then rejects the Councils nomination and advice such as when first rated candidate Peter Bermont was rejected by the county commission months ago and that rejection has sent a chilling affect through the community for the man was highly regarded and is well respected in the community but commissioners disregarded the council’s recommendation and he was not appointed and it raises the question why does the Council exist and spend so much time interviewing the prospective candidates when their recommendations are ignored by County Commissioners and it reminds the Watchdog Report that to many cooks in the kitchen results in a bad meal given all the processes that are being followed. And during the discussion PHT Council discussion the Trust’s vice Chair Joe Arriola endlessly quipped and made some questionable comments and he seems to consider himself the board’s class clown and no one is able to reign in his sometimes off color comments during these meetings since they appear to be afraid of the man who is rich and a former Miami manager who does not care what others think of him and he also has a certain disdain for education since he is only a high school graduate and believes on the Trust board “ there are enough attorney’s” and these candidates should not be considered for the oversight board but the lack of an architect applying is a big deal for the Trust only gets one shot regarding how this public money is spent and Jackson Health System(JHS) when it comes to infrastructure is competing with other community hospitals such as Mt. Sinai and Baptist Health South Florida that have much nicer facilities and diagnostic medical equipment and while Baptist facilities are being used the most by county employees (that fact came up at a commission meeting where the health program was being discussed last week), these people with insurance need to be attracted to JHS and why the effective use of this public money is so important for it has  to be done right for there is no more public money after this bond money is spent. And how much the county is hoping to save with the new program is $50 million and JHS is a critical component to those savings in this new select plan and for more go to:   http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article2249474.html

CITY OF MIAMI

>>> Press release: Camillus House Mat Program Showing Signs of Success the City of Miami’s Investment Is Helping Hundreds of Homeless

The Pottinger Mat Program at Camillus House was instituted in August 2014 with funding from several sources, mostly the City of Miami and associated agencies. The total amount raised was $700,000. We are happy to report that the program is achieving the desired result of giving those in need a temporary place to reside, and breaking the cycle of homelessness within the City of Miami. The money allocated from the City of Miami was used to pay for 100 mats to house the homeless for 1 year in the courtyard of Camillus House. The money would also be used to fund medical check-ups, mental health screenings, and substance abuse treatment. In the month of August 2014, there were 224 admissions to the Pottinger Mat Program, and 212 of those admissions were unduplicated. Unduplicated means that they were not recurring admissions, but rather new entrants who required assistance. During that month, 23 individuals moved out of the program to an apartment, to receive other treatment, or back to their families. In September 2014 so far, there have been 102 admissions, and 90 of them unduplicated with currently 83 currently residing.

Overall, the program has housed 326 homeless individuals, giving them access to food and shelter which was unaccessible before the program was instituted. We at the Miami District 2 office hope to continue to see the Pottinger Mat Program help the homeless community, and we would like to thank James Bernat, the Miami Police Homeless Coordinator, for his great work on implementing the new law rewritten by the modified Pottinger Agreement signed a few months ago.

Many thanks go to Teresa Sarnoff (my wife and partner) for fundraising for the private component of the $700,000 ($70,000) for End Homelessness Now. She has committed to increasing the private sector funding from $70,000 to $100,000 next year.

Commissioner Hardemon was a true partner when he funded $175,000 from the Southeast Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, or SEOPW CRA, for the program, and of course the 2 Mayors, Gimenez and Regalado are staunch supporters of the idea to End Homelessness Now. I thank them for their support. Another entity that deserves recognition is Camillus House and Executive Director Dr. Paul R. Ahr. Through his leadership, Camillus House has provided admirable care and service to the homeless community of the City of Miami. He has reported that after 8 weeks of this program, 38 chronically homeless individuals have been referred to a variety of other areas including other Camillus House programs, their own apartments, their homes, the Chapman Partnership, relocation out of town, a motel, and Jackson Memorial Hospital. All of these positive developments are evidence that this program is not only helping the homeless by providing them a place to sleep for the night, but are providing them with relocation and health services for a more permanent solution to their misfortune. We are proud to hear these developments and hope the program can continue producing such promising news for the City of Miami. As always, if you have questions or concerns you’d like to share, you can always call our office at (305) 250-5333 or email me at msarnoff@miamigov.com.

CITY OF MIAMI BEACH

>>> Sen Nelson bringing colleagues to see King Tides effect on tourist town and effects of Climate Change

U.S. Sen Bill Nelson will be bringing some senators from around the nation to see what happens on the Beach when it comes to the King Tides expected this Thursday and the need to address Climate Change and will also affect Ft Lauderdale which gets flooded during such events and in the case of the Beach there are 60 new pumps that have been installed at millions of dollars but it is unknown if these will be enough to stop the flooding that causes chaos for residents.

CITY OF CORAL GABLES

>>> M-DC Ethics Commission press release: The Ethics Commission approved a Letter of Instruction to former Dade Medical College President Ernesto Perez, who last month settled a complaint (C 14-24) that he lobbied officials in Homestead and Coral Gables from 2011 to 2013 on behalf of his school without first registering as a lobbyist.  The Letter notes that the Conflict of Interest and Code of Ethics Ordinance specifically includes the “principal” of a company who acts as a lobbyist when seeking to influence government action, and states that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.”  As part of the negotiated agreement, Perez pled No Contest to two counts of unregistered lobbying and paid a fine of $1,500 plus costs of $500.

A finding of No Probable Cause was found to a complaint (C 14-32) charging exploitation of official position by a Miami Gardens politician by a candidate for his seat.  Francis David Ragoo accused City Councilman Erhabor Ighodaro of rescheduling an annual march, known as Operations Stand against Violence its Our Responsibility (SAVIOR) from December to August to benefit his campaign for reelection.   But, the investigation found that a committee coordinating the event — a joint effort of the city and Mt. Zion AME Church – decided to hold the 6^th annual march to coincide with the start of the school year and that the Councilman was not involved in setting the date.  The complaint was dismissed.

CITY OF NORTH MIAMI

>>> NM Official Steril  settles ethics complaint

M-DC Ethics Commission press release: The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust (COE) today approved a negotiated settlement with North Miami Councilwoman Marie Steril who admitted to an ethics charge that she exploited her official position by demanding that her mother receive upgrades denied to other buyers when she bought a home through a federally-funded program run by the city.  The complaint (C 14-19) found that in 2009, Councilwoman Steril asked the manager of North Miami’s Community Planning and Development department to find a small house for her mother through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, intended for residents who need assistance in buying a home.  While the home was being renovated in March of 2011, Steril insisted that the countertops and appliances in the kitchen be replaced with higher quality products and a change order was issued.  Other homebuyers sought similar changes and offered to pay the difference, but were told they had to abide by the bid specifications for the home renovations.  As part of the agreement, Steril will pay nearly $5,000 in restitution to the City of North Miami.  She also agreed to pay $500 in investigative costs to the Ethics Commission and accept a Letter of Reprimand.

CITY OF HOMESTEAD

>>> 2 charged with in 2013 Homestead Absentee Ballot Tampering Investigation

Press release: The Miami-Dade State Attorney Office and the Miami-Dade Police Department  announce the arrest of James Brady and Samuel Jean for their roles in tampering with the absentee ballots of Ms. Robkevia Scott, Ms. Betty Brockington, Taquesha Robinson  and Mr. Willie James Snead during the November 2013 City of Homestead Mayoral and City Council Elections.

“Criminal activities which aim to undermine our voting process should offend every citizen of Dade County”, commented State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.  “The actions of my prosecutors and the Miami-Dade Police Department to effectively charge those who try to steal any citizen’s vote show our deep commitment to clean and honest elections. This lengthy investigation aimed to bring all the facts and all of the evidence into the light of day for a sound prosecution.”An investigation was initiated by the Miami-Dade Police Public Corruption Bureau/ Public Corruption Unit after Ms. Robkevia Scott, a resident of the City of Homestead, filed a complaint with the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics.  In that complaint she alleged that James Brady and Samuel Jean, workers/volunteers for Homestead Mayoral Campaign Candidate Mark Bell, fraudulently deprived Ms. Scott and three of her relatives of their right to vote for the candidates of their choice.

A series of conversations started on October 14, 2013 with Mark Bell campaign worker/volunteer Samuel Jean inquiring about the status of their four (4) absent ballots and making suggestions as to which candidates to support.  On October 16, 2013, Mr. Jean and Mark Bell campaign worker/volunteer Mr. James Brady returned to the Homestead residence, met with all four Homestead residents and offered to assist them in filling out their absentee ballots.  According to Betty Brockington Mr. Jean and Mr. Brady filled out the absentee ballots for the family, after getting their input as to which candidates each person wanted to vote for and then attempted to have the ballot envelopes signed. Three of four 2 charged with in 2013 Homestead Absentee Ballot Tampering Investigation.family members did sign the ballots without reviewing the contents.  22-year-old Robkevia Scott, refused to sign the absentee ballot without reviewing the actual cast votes and took her vote back. Only then did Ms. Scott notice that Mr. Jean and Mr. James Brady had chosen the candidates the family had specifically said it opposed in the Nov. 5 election: mayoral candidate Mark Bell and council candidate Norman Hodge Jr.  The men left with the 3 ballots and Ms. Scott then contacted the authorities.  Upon getting a search warrant for the ballots, it was learned that the 3 ballots had been submitted and the same votes (for Mark Bell and Norman Hodge Jr.)  had been indicated.  Samuel Jean and James Brady denied filling out the absentee ballots but fingerprint evidence contradicted those claims. With the recent return of Samuel Jean from Haiti, both Samuel Jean and James Brady are presently being charged with: Absentee  Ballot Voting Violations 3^rd Degree Felony

Violation of Section 12-14 (b) of the Code of Miami-Dade County (Absentee Ballots Ordinance) 2nd Degree Misdemeanor

BROWARD COUNTY

>>> Stuart Rosenfeldt Sentenced in Connection with Rothstein Case

Press release: Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announce that Stuart Rosenfeldt, 59, of Boca Raton, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Marcia G. Cooke to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by two years’ supervised release in connection with his conviction for conspiracy to commit campaign finance fraud, to defraud the United States, to commit bank fraud and to deny civil rights, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.  Rosenfeldt was an attorney admitted to practice law in Florida and was an equity partner in the former Ft. Lauderdale law firm of Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler, P.A. (RRA).

During his June 11, 2014 guilty plea, the defendant admitted that, in order to circumvent campaign finance laws setting limitations on the amounts which donors can contribute, Rothstein enlisted some of the attorneys and administrative personnel of RRA, and other persons associated with RRA, including Rosenfeldt, to make political contributions to various political campaigns which were unlawfully reimbursed to them by RRA.  Rosenfeldt also participated in a scheme to float checks between and among certain bank accounts maintained by RRA in a form of bank fraud commonly known as “check kiting.” Additionally, Rosenfeldt arranged with Rothstein to have certain law enforcement officers utilize unlawful threats against the boyfriend of an escort who was threatening to expose an illicit relationship which existed between the escort and Rosenfeldt.Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and IRS-CI.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio, Paul F. Schwartz, and Jeffrey N. Kaplan.A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

PALM BEACH COUNTY

>>>> Leader and Organizer of $49.6 Million Mortgage Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 27 Years and Three Months in Prison

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Fred W. Gibson, Principal Deputy Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Regional Office, announce that Domenico “Dom” Rabuffo, 78, of Miami, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge K. Michael Moore for his role as a leader and organizer of a $49.6 million bank fraud and wire scheme, perpetrated from approximately 2003 through 2008.  Domenico Rabuffo was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for his role in the fraud scheme.

On July 3, 2014, Domenico Rabuffo and three co-defendants, Mae Rabuffo, 75, of New York, Raymond E. “Ray” Olivier, 52, of Land O’ Lakes, Florida, and Curtis Allen Davis, 52, of Tampa, were convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud after an 11 day-jury trial before Chief Judge Moore.  Domenico Rabuffo, Olivier, and Davis were also convicted of various bank fraud offenses.

According to the indictment and evidence at trial, from 2003 to 2008, Rabuffo and his co-defendants conspired to perpetrate a complex $49.6 million mortgage fraud scheme against various FDIC-insured lenders, including Bank of America, Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Wachovia Bank.  Rabuffo and his ex-wife Mae Rabuffo used shell companies to acquire ownership and control of a purported residential property development known as Hampton Springs, located in Cashiers, North Carolina.  Then, Rabuffo, Olivier, and Davis recruited numerous straw borrowers to purchase building lots in the development.  Several of the straw borrowers testified at the trial.  According to their testimony and other evidence, Domenico Rabuffo paid the borrowers to obtain lot purchase loans and construction loans for building lots in Hampton Springs.  To obtain the loans, Domenico Rabuffo, Mae Rabuffo, Olivier, Davis, and other conspirators, submitted fraudulent loan applications and related documents to the lenders and the lenders’ closing agents.

Among other things, the loan applications and settlement statements for the lot loans contained fraudulent statements that the borrowers paid earnest money deposits and cash due at the closing.  In fact, the deposits and cash-to-close were paid by Domenico Rabuffo and Mae Rabuffo using proceeds from the fraudulent scheme.  Further, Domenico Rabuffo and Mae Rabuffo sent fraudulent correspondence to the closing agents, including letters bearing the forged signatures of borrowers, to create the false impression that the deposits and cash due at closing had been supplied by the borrowers from their own funds.

Olivier and Davis recruited straw borrowers for the fraud scheme and submitted fraudulent loan applications to the lenders.  Further, Olivier and Davis caused their private companies to be disclosed as the employers of straw borrowers whose actual employment was inconsistent with the inflated income stated on their loan applications.  Then, when they were contacted by the lenders, Olivier and Davis provided fraudulent verifications of employment for those borrowers.

Mae Rabuffo, Davis, and Olivier are scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2014, also before Chief Judge Moore.

Three other defendants, Diane M. Hayduk, 64, of Miami, Victor Miguel Vidal, 49, of Miami, and Lazaro Jesus Perez, 44, of Miami Springs, pled guilty to the charged conspiracy and agreed to assist the United States.  Hayduk assisted Domenico Rabuffo and Mae Rabuffo with the misappropriation of loan proceeds and the transmission of fraudulent correspondence to the lenders and the closing agents.  Vidal served as a loan officer at SunTrust Mortgage, where he sponsored fraudulent loan applications for lots in Hampton Springs, including fraudulent applications for $33 million in construction loans.  Perez furnished fictitious accountant’s letters to Vidal, in support of fraudulent loan applications submitted to SunTrust Mortgage.  Hayduk, Vidal, and Perez were sentenced in September, 2014.  Hayduk was sentenced to 40 months in prison, Vidal was sentenced to 64 months in prison and Perez was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the FBI and FDIC-OIG.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dwayne E. Williams and Jerrob Duffy.A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

MONROE COUNTY

>>>> Key West Family Pleads Guilty To Drug Trafficking

An information is only an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

Key West Family Pleads Guilty To Drug Trafficking

Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, announce that defendants Juan Francisco Soca, Sr., 64, of Stock Island, pled guilty yesterday to one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and his son, Juan Francisco Soca, Jr., 43, of Key West, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846. Sentencing is scheduled for December 15, 2014, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez.  At sentencing, Juan Francisco Soca, Sr., faces up to 40 years in prison and Juan Francisco Soca, Jr., faces up to life in prison.  Jose Antonio Soca, 38, of Stock Island, a cousin of Juan Francisco Soca, Jr., who had previously pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced yesterday by Judge Martinez to 55 months in prison.

According to court documents, Juan Francisco Soca, Jr. and Jose Antonio Soca each sold cocaine to a confidential source on separate occasions, and based on those transactions, law enforcement officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the mobile homes where Juan Francisco Soca, Sr. and Jose Antonio Soca lived on Stock Island.  Law enforcements officers found $235,398 in cash hidden inside pipes, 7.5 grams of cocaine base, and 3,084 grams of cocaine buried in the yard of Juan Francisco Soca, Sr.  On the adjoining property of Jose Antonio Soca, officers found approximately 5,880 grams of cocaine, 570 30-mg oxycodone tablets, 1,332 alprazolam tablets, and $4,370 in cash.

During the arrest of Soca, Jr. on January 29, 2014, outside of his apartment located in Key West, officers found him in possession of 360 30-mg oxycodone tablets and $12,493 in cash.  Of this money, $1,305 matched the prerecorded currency that the confidential source had given to Soca, Jr. during the transaction on January 28, and $200 matched the currency given by the confidential source to Jose Antonio Soca during the transaction on January 23.  During a consensual search of the storage unit at Soca, Jr.’s apartment, officers found 164 oxycodone pills.  Officers also executed a search warrant at a shed located at the Stock Island Lobster Company where Soca, Jr. had engaged in a cocaine transaction with the confidential source.  During the search, the officers found 19 grams of cocaine, 958 grams of marijuana, and 132 30-mg oxycodone tablets.

Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI, the Key West Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Thakur and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Wilson. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.

>>>> The Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida is calling visual artists in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties to submit artwork to interpret A Man Among the Peoples, that will coincide with an exhibition on the life, art and legacy of late Overtown artist, Purvis Young. Selected artwork will be displayed in the lobby of The Historic Lyric Theater as part of “Soul Basel Overtown: A celebration of Art, Music and Culture in Colored Town”. This an art festival taking place from December 3 – 7, 2014 in Miami’s Historic Overtown District. We encourage imaginative expression in the interpretation of the theme. This project is designed to highlight the work of South Florida artists among others that will be displayed during Art Basel weekend. In addition to the public, museum professionals and art critics are invited to attend the festival. Entries will be accepted via email. Deadline to apply is Monday, November 17, 2014.To enter or for more information, please contact Adia McKenzie at amckenzie@theblackarchives.org or 786-708-4 About The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc.: The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc is a non-profit organization founded in 1977 by Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Ph.D. With a mission to not only preserve the documentary and photographic history of black South Florida, but also to enrich the present and protect the future through the revitalization Miami’s former black business and entertainment district, Overtown. The Black Archives and its programming are supported by the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency, Miami-Dade County, The Knight Foundation, Coca-Cola, Macy’s, The Design Group Miami & Drummer Boy Sound. For more information on The Black Archives of South Florida visit www.theblackarchives.org. Kristi House Lands Federal Grant and Global Honor for Project GOLD Child Sexual Exploitation Program >>>> MIAMI – Kristi House was one of four organizations in the country awarded a U.S. Department of Justice grant for its program for commercially sexually exploited children, Project GOLD. The three-year, $450,000 grant awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will add a community mentoring component to Project GOLD, and expand services to boys, transgender and questioning  youth. In separate news also related to the organization’s work on behalf of child sex trafficking victims, Kristi House’s Executive Director Trudy Novicki was named one of 10 recipients of the international C-10 Award. The C10 Award recognizes 10 global leaders and their fight against the trafficking of children. Sophie Stenbeck Family Foundation, World Childhood Foundation and Reach for Change co-founded the award to support and acknowledge entrepreneurial leaders of the child rights field. The C10 Award Forum will be held November 3, 2014, in Stockholm, Sweden. “Trudy has made a lasting and profound impact not just for Kristi House, but for all children exposed to commercial sexual exploitation throughout our state,” Kristi House President Juan Trescastro said. “Trudy truly cares about this community and these child victims,” said State Representative Jeanette Nunez, co-sponsor of the Florida Safe Harbor Act.  To continue reading click here. Join us for the 15th Anniversary Touch a Heart Dinner on Nov. 14! We are pleased to share with you exciting news! Eliza and Hugh Culverhouse will be the 15th Anniversary Touch a Heart Challenge Grant Sponsors! You’ll be hearing more about the Challenge as we get closer to the big evening. Thank you, Culverhouses, dear friends of Kristi House. Badia Spices and Buddha Mama Jewelry have teamed together to be our Platinum Heart Sponsors for the evening. Thank you to these major and other major sponsors for your generosity: Gold Heart: Swanee & Paul DiMare * Frank Fawzi Silver Heart: Emma & Sia Afra * Katie & Eddy Arriola – Apollo Bank * Zaba & Edgar Castro * Rachelle & A.J. de Moya – The de Moya Group * Lisette & Nelson Diaz * Eller-ITO Stevedoring Company * Marlene Fernandez-Karavetsos & George Karavestos * Honorable Anitere Flores & Dustin Anderson * Lauren & John Genovese – Genovese Joblove & Battista, P.A. * Cindy & Jeff Gomez * Greene Kleen of South Florida, Inc. * Marta & Rick Hasty, MD * Jeff Herman – Herman Law * Lourdes Leon-Vega & Otto Vega, MD * Betty Lopez-Castro * Maria & Al Maloof * Judy & George McCleary * Loretta & Miguel Nido * Ed McCluskey – Northwestern Mutual * Honorable Jeanette & Adrian Nuñez * Casey & Dennis Rodriguez * Tatiana & Alex Ruiz * Judy & Juan Trescastro * Royal Caribbean International * Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP * Tutti Bambini * Kara Zeder & Rick Rosen link Visit the Dinner website or for more details contact Bianca Fernandez at bfernandez@kristihouse.orgor 305-547-6802 Visit the Dinner website o r for more details contact Bianca Fernandez at bfernandez@kristihouse.org or 305-547-6802 >>>The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County And the University of Miami Present the Regional Premiere of A grownup’s prequel to Peter Pan! Five-time Tony Award-winning play by Jersey Boys writer Rick Elice based on the best-selling novel by Miami native Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. For the fourth consecutive season, bridge program offers UM students an opportunity to work alongside theater experts on a professional production at the Arsht Center ”Miraculous! Spectacle, wit, and joy spill out of this production like treasure from a magic pocket.” – New York Magazine Opens the Arsht Center’s 2014-2015 Theater Up Close Season, October 9, 2014 – Preview, October 10, 2014 – Opening Night Through October 26, 2014, Tickets: $45*, Carnival Studio Theater in the Ziff Ballet Opera House. MIAMI, FL September 10, 2014 – The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and the University of Miami are proud to present the regional premiere of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, a five-time Tony Award-winning play about how Peter Pan became “The Boy Who Never Grew Up”. Kicking off the Arsht Center’s critically-acclaimed Theater Up Close Season, playing October 9-26, 2014 in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater (Ziff Ballet Opera House),PETER AND THE STARCATCHER continues the Center’s partnership with UM’s Department of Theatre Arts for a fourth consecutive season. The Arsht Center’s 2014-2015 Theater Up Close Season is supported by Alan and Diane Lieberman and the Riviera South Beach Hotel. Tickets to PETER AND THE STARCATCHER are $45* and may be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office by calling (305) 949-6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org. Rick Elice’s PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is the innovative and imaginative play with music based on the best-selling novel by Miami native Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. In this high-flying adventure, twelve actors play more than 100 unforgettable characters – plus most of the scenery and furniture – in an exhilarating journey to answer the century-old question: How did Peter Pan become “The Boy Who Never Grew Up”? This epic origin story proves that one’s own imagination is the most captivating place in the world! “We’re thrilled to launch our 2014-2015 Theater Up Close Season with PETER AND THE STARCATCHER – a fantastical, award-winning play that provides a humorous backstory for the beloved character of Peter Pan,” said Scott Shiller, executive vice president of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “This play is bound to inspire the audience and trigger their imagination with the use of inventive props, lighting and talent from an incredible cast of local actors. We can’t wait to transport theatergoers to the land of make believe!” Under the direction of Henry Fonte, producing artistic director of The Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, the cast of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER features two incredible Carbonell Award-winning local actors, Nick Richberg as Black Stache andTom Wahl as Lord Astor, as well as fresh-faced professionals from UM (Timothy Bell, Abigail Berkowitz, Timothy Boehm-Manion, Robert Fritz, Alejandro Gonzalez Del Pino, Joshua Jacobson, Thomas Jansen, Michael Mancini, Liam Merkle and Matt Sawalski). The multi-faceted collaboration between the University of Miami’s Department of Theatre Arts and the Adrienne Arsht Center continues to serve as a professional learning experience that offers the theater majors at the University an opportunity to work with seasoned professionals in creating a professional production. Miami’s hottest regional theater actors join UM’s talented student actors to create more than 100 characters. Students majoring in technical theater and design will work side-by-side with the Adrienne Arsht Center/UM production and creative team to develop a professional set, costumes and lighting design and will assist the production manager, stage manager and other key production staff members. After a premiere in California, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER transferred to Off-Broadway in 2011 and opened on Broadway in April 2012. The show ended its Broadway run in January 2013, and reopened Off-Broadway once again at New World Stages in March 2013, ending in January 2014 >>> The Margulies Warehouse will be reopen at the end of October   and all adult admission charges $10.00 will go to Lotus House Women’s and Children’s Shelter in Overtown and students are free. For more go tohttp://www.margulieswarehouse.com/ and the Lotus House Gala will be Oct. 25th For more information go to http://lotushouse.org/ Editorial >>> Gubernatorial debate should make the candidates discuss, Climate Change, the environment and water quality, all issues important to the state’s tourist industry Florida voters should hope the Oct. 15 debates between Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist are lively and shed some light on what each man wants to do if they are elected to the highest state office and simple platitudes should not be tolerated by the debate moderators and they should bore down and force, the candidates to actually answer a question that Scott has gotten very adept at not doing for the voters deserve to know what kind of man they will be getting this time around and Scott supporters will say they know from the governor’s past deeds what he will be doing if elected to a second term and job creation will continue to be the focal point of his administration but the closed lipped healthcare executive needs to let the public know before they go to the polls for the race will be tight and is likely that neither candidate will have a majority of statewide voters if they win especially since there is a third party candidate that will siphon off some 10 percent of the electorate and that lack of a majority is a shame for the state needs a clear victor and a governor that will focus on the state’s challenges like Climate Change that is coming whether politicians want it or not and has to be addressed along with water quality and keeping the environment clean since that is also a major draw for tourists from around the world. Publisher’s Statement on the mission of the Watchdog Report and the special people and organizations that make it possible:  Government Subscribers/Corporate Subscribers/Sustaining Sponsors/Supporting Sponsors ***** LIFETIME FOUNDING MEMBERS & Initial sponsors since 2000 ANGEL ESPINOSA – (Deceased) owner COCONUT GROVE DRY CLEANER’S HUGH CULVERHOUSE, Jr. THE MIAMI HERALD www.miamiherald.com ARTHUR HERTZ WILLIAM HUGGETT, Seamen Attorney (Deceased) ALFRED NOVAK LINDA E. RICKER (Deceased) JOHN S. and JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION www.knightfdn.org THE HONORABLE STANLEY TATE ***** Watchdog Report supporters – $2,000 or more a year BERKOWITZ DICK POLLACK & BRANT www.bdpb.com FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT www.fpl.com RONALD HALL MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.miamidade.gov UNITED WAY OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY www.unitedwaymiamidade.org ***** Watchdog Report supporters – $1,000 a year ABELE REALTY GROUP, LLC — Mr. CHARLES R. 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Therefore, I go to meetings, make the presence of an informed citizen known, and bring the information to you.   The Watchdog Report is in the fourth year of publication and it has been an honor to be able to send this information to you. It is sent to readers in Miami-Dade, Florida, the U.S. and the world. The Watchdog Report is sent to thousands free and while readers have been prodded to subscribe the results have been mixed. Over 250 reports and Extra’s have been sent since May 5, 2000 and over one million words have been written on our community’s governments and events.  The report is an original work based on information gathered at public meetings, interviews and from documents in the public domain. LETTER POLICY I welcome letters via e-mail, fax, or snail mail. Letters may be edited for length or clarity and must refer to material published in the Watchdog Report.  Please see address and contact information. Please send any additions and corrections by e-mail, fax or snail mail. All corrections will be published in the next Watchdog Report. If you or your organization would like to publish the contents of this newsletter, please contact me. Please send your request to watchdogreport1@earthlink.net Daniel A. Ricker Publisher & Editor Watchdog Report Est. 05.05.00 Copyright © of original material, 2014, Daniel A. Ricker >>> Watchdog Report is expanding as a new service and this content is now available to other news media, no longer exclusive to The Miami Herald The Watchdog Report is no longer exclusively with The Miami Herald, and excluding the one story a week that is printed in the paper on Monday in the Metro & State section by me. The rest of the 20 or so news stories weekly sent out Sunday in the Watchdog Report are now available to television stations web pages, and all the newspapers and other media in South Florida if the publishers have an interest to run part or all of the stories. Further, in 2000, I used to have some paper’s running the report in the Spanish press, that option is available again, and publishers should contact me. The news content will not be free, but you can pick and choose the stories of interest, edit them if necessary but you must still keep the general story intact.  If you are a news outlet and would like to learn more about, the Watchdog Report and this offer contact me at watchdogreport1@earthlink.net for further information. >>> Readers who would like to read the complete University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Southeast United States Media Report go to view the complete report or download ******************************************************************************************************************************************** Watchdog Report Supporters Invoice-Form NOTE: Invoice is for Yearly supporter/sponsorship Rates: Thank you. Supporting Sponsors $5,000 Sustaining Sponsors $2,000 Corporate Sponsors $1,000 (All levels above will be listed in the report with web-site link if desired) Large Business Supporters $500 Small Business Supporters $250 Individual Supporter $150 Student Supporter $ 75 Any amount $ Name & Address Please make checks payable to: Daniel A. Ricker/Watchdog Report Send to Daniel A. Ricker 3109 Grand Avenue, # 125 Miami, FL 33133 Tags: This entry was posted on October 13th, 2014 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.   « Watchdog Report Vol. 15 No. 24 October 5, 2014 EST.05 .05.00 – I go when you cannot Celebrating 15 years Watchdog Report Vol.15 No. 26 October 19, 2014 EST.05.05.00 – I go when you cannot – Celebrating 15 Years »     Comments are closed. 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