Time moves forward Sunday - daylight time begins in the United States. Set your clocks back one hour Sat night/Sun AM, March 9: How to Spring Forward - ABC News

Ready or not – so brace yourself: This Sunday AM, March 9, 2014, the second Sunday in March, we lose an hour as clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time.

Good morning! Don't worry, we get that hour back in November.

Safety note: It's also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke alarms.

Spring forward? The next few weeks will be even more challenging to those of us that find it tough enough to get our kids up and off to school on time.
Do you know when the U.S. and Canada established time zones and for what reasons? Click “Read more” below to find out the history and official information posted on the Naval Oceanography Portal, The United States Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC)

CLICK HERE to read the full history of Daylight Time in the U.S. as posted on the Naval Oceanography Portal, The United States Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC).

Are you one who can ‘remember when’? (again, from NMOC) During the "energy crisis" years, Congress enacted earlier starting dates for daylight time. In 1974, daylight time began on 6 January and in 1975 it began on 23 February. After those two years the starting date reverted back to the last Sunday in April. In 1986, a law was passed that shifted the starting date of daylight time to the first Sunday in April, beginning in 1987. The ending date of daylight time was not subject to such changes, and remained the last Sunday in October. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed both the starting and ending dates. Beginning in 2007, daylight time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Daylight Saving Time 2014: How to Spring Forward - ABC News

This article hits it hard. "For most people, a 23-hour Sunday means a mildly sleepy Monday. But for some -- particularly those who aren't big on mornings to begin with -– daylight saving time takes a toll on mood and productivity, earning blame for car accidents, workplace injuries and stock market dips."

How long does it take you to "recover" from the 'Spring forward' time change?

Sucker e-mail? Looks like someone is phishing. I recommend that you pass.

I delete so many e-mails both at work and on my home e-mail.  Can this be anything other than a phishing expedition? Who falls for this? E-mail me in 24 hours to see if I was wrong and blocked from further e-mail use (the classic "threat" to get you to participate).

CLICK HERE to see the definition of "Phishing" and the harm it will cause.
_____________________________________________
From: Yahoo! Member Service <kvl@bellsouth.net>
To:
Sent: Thursday, March 6, 2014 5:59 AM
Subject: E-Mail Upgrade

Due to the recent upgrade in our SSL server to serve you better, Please note that all users are mandated to update their login details in other to enjoy the new upgrade. You would be blocked from sending and receiving emails if not confirmed within 24hrs of receiving this automated mail.

You are required to update through the link below.

UPDATE

Thanks for using Yahoo!
Yahoo Team.

________________________________________________

See Microsoft Safety and Security center for more information on: How to recognize phishing email messages, links, or phone calls

Phishing email messages, websites, and phone calls are designed to steal money. Cybercriminals can do this by installing malicious software on your computer or stealing personal information off of your computer.

Cybercriminals also use social engineering to convince you to install malicious software or hand over your personal information under false pretenses. They might email you, call you on the phone, or convince you to download something off of a website.

Keeping it light today - Happy Fat Tuesday

It was an intense day yesterday so I am keeping it light today. This may be all I post for torday.

Happy Fat Tuesday

Check out Mardi Gras New Orleans for more information about out this day is celebrated in the "Big Easy."

CLICK HERE to view information regarding the Catholic Roots of Mardi Gras provided through American Catholic.org.

Lent starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday.  The Easter celebration coincides this year for both Western and Eastern Orthodox faiths.

A great day for a picnic - Palmetto Bay celebration - March 1, 2014

The Village is now up to the Twelfth Annual Celebration Picnic and it was held on Saturday, March 1st.  Thank you to our first Vice Mayor Linda Robinson and the original Special Events Committee for starting such a wonderful tradition.  Fun was had by all who attended.

As we have done annually since our first year of incorporation, Palmetto Bay holds this signature event as our way of saying “thank you” to all of the residents.  This year’s picnic offers something for everyone - entertainment provided by local schools, children’s activities, rides, demonstrations by local agencies, and, of course, food - including everyone’s favorite roasted corn on-the-cob.

Alexandra and I arrived at noon and the tents were set up and staff/volunteers were working to make the event a success.

Our bikes were safely left with the Green Mobility Bicycle Valet - also seen at larger events such as the Deering Seafood Festival. It was a beautiful day to take our bikes to the park and we avoided any parking issues.  Thank you Green Mobility Network and PBay resident Eric Tullberg! I was told that there were 77 bicycles checked in at the Bike Valet for this event.  Great work!

The Palmetto Bay Policing Unit also gave away approximately 250 bicycle helmets.

Games were ongoing upon our arrival - kids playing yard tennis.

My brother and his family were also in attendance (I am pictured with my sister-in-law and my niece is hidden by the corn on the cob).

Again, a beautiful day for a picnic.  Attendees had a great time meeting up with friends.

All good things have to come to an end. The 2014 PBay Celebration Picnic closed down at 2:00 PM sharp. Those who stayed to the end were treated to a take away of delicious Krispy Kreme donuts - seen on the racks to the right of the photo. I am unfortunately off donuts and I was 'unable' to take my share home to the kids - one of the few drawbacks to taking the bicycles to the PBay celebration.

Village Staff were on hand to assist village residents in taking the DRTF survey.  Take the survey and be entered to win a grill. 

Palmetto Bay’s celebration 2014 picnic – an enduring legacy. Thank you volunteers, staff and fellow residents..

Come to Coral Reef Park on Saturday March 1, 2014, and join your friends and family in celebrating the 12th year of incorporation.  It is a time for celebration and family fun, as well as a time to remember how this event came charging out of the gate as a major village event from its very first year.  

I would be remiss if I did not give credit where credit is due, giving a huge “Thank You” to the special events committee set up under the original council, an outstanding group of volunteers.  The initial chair was Jacquie Sosa who was an anchor with Channel 10.  This position was held later by Jeanne Rothfield and finally Donna Coughlin, who served as our last chairperson.  The special events committee and staff, all working as part of the team under the initial village council, created events and interests including rides, city information, educational topics, wholesome family events, dunk tank -raising thousands of dollars at no expense to village taxpayers - for charity, & local school participation! Come on, who did not enjoy dunking me to raise money for charity?

The Parks Department, which has worked with our committee, continues to organize this event, even though there is no longer a citizen special events committee. Many people still volunteer Pat and Jim Gladieux still take charge of the ever-popular corn on the cob.

I look forward to the use of the I-Bus for the historic preservation committee’s tours, which were started under Palmetto Bay’s first Planning Director, Arlene Weintraub and the committee. We all enjoy watching the school children performing and of course, the staff of the Planning and Parks Department as well as our police work well to continue to make this event a success. I was proud to work with Palmetto High School to start the annual Mayor’s Cup game (can you name the winner and score from that historic first game?)

The yearly events have seen helicopters land in the field and firefighters come in their trucks, the start of the student safety and fingerprinting programs. The Voice of the Heat served in past years as emcee. Past years has seen well over 5,000 people for a picnic. We came in from year one with significant corporate donations from corporate neighbors including Starbucks, Home Depot, Dade Paper, local banks and Publix, we have had breaks on the food and coverage of costs through donations!

The efforts and impact that you and the Special Events Committee have been successful and has left an outstanding celebration legacy that continues through this day.  Thank you all who served at any time in the past on the Special Events Committee.

So please make sure you attend with friends and family on March 1. Look for me and say hi. Let’s continue the good will and let’s all work together to continue the vision of Palmetto Bay.

The Fire Station will take a grass roots effort to get to resolution. Join us and others in this effort!

Such a shame.  I am compelled to post this update to the blog as I, like so many other residents, keep waiting for a substantive update from Shelley relative to the two fire station locations along Old Cutler Road. 

I am still trying to figure out why this issue had been neglected by the current mayor and council for so long. By way of past history, it was reported, including one by Hal Feldman, back on 9/23/2009, that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by (then) Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, to allow for the construction of a new fire station in Palmetto Bay.  The bill would allow the USDA to sell about two acres of land on the east side of Southwest 67th Avenuesbetween Southwest 136th and 144th Street (within Palmetto Bay), to Miami-Dade County to build the fire station. This was the result of hard work, both locally and in Washington DC by the original Village Council in cooperation with the County officials and this (temporarily) put Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and parts of both Coral Gables and Cutler Bay close to getting a new fire station.  Back in 2002, we could see the life saving proposition as it would reduce response times to the areas.  We were close in 2009, then came the change in Palmetto Bay administration and we heard nothing about finalizing the Fire Station for years. Years of hard work and set up appear squandered as we finally learned in late 2013 that there is a need to start over from scratch. That is unfortunate, given that this is a critical life-safety issue.

I am pleased that the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department invited residents to a public meeting they set up at Palmetto Bay's Village Hall back on December 11, 2013 (CLICK HERE to view the official notification).  The purpose of this meeting was to discuss M-DFR Station 62. Attendees then learned that this may be a 5 to 8 year project and that no specific site has in fact been selected.   This is in stark contrast to 2009.

I am very disappointed. This is a huge step backward.  Back in 2009, not that long ago, everything appeared to allow the County to purchase the land and construct a fire station. Congressman Diaz-Balart called back then for immediate resolution. Miami-Dade County had indicated it would build a 7,000 square foot fire station that will house eight full-time firefighters and will conduct 24/7 operations.  Check out Palmetto Bay’s official e-currents for September 2009 for a full update from back then then see what a difference years of neglect makes. 

I had been prodding current mayor Stanczyk for years and back in June asked about the USDA location Fire Station - also see  Nov. 30, 2012; A holiday wish list for the new Palmetto Bay council | Palmetto Bay. Wherein I asked for "The status of two fire stations that the original Palmetto Bay village council worked with Federal, State and Local (County Commission and Fire Department) officials." I should have picked up from the deafening silence from Mayor Stanczyk that the news would not be good,  and this was proven not only by the lack of response from her, but in the failed panicked rush in late 2013 to pick up a long-neglected project apparently on life-support if not now dead.
 

As I said back in 2009, “Nothing is more important than life safety.''  This is true neighborhood protection.

Well, the December 11, 2013, meeting is now firmly in our rear view mirror, forgotten by many, but not by me.  So what has happened since County Fire reached out and provided their update? There has been no comment or acknowledgement of plan of action from Palmetto Bay officials. The mayor appears only to have moved onto a new road show, the Downtown redevelopment. I would like to see a completion of at least one new fire station before we start this process once again of getting close, then dropping the project and moving on to the next headline generating project. Is this past behavior a foreshadowing of what we can expect for the DRTF, a public effort currently creating public attention, but to be dropped once attention wanes and the 2014 elections are over?

It is clear that the effort falls upon all of us to step up to reinvigorate the fire station effort and bring additional fire service to Palmetto Bay.  And we all should get involved and stay involved in the DRTF.

Join your neighbors. This could save a life. And all these projects will impact our quality of life. 

And what would I like to see?  Completion of the two Old Cutler Fire Stations - north and south locations. It is time for a full accounting from Shelley as to the actual efforts made to date, rather than simply tell how important this effort is - everyone agrees that the increased fire service is important.  Less talk/more do, fewer update meetings and providing proof of hard work and actual progress.

A long time dining location bites the dust. Betty's Best Burgers location meets the demo crew.

Things you take note of while riding down the South Dade Bike Greenway to work: History has closed on this location. The demolition crews are currently working over the former Betty's Best Burgers location.  I have no knowledge as to what, if anything, will replace it.

I ate here with the family when it was the Black Angus, then Fuddrucker's and finally Betty's Best Burgers. Did this location ever serve as anything else? 

Alternative transportation to work day from Palmetto Bay to Datran - Friday, 2/21/14

The morning fell together. The car is in for repair and I have a beautiful new model loaner car at home to use. So what do I do? I mixed business casual [there is a difference in my office from 'actual casual' and 'business casual' (as it should be)]. It is nice and cool morning (78 degrees at start) and who among us couldn't use more exercise? So, I bicycled into work today. It was a brief and very pleasant 20 minutes, which is almost too few for aerobic exercise.

Do I really want to attempt this, biking to work?

I took 82 Avenue to 120th, up US1 to 112 and crossed US1 at 112 to ride the bike lane in the remainder of the way to the Datran Center. OK, the computer bag work across by back may have been a bit over the top, but it was still a fun, healthy and different way to get to work on a Friday. 

That is NOT a bike in our file room - don't rat me out!

I am here.  The real test will be how much fun it is to navigate the Friday rush hour drive home.  Have a great and healthy weekend everyone!

Devo's Bob Casale Dies At 61 | Billboard

Devo's Bob Casale Dies At 61 | Billboard

Horrible news for all those DEVO-tees.  Billboard (and many other news outlets) reports that Devo guitarist Bob Casale died Monday. Casale was 61.

He was known by fans as "Bob 2" since he played alongside guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh, the
brother of Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh.

"As an original member of Devo, Bob Casale was there in the trenches with me from the beginning,"
his brother Gerald Casale said in a Facebook posting. "He was my level-headed brother, a solid performer and talented audio engineer, always giving more than he got."

Happy Presidents' Day - 2014. A short history.

Presidents' Day is celebrated on the third Monday in February. Sadly, by some, it is better known commercially as the Presidents' Day Sale where we celebrate and save with great deals! Providing for an extra 15 - 20% off plus free shipping (online)!

 

A short History of Presidents’ Day

 

Presidents’ Day was first celebrated in the 1880s, with the birthday of George Washington was first celebrated as a federal holiday.

 

Controversy: long weekends versus recognizing the actual date:

 

In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill in 1968. This moved federal holidays to Mondays. The intent was to provide for long weekends. There was opposition to this move, by those who believe that those holidays should be celebrated on the dates they actually commemorate.

And then there was one national day for all presidents:

 

How many of us remember celebrating both Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays as separate events? Presidents' Day became the officially celebrated holiday in 1971, to honor the birthdays of both Washington (February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (February12). Note that Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated in many states, but was never an official national holiday (I wonder which states celebrated? Extra points awarded for those who can answer)