This should be another outstanding Independence Day and long weekend. The United States was formed a country that was initially made up of the original 13 colonies - which eventually grew over the last 249 years to our current 50 States with five major U.S. territories consisting of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together, the USA is what is termed a federal republic: the 50 states, a federal district and the territories.
For back ground - please review my prior post of June 26, 2025, Palmetto Bay drops our community Independence Day celebration - so County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins steps up. It is a relatively short read and includes information regarding a local event that we, Palmetto Bay, should be participating in - just across the street at the Palmetto Golf Course.
The question I am seeking answer to is why Palmetto Bay officials appear to refuse to partner with our County Commissioner on this Independence Day celebration? That is just out of bounds in my opinion. Palmetto Bay officials should show some leadership and provide some services to our residents this weekend. Here is what I suggest should be done:
1. Put the Palmetto Bay IBus in action - shuttle our residents from points within Palmetto Bay to the Palmetto Golf Course. Palmetto Bay has done this with our own home grown event - an event that had limited parking - certainly this same shuttle service would be of great benefit to our residents! Our residents are now the ones who are forced to try to make good on an event that will have limited parking (I was advised that there will be overflow parking at Coral Reef Senior High - not sure if there is a shuttle - but don't plan on shuttle service). The Ibus has been provided to the County for use at the Deering Seafood Festival - how is this County Independence Day event any less worthy?
2. Assist the County or create our own bike and golf cart route to the event. I plan on attending via bike - taking the safer back streets up to the intersection of 89th at 152 Street. That is where travel will get complicated. It is my understanding that the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's office will have officers working at the US1/152 intersection to allow for crossing at this very dangerous intersection. (By the way, if you bike - I know of no bike racks at the golf course - but there are some at the Coral Reef Library as well as the bike stations provided for the busway). Our Palmetto Bay Police Unit should be there - treat the Commissioner's event as a Palmetto Bay event - and promote safe travel (motor vehicle, pedestrian, golf cart and bicycle) for this event.
3. Palmetto Bay officials should be "all in" - promoting this event rather than relegating people to homegrown and therefore unsupervised fireworks.
Next - let's restore our tradition of Palmetto Bay's hometown Independence Day celebration for future years!
This event was much more than 20 minutes of fireworks. It was a nearly day long event where our residents gathered and enjoyed music, food and drink, face painting, child rides, contests - a true community event that was so much more than the aforementioned fireworks. Local businesses were present and we had sponsors. Why disappoint the families, the kids? It could have been done - it should have been put on without the fireworks for just this year as the loss of the Shores property has been expected for years. This was simply poor planning for this eventuality - or worse - more scapegoating or excuse making to rid themselves of an event they just did not feel like hosting anymore.
Perhaps our local officials became embarrassed by the Downtown Independence Day celebration as one of the purposes was to show off the positive downtown development - that once had vision - a vision for multi-use with local family friendly small shops and restaurants - an actual entertainment district. That vision was stripped however and the downtown is little more than walk up apartments with little to know mixed use.
I could go on, but we are about to enter our annual Independence Day and I will celebrate it even if our village offices decide to drop our event and snub the County's event. The current even sent our an email blast Thursday morning making no reference to the County event at Palmetto Golf Course - Its almost as if she either resents it or is hoping it fails. I suggest that fellow residents attend the event at the Palmetto Golf Course.
Be safe this weekend. Enjoy our Independence Day!
