Family/children event at Pinecrest Branch Library, Tues., 1-15-19 - Anole Invasion

Calling all local school green team members! (and others interested in our environment as well as literature).

Local author Marta E. Magellan will be at the Pinecrest branch library at 4 PM, TUESDAY, January 15, presenting her new book Anole Invasion to children ages 6-12. 

Learn about invasive lizards, green anoles.

The Pinecrest Branch Library is located at 5835 SW 111 Street, Pinecrest, 305-668-4571, on the grounds of Pinecrest Gardens off Red Road (SW 57th Avenue).

It's on! Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library is hosting the 26th Annual Book Sale from Dec. 12-15 at the Main Library in Downtown Miami.

Looking for something different to do? Here's a way to purchase a gift that is unique and supports our Miami-Dade County Library.

Here is something different for the holiday season (different to most). The Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library book sale starts today! (December 12, 2018) Bring your bags – you’ll need them for all the great books you’ll find! http://social.miamidade.gov/0HB8

Find the perfect holiday gift without stretching your wallet thin. Friends of the Miami-Dade Public Library is hosting the 26th Annual Book Sale from Dec. 12-15 at the Main Library in Downtown Miami. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The sale will have thousands of donated books, CD's and DVD's to choose from. All proceeds from the book sale will go to special education and cultural programs at libraries.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Here is the perfect opportunity to avoid downtown parking hassles – use the Metrorail – to the stop at the Government Center and walk over the Main Library (adjacent to the Government Center).

Dr. Henry E. Perrine Academy of the Arts - Kicking off career day

Career Day - Miami-Dade County School event held within and involving students and residents of Palmetto Bay.

Dr. Henry E. Perrine Academy of the Arts held its career day on Thursday, January 21, 2016.  I was honored to take part in the effort .  Carla Rivas, Principal, Sonia Cruz, Vice Principal and Alma Dean, Guidance Counselor.

The Dr. Henry E. Perrine Academy of the Arts mission statement (below, taken from the website):

Dr. Henry E. Perrine Academy of the Arts is committed to providing a safe haven for young people's imagination in a professional learning environment.

Dedicated to the arts in education, all students are inspired to strive for excellence and overcome barriers in order to ultimately achieve their potential as responsible adults.

The nurturing of students into lifelong learners will enable them to collaborate in global society through technology and a cooperative network of the community, parents, and school personnel for the next millennium.

We are proud to have Dr. Henry E. Perrine Academy of the Arts as one of our three Miami-Dade Public Schools located in and serving Palmetto Bay. 

Career Days can be fun.  It engages both our children as well as parents and local business leaders.  Students are provided with an up-close and personal view of a wide variety of jobs. It provides an opportunity for parents to get involved.

Students are made aware of the opportunities, as well as the responsibilities, for life beyond their school years.

A fun day.  Thank you for including me in Dr. Henry E. Perrine Academy of the Arts family.  Thank you to the School Board, School based Administration, Students, Parents and all the volunteers and participants for the collaboration on raising our next generation! 

CLICK HERE to view the village official Facebook photos regarding Career Day at Perrine Elementary (posted 1/21/16)

Photo of the day - Perrine Elem. has No place for Hate.

There is "No place for Hate" at the Dr. Henry E. Perrine Academy of the Arts.  It was my privilege to attend the Third Annual Banner Reception on Wednesday, February 18, where it's once again, a "Banner Day" for students, teachers and administrators. Congratulations and thank you for participating in this Anti-Defamation League program.

Kudos to those involved and in attendance, the students, administrators including School Board Vice Chair Dr. Larry Feldman; Principal Maileen Ferrer, Sonia Cruz, Assistant Principle and Dr. A.J. Major Dean, School Counselor. 

No Place for Hate is an outstanding program and I want to personally thank Lilian Medina, Anti-Defamation League Director. 

Speak out! Time to support and preserve our library system: Focus groups to focus on what Miami-Dade library patrons want - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

Focus groups to focus on what Miami-Dade library patrons want - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

Do you want to see Miami-Dade County have a vibrant library system? If so, then consider this is a call for your participation to assist in providing the answer to the question: What do people who use Miami-Dade County public libraries want? You can bet that the answer will be based primarily upon those who take the time to show up and speak. This is the time for some positive input. Attendees have the opportunity to show up and speak on either how they use the libraries or what you would like to see from your library system. I will keep everyone advised as to other ways to communicate your concerns on the library system, but these focus group meetings are the current best opportunity to voice your opinions and support.

The Miami Herald reports that a government paid will try to answer the question "What do people who use Miami-Dade County public libraries want?" this week by holding focus groups at two of the library system’s busiest branches. Neither of the focus groups will be held in south Miami-Dade County.

There is not much time to get prepared.  The first focus group is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the West Dade Regional Library, 9445 SW 24th St. 

The second is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at the North Dade Regional Library, 2455 NW 183rd St., Miami Gardens.

The groups will be open to the public to participate and observe. The county is hoping regular library patrons in particular will take part.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/07/3857523/focus-groups-to-focus-on-what.html#storylink=cpy

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

The fight for quality libraries continues. The buildings may remain, but we need staff for programming and materials, e.g. books, etc. Get engaged.

There are some hard hitting comments to my August 24 post: A partial victory for a literate community. Miami Herald: Miami-Dade County will no longer close any public libraries. 2 are posted below. Click on the article link to read the others.

One commenter points out that perhaps Palmetto Bay, as a member of the MDPLS, should fight for a countywide quality library rather than stopping at protection of our own turf. Afterall, I would add that Palmetto Bay is party of the system wide book sharing. The Palmetto Bay Neighborhood Branch is not a self-sustained island onto its own.

Comment:
Anonymous August 28, 2013
Hey Palmetto Bay- no worries! You get to keep your 40 hours of library operations! Unfortunately, places like Little River, Lemon City, & Edison only get 16 hours a week. - Patti Antoncich

Pinecrest officials are actively engaged in this fight. Our Palmetto Bay elected leaders are waiting for the results before joining the victory parade for whichever side prevails. I recommend that the residents set an example for our unengaged local leaders by supporting the efforts of the Save the Miami-Dade Public Libraries.

Another comment details actual budget reductions and tracks them over the last few years. Read more to read this comment:

A partial victory for a literate community. Miami Herald: Miami-Dade County will no longer close any public libraries.

Miami-Dade County will no longer close any public libraries - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

The people have spoken loudly and the message was heard, partially.  There is more work to do. We cannot allow our public library system to be rendered useless through lack of access (greatly reduced operating hours).

Thank you to those who fought so hard in the Save The Miami-Dade Public Libraries Campaign and many local elected officials such as Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner (once again, Palmetto Bay officials are missing on this important issue of neighborhood protection).  There is more to do and ample opportunities to finish the fight to have a culturally literate community.

I never doubted that Miami-Dade County would find a way to keep OUR libraries open, (7/13/13, Here we go again with the same old tax time games: County may shutter 42 libraries, lay off 260 employees) but now we need to continue the work to also convince the County Commission that the programs are important as well.   169 librarians are at risk to their jobs by Oct. 1, and libraries would operate about three-quarters of the hours they do now. All libraries may see their hours and days of operation cut, including those in Cutler Bay, Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay.

All these facts are presented in the updated Miami Herald article Miami-Dade County will no longer close any public libraries (8/24/13, By Patricia Mazzei). The board is scheduled to meet Monday morning to discuss the most recent 2013-14 budget projections, following its decision last month to keep the property-tax rate flat despite the service cuts and employee layoffs that would follow as a result.

In a memo to commissioners, Gimenez said the county must consider the library department’s long-term future, including altering its funding structure. Libraries rely on taxes separately from those that go to the county’s general fund.

“To move toward a sustainable library system in the future, we must shift out perspective on how library services in Miami-Dade County are currently funded,” the mayor wrote in his memo.

I would argue that anyone who thinks libraries are irrelevant or obsolete have obviously do not have children or has not been to a library lately. Libraries (through the Librarians and Staff) provide significant programing for our readers and community in general.

Who here wants to speak up in support of illiteracy? Thank you Pinecrest for the support, you have been loud and clear, but the silence of the Palmetto Bay current electeds by not standing up for the libraries, speaks volumes. Silence is not golden on this issue.

6:00 PM Update: I was provided the URL for the Save The Miami-Dade Public Libraries blog. CLICK HERE. Thanks for the e-mail update!

 

Palmetto Bay history. Strategic planning and why the Palmetto Bay neighborhood branch library should survive the current library cuts

I love history. And I enjoy creating and watching our area prosper. That is a huge part why I like to stay engaged in Palmetto Bay and our South Dade communities. We all have a huge investment in making our community the best it can be. There were many reasons why things were done in certain ways. You cannot always account for every contingency, but you want to make sure that taxpayers get what they pay for, in this case bringing library services closer to those living in Palmetto Bay and north Cutler Bay.

I hope by now that everyone has taken advantage of this resource. A library is much more than 'bricks and mortar.' It is also a gathering place where community events occur. Tot reading time, Middle schooler book discussion groups, crafts and the popular 'Edible Book Festival' have been featured in this library. Do you have a favorite activity from this branch by now?

Please review the July 14, 2011, post: A short history of the efforts resulting in the Palmetto Bay Branch Library and the protections that the initial village council put in place to make sure we would have a library for current and future generations to enjoy.

This sets out the original vision plan of the very first council and let's everyone know why the Palmetto Bay neighborhood branch library should survive the current library cuts.

Palmetto Bay and Miami-Dade County entered into a 28 year lease in 2005. This lease is known as the “Library Interlocal Agreement.” The payment terms provide that the county will make an annual payment of $108,980.70 during the 28 year period. This is additional to the common area maintenance fees. This money goes toward the ultimate purchase of this library building by the County. Miami-Dade County is required to use this facility primarily for library and library-related purposes (and a possible use for elections). Failure of the County to use this site as a library at any time in the future (before or after the initial 28 year period) causes title to the property to revert back to Palmetto Bay.
 
This same agreement requires that the MDPLS will operate the library and pay the full yearly operating costs. The library will be open 5 days per week from Monday through Saturday according to the following schedule:
 
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday : 09:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

 

Note, however, that the library is not precluded from altering its hours of operation.

 

The County does have the right to cancel this agreement. HOWEVER, Miami-Dade County will owe the village a balloon payment equal to the balance required to pay-off Palmetto Bay’s construction cost debt should the county chose to terminate the interlocal agreement for the library with Palmetto Bay. Palmetto Bay would retain and own the building.

 

We made sure there was a huge financial disincentive for Miami-Dade County to try to pull out of the library we fought long and hard for.  Not every area has these protections to protect their branch.  Regardless, all public libraries are valuable assets for the communities they serve. Protect your library.

The Miami Herald posted an article on the 22 branch libraries currently at risk. See  Miami-Dade County releases list of public libraries, fire-rescue units on budget-chopping block: The 22 libraries are: California Club, Opa-locka, Golden Glades, Civic Center Kiosk, Lemon City, Little River, Model City, Culmer, North Shore, Shenandoah, South Shore, Fairlawn, Virrick Park, Country Walk, Concord, Sunset, Lakes of the Meadows, Tamiami, West Kendall Regional, Doral, Hialeah Gardens and Palm Springs North.

Here we go again with the same old tax time games: County may shutter 42 libraries, lay off 260 employees - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

County may shutter 42 libraries, lay off 260 employees - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

This is as predictable as when the as when the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano, it is tax time, so it is time to threaten what people are willing to pay more to preserve.  It seems like just yesterday, but check out my prior, Sat, July 16, 2011, post: What library branches are at risk for closure under the current proposed budget for Miami-Dade County?or the Thurs, July 14, 2011, post on tough budget choices regarding the Libraries. Are we living in 2013 or is it 2011? Where are those tax/budget reforms?

This is indisputable evidence that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Nothing has changed, only the players. Where was the reform? It is beginning to appear as if those elected in 2010 merely claimed victory by pushing off the hard decisions back rather than actually succeeding in meaningful reform.

Here is the threat: The Miami Herald reports that Library Director Raymond Santiago is expected to meet with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez Sunday to discuss a proposal to close almost all of the public libraries. 

The new scenario alleged, or threatened, is to close 42 libraries and lay off 260 full-time employees,” which is being reported by the Miami Herald.  Maybe, just maybe, it is time to take a stand and keep these important employees and make top mangers, and the numerous department heads make the case for their continued existence in this tax time replay of the big scare. Why jump right into this type of threat? Budget time is of no surprise, why is this not an ongoing analysis?

Under the proposed plan, according to email, only seven county libraries would remain open: Main library, Miami Beach, North Dade Regional, West Dade Regional, South Dade Regional, Northeast Branch (under construction) and Coral Gables. 

Will Palmetto Bay's own officials fight for Palmetto Bay's neighborhood library? You can bet Mayor Cindy Lerner and the Pinecrest Council will be fighting for the Pinecrest Library.  Palmetto Bay officials, including Mayor Stanczyk, had plenty of fireworks in fighting each other Thursday night (7/11/13), but again, nothing but crickets was heard on either the fire station (that Mrs. Stanczyk slept on for over 2 1/2 years) or this alleged current library funding crisis. It is obvious that our mayor and council have no advance intel on anything at County Hall that may profoundly affect Palmetto Bay. 

News flash to Mayor Shelley Stanczyk: Closing our library or further reduction in the hours and/or programing will adversely affect the quality of life in our community.

Click the link at the beginning of this post or CLICK HERE to read the entire Miami Herald article.

“Edible Book Festival” returns to Palmetto Bay Branch Library on Mar. 24

For the second time, The Miami-Dade Public Library System brings an International Edible Book Festival event to the Palmetto Bay Branch Library.  The event will be held this year on Saturday, March 24, at 3:00 p.m. 

See the Community Newspapers article in the current Palmetto Bay News online: ‘Edible Book Festival’ bringing tasty treat to village’s library, By Gary Alan Ruse

I was pleased to attend and report on the first year event: Palmetto Bay Branch Library (MDPLS) invites you to celebrate the International Edible Book Festival  Click

The teen club, Bookbusters, inspired this event.

Inspiration can be a favorite book, author, title, cover art or character (comics and manga are allowed, too), anything having to do with books, but each entry must be made of edible materials. Those entering must be between the ages of 10 and 18.

All creations must be brought to the Palmetto Bay Branch Library on March 24 between the hours of 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.  Please note that no late entries will be accepted. The judging and photography will take place between 2 and 3 p.m.

Click "Read more" below to view photos from the 2011 event. For more information please call Palmetto Bay Branch Library, 17641 Old Cutler Rd. • 305-232-1771

A short history of the efforts resulting in the Palmetto Bay Branch Library and the protections that the initial village council put in place to make sure we would have a library for current and future generations to enjoy.

The MDPLS Palmetto Bay Branch Library would not be in existence if Palmetto Bay had not first obtained the property where it is located. The property was owned by a mysterious individual known as Celestia De Lamour, possibly for The Suma Ching Hai International Association.  Not much was known about this property or its owner until it was discovered that workers on the property had hacked through protected mangrove trees and built a boardwalk through 300 feet of lush park-owned mangroves.  Investigators have never located the owner.  Look for an article entitled Sect leader's island is awash in mystery, By Curtis Morgan, Miami Herald, March 16, 2004

The property was seized and John Breder was a prime mover in the negotiation the purchase of the property with Miami-Dade County Environmental Crimes of MDPD.  First choice of the land under forfeiture disposal was for public use.  John Breder negotiated the price and kept it to the original purchase price of $350,000.00 – a bargain price for what was termed bay front land located on historic Old Cutler Road.

The Palmetto Bay Branch library was the result of a collaborative effort between the initial Palmetto Bay council and Miami-Dade County.  The MDPLS Palmetto Bay Branch library officially opened on Friday, March 19, 2010.  It is located at 17641 Old Cutler Road in Ludovici Park.  (read on by clicking "Read more" below for additional history)

Palmetto Bay Branch Library (MDPLS) invites you to celebrate the International Edible Book Festival

Miami-Dade Public Library System International Edible Book Festival, 

Saturday, March 26, 3:00 p.m.

An exciting new (edible) event!  Participate or view the International Edible Book Festival at the Palmetto Bay Branch Library on March 26th at 3 p.m. (participants must arrive at 2 p.m.).  The teen club, Bookbusters, inspired this event.

Interested in creating your own edible version of anything literary (book character, author, title of a book, etc.)?  Participants will bring their book inspired entries to the library, where the library will display them as an exhibit. 

The entry form is due on Wednesday, March 23rd by 8 p.m. (late entries will not be accepted). 

The library provided a photo of a sample for inspiration, a cake for Beastly by Alex Flinn made by Cakes by Gaby!

What      :           Miami-Dade Public Library System 

                           International Edible Book Festival

Date      :           Saturday, March 26, 3 p.m. 

TIme      :           3:00 PM (2:00 PM for participants)

Where   :           Palmetto Bay Branch Library, 

                          17641 Old Cutler Rd

Contact :           Palmetto Bay Branch Library at 

                          305-232-1771

Entry must refer to a scene or character, look like a book, or be the pun of a book title.

Whatever your inspiration - it must be edible!