THE ARTIST UNDER THE OVERPASS

    I drive past South Miami five days a week.  Lately, I have seen a homeless man making sculptures under the concrete spans of Metrorail.  



   Today I stopped and introduced myself as a fellow artist. 
              
Found objects on auto bumper

   
    The man's name is "Sam". He quickly told me he had no place to go and, "I ain't a bother to nobody".  

   He has enjoyed his two weeks living next to South Dixie Highway adding, "It feels safe".

      He gave me permission to photograph him and his work.  This is Sam's collection,

 Box of found objects

                  Teepee

 Sam's rolling rig

 The hat he just made

 As I wound up my visit a train rumbled overhead filled with commuters hurrying home. Sam shut his eyes and relaxed. He was already there.

 (They day after I wrote this Sam and his art collection were gone)
              ___________________





EYE ON CRIME 

    It's strange how crime can come in waves.
Breaking into Grove houses is very popular lately.  A neighbor got hit last week.   
250 people showed up at City Hall tonight to voice their concerns.

    The Chief of Police said we'll be getting more cops on patrol soon.  They are also be putting four "tag counters", next to major roads.  They will record every license plate passing by.  He didn't say anything about recording thieves on foot or bicycles.
    In mean time, The chief asked us to, "Keep an eye on each other". 
   

STILTSVILLE: COCKTAILS WITH A VIEW

  
     It was like being on a huge houseboat stuck in mud.  It'd been that way fifty years. 
     Stiltsville is like that, a gaggle of stranded boxy boats. Hurricanes take them away but there are still seven of these houses, built on pilings, in the middle of Biscayne Bay.

   A friend owns part of one. Last weekend he took a bunch of us out for a swim, pot-luck dinner, and a spectacular sunset.
   Leaving the Grove we saw this incredible storm over Turkey Point.  Witness Francesca's fantastic photograph...

 


  
     The weather was perfect where we were headed.
Celebrating those who toil (people like us) we slowly approached the cottage on stilts.
 
After tying up we stepped out of the boat and on to the guano. 
 
Birds spend a lot more time here than people. 



The set-up procedure is simple, you climb the stairs, open doors and windows, then haul out the furniture.





    Now you're ready to lay out the food, drinks, and take in   views from every direction.


       Gina has a habit of bringing rockets to parties and this one was no different.
  
   After an exciting countdown "Rascal" blasted off into the southern breeze. 


 
    

As it neared the moon its parachute popped out.  The chief aiming officer (me) was off a bit. Rascal descended off to the east.        When it finally splashed down our jubilant rocketeer jumped in to retrieve it. 



 

She looked so happy the rest of us jumped in too.



The Grove Guy steps into the void


   As the sun set we searched for the rare flash of green.  We didn't see but who cared?
 

There was plenty of sky to keep us happy.

Coconut Grove Bayfront Series: THE SHEIK'S SHACK

       America has its royal families and the DuPonts are one.  In 1964 Willis DuPont built a 27,000 sq. ft. home at the end of the  St. Gaudens Road in the South Grove.   He lived there with his wife and young kids for several years. 

  We pass its 8-foot walls and imposing entrance on frequent walks to the bay.

       In '67 the home was invaded and the family tied up.  Thieves left with over $10 million in loot.  The DuPonts left for Palm Beach.
         The five-acre DuPont Estate was sold to a member of the Saudi royal family.     We walk by often but have never seen "the Sheik" or even a human.  All we know is the large, angry dog barking at the gate as we pass by.
        Early this year a "for sale" sign went up.   For $22 million the Sheik's huge house, complete with tennis court, pool, and boat house, could have been yours.  While I couldn't imagine that kind of money,  I could imagine what life was like on the other side of its tall walls. 
       Friday night was different, the estate's front gate was open and as we passed a big, brown dog ran out.  As it headed towards us I realized it wasn't the guard dog but a large, playful poodle.  A man ran out chasing it and once the dog was caught, he apologized.
       I told him we admired his house.  He told us he was only the caretaker and that he was moving things out adding, "It's been sold, a rich Venezuelan got it cheap,  $18 million". 
    We nodded, pretending that $18 million was very little to pay for a house too.  He told us the place going to be demolished and something new built.

      We walked on with me still thinking, "What's the Sheik's house like?"  The next day I found out (and took these pictures)..

   We saw this hand scrawled sign on Main Highway yesterday morning. We followed it down St. Gaudens and behold, the Sheik's was having a garage sale!   He had moved himself, his favorite things and left  the rest for us.
We were able to sit where the sheik sat and,






admire his art collection

 
 



Lounging around in the living room I felt very sheik-like.




Prices weren't cheap but this laughing elephant, lounging in the dining room, could be purchased for $25.
    
The gypsy lady had no price tag but she was probably beyond my reach.   

 We all know why some
cells are padded.      Every room, including the bathrooms, has padded and upholstered panelling.  I enjoyed poking them.

     I asked the woman in charge if we could meet the Sheik.  "Are you kidding?"  She replied, "He hasn't been here in years.  He only showed up for  short visits every five years.  People like him collect houses all over the world."

     I walked home thinking the sheik life probably wasn't all that great.  I'm sticking with our cottage on Palmetto Avenue.  

     The sheik's sale will continue 'til four today.
When I left the gypsy lady and laughing elephant were still available.

ROMPING IN THE RUBBER PIT

       Coconut Grove has suffered the wrath of feckless politicians for forty years.  That's one reason Miami keeps making the "worst cities" lists. 
  
   Let's use Peacock Park as an example.

 
     J.L. Plummer represented the Grove for nearly three decades.  Beginning in the 70's,  the city commissioner did all he could to suck the life out of the Grove's central park.  Its recreation center was closed ("The city has no money!")  Later, it was converted into office space.   Neglect gave bums every reason to move into the park and, the did.
       Still,  nothing blocked its dreamy view of Biscayne Bay except a few curving coconut trees. ..until the eighties.  That's when "JL" approved of a plan to plant mangrove trees along the shoreline.

Kennedy and Myers Parks got the same treatment.  Now, with the trees fully grown, the view of the bay is blocked.
 
      No other seaside parks suffer this.   It is beyond reason.
      Mangrove trees do make fish happy but we need a few windows to see the water as well.
     
      Once I tried to discuss these problems with our City Hall representative, Mr. Plumber.   His secretary refused to give me an appointment.  I was told, "If he wants to talk to you, he'll call you back" and of course, he never did.
     In 2002 we elected Johnny Winton.  He lost his touch with the Grove when tried to turn Peacock Park into a roller hockey stadium.  In 2006 he had a few too many and head-butted a cop.  So long Johnny.  
    The commissioner appointed to replaced him spent a lot of time in her office.  The city manager accused her of being impaired by a stash of vodka in her desk.  She was soon replaced when we elected our present Grove representative, Marc Sarnoff.
     Marc has never been drunk in public or on the job.  Perhaps he has never been drunk.  He's one up tight hep cat dude.  Mr. Sarnoff  has also done an poor job of turning Peacock Park into something good. 
     We've heard the his lines so many times, "There is no money to help the parks in Miami's wealthiest neighborhood" .  "We can not provide Grove park programs (although many other city parks have them)".  
    This has gone on forever but the neglect has gotten worse.   
      Last spring, Sarnoff leased much of Peacock Park to a private school.  It was his idea to finance "park improvements" with a park giveaway. 
     
St. Stephens school is spending a half-million dollars to build small, fenced, soccer fields, pathways, and a large, black play pit.
 
Try romping in that.  It is filled with tiny pieces of shredded rubber tires. 
 
 Go to Peacock to see what you're going to be fenced out of.  The private school in the background, who hold the keys, had a big dedication ceremony this week.  Were you invited?
 
There is a new circular bench (the one good thing) and
 
still much of the construction the mess.
    
Yes, this "mess" will be cleaned up next month but Peacock will still be a mess.  Our city commissioner has made sure of that.

We've given away a piece of a public park  again.  The City of Miami has done this for years.
What was a popular public basketball court is now being surrounded by a 12-foot fence.  
 
Who knows if any kid will be able to go there to shoot hoops again?

     As I mentioned earlier, the bay view of the Grove's central park has been blocked by trees.  Commissioner Sarnoff told us recently he spent four years trying to fix this but was unsuccessful.  Maybe his chain saw needed gas.

    
   The recreation building (we call it "The Glass House")  is no longer an office.  It sits empty.   
   This could be could be good news but in Miami, one never knows.  We can only hope that our city leaders reads its bronze plaque that says, "Built in 1972 to serve the public".
  
    In the mean time, if you need a place to sleep, the porch outside is available. 

    If Peacock Park is an example of how the Grove is treated by the City of Miami, maybe it is time to secede.   It did not work in '77 or '92 but there might be an alternative.  

      Maybe we should start a talent search nation-wide for our next Grove leader.  If they do that for hospital chairmen and school superintendents, why not for a city officials?      
   It is clear that everyone we elect is incompetent.
    Lets grab someone from Austin, Boulder or Minneapolis. They're well run cities because their leaders are better than ours. 
    In the mean time Miami will continue to fritter its parks away like so much shredded rubber. 

 

RAISE YOUR PITCHFORKS!

      The Grove's city commissioner, Marc Sarnoff, wants us to shut up.   A resident recently e-mailed him with a complaint.  She pointed out that there may not be enough money to build a park once the Grove's  convention center, next to City Hall and Scotty's, is torn down this fall.

      For years Coconut Grove's parks have suffered.   Every Groveite knows this.
The commissioner  has consistently said, "There is no money", to improve our parks.   
He just leased part of Peacock Park to a private school, for instance, because  "there was no other way to pay for park improvements".

     When this woman wrote, worried that the Convention Center site may soon become a "mud pit", he told her to,

 ".....read your e-mails (presumably from his office) and slowly put down your pitchfork..."

Marc Sarnoff  Sent: 8/12/2013 9:15:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time

       Grove resident/architect, Charles Corda, saw this and responded,   

  Dear Commissioner Sarnoff;

I think you may be watching too many old horror movies on late night TV.

It is true this is matter of "grave" concern. However of even more concern to me, is that you envision those who oppose this project as "pitchfork" raising rabble.

Perhaps you would be more interested if we call this project Grove "Horror" (not "Grove Harbor") ?

Would you like to get yourself some popcorn before I continue..?

To employ the imagery you use in your email let me make this clear,

It is "a dark and stormy night".

The rabble are gathering en masse in the castle forecourt.
Barefoot,  worn clothing,  soiled faces, their torches alight ..countless "pitchforks" raised in untempered anger

and ...oh...........

the mournful chant,

"We want answers"...."We want answers"

"Why has the man, once a Prince, now a King, turned his back on those who trusted him...

Our Prince once promised...

...to keep us safe..

...to protect our homes..

...to secure our tiny hamlet from marauding invaders....
and uncouth developers
        who care not for who we are , our history, or our future"


Where is our Prince?

"Why has the man we raised upon a throne abandoned us to stand squarely with those who would take our land and do us harm"?

"Wherefore art thou Dear King when our fragile hamlet is in grave peril?


Answer for us these questions so we may "put our pitchforks down", extinguish our torches, and return to our humble homes.

Answer for us these questions, Dear King,
     So we may know we did right to place you upon your throne.. 

         With all due respect Commissioner Sarnoff, In clear and unambiguous language, Why your ardent support for this ill conceived and unappreciated "development" of the Coconut Grove Bayfront?   To continue,

1.) Where exactly does the Sasaki Plan and Report call for over 100,000 square of retail/ restaurant use to be located on the Coconut Grove Bay front and /or this particular parcel of Bayfront land?.  Please site page number and paragraph so that we may be enlightened on this matter.

2.) In light of the Sasaki Plan "Market Analysis" that unequivocally states that any uses on the the Coconut Grove Waterfront should not compete with those same uses in the Center Grove, Why are you proposing over 100,000 SF of "competing" uses that may have the potential to destroy the economic basis of the Center Grove as it presently stands.
3.) Exactly how many parking spaces will be provided in the proposed Parking Structure? In an effort to avoid any further "mis-understanding" regarding this Garage on the Bay,  Please provide not just the anticipated height of this structure but also it's capacity, length and width.
4.) Why do you believe that the ballot wording for this item, which essentially gives the Developers carte blanche to build what they please, should be approved by the voters of our City?

5.) Do you believe the voters should be shown a final plan of this development that accurately depicts your intentions before being asked to cast their ballots?
  I, and the "pitchfork" wielding rabble, await your response.

Respectfully, 
Charles Corda
 


     

From: msarnoff@salawmiami.com
To: msarnoff@miamigov.com, Miamigros@aol.com, TRegalado@miamigov.com, tsarnoff@salawmiami.com
CC: rnelson@miamigov.com, anoriega@miamiparking.com, mllorente@miamigov.com
Sent: 8/12/2013 9:15:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time

 

P......

Who on Gods green earth told you there is no money for Regatta Park? Did you speak with someone or read it on the Internet? I am very curious so I would like a response.

There is approximately 2 Million Dollars to start Regatta Park...there is fear of a mud pit who would tell you such a thing?

Too many things are being said are not true.

At any rate read your emails carefully and slowly put down your pitch fork and think...read the Sasaki plan think about all the meetings there will be 14 more acres of park not a mud field but maybe that does not suit or support the cause you may have.

At any rate you have your answer on the funding, can I have my answer on who told you that?

Marc

Sent from my iPhone

       If you love our bayside community,  keep your pitchfork in a handy place.  We may have to march on City Hall soon.

If you have not signed the MoveOn Grove Harbor Petition, please do it now.   The link is,
 http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-grove-harbor

    Become a part of the "rabble" fighting for Coconut Grove.

---

WE WANT SCOTTY'S!

     Last night I attended a small, North Grove meeting to figure out why the City is getting rid of Coconut Grove's coolest place, Scotty's Landing.  
   
A city official and a developer's attorney explained that Scotty's lease has ended and they plan to replaced it with a Shula's Steakhouse.  
    Voters will decide the issue in the November 5th election.  If the proposal wins, they will begin building new restaurants, shops and a parking garage on this public land. 
If the proposal is defeated, Scotty's Landing will stay as it is until the City can come up with a better plan.

   Last year Scott Wessel ("Scotty")  presented extensive plans to re-build and improve his restaurant. The City rejected them.   Last month, the city decided to let the Grove Bay Investment Group take over the site.
    Yes, I am simplifying the cordial, two-hour gathering, but that was basically it.   
   The developer's lawyer, Richard Perez, explained that his client, whose principals already have a Shula's Steakhouse and the Grove Harbor Marina, will be putting in about 100,000 sq. ft. of parking, restaurants, and retail shops on the seven-acre site.  
     I pointed out that we love Scotty's Landing, the Grove's only cheap, casual restaurant on the Biscayne Bay.
Yes, we want it upgraded  but don't want to lose it.   We love having a beer with a view like this. 
   
    Last night we were told the developers plan to build three restaurants: a steak house, a seafood place and a "casual" restaurant, one they call "Hanger 49".    The first two ("Shula's and "Oceano") are fairly high-end and will look out on the bay (Where Scotty's and the Charthouse are now).   
     And what about the casual place, the one they say will be for the people who love Scotty's?  They are sticking it out back, where the boats are stacked  now.  If you look over the "tourist dock'" and past the fueling station, you might see some water.
 
 Above are the three proposed restaurant sites.  "Hanger 49" is called "Hanger 42" above.
  
 The City does not get it.   
We love Scotty's. It's casual, funky charm represents what we love about Coconut Grove.   It sits on our village's best bay view.
    
Don't give it to Shula's Steakhouse.  Don't try "replacing Scotty's"  by giving us your boxy, fake hanger stuck in the boat parking lot (the rendering below). 
   
 It's an insult to all of us. 


    We need to organize.  We need to fight the City's proposal. 
   If you want to help, sign our group's MoveOn petition.  The link is
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-grove-harbor. 
If the link does not work for some reason, google "Moveon Stop Grove Harbor Petition" to find it.  

Please pass this around so others can sign the petition and help save Scotty's.
The Grove's coolest place doesn't have to disappear.
                   _____________

      I'm glad I attended the meeting.  It was hosted by friends.  I needed to hear their point-of-view. Unfortunately I did not agree with it.
I think they've been hanging out with jaded politicians and developers who don't care about the Grove, too long.

  
   Blinded by the light, they no longer see what could be.