Ludlam Lights

     Our friends on the west side have spent years working to create a magnificent linear park, "The Ludlam Trail". The 6-mile chunk of land used to be a train route. The Trail is 2/3 of the way to becoming a reality but additional funding is needed.
 Six miles of real estate doesn't come cheap.

     Here's where you come in. 
You've invited to trod the trail (still owned by the train company) this Saturday, Dec. 10th. 
   Come, enjoy a walk on the Trail.

   Every year the good people working to create this new park stage a wonderful holiday event, "Ludlam Lights".  It enables you to visit the proposed park at twilight (5-7 pm), when it is aglow with hundreds of small lanterns. 
  It's a lovely event where you get some exercise, see your friends, and enjoy the hundreds of luminaires lighting the trail. There will be a lantern contest and free beer as well.  
    This year, participants will help set out the lanterns to light things up.  That, and the event itself, begin at 5 pm.  There will be bands along the trail and a parade at six.  Last year over 600 participants enjoying this family-friendly event and this year promises to be bigger.
    The forecast for Saturday is a crispy wintery evening with temperatures dipping into the high 60's.   Brrrr.   There will be plenty of parking in the South Miami High School

parking lot, 6856 SW 53 St.
  Francesca and I are going when the sun sets. We hope to see you when the luminaires begin to glow. 
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       JANET RENO MEMORIAL SERVICE 

     The public memorial service for the former attorney general (and former Grand Marshall of the King Mango  Strut) will be held this Sunday, December 11, 11 a.m., at the Kendall campus of Miami-Dade College, in the Theodore Gibson Health Center. 
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WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON- UPDATE

 

 

       It's time to get past the post-election blues and to take action. As the President-elect assembles his billionaire, right-wing cabinet there is less reason for hope and more reasons to unite and fight. 

    

   You can start speaking out today.  You can make calls. You can make plans to join us in Washington for the Women's March (or be a part of the "sister march" in Miami)  on January 21st.  

    Want to join us in the nation's capitol?  You can fly, drive, or join fifty new friends taking a bus from downtown Miami. 

 

 Here is the link for that,  Rally Bus’s page for the march .  

    This two-day excursion costs $275. Yes, you'll spend two nights on the Greyhound but that's part of the adventure! Most DC hotels charge more for one night. 

    Your second bus option to to ride the sleeper-bus hired by the Coral Gables Congregational Church. The social activists' enclave is charging $200 but hurry, there are only 15 seats left.  
    Call Pastor Laurie Hafner and she'll set your mind at ease (pastors are good at that).  Pastor Laurie is a wonderful person and her number is 305-448-7421 ext. 116.
   Think of the bus ride as a rolling party to help save the country. You can be a Paul Revere on wheels!

 

    Would you like to help someone who can not afford a ticket?  The link to donate can be found HERE.

 

Please follow this LINK of see national information that is constantly updated including questions about the Washington event's details.  While the march's plans are not yet finalized (other groups want the Lincoln Memorial permit as well), the Women's March will take place and tell the new President that we will continue the fight his efforts to limit free speech, truth, freedom, and justice. 

 

 

   For information specific to Florida participants follow this LINK.  It includes links to closed Facebook groups for each local area organizing in the state.

    Francesca and I are psyched about heading to DC next month. We hope you can march as well.

    Need a sign or banner?  We're having a party to paint them on Saturday, December 17th.  More on that later.  

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 My thanks to Brett Berlin for sending me much of the information that you see above.

VISCAYA KICKS OFF ART BASEL

       We went to the Grove's own Great Gatsby mansion last night, Viscaya. The old, amazing estate was tricked out with art for its Art Basel show, "Lost Spaces and Stories of Viscaya ".
   You can't have a bad time at this Coconut Grove wonderland; the house, the gardens, there's  
nothing like it in South Florida.  There's even an outstanding Joy Wallace cafe.

     The "Spaces" exhibition adds  eleven local artists to the mix. Their sculptures, in both the house and gardens, will remain in place until next October.  There were performances, as well, as there will be on Sunday.

 











Mira Lehr and Yara Travieso performing their operatic/dance piece, "What This Place Does Not Remember", West Garden Mound. 



 


 The pool  was enhanced by floating furniture.




  

   Our visit was enhanced by the many friends we ran into. Here we are with popular Grove graffiti artist, Arturo Edgardo,






I've been going to Viscaya for sixty years and discover new, wonderful things every visit.  Last night, massaged by a strong, bay breeze,
 
 the magic is was even more enhanced.

    Stop by our Venetian villa for lunch or brunch and a tour that will both bedazzle you and Art Basel you.
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HIT BY A DRUNK

    
       You run into some of the nicest people in Coconut Grove and sometimes others run into you.        - Glenn Terry, 2016

      I drove 11,000 miles across the country this summer. I had no car problems until I returned to Miami. Six Saturdays ago Francesca and I were waiting for the light at Grand and McFarlane. 
       In the middle of a quiet conversation,                                  W H A M ! 
a drunk's car smashed into the back of ours.
    It happened in less than a second. Our heads slammed back into our head rests. My Honda was shoved ahead ten feet, just short of car ahead of us.

       We looked at each other dazed, and realized neither of us was seriously injured. I climbed out my car to see what had hit us. It was this guy, driving a gold Prius.  

    He quickly asked me not to call the cops adding, "I'll give you $100 cash just to drive off".  I asked Francesca to call the police as I
surveyed my car's damage (over $2000 worth).  I took pictures of our cars, of him, and his license plate.  There was a woman in his car. She seemed angry as she made phone calls then walked away.


    The guy got in my face and blabbered on. He tried to make me feel guilty because his car's dents were bigger than mine. 
I pointed out that he had caused all of them.

      The lush went on to try to sweet talk me as drunks are wont to do. He offer went up to $500 payable the next day. He smiled and added "You look just like Robert Redford in that baseball movie!".  
    Then I knew he was wasted and told him so, "You're messed up, dude". He shrugged and admitted, "Yeah, I'm drunk". There wasn't much more to say.

     Francesca called out, "The police are on their way. They want us to move our cars out of the road."  I moved mine and asked the guy that if he could move his. The boozer said he would if I gave him back his keys. I had not taken them.  Really drunk.
    By then a friend of his showed up to locate the boozer's keys and to help him move his Toyota. I told him I would hold back traffic while they moved the dented Prius.
      I guess they moved it a very long way because when I turned back they were gone. I never saw him -or his car- again.

       A police officer arrived 45 minutes after the collision. He ran the kid's license number so I soon learned who he was, where he lived, and that his car was insured.
      I've long had a fear of driving on Saturday nights knowing something like this  might happen.
Defensive driving would not have helped, I guess our number was up.
     
   We got away with sore necks and a car that has been in the shop for weeks. The guys lousy insurance company (United Automobile Insurance Company) has refused, thus far, to pay for my car or anything else. The Miami City Police, six weeks later, have still not called me -or returned my calls- regarding whether they would bust the guy who took off.
   
   Of course, it could have been much worse. The drunk could have been driving fifty instead of fifteen. Our problems are small compared to what they could have been. Slowly we're dealing with them.
     When you think about all the drunks and distracted drivers it makes you think twice about traveling.  Drunks are bad but cell phone drivers are the bigger problem now. It's enough for make you think, "How crazy can it get?", "Are there any answers?" and  "Let's make all cars driver-less today".
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I play softball with Walter Harris, a South Miami city commissioner.  He is passionate about many things including the survival of South Florida.  Sea level  rise is beginning to destroy us (see photo below) yet our governor -and, the incoming President- choose to ignore the problem.

In short, we are screwed unless we do something big. Why not create our own state?  Sure, it's a long-shot but why not try? 
Here's what Walter has to say.  If you'd like to support the effort please use the link at the bottom to sign the petition.
Glenn

South Florida the 51st state

     

South Florida is in a very precarious position.  Not only are we in harms way due to rising sea levels caused by global warming, but most of South Florida sits on porous limestone so sea water rises from beneath the ground causing saltwater intrusion into our freshwater supply as well as flooding.  Most of South Florida is only 15 feet or less above sea level and in  areas near the coast less than 5 feet.  

While virtually all scientists now agree that climate change is a reality, our governor Rick Scott and now our president elect Donald J. Trump, refuse to consider the reality of climate change.  In fact, our new president wants to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and even allow oil exploration, drilling and fracking in South Florida.  He even wants the United States to pull out from the new Paris accord on climate change.
For the reasons mentioned above I strongly advocate the separation of North and South Florida.

For South Florida, the issue is more than political, it is the very physical survival of the state.  Time is crucial.  We need to take control of our situation here in South Florida without the interference and bureaucracy of Tallahassee.
We are starting a petition and hope you will join us by signing and letting our voices be heard.  Please sign this petition and send it to your family and friends.
Thank you,
 WALTER HARRIS


 HERE IS THE LINK to the PETITION:

https://www.change.org/p/creation-of-the-51st-state-south-florida-usa?recruiter=1973237&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

This petition will be delivered to:

• Commissioner, South Miami, Florida USA
  Walter Harris

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CASTRO IS DEAD

    This town has been anxiously awaiting the headline above for fifty years. When news of Castro's death hit South Florida twelve hours ago we expected all hell to break loose, or at least, a million people doing the salsa in the streets.

   We drove to Cafe Versailles, ground zero for Cuban politics, to witness the tumult. Several helicopters hovered above waiting to show the world how Miami went wild.  This is what we found,

There seemed to be more news people than celebrators in Little Havana today. Maybe a hundred tops this morning.  Those gathered seemed to be waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, we went home. 
   While a few old men seemed to be relishing the moment, most people feel Castro died long ago.
    We live in a lively town that loves to party. No doubt, as the day rolls on more people will join the throngs on Calle Ocho.  Most have waited their whole lives to dance like Oz's Munchkins when their wicked witch died.

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CLASSICAL CONCERT SERIES CONTINUES AT ST. HUGH

     As we pause to reflect on this morning's announcement of the death of Fidel Castro, we also consider the many good things to come out of our neighbor to our south, Cuba...
like outstanding Cuban musicians.   
    One of them, Elizabeth Caballero, is performing in Coconut Grove Friday night.  Here is information on her concert,

 S T. H U G H - S T E I N W A Y 
                         C O N C E RT     S E R I E S

                                           CO N T I N U E S   T H I S  F R I DAY 
       December 2, 8 P M   with

ELIZABETH CABALLERO, Soprano

                        and

ROBERTO   BERROCAL , Piano

      Arias by Mozart, Verdi , Puccini , 
  Gershwin, Lecuona and Holiday Music

              S t . H u g h C h u r c h

3 4 6 0   R o y a l R o a d , C o c o n u t G r o v e , F L   3 3 1 3 3

 The St. Hugh-Steinway Concert Series continues its 2016-17 Season on Friday, December 2nd at 8 pm with a

recital by the renown Cuban-American soprano, Elizabeth Caballero, with Roberto Berrocal, Basque

concert pianist. 
  
Tickets are $45 and $30 are available online at

www.sthughconcerts.org , by phone at 305-318-5008 or at the door.

St. Hugh-Steinway Concert Series is entering its fifth season of vocal and instrumental concerts,

presenting four concerts each year of both classical and popular music. Each concert is followed by a free wine and cheese reception.

    St. Hugh Catholic Church is a great place to enjoy music. The intimate church has become a successful concert venue. 

Ms. Caballero has been praised by the New York Times for her “pearly tone, exacting technique and brazen

physicality.” She made her debut at The Metropolitan Opera as Musetta in La Bohème. 
 Elizabeth as Madame Butterfly   Come see her Coconut Grove debut Friday night.
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