CBS4 News Magazine

Keep an Eye

on Your Money!

Companies are making big bucks on “grey charges” Pg.40

Electronic

Parents:

Are they safe? Pg.04

Your Kids!

Cigarettes:

Bully Proof Pg.06

PINECREST

Bidding

Wars Hit The Local real Estate Market

Stay Informed!

2013 cbs4 Hurricane Guide inside Pg.45

nEW

real estate section Pg.30

Contents

Pinecrest October 2013

Featured Editorial

26 |

Bidding Wars Hit The Local Real Estate Market Bidding wars are becoming more and more popular in the South Florida real estate market.

Some argue this new trend is due to high rent prices and low inventory, but could it be that homeowners are intentionally under-pricing their homes?

04|

Should You Trust Electronic Cigarettes?

A new alternative for millions of Americans who buy tobacco products each years has hit the market, but their popularity is rising questions: Are they safe?

12 |

CBS4 News Super Kids: A True Inspiration -- Zelda.

A legendary teen, known in schools across the country as Zelda, is making history by making a difference in her community.

40 |

16 Eye On Pinecrest LATEST NEWS & EVENTS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

30

Sponsored By

45

Enjoy A Getaway On Layaway!

You probably associate “layaway” with the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, but some travelers have used the age-old payment plan to make an easy getaway.

60|

Call For Action After Third Inmate Dies On The Forgotten 9th Floor Calls for action and change are echoing across the South Florida community as the Miami-Dade Jail and the Department of Corrections comes under scrutiny and the spotlight.

Real Estate

PROPERTIES SOLD IN YOUR AREA

Companies Run Off With Your Money Through “Grey Charges” Imagine paying out extra cash each month, even hundreds of dollars a year, but you have no idea! You may not know about what are called “grey charges,” but they are legal and companies are taking advantage of them!

42|

Special Sections

2013

HURRICANE SEASON Guide And Tracking Map

64

Home Improvement

70

Marketplace

PRINTED IN THE USA, COPYRIGHT © 2013 BY MARCO G, INC. All rights reserved. The CBS4 News Magazine, a free publication, is published monthly by MARCO G, Inc. Material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission from Marco G. Inc. or WFOR CBS4. Requests for permission should be directed to: info@cbs4newsmagazine.com. CBS4 and/or Marco G. Inc do not assume any liability for products and/or services claimed in advertisements herein. CBS4 and its logo (s) are protected through trademark registration. The use of logos, content and/or artwork in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. For more information please contact 305.477.1699.

[ 2 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

Should You Trust

Electronic Cigarettes?

Forty-six million Americans buy tobacco products each year, but one alternative for them is getting a lot of attention – electronic cigarettes. This year they will become a billion dollar industry, but their popularity is raising questions.

CBSMIAMI.COM

“I have a lot more lung capacity, more energy, pigmentation of my skin, I sleep better at night and I can go on and on” But,

Are They Safe?

“I’m

31 now and I’ve been smoking since I was 13 and gradually over the years I smoked more and more until I reached the two pack a day mark” said Oscar Rodriguez.

Rodriguez made the switch to electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs.

“I was lucky to have quit gradually and now I can’t imagine going back to cigarettes,” said Rodriguez.

E-cigs are battery powered devices that mimic the sensation of smoking a real cigarette without tobacco and without combustion. They deliver nicotine through a smoke like vapor and when exhaled there’s no odor.

E-cigs have actually been on the market for almost a decade but in the past few months the industry has exploded.

In 2011, sales of e-cigs were around $300 million. In 2012 they doubled to $600 million. This year analysts say that number will most likely triple to nearly $2 billion dollars. But that’s just a fraction of the $80 billion dollars Americans will spend on traditional smoking products.

So with so many Americans opting for them many have wondered if e-cigarettes safer?

Lung specialist Dr. Richard Thurer, from University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine believes they are – somewhat.

“While e-cigarettes, as far as the lungs are concerned, are somewhat safer the cardiovascular effects of nicotine still remain,” said Thurer.

The effects of nicotine include high blood pressure and constriction of the body’s arteries.

It’s still unclear how much safer e-cigarettes mostly because there is no federal oversight over them.

The FDA does not currently regulate e-cigs meaning manufacturers don’t have to disclose what’s inside.

“There’s not been very many studies on them and studies they have done indicate that there are different compounds that differ between different manufacturers,” said Thurer.

Despite the question marks surrounding their safety, Rodriguez said there is no question how much they have helped him.

“I have a lot more lung capacity, more energy, pigmentation of my skin, I sleep better at night and I can go on and on,” said Rodriguez.

Big tobacco companies are not watching the booming sales of e-cigs from the side lines, they are cashing in too. Each of the three big tobacco companies has introduced its own e-cigarette or bought an existing brand.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 5 ]

Parents:

Bully

Proof Your Kids!

By Natalia Zea

CBSMIAMI.COM

As the kids head back to school, parents have prepared them for the typical ups and downs that come with any school year. Some parents have even prepared their kids for what to do if they encounter a bully.

“Ever since people knew I do MMA now they haven’t really wanted to mess around with me”

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 7 ]

At Extreme Mixed Martial Arts in Kendall, instructor Michael Cardosa teaches his students self-defense to help protect themselves against a bully. Many of his students said they have experienced a bully before. Justin Perez said he’s been called bad words and bad names. Perez has been taking classes for 11 months.

“Ever since people knew I do MMA now they haven’t really wanted to mess around with me”, said Perez.

The kids learn how to fight but it is not the fighting the instructors promote.

“We do what we call – talk – tell – battle,” said Cardosa.

The ‘talk’ is for children to talk to their bully in effort to get them to leave them alone. The ‘tell’ is for them to tell their parents, school administrators or teachers that they are being bullied. The last one, ‘battle’, is for them to defend themselves if they have to.

Cardosa said they work with the kids to build their self-confidence. Perez is smaller in size compared to other kids. He said since taking classes at Mixed Martial Arts his confidence has improved dramatically.

“When I was in soccer, before I did this, I was afraid of getting hit and once I started doing this my confidence was much higher”, Perez said.

Justin’s father, Alex Perez, put him in MMA because he was worried about his son’s future in middle school. He said he wants his son to be comfortable in his own skin.

Cardosa said learning self-defense skills will not bully proof kids but it does teach a set of skills that will likely prevent them from becoming victims.

“The kids are more likely to stand up for

[ 8 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

themselves when they know they can defend themselves. When kids can’t back it up, they really won’t stand up for themselves,” Cardosa said.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties have anti-bullying policies.

Both school districts have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying, harassment and intimidation.

Bullying does not just happen at school it can happen online too — so parents keep a close eye on your children’s online activities.

CBSMIAMI.COM

“Cardosa said they work with the kids to build their selfconfidence”

CBSMIAMI.COM

Do Multivitamins Do

More Harm Than Good?

By Rhiannon Ally Many people use vitamins to make up for shortcomings in their diets but taking big doses could actually do more harm than good.

Dr.

Olveen Carrasquillo, the Chief of General Internal Medicine at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine, told CBS4’s Rhiannon Ally, “Leading a healthy lifestyle is difficult.”

While taking a multivitamin may help, a new book, “Do you Believe in Magic?” warns that taking supplements in super high doses may be dangerous.

“There are 20 studies that show too much vitamins can actually shorten your life,” said author Dr. Paul Offit.

Mega-doses of certain vitamins may increase the risk for heart disease and cancer, according to Dr. Offit. Specifically, doses that are 5, 10, sometimes 20 times greater than the recommended daily allowance for these nutrients.

“By challenging mother nature in taking these vitamins and concentrating them to these exceptionally large quantities that you would never normally eat, you’ve got to be careful,” said Dr. Offit.

Dr. Carrasquillo believes there are certain high doses you need to avoid more than others.

“In general as doctors, we advise the fat soluble vitamins: A,D,E,K, but the evidence is best for limiting vitamin E.” But, he also said moderation is key when taking any vitamin. Unless you are under a doctor’s advice to take a higher dose due to a vitamin deficiency.

“A lot of people have vitamin D deficiencies, even places with a lot of sun and sometimes we’ll place people on high doses of vitamin D to replace it, but that’s short term, medical monitoring,” said Dr. Carrasquillo.

Dr. Carrasquillo and Dr. Offit both say there is no magic pill, but for most people, taking a regular multivitamin is fine, but there is no substitute for eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 11 ]

A True Inspiration

By Michele Gillen

ZELDA You might think 17-years old is a bit young to be so legendary, that you’re known in schools across the country by just your first name, but that’s exactly the case for a young South Florida teen named Zelda.

CBSMIAMI.COM

W

hile she is a member of the National Honor Society and class Vice-President, her success goes way beyond that.

Growing up with barely enough to buy pens and paper for school, she’s shaking up how students perceive themselves and rocking our world enough to be a selected as a CBS4 News “Super Kid.” “You are never too young to be a mentor. Everything you get, you have to give back to the community,” explained Gricelda Ramos to CBS4’s Michele Gillen when the two met on the first day of her senior year at Mast Academy on Key Biscayne.

“I am so ready to be back at school,” she joyfully told Gillen.

At 17-years-old Gricelda, is considered a mentor extraordinaire, a modern day pied piper for kids, who she tutors and inspires for hours each and every day. They call her Zelda. That’s the name of a videogame princess but Zelda is writing her own legacy as a real life warrior.

“When people see me I want them to see me not as a princess but as a warrior, and somebody who is going to make a difference,” said Zelda.

“When I hear people say ‘Zelda,’ I want them to feel that I am fighting for everything, for my future, for my academics, for happiness, for everything. That’s what I feel when people say ‘Zelda’.”

“When I hear people say ‘Zelda,’ I want them to feel that I am fighting for everything, for my future, for my academics, for happiness, for everything.

That’s what I feel when people say ‘Zelda’” She explained she finds joy in being a warrior because “At the end of the day you have fought for what you believe in and others not only admire you, and it’s not about admiration, but you inspire others.

It’s like a constant domino effect,” shared the 17-year-old.

Zelda was born, raised and lives in Little Havana. She travels each day to Mast Academy where she scores top grades. This year, she got noticed by teachers across the country because she wrote a treatise on not being defined by your zip code.

“Where I grew up, people center on drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and they infiltrate to kids’ minds that this is where you are going, this all that you are ever going to achieve.

And I am showing that it is not,” she passionately shared.

Raised by a single parent, her mom cleans homes for a living, scrubbing floors to polish a vision of the American Dream for her daughter.

“School to me, it means the world to me. I love school,” she is proud to admit.

But it is Zelda’s compassion that stands her apart.

At 15, she and her good friend Camilia, also a Mast Academy student, created the non-profit campaign Temporary Pain/Enduring Beauty to raise funds for girls across the globe who’ve been bullied, abused, and disfigured in horrors like acid attacks. In particular shining light on the organization Acid Survivors Trust.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 13 ]

“T

heir lives have not ended because of how they look,” she explained to Gillen.

The project grew from her own pain and tears; as an adolescent she was chided for not being pretty enough.

“I was taunted for looks and appearances. At times I can resonate with these girls because I know what it felt like at one point to feel just worthless. God, myself, people have restored the feelings of beauty, outer beauty, inner beauty, inside of me. I want those girls to feel the same. Because at one point I felt alone but I realized you are never alone,” she explained. “Beauty is not everything. But as a young girl I understand how it feels like. When I hear stories of the young girls who say they want to die, I want to bring them back hope in any way that I can. That’s my message to them. You are not alone. Ever.”

She said her heart burns for those girls who have paid such a price for wanting to learn and study, which is something she values so much.

“Some girls are disfigured because they wanted to get an education, this is me saying they might have burned your face, but they have not burned your passion your determination, your fire.”

For such a young girl, Zelda often speaks lyrically on issues of the heart. She reflected on the moment she decided she would not waste any more time on her own tears.

“Sometimes you let it consume you and sometimes it becomes you.

One day I decided I am not wearing this sadness anymore. I took it off,” she proudly explained. “I look in a mirror and I see a future now.”

“Beauty is not everything. But as a young girl I understand how it feels like. When I hear stories of the young girls who say they want to die, I want to bring them back hope in any way that I can. That’s my message to them.

You are not alone. Ever.”

CBSMIAMI.COM

She’s helping others have a chance at one as well.

For $3.00 donations, she and her team take photo portraits and post them on their Facebook page with an inspiring message.

“The picture is more like a memorandum. Hey you made a difference.

You helped someone’s life,” said Zelda.

Those photos were hard to take at one point because Zelda and her team didn’t have their own camera.

They always had to borrow one.

When the CBS4 Super Kid Team found out, they went into action and helped give her reason to smile.

The first chapter of the surprise was unveiled at the place that is her home away from home, The Leadership Learning Center in Little Havana. It’s where she tutors other children and where she first met mentors who helped her with education, scholarships and more.

Board member and philanthropist Norma Jean Abraham turned out to personally deliver a top of the line digital/video camera package for Zelda and her team.

“We are really proud of you and I got you something that I think might help you out,” a glowing Abraham announced, “Yes, your own camera!”

Zelda’s glee was infectious as she was surrounded by dozens of applauding children.

Zelda cradled the brand-new camera and fought back tears of happiness, “For every kid with a dream this is for you!”

Her next stop will be a private photography lesson with internationally renowned Italian artist Luca Arioli who is famous for his portraits of hope he captures in the most impoverished areas of the world.

“This is what you have to capture, the smiles,” Luca explained as he walked Zelda through one of his award winning photo books. In poverty stricken villages in India, his pictures hauntingly captured smiles

that bloom like flowers within barren desserts.” Zip codes don’t matter.

Zelda tenderly touched each page as Luca gave her tips on how to photograph. The lesson was a perfect fit.

“I’m honored to meet her. You have the strength, all the tools and you have this now and this will be an opportunity to capture amazing projects,” said Luca.

So add a new mentor in Zelda’s corner, Luca’s heart touched by a Super Kid who found true beauty and whose fingerprint on life has already touched so many others.

“I decided that I would try to be an inspiration to everybody. To kids, to adults, just inspire people because I knew that I’m never going back to that place again.” But the first person she had to inspire, “was myself,” she added.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 15 ]

Eye On Pinecrest The latest news and events in your neighborhood

Content provided by The Village of Pinecrest

Pinecrest Gardens

South Florida’s Cultural Arts Park and the Crown Jewel of the Village of Pinecrest.

Pinecrest Gardens is a unique cultural asset nestled in the thriving and inclusive Pinecrest community. Although the Village of Pinecrest is home to18,223 residents (2010 census)—Pinecrest Gardens welcomes over 150,000 visitors each year. Moreover, attendance is growing annually as area residents and visitors alike discover the natural botanical beauty of the Gardens while visiting to partake in a cornucopia of arts and cultural activities—festivals, art exhibitions, concerts, theater, lectures, dance performances, markets, culinary and holiday celebrations—either organized by the Gardens or co-produced each year.

www.Pinecrest-FL.gov Cindy Lerner Mayor clerner@pinecrest-fl.gov

Jeff Cutler Vice Mayor - Seat 2 The beautiful 531-seat Banyan Bowl, (a raked outdoor amphitheater that boasts new theater seating; a weatherproof geodesic dome that as of this year, extends to cover the full stage area; and a full complement of theatrical sound and lighting equipment), is an ideally-sized venue that presents the very best local, regional and international performing artists, all at exceptionally affordable ticket prices (max $30). Thanks to a supportive Council with a vision of creating a venue that honors its rich history as a world-class tourist attraction and entertainment facility (formerly Parrot Jungle), providing a recreational space that is demographically all-inclusive and provides the Pinecrest Community and beyond with a cultural experience that encompasses performing and visual arts—this historic venue has embarked on a bold, new direction—that of a Cultural Arts Park where all of South Florida can find artistic experiences that entertain and educate; enhance and empower audiences of all ages.

jcutler@pinecrest-fl.gov

Joseph M. Corradino Councilmember - Seat 4 jcorradino@pinecrest-fl.gov

James E. McDonald Councilmember - Seat 3 jmcdonald@pinecrest-fl.gov

Bob Ross Councilmember - Seat 1 bross@pinecrest-fl.gov

Yocelyn Galiano Gomez Village Manager

ygaliano@pinecrest-fl.gov

Guido H. Inguanzo, Jr., CMC Village Clerk

ginguanzo@pinecrest-fl.gov

Cynthia A. Everett Village Attorney

ceverett@pinecrest-fl.gov

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 17 ]

Eye On Pinecrest

This year the Gardens will present ten new art exhibits in the Gardens Gallery, six orchestral concerts performed by three different orchestras, two jazz series—their main-stage series of seven performances called the South Motors Jazz series, and a free to the public series featuring the jazz stars of tomorrow, South Motors GenNext Jazz. The Gardens will also present 5 plays performed by three different theatrical companies, three different dance companies including Hip Hop, Flamenco and Mixed Ability Contemporary and a pop series featuring the Greater Miami Symphonic Band.

Content provided by The Village of Pinecrest

Schedule Overview: JAZZ Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens ShowS at 8:00 PM october 26; South Florida Jazz Orchestra Big Band Swing and Song NoveMber 16; Sammy Figueroa – Vintage Latin Jazz DeceMber 14; Maria Rivas—Sultry Brazilian Bossa Nova and Jazz Standards JaNuary 11; Leon Foster Thomas—Tropical Splendor Jazz Steel Drums February 15; Batuke Samba Funk—Afro-Brazilian Beat, and a fusion of Samba and Funk March 15; Shelly Berg & the Frost Concert Jazz Band – Great American Jazz aPril 5; Ed Calle Big Band –Tribute to Gershwin and Saxophone Legends

Gen-Next Jazz

Four FREE concerts featuring some of the best young talent around.

ShowS at 6:00 PM NoveMber 17; Clifton Heights Project JaNuary 12; FIU Jazz Student Combo March 2; Mike Orta and the FIU Latin Jazz Orchestra aPril 6; Aaron Lebos Jazz Quartet

POPS Greater Miami Symphonic Band DeceMber 15; Holiday Concert February 16; Sousa Style Concert

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 19 ]

Content provided by The Village of Pinecrest

Eye On Pinecrest

ORCHESTRAL/CLASSICAL/CHAMBER Orchestra Miami NoveMber 10; Viva Verdi!

February 9; The Mice War (Young Person’s Concert) March 16; Clash of the Titans; Beethoven 2nd Symphony and Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

Alhambra Orchestra May 25; Memorial Concert featuring Rhapsody in Blue

Florida Grand Opera Young Artists May 9; An Evening of Favorite Arias and Art Songs

Sunday Chamber Serenade Three FREE concerts featuring light classics and chamber music at 6:00 PM. NoveMber 24; University of Miami Chamber Ensemble February 23; Florida Grand Opera Young Artists aPril 13; FIU String Chamber Ensemble

THEATER Miami Acting Company NoveMber 1-3; California Suite March 2- 23 & March 28-30; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Miami Children’s Theater october 12 & 13; Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

DANCE

May 2 thru 4; The Jungle Book

JaNuary 31; Live in Color Dance Collective Hip-Hop Dance at the Gardens

Shakespeare Miami

February 1 & 2; Karen Peterson & Dancers

JaNuary 24 thru 26; The Tempest

February 22; Siempre Flamenco

Additionally there is a festival every month celebrating including Nights of Lights where the Gardens glows with a magical display of the season’s twinkling light features, November 27-January 6; a Holiday Festival celebrating the season in music, dance and merriment, December 7; the 11th Annual Fine Arts Festival, January 11 & 12, one of Florida’s premiere juried art shows; a Chili Cook-Off, February 8th; a Spring Egg Hunt called Eggstravaganza, April 12 and the Earth Day Festival, April 27.

Other Events

Performing arts, art shows, festivals, monthly family and cult films and several elegant evening Soirees…there is no end to the entertainment and enjoyment this magnificent venue offers with a backdrop of one of the most breathtaking Botanical settings in all of South Florida.

For information on any of our performances, events or festivals call the offices at 305-669-6990 or at pinecrstgardens.org.

CITY TOUR:

GHOSTS OF MIAMI

CITY CEMETERY NIGHT WALK

Connect With Us: Register for our E-mail Subscription Service: www.pinecrest-fl.gov Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pinecrestfl Follow us on Twitter - @pinecrestfl Contact us at 305.234.2121

OctOber 25, 2013 MiaMi city ceMetery - 1800 Ne 2Nd ave.

MiaMi, FL 33130 - 305/375-1492 The ghost of Julia Tuttle might be encountered on this tour, as you join HistoryMiami historian Dr. Paul George and lurk through Miami’s oldest cemetery. Visit the final resting places of Miami’s notables, famous and infamous. Bring a flashlight.

Halloween costume optional. Park inside the cemetery.

Advanced payment required.

Price $35. Time: 8 p.m.-10 p.m.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 21 ]

Coffee Shops

Limit Wi-Fi Discourage ‘Laptop Hobos’

By Vanessa Borge

It

is a common sight in coffee shops all over South Florida; a person with a cup of coffee, an opened laptop, and no intention of going anywhere. These patrons have even earned themselves a nickname: “Laptop Hobos.”

“I am probably a laptop hobo,” said Kevin Kavanaugh. “I’ve been a free bird since last July and I spend most of my time at coffee houses. That is where I have my meetings.”

Some coffee shops, like Starbucks, offer unlimited free Wi-Fi but not every coffee shop is as generous.

Some shops, overwhelmed by people surfing the web and holding business meetings, are developing more restrictive policies with their Wi-Fi or getting rid of it altogether.

Panera bread is one example. It’s cutting users off after a half hour during their busiest hours.

“Some shops, overwhelmed by people surfing the web and holding business meetings, are developing more restrictive policies with their Wi-Fi or getting rid of it altogether”

CBSMIAMI.COM

Suzanne Mello uses the free-WiFi at her local coffee shop and said policies like that are too severe.

“I would probably just go to another store if that is the case.

Where ever I can get free Wi-Fi and AC and they let me stay is good.”

Michael Oshins, a professor of hospitality said it is a predicament for businesses.

Disputes over outlets and cords dragged across busy lobbies are also common problems.

“All of a sudden it kind of snowballs into, I can stay here for, this can actually become my office, I don’t have to pay rent any more,

this can become my free space.”

Oshins believes these shops have a tough balance to achieve. They obviously need paying customers, but there is also value in looking busy.

“It’s like, this place is happening. I want to go there.

So all of a sudden it creates that customers become part of the environment or the ambiance, if you will, and all of a sudden it is more welcoming,” said Oshins.

So if a coffee shop or restaurant opts to make it a more welcoming environment, they may have to be prepared to manage tables and laptop electrical cords.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 23 ]

Special Advertisement

CBSMIAMI.COM

Small Cars Struggle In

New Crash Tests

Just half of the dozen small cars the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety featured in recent crash tests managed to earn a good or acceptable rating from the group.

O

nly two cars, the twodoor and four-door Honda Civic earned a top rating of good from the IIHS. The Dodge Dart, Hyundai Elantra, and 2014 Scion tC earned acceptable ratings in the overlap crash tests performed by the insurance group.

The overlap test tries to simulate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle hit another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole. The test features one-quarter of the front end hitting a five-foot-tall barrier at 40 miles per hour.

“The small cars with marginal or poor ratings had some of the same structural and restraint system issues as other models we’ve tested,” says David Zuby, the Institute’s chief research officer. “In the worst cases safety cages collapsed, driver airbags moved sideways with unstable steering columns and the dummy’s

head hit the instrument panel.

Side curtain airbags didn’t deploy or didn’t provide enough forward coverage to make a difference. All of this adds up to marginal or poor protection in a small overlap crash.”

The new VW Beetle had problems during the test with the steering column moving five inches to the right while the crash test dummy’s head moved forward and to the left. The Beetle’s seatbelt also spooled too much sending the dummy forward 13 inches and the side curtain airbag didn’t deploy, according to the IIHS. As a result, the Beetle received just a marginal rating overall. The worst performer in the small group though was the Kia Forte. From too much seat belt slack to lack of airbag deployment, the IIHS said the Forte’s crash allowed the dummy’s head to hit the windshield pillar and the instrument panel.

“Manufacturers need to focus on the whole package,” Zuby says.

“That means a strong occupant compartment that resists the kinds of intrusion we see in a frontal crash like this, safety belts that prevent a driver from pitching too far forward and side curtain airbags to cushion a head at risk of hitting the dashboard or window frame.”

“Manufacturers need to focus on the whole package”

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 25 ]

Bidding

Wars Hit The Local real Estate Market

CBSMIAMI.COM

Brandt Elliot found his dream home the day it went on the market, and he knew he had to move fast.

“I

was the first one to see it at 10 o’clock. By 4 o’clock, when I had sent my wife over there in the afternoon, they had already had another offer,” said Elliot.

Not sure he’d find another house he liked as much, Elliot placed a competing offer.

“I was a little surprised to get in a bidding war because it was literally less than a day,” said Elliot.

But bidding wars are becoming more and more the norm, according to Jennifer McKinney with the National Association of Realtors, who blames high rent prices and low inventory.

“Inventory has everything to do with bidding wars right now. It’s basic economics. It’s supply and demand,” said McKinney.

Some argue sellers are intentionally under-pricing homes — a tactic to get multiple offers and sell quickly — but McKinney disagrees.

“I think sellers are really pricing their property to sell and it’s causing a flurry of activity and buyers are having to overbid in order to secure a property,” said McKinney.

Real estate attorney Elizabeth Vinings sees it, too.

“Just today, I have a seller who had 17 offers on their home,” said Vinings.

Some of the contracts clearing her desk involve all-cash purchases — a strategy McKinney says typically gets the win when it comes to bidding wars. Many times it’s an investor making the cash offer, and that means the average homebuyer loses out.

“Obviously, if you put a cash offer up versus a 5, 10 percent offer, and investors are willing to waive more contingencies, the investor’s chances are they’re going to win,” said McKinney.

Contract contingencies are a big part of the bidding process, too, and Vining sees buyers putting themselves at real risk in order to beat out the competition. The three she sees most often: the seller negotiating to remain in the property, even after closing; the buyer waiving the right to a home inspection; and the third, waiving the mortgage contingency, which may mean the buyer has to bring a lot more money to the closing table.

“If a year ago you were buying a house and you’re putting 20 percent down, you would have a mortgage contingency for a mortgage of 80 percent of your purchase price.

To get a mortgage of 80 percent, the property has to appraise for the purchase price. And therein lies the rub right now. Because people are bidding with multiple offers, they’re often not supported by the appraisals,” said Vining.

That means a buyer has to come up with the difference.

“They are doing it, because I feel like a lot of buyers are desperate,” said McKinney.

Elliot feels he was lucky with his bidding war.

“The only compromise we made was price, and frankly, I think the seller was under-valuing the price,” said Elliot.

Sellers face risks, too, and have to be careful to choose the right bid. The highest may not be the best.

For instance, if the buyer’s financing falls through, you’re back to square one and it doesn’t matter how high the offer was. So there are several factors to consider when selling.

“They are doing it, because I feel like a lot of buyers are desperate” [ 28 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

CBSMIAMI.COM

“Sellers face risks, too, and have to be careful to choose the right bid. The highest may not be the best.

For instance, if the buyer’s financing falls through, you’re back to square one and it doesn’t matter how high the offer was”

YOU’VE BEEN

OUTBID

Real Estate Sponsored By

Listings in this section are based on properties sold in the month of july 2013 and retrieved from zillow.com. Not all properties sold are listed.

Not responsible for typographical errors and/or omissions. Photographs are for illustration purposes only.

[ 30 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

Content provided by www.Zillow.com

Looking For A

A Better Housing Finance Solution That Isn’t the Enemy of the Best Solution

After months of robust home value appreciation, the US housing market recovery is on very solid footing. We can now begin to turn away from housing’s ugly recent history and start contemplating its future, specifically the future of housing finance.

T

hat President Obama and representatives from both parties in the House and Senate have recognized this fact as well is encouraging. The president has taken his housing message directly to consumers, through means both conventional — speeches and talking points — and decidedly 21st century, accepting questions via social media during a recent event hosted by Zillow.

But for all the attention the president’s actions have generated, his largely non-controversial principles generally describe accepted points of consensus: Yes, we need more

private-sector participation in the housing market. Having two government-sponsored entities (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) responsible for the securitization of the majority of mortgages written in this country is anathema to an economy as promarket as the US. And yes, we do want to ensure widespread access to low-cost, fixedrate, 30-year mortgages. The 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is the bedrock of the current housing finance system in the US. It has allowed tens of millions of low-income and middleclass buyers to achieve homeownership over the past several decades.

Real Estate

Content provided by www.Zillow.com

But outside of the current system, which most everybody agrees needs to be changed, it’s very difficult to have this particular flavor housing cake and eat it too.

T

here are currently two proposals for reforming the housing finance system. The first, more conservative proposal was recently introduced in the House of Representatives by representative Jeb Hensarling (a Republican

from Texas). It would essentially fully privatize the mortgage market, leaving private capital to take on all the risks— and reap the rewards—of mortgage financing.

But for private lenders to accept that risk without any federal backstop, the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage would become very expensive for the typical consumer as lenders charged more to take on more risk, and/or would require potentially very restrictive credit qualifications.

The 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage would likely be replaced by

adjustable-rate mortgages. I personally don’t think this would be such a bad thing (most other countries use them predominantly without major mishap), but most Americans disagree with me, and public policy should somewhat reflect public preferences.

The second, less conservative plan has been introduced in the Senate by senators Bob Corker (Republican from Tennessee) and Mark Warner (Democrat from Virginia). It would replace Fannie and Freddie with a single, government-backed entity,

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 33 ]

Real Estate

Sold Properties in Pinecrest October 2013

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13145 SW 82nd Ct, Pinecrest, FL 33156

9921 SW 71st Ave, Pinecrest, FL 33156

8100 SW 132nd St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

3 Beds / 2 Bath | 2,123 sq. ft. | 0.34 acre Lot | Built in: 1956 Sold: 6/27/2013 | $443,000

4 Beds / 2 Bath | 2,645 sq. ft. | 0.37 acre Lot | Built in: 1972 Sold: 8/6/2013 | $525,000

4 Beds / 2 Bath | 2,292 sq. ft. | 0.34 acre Lot | Built in: 1956 Sold: 8/13/2013 | $590,000

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11950 SW 72nd Pl, Pinecrest, FL 33156

7900 SW 131st St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

13390 SW 82nd Ave, Pinecrest, FL 33156

4 Beds / 2 Bath | 2,915 sq. ft. | 0.34 acre Lot | Built in: 1963 Sold: 8/1/2013 | $650,000

5 Beds / 3 Bath | 2,967 sq. ft. | 0.88 acre Lot | Built in: 1954 Sold: 8/15/2013 | $739,000

5 Beds / 3 Bath | 3,293 sq. ft. | 0.35 acre Lot | Built in: 2000 Sold: 8/28/2013 | $835,000

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6405 SW 104th St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

6875 SW 96th St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

7740 SW 128th St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

5 Beds / 3 Bath | 3,758 sq. ft. | 0.73 acre Lot | Built in: 1967 Sold: 8/8/2013 | $1,185,000

6 Beds / 4 Bath | 5,207 sq. ft. | 0.85 acre Lot | Built in: 1967 Sold: 8/19/2013 | $1,245,000

6 Beds / 6.5 Bath | 5,964 sq. ft. | 0.39 acre Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 8/27/2013 | $1,440,000

Listings provided by www.Zillow.com

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11040 SW 69th Ave, Pinecrest, FL 33156

9449 SW 61st Ct, Pinecrest, FL 33156

6710 SW 120th St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

5 Beds / 4.5 Bath | 5,616 sq. ft. | 1.02 acre Lot | Built in: 1996 Sold: 8/6/2013 | $1,742,500

4 Beds / 4.5 Bath | 6,070 sq. ft. | 1 acre Lot | Built in: 1951 Sold: 8/20/2013 | $1,950,000

7 Beds / 7 Bath | 9,541 sq. ft. | 0.83 acre Lot | Built in: 2004 Sold: 9/4/2013 | $2,150,000

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7851 SW 122nd St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

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9550 SW 67th Ave, Pinecrest, FL 33156

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6411 SW 98th St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

7 Beds / 7.5 Bath | 7,339 sq. ft. | 0.93 acre Lot | Built in: 2007 6 Beds / 7.5 Bath | 7,918 sq. ft. | 0.78 acre Lot | Built in: 2011 7 Beds / n/a Bath | 13,941 sq. ft. | 1.19 acre Lot | Built in: 1997 Sold: 7/30/2013 | $2,150,000 Sold: 7/23/2013 | $3,050,000 Sold: 9/5/2013 | $3,650,000

12801 SW 82nd Ct, Pinecrest, FL 33156

12500 SW 81st Ave, Pinecrest, FL 33156

11125 SW 73rd Ct, Pinecrest, FL 33156

3 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,591 sq. ft. | 0.34 acre Lot | Built in: 1957 Sold: 8/7/2013 | $210,000

3 Beds / 3 Bath | 2,056 sq. ft. | 0.32 acre Lot | Built in: 1962 Sold: 8/14/2013 | $419,000

4 Beds / 2 Bath | 3,409 sq. ft. | 0.32 acre Lot | Built in: 1967 Sold: 8/5/2013 | $430,500

6946 SW 92nd St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

10920 SW 62nd Ave, Pinecrest, FL 33156

7600 SW 135th St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

5 Beds / 4 Bath | 4,298 sq. ft. | 0.38 acre Lot | Built in: 1990 Sold: 7/30/2013 | $504,200

4 Beds / 3 Bath | 3,133 sq. ft. | 0.71 acre Lot | Built in: 1955 Sold: 8/26/2013 | $650,000

3 Beds / 3 Bath | 3,245 sq. ft. | 0.59 acre Lot | Built in: 1958 Sold: 8/22/2013 | $670,000

6765 SW 89th Ter, Pinecrest, FL 33156

7640 SW 112th St, Pinecrest, FL 33156

5935 Chapman Field Dr, Pinecrest, FL 33156

3 Beds / 2.5 Bath | 3,349 sq. ft. | n/a acre Lot | Built in: 1993 Sold: 9/3/2013 | $725,900

5 Beds / 4 Bath | 3,846 sq. ft. | 0.72 acre Lot | Built in: 1976 Sold: 8/30/2013 | $850,000

5 Beds / 5.5 Bath | 6,261 sq. ft. | 1 acre Lot | Built in: 1973 Sold: 8/7/2013 | $1,335,000

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 35 ]

Real Estate

L u xu ry P roPerties

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420 W Rivo Alto Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

1 E Dilido Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

50 S Pointe DrAPT 3301, Miami Beach, FL 33139

4 Beds / 3 Bath | 3,701 sq. ft. | 0.31 acre Lot | Built in: 1936 Sold: 8/16/2013 | $15,079,600

6 Beds / 7.5 Bath | 7,829 sq. ft. | 0.39 acre Lot | Built in: 2012 Sold: 6/25/2013 | $14,000,000

3 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 4,933 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 6/24/2013 | $13,000,000

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7964 Fisher Island Dr, #7964, Miami Beach, FL 33109

2142 N Bay Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33140

100 S Pointe DrAPT 2008, Miami Beach, FL 33139

6 Beds / 7 Bath | 6,820 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 1989 Sold: 8/2/2013 | $8,200,000

7 Beds / 7.5 Bath | 5,141 sq. ft. | 0.46 acre Lot | Built in: 1925 Sold: 8/7/2013 | $6,750,000

3 Beds / 3 Bath | 3,423 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2002 Sold: 7/8/2013 | $6,730,000

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900 Brickell Key Blvd, Apt 3401, Miami, FL 33131 190 Casuarina Concourse, Coral Gables, FL 33143 5 Beds / 7 Bath | 4,635 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 8/22/2013 | $6,633,000

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1520 W 28th St, Miami Beach, FL 33140

5 Beds / 5.5 Bath | 7,795 sq. ft. | 1.12 acre Lot | Built in: 1980 6 Beds / 4.5 Bath | 7,909 sq. ft. | 0.46 acre Lot | Built in: 1956 Sold: 8/1/2013 | $6,172,000 Sold: 8/6/2013 | $5,617,000

Listings provided by www.Zillow.com

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400 Alton Rd, Apt 3601, Miami Beach, FL 33139 18101 Collins Ave, # 5509, Sunny Isles Beach, FL 33160 4 Beds / 4 Bath | 3,979 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2003 Sold: 7/31/2013 | $5,100,000

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4 Beds / 4.5 Bath | 4,141 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2006 Sold: 9/3/2013 | $5,000,000

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6000 Island Blvd, PH 4, Aventura, FL 33160 4 Beds / 6 Bath | 6,377 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2005 Sold: 8/8/2013 | $4,650,000

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33 E Dilido Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139

1000 S Pointe Dr, # TH-M1, Miami Beach, FL 33139

50 S Pointe Dr, Apt 3202, Miami Beach, FL 33139

4 Beds / 4 Bath | 3,074 sq. ft. | 0.31 acre Lot | Built in: 1958 Sold: 8/7/2013 | $4,600,000

3 Beds / 3.5 Bath | 2,986 sq. ft. | n/a acre Lot | Built in: 2002 Sold: 7/17/2013 | $4,525,000

5 Beds / 6 Bath | 5,329 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2008 Sold: 6/24/2013 | $4,300,000

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101 20th St, # 2907, Miami Beach, FL 33139

1000 S Pointe Dr, Apt 3202, Miami Beach, FL 33139

5332 Fisher Island Dr, # 5332, Miami Beach, FL 33109

2 Beds / 2 Bath | 1,407 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2005 Sold: 8/27/2013 | $4,299,999

4 Beds / 4 Bath | 2,618 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 2002 Sold: 8/21/2013 | $3,700,000

4 Beds / 5 Bath | 6,300 sq. ft. | Condo - Lot | Built in: 1991 Sold: 8/23/2013 | $3,800,000

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 37 ]

Real Estate

Content provided by www.Zillow.com

we create the new housing finance plowshare. It would be easier to smoothly transition from Fannie and Freddie to a single insurance entity for mortgages (like the FDIC for bank deposits). It keeps a lot of elements of the current system—such as widespread access to the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage—and it likely has some protections built in for rainy days, including keeping credit flowing even when fully private credit might dry up. responsible only for insuring, for a fee, securities created by private lenders. Moreover, these lenders would have to absorb a 10% loss before the government steps in.

I am generally a very pro-market economist, and there is a powerful allure to the idea of a fully private mortgage system. Were I designing a new system from scratch, I might prefer the challenge of going fully private. Given enough time, I think we could find ways to address the problems of reduced mortgage access in a fully privatized framework.

But I’m also pragmatic. We’re not designing a system from scratch. In that sense, something similar to the Corker/Warner idea should be the pig iron from which

Of course, there is a third option. Now that the worst of the housing recession is behind us, and now that Fannie and Freddie are making the government (and by association, taxpayers) so much money, it might be very tempting to do nothing at all.

But this is by far the least palatable choice.

The time has come to move our mortgage finance system past the crisis-induced holding pattern it’s been in for so long. The consensus around an idea like that proposed by Corker and Warner seems to be growing. If that’s the case, it’s time to get something done.

This article was provided by www.Lowes.com.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 39 ]

Companies

Run Off With Your Money Through “Grey Charges”

Imagine paying out extra cash each month, even hundreds of dollars a year, but you have no idea! You may not know about what are called “grey charges.”

CBSMIAMI.COM

“They’re legal. They’re sneaky. And they’re ways for companies to make big bucks”

T

hey’re legal. They’re sneaky. And they’re ways for companies to make big bucks.

From the bottom of the ocean, to snow top covered mountains, travel blogger Kim Orlando writes and tweets about her many adventures.

To make life on the road easier she paid a company for a trial subscription to track reaction to her tweets.

“I thought I was going to pay $149 for that one month,” said Orlando.

Instead she was billed four months in a row, which is something Orlando said she never signed up for and referred to an email from a company representative as proof.

She said, “I thought well this is fishy.”

Experts said a “trial subscription turned permanent” is just one type of “grey charge.”

Financial expert Jeffrey Cutter explained, “Grey charges are unwanted sneaky little charges that are, that are starting to show up on consumers’ credit statements and bank statements.”

So how do businesses get away with it?

A survey found “8 out of 10 people merely skim their credit card and bank statements”.

“I’m embarrassed to say that it took me four months to figure out I had been billed every month,” said Orlando.

What other grey charges could pop up on your bills?

“Unknown subscriptions” are when you make an online purchase and forget to click or unclick one little box, so you end up opting in for another purchase.

Another way for companies to run off with your money are zombie subscriptions.

If you cancel a gym membership or a magazine subscription, sometimes a few months later the

charges come back from the dead.

One more creepy charge?

“Cost creep” is where a monthly subscription slowly increases in price.

Many grey charges are legal if businesses spell them out in those “terms and conditions” most of us just gloss over.

“Make sure when you are purchasing anything, or uh that you read everything and understand exactly what you’re doing; that’s partially your job,” Jerry Cerasale of the Direct Marketing Association.

Federal regulations require that offers be “clearly and conspicuously” disclosed. The Federal Trade Commission said sometimes they’re a misunderstanding but admits other times companies just don’t follow the rules.

“There are bad actors, but don’t let that stop you.

Trust the good marketers,” said Cerasale.

Kim challenged her grey charges, but says the company insists she signed up, so it’s now in dispute with her credit card company.

Despite her busy travel schedule, she’s now going to check every charge on her statements and had this message for those “bad actors”.

“That’s just going to make me an unhappy customer. I’m certainly not going to sign up for anything that they have to offer in the future,” said Orlando.

The Direct Marketing Association and Federal Trade Commission have taken action against companies who charge consumers without properly disclosing the conditions of an offer.

If you feel you’ve been unfairly charged, you can report it by visiting: www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0068how-buying-plans-work

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 41 ]

Enjoy a

On

Getaway Layaway!

CBSMIAMI.COM

Most People ofof taking a fabulous vacation, but ManyDream people dream

paradise is often financially out of reach. Now, a new trend lets travelers book their trips and pay for them later.

M

ost people probably associate “layaway” with the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, but some travelers have used the age-old payment plan to make an easy getaway.

“You can put any kind of trip on layaway,” said AirfareWatchdog.com founder George Hobica.

Savvy travelers have started using layaway to book dream vacations and pay for them at a later date.

“It offers me the opportunity to put down very little money at the beginning,” said Richard Popkin.

Experts said that most families can’t afford to pay for a vacation up front.

“A typical vacation will cost $2,000 or $3,000 for a family of four,” said Hobica. “People just don’t have that money saved up.”

“Vaca Layaway,” as it is called, can help travellers pay for a trip over time in installments or in a lump sum before they take off.

“We empower the consumer to have the flexibility to book a vacation up to 18 months before the trip is going to take place,” said travel expert Marty Seslow.

Tough economic times have brought vacation layaway to the forefront, but it isn’t just for the budget conscious.

“We see the folks that are on a budget and a shoe-string budget taking advantage of this,” said Seslow. “And then we see folks at the higher end of the spectrum buying a more deluxe vacation experience.”

There are other benefits to traveling on layaway. According to experts, it affords travelers the opportunity to lock in the price of a trip and avoid credit card interest charges. However, not all plans are created equal. Some will refund money or help defer certain costs if problems arise, while others will not.

“You really have to make sure that you have some travel insurance and study the cancellation policies,” said Hobica.

Popkin said he will be going to South America in the fall.

“It’s a lot easier to make that decision to pounce or don’t pounce when it’s only a small amount of money,” said Popkin.

More cruise lines, resorts, and many travel agents are offering layaway as an option.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 43 ]

CBSMIAMI.COM

How To Make And Keep

A Budget “P

eople are not very good with their money,” said financial planner Andrew Rolnick. “But the reason I have a job is to help them try to get better with it.”

Rolnick worries about the social pressure people seem to put themselves under.

With a constant stream of posts and pictures on social media sites, it’s a different kind of keeping up with the Joneses.

“The most common thing I hear is, ‘How are my neighbors having a new car, a new addition?’ And I say they probably don’t have any wealth built up. They’re literally spending what they can,” Rolnick said.

He believes setting a budget is step number one and suggests taking an hour to write everything down in three categories: bills that have to happen, things that are likely to happen like dinners out or buying clothes, and luxury items like vacations and gifts.

“It’s starting with a basic budget.

Understanding why you’re trying to reach the goal you’re trying to reach, and then trying to figure out the numbers to make those goals happen,” Rolnick said.

Rolnick has seen the most successful savers continue to check in on where they’re moving their money. He doesn’t think most people are motivated to do it daily but says checking in monthly or even yearly makes a difference.

“It does take a while but you eventually compare it to the person that hasn’t and you’re miles ahead,” Rolnick said.

He added that making a budget can also be easier now because there are great free websites and apps that do the math for you, such as Mint, BudgetTracker and BudgetPulse.

Should tracking your money be a part of your daily routine?

Or is it better to set a plan, sit back and watch? Budgeting is more important now than ever before, but one study found 32 percent of us put together a monthly budget and only 30 percent have a long-term financial plan.

“successful savers continue to check in on where they’re moving their money”

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Special Advertisement

New Products Available to

Detect Date Rape Drugs In Drinks

It’s a scary thought: having an illegal drug slipped into a drink at a bar or nightclub. But now an entrepreneur has developed a line of products to detect date rape drugs in cocktails. That’s a good thing because the night scene can get a little crazy when the alcohol flows.

“I

t is always something a single woman should worry about, single or married,” said Alexis Johnson.

“When everyone is partying, it is really easy for something like that to happen,” said Annie Murawski.

It just takes a small amount of a date rape drug to knock out an unsuspecting victim. The most common is rohypnol, also known as roofies, and it’s dangerous.

It has no taste or odor. The victim is unconscious in about 15 minutes and is like that for up to 24 hours. When they recover, they can’t remember what happened.

It happened to Michael Abramson when he was out one night.

“I went to the bar to get my first drink of the night and not long after that, it started to feel much like my 15th drink,” said Abramson.

Drinking that tainted cocktail is what inspired him to start DrinkSavvy, Inc. which is developing cups, straws and stirrers that can detect the presence of these so called predator drugs.

When these drugs come in contact with their products, sensing strips change color to warn the drinker that something about their cocktail has changed.

Abramson, who worked with scientists to develop this technology, said it is not expensive.

“The costs will be very competitive with normal drink ware that the clubs and bars are already using so there shouldn’t be any financial disincentive not to really swap out their entire plastic cups straws and glasses for DrinkSavvy straws and glasses.”

DrinkSavvy’s products are expected to be widely available early next year. Testing strips on glassware is targeted for 2015.

This rollout is all part of Abramson’s larger goal.

“That can prevent at least one drug facilitated sexual assault from happening, and I think that would make this an incredible success.”

[ 58 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

“I went to the bar to get my first drink of the night and not long after that, it started to feel much like my 15th drink�

CBSMIAMI.COM

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 59 ]

CALL

CBSMIAMI.COM

FOR

ACTION After Third Inmate Dies on The

FORGO T TE N TH 9 FLOOR

By Michele Gillen

“Human beings should not be treated like this. No blankets, no beds, no mattresses’.

We sleep on the floor.”

Calls for action and change are echoing across the South Florida community as the MiamiDade Jail and the Department of Corrections comes under scrutiny and the spotlight.

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 61 ]

“I’m speaking “I am speaking on behalf of Jaoquin Cairo and Juan MatorFlories. Jaoquin and Juan could not be here tonight because they are dead. Both died recently while in the custody of Miami-Dade County,” said Terry Murphy, a public affairs consultant who advocates for the mentally ill.

Murphy recently addressed a town hall meeting where attention turned to two inmates of the 9th floor of the jail. Troubling questions over their deaths were first exposed by the CBS 4 News investigative team.

The community is now speaking out for urgent change and asking questions about the 20 million dollar- plus bond that was approved six years ago to be directed toward creating a mental health diversion facility.

“The voters asked you to do it.

They gave you the authority to spend the money. So do it and take care of these people,” said Murphy.

Before that budget meeting, Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez sat down with Chief Investigator Michele Gillen to discuss the jail, telling her; “We understand it’s been neglected for a long time, we are talking the steps now to rectify it.”

Steps that cannot happen fast enough, according to Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman, who presided over a public safety and corrections hearing that happens to follow the death of another 9th floor inmate.

Inmate Joseph Wilner is the 3rd death on the Forgotten Floor that is now currently under investigation.

“I am frustrated and saddened by the turn of events of late. I can’t tell you how hurt I am that we have people dying in our system and I question if they should be there in the first place,” Heyman told the commission chambers.

Heyman has requested a management watch be placed on MiamiDade Corrections, meaning that the mayor’s office would play a larger role in running it. That request under review.

Gillen asked the Director of Corrections, Tim Ryan, if he saw the request for a management watch as a lack of confidence in those running the system.

“I think what the commissioner indicated was that we are already looking for a better way to do business and anything that will help us do that, we look forward to achieving it,” Ryan said.

Meanwhile, at a recent hearing, commissioner Audrey Edmonson asked that the Miami-Dade Inspector General open an investigation into what’s happening in the jail and while some of talk turned to the need to urgently correct conditions, which CBS4 recently exposed.

Heyman reminded the audience, “We all saw the rat the size of a liter bottle.”

CBSMIAMI.COM

“We understand it’s been neglected for a long time, we are talking the steps now to rectify it”

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 63 ]

Home Improvement

Content provided by www.Lowes.com

Low-Cost

deCorating ProjeCtS

After purchasing your new home, your remaining budget may be small, but that doesn’t mean you have to postpone decorating. These projects are guaranteed to yield big results in a single afternoon without breaking your bank account.

Wall of Style: Create an aCCent Wall Focus your decorating efforts and dollars on transforming one wall into a wow wall. Good candidates for this project include: • The first wall you see when entering your home.

• The wall behind a headboard, sofa or dining table • A wall that bumps out or indents to form an alcove Next, apply one of the following treatments, taking the style to the next level: Paint: Choose a brighter or richer color than you’d typically use. Or try a specialty paint with a textured finish or metallic luster.

WallPaPer: Go for a bold pattern or color. Consider woven grass cloth, textured, flocked or metallic paper.

StenCilS: Try a wall-size design or use metallic paints.

Shelf exPreSSion: inStall Wall Shelving Install Wall Shelving Shelves can add style and function. Display photos and other keepsakes by installing shelves and ledges. Premade shelves are available in a range of styles, or you can combine planks and shelf brackets for a one-of-a-kind look. If you’re designing shelving yourself, plan for supports every 36 inches if you’re using three-quarter-inch plywood and every 28 inches if you’re using particleboard.

Style Underfoot: add area rUgS Area Rugs Unroll a rug and add both comfort and style to a room.

Rugs warm up wood, tile and vinyl floors, and they also work well on wall-to-wall carpeting. While a solid or textured rug tends to blend with its surroundings, a colorful or patterned rug can become the piece you build an entire room around.

Use these tips when rug shopping: • Wool and wool-blend rugs often cost more, but provide superior softness and durability.

• A 4 x 6-foot rug will look too small in the center of most rooms, so choose a 5 x 8-foot or 6 x 9-foot rug instead.

• Details matter. Check that all edges are fully finished, fringe is tightly knotted, and the back is smooth and free of imperfections.

• Use a rug pad on wood, tile or vinyl floors to prevent slipping and to extend the life of the rug.

Mirror, Mirror: oPen UP yoUr SPaCe Open Up Your Space With Mirrors Think of a mirror as functional art. It makes a room feel bigger, brighter and just a bit glamorous. For your first mirror purchase, choose a rectangle with a classic frame.

It will work in several rooms and hang vertically or horizontally as your needs change.

This article was provided by www.Lowes.com.

Home Improvement

[ 66 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

To Advertise Call 305.477.1699

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 67 ]

Home Improvement

[ 68 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

To Advertise Call 305.477.1699

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 69 ]

Marketplace

To Advertise Call 305.477.1699

October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest [ 71 ]

Marketplace

[ 72 ] October 2013 CBS4 News Magazine Pinecrest

To Advertise Call 305.477.1699