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Cutler Bay SERVING SOUTH DADE
JULY 13, 2010
Let people know how their taxes are spent
BY GRANT MILLER
Publisher The Cutler Bay Town Council missed an opportunity in June to establish greater transparency regarding how it spends its residents’ money. Let’s hope they don’t throw away a second chance to do the right thing this month. During the council meeting of June 16, Vice Mayor Ed MacDougall proposed a resolution on the consent agenda requesting the town manager to post on Cutler Bay’s website a monthly report of the town’s check registry, “including but not limited to all town revenues and expenditures.” The idea was to provide public access to information that every municipal taxpayer should have a right to know. Unfortunately, only MacDougall and Councilman Tim Meerbott voted for it. Mayor Paul Vrooman and Councilmembers Peggy Bell and Ernie Sochin voted against it. Some said the information already was available at Town Hall, if requested, but certainly it would be more accessible to all if posted online. Why not do it? There’s nothing to hide — is there? The next town council meeting is on Wednesday, July 21, 7 p.m., at the South Dade Regional Library, 10750 SW 211 St. Let’s hope the whole council votes “yes” this time.
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Bill Meiklejohn honored by council with proclamation BY GARY ALAN RUSE
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utler Bay resident, businessman and civic activist Bill Meiklejohn was honored recently with a proclamation from the town council acknowledging his many contributions. The proclamation stated that Meiklejohn, who has lived in the area for 35 years, has invested a large part of his time and dedication to Cutler Bay, not only serving as chair of the Cutler Bay Business Association but also being involved in the collaborative efforts with local public officials and police of the South Dade area for the Bay Area Mentors (BAM), Youth Pictured at the presentation are (l-r) Vice Mayor Ed MacDougall, Councilmember Peggy Bell, Mayor Paul Vrooman, Bill Meiklejohn, and Councilmembers Tim Meerbott and Ernie Sochin.
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MEIKLEJOHN, page 4
Rotary Club awards $69,000 in scholarships to 20 students BY LINDA RODRIGUEZ BERNFELD
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wenty students from south Miami-Dade County have been awarded scholarships by the Rotary Club of Perrine-Cutler Ridge/Palmetto Bay. The club gave out a total of $69,000 in scholarships from funds raised by the fifth and sixth annual Casino Nights. The winners included Casey Anderson (Palmetto), Natalie King (Coral Reef), Andrew Maxwell (Coral Reef), Matthew DeFranks (Columbus), Alan Bedsworth (Robert Morgan), Alexander Copa (Palmetto), Michelle Kraslow (Palmetto), Adam Nathan (Westminster), Alexa Riccardi
(Lourdes), Kevin Rodriguez (Varela), Francis Tam (Palmetto), Leigh Gordon-Patti (Coral Reef), Caroline Henley (Coral Reef), Emily Perritt (Robert Morgan), Hsiao Yao (Palmetto), Kammy Diaz (Southridge), Jacob George (Robert Morgan), Diamia Foster (Southridge), Leo Kaplowitz (Robert Morgan), and Jacqueline Rowe (DASH). The community room at the Southland Mall was packed with scholarship winners and their families. More than 100 people attended the ceremony. “That was to have the community
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SCHOLARSHIPS, page 4
Leigh GordonPatti of Coral Reef High received a $10,000 scholarship and plans to study journalism at Northwestern University.