JANUARY 6, 2009
City code enforcement to check exteriors of homes, businesses BY MARIA ROSA HIGGINS FALLON
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irty roofs have become a serious issue in the City of Coral Gables. So much so, that beginning in February, Code Enforcement officers will be conducting a sweep to check that all exterior structures of residential and commercial properties are free of excessive mildew or scaling of paint. The month of January is being devoted to educating members of the public that it is their responsibility as property owners to keep their homes and businesses in good condition. The exterior of every structure — walls, roofs, walkways and driveways — needs to be maintained with reasonable attractiveness to protect the value of neighborhoods. The City Code states: “All exterior building surfaces shall be free of chipping, pitting, cracking, discoloration, peeling or fading.” That’s exactly what Code Enforcement officers will be checking citywide beginning in February. Residential and commercial property owners that are not in compliance will be cited for a violation and will receive a letter asking them to correct the problem within a certain period of time. If after this time the problem is not corrected, violators will be fined $250. In consideration of previous years’ water restrictions, city officials have not been citing property owners for having dirty roofs, but the measure is needed because maintenance of exterior structures has deteriorated through many parts of Coral Gables. For additional information, contact the City of Coral Gables Code Enforcement Office at 305-460-5226.
Miracle Theater replica earns prize in Gingerbread Contest
Gables Great Kendell Turner is true product of Coral Gables BY GLORIA BURNS
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Dimitri Godur shows his gingerbread replica of the Miracle Theater to Barbara Stein, Actors’ Playhouse executive producing director.
BY LEE STEPHENS
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imitri Godur’s design of the Miracle Theater, which took home second prize in the Children’s Category at the Coral Gables Museum’s First Annual Gingerbread House Contest, is currently on display in the theater on Miracle Mile. Barbara Stein, executive producing director of the Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theater said she is thrilled with the donation. Dimitri, 10, a student at St. Philip’s Elementary School, explained to Stein that he photographed the building and carefully examined the architecture before planning his gingerbread structure. “It’s thrilling to see a young student
interested in historic architecture and we are honored to display his Miracle Theater,” Stein said during a meeting with Dimitri and his mother, Ana Godur. To show her appreciation, Stein invited them to attend the Actors’ Playhouse presentation of A Christmas Carol. The Coral Gables Museum, set to open in 2010 in Downtown Coral Gables, will celebrate the Civic Arts of architecture, urban design and planning, sustainable development, and historic and environmental preservation. For more information about the museum, visit <www.coralgablesmuseum.org> or call Christine Rupp, director of operations, at 305-910-3996.
endell Turner truly is a product of Coral Gables having attended elementary, junior high and high school in the city. She and husband, Tony, live in the home in which she grew up — one of the city’s traditional “Old Spanish” houses built in the 1920s. As a Realtor with Kerdyk Real Estate, Turner has specialized in the sale of residential real estate in Coral Gables and surrounding neighborhoods. Taking advantage of her talent for locating, marketing and researching historic properties, Turner not only is one of her firm’s multi-million-dollar producers but also has been a key person in setting up The Villagers KENDELL TURNER Historic Homes Tour for several years. Locating homes and preparing the beautiful programs for this annual fundraiser is just one of her many successful efforts. In fact, Turner also is the newsletter chair for that nonprofit, the oldest group of its type in Miami-Dade County. While Turner’s appreciation for
––––––– See TURNER, page 6