DECEMBER 2, 2008
December is most wonderful time of year in Coral Gables
Ray Corral makes mark as musician, artist, entrepreneur
ILLUSTRATION BY NYDIA M. PEREZ
Fall member drive launches at Chamber
BY GLORIA BURNS
C
Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce ‘to harvest new members’ BBY Y GALARRY RY NOLANM. NOLAN
T
he “Holiday Harvest” membership blitz is part of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce’s initiative to reach out to a business community that is very conscious about their bottom lines in this economy wrought with tumult. When a business joins the Coral Gables Chamber, a new world of opportunity opens for them as they instantly have the ability to reach out to a membership base of over 800 businesses. For the last few months, and most especially this fall, business has been on a quickening downturn. The facts of today
See HARVEST, page page 39 X ––––––– See
HARVEST,
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
Gables Great
Children enjoy the holiday season in the City Beautiful.
BY MARIA ROSA HIGGINS FALLON
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ith the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you to “be of good cheer,” December is the most wonderful time of the year in Coral Gables. Miracle Mile in Downtown Coral Gables is adorned with toy soldiers, twinkling lights and floral holiday decorations in main street corners. Shops and restaurants are welcoming those holiday greetings and happy meetings, especially during Gallery Night on Friday, Dec. 5. There’s caroling out in the streets. The 2008 Junior Orange Bowl Caroling Competition brings six nights of free concerts on the steps of the 550 Biltmore Way Building. The heartwarming competition starts on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m., and continues nightly until Sunday afternoon,
Dec. 7, with performances starting at 3 p.m. The winners of the 2008 competition return for a short program and to accept awards on Tuesday, Dec. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. The holiday season will be in full swing in Coral Gables on Friday, Dec. 5, with the Holiday Tree Lighting taking place at Merrick Park in front of City Hall. Activities will be ongoing from 5 to 10 p.m. at Holiday Park with carnival games and rides, face painting, cartoon artist, arts and crafts activities. The Miami Children’s Theater showstopping performance of the Best Christmas Show Ever kicks off the stage performances at 5 p.m., followed by excerpts from The Nutcracker by Maria Verdeja School of the Arts at 5:30 p.m., then songs from Mary Poppins and Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang starting at 6
––––––– See DECEMBER, page 6
oral Gables resident Ray Corral has made his mark as a musician, artist and entrepreneur. A graduate of Coral Gables Senior High School, this Cuban-American humbly describes himself as a poor student who was lucky to graduate but fortunate to have teachers who liked him, a mother who taught him he could do anything he set his mind to, and a father who taught him a strong work ethic. While Corral’s grades in high school do not reflect it, he is obviously a superior student in all endeavors for which he has a passion — music and art. RAY CORRAL As a musician who has collaborated on many albums and toured with Madonna and other artists as a lead percussionist, Corral had no formal music training. He learned by watching. Having great people skills and an innate talent were also keys to his success. His first gigs were at top night clubs that eventually lead to jobs and tours with Universal Studios
––––––– See
CORRAL, page 6