NOVEMBER 2, 2010
City officially opens Coral Gables Museum BY MARIA ROSA HIGGINS FALLON
GABLES GREAT
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undreds of well wishers visited the newly opened Coral Gables Museum throughout the day on Sunday, Oct. 10. In the morning, the public was welcomed with numerous activities for children and families, and everybody enjoyed the self-guided tours of the 1939 building in Downtown Coral Gables, which was the city’s original Police and Fire station. The building’s conversion architect Jorge L. Hernandez gave a standing-roomonly lecture in the afternoon about the transformation of this historic building into the new museum. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place at 5 p.m. with the participation of Mayor Don Slesnick; Vice Mayor Bill Kerdyk Jr., and Commissioners Maria Anderson, Ralph Cabrera Jr. and Chip Withers. Also present were U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Miami-Dade County Commissioners Rebeca Sosa and Carlos A. Gimenez. George Kakouris, chair of the Coral Gables Museum Board of Trustees spoke during the ceremony about the generous contributions made by many, especially
Venny Torre shares his time and abilities BY GLORIA BURNS
Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick — surrounded by other city, county and national officials — welcomes visitors to the opening of the Coral Gables Museum. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
from Robert and Marian Fewell who were the largest private donors. Former Coral Gables Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli also spoke about the importance to name the ValdesFauli Archive in honor of his late father.
Finally, Commissioner Wayne “Chip” Withers gave a heartfelt speech about the final realization of his long-time dream of building a museum where future generations can visit and learn what Coral Gables is all about.
Celebrate dining al fresco at ‘Giralda Under the Stars’ BY DESERAE DEL CAMPO
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tarting on Friday, Nov. 5, Downtown Coral Gables’ Restaurant Row (located on the 100 block of Giralda Avenue between Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Galiano Street) will be bustling with al fresco dining and live entertainment from 7 p.m. to midnight as part of “Giralda Under the Stars.” The event will take place the first Friday of every month from November through March 2011 and will allow pedestrians to stroll freely Restaurant Row under the stars. From the local dinner crowd looking to walk to their favorite neighborhood restaurant to the traveling gourmand seeking a new scene, Restaurant Row in Downtown Coral Gables
has something for every palate. Ten Downtown Coral Gables restaurants and bars will extend their dining rooms onto the street in a celebration of the event’s culinary options. The 100 block of Giralda Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic so that Giralda Under the Stars’ participating restaurants and bars may fill the street with tables and chairs as well as live music and entertainers. To highlight this year’s kickoff celebration, La Dorada will be hosting Gaiteros Espanoles who will be showcasing a Celtic music and dance performance. Locals and foodies alike can enjoy Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian and Mexican cuisines among other ethnic and eclectic culinary options. Participating restaurants and bars
include: Bangkok Bangkok II, Castelluccio Ristorante, La Dorada, Las Vegas Restaurant, Miss Saigon Bistro, The Bar, Talavera, Spris Restaurant, Il Grissino and The Local. For information about Giralda Under the Stars’ participating restaurants and bars or to make a reservation for an al fresco table, visit online at <www.shopcoralgables.com>. Downtown Coral Gables and Miracle Mile is a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood infused with a chic European feel. Decorated with tree-lined streets and Mediterranean architecture, the historic area boasts some of Miami’s finest boutiques, acclaimed restaurants and lively cultural venues. For information and a directory, visit online at <www.shopcoralgables.com>.
South Florida native Venny Torre is a man of many talents who is dedicated to his community and shares his time and abilities in a variety of ways. Torre is president and CEO of Torre Construction and Development, a boutique construction and development firm that he owns and manages based in Coral Gables. With 25 years in construction and development experience, he began working in the construction field at the age of 15. He graduated from the University of Florida earning an associVENNY TORRE ate’s degree in arts in Architecture and then switched to finish with a bachelor’s degree in Building Construction. This Gator began his career working with The Graham Companies, developers of the Town of Miami Lakes. From there he moved on to own U.S. –––––––––––––––––––––––––– See
TORRE, on page 4