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JULY 20 - 26, 2010
State candidates crowd first of 3 KFHA forums
BY RICHARD YAGER
Boy Scout revives fencing tourney for Eagle project
F
rom equal rights for women to offshore oil drilling, lively exchanges sparked a three-hour “Candidates Night 1” hosted by the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations (KFHA) at Kendall Village Center Community Pavilion on July 12. Introductory remarks by candidates for state offices varied from simple name identity and background to mini-speeches before timelimits were called by Miles E. Moss, KFHA president, who moderated the first of three planned pre-election forums. Eight Florida legislative races dominated the program that saw three of five candidates appear from Senate Districts 36 and 38, and 16 of 32 active House candidates who represent six district races with partial constituencies in Kendall. Only business account manager Alexander Snitker, running on the Libertarian ticket, appeared among 22 currently seeking retired Sen. Mel Martinez’s U.S. Senate seat, now held by George LeMieux, appointee of Gov. Charlie Crist, who also is seeking the post. After Snitker pledged he would vote on principle rather than political promises, Denny Wood, activist for the disabled, spoke briefly for former Miami mayor and county commissioner Maurice Ferre, claiming Ferre failed to receive an invitation to the event. None of the 10 active candidates for the District 17 U.S. House seat attended with only spokespersons appearing to support Mariana Cancio, Paul Crespo and David Rivera, three of seven running for the District 25 seat. State Rep. Julio Robaina, now seeking the Florida Senate District 36 seat and
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KFHA, page 4
BY LINDA RODRIGUEZ BERNFELD
A
Miami-Dade School Board candidate Eddy Barea is pictured at the KFHA pre-primary forum on July 12.
‘Gold Ranches’ seeks new lake exca va tion BY RICHARD YAGER
P
ermission to excavate a 133-acre lake for an equestrian-styled community of 47 homes off Krome Avenue north of SW 136th Street was deferred until Sept. 2 by the West Kendall Community Council (Zoning Appeals Board) on July 14. Although initially approved by a simple 3-2 majority of its current five members, the board lacked a supermajority (4-1 or better count) to act on a request to sell excavated earth off-site. The application was sought by attorney Juan
Mayol on behalf of Krome Gold Ranches, a conglomerate of corporate and individual interests. Planned for a 466-acre tract 1.5 miles west of the UDB (Urban Development Boundary), the project was protested when details were disclosed in July 2008 as more than 20 residents objected to a zoning change from agricultural (GU) to single-family estate (EU-2). A 6-1 ZAB vote against that followed but was overturned in November 2008 by the county commission, which –––––––––––––––– See
EXCAVATION, page 4
fencing tournament that was going to die for lack of funding is now a healthy competition because of the actions of West Kendall resident and Boy Scout Sean Vilar. Proceeds from the event, called the David Berriman Memorial Tournament, are donated to the Leisure Access program, a Miami-Dade program for children with developmental challenges. Vilar saved the tournament by making it his Eagle Scout Project. “They donated the date of the tournament for the project so I kept the same name,” Vilar said. “The original plan of the project was to raise awareness of the program.” The idea also included keeping the project going in future years. The project was so successful — drawing 156 fencers — they ran it twice more in 2010, using the spreadsheet Vilar put together detailing exactly how to run the event. “Usually it would make enough money to pay for the expenses that were needed. I think the final profit was around $800 [to the Access program]. We also donated money to the school and to the referees that stayed extra,” he said. Under Vilar’s direction, the tournament drew more competitors than usual. “It was a really big turnout. A lot of different colleges like the University of Central Florida sent people to compete,” he said. “The University of South Florida
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EAGLE, page 4