FEBRUARY 16 - 22, 2010
Girl Scouts’ mural brings smiles to young patients BY GARY ALAN RUSE
T
he eight members of Palmetto Bay’s Junior Girl Scout Troop 623, ranging in age from 9 to 11, are completing a large scale mural project that is likely to bring smiles to the faces of fellow youngsters when they need to have their spirits lifted. The remarkable project is a 1,400square-foot mural which reaches from floor to ceiling and encompasses the entire Rehabilitation Wing of the Miami Children’s Hospital facility located in Palmetto Bay. Working on their Bronze Award, the highest award that a Junior Girl Scout can earn, the Scouts started on a smaller scale mural that quickly expanded into a larger project and a real labor of love, according to Melissa Dodge, who has a staff position at Village Hall and is the mother of one of the girls. “Originally it was only going to be one wall, but the troop leader’s daughter, who is an artist herself, was home from college and she and her mother free-handed the outline for the girls to follow along the whole hallway,” Dodge said. “My daughter had sea turtles on her wall. The parents have been helping with the background on the higher portion of the walls that the girls can’t safely reach. The girls are real proud of what they’re doing and they know it’s going to help the kids that have to come in for rehabilitation and therapy feel better.” The Bronze Award requires a minimum of 20 hours each on a community service project in addition to the completion of various other awards as a pre-requisite to the final project. Nicki Blanchard, daughter of Carin Blanchard, leader of Girl Scout Troop 623, designed the mural, and is an art
–––––––––––––––––––– See
MURAL, page 4
Southwood student earns recognition as volunteer
Pictured (l-r) are Aysiah Arnold, Ximena Sakay, Katie Delisser, Hannah Dodge, Sarina Kirby, Kayla Baker and Nicki Blanchard. Not pictured are Scouts Kristen Egocheaga and Isabella Uccelli.
BY GARY ALAN RUSE
P
Village seeking community partners to sponsor picnic BY BILL KRESS
P
almetto Bay hosts its biggest annual event, the Celebration Picnic, on Mar. 6, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Coral Reef Park (SW 152nd Street and 77th Avenue). With more than 3,000 picnic-goers expected to attend this year, the village is inviting business partners to serve as sponsors. The big draw for picnic-goers this year is a new line of features and rides in the kiddy area, along with great music, delicious food — including the ever popular corn roast — and displays and fun activities, such as a Historic Homes Bus Tour hosted by the village’s Historic Preservation Advisory Board. “This is a wonderful opportunity to get your name out by participating as a business sponsor through contributions or donation
of products,” said Fanny CarmonaGonzalez, Parks and Recreation director. In recognition of sponsor contributions, the village will: • Highlight business names on signage to be displayed at the park on picnic day; • Mention sponsors in all press releases leading up to the event, and • Include their names in promotional electronic newsletters and other web-based promotional material. “What a great opportunity to partner with and support your community while promoting your local business to thousands of residents,” Carmona-Gonzalez said. For picnic sponsorship information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 305-259-1234. In addition, volunteers are needed to assist with set up, food prep, to serve food and beverage, and for tear down.
almetto Bay’s Taylor “Tae Tae” Davis, a seventh grade art student at Southwood Middle School, started out with a simple quest to help get art supplies for her cash-strapped class of fellow students. She not only succeeded beyond her dreams and has expanded the drive into a major philanthropic mission, she has been named one of Florida’s top two youth volunteers for 2010 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. In recognition of her accomplishment, Prudential will present Davis with a $1,000 award, an engraved silver medallion and a trip
Taylor “Tae Tae” Davis
–––––––––––––––––––– See
STUDENT, page 4