Start of class
The morning staff at the Montessori School are (I. to r.) Carol Smith, teacher; Kate Hubbell, directress; Martha Cuthbertson, intern; Kathy Vale, aide. Moncy Herrera, Alexandra Arboleda and Carolyn Ortega, students, look on.
Bridge plans continue toward 1983 target date
With a deadline past, Coast Guard officials are in the process of assembling an analysis of comments on the environmental impact study for improvements to the Rickenbacker Causeway and the bascule bridge.
Charles Baldwin, chief of the highway division for Metro Dade Public Works Department, said that all the responses received by county agencies were “positive and supportive” of the study and the causeway and bridge improvements contained in it. Baldwin said the Coast Guard mentioned that there would be a slight delay in the final assemblage of the comments due to the fact that they had just received a memo from the County Manager’s office, specifically the Department of Environmental Regulations Management (DERM), in regard to several environmental is-sues.
Baldwin reiterated, however, that the issues were minor and that there would be no structural change to the study at this time. An October hearing is scheduled to approve the architectural firm selected by the County Manager’s office.
Kunde, Driver and Associates, Inc. of Miami, were selected to produce the construction plans for the bridge improvements on Rickenbacker Causeway. Once a contract agreement has been signed by the county, the Budget Department can begin working toward completing all the project details.
The fine details of the bridge improvement project must be known to determine the size of the bond. An authorized $45 million has been submitted by the county commission but the total cost of the project is still unknown at this time. Ed Smith, chairman of the Rickenbacker Traffic Committee, said they are hoping to speed up the bond act to take advantage of the low interest rates. Their target date for bond funding is early 1983.
Sunrise residents form Improvement Association
Twenty-four residents of Sunrise Drive, representing 10 buildings on the block, met to form the Sunrise Improvement Association. The primary purpose of the meeting was to gain support from all residents of Sunrise to make improvements on various issues relating to them.
One issue in particular was the easement Sunrise Drive residents have for ingress and egress to the beach. The easement is between The Sands condominium and the Beach Club.
Several weeks ago, a few Sunrise residents approached the easement gate only to find that it had been locked. This incident brought about the questions of who has the right of the easement and who maintains it.
Chris Ward, an owner and resident on Sunrise Drive, organized the meeting and found documentation that, in fact, Sunrise residents have the explicit right to use the easement. In a warranty deed, signed on May 12, 1967, it states, “the said easement is intended to be private and for the exclusive and common use of the parties and their families and their guests who from time to time shall have the right to possession of any of the real property located in the south section of Track “A” of said Rutgers Subdivision,” which is the area in question.
Ward said the meeting was “good” and that it was a great opportunity to keep the residents of Sunrise together.
Arthur Smith, representing The Sands condominium, assured the Sunrise residents of their full cooperation.
Ward said that The Sands would not take away the right of the easement from Sunrise residents.
“We are all anxious to keep the easement clean and free of crime,” Ward said.
Other issues that are planned for future discussion include Crime Watch, street lights, storm sewers and beach nourishment.
Advisory Committee off to good start
The co-sponsor of the Key Biscayne School Advisory Committee, Carlos Coto, announced that in the first week of the Advisory Committee’s meeting, they collected $6,000 in donations from parents on the Island. These funds will be used in helping purchase needs for the school for this year.
“We want to thank all the people who have contributed al-ready, in just one week’s time,” Coto said.
He also announced that plans have been made for the second Annual Dinner/Dance for parents and friends of the School Advisory Committee.
The King of Beers
Andy Reinach of Key Biscayne is shown here with a portion of his beer can collection from countries around the world.
Where can you find a king resting languidly among lions and tigers, bears and squirrels, eagles and old men? Add the clans of Faxe and Forst, Luborg (of the Pilsner family) and Davenports which also reside there, and where are you? In Andy Reinach’s room, right here on Key Biscayne.
He’s a 13-year-old, teetotaling, beer can collector, and a very devoted one at that. The characters mentioned, and hundreds, more can be found on the face of the beer cans that Andy has collected for the past five years. Beginning at the age of eight, when beer can collecting was a fad, Andy has pressed on to buy out his friends’ collections, trade with others and mow lawns to buy more on his travels. Today he boasts an impressive collection of 586 cans from around the world.
Police urge bike IDs
With children back in school and the bike racks filled, police would like to remind parents to be sure their children’s bikes are registered.
Dade County has a bike registration system which enables them to trace lost or stolen bikes and return them to their owners. Forms to register bikes are available through the Key Biscayne Police Team at the police office in Crandon Park. Officers will give any needed assistance.
On several occasions in recent years, bikes have been stolen from school property during school hours, so the registration is important, even if bike locks are used. The police also request that residents who observe or hear anything suspicious notify the police as quickly as possible. The faster police can respond, the better the chance of preventing a burglary or other crime. Police want people to report anything they see which is not normal activity in the community.
Speed in reporting is important, but all information can be added together to give police a more complete response, the better the chance of preventing a burglary or other crime. Police want people to report anything they see which is not normal activity in the community.
School vandalism
Residents awakened to see this message painted on the Key Biscayne Community School walls. Other obscene sayings were also painted on the wall. Police were on the scene to investigate the vandalism.
Traffic light issue
A temperamental traffic light at Crandon Bld. and Harbor Drive caused a mini-traffic jam and brought police out to help avoid tender-benders.
For the last Islander throwback, click here.