Youth Council Jingle Jam<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Village of Key Biscayne Youth Council held a Jingle Jam concert on the Village Green. Pictured are\u00a0Megan Tague,\u00a0Ashley\u00a0and\u00a0Brittany\u00a0Baham\u00f3n\u00a0and\u00a0Rachel\u00a0Fried.<\/p>\n
Price tag for burying power lines: $11.2 M<\/p>\n
Estimate doesn’t include cable, phone lines<\/p>\n
Initial estimates from Florida Power & Light say it will cost more than $11 million to bury Key Biscayne’s power lines.<\/p>\n
Before even thinking about spending that kind of money, the Village Council wants to do an in-depth study. At a January Council meeting, Council member Enrique Garcia proposed forming a committee to fully analyze the pros and cons of burying FPL’s lines in Key Biscayne. Garcia said he’s torn as to whether it’s a good idea or not.<\/p>\n
“There’s not a consensus in the media to bury lines,” he said. “We had a dry hurricane season (in 2005), but usually the first thing that happens on Key Biscayne is we’re five feet under water. We do have a problem that needs to be solved, and I do want to move forward, but I have to admit I am completely confused.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other Council members agreed, especially after mention was made of FPL’s $11.2 million price tag for the project. On a positive note, local leaders acknowledged they have more time than originally thought to make their decision. Council members had been talking about burying the lines during their more imminent sewer project, but FPL balked at that idea, noting it isn’t desirable to put power lines right next to sewage and water pipes.<\/p>\n
Garcia proposed appointing a committee to study the issue at length<\/p>\n
“We need to look at this in detail, and then make our decision,” he suggested.<\/p>\n
Mayor Robert Oldakowski and other Council members were supportive.<\/p>\n
“I think this is a good idea,” Oldakowski said. “We are a community with tremendous resources in terms of residents, and people are willing to contribute their time and expertise.”<\/p>\n
A committee would have a solid place to start from.<\/p>\n
Oldakowski and Village Manager Jacqueline Menendez recently had a lengthy meeting with FPL executives, who agreed to make a presentation to the Council.<\/p>\n
“We proposed that they present to the Council and the community as a whole, and they reluctantly agreed,\u201d Oldakowski said. “I think they’ve had the experience where they show up in public and everyone yells at them. I assured them that wouldn’t happen here.”<\/p>\n
A birthday party for Alexandra Diez<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jose Luis Guerrero\u00a0hosted a dinner party to celebrate the birthday of his wife, Alexandra Diez. Alexandra and Jose Luis and their two children have just moved to Key Biscayne from Marbella, Spain. Pictured are\u00a0Alexandra\u00a0Diez,\u00a0Tilky\u00a0and\u00a0Marino\u00a0Lopez-Blanco\u00a0and\u00a0Carolina Martinez.<\/p>\n
Giovanna Piedimonte’s baptism<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Giovanna Piedimonte\u00a0was baptized at St. Agnes Church. Her godmother, Brigitte Nachtigall, hosted a luncheon at her home following the baptism. Dr.\u00a0Ramon Guevara\u00a0is the godfather. Pictured are\u00a0Brigitte Nachtigall,\u00a0Mike Aixala\u00a0and\u00a0Andre Nachtigall.<\/p>\n
Team Aquatics celebrates the holidays<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ignacio Larrea\u00a0and\u00a0Gaby Larrea\u00a0from Team Key Aquatics hosted a party at The Beach Club for all their students. Pictured are\u00a0Emma Kelly,\u00a0Tosca Lichtenheld,\u00a0Daly Topp,\u00a0Ali Hoffman,\u00a0Amanda Tinoco,\u00a0Kami Acebal,\u00a0Mich Haubold,\u00a0Andrea Consuegra\u00a0and\u00a0Mari Tumminello.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Marco Rigazio turns 40!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Friends and family gathered to help\u00a0Marco Rigazio\u00a0enter his fourth decade of life. Pictured are\u00a0Victoria Jackson,\u00a0Narelle Castro,\u00a0Kathy Irl\u00a0and\u00a0Caroline Koslen.<\/p>\n
Sundays declared unsafe structure, no reopening date set<\/p>\n
Sundays on the Bay has been closed since Hurricane Wilma with no reopening date set.<\/p>\n
After a visit to the hurricane-battered waterfront restaurant two months ago, Miami-Dade County building inspectors labeled Sundays on the Bay an unsafe structure. The inspectors concluded the structure fit the Miami-Dade County Building Code’s criteria as “substantially damaged by the elements, acts of God, fire, explosion or otherwise,” following an inspection, according to Roger Lewis, contracts manager for Dade County Parks, which manages the lease.<\/p>\n
Lewis said he saw wind damage and traces of a storm surge when he visited the structure after Wilma.<\/p>\n
“There was seaweed in the restaurant,” he said.<\/p>\n
PTA Noche Tropical<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Key Biscayne K-8 Center PTA held Noche Tropical, its annual fund-raising dinner\/dance, at The Links Friday night. Among those attending were, from left,\u00a0Anne Roth,\u00a0Jackie Kellogg,\u00a0Camilla Tonini,\u00a0Barbara Khan,\u00a0Florencia Ferari,\u00a0Eliane Gadea\u00a0and Dr.\u00a0Ana Rasco, school principal.<\/p>\n
Island House holiday party<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Residents of the Island House joined together to celebrate the holiday season. Pictured are\u00a0Martine C. Paulin,\u00a0Emile\u00a0and\u00a0Linda Chehab\u00a0and\u00a0Kathleen Johnson.<\/p>\n
Man arrested for trying to break into his mother’s condominium<\/p>\n
A 44-year-old man was arrested, accused of trying to break into his mother’s condo.<\/p>\n
The incident began when police, responding to a reported burglary-in-progress, saw the man standing by the front door of the victim’s apartment in the 100 block of Ocean Lane Drive. The subject obeyed police orders to place his hands against the wall and then agreed to a pat-down but started to thrash about when he was asked to furnish identification, according to police reports.<\/p>\n
Police subsequently forced the subject to the ground. During questioning, the victim stated that her son had tried to enter her residence by punching and kicking at the door. He had also threatened to hit her and destroy the apartment if she didn’t give him money. While on the ground, the restrained subject threatened to kill his mother.<\/p>\n
AWAITING THE DECISION<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Corey Lopez-Blanco\u00a0of the 12-14 year-old Lakers, and Mark Belkin and Rutger Nu\u00f1ez of the Rockets await the official’s decision in action at the Community Center.<\/p>\n
Real estate inventory still not meeting demand<\/p>\n
Local real estate agents agree Key Biscayne’s property market will retain its luster in 2006, but some pointed out inventory is still not meeting demand.<\/p>\n
“I’m seeing it from all over \u2014 people from the Northeast, Europeans, South Americans are all buying,” Jim Salas, owner of E-Realty, said. “The outlook is good.”<\/p>\n
“We’re looking forward to 2006,\u201d Doug Kinsley from Fortune International Realty agreed, noting prices seem to have stabilized a bit after the heady jumps of recent months. “I think it will be a very good year for buy-ers, for sellers and for real estate agents.”<\/p>\n
Coldwell Banker’s Joan McCaughan also gave a list of reasons for optimism.<\/p>\n
“It’s still very busy, and the weather’s getting better, and the interest rates are down and we still don’t have much supply on Key Biscayne,” she said, noting the next few months should give everyone a better handle on the market. “I think January, February and March are really going to tell the tale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Added Angela Ocampo from Keyes Realty:<\/p>\n
“I think Key Biscayne is a very solid market. I think prices have leveled out for a while, but that doesn’t mean there is going to be a slow down or drop. In every rising market there is a point you reach where it doesn’t keep going up. Eventually, there will probably be another small increase.\u201d<\/p>\n