Honor society inductees<\/p>\n
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Eleven students from St. Agnes Academy were recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). Members were selected by a faculty council for meeting high standards of scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship. The students inducted were: eighth graders Derek Duzoglou, Rachelle Hillaire and Robert Drach; and seventh graders Alexandria Garcia, Tara Kunkel, Choky Martinez, Sarah McKenzie, Victoria Portela, Johnny Rivera, Ale Rodriguez and Lauren Scopetta. “We are pleased to receive these exemplary students into the membership of the National Junior Honor Society,” said Nancy Stringer, chapter adviser.<\/p>\n
Mashta bridge blossoms into $700,000 project<\/p>\n
The bad news is that what started as a $30,000 undertaking to re-establish the West Mashta Bridge embankments after Hurricane Andrew has blossomed into a $700,000 project to rebuild the whole bridge.<\/p>\n
The good news is that, after a delay pending a permit from the South Florida Water Management District, the project finally has a timetable that shows completion in about a year.<\/p>\n
“After reviewing our first application, the South Florida Water Management District said that we had to submit extra information (13 items), including environmental studies, drainage details and aerial photos,” said project engineer, Andrew Pierce, of CAP Engineering Consultants. “We were told that there is no time frame on processing the application. But we finally got word that the permit would be issued in two weeks.<\/p>\n
Before construction can begin, Pierce said that both the State and Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM) have to “sign off on it,” a process that he expects to take another four weeks. Once all of the necessary permits are received, the Village can go to bid.<\/p>\n
“The bidding will be a design-build process,” Pierce said. “We have a set of conceptual drawings of what we want and will request proposals for the cost of designing and building the project.”<\/p>\n
Pierce said that the bidding process will take six to eight weeks and construction should be another six to eight months.<\/p>\n
“Traffic has to be maintained to the island at all times,” Pierce explained. “That means that we’ll have to build the bridge in sections, which will increase expenses and construction time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pierce estimated that the project could be completed within a year at a cost of $700,000, plus or minus 10 percent.<\/p>\n
Originally, the Village was merely going to rebuild the embankments to bring them up to standards after the hurricane.<\/p>\n
“When we saw that the bids were in the $30,000-$540,000 range, we decided that we might be better served by spending more to do something to improve the water flow and eliminate the odor problem,” Village manager Sam Kissinger said.<\/p>\n
That led to a plan to install two 24-inch culverts at an estimated cost of $300,000. Culverts are pipes that would allow the water to flow from the waterway on one side of the road to the waterway on the other side. After those plans were drawn, the Village decided to go ahead and build a whole new bridge.<\/p>\n
“Actually, there is no bridge there now,” said Village engineer Carlos Penin. “There is no connection underneath the water. What we’ll be building is a full-blown, 45-foot precast span with beams, pilings, lights and clearance underneath for a canoe at low tide.”<\/p>\n
Penin added that the $700,000 estimate includes some architectural extras.<\/p>\n
Surprise Party<\/p>\n
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What was to be an intimate gathering of friends on an ordinary Friday night turned into a roomful and friends and family at the Beach Club yelling surprise for Debi Portela’s birthday. Pictured are\u00a0Carlos Gimenez,\u00a0Debi Portela,\u00a0Lourdes Gimenez\u00a0and\u00a0Mari Tere Rojas.<\/p>\n
Businesses ask for extension as sign deadline pass<\/p>\n
An ordinance restricting sign size and style went into effect at midnight on New Year’s Eve, but a quick spin around town shows that several businesses have yet to comply.<\/p>\n
Violations include pole signs, portable signs, neon signs, projecting signs, oversized monument and wall signs and too many window signs.<\/p>\n
“Our first priority is pole signs, because they’re the most obvious,” Village building, planning and zoning director John Little said. “What we’re going to do is to check on all of the businesses that applied for extensions to make sure that their applications are complete and their money is in. All others will start receiving violation notices and fines. “We’ve made a number of telephone calls and (the non-complying) businesses either have not responded or have resisted coming into compliance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Little said that the Village’s next priority will be oversized wall and monument signs and neon, which he hopes to bring into compliance by the middle of March. The process will be to send the business owners letters giving them 10 days to comply, after which daily fines will ensue.<\/p>\n
The same process will be used to combat a widespread abuse of window signs as well as illegal projecting and portable signs.<\/p>\n
PTA Fundraiser<\/p>\n
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Karen Holmquist\u00a0of the Key Biscayne Elementary School PTA organized a fundraiser at the Miami Rowing Club to renovate the courtyard between the first grade and kindergarten classrooms. Entertainment included dining and dancing as well as a silent auction with items donated by local merchants. Pictured are\u00a0Mark\u00a0and\u00a0Cindy Dodd.<\/p>\n
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Stefano\u2019s sold for $2.2 million<\/p>\n
Stefano’s, a Key landmark watering hole that was the centerpiece in a federal government money laundering sting, was sold last week.<\/p>\n
The restaurant\/lounge, partly owned and managed by Stefano Brandino, who recently pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the IRS, was purchased for $2.2 million by a Key resident and his partner.<\/p>\n
Brandino’s partner Donald Berg, Sr. sold Stefano’s and the land it sits on after reaching a settlement with the U.S. government over Brandino’s 45 percent interest in the business. As part of the plea bargain, Brandino forfeited his interest in Stefano’s to the government. Berg would not disclose specifics of the settlement reached with the government over Brandino’s stake.<\/p>\n
Gulliver Prep, Ortega: goal oriented<\/p>\n
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Ortega\u00a0getting ready to net another save during practice last week.<\/p>\n
Shhhh. It’s a secret. The Gulliver girls’ soccer team is Dade’s best team. Gulliver is getting ready to take the field against Plant City in the 4A State Soccer Tournament in Lake City. The Gulliver goalie is Key Biscayne’s Carolyn Ortega. A first team 1A-4A All-Dade goalie last year as a sophomore, Ortega has given up just 16 goals in 25 games. If they had an all-star ream for leadership Ortega would also be named first team. “Carolyn’s leadership is unbelievable,” said coach Frank Cardelle, in his fourth season as the girls’ head coach. “She’s just… obsessed with soccer.\u201d<\/p>\n