KBAC Sets Up Fall Sports<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Key Biscayne Athletic Club held its annual fall sports registration on Sept. 8-10. The club is offering flag football, volleyball and intramural kickball. Athletic Director\u00a0John\u00a0Walters\u00a0was pleased with what he called “a quite successful turnout” and is looking forward to the two new sports, as well as flag football. Pictured (right to left)\u00a0Denise\u00a0Roa\u00a0bends over backwards to help\u00a0Elaina\u00a0Portuondo,\u00a0C. Cunningham,\u00a0Debbie\u00a0Roa\u00a0and\u00a0John\u00a0Roa.<\/p>\n
Bay considered for ferry route<\/p>\n
Plans to provide the Miami area with a waterborne transportation system are well underway according to Stuart Sorg, president of the Coconut Grove Developmental Authority.<\/p>\n
“We are exploring the use of a hydrofoil as a supplement to the rapid transit system,” said Sorg. “Boats of this type are already in use in the English Channel, Hong Kong and Singapore and some countries in South America. Miami is the largest city whose past, present, and future is linked so closely to the water that has no type of water transportation service available for public use.”<\/p>\n
One idea being explored is the use of a 60-passenger hydrofoil that would run weekdays between Dinner Key in Coconut Grove to downtown Miami which would appeal to businessmen and shoppers alike. The boat could then be used on the weekends to transport people back and forth from Dinner Key to Crandon Marina. People wishing to go to Crandon Park could load their bikes on to the boat and, by utilizing the bicycle trail that links Crandon Marina to Crandon Park, bike up to the park for the day without having to fight the weekend traffic on Rickenbacker Causeway. Mr. Sorg also said that he wanted to explore with the hotel association the use of a bus that would travel between the hotels on Key Biscayne picking up guests and taking them to Crandon Marina.<\/p>\n
Police Team reports increased criminal activity<\/p>\n
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A 14-year-old driver lost control of a car on West Mcintyre, at approximately 4:30 p.m., and landed on the front lawn of the Community School. Neither the driver,\u00a0Scott\u00a0Hamlett, nor the children on the sidewalk were injured. The crosswalk sign and a tree were knocked down in the accident.<\/p>\n
The discovery of a car abandoned in front of the Beach House led police to the identification of a body found in northeast Dade County as that of 26-year-old Gustavo Fernandez of Key Colony. Homicide Detective Don Blocker said that police have no suspect, and no motive, and the case is still under investigation.<\/p>\n
Four homes were broken into. At one home a window was broken to gain access, and at the other three sliding glass doors were pried open. After someone climbed through a window at the Gallagher’s house on West Mashta Drive, the house was ransacked and jewelry, silver and a bike were taken. The bike was found the next morning at 50 W. Mashta Drive. Praxeda Kramer’s home on Grapetree Drive was entered through a glass door and currency and jewelry were taken. The loss has as yet not been recorded following the break-in at a Cape Florida Drive home.<\/p>\n
A Wet and Wild Weekend on the Key<\/p>\n
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Friday: Ocean Lane Drive.<\/p>\n
To most South Floridians, rain is a daily part of our lives during the months of June through September.<\/p>\n
The only problem is that this year has been an exception.<\/p>\n
We suffered a major drought in South Florida this year, except for our little visit from Tropical Storm Dennis in mid-August. Much to our relief and\/or dismay last weekend we experienced enough rain to last us for a while. In fact, some residents of the Key still have some of the rain in their homes and cars.<\/p>\n
Ron White, who works with the Weather Bureau for the county, is a resident of the Key and he has been keeping track of Key Biscayne’s rainfall for the past seven years. He told us that from after midnight Thursday, Sept. 24, to Sunday, Sept. 27 at noon, 11.25 inches of rain had fallen.<\/p>\n
It was a record rainfall in such a short period of time. Everything was flooded on Saturday evening and most residents were marooned in their own homes.<\/p>\n
The Key Biscayne Community School would have had a big problem if this rain had occurred on a school day because West McIntyre and Ridgewood Roads were flooded up to one’s hips. The children would have had to swim to class. From Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning the typical sights to see on the Key were abandoned cars, police cars pushing stalled cars and most often cars being towed to the gas station.<\/p>\n
Back to school<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
With bright, shiny faces and bikes in their places, school opened Monday for another year of learning and growing. Students attending schools on the Island got rides from parents, walked or biked, but the older students met their carpools or waited at bus stops for their rides to off-Island schools.<\/p>\n
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Cape Florida State Park Utilizes Horse Patrol<\/p>\n
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Ranger McClean offers reassurance to a young boy in a ticklish situation.<\/p>\n
Visitors to Cape Florida State Park on Labor Day weekend were delighted to see park ranger John McLean performing his routine patrol astride “Lightning,” a three-year-old gelding that was brought to the park especially for use during the busy weekend. Carl Nielsen, park superintendent, said that the horse was brought in on an experimental basis.<\/p>\n
“We felt that using a horse for patrol would be effective,” Captain Nielsen said. \u201cWe needed to try him for a couple of weekends to determine if our feelings were correct.<\/p>\n
“The response from visitors to the park has been overwhelmingly favorable. The use of the horse has eliminated the air of isolation that often exists when a ranger is in or on a motor vehicle. Both adults and children will approach a ranger on horseback for aid or just to chat much more quickly than if he is in a motor vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Virginia Key land trade planned for the fall<\/p>\n
Approximately two years ago, the county and city commissioners sat down to negotiate land trade agreements for Dade property. One of the land trade agreements involved Virginia Key, which contained a small amount of county property to be transferred to city property. This transfer was agreed upon by both commissions but trade approval has not been secured as of this date.<\/p>\n
Bob Perkins, superintendent for the Research and Analysis Division of Dade County’s Parks and Recreation Department, stated, “Plans have been drawn up by the City Commission for Parks and Recreation and in May, 1981, the plan was presented to the Park Policy Committee, a subcommittee of the county commission, for approval. It was, at that time, reviewed and approved.”<\/p>\n
Mr. Perkins said that the plan’s major concern involved keeping Virginia Key in its most natural state, protecting the mangroves, the nesting sites, etc.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city’s plan for Virginia Key is very sensitive to the environment,” Perkins stated.<\/p>\n
Carl Kern, director of parks for the City of Miami stated that the plan is ready to be presented to the City Commission.<\/p>\n
“After approval is received from the city,” Kern said. \u201cWe can then go back to the full County Commission for a public hearing, and the land trade will be contingent on their approval of the plan.” He stated that the city’s plan is to keep Virginia Key a wilderness.<\/p>\n
“We have taken a low-key naturalistic approach to recreate what the island used to look like. Virginia Key has gotten left behind as far as keeping it clean and a nice place to visit. This summer we had the Youth Restoration Corps. (YCC) clean up the beaches and restore some of the island’s natural beauty. We put up boulders just before the beach to stop four-wheel drive vehicles that drive recklessly along the beach. Six officers from the City Police are assigned to Virginia Key already.”<\/p>\n
Kern said that, even before the land trade plans are approved, they are working to restore the island so that it will be in its natural state.<\/p>\n
“The plans to be approved contain an ecological study area with boardwalk trails that people can have limited use of to see the ecological phenomena that occur in and around the mangroves of Virginia Key, an urban-type campground, expansion of the swimming area, shifting the beach further north to get it out of the treacherous Bear Cut currents and, most of all, the restoration of the beautiful wilderness Virginia Key has to offer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Miami Waterfront Board OK’s Stadium Lease<\/p>\n
The leasing of Miami Marine Stadium, located on Rickenbacker Causeway, was one of the items on the agenda of the Miami Waterfront Board meeting at City Hall.<\/p>\n
The City of Miami has been losing approximately $250,000 a year on the stadium and the city is interested in stopping this loss of revenue to the city. Marine Stadium Enterprises, Inc. is the firm now negotiating with the City of Miami for the lease of the stadium.<\/p>\n
The first authorized negotiations were in 1980 with Seaescape of Miami, Inc. who presented the best bid to the city; however, a conflict of interest arose, and the City Commission passed a resolution voiding the agreement and authorized negotiations with the second placed bidder, Marine Stadium Enterprises, Inc. which is under the management of Eugene Hancock.<\/p>\n
Among the lease stipulations is the requirement that the lessee agrees to the development of a heliport facility on the lease premises as a sublease negotiated by the lessee. This is to provide for police and emergency related services to the city but is subject to federal, state and county approval or regulations. Some of the proposals of Marine Stadium Enterprises, Inc. are to hold water skiing shows, kite sailing exhibitions, power boat races, Orange Bowl International Rowing Regattas and other Orange Bowl events, diving competitions, jet ski races boat shows, and swimming meets.<\/p>\n