Miami, FL
Proposal for Miami-Dade County public buses raises concerns among riders
![Proposal for Miami-Dade County public buses raises concerns among riders Proposal for Miami-Dade County public buses raises concerns among riders](https://assets1.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2023/10/24/91081d4a-6840-4466-bfef-fc9f643143f1/thumbnail/1200x630/21ebe43ff0615ef68423b854c9c93a4a/miami-dade-bus.jpg?v=25685eaa472b1a5dbb5bd46ae506d232)
MIAMI – If budgets reflect values, people pushing for better transit think Metrobus riders should shift their focus to a series of meetings starting Thursday.
Miami-Dade County Commissioners will host a public hearing on the budget proposal for the 2024-25 fiscal year submitted by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Part of the plan moves $11.2 million away from the transit operations and maintenance budget. Nearly $11 million of those dollars, along with 36 jobs, would be absorbed by the county infrastructure department.
Mayor Levine Cava’s office did respond to emails or calls seeking comment. However, the mayor’s budget proposal said reorganizing bolsters “preventative maintenance functions.”
“What we’re concerned about with the budget is that we need more resources to address those concerns that the community has addressed to us directly,” Mark Merwitzer, Associate Director for Transit Alliance Miami, said.
The non-profit works to secure faster, more reliable transit. Over the last six months, as the county rolled out its “Better Bus Network,” which aims to deliver more routes to more people, Transit Alliance Miami surveyed 1000 passengers. On-time delivery is a problem for them, Merwitzer said.
“It’s not just with this administration, but it’s been suffering for very, very long for our bus passengers,” Merwitzer said. “Buses getting delayed equipment challenges; a lot of operators are calling out sick and also just in general when there’s a shortage of both buses, parts, and operators (demonstrates that) the county needs more.”
Ashley Betancourt lost her car in a crash two months ago. While she works downtown to earn and save money for repairs, the Miami-Dade College biology student dreaming of becoming a doctor depends on Metrobuses to carry her to class on time. She is 30 minutes too late too often, Betancourt said.
“It’s awful,” she said. “Sometimes my mom comes and picks me up. The other times I have to wait.”
Merwitzer encouraged riders who feel the same to share their concern during the Miami-Dade County Commission Public Budget Hearing Thursday.
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Miami, FL
Miami Jewish Film Festival Commemorates October 7 Anniversary with Special Screening of “We Will Dance Again” | City of Miami Beach#
![Miami Jewish Film Festival Commemorates October 7 Anniversary with Special Screening of “We Will Dance Again” | City of Miami Beach# Miami Jewish Film Festival Commemorates October 7 Anniversary with Special Screening of “We Will Dance Again” | City of Miami Beach#](https://communitynewspapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WE-WILL-DANCE-AGAIN-Image-scaled.jpg)
Miami Jewish Film Festival Commemorates October 7 Anniversary with Special Screening of “We Will Dance Again” featuring Award-Winning Israeli Director Yariv Mozer
The Miami Jewish Film Festival commemorates the one-year anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel with a complimentary community-wide screening of the powerful documentary We Will Dance Again with Israeli director Yariv Mozer in attendance on Saturday, September 21 at 8:30pm at Temple Beth Sholom and an encore on Sunday, September 22 at 1pm at Temple Beth Am.
We Will Dance Again offers a harrowing retelling of the tragedy that struck the Supernova Music Festival, where a celebration of peace, freedom, and love was shattered by an act of terror. Through the eyes of survivors, the film reconstructs the events of that fateful day, capturing the innocence and beauty of youth forever scarred by the tragedy. The film presents a chilling glimpse into the horrors of the October 7th attack, meticulously portraying the raw emotions and heroism that emerged in its wake. Positioned as a strong contender for the Academy Awards for Best Documentary Feature Film, We Will Dance Again stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
The September 21 screening at Temple Beth Sholom will feature a post-screening discussion with director Yariv Mozer, alongside Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, Consul General of Israel in Miami, and Scott Kaufman, Interim CEO of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Yariv Mozer will also introduce the encore screening at Temple Beth Am on September 22.
“This event is a profound reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of cinema to bear witness to history. We are honored to present We Will Dance Again and to welcome Yariv Mozer to our community, offering a platform for reflection, healing, and the celebration of life amidst the darkest of times,” said Igor Shteyrenberg, Executive Director of the Miami Jewish Film Festival.
This special community event, free and open to the public, is made possible through the generous support of Fred & Lundy Reynolds and the Consul General of Israel in Miami.
Event Details:
- What: Community Screening of We Will Dance Again
- When:
- Saturday, September 21, at 8:30 PM (Temple Beth Sholom)
- Sunday, September 22, at 1:00 PM (Temple Beth Am)
- Special Guests: Yariv Mozer (Director), Maor Elbaz-Starinsky (Consul General of Israel in Miami), Scott Kaufman (Interim CEO, GMJF)
- Admission: Free and open to the public
For more information about this event and the Miami Jewish Film Festival, please visit www.miamijewishfilmfestival.org or contact MJFF at (305) 573-7304.
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Miami, FL
Dolphins Complete Their Practice Squad
![Dolphins Complete Their Practice Squad Dolphins Complete Their Practice Squad](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1978,h_1112,x_0,y_287/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_dolphins/01j6w6d4sz84xph4bb51.jpg)
The Miami Dolphins filled out their practice squad Tuesday when they picked up edge defender Derrick McLendon, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.
McLendon, who is listed at 6-4, 250, spent training camp with the Carolina Panthers after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Colorado. McLendon played one season for the Buffaloes after transferring from Florida State.
McLendon’s most productive collegiate season came in 2022 at FSU when he had 37 tackles and five sacks.
Here’s the full rundown of the Dolphins practice squad, which features 17 players because of the exemption they have for tackle Bayron Matos of the Dominican Republic:
QB Tim Boyle
RB Deneric Prince
WR Robbie Chosen
WR Dee Eskridge
WR Erik Ezukanma
TE Hayden Rucci
T Anderson Hardy
OL Chasen Hines
T Bayron Matos
DT Jonathan Harris
DT Naquan Jones
LB Derrick McLendon
LB William Bradley-King
LB Dequan Jackson
CB Isaiah Johnson
CB Nik Needham
S Jordan Colbert
As per usual, teams can elevate a player to the game-day roster up to three times during the regular season, with no limitations in the playoffs. And, as the result of the NFLPA rejecting an owner proposal, quarterbacks again will face under the same rules.
For reference, the Dolphins made 22 practice squad elevations in their 17 regular season games, plus two more for the playoff game at Kansas City.
Cameron Goode, Chase Winovich, Tanner Conner, Ethan Bonner and Melvin Ingram all were elevated three times during the regular season, with Goode and Ingram eventually getting signed to the active roster.
The Dolphins elevated at least one player for every one of their games except for the Week 8 game against the New England Patriots and the Week 9 matchup against the Chiefs in Germany.
Miami, FL
In Miami Beach, you can live on your boat, but getting to land is not so easy
More than 100 people live aboard sailboats and other vessels anchored just off Miami Beach. For years, some in the posh seaside community have not been happy about people just offshore.
Greg Allen/NPR
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Greg Allen/NPR
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — For Carlos Leon, living on a boat anchored off this posh seaside community, is the ideal lifestyle.
![Housing experts say there just aren't enough homes in the U.S.](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2024/04/23/gettyimages-1459804727_sq-c960609663c7b3f5ee6042c7880a63ce2c1836cb.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
The weather is good, except for the occasional hurricane, and the water is inviting. During the COVID pandemic, he and his girlfriend, now wife, bought a 41-foot sailboat and anchored it in Biscayne Bay. “It’s like 400 feet, 500 feet from Miami Beach land,” he says. They share their floating home with a long-haired German Shepherd.
But, because of some new policies adopted by Miami Beach, for Leon and more than 100 other people who live on their boats, getting to land for shopping, work or just to take a walk, is no longer an easy proposition.
To step on land in Miami Beach, Leon says, “I have to bring my dinghy with a paddleboard, tow it 150 feet from land.” His wife takes the paddleboard and “me and my dog swim to the dock.”
When he wants to go to Miami Beach, Carlos Leon leaves his dinghy 150 feet offshore and swims to the city-owned boat launch.
Greg Allen/NPR
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Greg Allen/NPR
Under an ordinance recently adopted by Miami Beach, Leon and the other liveaboard boaters can’t leave their dinghies or even their paddleboards at a city-owned boat launch or they’ll face a $1,000 fine.
This small community is anchored in state waters and legal, as long as they remain 150 feet offshore. Leon says. “Obviously, we have to have our tanks, our toilets, our anchors, anchor lights, everything, up to code. But if everything is up to code, we’re good. We’re legally here.”
![When Black boaters faced discrimination on the water, this yacht club became a refuge](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/08/03/20230729_125054-edit1_sq-5ed29ddc85ab937496d6426491d436656c27a24e.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
But being legal isn’t the same thing as being welcome. For years, some in Miami Beach have not been happy about the small community boats just offshore.
In December, Miami Beach commissioner David Suarez spearheaded a move that cut off an essential lifeline for the liveaboard boaters.
At his urging, the commission voted to remove a public dock next to a supermarket. At the meeting he said, “I’m going to try to limit the amount of access that the people who live on these boats that come to the mainland. Because they can’t live on a boat forever. They have to come to the mainland to get food, water and necessary supplies.”
With their dock gone, liveaboard boaters began using a city-owned boat launch as a place to leave their dinghies while they picked up groceries or ran other errands. But the commission soon responded, banning dinghies and imposing a big fine for violators.
That’s made things difficult for the liveaboard boaters, Leon says, especially those who are elderly or not up to swimming 150 feet to the only place where they now can legally come ashore. “Every other area is illegal to use,” Leon says. “So, I’m becoming a criminal just to get to land.”
Live-aboard boater Barbie Wynn can’t leave her paddleboard at a city-owned boat launch for more than 20 minutes without facing a possible $1000 fine.
Greg Allen/NPR
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Greg Allen/NPR
Suarez calls the liveaboards “boat squatters,” and in an interview said the regulations are “justified and necessary.”
Members of the West Avenue Neighborhood Association agree.
The group represents Miami Beach residents who live in the condominiums that line Biscayne Bay and look out on the community of live-aboard boaters. The association has raised concerns about pollution from boats that illegally dump their waste into the bay, about the damage their anchors cause to seagrass and about the cost of dealing with derelict vessels abandoned by their owners.
![With An All-Female Crew, 'Maiden' Sailed Around The World And Into History](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2019/06/27/1_sq-137b5b0c24df9cfc744ed8aa344379195fef3c84.jpg?s=100&c=100&f=jpeg)
Susanna Purucker, a condo owner active with the group, says liveaboard boaters are enjoying the benefits of living in Miami Beach without the responsibilities. ”You’re not paying property taxes. You’re not paying to even keep your boat in the water. It’s just, if I can use the word, free-loading, because it is.”
The liveaboard boaters have formed their own group, the Miami Beach Boaters Association. Carlos Leon says they’re considering suing the city for what they believe is a violation of their civil rights. He says, what’s at stake is a whole way of life. “Because if we move, then Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, everybody’s going to say, ‘Okay, let’s follow what this guy did because it worked.’ And then, guess what? No boaters will be able to get to land,” Leon says.
Miami Beach is in talks with the state over plans for a mooring field for boats in the bay. Depending on how it’s done, it could bring regulation to the liveaboard community or it could be used to drive them away.
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