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Residents claim Miami proposal would strip away taxpayer input in park projects

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Residents claim Miami proposal would strip away taxpayer input in park projects


An item on the City of Miami commission agenda is stirring up controversy after residents claim it would eliminate public input in projects on city parks. 

“Parks are for the people. We have the right. We should have the right to help decide what goes into a city park. These are our neighborhood parks. We use these parks every day,” said Nicole Desiderio, a resident of Miami. 

Commissioners are expected to vote Thursday on an agenda item regarding what’s known as “warrants.” Currently, if residents don’t approve of a project or warrant, they can appeal it. 

Commissioner Damian Pardo says the proposal “moves to eliminate all warrants in the City of Miami.”

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“What the warrant process does, it notices properties when there is an installation in a park,” he said. “As an example, gym equipment. It also provides for an appeal process if residents choose to appeal that action.”

Desiderio and Pardo claim this warrant item was raised after gym equipment was installed at Maurice Ferre Park. Some residents went against the project.

There is currently an open court case on the gym, with a hearing scheduled next year. Commissioner Joe Carollo supported the outdoor gym project and was frustrated with residents going against it. 

“Why is it that over 40 of Miami’s parks, in the city of Miami, have outdoor exercise gym equipment, people use it all the time, they have no problems – but in this park, they say nobody would use it, they don’t want it, they claim,” Carollo told NBC6 in August. 

Commissioner Christine King said in a statement that there is “no effort on behalf of the City of Miami Commission to get rid of citizen participation.”

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“The warrant requires notification to abutting property owners of a park. Parks serve a much greater population than the abutting property owners,” she said. “Moreover, the Parks Master Plan provides for exercise equipment in parks, which was created with community input. The residents’ voices have and will continue to be heard regarding parks in their neighborhoods.”

The commission meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. at City Hall. 

“They are going in a roundabout way to try and change the Miami code to now allow the gym to stay but it now affects all parks in Miami,” Desiderio said.



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Miami, FL

Motorcyclist killed in crash on Biscayne Boulevard, deputies say

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Motorcyclist killed in crash on Biscayne Boulevard, deputies say


A motorcyclist was killed in a crash in northeast Miami-Dade on Tuesday morning, deputies said.

The crash happened on Biscayne Boulevard near Northeast 127th Street and involved a vehicle and a motorcycle, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officials said.

The driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. Their identity was not released.

The condition of the driver in the vehicle was also not released.

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Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed a yellow tarp covering the body next to the damaged vehicle. The motorcycle was on the ground nearby surrounded by debris.

All southbound lanes on Biscayne Boulevard from Northeast 126th Street to 128th Street have been closed.

The crash was under investigation.



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Miami, FL

‘Confident’ Bencic takes out Anisimova, eyes Gauff next in Miami

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‘Confident’ Bencic takes out Anisimova, eyes Gauff next in Miami


A “super clean and confident” performance from Belinda Bencic earned her an upset of one Top 10-ranked American at the Miami Open on Monday night — and she’s hoping that form carries over into another in less than 24 hours.

Miami: Scores | Draws | Order of play

The No. 12 seed led nearly wire-to-wire in a 6-2, 6-2 thumping of No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova to put her through to a 12th career WTA 1000 quarterfinal, and second in Miami after she reached the 2022 semifinals. She’ll face another Florida resident, No. 4 seed Coco Gauff, on Tuesday night in the hopes of matching her tournament best from four years ago.

Bencic had good reason to praise her play against Anisimova, in a match that was projected to be a late-afternoon affair but ended up taking the court at 9 p.m. after three of the four matches preceding it on Grandstand stretched to three sets. She landed 87% of her first serves, winning 72% of those points, and hit 19 winners in 14 games to break a 2-2 head-to-head tie against the two-time Grand Slam singles finalist.

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She saved the only break point she faced, too, which came when she was already ahead 6-2, 4-1. 

Bencic next looks to complete a personal Sunshine Double of sorts against Gauff as she eyes back-to-back Top 10 victories on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.

Though the American has won four of their previous six meetings, Bencic’s most-recent win came in the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open last year.

More to come…

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Miami-Dade trainer helps young athletes chase their next big opportunity

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Miami-Dade trainer helps young athletes chase their next big opportunity


KENDALL, Fla. — With March Madness underway and Division I athletes back in the spotlight, the level of training it takes to compete at the top of college sports is getting plenty of attention.

In Kendall, one coach is working every day to help young athletes reach that level.

Kevin Lopez is the fitness director at D1 Training Kendall, where the focus is helping athletes get stronger, faster and more confident.

For Lopez, the work is personal. His own athletic career started with a similar opportunity growing up in Miami.

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“I got trained by a guy down here in Miami who focused on strength and conditioning, specifically for athletes — for kids that are trying develop, improve and go to college,” Lopez said. “It allowed me to be one of the top receivers in that year for our district, which gave me opportunities to go play at Iowa.”

That experience changed his path and ultimately brought him back home.

Now Lopez says his mission is to give other athletes the same type of chance.

“I want to try and help out as many people as I can, to give them that same opportunity, or at least get them as close as they can to reach that if that’s a goal that they have for themselves,” he said.

Inside the gym at D1 Kendall, the training goes well beyond basic workouts.

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“We focus on lateral movements, we focus on their agility, their quickness, we focus on building that upper body strength as well,” he said.

Just as important, he says, is helping athletes stay healthy and confident.

“A lot of kids are coming in to build their confidence,” Lopez said. “It’s not just to improve their speed, their agility, their quickness to transition over to the field or to the court.”

The gym has also become a place where athletes feel comfortable pushing themselves.

“We’re just trying to build a community around here,” Lopez said. “We’re trying to expand and touch as many people, as many athletes, as many adults as we can.”

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“This is a home for them,” he added. “And they have somewhere they’re going to come, feel at ease, not feel intimidated.”

To learn more about D1 Kendall, visit their website.

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