🏠 News From Your Neighborhood
Miami, FL
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.”
“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.”
“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.
If you’re a diehard pizza fanatic in Miami, you’ll soon be able to check another renowned style off your list without leaving home. Arriving in October 2026, Royale Pizza Napoletana will debut at 1680 Meridian Avenue, introducing South Florida to the exceptionally precise world of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. This highly anticipated opening marks the monumental stateside arrival of legendary Japanese pizzaiolo Chef Bun, the mastermind behind Tokyo’s genre-defining concept, Savoy.
RECOMMENDED: Where to find the best pizza in Miami
The restaurant is the brainchild of banking entrepreneur and restaurateur Jess Varughese, the innovator behind Miami’s ultra-exclusive, members-only hotspot, Haiku. After experiencing Chef Bun’s “perfect pizzas” during a trip to Japan, Varughese envisioned bringing this science-driven culinary movement to sunny South Florida. To ensure absolute authenticity, Varughese assembled an elite culinary team. Alongside Chef Bun, the kitchen features Haiku Executive Chef Albert Diaz and Chef Dalila Sabatino, a rising pizzaiola talent praised by Bun who previously trained at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pizzeria Sei.
What sets Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza apart is its rigorous, chemistry-like execution. At Royale, the dough undergoes a meticulous 30+ hour fermentation process. Varughese and his team spent hundreds of hours adjusting the recipe, combining artisan flours with the Autolyse technique and even altering Miami’s water softness to match Japan’s famously soft water. Pizzas are then baked fresh in an 800-degree oven. The resulting crust achieves an ethereal balance of lightness, chewiness, char and crunch. As Varughese notes, having Chef Bun’s 20-plus years of innovation on board elevates the entire culinary game.
Royale will be fast-casual, yet polished, with seating for 65 guests including a large community table at its center. Staying true to an accessible vibe, the restaurant will operate on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis with no reservations, though takeout and delivery will be available. You’ll order at a main counter from a carefully curated menu featuring antipasti, two pastas, two mains and seven distinct pizzas—including four traditional options and three specials. This is a pizza spot that deserves the hype, so stay up to date on their progress at @royalenapoletana ahead of the official October launch.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old girl was shot in the arm after gunfire erupted in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood early Tuesday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they responded just before 1 a.m. to the area of Northwest 64th Street and Northwest 21st Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area, where they found three vehicles struck by gunfire, including a silver Hyundai.
“The car was parked outside of the residence. It was occupied by three juveniles, so it was the girl and her two siblings that were in the vehicle. The mom was outside of the vehicle at the time, so this could have been a very different outcome,” MDSO Detective Samantha Choon said.
Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the girl to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
A family member of the victim told Local 10’s Jackie Pascale that the girl is now home and doing OK.
They said neither her siblings nor their mother was injured in the shooting.
According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and detectives have not released any suspect information at this time.
Neighbor Marie Grimes said she was shaken after hearing multiple gunshots.
“I heard the booms — boom, boom, boom, boom — and I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’” she said. “Maybe five or six, ’cause look at that right there. I’m just glad the little girl is OK.”
Investigators asked neighbors to check their surveillance or Ring camera footage from around 1 a.m. and contact authorities with any information.
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted.
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