The Sunny Isles Beach Reporter

By Sharon Elster, Editor

Vernon Cecil Garraway, longtime resident of Sunny Isles Beach passed away peacefully at home on November 8, 2013. He was 80 years old. Mr. Garraway was born in Guyana, South America and educated in London where he obtained his Electrical Engineering Degree. He served in the British Military. His distinguished 45 year career in engineering design and management included power plants and shipbuilding.

Mr. Garraway moved to South Florida in 1989 and purchased the 45 room Chelsea Hotel in the Art Deco District, becoming the first black man to own a hotel on Miami Beach. A hardworking and successful businessman, Mr. Garraway also owned and managed apartment buildings. The Miami Herald recognized his many accomplishments in an article written by Tony Pugh in 1994.

Mr. Garraway was a charter member of the Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club – a group of concerned citizens proactively working and sharing their knowledge for the betterment of the local area. He was also a Board Member/Director of the Miami Beach Hotel Association and Board Member of the State of Florida Hospitality Industry Council.

Mr. Garraway was a fierce advocate for honesty and decency focusing much of his time and energy toward improving the quality of life in his condominium. His intelligence, determination and initiative made a difference and earned him the respect, friendship and affection of his neighbors.

Mr. Garraway leaves behind four daughters, one son and two grandchildren. He will be dearly missed and remembered by all who knew him.

Maybe it was the wind.  Maybe it was the soil.  We still don’t know why the drill rig from a construction site toppled over and crashed into the Sands Pointe condominium.  Thankfully, no one was hurt, though there was damage to several units and the garage.    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will be conducting an investigation.

To read related articles, click on the links below

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Crane-Crashes-Into-Sunny-Isles-Building-No-Injuries-230700141.html

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/11/05/construction-rig-topples-into-sunny-isles-condo/

The Obamacare $685,000,000 debacle will surely influence how people vote on the Jackson Health Upgrades on the ballot in the November 5th Miami-Dade Election. However, by itself, the issue raises troubling questions. This referendum was funded by a PAC calling itself Citizens for a Healthy Miami-Dade, and according to their Campaign Treasurer Reports much of the money raised came from special interest groups.  For an interesting discussion on this point, see Examiner articles at:  http://www.examiner.com/article/vote-no-on-jackson-health-upgrades. Taxpayers currently give JMH $350 Million a year and now they’re asking for $830 Million more? We have become all too familiar with waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse. Enough is enough. The SIB Reporter recommends Vote NO on the Jackson Health Upgrades.

By Jeniffer Viscarra

The City of Sunny Isles  and Mount Sinai Aventura are making it easy for women 40 and above to get their mammograms  on OCTOBER 8.  I encourage all women who qualify to take advantage of the free transportation.  Please see the city’s flyer by clicking here:
http://www.sibfl.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/10.8.13-Mammography-Day.pdf.

Having recently turned 40, I am now “in range” for these exams.  But, I went to great lengths to start getting my exams much earlier.  When I was twenty-two, I thought I knew it all.  However, when my mother died of breast cancer when she was only 53 years old, it was a somber affirmation of how much there was still to learn, especially with regards to  preventive care.  In my late twenties, once I was out of grad school and had my first
“real job” and health insurance, I requested a referral for a mammogram. Surprisingly, I was repeatedly shot down.   Despite my family history,  it took me almost two years to get that first appointment. It finally happened when I was 29, and I have been getting my regular exams ever since.   Every year, about two weeks after the appointment, I
get the results in the mail.  And every year I take a  very deep breath and hope there is no bad news inside.  And thankfully, there never has been.

Unfortunately, there are  women who do not take preventive steps out of fear of getting bad results.   Please keep that in mind  if there is a 40+ woman in your life who does not get regular mammograms and would qualify for these exams.  Talk to her about the
attached flyer.  Call the number and make the reservation with her.  Maybe that’s the little push she needs.  And maybe you will have to make more than one phone call.  That’s fine.  That woman is worth it.

By Sharon Elster

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit published its opinion vacating and remanding the decision of United States District Court dismissing Temple B’Nai Zion’s claims of religious discrimination against the City of Sunny Isles Beach.  For those readers who are not well versed on the issue, we encourage you to read the very well-written and highly informative opinion by clicking here: SIB.and.Temple.Eleventh_Circuit_Opinion

Basically, the Temple’s lawsuit was filed in response to the City’s decision to designate the Temple’s property as a historic landmark over its objections, which prevented the Temple from going forward with its big remodeling plans.  The City claimed that the Temple’s
property was a historic landmark because, a few years before, it had hosted a gathering of roughly 200 Holocaust survivors.  This was the first historic designation in the City’s history, and occurred against the backdrop of longstanding deep animosity between  Mayor Norman Edelcup and the Temple.  As reported in our September 2, 2012 article,  and as shown in the opinion itself, Commissioner Bud Scholl was the only dissenting vote on this issue due to his concerns that the arguments in favor of the designation were too flimsy to outweigh property right concerns.

The District Court (lower court) dismissed the Temple’s lawsuit in 2012 on ripeness grounds — a concept that is very well explained in the decision provided in this article.  The District Court found that the Temple’s claims would ripen only when it submitted formal expansion plans to the City.  The Court of Appeals (the higher court) rejected the lower court’s findings and held that the Temple’s claims were ripe for review immediately upon the historic landmark designation. Therefore, the case will go back to the lower court and proceed to trial.

If you would like to read the Miami Herald article on this issue, click here:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/30/3596556/appeals-court-gives-synagogue.html

The BNI Revival Chapter was so successful with their annual  Visitors Day back in April that they are doing it again in October.

Local business professionals are cordially invited to the Visitors Day networking event of the BNI Revival Chapter.

Where: Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort, 16701 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles, FL 33160

When: Thursday October 3rd  from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (No, that is not a typo.  It’s in the morning, so that guests and members can be productive before they head to work!)

Fee: $25.00  (cash or check ONLY)

Contact: Chapter President Davita Syfert at [email protected] .  Seating may be limited.  Please register as a non-member by clicking this link: http://bnimiami.com/eventdetails.php?eventId=39119 or email Davita  if you have any questions .

BNI Miami Dade is South  Florida’s fastest growing business referral network which has a primary purpose of exchanging qualified business referrals.  The organization presently has over 5,800 chapters throughout every populated continent in the world.  BNI Miami Dade is ranked the #2 BNI region “in the world” and members passed 42,163 referrals totaling $35,304,152 in closed business last year.  BNI members worldwide generated almost $3.3 billion (U.S.) worth of business for each other.

BNI Revival is an award-winning chapter that meets every Thursday in Sunny Isles and it is hosting a Visitors Day so members and guests can refer business to one another.

The fee of $25.00 includes breakfast. Remember to bring plenty of business cards to pass around as you will meet lots of local business professionals.

About Bow-Wow Bonanza:

In an effort to increase community involvement and raise awareness of animal overpopulation, family fun, bite prevention, dog park safety, and more, we are currently searching for Sunny Isles Beach residents to become Sponsors, Vendors, and Volunteers. We also welcome adoption agencies/organizations to be part of the event.  This is a great
opportunity for Sunny Isles businesses to showcase their products and services and for all dog lovers to have a good time with their four-legged friends.  At the event there will be games, contests, demonstrations and even a pooch kissing booth for the entire family.  If you plan to bring your dog, vaccinations are required.  Also, no retractable leashes
are permitted.  ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL PET
SHELTERS. You can see event flyer by clicking here: BOWWOW BONANZA FLYER Event updates will be posted on the event’s Facebook page at:  https://www.facebook.com/BowWowBonanza.

Interested sponsors, vendors, and food vendors should contact Christine at 954-829-3593 or  at  [email protected] before September 30,
2013.

Call 954-829-3593or email [email protected] to request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or a sign language interpreter (7 days in advance).

About Miami-Dade County East Greynold’s Dog Park

Rated the #1 Dog park in the New Times for 2013, the Northeast Regional Dog Park at East Greynold’s Park is very popular among dog owners in the area.  It  is 1.76 acres and is divided into two sections, one for small dogs and another for larger dogs.  The two sections
feature fencing, landscaping, walkways, shade structures, site furniture, hosing stations, water fountains for both pets and owners, and “Mutt Mitts” or bag dispensers and waste baskets so owners can pick up after their dogs.  So, as you can see, it was voted #1 for good reason!

HOPE TO SEE YOU AT EAST GREYNOLDS FOR BOW-WOW BONANZA!

The South Florida Business Journal reports that 67 year old Sunny Isles Beach resident Robert Kahan was federally indicted for defrauding Trenton, N.J., out of public housing funds.  A federal grand jury in New Jersey hit Kahan, the head of Tara Development, with a 25-count indictment.  The charges include making false statements on loan applications, bank fraud, mail fraud, fraud against a local government and transacting in criminal proceeds.  The charges concern three affordable housing projects Kahan built in Trenton between 2006 and 2010.

To read more, visit: http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2013/07/19/sunny-isles-beach-man-indicted-for.html

Jose Milton founder of J. Milton & Associates died of natural causes on July 3, 2013.  His company played a key role in the transformation of Sunny Isles Beach with high-rise projects such as Sands Pointe, Pinnacle, King David, Sayan, the Intracoastal Yacht Club, and St. Tropez.  The Miami Herald published an article outlining his extraordinary life  and accomplishments, which can be found at : http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/05/3486454/jose-milton-transformed-sunny.html#storylink=cpy

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Milton family.