It’s good to be a ‘short timer,’ generally speaking

Michael Miller

By Michael Miller….

Michael Miller

Yo, Katy…! People in the military know that those who are getting close to their discharge date or rotation to their next duty assignment are called “short timers.” Being a short timer can be very liberating for soldiers and civilians as well, especially for those in the political arena who must usually watch their words carefully, keep an eye on the polls and always be thinking about the next election. Outgoing county commissioner Katy Sorenson, whose tour of duty ends on November 2, was looking very relaxed and carefree when she addressed members of the Economic Development Council last week, and she couldn’t resist cracking wise about Norman Braman’s efforts to recall County Mayor Carlos Alvarez and perhaps some of the commissioners, too, for voting for the new budget. She thinks it’s a bad idea in Mayor Alvarez’s case. “And if he’s planning on recalling me, he’d better hurry!” said Katy with a grin. We have a feeling she isn’t going to miss the day to day grind of political life all that much, and her new gig with the University of Miami to try to school public servants on how to be better ones sounds like a wonderful idea that is long overdue.

Country Fair… Jean M. Welsh informs us that the Cutler Ridge United Methodist Church annual Country Fair will be held on Saturday, November 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and features Christmas and craft items made entirely by members of the church as well as many vendor booths. Activities include a bake sale, fresh cinnamon rolls and coffee, free rides for children, a hot dog lunch, and a chicken barbecue served from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for only $6.00. A Health & Wellness booth offering free screenings will be provided by Baptist Health and the church Health Ministries team in Rudy Hall. The fair is free and open to the public. The church is located at 20740 Old Cutler Road. Vendor 10X10 booths are $25. For information, call 305-233-7457.

Attention all wizards! The Children’s Bereavement Center will be holding its Harry Potter Event on Saturday, Nov. 20 and Sunday Nov. 21. The event includes a private screening of the latest Harry Potter film – “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1),” characters, giveaways, refreshments, and fun for all. The event will take place at the new Paragon Grove 13 Theater at Cocowalk, 3015 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove, with proceeds going to support the CBC programs. Sponsorships are encouraged so that CBC participating children can attend for free. Seating is limited. Order your tickets today, and be among the first to see the new Harry Potter movie. (This film is not recommended for young children.)

Sponsor a CBC Family ($100)

Sponsor a CBC Kid ($25)

Movie Tickets ($25)

To purchase tickets or sponsorships via the CBC’s secure PayPal account, please visit the website, www.childbereavement.org (Click the “Harry Potter” tab).

The Children’s Bereavement Center (CBC) is a support, education and resource center providing peer support groups for children (kindergarten through young adult) and their families. Participation in CBC support groups is free of charge.

Comments about comments… When a recent story about the “Wreck the Deck” skateboard competition ran on our website as well as in our print edition of the Palmetto Bay News, a participant in the event, Kelvin Martir posted a comment about it, questioning the accuracy of the winner’s list, which had been provided to Community Newspapers by the village’s Parks & Recreation Department Special Events Director, Mary Fernandez. We relayed that question to Mary and village PIO Bill Kress, and the official word is this:

“I verified with our judges regarding the Wreck the Deck winner information and they were unable to confirm that the names given were in error. To the best of their knowledge, the information they provided originally was correct,” said Mary Fernandez.

And since that’s our only source, we guess that’s the final word.

Thought of the Day: Energy and persistence conquer all things. — Benjamin Franklin

Gary Alan Ruse contributed with this column.

Got any tips? Contact me at 305-669- 7355, ext. 249, or send emails to michael@communitynewspapers.com


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