[00:00:06]
OKAY.[CALL TO ORDER]
AWARDS AND PRESENTATIONS.PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ME USE THE GAVEL.
WELL, THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE.
I, I'M HOPING A FEW MORE WILL BE HERE SHORTLY, BUT I THOUGHT WE'D, UH, GET GOING.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE SMILING FACES AND, UH, AS WE, AS WE HONOR, UH, ALL THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE THAT, UH, THAT IS SO DESERVING AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS TODAY.
I'M GONNA TURN TO OUR CITY CLERK TO, UH, GIVE ANY APPROPRIATE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
DURING THIS HYBRID PRESENTATIONS AND AWARDS COMMISSION MEETING, THE CITY COMMISSION WILL BE PRESENT IN PERSON IN THE COMMISSION CHAMBER AT MIAMI BEACH CITY HALL, LOCATED AT 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ATTEND THE MEETING EITHER VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON.
THOSE WHO WISH TO ATTEND, THE IN PERSON CAN DO SO BY APPEARING AT THE COMMISSION CHAMBER TO ATTEND.
VIRTUALLY THE PUBLIC MAY JOIN THE MEETING USING THE ZOOM APPLICATION ON A SMART DEVICE OR BY VISITING ZOOM US.
OR YOU CAN CALL IN BY PHONE AT (305) 224-1968 OR TOLL FREE, 8 8 8 4 7 5 4 4 9 9.
THE WEBINAR ID IS 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.
AGAIN, 8 1 3 9 2 8 5 7 6 71 POUND.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ZOOM LINK WEBINAR ID AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS PROVIDED FOR THIS COMMISSION MEETING ARE STATIC AND WILL REMAIN THE SAME FOR ALL FUTURE MEETINGS.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND I'M GONNA ASK OUR, ONE OF OUR FAVORITE OFFICERS, ALL OF THEM ARE OF OUR FAVORITE OFFICERS, BUT YOU REALLY HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE FOR ALL OF US.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE GUN SHOULD UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WELL, THAT'S A PERFECT SEGUE 'CAUSE I WANNA START
[PA 21 CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO CITY DEPARTMENTS FOR SPRING BREAK SUCCESS.]
OFF WITH THE FIRST, UH, AWARD RELATING TO SPRING BREAK AS WE JUST GOT THROUGH THE MONTH OF MARCH.AND I THINK EVERYONE SITTING HERE APPRECIATES THE PROGRESS THAT WE MADE FROM THE LAST PAST YEARS.
UH, REALLY, WE HAD SUCH A, A HEALTHY SPRING BREAK.
UH, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MADE, NO, NO INCIDENTS TO SPEAK OF.
UH, OUR, OUR BUSINESSES DID WELL, REALLY ACROSS THE BOARD, EVERYONE'S HAPPY.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS MAYBE THAT WE COULD, UH, ON THINGS, BUT OUR RESIDENTS ARE THRILLED, OUR BUSINESSES ARE HAPPY.
I GOT OFF A CALL WITH HOTELIERS.
AND, AND EVERYBODY, EVERYONE GETS CREDIT IN THIS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T DO OUR JOB AS COMMISSION IS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE BUY-IN FROM THE ENTIRE MY BEACH COMMUNITY, WHICH WE DID.
UM, AND I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO OUR, TO OUR COMMISSION BECAUSE A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN WE PUT IN THE MEASURES THAT WE DID, WE GOT A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM VARIOUS SEGMENTS, THE MEDIA AND OTHERS, AND WE HELD TIGHT.
WE KNEW THIS WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO FOR OUR CITY, FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR CITY, FOR THE HEALTH OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE GETTING HURT IN OUR CITY.
THAT'S OUR FIRST AND FOREMOST PRIORITY.
SO I'M SO THANKFUL TO OUR, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMISSION HERE, BUT CERTAINLY OUR CITY MANAGER, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, WHO REALLY PUTS IN SO MANY HOURS DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH AND THEY DID THEIR JOB WELL, AND OBVIOUSLY THE STATE AND THE, AND THE COUNTY AND THE NEW SHERIFF WHO PROVIDED TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES.
BUT IT'S, IT'S SO MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT DID IT.
I'M ACTUALLY, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANNA GIVE THE AWARD TO.
IT'S LITERALLY ALMOST EVERY DEPARTMENT IN OUR CITY.
I'M GONNA READ THEM OFF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OCEAN RESCUE CODE COMPLIANCE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, GREAT MARKETING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FACILITIES AND FLEET HR, GOODWILL AMBASSADORS, OUR PARKING DEPARTMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION, AND OUR PARKS RANGERS, PUBLIC WORKS AND SANITATION, TOURISM AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT, TRANSPORTATION.
AND OF COURSE, UH, OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS ENTIRE EXECUTIVE TEAM.
I SEE THE CIVILIAN VOLUNTEER PATROL, UH, SITTING IN, IN THE BACKGROUND NEAR AND DEAR TO MY, MY HEART.
GREAT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO GROW.
SO I'M GONNA ACTUALLY ASK EVERYONE WHO I JUST MENTIONED AND CALLED OUT, UH, FROM OUR CITY TO COME UP.
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, SPRING BREAK, 2025 SUCCESS.
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN A COORDINATED CITYWIDE EFFORT TO UPHOLD SAFETY, ORDER AND HOSPITALITY.
APRIL 9TH, 2025 ON BEHALF OF ME AND THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, THANK YOU FROM, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.
[00:05:04]
YOU CAN'T DO THIS PICTURE WITHOUT POLICE.NO, THAT'S YOU GOT YOU GOT EVERYONE.
EVERYBODY LOOKING UP HERE? OKAY, READY? LOOKING HERE.
[PA 5 PROCLAMATION PRESENTED TO TONI'S SUSHI BAR.]
[PA 6 CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO YOKO TAKARADA, KEVIN TAKARADA, SUSAN FNU, AND TOSHIYA SATO OF TONI'S SUSHI BAR.]
IS PA FIVE.PA FIVE IS PROCLAMATION TONY SUSHI BAR.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS AWARD AND PRO AND PROCLAMATION.
UM, TODAY WE ARE GOING TO HONOR A SOUTH BEACH, UH, INSTITUTION AND STAPLE TONY SUSHI SINCE 1987.
UH, WHEN TONY ADA, HE TOOK A BOLD STEP AND HE OPENED A TONY'S SUSHI BAR.
AND AT THE TIME WHEN HE OPENED IT ON WASHINGTON AVENUE, UH, WHAT IT WAS, IT WAS FAR FROM THE BUSTLING DESTINATION THAT YOU FIND TODAY.
SOUTH BEACH HAD NOT YET EXPERIENCED ITS FULL RENAISSANCE, AND, UH, THEY TOOK A CHANCE BEFORE SUSHI WAS REALLY WIDESPREADLY POPULAR IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THEY OPENED, UH, TONY'S SUSHI.
AND IT'S AT THIS POINT, NOT JUST A RESTAURANT, IT IS AN INSTITUTION.
AND WHEN, ANYTIME THAT YOU GO INTO TONY'S SUSHI, YOU'LL FIND RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS MIAMI BEACH AND EVEN FROM ACROSS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY THAT TRAVEL TO TONY'S SUSHI.
UM, THEY HAVE, WHILE WE'VE NOW WE SEE SO MANY OTHER RESTAURANTS FANCY, UH, SUSHI RESTAURANTS, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE FLAMING DANCERS AND ALL SORTS OF, YOU KNOW, SIZZLING THINGS.
BUT TONY'S HAS COMMITTED TO BEING AUTHENTIC SUSHI.
AND I WOULD GO AS FAR TO SAY THAT IT IS THE BEST SUSHI IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
THEY WERE PART OF THE SOUTH BEACH RENAISSANCE, AND TONY'S CONTINUES TO BE A SYMBOL OF QUALITY RESILIENT, 38 YEARS ON MIAMI BEACH.
UM, EVEN ITS STAFF HAS BEEN THERE FOR DECADES.
UM, ALONG WITH HONORING THE RESTAURANT TONY SUSHI, WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE CERTIFICATES TO SEVERAL OF THE STAFF MEMBERS.
SO IF YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO COME UP HERE SO I CAN HONOR YOU GUYS.
OH, YOU GUYS CAN STAND RIGHT OVER HERE.
UM, FIRST WE HAVE MR. TO SAT SATO.
HE IS THE CHEF THAT SINCE, UH, 1990S, UM, HE HAS SINCE HAD LEADERSHIP ROLES AT ZUMA AND
[00:10:01]
MAKOTO, BUT HE HAS RETURNED TO TONY SUSHI AND HE IS THE SOURCE OF ITS EXCELLENCE AND, YOU KNOW, AND EXCELLENCE AND SIMPLICITY IN JUST USING THE BEST PRODUCTS.WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SUSAN, SUSAN FU AND ANYBODY WHO EATS AT TONY SUSHI HAS KNOWN THAT FOR DECADES NOW.
SUSAN HAS STEADFASTLY STOOD AT THE DOOR EVERY SINGLE EVENING AND SHE DOESN'T MESS AROUND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A RESERVATION, UM, YOU COULD GET HASSLED BY SUSAN, BUT SHE WILL TRY HER BEST TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE.
WE ALSO HAVE HERE, UH, YOKO TADA, TONY SUSHI'S DAUGHTER.
UM, AND, UH, KEVIN, HER BROTHER IS NOT HERE, UM, TODAY.
BUT, UM, IT IS SO HARD IN MIAMI BEACH TO BE A RESTAURANT IN A TOURISM COMMUNITY THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.
WE HAVE VERY FEW RESTAURANTS LIKE THIS POSSIBLY.
IF YOU WERE TO THINK ABOUT ANY RESTAURANT THAT'S COMPARABLE, UH, TONY SUSHI AT THIS POINT IN TIME HAS TRULY ACHIEVED A STATUS THAT'S ALMOST THAT OF, UH, JOE STONE CRABS, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT JUST A RESTAURANT, YOU ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, WE'RE DATING THIS PROCLAMATION, UH, JANUARY 20TH, BECAUSE THAT IS YOUR ANNIVERSARY IN 1987 WHEN YOU OPENED.
SO TODAY, NOW THEREFORE DO, WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 20TH, 2025 AS TONY SUSHI BARDE.
SO, TWO, YOU CAN GO TO THE PODIUM HERE YOU WANT.
UH, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
IN 40 YEARS, NEARLY 40 YEARS, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF MAYORS, COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE COME AND THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF US.
AND, UM, THE LOVE THAT'S BEEN SHOWN TO US, WE CAN, IF WE CAN JUST EVEN GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF FRACTION BACK, I WOULD BE FOREVER GRATEFUL.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY'S SUPPORT ALWAYS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TAKE A AND THEN HERE, GO HERE ONE AND TAKE IT READY.
YOU, RALPH, IF WE CAN CALL UP PA SIX.
PA SIX IS CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION.
[PA 20 PROCLAMATION DECLARING MARCH 30, 2025 AS MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS DAY.]
20.PA 20 IS PROCLAMATION DECLARE MARCH 30TH, 2025 AS MICHAEL TYSON THOMAS DAY.
AND, UH, YOU GUYS CAN COME UP SINCE I'M GONNA, WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HONORING ONE OF THE MOST VISIONARY AND INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC TODAY.
MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS, ALSO KNOWN AS, UH, MTT, UH, MICHAEL RECENTLY, UH, ON A MARCH 30TH, 2025, RETIRED FROM THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY, UH, A GROUNDBREAKING INSTITUTION, UM, THAT SERVES OUR CITY EXTREMELY WELL TO THIS DAY.
AND HE CO-FOUNDED THAT RIGHT HERE ON MIAMI BEACH.
AND WHILE MICHAEL IS UNABLE TO JOIN US TODAY, I'M VERY PROUD THAT, UH, NEESON KADEN CHAIR OF THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY BOARD AND HOWARD HERRING, THE ORGANIZATION'S LONGTIME PRESIDENT, CEO, ARE HERE TO ACCEPT, UH, THE AWARD ON HIS BEHALF.
AND ALSO YOU'RE WELCOME TO SAY, UH, A FEW WORDS.
UM, MICHAEL'S REALLY LEFT, UH, A MARK NOT ONLY ON MIAMI BEACH, BUT A, A GLOBAL LEGACY.
UH, SINCE 1987, HE HAS BROUGHT, UH, SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED YOUNG MUSICIANS RIGHT HERE TO MIAMI BEACH.
UH, CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM.
HE'S BEEN A MENTOR, UH, THE WALL CAST CONCERTS IN SOUNDSCAPE PARK.
UM, OUR LEGENDARY AND, AND OUR RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS, UH, ENJOY THEM IMMENSELY.
WE'RE A CITY THAT'S, UH, PROUD NOT ONLY TO HAVE THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY, LITERALLY RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR BACKYARD.
[00:15:01]
IRONIC 'CAUSE I PARKED RIGHT IN FRONT OF CITY HALL YESTERDAY AND A WOMAN STOPS ME AND SHE'S LIKE, PLEASE TELL ME I'M NEARBY THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY.'CAUSE I'M GOING THERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY PROUD TO HAVE NOT ONLY NEW WORLD SYMPHONY, BUT ALSO OUR, OUR MYRIAD OF ARTS AND CULTURE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE ONLY GETTING BETTER AND BETTER, UM, WITH OUR GROUND, WITH OUR GEO BOND AWARDS, WITH OUR RECENT, UH, MILLION DOLLAR, UH, INFUSION OF CAPITAL.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BOT.
I BELIEVE YOU WERE THE SPONSOR OF THAT, OF THAT ITEM.
UM, SO WE'RE DOING MORE AND MORE TO, TO ELEVATE, BUT CERTAINLY IT'S THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE HARD WORK THAT THAT YOU DO.
AND CERTAINLY, UH, THAT'S EXEMPLIFIED BY MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS.
SO, UM, BEFORE I GO TO THE PROCLAMATION, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
ON BEHALF OF OF, OF HOWARD AND MYSELF.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE REPRESENTING MICHAEL HERE FOR THIS RECOGNITION.
UH, BRIEFLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY MY COLLABORATION WITH MICHAEL GOES BACK 30 YEARS OR MORE WHEN WE HAD, I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD LUNCH ON OCEAN DRIVE IN THE NINETIES, WHEN IT WAS STILL A PLACE PEOPLE WOULD GO TO, UM, WHICH IT WILL BE AGAIN WITH THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AS A COMMISSION.
AND HE FIRST SHARED THE IDEA OF THE NEW WORLD CENTER, AND THEN WE SET ABOUT TO PROTECT THAT PROPERTY, THE SURFACE PARKING LOTS FROM PRIVATE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN A MASTER PLAN, WHICH WAS DONE WITH KOVICH TO CREATE A GREAT PUBLIC BUILDING AND PUBLIC SPACE SOUND SPACE PARK, AND WORK TO BUILD AND BRING THAT TO FRUITION MICHAEL'S VISION AND DREAM WITH HIS CHILDHOOD BABYSITTER AND FRIEND CHEN FRANK GEARY AS THE ARCHITECT.
AND I WAS FORTUNATE TO CHAIR THE BOARD DURING THE YEARS WHEN THE, UH, BUILDING AND THE PARK WERE BEING BUILT.
IF I CAN JUST SPEND ONE MORE MINUTE TO PROPERLY PUT THE CONTEXT IN WHICH MICHAEL SHOULD BE HELD IN THIS CITY AND IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC.
THESE WERE REMARKS I DELIVERED FOR HIM WHEN HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME.
IT IS A GREAT HONOR FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE TO REPRESENT MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS, WHO COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY TO RECEIVE THIS AWARD.
MICHAEL'S ROLE IN THE WORLD OF CULTURE AND MUSIC IS AT ITS VERY ZENITH.
HE WAS AN UNDERSTUDY AND PROTEGE OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN, ONE OF THE GREAT CULTURAL AND MUSIC FIGURES OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
MICHAEL HAS LED MANY OF THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS, INCLUDING HIS PRINCIPAL ROLES WITH THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, HIS 25 YEARS AT THE HELM OF THE SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY, SHAPING THAT INTO ONE OF THE GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE WORLD, AND OF COURSE, HIS SEMINAL WORK IN CONCEIVING, CREATING AND GROWING THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY HERE IN MIAMI BEACH, WHICH IS THE PREEMINENT POSTGRADUATE INSTITUTION FOR MUSIC STUDENTS IN THE WORLD.
THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY SENDS THE FELLOWS AS AMBASSADORS OF MUSIC AND AMBASSADORS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH TO MAJOR ORCHESTRAS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
THE FELLOWS EVANGELIZE, POPULARIZING AND EVOLVING CLASSICAL MUSIC AND ALSO TELL A STORY ABOUT OUR OWN HOME, MIAMI BEACH.
MICHAEL IS A COMPOSER AND CONDUCTOR WHO HAS BEEN LAUDED AND RECOGNIZED FOR HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AS ONE OF THE GREAT FIGURES OF OUR TIME IN THE WORLD OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC.
MICHAEL'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE CULTURAL WORLD ALONE WOULD MERIT HIS RECOGNITION IN THE MIAMI BEACH HALL OF FAME.
BUT AS MUCH MORE THAN THAT, MIAMI BEACH BECAME THE CULTURAL CENTER AND SPAWNING GROUND FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, NOT ONLY IN MIAMI BEACH, IT WAS A CORNERSTONE OF THE RENAISSANCE OF MIAMI BEACH.
CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY OF THIS COMMUNITY, MAKING THIS A COMMUNITY THAT IS NOW KNOWN AS A GREAT ARTS AND CULTURAL CITY.
THOUGH THERE WERE MANY IMPORTANT FIGURES IN THAT MOVEMENT DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, NONE HAS HAD A MORE PROFOUND AND LASTING EFFECT THAN MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS, THE CREATION OF THE NEW WORLD CENTER.
THE CAMPUS OF THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY IS PART OF MICHAEL'S LEGACY.
IN THE LATE 1990S, MICHAEL CONCEIVED HIS VISION OF WHAT COULD BE CREATED FOR THE ADVANCEMENT AND EVOLUTION OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC AND ALSO FOR MIAMI BEACH.
HE FORESAW CREATING A GREAT BUILDING THAT WOULD BE A LABORATORY FOR THE STUDY CREATION AND PRESENTATION OF ORCHESTRAL MUSIC AND A GREAT PARK IN THE HEART OF THE CITY WHERE ONLY A SURFACE PARKING LOT HAD EXISTED.
OTHERS HAD DIFFERENT IDEAS, THEY WANTED TO PUT SHOPPING CENTERS THERE.
WE WERE ABLE TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.
MICHAEL WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE HIS DREAM, WORKING TO DESIGN THE NEW WORLD CENTER WITH HIS CHILDHOOD BABYSITTER.
FRANK GEARY, THE GREATEST ARCHITECT OF OUR TIME.
WE NOW HAVE THIS MAGNIFICENT GEAR BUILDING WHICH FUNCTIONS LIKE NO OTHER KIND IN
[00:20:01]
ITS WORLD.MICHAEL WAS A LONG TIME, IS A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF MIAMI BEACH.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIFE AND HISTORY OF MIAMI BEACH, THERE ARE A FEW FIGURES WHO HAVE DONE MORE TO POSITIVELY SHAPED THE DESTINY OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SOME INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD A SEMINAL ROLE IN DEFINING THE COURSE OF HISTORY OF MIAMI BEACH, JOHN COLLINS, WHO FOUNDED THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, CARL FISHER, THE PERSON WHO CREATED THE GREAT RESORT COMMUNITY THAT MIAMI BEACH BECAME FOR THE FOLLOWING DECADES.
AND WHEN THE CITY WAS DOWN ON ITS LUCK AND LOOKING TO BE REBORN, THE VISION OF BARBARA CAPMAN TO RECOGNIZE THE TREASURE OF THE ART DECO ARCHITECTURE HELPED SPARK THE REVITALIZATION OF THIS COMMUNITY.
MICHAEL HAD A VERY SPECIAL ROLE IN CHANGING THE IDENTITY AND NATURE OF MIAMI BEACH AND WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF THE CITY.
WHEN I WAS A KID GROWING UP IN MIAMI BEACH, THERE WAS NO ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
WE WERE NOT KNOWN AS A CULTURAL CITY.
THIS INCREDIBLE THING HAPPENED IN MIAMI BEACH IN THE 1980S WHERE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WERE CREATED AND BEGAN TO GROW HERE, CENTERED LARGELY ON LINCOLN ROAD, LED BY THE MIAMI CITY BALLET, THE ARTS CENTER, SOUTH FLORIDA IN THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY WITH MONEY FROM TED AND LYNN ARIS, AND BOUGHT AND REFURBISHED THE LINCOLN THEATER THAT BECAME THE CULTURAL CENTER AND SPAWNING GROUND FOR ARTS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
IT IS MICHAEL'S UNIQUE IRREPLACEABLE ROLE THAT HE HAS SPENT IN, IN SHAPING AND FORMING THIS COMMUNITY AS THE COMMUNITY IT IS TODAY.
THAT IS WHY YOU ARE RECOGNIZING HIM, AND I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
HOWARD, ONE PRACTICAL COMMENT, THE DREAM GOES ON APRIL THE 19TH, WALL CAST, NEW WORLD SYMPHONY, SOUNDSCAPE PARK.
UM, SO COMMISSIONER BOT, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, JUST TO PUT A LITTLE CHERRY ON TOP OF THIS INCREDIBLE RECOGNITION FOR A REMARKABLE PERSON, UM, WITH AN AMAZING LEGACY FOR OUR CITY AND FOR MUSIC AROUND THE WORLD, AND FOR COUNTLESS MUSICIANS AND CONDUCTORS WHO, UM, STUDIED WITH THIS GREAT MASTER AND HAVE GONE ON TO POPULATE ORCHESTRAS AND, AND CULTURAL CENTERS AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, I HAD THE GREAT HONOR TO BE ASKED TO REPRESENT MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, UM, TO, TO MAKE A A BE A PART OF A VIDEO THAT THE, UM, NEW WORLD SYMPHONY WAS, UM, BROADCASTING AT THE WALLS CAST, UM, AND IN THE THEATER ON MARCH 29TH.
AND IT WAS ESPECIALLY EXCITING BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO MY BIRTHDAY.
UM, SO I'M LIKE, WOW, THAT'S A COOL THING TO BE ABLE TO DO FOR MY BIRTHDAY.
IT WAS A, IT WAS AN HONOR TO REPRESENT, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UM, AND TO, UM, SING THE PRAISES OF SUCH A GREAT, UM, LEADER IN THIS FIELD OF CULTURE AND EDUCATION AND MUSIC.
AND, UM, WITH THE MAYOR'S PERMISSION, I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH EVERYBODY HERE TODAY AS WELL.
HELLO, I'M TANYA KABAT, VICE MAYOR OF MIAMI BEACH.
TODAY WE HONOR MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS, WHO TRANSFORMED THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF MIAMI WHEN HE CO-FOUNDED NEW WORLD SYMPHONY IN 1987 WITH TED AND LYNN.
AON, HIS DREAM OF AN ORCHESTRAL ACADEMY HAS BROUGHT OVER 1300 OF THE WORLD'S MOST TALENTED YOUNG MUSICAL VOICES TO OUR CITY WHERE THEY HAVE HONED THEIR CRAFT.
HIS VISION OF THE FUTURE OF CLASSICAL MUSIC SPARKED MIAMI BEACH'S CULTURAL REVIVAL, FIRST AT THE LINCOLN THEATER, WHICH WAS NW S'S HOME FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
NOW IN THE FRANK GARY DESIGNED NEW WORLD CENTER.
NEW WORLD SYMPHONY IS SHARING MUSIC WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, AND ITS AUDIENCES REFLECT THE VIBRANT DIVERSITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
T'S VISION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT CONTINUED TO DEFINE THE ART FORM AND OUR COMMUNITY ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
HE MENTORED MORE THAN 1300 FELLOWS WHO NOW PERFORM AND TEACH IN OVER 30 COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
NOW, THEREFORE, DO WE, AS THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HERE BY PROCLAIM, IT'S MARCH 30TH, WE'RE DOING IT, UH, WE'RE DOING IT TODAY, BUT IT'S MARCH 30TH, 2025 AS MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS DAY
[00:25:30]
CALL PA[PA 19 PROCLAMATION DECLARING APRIL 9, 2025 AS EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY.]
19.PA 19 IS PROCLAMATION DECLARING APRIL 9TH, 2025, AS EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE RABBI, UH, AK AS WELL.
I'LL SAY A FEW WORDS, UH, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO THIS IS, UH, EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY, HONORING THE LEBA WHO, UM, RABBI MIN MENDEL SCHON.
WE DO THIS, WE, WE STARTED DOING THIS ANNUALLY.
UM, IN 1978, PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER FIRST PROCLAIMED THE RABBI'S BIRTHDAY AS EDUCATION DAY.
AND EVERY PRESIDENT SINCE HAS, HAS DONE THAT ANNUALLY.
UH, WHAT'S INTERESTING TODAY, AND THERE'S NO COINCIDENCES IN LIFE, I HOPE I'M NOT TAKING AWAY YOUR TALKING POINTS, BUT IT'S APRIL 9TH, BUT IT ALSO CORRESPONDS TO THE HEBREW CALENDAR OF THE 11TH DAY OF NISSAN.
AND THAT ACTUALLY IS THE REBA'S HEBREW BIRTHDAY, LITERALLY TODAY, UH, AS WE DO THIS PRO PROCLAMATION, UH, TODAY MARKS THE HUNDRED 23RD ANNIVERSARY OF, OF THE REBA'S BIRTHDAY.
AND IT'S, IT'S HARD, I, I'LL BE BRIEF, BUT IT'S HARD TO OVERESTIMATE THE IMPACT THAT HE HAD, NOT ONLY IN THE JEWISH WORLD, BUT LITERALLY IN THE GLOBAL WORLD.
HE WAS, UH, A LEADER WHO BELIEVED IN REACHING OUT, UH, TO EVERYONE.
UH, AND HIS IMPACT IN SPREADING, UH, KINDNESS, EDUCATION, UM, WORKING TOGETHER, UM, THAT WAS THE SPIRIT OF, OF WHO HE WAS.
AND BESIDES BEING A, A, A BRILLIANT, UH, TORAH SCHOLAR, IN ADDITION, UM, YOU COULD PROBABLY SAY MORE, SPEAK MORE, BUT THE, THE STORIES ARE LEGENDARY LINES USED TO FORM OUT, UH, AROUND THE BLOCK TO SEE HIM.
UH, EVERY POLITICAL FIGURE HE LIVED IN NEW YORK WOULD COME AND GET HIS BLESSING, UH, BEFORE AN ELECTION, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, OF, OF THE, OF THE REALLY DOMINEERING, UH, IMPACT THAT HE HAD ON, ON, ON THE LOCAL POLITICS, BUT CERTAINLY THE WORLD AND SPREADING AND SPREADING LOVE THROUGHOUT EVERYWHERE.
SO IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
BUT RABBI SCHMO LASIK, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY HERE REPRESENTING KABAD AND, UH, OF MIAMI BEACH TODAY.
UH, AND REALLY PROUD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
UM, IT'S HUMBLING TO BE HERE REPRESENTING SUCH A GREAT MAN LIKE THE LAB.
REBA, AS YOU HEARD, THE RABBI WASN'T JUST A JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADER, BUT THE RABBI WAS SOMEONE THAT WELCOMED PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
HE WAS VISITED BY COMMISSIONERS, BY MAYORS, BY GOVERNORS, BY PRESIDENTS FROM MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
AND THEY ALL CAME TO SEEK HIS BLESSING AND HIS GUIDANCE.
AND HE WAS ONE AS TODAY, WHICH WE CALL EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY.
HE WAS ONE THAT PROMOTED THE AGENDA OF EDUCATING THE YOUTH IN A WAY.
LIKE MANY, HE HAD A VISION OF MAKING SURE THAT THE CONCEPT OF THERE BEING A CREATOR BE SOMETHING WHICH IS RECOGNIZED BY ALL.
AND HE FELT THAT WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT WOULD FURTHER PEACE IN THE WORLD, BOTH FOR THE JEW AND FOR THE GENTILE, FOR EVERYONE ALIKE.
UM, ONE OF THE NEWS NETWORKS, UM, ONCE PASSED BY THE RABBI AND ASKED THE RABBI HIS MESSAGE TO THE WORLD, AND HE PROCLAIMED VERY SHORT AND CONCISE THAT HIS MESSAGE TO THE WORLD WAS TO DO MORE ACTS OF GOODNESS AND KINDNESS TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
AND THAT'S WHAT HE LIVED BY, AND THAT'S WHAT HE TAUGHT OTHERS TO DO.
THE ACTS OF GOODNESS AND KINDNESS, SHARING AND HELPING AND EDUCATING OTHERS.
HE PUSHED THE EVERYONE TO FURTHER THEIR OWN EFFORTS IN WHATEVER ROLE THEY MAY BE, WHETHER IT BE IN THEIR PROFESSION AND THEIR POLITICAL POSITION, TO FURTHER THEIR AGENDA OF PEACE AND OF SHARING IN THE WORLD.
AND HE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO PRAY FOR THE TIME WHERE THERE WILL BE ULTIMATE PEACE IN THE WORLD.
SO I WANT TO TAKE THE MOMENT HERE TODAY WITH EVERYONE HERE IN THE ROOM TO SAY A PRAYER AND PRAY FOR MORE PEACE IN THE WORLD, FOR MORE SHARING, MORE LOVE AND MORE KINDNESS, WHICH IS WHAT TODAY REPRESENTS.
AND I WANT TO THANK THIS CITY.
THIS CITY PLAYS A HUGE INFLUENTIAL ROLE IN THE RABBI'S EFFORTS.
MIAMI BEACH'S HOME TO SEVERAL KBAD CENTERS.
AND THESE HABAD CENTERS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, HAVE MET ONE OF US THAT, UM, WE ARE EFFORTLESS.
WE, WE, WE ARE CONSTANTLY REACHING OUT AND HELPING BOTH, EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, MAKING THIS PLACE A MORE MEANINGFUL, A MORE PURPOSEFUL PLACE.
AND THE CITY HAS EMBRACED IT, EMBRACED IT IN THE WAYS THAT MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE,
[00:30:01]
NOT MANY OTHER CITIES CAN LEARN FROM MIAMI BEACH, UM, AS TO HOW TO EMBRACE THE MULTICULTURAL POPULATION THAT EXISTS HERE.AND IT'S A REAL TESTAMENT TO THE RABBI'S EFFORTS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO UNITE ALL PEOPLE ALIKE, BOTH JEWS AND NON-JEWS, AND MAKE THE WORLD A PLACE OF MORE SHARING AND, UH, MORE KINDNESS.
SO I WANT TO THANK AND BLESS EVERYONE, ALL OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO, UM, FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN HELPING FURTHER THIS AGENDA OF BRINGING MORE PEACE AND KINDNESS THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING AND EFFORTS THAT HABAD DOES HERE IN THIS CITY.
AND IT IS AN HONOR AND A HUMBLING TO BE HERE.
SO JUST, UH, I'M JUST GONNA READ THE LAST, IT'S A LITTLE LONG, BUT I'M GONNA READ THE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS.
OVER TIME, MANY CITIES AND STATES HAVE ADOPTED THE NAME EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY TO HIGHLIGHT THE RABBIS ENDURING MESSAGE THAT EDUCATION SHOULD NOT ONLY IMPACT IN PART KNOWLEDGE, BUT ALSO FOSTER KINDNESS, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH JOINS IN THE NATIONWIDE TRADITION OF RECOGNIZING EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY, HONORING THE RABBI'S TEACHINGS, WHICH CONTINUE TO INSPIRE GENERATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
NOW, THEREFORE, DO WE AS THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MY BEACH, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 9TH, 2025 AS EDUCATION AND SHARING DAY.
OKAY, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE ITEM FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT SOMEBODY HAS TO LEAVE FOR PA ONE.
SO, BUT I'M ANNOUNCING THAT I'M GONNA DO BLACK HISTORY MONTH NET, SO THERE'S NO OTHER, UH, NO, NO OTHER ONES THAT I'M GONNA CALL.
[PA 1 PROCLAMATION HONORING AARON LARKIN FOR HIS 35 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.]
PA ONE IS PROCLAMATION.AARON LARKIN, 35 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE, NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO MR. MAYOR, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ, UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE HE'S UP IN TALLAHASSEE, UM, UH, WORKING FOR US TIRELESSLY ON SOME STATE LEGISLATIVE ITEMS. UM, BUT THIS IS HIS PROCLAMATION, AND IF I COULD JUST READ A LITTLE BIT OF IT, AARON LARKIN HAS DEDICATED AN EXTRAORDINARY 35 YEARS OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE AS A CUSTODIAN AT NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, RISING TO THE ROLE OF HEAD CUSTODIAN, WHERE HIS HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND PRIDE IN HIS WORK HAVE PLAYED AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING A SAFE, CLEAN, AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, FACULTY, AND STAFF.
AARON LARKIN'S TIRELESS WORK BEHIND THE SCENES HAS HAD A LASTING IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, FOSTERING A SENSE OF PRIDE AND CARE FOR THE SCHOOL'S FACILITIES AND GROUNDS.
AND THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH RECOGNIZES THE INVI INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS AARON LARKIN HAS MADE TO NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY THROUGH HIS YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE.
NOW, THEREFORE, DO THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 9TH, 2025 AS AARON LARKIN DAY.
SO TO SHARE, TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MR. LARKIN, MR. LARKIN HAS DEVOTED THE PAST NEARLY 35 YEARS TO NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY.
THE SPECIAL THING ABOUT NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY IS THAT IT SERVES GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES AND STUDENTS, AND I FIT INTO THAT BUCKET.
SO I FIRST CAME TO NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY, I CAN'T SAY 35 YEARS AGO, BUT HOWEVER MANY YEARS AGO AS A STUDENT MYSELF, WHEN I BEGAN AS A PARENT AT NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY, UM, NOW I GUESS SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE FIRST FAMILIAR FACES THAT I SAW WAS MR. LARKIN.
AND I HAD TO DO A LITTLE DOUBLE TAKE AND THINK BACK TO MYSELF, IS THAT THE SAME MR. LARKIN? BUT SURELY IT IS THE SAME, MR. LARKIN.
AND WHAT MAKES MISS WHAT MAKES NORTH BEACH SUCH AN AMAZING SCHOOL BESIDES OUR ADMINISTRATION AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS, IS THAT IT'S A PLACE WHERE OUR STUDENTS REALLY FEEL AT HOME.
IT'S AN EXTENSION OF THEIR HOME.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT, IT'S A WELCOME ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO MUCH OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT MR. LARKIN HAS PUT INTO IT.
OUR GROUNDS THEMSELVES ARE BEAUTIFUL.
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AND MR. LARKIN WILL, WILL BE TOO HUMBLE TO SHARE THAT HE HAS PLANTED MANY OF THE TREES AND FLOWERS AND BUSHES HIMSELF.HE HAS TREATED THE GROUNDS AS AN EXTENSION OF HIS HOME, OF HIS OWN HOME.
HE CARES FOR OUR GARDEN AND FOR OUR GROUNDS IN THAT SAME WAY.
AND THAT HAS MADE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE WAYS THAT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES AND OUR TEACHERS FEEL WHEN THEY WALK INTO THAT BUILDING.
SO, UM, IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH MR. LARKIN AS, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR PTA AND WE ARE ABLE TO DO SO MUCH OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO AS A PTA BECAUSE OF YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ALWAYS HELP, HELP US AND PROVIDE FOR US AND SERVE US.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO WITHOUT YOU, BUT WE ARE GOING TO ALL, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MR. LARKIN'S COOKING BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE IS GOING TO BE, UH, SPECIALIZING IN IN HIS RETIREMENT.
AND SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO, TO THAT, THAT TIME FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY MIAMI BEACH FOR RECOGNIZING ME.
[PA 11 PROCLAMATION FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH.]
PA 11 IS PROCLAMATION BLACK HISTORY MONTH, COMMISSIONER BACH.UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT WEIRD TO DO A PROCLAMATION FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN APRIL INSTEAD OF IN MARCH WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROPERLY DONE.
BUT, UM, THE AWARDS AND PRESENTATIONS MEETING WAS POSTPONED DEFERRED UNTIL THIS MONTH.
AND SO HERE WE ARE LIVING OUR REALITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE COMMEMORATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, BUT REALLY BLACK HISTORY IS EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY AND SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS SUCH.
UM, BLACK AMERICANS, UM, MAKE VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR HISTORY, HAVE MADE VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR HISTORY, HAVE MADE INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING DISCOVERIES THAT COLOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE AND MAKE IT BETTER.
AND, UM, SO IT IS PART OF OUR AMERICAN HISTORY NARRATIVE THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, HOWEVER,
SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE DOING A PROCLAMATION, UH, OH GOODNESS FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH, UM, IN MIAMI BEACH, BLACK AMERICANS, OR, AND, AND, UM, PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND CAME AND BUILT THIS CITY, UM, AND HELPED CLEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, MANGROVES AND, AND COCONUT TREES AND OTHER UNPLEASANT PARTS OF THE, UM, THE LAND TO MAKE IT A LIVABLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE EVERYTHING THAT, UM, OUR, OUR BLACK NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS CONTRIBUTE EVERY DAY AND HAVE CONTRIBUTED, UM, EVERY, EVERY DAY OF OUR, OF OUR FOUNDING AS A COUNTRY.
UM, IT'S ESPECIALLY INTERESTING THAT THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH THEME FOR THIS YEAR, UM, IS A AFRICAN AMERICANS AND LABOR, UM, SINCE BAHAMIANS HELPED BUILD THIS ISLAND AND, AND, UM, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS SOUTH, SOUTH FLORIDA.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO, UM, TO GLEN HALL, UM, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND UM, AND THEN WE WILL MAKE THE PROCLAMATION.
SO WE HAVE HAD DELAYS, BUT THANK GOD WE ARE HERE.
[00:40:01]
I HAVE MY FRIEND BILL HERE FOR PART OF THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY.UM, I'D LIKE TO ALSO SHOW THE VIDEO IF POSSIBLE.
I MADE THE GRAND ATTEMPT TO MAKE, UH, STEVE LOOK COOL IN THE VIDEO.
UM, SO IS, CAN YOU PLAY THE VIDEO PLEASE? ALRIGHT.
SO I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND EVERYONE INVOLVED IS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER BECAUSE KIDS AND ADULTS CAN LEARN FROM SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS ABOUT OUR HISTORY, OUR COUNTRY, HOW DO WE MAKE OUR COUNTRY BETTER MM-HMM
HOW DO WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE? AND FOR ME, IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE, IT WAS BASEBALL AND I THINK A LOT OF YOUNG KIDS GROWING UP, SO I HONORED BE HERE AND, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FROM ABOVE THERE.
SO I WANTED TO, UH, PUT THAT VIDEO VERY QUICKLY TOGETHER ON MY PHONE BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY SAW THAT WE HAD MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES DURING SPRING BREAK.
AND I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO LIZETTE ON HER TEAM.
UM, BUT WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE EVENTS FROM THE BASS TO THE BAND SHELL TO THE FIRST TIME IN THE BOTANICAL GARDENS.
WE HAD STUFF ON OCEAN DRIVE WITH THE VEGAN FEST, WITH STARX, WHO'S GONNA BE COMING UP.
ALSO THE BETSY AND, UH, ANNETTE SOUNDSCAPE.
SO WE HAD A VERY GOOD SPREAD OF THE WHOLE ENTIRE CITY AND HAD MULTIPLE DIFFERENT EVENTS.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS SHOWN AND DOCUMENTED IN A, IN A QUICK VIDEO.
AND ALSO, UH, COMMISSIONER BOT.
SO MY THUNDER WAS RECOGNIZING THAT BLACK HISTORY, AS WE KNOW, IS 365 24 7, AND WE ALSO HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HONORING HERE TODAY.
SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY A GOOD DAY FOR THAT.
SO I WANTED TO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY FOR, UH, BEING OPEN TO THE CHANGES THAT WE WANNA MAKE AT THE CITY.
WE'RE DOING GREAT THINGS, WE ARE WAYS TO GO, BUT WE'RE HERE.
AND AS I ALWAYS SAY, BLACK BAHAMIAN HANDS BUILT THIS CITY.
BLACK TALENT FROM PRINCE TO LEAN ON HORN MADE IT COOL.
SO WE HAVE TO ASK NOBODY TO BE HERE.
AND GLEN, THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND AS YOU, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ME IN YOUR VIDEO AS WELL.
AND AS I WAS SAYING AT THAT, UH, DON'T DROP THE BALL, WHICH WAS, UH, A VERY MOVING MOVIE ABOUT, UH, BLACK PLAYERS IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL.
THAT TO ME, AS A YOUNG KID, AS A, AS A HUGE BASEBALL FAN, I LITERALLY REMEMBER THE MOMENTS I WAS ASKING MY PARENTS, WHY WAS THE FIRST BLACK PLAYER IN 1947 WITH JACKIE ROBINSON? WHY, WHY NOT BEFOREHAND? AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING, WE'D LEARNED HISTORY AND OUR, AND THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND FOR ME, THAT WAS A VERY POWERFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND HOW UNFAIR IT WAS.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THAT.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
UM, I WANNA JUST READ ONE THING BEFORE I COME DOWN AND GIVE THE PROCLAMATION, UM, TO, TO PUT A LITTLE BOW ON THIS, UM, MIAMI BEACH UNEQUIVOCALLY REMAINS COMMITTED TO HONORING THE LEGACY OF BLACK AMERICANS BY PROMOTING DIVERSITY, SUPPORTING EQUITABLE PRACTICES AND POLICIES, AND CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BLACK RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS WHO CONTINUE TO ENRICH AND STRENGTHEN OUR CITY'S VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
SO NOW THEREFORE, DO WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, PROCLAIM FEBRUARY, 2025 BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
[00:45:01]
WE HAVE A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY IN THE HOUSE AS WELL.IS THAT CORRECT? VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
WELL, THE QUICK THING, AND AS YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LTC THAT WAS SENT OUT IN FEBRUARY, WHICH SHOWED THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY.
IN ADDITION TO, WE HAVE AN ANNUAL CALENDAR, SO WE HAVE WHAT WE HAVE COMING UP IS A CREOLE FESTIVAL, AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, JUNETEENTH, THE MIAMI TAKEOVER AND ART OF GO-GO BLACK BUSINESS MONTH, ANNUAL LOVE AND LOVE HIP HOP CONCERT IN NORTH BEACH, THE JOSEPHINE BACON DAY ON NOVEMBER 29TH, ART BASEL, OF COURSE, AND THE CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN DIASPORA ART SERIES IN DECEMBER.
AND G-M-C-B-B, ART OF BLACK MIAMI.
WELL, GLENN, SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, LET'S DO PA 13.
[PA 13 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO SOUL VEGAN FOOD FESTIVAL IN CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH.]
PA 13 IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, SOUL VEGAN FOOD, FOOD FESTIVAL, CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH.ACTUALLY, I'D LIKE TO, WHY DON'T WE START WITH THAT.
HI, MY NAME IS VILA FLAY, I'M A MIAMI AND FROM MIAMI GARDENS.
LARRY, I AM A PROUD, UM, RESIDENT.
BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, UH, AFRO-CARIBBEAN OF MIAMI.
I LIVE HERE ON SOUTH BEACH AND I'M SHA I ALSO LIVE ON SOUTH BEACH AND WE ARE REALLY ENJOYING THIS VEGAN FEST TODAY.
UM, I HAVE BEEN VEGAN FOR A WHILE, AND I CAN SAY THAT, UM, I LOVE EVENTS LIKE THIS.
I AM GRATEFUL TO PARKS AND RECS FOR THROWING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND I FEEL LIKE MIAMI NEEDS A LOT MORE OF THESE EVENTS AROUND.
THANK YOU FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PARKS AND REC, THAT MIAMI COMMISSIONER AND TAKE YOU TO THE HUNGRY BLACK MAN.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MIAMI PARKS AND REGS.
THANK YOU TO THE HUNGRY BLACK MAN, AND THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF MIAMI MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER.
I WANNA SEE MORE STUFF LIKE THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE FOOD, THE DRINKS, THE MUSIC, THE VIBES, THE PEOPLE.
I NEED MORE, MORE EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE NEEDED.
YES,
WE NEED MORE EVENTS LIKE THIS TO BRING OUT THE PEOPLE, THE VIBES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CULTURE, THE FOOD.
AND THANK YOU TO MY AUNT FOR PUTTING US OFF TO THIS AMAZING EVENT.
AND WE'RE HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COMES BACK MORE OFTEN BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A GOOD TIME'S A VIBE.
WE NEED THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
HEY MAN, I HAD A BLAST OUT HERE, BRO.
WE NEED MORE EVENTS, GROUND LIKE HERE.
THANK YOU TO THE HUNGRY BLACK MAN.
YOU SHOULD COME DOWN AND JOIN US.
THANK YOU FOR PULLING UP TO THE SO VEGAN TEASPOON FESTIVAL.
IT WAS A SPECIAL, IT WAS A JOY.
YOU GUYS, IF YOU DIDN'T COME, YOU MISS SOME BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE.
CHEF SOPHIA EXPERIENCE PULL UP NEXT YEAR.
STAR SMITH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
OH, UH, SO I JUST WANNA, I, I LIKE WROTE NOTES, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE COMPLICATED TO READ ON THIS PHONE.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA START OFF WITH SAYING THAT, UH, THIS CONCEPT WAS BROUGHT TO THE CITY ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO, AND, UH, IT'S JUST GROWN OVER THE YEARS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT, UH, JOHN REBAR, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS.
HE'S ACTUALLY, UM, BLACK AND, UM,
BUT, UM,
JOHN'S A REALLY A REALLY A REALLY GOOD FRIEND AND, AND ALSO, UH, AN AMAZING DIRECTOR AND DESERVES A RAISE.
SO, UM, THE, THE GATHERING THAT WE STARTED WAS A LOT OF TIMES WITH BLACK EVENTS AND EVEN, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST MINORITIES IN GENERAL, PARTICULARLY BLACK AMERICANS, IT'S ALWAYS ROOTED IN LIKE PAIN AND TRAGEDY AND LIKE SLAVERY.
AND PEOPLE WILL FEEL LIKE, CAN I COME TO THAT? OR LIKE, IT'S GONNA BE WEIRD.
AND WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE THAT DYNAMIC JUST BE REPEATED OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
AND SO IT WAS LIKE, HOW DO YOU
[00:50:01]
CREATE AN EVENT THAT IS ROOTED IN CELEBRATION, RIGHT? LIKE TRULY CELEBRATING BLACK CULTURE AND HAVING PEOPLE TO CONNECT WITH IT IN A VERY MEANINGFUL, ORGANIC WAY, AND NOT THIS LIKE FORCED LIKE WAY, RIGHT? UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.SO, SO VEGAN FEST WAS INCREMENTALLY DONE IN A MANNER WHERE, UH, BLACK CHEFS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CAME OUT AND PARTNERED WITH, UH, JUST FOLKS IN THE CITY TO COME OUT AND JUST ENJOY SOME REALLY GREAT FOOD.
WE EXPANDED TO SEAFOOD BECAUSE WE SAW SOME OF THE VEGANS EATING LIKE SEAFOOD.
AND SO WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, THAT'S WEIRD.
NEXT YEAR WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPANDING IT TO ALL FOOD BECAUSE THIS YEAR WE SAW TWO OF THE VEGANS EATING A PORK SANDWICH FROM, UH, ONE
I WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY, REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE.
BUT, UH, WHEN WE SAW THAT, WE SAW FOLKS TELLING US SERIOUSLY, LIKE, YOU GUYS NEED TO EXPAND THIS TO, TO INCLUDE ALL TYPES OF FOOD BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO ENJOY OURSELVES AND COME OUT.
SO ULTIMATELY, UH, THIS HAS BEEN GREAT.
GLEN HAS BEEN A BIG SUPPORTER AND, UM, I'M JUST REALLY, REALLY JUST HUMBLE THAT THE CITY SAW, UH, THE THE NEED TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS AND, AND PARTNER WITH PARKS AND REC BECAUSE I DRIVE THEM CRAZY.
AND, UH, I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT JOHN HAS DONE, AND WE DEFINITELY NEED JUST LIKE, A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY TO, UH, MAKE IT JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO, UH, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THAT AND THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.
YOU CAN SEE I HAVE MY HANDS FULL, UM, MARK WITH THIS GUY, BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
LIKE HE SAID, WE'VE BEEN DOING THE EVENT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
I BELIEVE NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF, OF THE FESTIVAL.
AND IT IS A GREAT ADDITION TO, UM, BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
AND AS YOU SAW FROM THE VIDEO THAT, UM, THE HUNGRY BLACK BAND, UM, PRODUCED, IT IS A TRULY MULTICULTURAL EVENT.
IT IS JUST FAM IT, IT'S FAMILIES FROM, FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, AND EVEN FROM THE, THE REGION.
IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT EVENT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALLOWING US TO WORK WITH HIM AND CONTINUE THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
AND STARBUCKS, THANK YOU FOR FOUNDING THIS, UH, THIS, THIS ORGANIZATION.
THE, THE FESTIVAL SHOWCASES AFRICAN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN INSPIRED VEGAN CUISINE, AS YOU MENTIONED, WHILE PROMOTING HEALTH, SUSTAINABILITY AND CULTURAL PRIDE.
IT IS A SPACE WHERE FAMILIES AND FOOD LOVERS GATHER TO EXPLORE DIVERSE FLAVORS, CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY, AND CONNECT THROUGH SHARED EXPERIENCES.
AND WE THANK THE SOUL VEGAN FOOD FESTIVAL FOR ENRICHING OUR CITY AND HONORING BLACK HERITAGE IN SUCH A MEANINGFUL AND DELICIOUS WAY.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA CALL PA NINE AND PA
[PA 8 PRESENTATION OF A CONGRESSIONAL RECORD TO THE LATE OFFICER ARTHUR MARTINEAU ON BEHALF OF CONGRESSWOMAN FREDERICA WILSON'S OFFICE.]
[PA 9 PROCLAMATION FOR ARTHUR WALTER MARTINEAU.]
EIGHT TOGETHER.SO PA EIGHT IS CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION, LATE OFFICER MARTINU FROM CONGRESSIONAL WOMAN CONGRESSWOMAN FEDERICO WILSON, AND PA NINE IS PROCLAMATION ARTHUR WALTER MARTINU, COMMISSIONER BOT.
UM, I WILL ACTUALLY, UM, JUST TEE UP ALEX'S PROCLAMATION OR OR RECOGNITION SINCE WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST TO DO A SPECIAL THING THAT'S NOT JUST ME TALKING SOME MORE AND THEN YOU'LL HEAR ME TALKING SOME MORE.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE I GOT THE NAME CORRECT BECAUSE IT IS AN IMPORTANT THING.
UM, MR. CHARLES C. SCOTT, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH FROM CONGRESSWOMAN FREDERICA WILSON'S OFFICE TO COME UP AND EXPLAIN WHAT HE'S GOT IN HIS HOT LITTLE HANDS BECAUSE IT'S SO COOL AND IT'S SO UNUSUAL AND IT'S KIND OF A BIG DEAL AND I WANNA MAKE SURE IT GETS DONE.
THE JUSTICE THAT IT DESERVES FOR ART AND HIS LEGACY.
MS. MINT, I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND BEFORE YOU, UM, REPRESENTING A GREAT WOMAN WHO'S YOUR REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT FL 24.
I WISH YOU UNDER THE BETTER CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, TRULY I GET THE OPPORTUNITY OFTEN TO REPRESENT THE CONGRESSMAN MAKING PRESENTATIONS MOSTLY TO VETERANS, THE
[00:55:01]
VERY SELDOM POLICE OFFICERS.AND IT'S VERY TOUCHING FOR ME AS YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT VERY WELL KNOWS BECAUSE I HAVE SUCH AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH SOME OF YOUR OFFICERS, ESPECIALLY YOUR SENIOR STAFF, BEING A MEMBER OF THE CAREER, UM, RELATIONS BOARD, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMITTEES AROUND THE COUNTY.
BUT FOR ME TO BE HERE TO PRESENT SUCH A DISTINGUISHED AWARD TO A POLICE OFFICER ON BEHALF OF, OF A GREAT OWNER WHO PREFERRED TO BE IN YOURSELF.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, CONGRESSMAN IS WASHINGTON, DC AT THE PRESENT TIME, BUT THE FALLEN OFFICER HERE IS A PERSON WORTHY OF KNOWLEDGE RECOGNITION.
BUT HONOR, MR. MAYOR, YOUR CHIEF AND YOUR SENIOR STAFF AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BRINGS TO OUR ATTENTION.
WE FINALLY FITTING THAT WE DO THIS IN HONOR AND DIGNITY.
I WILL READ YOU SOME OF THE SYMPATHY RESOLUTION FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY DONE IN WASHINGTON, DC AND BY THE IS VERY HOT OF THE PRESS.
THIS IS IN HOURS OF PRODUCTION.
AND SO WE GOT IT HERE TODAY FOR THIS PURPOSE.
AND IT READS, MADAM SPEAKER FROM THE 24TH DISTRICT OF THE GREAT STATE OF FLORIDA RISE TODAY TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE LATE OFFICER ARTHUR WALTER, BIG ART MARTINU, A HUSBAND, A FATHER AND FRIEND TO MANY ARTHUR WALTER.
BIG ART MARTINU WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 31ST, 1917, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
AFTER MOVING TO MIAMI IN THE 1980S, ART SET OUT ON A MISSION TO GIVE BACK TO HIS COMMUNITY, DRIVEN BY THE MEMORIES OF HOW THE ABSENCE OF POLICE PRESENCE HAD IMPACTED HIS OWN NEIGHBORHOOD IN BROOKLYN.
IN 1997, HE BEGAN HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHERE HE QUICKLY BECAME KNOWN FOR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO BOTH PUBLIC SERVICE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IN 2010, HE WAS APPOINTED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MIAMI BEACH POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE, KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC AS MIAMI BEACH POWELL, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO PREVENTING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AND PRO PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE AREA.
WHEREAS A PROUD AIR FORCE VETERAN OFFICER MARTINU EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION FROM THE UNION INSTITUTE AND UNIVERSITY.
THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE RECEIVED NUMEROUS ACCOLADES, INCLUDING THE PRESTIGIOUS CITY OF MIAMI BEACH EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2018.
ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS CAREER Q ON MAY THE 22ND IN THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF MIAMI BEACH OFFICIALLY DECLARED IT OFFICER ART AND DEBORAH MARTINU DAY, HIS WIFE OF THE DEBORAH MARTINU, CONTINUES TO SERVE AS RESPECTED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHEREAS OFFICER ARTHUR BIG ART MARTINU WAS RENOWNED FOR EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SPEARHEADING TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT TOUCHED THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE.
HIS TIRELESS EFFORTS HELPED MANY TEENAGERS EARN FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO PRESTIGE UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
ART INFLUENCE OPENED COUNTLESS DOORS, EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ASPIRING OFFICERS TO DREAM BIG AND REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.
WHEREAS ARTS LIFE HAS FAILED WITH SIMPLE PLEASURES, YET AN INDELIBLE LOVE FOR OATMEAL, COOKIES ON VACATION TO HIS HAPPY PLACE, JAMAICA, RIGHT WHERE HE AND HIS WIFE DEBORAH, WOULD RETREAT TO RECHARGE.
HE LOVED MOVIES, LAW AND ORDER AND THE SURE BONES, BUT AS TRUE LOVE WAS FOOTBALL.
[01:00:01]
AS A LIFELONG FAN AT THE NEW YORK JETS, HE SHED HIS LOVE OF THE GAME BY COACHING THE BEACH POWELL GIANTS PEEWEE FOOTBALL TEAM.DURING HIS TIME AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARTS SENSE OF HUMOR WAS LEGENDARY.
HE HAD A QUICK WIT AND A CHARM THAT BRIGHTENED THE DAY OF ANYONE HE CAME ACROSS.
WHEREAS IN SEPTEMBER, 2023, OFFICER MARTINO WAS DIAGNOSED ESOPHAGAL CANCER.
DESPITE ONGOING RIGOROUS CHEMOTHERAPY RADIATION, HE REMAINS STEADFAST HIS COMMITMENT TO HIS ROLE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VINE BEACH POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE, CONTINUING TO SERVE HIS COMMUNITY THE SAME PASSION AND DEDICATION THAT DEFINED HIS CAREER.
SADLY, AFTER COURAGEOUS BATTLE OFFICER MARTIN PASSED AWAY JANUARY 23RD, 2025, SURROUNDED BY HIS BELOVED WIFE LOVING FAMILY, HIS PASSING LEAVES A DEEP VOID THE MIAMI BEACH COMMUNITY.
WHEREAS OFFICER MARTINU IS SURVIVED BY HIS BELOVED WIFE, DEBORAH AND THEIR FIVE CHILDREN, TRINA MARTINU, NICOLE DOTY, DIMITRIUS SMITH, ALEXIS NU AND ARTHUR MARTINI, AS WELL AS A VAST NETWORK OF FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, MENTEES, WHOSE LIVES HE IMPACTED MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPRESS.
ARTHUR WAS A FATHER FIGURE TO MANY AND CONSTANT SOURCE OF WISDOM, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND COMFORT, BIG GOD MAY NO LONGER BE WITH US.
BUT HIS KINDNESS, THE MEMORY OF HIS SMILE, HIS JOY, HIS A WEAVERING COMMITMENT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS WHO CONTINUE TO INSPIRE ALL WHO WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KNOW HIM, HE'LL BE MISSED BEYOND MEASURE.
HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO MIAMI BEACH AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, FREDERICA S WILSON, A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REPRESENTING 24TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF THE GREAT STATE OF FLORIDA, I'M HONORED TO RECOGNIZE THE LEAD OFFICER ARTHUR WALTER, BIG ART MARTINU FOR HIS COMMITMENT, DEDICATION, AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS APRIL 9TH, 2025, FRED WILSON, MEMBER OF CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, IT'S ALWAYS A HARD THING TO LOSE A FAMILY MEMBER WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO'S A DEDICATED.
LEVI HAS SUCH A LEGACY OF IMPACT, IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU.
AND FOR THE CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU IN THIS WAY, AS MANY SMALL TOKENS, SHE WANTS TO LET YOU KNOW SHE'S GRATEFUL, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
AND SO SINCERELY, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS AWARD OF SYMPATHY TO MS. MARTINO ON BEHALF OF THE CONGRESSWOMAN FREDAS WILSON, CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER OF 24TH CONGRESSION, DISTRICT OF STATE OF FLORIDA.
I WOULD SAY THAT I WASN'T SURE THAT ART KNOWS WHAT HE MEANT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT IF YOU KNOW ART, HE KNEW
UM, I JUST CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH.
THANK YOU TO ALL FROM THE PHONE CALLS TO THE MESSAGE, THE CONTINUED SUPPORT, THE STRENGTH TO ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE WITH ART'S LEGACY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S WHAT HE WOULD WANT FOR ALL OF US.
AND I WANT TO BRING UP THREE YOUNG LADIES THAT HAVE BEEN SUCH AN IMPACT, NOT ONLY IN MY LIFE, BUT INTO ART'S LIFE.
I'M HIS WIFE, BUT HE CALLED THEM HIS ANGELS.
THIS IS JENNIFER JENKINS, ALEXANDER VARGAS AND ASHLEY NUNES.
SANTOS, PLEASE JOIN ME UP HERE.
THEY ASSIST ART AT POLICE AT LEG LEAGUE.
UM, THESE LADIES ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR TEAM.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ALLOWED ART TO
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FIGHT HIS BATTLE.THEY HELD THE PAL UP, UM, WITH STRENGTH AND DIGNITY.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, I LOVE YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT.
WE DO NOT CLOSE ANY DOORS TO OUR CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE TAKE ALL CHILDREN, WE MAKE SURE THEY GET THE TOOLS TO SUCC TO SUCCEED, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS AMAZING WARD, SIR.
WELCOME, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE, ALL OF OUR CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE HERE FOR THANK YOU AND TO OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION.
THERE'S, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE COMING,
UM, SO, UH, WE JUST HEARD AN INCREDIBLE RECITATION OF ARTS, LEGACY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CHARACTER.
UM, SO I'M NOT GOING TO RE RECITE THAT AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO SING HIS PRAISES FOREVER.
I, I KNOW WE HAVE MORE, UH, TO GET TO.
AND SINCE WE HAD SUCH A FABULOUS RECITATION, UM, FROM, FROM THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSWOMAN WILSON, UM, FOR WHICH I THANK YOU, UM, I WON'T, I WON'T REPEAT IT, BUT I WILL ASK, UM, IF CHIEF JONES COULD COME TO THE PODIUM, BECAUSE I'M GONNA PUT HIM ON THE SPOT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNEW ART AND DEB IN PASSING OVER THE YEARS.
I NOT VERY CLOSELY, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T OVERLAP VERY MUCH, BUT I KNEW HOW RESPECTED AND LOVED THEY WERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WHEN I BECAME, UM, A, AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND GOT TO WORK WITH THEM, WE JUST HIT IT OFF LIKE A HOUSE OF FIRE.
WE, WE HAD A CALL SCHEDULED, I THINK IT WAS 30 MINUTES THAT WE HAD SCHEDULED TO TRADE IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE COULD WORK TOGETHER AND, AND EXPAND THE IMPACT.
AND AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, WE ARE STILL GOING STRONG.
AND FOR ANYONE WHO'S BEEN IN A MEETING WITH ME, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SHOCKING.
BUT, UM, IT, IT WENT BOTH WAYS.
I MEAN, WE WERE JUST LIKE, THE ELECTRICITY WAS CRACKLING ON THAT, ON THAT MEETING.
AND, UM, I FELT LIKE I HAD FALLEN INTO THE ARMS OF DEAR OLD FRIENDS.
AND, UM, I THINK OF ART OFTEN.
I'M SURE NOT NEARLY AS OFTEN AS YOU DO, DEB, BUT I THINK OF HIM VERY OFTEN.
AND I'M THRILLED THAT YOU'VE BEEN APPOINTED TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF POWELL AND, AND CONTINUE LEADING IT IS, IT'S SUCH A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER TEAM THAT YOU WERE TOGETHER, THAT YOU WILL PICK UP AND, AND, AND CONTINUE MOVING SEAMLESSLY AND, AND BE ABLE TO EFFECTUATE EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN, THAN ART HAS ALREADY DONE WITH HIS TIME AT THE, AT THE PAL.
UM, BUT I, THERE WAS THIS REALLY GREAT STORY THAT CHIEF JONES SHARED AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE, WHICH I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE HERE YOU TO SHARE HERE, BECAUSE IT IS, UM, IT'S A NICKNAME THAT WASN'T WIDELY KNOWN, BUT IT SUITS HIM TO A T
AND SO IF YOU WOULD TALK ABOUT HOW BIG ART BECAME KING ARTHUR
UM, SO AS WE ALL KNOW, ARTHUR, UH, WAS A REALLY, REALLY FUNNY GUY.
AND, UH, THE TARGET OF MOST OF HIS JOKES WAS HIS BEST FRIEND.
CHRIS MITCHELL WAS HERE SOMEWHERE.
AND IN RARE MOMENTS, HE WOULD JUST SORT OF PICK ON HIS WIFE DEBORAH, WHO'S NOT SO FUNNY,
AND, AND, UH, THERE'S ONE, ONE DAY, UM, I'M CHATTING WITH ART AND, AND DEB IS, IS NEARBY TALKING TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND HE GOES ON TO THIS THING ABOUT, WHAT DOES YOUR WIFE CALL YOU WHEN YOU'RE HOME? AND I SAID A FEW THINGS AND THEY SAID, WHEN SHE'S NOT HAPPY WITH ME, SHE CALLS ME SOME WORDS I CAN'T SAY.
AND, UH, THEN SHE SAYS, WELL, IN MY HOUSE, CALLS ME, MY WIFE CALLS ME KING AUTHOR.
YEAH, KING AUTHOR, YOU GOTTA TRAIN YOUR WOMEN TO CALL YOU KING AUTHOR.
AND HE KEEPS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER, HOPING DEB WOULD HEAR HIM.
SHE JUST CHOOSE TO IGNORE HIM.
HE SAYS, YEAH, KING ARTHUR, THE MOMENT I WALKED THROUGH MY DOOR IN MY CASTLE, DEBORAH SAYS HER NAME THIS TIME CALLS ME KING ARTHUR.
THIS TIME DEBORAH TURNS AROUND AND SHE SAYS, ART, I CALL YOU A LOT OF THINGS.
SO THAT'S THE STORY KING AUTHOR, THANK YOU, THANK YOU CHIEF, AND THANK YOU DEB FOR LETTING US SHARE THAT
[01:10:01]
FABULOUS STORY.UM, AND I, I, THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN YOU GUYS HAS JUST ALWAYS BEEN AMAZING.
AND, UM, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING EVERYTHING I CAN AND I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING THE VISION TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF THE PAL.
UM, WE LITERALLY SPOKE TODAY AT THE PUBLIC, UH, SAFETY NEIGHBORHOODS QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE ABOUT NAMING THIS, UM, FACILITY VERSUS THE NEXT ONE AND PUTTING A PLAQUE UP AND, YOU KNOW, DOING ALL THIS THING, ALL THESE THINGS TO, TO COMMEMORATE ART IN YET ANOTHER WAY.
BUT ONE OF THE WAYS WE'RE DOING IT TODAY, UM, IS TO DECLARE FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE.
UM, AND FOR THE FACT THAT ART EMBODIED THE BEST THAT WE CAN ALL STRIVE FOR, THAT ANY OF US AS INDIVIDUALS, AS HUMAN BEINGS CAN STRIVE FOR COMPASSION, INTEGRITY, FIGHTING FOR THE UNDERDOG, CARING FOR AND ABOUT OTHERS.
I MEAN, WHAT BETTER WAY TO BE A FULL PERSON MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD? UM, SO THEREFORE, TODAY DO WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HUMBLY PROC PROCLAIM APRIL 9TH, 2025 AS ART ARTHUR KING, ART WALTER MARTINO DAY.
I TEXT ANY BOARD MEMBERS HERE, SIR, THIS SIDE TOO.
[PA 17 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO THE CHESS CHAMPION NICHOLAS ROSENTHAL.]
[PA 18 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHESS FOUNDATION.]
AND PA 18 TOGETHER, PA 17, THE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION CHESS CHAMPION NICHOLAS ROSENTHAL.AND PA 18 IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION AT NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHESS FOUNDATION.
SO I'M FIRST GONNA DO P 18, AND THAT'LL BE FOR THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHESS FOUNDATION.
SO, UM, OUR COMMISSIONER, MARK SAMUEL HAD COME ACROSS, HE WAS, UH, AN AVID CHESS PLAYER AND A FORMER NATIONAL CHESS CHAMPION AND MASTER, AND HE PLAYED IN COLLEGE AND HE PLAYED THROUGHOUT HIS YOUTH AND HE GOT CONNECTED WITH ROBERT MCCLELLAN.
AND SO MARK AND I DID A FIELD TRIP UP TO BROWARD COUNTY TO SEE THE MAYOR'S CHESS CHALLENGE, AND ALSO WENT TO OTHER ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS TO SEE HOW IT COULD BE BROUGHT TO MIAMI BEACH.
AND WE'VE HAD THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHESS FOUNDATION DOING PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S CHESS CHALLENGE.
IN NOVEMBER, WE HAVE THE MARK SAMUEL MEMORIAL CHESS TOURNAMENT THAT TAKES PLACE, AND THAT'S FOR KIDS.
AND THEN, UM, THE NSCF ALSO DOES, UH, WEEKEND CHESS.
SO ON SATURDAYS IT'S AT THE SCOTT RAYCO YOUTH CENTER.
AND ON SUNDAYS IT'S IN NORTH BEACH? OR DID I GET IT BACKWARD? OKAY, SO ON SATURDAYS IT'S IN NORTH BEACH AND ON SUNDAYS IT'S AT THE SCOTT RAYCO, UH, YOUTH CENTER.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE FIRST A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, UM, TO THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHESS FOUNDATION FOR ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY DO IN OUR CITY.
AND I'M GOING TO READ A LITTLE BIT HERE ON THIS CERTIFICATE.
THIS CERTIFICATE IS PROUDLY PRESENTED TO THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHESS FOUNDATION, NSCF, IN HONOR OF ITS UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM SOLVING, AND INTELLECTUAL GROWTH IN OUR YOUTH THROUGH THE TIMELESS GAME OF CHESS.
SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1990, THE NSCF HAS PROVIDED AN INVALUABLE CHESS EDUCATION TO STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, OFFERING BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN CLASS, INSTRUCTIONS, TOURNAMENTS, AND SUMMER PROGRAMS. THROUGH THESE INITIATIVES, NSCF HAS
[01:15:01]
INSPIRED YOUNG MINDS, CULTIVATED STRATEGIC THINKING, AND STRENGTHENED ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT BEYOND EDUCATION.NSCF RECOGNIZES CHESS AS A POWERFUL COMMUNITY BUILDING TOOL, FORGING PARTNERSHIPS WITH POLICE DEPARTMENTS, LOCAL PARKS, RECREATION CENTERS, AND CLUBS TO EXPAND ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY.
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH EXTENDS ITS DEEPEST APPRECIATION TO NSCF FOR BRINGING THE MAYOR'S CHESS CHALLENGE AND THE COMMISSIONER MARK SAMUEL MEMORIAL CHESS TOURNAMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY, THESE EVENTS HAVE ENRICHED OUR CITY, BRINGING TOGETHER PLAYERS OF ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS TO CELEBRATE THE GAME'S INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL BENEFIT, WITH A MISSION TO DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKERS AND IGNITE A PASSION FOR CHESS.
THAT NSCF CONTINUES TO SHAPE BRIGHT FUTURES ONE MOVE AT A TIME.
ROBERT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING.
THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER AND, UH, MAYOR, UM, AND, UH, EVERYBODY WHO COMES OUT.
YOU KNOW, THE NEXT, UH, MAYOR'S CHEST CHALLENGE WILL BE AT SCOTT RACO YOUTH CENTER ON, UH, MAY 17TH.
OUR ORGANIZATION IS A SMALL ORGANIZATION WITH A BIGGER NAME THAN WE SOMETIMES LIVE UP TO.
UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN FOR, WE ACTUALLY STARTED IN THE EIGHTIES.
WE BECAME THE NSCF IN 1990, AND WE HAVE CHAMPIONED CHILDREN FROM, FROM JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY TYPE OF PROGRAMS ALL THE WAY ON UP TO MY BOSS'S STEPSON.
THE FOUNDER OF THE ORGANIZATION IS THE NUMBER TWO CHESS PLAYER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
SO, WE LOOK AT THIS AS A, AS A BROAD SPECTRUM, AND I DON'T WANNA USE THAT WORD INCORRECTLY HERE, BUT A BROAD SPECTRUM WHERE CHESS CAN CONNECT WITH EVERYBODY.
ONE OF THE PROUDEST THINGS THAT I HAVE IN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH IS THAT EVERY SUMMER WE PARTICIPATE AS ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM AND THE SUMMER CAMPS.
HERE, THEY ARE, UH, SEPARATED BY AGE AND GRADE.
THEY'RE SEPARATED ALSO BY GENDER, IN WHICH ALL OF OUR TEACHERS LIKE TEACHING THE GIRLS CLASSES THE BEST
AND SO WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY MAKE THAT WORK? AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A PROUD ACHIEVEMENT TO SAY THAT EVERY CHILD PARTICIPATES, EVERY CHILD GETS ACKNOWLEDGED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT, AND ENCOURAGED TO, UH, DO THEIR VERY, VERY BEST, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR ABILITY IS.
WITH THE OPEN PLAY AND WITH THE MAYOR'S CHEST CHALLENGE, AND WITH THIS WONDERFUL ART DECO WEEKEND EVENT, WE GET TO DO, UM, WE, UH, SEE CHESS AS THIS GREAT CROSS-CULTURAL, CROSS GENERATIONAL, CROSS ETHNICITY, UH, CONNECTOR FOR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, UM, WHEN WE FIRST CAME HERE, IT WAS JUST LATE IN 2019 WHEN COMMISSIONER ILIAN FIRST INVITED US DOWN.
AND I WENT, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT I WAS COMING DOWN FOR, BUT WHEN I WALKED INTO, UH, THE COMMISSION CHAMBER OFFICES AND SAW A LIFE-SIZED PICTURE OF GARY KASPAROV, I THOUGHT, OKAY, MAYBE THEY ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE.
YOU HAVE THE MOST ON AMAZING PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, AND YOUR PEOPLE ARE JUST, THEY'RE JUST WITHOUT PEERS IN, IN THEIR FIELD.
THEY'RE, THEY DO AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB WITH EVERYTHING.
THEY HELP US NAVIGATE ALL THE CHALLENGES, WHICH YOU OFTEN HAVE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH, WITH, UH, CHILDREN.
AND THEY DO IT SO SMOOTHLY AND, AND SO PROFESSIONALLY.
AND SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRIVILEGE, AND IT IS ACTUALLY AN HONOR FOR US TO SERVE THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
THE NEXT, UM, CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION IS FOR NICHOLAS ROSENTHAL AND NICHOLAS, I'VE, NIKKI, I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR THE PAST A FEW YEARS THROUGH THE CHESS EVENTS AND TOURNAMENTS THAT WE'VE DONE, AND YOU ARE SO AMAZING.
UM, YOU SHOULD REALLY BE PROUD NOT ONLY OF YOUR CHESS SKILLS, WHICH ARE PRETTY INCREDIBLE, BUT YOUR TEMPERAMENT, THE WAY YOU GO OUT THERE WHEN WE DO THE ART DECO WEEKEND, AND YOU DO THE SIMUL PLAY UNDER 90 DEGREE WEATHER,
IT'S REALLY QUITE EXTRAORDINARY.
I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE, AND, UM, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOU AS WELL.
SO, RECOGNIZING NICHOLAS ROSENTHAL FOR HIS EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GAME OF CHESS, NICHOLAS'S JOURNEY WITH CHESS BEGAN AT THE AGE OF NINE IN HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA, WHERE HIS LOVE FOR CHESS WAS IGNITED BY HIS FAMILY.
HIS DETERMINATION AND COMMITMENT LED HIM TO WIN MULTIPLE NATIONAL TITLES,
[01:20:01]
INCLUDING THE SEVENTH GRADE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE FLORIDA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR K THROUGH 12, THREE YEARS IN A ROW.THROUGH HIS SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENTS, NICHOLAS EARNED A CHESS SCHOLARSHIP TO LYNDEN WOOD UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE CONTINUED TO EXCEL, BOTH AS A PLAYER AND AS A LEADER.
CAPTAINING THE UNIVERSITY'S CHESS TEAM.
LOUIS ARCHBISHOPS IN THE PRO CHESS LEAGUE, NICHOLAS DEMONSTRATED HIS TALENT ON A NATIONAL STAGE.
HE HAS ALSO BEEN THE DEDICATED EDUCATOR TEACHING CHESS AT AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLAYERS.
TODAY, NICHOLAS IS A NATIONAL MASTER AND WORKS WITH THE NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC CHESS FOUNDATION, LEADING WEEKLY AND MONTHLY PROGRAMS, INCLUDING TOURNAMENTS AND CHESS SIMUL.
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, NICHOLAS HAS BEEN THE NATIONAL MASTER ON BEHALF OF NSCF AT MIAMI BEACH CHESS EVENTS LEADING THE MAYOR'S CHESS CHALLENGE, COMMISSIONER MARK SAMUEL MEMORIAL CHESS TOURNAMENTS, AND THE ART DECO WEEK IN SIMUL, PLAY ON OCEAN DRIVE.
HIS COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING CHESS IN SOUTH FLORIDA, INCLUDING HIS WORK WITH THE DAN MARINO FOUNDATION, REFLECTS HIS DEEP PASSION FOR THE GAME AND HIS DESIRE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH EXTENDS ITS DEEPEST APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE GAME OF CHESS.
TODAY WE PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR VISION, DEDICATION, AND PROFOUND INFLUENCE OF YOUR WORK.
I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS,
I DO HAVE ONE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
THE LADY OVER HERE IS NICK'S MOM WHO FLEW IN FROM ATLANTA.
UM, MELINDA MATTHEWS IS ALSO THE SAFE PLAY MANAGER FOR THE US CHESS FEDERATION, WHICH IS THE GOVERNING BODY FOR CHESS, COMPETITIVE CHESS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND IN THAT CAPACITY, HER JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR NATIONAL EVENTS ADHERE TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS FOR, FOR CHILD SAFETY AND PROTECTION.
AND SHE DOES THIS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL.
AND SO, MELINDA, THANKS FOR COMING.
[PA 16 PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE WEEK OF MAY 19 - 25, 2025 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.]
PA 16 IS PROCLAMATION DECLARED.MAY 19TH THROUGH THE 25TH NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS, THAT ENCOMPASSES OUR SANITATION OPERATIONS, GREEN SPACE ENGINEERING, AND, UH, WELL WELCOME BRAD, BRAD KAIN, OUR INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, SANITATION DIRECTOR.
AND, UH, YOU'VE KIND OF BEEN, UH, PRETTY BUSY LATELY WITH THE HEAVY RAINFALLS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED AND AND FLOODING.
SO YOUR, YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS CERTAINLY, UH, BECOME, UH, FRONT, FRONT AND CENTER, BUT REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THE GREAT WORK YOU DO AND REALLY THE WORK THAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US.
UM, AS WE HAD A MEETING LAST NIGHT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TO, TO DEAL WITH IT, AND IT'S REALLY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
UM, WE HAVE TREMENDOUS PROFESSIONALS IN PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THE EQUIPMENT, WHAT WE HAVE, 48 STORMWATER PUMP STATIONS, 23 SEWER PUMP STATIONS, SIX, UH, WATER PUMP STATIONS, FOUR STORMWATER VACUUM TRUCKS.
UH, I GUESS WE HAVE TO DISCUSS WHETHER WE NEED TO DO EVEN MORE THAN THAT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY CLEANING DRAINS, SANITATION, LANDSCAPING, UM, THE HARDWORKING, UH, MEN AND WOMEN OF YOUR DEPARTMENT, UH, CANNOT GO UNDERSTATED.
THERE'S ALSO A 24 7 CONTROL ROOM, WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT.
AND, UM, THAT NUMBER FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO WRITE IT DOWN IS 3 0 5 6 7 3 7 6 2 5.
UM, AND WE, WE ACTUALLY EVEN UTILIZE THAT WHEN PEOPLE CALL TO US, OR SOMETIMES I JUST EMAIL YOU DI DIRECTLY.
UM, BUT THE, UM, THIS YEAR MARKS THE 65TH ANNUAL NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.
IT'S SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION.
UH, IT'S A NATIONAL EFFORT TO HIGHLIGHT THE WORKS THAT OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT DO THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY.
UM, I'M PROUD TO, UH, CO-SPONSOR THIS AWARD WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ.
AND, UM, NOW THEREFORE, DO WE AS THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 18TH THROUGH 24TH, 2025 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.
[01:25:08]
BRAD, TAKE IT AWAY.UH, FIRST I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, YOU MAYOR MINOR AND THE FELLOW CITY COMMISSIONERS FOR THIS, UH, OUTSTANDING RECOGNITION.
UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND SITTING AS THE CURRENT VICE CHAIR OF THE SOUTH FLORIDA BRANCH, UM, IT'S ALWAYS SO IMPORTANT, UH, TO RECOGNIZE, UH, ALL OF THE WORK OF THE OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONALS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS FIELD.
UM, I'M JUST PRIVILEGED AND HONORED TO BE ABLE TO BE THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR HERE.
AND, UH, ALL OF THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WE HAVE IN THIS ORGANIZATION ARE OUTSTANDING.
WE ARE CHALLENGED EVERY DAY HERE WITH ALL THE, UH, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, UH, COME UP ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS IN A VERY DYNAMIC CITY LIKE MIAMI BEACH.
UM, AND I CAN JUST SAY TO YOU FROM MY EXPERIENCE, UM, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS WORKS THEIR BUTTS OFF EVERY SINGLE DAY.
IT IS NO DOUBT THERE IS EVER A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT YOU WON'T SEE STAFF GIVING IT THEIR BEST AND DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN.
YOU PUT THAT, THAT IN THE REVIEW LIKE THAT, THE, UH,
UM, BUT I, BUT I JUST REALLY, UH, THE, THE TEAM WE HAVE IN PLACE HERE, UH, IS REALLY EXEMPLARY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS ERIC CANOA BEING A FORMER PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR HERE, UH, IT'S, UH, SOMETIMES IT'S SO DAUNTING THE DAYS WE HAVE.
BUT, UM, JUST TO KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT WE HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL MEN AND WOMEN THAT GO OUT THERE ON A DAILY BASIS AND DO AMAZING THINGS TO MAKE ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES LIFE SO MUCH BETTER.
UH, IT'S REALLY A, A TRIBUTE TO THIS ORGANIZATION AND ATTRIBUTE TO THE OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP FOR THIS COMMISSION AS WELL.
PLEASE, COMMISSIONER ROSA GONZALEZ TO ALL OF OUR PUBLIC WORK STAFF.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, BRAD, YOU REALLY DO REPRESENT THEM WELL, AND YOU ARE WELL REPRESENTED BY LARRY AND DELROY AND SEIU.
THEY ARE IN MY OFFICE ADVOCATING FOR YOU GUYS ALL THE TIME, AND YOU REALLY ARE OUR UNSUNG HEROES.
WELL, ER, WELL, WELL DESERVED.
EVERYBODY FROM PUBLIC WORKS, PLEASE COME UP.
[PA 22 PROCLAMATION TO BE PRESENTED TO JULIO BLANCO.]
PA 22 IS PROCLAMATION JULIO BLANCO, COMMISSIONER BOT.WELL, I HOPE I MAKE YOU BLUSH WITH THIS.
UM, I HAVE TO SAY, UM, JULIO WAS ONE OF THE FOLKS WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN A MEETING YESTERDAY WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH A, UM, A, A A COMMUNITY BUSINESS THAT HAD AN ISSUE.
AND HE'S LET ME KNOW LAST MINUTE THAT, UM, THAT HE COULDN'T MAKE IT.
THEY DID AN OBLIGATION IN HOLLYWOOD.
I'M SURE WE'LL BE COVERED IN GOOD STEAD.
WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW, AND I HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO CAROLINE OR TO JULIO TO SHARE THIS HERE.
UM, WAS THAT HE WAS GOING TO HOLLYWOOD TO RECOGNIZE CAROLINE'S SON.
CAROLINE IS A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE GOING BACK FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
UM, AND JULIO AND CHIEF JONES RECOGNIZED THAT CAROLINE'S ELDEST SON HAD INTEREST AND TALENT IN THE POLICE WORLD AND HELPED MENTOR HIM.
AND YESTERDAY, CAROLINE'S SON, CAROLINE, YOU HAVE TO STAND UP SO EVERYONE CAN SEE YOU.
CAROLINE'S SON WAS RECOGNIZED, I THINK I'M GETTING THIS CORRECT AS DETECTIVE OF THE YEAR, OFFICER, OFFICER OF THE YEAR IN THE CITY OF HOLLYWOOD, WHICH IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
[01:30:01]
EXCITING.UM, AND THAT'S WHY JULIO COULDN'T BE AT THIS RANDOM MEETING, AND I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER REASON TO NOT BE AT A MEETING THAN TO SEE SOME YOUNG MAN WHO YOU'VE MENTORED AND HELPED EVOLVE FROM A, A KID, A TEENAGER, INTO AN OFFICER, A PROFESSIONAL IN ANY FIELD, GETTING RECOGNIZED FOR HIS WORK AS ONE OF THE BEST IN HIS FIELD FOR THAT YEAR.
SO I THINK, UM, IT'S, THAT ALONE SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT YOUR JUDGMENT AND YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR, UM, YOUR CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY AND WHAT YOU TRY TO BUILD.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR A FEW YEARS AS WELL, SINCE I MOVED INTO NORTH BEACH.
AND I CALLED ABOUT SOMETHING AS A RESIDENT, UM, THAT YOU HAD GIVEN ME.
YOUR PHONE NUMBER SAID, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, LET ME KNOW.
AND SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT SOMETHING.
SO I CALLED JULIO AND THE PHONE RANG AND HE SAID, YES, I CAN DEFINITELY HELP YOU WITH THAT.
UM, COULD IT WAIT UNTIL MONDAY? I'M IN SPAIN RIGHT NOW.
DO NOT ANSWER PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHEN YOU'RE ON VACATION OR FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
BUT AGAIN, THAT SHOWS YOU WHO JULIO IS.
AND NOW THAT I'M IN THE POSITION, UM, TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTUATE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR NORTH BEACH, A PART OF THE CITY THAT HAS BEEN UNDERSERVED, UNDERVALUED FOR A LONG TIME, AND THERE ARE MAJOR FABULOUS CHANGES HAPPENING THERE.
NOW, I HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE PARTNER TO DO THAT WITH, UM, WHO IS DEEPLY KNOWLEDGEABLE, WHO HAS SERVED IN HIS ROLE AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE OFFICER FOR 30 YEARS.
I JUST HAVE A TERRIBLE MEMORY.
UM, THAT, UH, 24 YEARS, UM, AND KNOWS EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY, KNOWS ALL OF THE ISSUES, KNOWS THE HISTORY OF HOW THE ISSUES BECAME ISSUES OR BECAME RESOLVED, IS CREATIVE IN PROBLEM SOLVING, IS CONSTANTLY ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WHAT CAN BE DONE BETTER OR WHAT'S OVERKILL IF IT'S NOT NEEDED ANYMORE, OR WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT NOBODY HAS EVER TALKED ABOUT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN AMAZING POLICE FORCE HERE.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST A TRUE THING.
WHETHER YOU ARE SOMEBODY WHO LIKES THE POLICE OR DOESN'T LIKE THE POLICE IN MIAMI BEACH, WE HAVE AN AMAZING POLICE FORCE.
AND OUR FOLKS HERE ARE SO, UM, DEDICATED TO THE WORK THEY DO TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND WELCOMING FOR EVERYBODY.
UNLESS YOU'RE HERE TO DO SILLY THINGS AND THEN NOT SO MUCH.
AND, UM, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT HE GOT RECOGNIZED.
I'VE TOLD HIM, I THINK YOU, YOU'VE GOT TWO OR THREE YEARS UNTIL YOU RETIRE.
AND I'VE, I MEAN, I CAN'T COMPEL HIM, UM, BUT I'M PUTTING IT INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD BECAUSE I'VE SAID IT IN MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS THAT HE'S NOT ALLOWED TO RETIRE UNTIL I DO.
'CAUSE WE GOT WORK TO DO BY TOGETHER.
UM, SO, UM, THERE, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT HE'S DONE.
I MEAN, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, HE ALONE IN LA LAST YEAR IN 2024, UM, HIS WORK RESULTED IN 49 ARRESTS, 250 UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATIONS, AND 227 WRITTEN WARNINGS.
AND HE HAS NOT EVER TAKEN A SICK DAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS, BUT IT'S, IT'S REMARKABLE, REMARKABLE LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AND TIRELESS SERVICE.
AND FOR THAT REASON, UM, AND FOR THE DECADES OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE.
NOW, THEREFORE, DO WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 9TH, 2025 AS OFFICER JULIO BLANCO DAY.
HONORABLE, UH, MAYOR AND COMMISSION, UM, COMMISSIONER BOT, UH, THANK YOU.
IT'S TRULY AN HONOR, UH, THAT YOU'RE, UH, RECOGNIZING ME THIS WAY.
UM, I'LL SAY THAT ALONG THE WAY.
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY THAT HAVE HELPED ME GET TO THIS, UH, POINT IN MY CAREER.
UH, FIRST I'LL START WITH THE, THE CHIEF, UH, THE CHIEF AND, UH, HIS STAFF, HIS COMMAND STAFF, UM, PUT A LOT OF TRUST IN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCE OFFICERS.
THEY EMPOWER US TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND PROBLEM SOLVE.
UM, AND, AND MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT WE GET ARE NOT THE EASY ONES.
THEY'RE THE HARDER ONES, BUT THEY TRUST US TO GO OUT THERE, ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND TRY TO MAKE THEIR, THEIR LIVES THE COMM, THE LIFE OF, OF THE RESIDENTS, UH, SAFER AND DEFINITELY IMPROVE ON THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND, AND FOR THAT, I'M VERY THANKFUL CHIEF.
UM, SECONDLY, EVERY SINGLE CITY EMPLOYEE, WHETHER I FIND A POTHOLE, AS YOU KNOW, OR A BROKEN STREETLIGHT, UM, I PICK UP THE PHONE AND IT'S
[01:35:01]
THE MAGIC.THE MAGIC HAPPENS WITH THE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT COME OUT TO HELP.
UM, THEY TRULY, TRULY ARE ONE TEAM, ONE CITY, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, TO, TO FIXING THE PROBLEMS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND LASTLY, UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE HERE TODAY, THE RESIDENTS, THE RESIDENTS, THE HOA LEADERS, PAST AND PRESENT, OUR VOLUNTEERS, WHICH ARE ALSO HERE TODAY, UH, THEY DO INCREDIBLE WORK BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, FIXING THE PROBLEMS OF THE COMMUNITY IS NOT JUST JULIO BLANCO OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT'S EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER.
AND, UH, THIS COMMUNITY IS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL.
WHEN THE CHIEF MENTIONED THAT IT IS THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD, IT IS THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD, AND I'M HONORED AND THANK YOU FOR THIS AWARD.
I DUNNO IF ANYBODY, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WANTS TO, TO ROAST JULIO, BUT YOU'VE GOT LIKE 10 SECONDS IF YOU DO
I'M, I'M JUST GONNA, UH, SAY THIS.
I WISH I COULD CLONE HIM, UM, BECAUSE HE IS THE EPITOME OF WHAT I BELIEVE PROFESSIONAL POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BE, UH, SERVES AS THE LEADER WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
HAVE TRAINED DOZENS AND DOZENS OF YOUNG POLICE OFFICERS IN, IN A JULIO WAY.
I, I CALL IT, HE'S GOT A CADRE OF POLICE OFFICERS IN NORTH BEACH, UM, THAT HE'S TRAINED.
AND THEY'RE ALL MANY JULIOS RUNNING AROUND, UM, TRYING TO BE JUST LIKE HIM.
AND SO I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT, AND I JUST WISH I CAN CLONE AND MAKE MORE OF THEM.
I THINK, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO YOU BEFORE, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S MIND BOGGLING TO ME HOW MANY TIMES I'M SPEAKING TO A NORTH BEACH RESIDENT AND I SAY, OH, I, I SAW THERE WAS OFFICER ON THE BEACH WALK WHO WAS HANDLING SOME ISSUES, AND I'M LIKE, WHO? OFFICER BLANCO.
OH, WE'RE DEALING WITH SOME HOMELESS ISSUES AT THE LIBRARY IN NORTH BEACH.
WHO IS THAT? OFFICER BLANCO? AND IT GOES ON, OH, I CALLED THIS OFFICER OFFICER BLANCO.
AND IT'S LIKE, WOW, WE HAVE MANY OFFICES WHO DO GREAT WORK, BUT YOUR NAME, IT'S LIKE A ONE MAN.
UH, BUT IT, BUT IT SHOWS YOU HOW INVOLVED INVESTED YOU ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, HOW ACCESSIBLE YOU ARE, AND, UH, YOU'RE MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE, A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
[PA 14 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO OCEAN RESCUE EMPLOYEE MATTEO MORAIS.]
14.PA 14 IS CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, OCEAN RESCUE EMPLOYEE MATEO MORAI.
MATEO MARRAS, WHO'S AN EMPLOYEE WITH MIAMI BEACH, OCEAN RESCUE, WAS JUST ENJOYING AN OFF-DUTY DAY.
HE WAS NOT ON DUTY ON THE BEACH WALK WHEN THERE WAS A SERIOUS BICYCLE ACCIDENT.
AND THE MAN WHO WAS INJURED WAS BLEEDING, NEEDED HELP.
IT HAPPENS TO BE THE MAN WHO WAS INJURED.
GEORGIE MEEK ICK, WHO'S AN EMPLOYEE IN THE MAYOR AND COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, WHO'S OUR GRAPHIC DESIGNER, OUR EXTRAORDINAIRE, THE MEMORIAL, THE, THE, THE, UH, PROGRAMMING THAT YOU SEE IN, IN LUMMIS PARK WITH THE MEMORIAL DAY.
NOW ART DECO IS, IS YOUR HANDIWORK AND SO MUCH MORE, UH, YOU WERE INJURED, AND I COULD KEEP TALKING, BUT I THINK I'D BETTER TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND, AND THE BOND THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE DEVELOPED AND WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY AND YOUR HEROISM TO REALLY, WITHOUT HESITATION, COME AND HELP AN INJURED PERSON.
I WILL SAY, AND COMMISSIONERS, I WILL SAY JUST A FEW WORDS, UH, ABOUT THE WHOLE THING.
AND IT'S ABOUT BEING GRATEFUL ACTUALLY, BECAUSE, UH, I WAS, UH, AT THE GALLERY, LIKE OUR CITY OUTDOOR GALLERY AND ON THANKSGIVING DAY AND GOING BACK HOME FROM MY ELLIPTICAL.
AND, UH, SO THIS IS LIKE ALSO THE, THE STORY ABOUT HOW BEACH WALK, WHICH SURPRISINGLY MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN HOW IT'S GETTING MORE AND MORE POPULAR.
SO IT WAS VERY CROWDED, LIKE, AND I, ON 47TH STREET, WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE PALMS IN THE MIDDLE.
AND I, I WAS UNDER IMPRESSION THERE WAS SOME KIDS, UH, COMING FROM THE BEACH.
[01:40:01]
LITTLE BIT LEFT, AND I HIT THE PALM IN MY FACE.AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT, UH, I WAS LIKE, WITHOUT ANY SERIOUS INJURIES.
BUT BECAUSE I'M ON BLOOD THINNERS, I WAS BLEEDING VERY HEAVILY.
AND MATTO WAS, UH, PASSING BY AND, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK HOME ON HIS BIKE, HE WASN'T ON DUTY, HE WAS JUST PASSING BY.
AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, I WAS, I LOST MY CONSCIOUS, I WAS LAYING ON, ON THE PAVEMENT AND, UH, BLEEDING.
SO HE TOOK HIS TIME TO REALLY HELP ME AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE PROVIDE THE FIRST AID, UH, TILL THE FIREFIGHTERS CAME, THEY TOOK, TOOK ME TO THE JACKSON TRAUMA CENTER.
AND LUCKILY, AS I SAID, I WAS WITHOUT INJURIES, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WITHOUT MATEO BEING THERE AND, UH, AS IN HIS AGE, REALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE PROVIDING THE, THE, THE BEST HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
AND IT'S REALLY TESTIMONY FOR THE OCEAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE RESCUE THAT THEY HAVE RIGHT.
UM, I, I JUST WANNA SAY I DID MY JOB.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A PLEASURE TO SERVE THE CITY OF MY BEACH SOCIAL RESCUE AS A FIRST RESPONDER.
AND TO BE HERE IN THE OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, IT'S AMAZING.
AND IT'S LIKE, UM, UH, DREAMING.
THANK YOU TO BE HERE, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU KNOW, A PERSON'S A HERO WHEN THEY SAY, I'M JUST DOING MY JOB, RIGHT? UH, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING SO HUMBLE ABOUT IT.
BUT, UH, I MAYOR A FEW WORDS, UM, THE FIRE CHIEF OF DIGNA BEO, AND THAT'S JUST ONE.
AND YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU HAVE A PUBLIC SERVANT AND JUST A REGULAR CITIZEN WHO HAS NO FEAR AND JUST GOING AND ASSISTING SOMEONE IN NEED, NOT ON DUTY, NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE TOLD, NOT BECAUSE WE'RE CALLED, BUT IT'S JUST A NATURAL THING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WE HAVE SERVING US.
SO MATEO'S ONLY BEEN WITH US A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN A YEAR, AND HE'S A PART-TIME LIFEGUARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE FULL-TIME VACANCIES, SO WE HIRE THEM AS A PART-TIMER, AND THEN WHEN THEIR NAME COMES UP, THEN THEY CAN BE HIRED WITH US AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE.
SO THAT'S WHAT MAKES HIM EXCEPTIONALLY, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL.
AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO COME OVER HERE.
HE'S LIKE, DO I HAVE TO? I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BEHIND HIM AND THE THOU, THOUSANDS OF COUNTLESS HOURS THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS TOUCHING DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS SOMETHING AS SELFLESS AS THIS, IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY HAPPY FOR HIM TO BE HERE WITH US.
UM, I HAVE HIS CHIEF HERE THAT OVERSEES THAT AREA OF THE DIVISION, IF HE WANTS TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
UM, MATEO'S AN OUTSTANDING LIFEGUARD.
UH, WE CAN'T WAIT FOR HIM TO GET TO THE FULL-TIME RANKS.
AND THIS JUST SHOWS YOU THAT IS CARING AND ATTITUDE.
IT'S JUST HE'LL HELP ANYBODY AT ANY TIME.
AND BY THE WAY, GEORGIE ALSO DESIGNS THE PROCLAMATION AND AWARDS AND CERTIFICATES, AND YOU NOTICE THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
YEAH, THAT'S I NEGLECTED TO MENTION THAT COMMISSIONER TANYA BOT IS, UH, CO-SPONSORING THIS ITEM WITH ME.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING, COMMISSIONER BOT? YEP.
JUST VERY QUICKLY, UM, TO REITERATE HOW LUCKY WE ARE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI
[01:45:01]
BEACH, TO HAVE THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, UM, TAKING CARE OF US IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY.AND WHAT DOES SELFLESS KIND OF PERSON IT IS TO JUST REACH OUT AND HELP A STRANGER.
AND I KNOW THE MOST HUMBLE AMONG US SAY, WELL, IT'S JUST MY JOB, BUT IT STILL TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF PERSON TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK, AND THEN TO DO IT EVEN WHEN NOT OFFICIALLY ON DUTY.
AND WE'D LIKE TO CLONE YOU AS WELL.
[PA 2 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO CHRISTOPHER NORWOOD, CURATOR OF THE HISTORIC WARD ROOMING HOUSE GALLERY.]
TWO.PA TWO, CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, CHRISTOPHER NORWOOD, CURATOR OF HISTORIC WARDS ROOMING HOUSE GALLERY.
SO THIS RECOGNITION, UM, IS LONG OVERDUE.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN LAST YEAR, AND THEN A POSTPONEMENT, UM, AND THEN SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.
UH, IT WAS BROUGHT TO US BY GLENNON HALL AND THE BLACK AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, AND WE ARE SO PROUD AND HAPPY, UH, TO GIVE YOU THE CERTIFICATE, I'M GOING TO READ, UH, THE RECOGNITION.
SO, CHRISTOPHER NORWOOD, CURATOR OF THE HISTORIC WARD, ROOMING HOUSE GALLERY IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS AS GUEST CURATOR OF THE GROUNDBREAKING EXHIBITION, SILHOUETTES, IMAGE, AND WARD IN THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE AT THE FIU WILSONIAN MUSEUM, SILHOUETTES TELLS THE STORY OF A PEOPLE, THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, THE NEW NEGRO MOVEMENT, AND PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND COMPREHENSIVE ART MOVEMENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
INTRODUCING THE MODERN WORLD TO FREE BLACK THOUGHT, CULTURE AND ASPIRATION.
YOUR VISION HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN REVITALIZING THE HISTORIC WARD, ROOMING HOUSE IN OVERTOWN, TRANSFORMING IT INTO A VIBRANT CULTURAL HUB THAT CELEBRATES THE LEGACY AND FUTURE OF BLACK ART BY CURATING EXHIBITIONS THAT BRIDGE THE PAST.
WITH THE PRESENT, YOU HAVE CREATED SPACES WHERE ART NOT ONLY REFLECTS HISTORY, BUT ALSO INSPIRES NEW CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IDENTITY RESILIENCE AND THE BLACK EXPERIENCE.
THROUGH HAMPTON ART LOVERS, YOU HAVE AMPLIFIED THE VOICES OF ARTISTS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN MARGINALIZED, ENSURING THAT THEIR STORIES ARE TOLD AND THEIR TALENTS RECOGNIZED.
MR. NORWOOD IS NO STRANGER TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
HE'S ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE MIAMI BEACH BLACK HOST COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2003 UNDER THEN MAYOR DAVID DERMER, TO PROMOTE AFRICAN AMERICAN TOURISM AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH EXTENDS ITS APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO CHAMPIONING BLACK ART.
TODAY WE PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE LEADERSHIP VISION AND THE PROFOUND INFLUENCE OF YOUR WORK.
LEMME GET, I'M GLAD HE'S GIVEN ME THE CHANCE TO TALK.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT CHRIS WAS RECOGNIZED BECAUSE HE'S AN AMAZING GUY.
UM, HE HAS DONE TREMENDOUS WORK ACROSS THE BAY, AND HERE SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT HE HAS, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE PARTNER WITH FOLKS LIKE THE WOLFSONIAN, THAT ANOTHER FANTASTIC PARTNER.
AND WHEN HE HAD THAT EVENT, I HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS RECOGNIZED.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT SOMEBODY COULD PUT ON SOMETHING SO WONDERFUL AND NOT BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY.
SO I FOUND IT TO BE OUR DUTY TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS RECOGNIZED SO HE CAN DO THINGS, MORE THINGS, AND GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.
SO IT, IT, IT, IT BRINGS ME, UH, GREAT JOY.
THE LAST TIME THAT I STOOD BEFORE THIS BODY WAS OVER 20 YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN YOUR MAYOR, UH, DAVID DERMER, UH, INVITED A GROUP OF PEOPLE TO CREATE HIS ADVISORY BOARD CALLED THE MIAMI BEACH BLACK HOST COMMITTEE, BECAUSE OF A, UH, A DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT WAS HAPPENING DURING MEMORIAL DAY IN 2001.
AND, UM, SO IT JUST BRINGS ME GREAT JOY TO BE HERE TODAY,
UH, I FIRST WANT TO THANK THE WILSONIAN MUSEUM.
I WANT TO THANK JOHN, THE STAFF TO WHO YOU'RE GOING TO HONOR AS WELL.
UH, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I NEEDED TO DO WHEN I WAS ASKED TO COME IN AND LOOK AT THEIR ARCHIVE AND CREATE A SHOW THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, BECAUSE THE COLLECTION AS, AS ZIAN, HAS SO MUCH DEPTH AS IT RELATES TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
BUT I SAW IN THOSE, THOSE ITEMS
[01:50:01]
A STORY ABOUT THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MR. WILSON HAS DONE IS HE HAS ALLOWED FOR US TO SEE ALL THINGS, ART DECO BOOKS, FURNISHINGS, ART WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION, WITHOUT REGARD TO RELIGION OR FAITH.
HE HAS DONE EVERYTHING, HE HAS COLLECTED ALL THINGS.
AND WITHIN THAT WAS A TREASURE TROVE THAT RELATED TO THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.
AND WE DECIDED THAT THE ART OF THE RENAISSANCE IS REALLY DISCOVERED NOT ON WALLS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, BECAUSE AFRICAN AMERICANS COULD NOT SEE THEIR ART IN MUSEUMS IN THE 1920S, THIRTIES AND FORTIES.
THEY COULDN'T SEE THEIR ART IN MUSEUMS. THE ART WAS IN THE BOOKS.
THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE WAS ACTUALLY A LITERARY MOVEMENT.
AND IN THAT LITERARY MOVEMENT WAS A OUTSTANDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH WRITERS AND ARTISTS.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COVERS OF THOSE BOOKS, YOU SEE AMAZING BLACK ART.
WE SHOWED THE COVERS PAR PAIRED WITH REPRESENTATIVE PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES THAT WERE LOANED TO US BY THE NORTON MUSEUM, OF COURSE, THE WATSONIAN MUSEUM, UH, THE KILBY HOUSE GALLERY IN NEW YORK CITY, HISTORIC COLLECTION, UH, ART FROM MY OWN PERSONAL ART COLLECTION FROM FLORIDA MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY.
BUT AS WE WERE DEVELOPING THIS CONCEPT, IT WAS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT THAT I NEEDED, BECAUSE I'M NOT A LITERARY PERSON.
UH, AND SO WE HAD TO FIND SOMEONE, AND WE FOUND, UH, DR. SEAN CHRISTIAN, THE HEAD OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT, FIU, TO HELP, UH, IN, IN CURATING THIS EXTRAORDINARY EXHIBIT.
THIS EXHIBIT SPANNED ALL ASPECTS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE, UH, FROM THE GREAT MIGRATION, THE LARGEST PEACETIME MIGRATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, WHEN 6 MILLION BLACK FOLK MOVED FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH, PRIOR TO WORLD WAR I, 90% OF ALL BLACK FOLK LIVED IN THE SOUTH.
AND THEY SOUGHT LIBERTY, FREEDOM, AND OPPORTUNITY.
NO DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE WHO TRAVEL TO OUR COMMUNITIES TODAY FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
WE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED PARTNERSHIPS.
ONE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND AFRICAN AMERICANS, UH, THE HARMAN FOUNDATION, WHICH WAS A, A, A PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION THAT EVERY HARLEM RENAISSANCE WRITER AND ARTIST BENEFITED FROM.
STARTED BY A JEWISH MAN IN NEW YORK, WHO REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AFRICAN AMERICAN ART AND LITERATURE IN THE 1920S AND THIRTIES.
ALSO, WE HIGHLIGHTED INSTITUTIONS, UH, THAT PROVIDED WORK FOR MANY JEWISH ACADEMICS WHO WERE ESCAPING THE HOLOCAUST.
WE HAD HBCU MUSEUM ART, LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHEN A LOT OF THE INTELLECTUALS AND EDUCATORS THAT WERE LEAVING, UH, NAZI-ISM DURING, DURING THAT TIME PERIOD WHEN THEY CAME TO AMERICA, UNIVERSITIES HERE WOULD NOT HIRE THEM, BUT IT WAS HBCUS, HISTORIC BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE SOUTH THAT HIRED MANY JEWISH ACADEMICS.
UH, EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN THIS COUNTRY, ALMOST AT THAT TIME, HAD AT LEAST A FEW.
AND SO WE HIGHLIGHTED HBCUS BECAUSE THEIR CONTRIBUTION IN THESE PARTNERSHIPS AROUND ART AND COMMUNITY WAS VAST.
THAT'S WHY THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, TO ME, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ART MOVEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA, BECAUSE IT TOUCHED SO MANY SECTORS OF OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I CANNOT THANK, UH, THE STAFF AT THE WILSONIAN.
YOU HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY JEWEL ON THE BEACH.
UH, I HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT YOU HONORED, UH, MY INSTITUTION, THE HISTORIC WAR, ROOMING HOUSE GALLERY IN OVERTOWN.
UH, AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I SPENT SO MUCH TIME READING EVERYTHING.
[PA 4 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO THE CURATORIAL STAFF OF THE WOLFSONIAN MUSEUM FOR THE EXHIBITS SILHOUETTES: IMAGE AND WORLD IN HARLEM RENAISSANCE.]
FOUR,[01:55:01]
PA FOUR, CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, CURATORIAL STAFF AT THE WOLF.SO MUSEUM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE,
AND, UM, DO YOU WANNA TEE IT UP, GLENN? AND THEN I'LL READ THE, UH, RECOGNITION.
WELL, I, I'LL I'LL SOUND VERY WEAK.
AFTER CHRIS SPOKE, I MEAN, HE WAS PREACHING, I WAS ABOUT TO PASS THE PLATE.
UM, BUT AS, AS A RESIDENT HERE, WILSON SONIAN IS, IS JUST AN AMAZING PLACE.
AND WHEN I WALK INTO THAT GALLERY, THE AND, AND THE ENTRYWAY, THE, IT'S AMAZING.
UM, I'M BIG INTO HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
I HAVE A 1926 HOUSE THAT I'VE JUST FINISHING UP RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN SOME WORK.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE THAT, THAT WORK THAT'S PUT INTO IT, THAT ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, ARTISANAL, YOU KNOW, EXPRESSION, IT'S AMAZING.
THAT'S WHY I'M SO CRAZY WHEN THINGS GET TORN DOWN ON THE BEACH.
BUT THESE GUYS ARE FANTASTIC JEWEL HERE.
THEY ARE PROVIDING PLATFORMS FOR OTHERS WHO MAY NOT FIND SPACES IN, IN OTHER PARTS OF SOUTH FLORIDA TO COME HERE AND BE REPRESENTED.
AND THAT IS ONE THING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THAT MIAMI BEACH NEEDS TO BE THAT SHINING CITY ON THE HILL THAT WE CAN COME WHEN NO OTHER PART OF THE STATE WILL ALLOW US TO DO OUR THING.
WE COME HERE AND WE NEED TO BE WELCOM IN THAT AND MAINTAIN THAT.
SO YOU HAVE BEFORE MY BROTHER.
YOU, CASEY, DID YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS? WELL, WHY DON'T YOU READ AND SAY A FEW REMARKS? SO, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, UH, PRESENTS A CURATORIAL STAFF OF THE WOLFSONIAN MUSEUM FOR THE EXHIBIT SILHOUETTES IMAGE AND WORLD IN HAR HARLEM RENAISSANCE, RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS OF SILHOUETTES EXHIBITION TO THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE, AND HISTORICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.
THIS EXHIBITION CURATED BY THE WILSONIAN, FIU, HAS SHED LIGHT ON THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF ART AND LITERATURE DURING A PIVOTAL ERA IN AMERICAN HISTORY, OFFERING PROFOUND INSIGHTS INTO THE WAYS AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AND WRITERS CHALLENGED STEREOTYPES AND ASSERTED THEIR IDENTITY FROM NOVEMBER, 2023.
THIS EXHIBITION PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN FOSTERING A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR THE RICH ARTISTIC LEGACY OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.
THROUGH ITS THOUGHTFUL CURATION OF VISUAL AND LITERARY WORK, SILHOUETTES HAS PROVIDED A PLATFORM FOR EXPLORING THE DYNAMIC INTERPLAY BETWEEN IMAGE AND WORD AND ITS IMPACT ON THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FABRIC OF THE TIME.
THE WILSONIAN FIU EXEMPLIFIES LEADERSHIP IN PRESERVING AND SHOWCASING SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL NARRATIVES.
THE CURATORS, SCHOLARS AND SUPPORTERS OF THIS EXHIBITION HAVE DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL DEDICATION IN BRINGING THIS IMPORTANT CULTURAL MOVEMENT TO LIFE, ENSURING THAT THE STORIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AND WRITERS CONTINUE TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THE WOLFSONIAN, FIU EXTENDS ITS DEEPEST APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE TO ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE SILHOUETTES EXHIBITION, PARTICULARLY THE CURATORS, RESEARCHERS, AND ARTISTS WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ILLUMINATING THE ENDURING LEGACY OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.
TODAY, WE PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXHIBITION'S IMPACT AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
SO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION, THE MAYOR, AND TO THE BLACK AFFAIRS COUNCIL FOR THIS RECOGNITION.
CERTAINLY THE WILSONIAN IS PROUD TO BE AN AN CULTURAL ANCHOR HERE IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCREDIBLE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE VIBRANCY THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
CHRIS PROBABLY DIDN'T DO THE EXPERIENCE OF FULL JUSTICE.
THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION ACTUALLY STARTED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
I WAS INTRODUCED TO CHRIS AT THE WARD RIMMING HOUSE, UM, AND IT WAS A VERY LONG CONVERSATION.
I BELIEVE I WAS THERE FOR ABOUT THREE OR FOUR HOURS.
UM, AND IF YOU GET TO KNOW CHRIS, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY
UM, BUT HE ADVOCATED FOR US TO DO SOMETHING WITH OUR COLLECTIONS AND WANTED TO DISCOVER WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
AND WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF FIRST EDITION, EARLY EDITION HARLEM RENAISSANCE BOOKS DONATED BY A COLLECTOR.
THAT REALLY WAS THE BEGINNING OF THAT.
AND THEN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS WAS FITS AND STARTS OF TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE JOHN MOGUL FROM OUR TEAM.
HE WAS THE PRIMARY LIAISON WORKING WITH CHRIS AND DR. SEAN CHRISTIAN ON THE EXHIBIT.
AND THERE IS A LEGACY TO THIS EXHIBIT.
WE NOW WILL HAVE ANNUALLY, UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY ANNUALLY,
[02:00:01]
WE'LL TRY TO DO MORE, BUT A GUARANTEED ANNUAL PROGRAM RELATED TO THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.EACH YEAR, WE, UM, WE WERE AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE VIDEO.
I, I CAUGHT MYSELF AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF, OF GLENN'S VIDEO.
UH, BUT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN USE THE MATERIALS IN OUR COLLECTION TO ENGAGE ALL THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HERE ON MIAMI BEACH AND AROUND THE WORLD.
SO THIS WAS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT LEGACY.
AND CHRIS DIDN'T MENTION, BUT HE DID HAVE A CONTINUING SHOW AT THE BROWARD COUNTY LIBRARY OF THE, UH, HARLEM RENAISSANCE SHOW.
WE LOAN SOME ITEMS TO THEM ALSO.
I DON'T KNOW IF JOHN, YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING MORE? NO, THANKS.
[PA 3 CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION TO SHAWN CHRISTIAN, CURATORIAL CONSULTANT.]
PA THREE.SEAN CHRISTIAN, CURATORIAL CONSULTANT.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT A SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO YOU AS WELL AS, UH, UH, THE BLACK AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND GLEN HALL HAD, UH, PUT YOUR NAME FORWARD AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED.
DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE I READ THE RECOGNITION LINE? WELL, JUST, JUST THAT IT WAS, UM, AS CHRIS MENTIONED, UH, THE LITERARY SIDE OF THIS WAS FANTASTIC BECAUSE WE HAD TO DO TOURS AND HE WAS ABLE TO EXPLAIN EACH PIECE AND, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE DIFFERENT, UM, ITEMS AND THESE ART PIECES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HOW ALL THAT FIT INTO THE OVERALL STRUGGLE.
AND JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS RECOGNIZED ALSO, WONDERFUL CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION PRESENTED TO SEAN CHRISTIAN, CURATORIAL CONSULTANT IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF CURATION AND YOUR PIVOTAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE SILHOUETTES EXHIBITION.
YOUR DEEP EXPERTISE IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE HAS PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCED THE WAY THIS EXHIBITION HAS BROUGHT TO LIFE THE VOICES AND VISIONS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.
AS A CURATORIAL CONSULTANT, YOUR SCHOLARSHIP AND INSIGHT HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE IN CRAFTING AN EXHIBITION THAT NOT ONLY HIGHLIGHTS THE ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF THIS ERA, BUT ALSO UNDERSCORES THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY BETWEEN LITERATURE, ART, AND IDENTITY.
YOUR DEDICATION TO EXPLORING AND PRESENTING THE NUANCED NARRATIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES HAS ENRICHED THE EXHIBITION'S DEPTH AND RESONANCE, MAKING IT A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL WHO ENGAGE WITH IT.
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS EXTEND BEYOND CURATION.
THEY EMBODY A COMMITMENT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THROUGH YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN PROGRAMS LIKE THE SUMMER HEART PROGRAM AND YOUR ROLE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH CURATORS, YOU HAVE FOSTERED MEANINGFUL DIALOGUES THAT BRIDGE, ACADEMIA AND THE BROADER PUBLIC.
THESE EFFORTS HAVE ENHANCED THE ACCESSIBILITY AND IMPACT OF THE EXHIBITION, ENSURING THAT THE RICH CULTURAL LEGACIES OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE CONTINUE TO INSPIRE AND EDUCATE.
WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE FOR YOUR EXCEPTIONAL WORK AND DEDICATION.
YOUR EFFORTS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE SILHOUETTES EXHIBITION, AND HAVE HELPED TO ELEVATE THE UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HISTORY.
TODAY, WE PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR LEADERSHIP, SCHOLARSHIP AND THE ENDURING IMPACT OF YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
IF I MIGHT JUST SAY A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, FIRST, UH, I'M A NATIVE SON OF MIAMI, AND SO TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK HOME AS I DID IN 2020, UH, TO CELEBRATE THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE IS JUST TRUE HONOR.
UM, AND I WANNA SAY CHRIS, OF COURSE, OFFERED A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WITH THE EXHIBIT, BUT ONE ADDITIONAL PIECE IS TO HELP PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE WAS BROAD BASED,
[02:05:01]
AND IN FACT, INDEED OVERTOWN WAS CONSIDERED A HARLEM OF THE SOUTH.AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ORIGINS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE STARTED HERE IN FLORIDA AS WELL.
AND SO IT WAS A REALLY POWERFUL, UH, COMMENTARY ABOUT A SON COMING HOME TO CELEBRATE HIS HIS HOME STATE AT THE SAME TIME AS HE WAS CELEBRATING, UH, LIFE'S WORK.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS HONOR.
[PA 10 PROCLAMATION FOR JOSEPH Z. FLEMING.]
PA 10, PA 10 IS PROCLAMATION.JOSEPH Z. FLEMING, COMMISSIONER BOT.
AND BY THE WAY, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN SO PATIENT TO WAIT, AND MY APOLOGIES FOR MAKING.
IT'S, UH, SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH PEOPLE ARE ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY HAVE TO LEAVE AND THERE'S TIMING.
SO I'M TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SAT HERE VERY PATIENTLY.
UM, SO, UM, WE HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, BETH DUNLOP, WHO IS A LEGENDARY, UM, WRITER AND CRI CRITIQUER IN THE BEST WAY OF ARCHITECTURE, UM, AND A, A, A REALLY POWERFUL FORCE IN THIS WORLD.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, EXCUSE ME, UM, SUSAN FLEMING AND BETTY FLEMING SISTER AND WIFE TO THE HONOREE RESPECTIVELY.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR PRESENCE HERE BECAUSE, UM, JOSEPH FLEMING, THE PERSON WHO WE'RE HONORING TODAY IS, IS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE BECAUSE HE IS NO LONGER WITH US.
UM, IT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, THOUGH, TO HONOR HIM AND HIS LEGACY, UM, BECAUSE HE'S SOMEBODY WHO HAS HAD AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT ON THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, AND YET HIS NAME IS NOT IN INCREDIBLY WELL KNOWN.
WE TALK ABOUT ART DECO AND THE MIAMI DESIGN PRESERVATION LEAGUE, AND THE IMPACT THAT, UM, THAT HAS HAD ON PRESERVING OCEAN DRIVE AND MAKING IT THE POSTCARD FOR SOUTH FLORIDA TOURISM AND GIVING US, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS CULTURAL HERITAGE ANCHORED IN, IN ARCHITECTURE.
AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT MIAMI BEACH IS LIKE BEING IN AN OPEN AIR ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM.
AND ART DECO IS, IS, YOU KNOW, A HUGE PART OF THAT.
UM, JOSEPH FLEMING, WHO IS, WHO WAS A, A MIAMI BEACH NATIVE, ACTUALLY WORKED WITH BARBARA CAPMAN TO HELP CREATE, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, MIAMI DESIGN PRESERVATION LEAGUE, UM, AND TO HELP, UM, SHAPE HOW IT WOULD WORK AND HOW IT WOULD CONDUCT ITS BUSINESS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS AN ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION IN AND OF ITSELF TO THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH.
UM, HE, UM, ALSO, UH, HELPED THE CITY CRAFT THEIR PROTECTIONS FOR THESE BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, HE WAS ALSO A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, UM, SOMETHING THAT MIAMI BEACH IS ALSO VERY CONCERNED WITH AND ABOUT, AND ACTIVE IN TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE.
UM, HE EFFECTIVELY FOUGHT AGAINST A DRAINAGE DISTRICT IN THE EVERGLADES, UM, WHICH ISN'T NECESSARILY DIRECTLY IMPACTING US, BUT IT SHOWS THE IMPORT OF THE WORK THAT HE HAS HAS DONE THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE.
UM, AND, AND, UM, HE ALSO, UM, HELPED TO, TO ILLUMINATE HOW IMPORTANT AND FRAGILE THE ECOSYSTEM OF BISCAYNE BAY IS.
UM, HE DID THAT, UM, UH, IN, IN CREATING A, UH, A BULKHEAD LINE ALONG THE SOUTH BISQUE BAY AREA.
UM, AND HE ALSO, UM, UH, CONTRIBUTED TO THE DESIGNATION OF THESE AREAS AS NATIONAL PARKS, UH, ON A FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND HE ALSO, UM, CONTINUING ON THE ARTISTIC SIDE OF, OF SUSTAINABILITY REPRESENTED, UM, ARTISTS CHRISTO AND JEAN-CLAUDE IN, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER THE ICONIC, UM, SURROUNDED ISLANDS.
AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT THAT IS BY NAME, BUT I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THE PHOTOS OF ISLANDS IN BISCAYNE BAY SURROUNDED BY THESE GIANT PINK WRAPS.
UM, IT'S STILL STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY.
IN FACT, THE PEREZ ART MUSEUM JUST DID A, UM, A RETROSPECTIVE WITH CHRISTO, I DUNNO, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, UM, THAT I WAS HAPPY TO ATTEND WITH MY MOM, THE ART HISTORIAN.
UM, AND WE WERE JUST BLOWN AWAY AT, AT THE WORK THAT WENT INTO MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
[02:10:01]
BEFORE I EVEN KNOW, KNEW ABOUT, UH, JOSEPH FLEMING.UM, AND SO JOSEPH FLEMING HAS TOUCHED MIAMI AND MIAMI BEACH IN WAYS THAT ARE AN ENORMOUS LEGACY, UM, AND SOMETHING THAT WE ARE, UM, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE UNSUNG HEROES, UM, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE THE FACE OF AN ORGANIZATION OR THE ARTIST DOING THE WORK, OR THE LAWYER DRAFTING THINGS ON BEHALF OF MIAMI BEACH, HE HELPED INFORM ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND, AND MADE THEM HAPPEN.
AND SO, UM, IT IS, IT IS AN HONOR, UM, TO HAVE YOU HERE IN OUR AUDIENCE, UM, TO, TO BE, UH, ACCEPTING THIS AWARD ON, ON JOSEPH'S BEHALF.
AND, UM, UH, NOW THAT WE ALL KNOW HIS NAME, IT'S NOT ONE THAT'S GOING TO BE JUST FORGOTTEN, BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW MUCH HE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR CITY.
AND THESE ARE JUST A HANDFUL OF THINGS.
UM, BUT YOU GET A SENSE OF THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF HIS, HIS, UM, UH, HIS IMPACT.
SO, UM, I'LL JUST READ ONE, ONE SMALL, UH, PARAGRAPH ABOUT THIS.
UM, JOSEPH FLEMING'S, LIFELONG DEDICATION TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT HAS LEFT AN ENDURING, UH, LEGACY THAT CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
HIS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING CULTURAL HERITAGE, PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY, AND ADVOCATING FOR THE EN ENVIRONMENT REFLECTS THE CARE VALUES OF MIAMI BEACH.
HIS CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE SAFEGUARDED THE CITY'S UNIQUE CHARACTER, ENRICHED ITS CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL LANDSCAPE.
AND REINFORCED MIAMI BEACH'S IDENTITY IS A DYNAMIC AND RESILIENT COMMUNITY, WHICH IS AN ENDURING TESTAMENT TO HIS REMARKABLE LEGACY, AND ONE THAT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ON EVERY DAY HERE AT THE CITY.
SO, UH, NOW THEREFORE, DO WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 9TH, 2025 AS JOSEPH Z. FLEMING DAY.
YOU'D LIKE TO, WOULD SOMEBODY LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS? I DO.
I GOT TO MEET JOE WITH THE LA LAGO ISLAND PALM TREE, UH, ISSUE.
AND HE WAS SUCH A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE ABOUT IT.
IT HAPPENED TO BE I WAS WORKING, AND WE KIND OF WORKED TOGETHER AND, UH, REALLY MADE SOME GOOD LEGISLATION TO PROTECT THE, UH, THE, UH, HERITAGE AND THE, AND THE, AND THE CANOPY OF, OF LAGO ISLAND.
BUT HE DID IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT HE, WE WERE WORKING TOGETHER, BUT HE, HE WAS LIKE MORE OF A FRIEND THAN ANYTHING.
UH, HE INVITED ME TO HIS HOME, WHICH I CAME, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND IT, AND IT WAS A JOY.
HE WAS A BRILLIANT, A BRILLIANT MAN, COMPASSIONATE, AND, UH, AND AGAIN, HE, HE JUST MADE IT FUN.
[PA 12 PROCLAMATION FOR ALEJANDRA RAIN.]
PA 12 IS PROCLAMATION ALEJANDRAWE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO WAIT FOR COMMISSIONER BOT TO, UH, COME BACK.
THIS IS, UH, THIS FABULOUS YOUNG LADY WEARING A DRESS IN MY FAVORITE COLORS.
UM, STANDING BEFORE US THIS AFTERNOON, OR I GUESS THIS EVENING AT THIS POINT, IS, UM, A FIGURE SKATER HERE IN MIAMI BEACH.
AND IT ALWAYS MAKES ME LAUGH, UM, BECAUSE I LIVED IN NEW YORK, I LIVED IN BOSTON, I LIVED IN LONDON.
I LIVED ALL KINDS OF COLD WEATHER PLACES, AND THE ONLY PLACE THAT I COULD WALK TO A SKATING RINK FROM MY HOUSE IS HERE IN MIAMI BEACH WHEN I LIVED ON SHERIDAN
[02:15:01]
AVENUE AND COULD WALK, I KNOW, SIX BLOCKS DOWN AND GO ICE SKATING WITH MY KIDS.SO, UM, WE ARE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY IN VERY MANY WAYS, BUT ALEJANDRA RAIN, UM, WAS BORN HERE IN MIAMI BEACH AT MOUNT SINAI NOT VERY LONG AGO, UM, AND HAS JUST BEAT THE ODDS BECAUSE SHE'S BORN AT JUST ONE POUND, AND NOW SHE IS A FIERCE, STRONG, HEALTHY WOMAN, YOUNG WOMAN.
I DON'T WANT TO AGE YOU EITHER.
I'M AGING EVERYBODY TODAY, UM, WHO IS DOING REMARKABLE THINGS.
UM, SHE HAPPENED TO FIND A PASSION FOR FIGURE SKATING, AND SHE IS PURSUING IT.
SHE'S A DUAL CITIZEN, UM, HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
AND SHE HAS EMBRACED THE OPPORTUNITY, THE REALLY RARE AND UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, REPRESENT THE, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SKATING FEDERATION.
UM, AGAIN, NOT A COUNTRY YOU WOULD THINK WOULD HAVE A BIG ICE SKATING PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY WARM, BUT HERE WE ARE.
UM, SHE HAS BEEN ON INTERNATIONAL STAGES ALREADY COMPETING IN COSTA RICA, CALIFORNIA, ECUADOR.
SHE'S A, UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLICAN, AS I MENTIONED, AND ADVANCING THE NATION'S ASPIRATIONS FOR OLYMPIC ELIGIBILITY.
UM, SHE IS, UH, COM COMPETING TO, UM, TO, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO ITS BID FOR THE INTERNATIONAL SKATING UNION MEMBERSHIP, WHICH IS A PRECURSOR TO THAT, TO THAT, UM, THAT, UH, OLYMPIC ELIGIBILITY.
UM, SHE MOST RECENTLY MADE HISTORY AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN THE SECOND ANNUAL LATIN AMERICAN INTERCLUB FIGURE SKATING CHAMPION IN CHAMPIONSHIP IN WHICH SHE WON THE SILVER MEDAL.
UM, SHE'S NOT PASSIONATE ONLY ABOUT COMPETING IN THE SPORT, BUT ALSO ABOUT SHARING THE SPORT AND GETTING NEW, UM, AND, UM, DIVERSE PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH THE SPORT ITSELF.
UM, SHE AND HER MOM, WHO IS HERE, UM, UM, HELPED TO ORGANIZE A, UM, AN INTERNATIONAL FIGURE SKATING DEVELOPMENT CAMP.
AND SHE COULD HAVE GONE REALLY ANYWHERE, BUT SHE DID IT HERE IN MIAMI BEACH AT THE SCOTT REAU CENTER.
AND THERE WERE, UM, 10 COUNTRIES, UH, REPRESENTED AND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 40 KIDS THERE.
UM, AND, UH, THERE WERE FIRST TIME SKATERS WHO HAD NEVER STEPPED ON THE ICE, AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE MORE EXPERIENCED LOOKING TO BE FURTHER DEVELOPED.
UM, IT'S REALLY, I JUST CAN'T IT OVER HOW MANY INTERESTING THINGS HAPPEN HERE IN MIAMI BEACH AND HOW MANY INTERESTING PEOPLE OF ALL AGES MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I EXPECT BIG THINGS.
THAT'S NOT A, A PRESSURE STATEMENT, BUT JUST LOOKING AT WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE ALREADY, IT'S IN, IT'S INCONCEIVABLE THAT THERE WON'T BE BIG EXCITING THINGS IN YOUR FUTURE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, OR ALWAYS.
AND, UM, WE ARE HERE TO CHEER YOU ON.
UM, YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT TT UM, UM, TERRY.
TERRY, THANK YOU BLANKING ON THAT TT TERRY WAS, UM, A, AN OLYMPIC SPRINTER IS AN OLYMPIC SPRINTER, AND SHE IS A MIAMI BEACH YOUNG LADY AS WELL.
HER DAD ACTUALLY WORKS FOR THE CITY, AND SHE DID INCREDIBLY WELL.
SO WITH THAT, WITH THAT, UM, EXPLANATION, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE, THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ARE SO PROUD TO RECOGNIZE YOU THROUGH YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND EFFORTS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO FIGURE SKATING, UM, AND THAT YOU ARE PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE ATHLETES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND AROUND THE, THE WORLD.
AND WE REALLY SUPPORT YOU AS YOU STRIVE TOWARDS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL OF COMPETING IN THE WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES.
SO NOW, THEREFORE, DO, WE AS MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 9TH AS 2025 IS ALEJANDRA RAIN DAY.
AND TO OUR WONDERFUL MAYOR, COMMISSIONER, BAT ALL FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND ALL OF MIAMI BEACH, I THANK YOU AND I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE MIAMI BEACH PROUD.
OH, AND MY NAME IS ALEJANDRA RAIN JIMENEZ,
[02:20:03]
AND YOU HAVE THE PRESSURE OF MAKING TWO COUNTRIES PROUD.I DIDN'T WANT TO CONFLATE THE TREMENDOUS JOY AND PRIDE, BUT, UH, I JUST HAD TO MENTION AFTER THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WAS MENTIONED, OBVIOUSLY THE TRAGEDY THAT THEY'RE FACING THERE, AND IT'S SOMETIMES YOU SEE TRAGEDIES AND THERE ARE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE BEHIND IT.
UH, BUT THIS ONE, THERE ARE NAMES THAT I THINK WE ALL KNOW, UH, FAMOUS MUSICIANS, BASEBALL PLAYERS, AND OBVIOUSLY SO MANY MORE PEOPLE.
UH, IT'S, IT'S A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED THERE.
AND, UH, WE'RE ALL WELL PRAYING FOR, FOR THE SURVIVORS AND THE FAMILIES OF THE LOST ONES.
[PA 23 GRADUATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY PARTICIPANTS.]
PA 23 IS LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, GRADUATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY PARTICIPANTS.UH, JUST WANNA TAKE A MOMENT, UH, TO THANK YOU ALL.
I'M KEVIN PLUTO, NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS DIVISION DIRECTOR.
A MASSIVE THANKS TO OUR CITY MANAGER, ERIC CARPENTER, FOR BRINGING BACK THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACADEMY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
UH, THIS PROGRAM, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE TOUCHED IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
UH, EVERY EVERYONE THAT REACHED OUT ABOUT THE PROGRAM WAS SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT.
SO WE'RE REALLY THANKFUL, UH, FOR OUR GRADUATES, UH, TODAY.
UH, THAT TOOK PART IN THE PROGRAM.
IT WAS 16 WEEKS ALMOST, UH, OF NONSTOP STAYING LATE COMING IN.
UH, MR. MARK GELMAN, UH, HE SERVES ON ONE OF THE COMMITTEES.
UH, HE ACTUALLY STAYED LATE AT POST COMMITTEE, ALMOST TWO HOURS TO LEARN ABOUT PARKING, TRANSPORTATION.
SO THAT'S THE PASSION, UH, THAT THE ENTIRE GROUP HAS.
SO I'M GONNA CALL THEM UP IF WE COULD TAKE A PHOTO WITH THE MAYOR COMMISSION.
I JUST WANNA READ THEIR NAMES INTO THE RECORD.
UH, I'M GONNA EMBARRASS MYSELF WITH PRONUNCIATION.
UM, AND THEN I GO, COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING BEFORE YOU COME UP AND ACCEPT YOUR CERTIFICATE.
I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN POLITICS IF I HADN'T TAKEN THIS CLASS IN 2013.
I LEARNED ABOUT EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY.
I THEN WENT ON TO BECOME, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU STILL HAVE THE MIAMI BEACH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, WHICH I THEN BECAME PRESIDENT OF.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, TO REVIVE THE ASSOCIATION AND HOLD EVENTS AND RUN FOR OFFICE AND CONTACT US AND ASK TO GET APPOINTED TO BOARDS BECAUSE THIS REALLY IS CIVICS IN ACTION.
AND THANK YOU, UM, ERIC FOR REVIVING THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
AND IF I, AS A, IF I MIGHT SAY SOMETHING AS WELL, UM, I ALSO TOOK THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY AND, UM, THE, THE LEGEND IS, I DUNNO IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT, BUT IT ENDED SHORTLY AFTER MY, UM, MY PRO, UM, PARTICIPATION IN THE ACADEMY.
SUPPOSEDLY THE MAYOR AT THE TIME, WHO SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS, UM, SAID, WE'RE TURNING OUT THESE ACTIVIST LOUD MOUTH, AND I DON'T WANNA DO THAT ANYMORE.
'CAUSE LOOK, YOU'VE GOT TWO ALUM RIGHT HERE SITTING ON THE COMMISSION.
I GRADUATED IN 2014, SO THERE'S THREE ALUM.
AND I LEARNED SO MUCH DURING MY 16 WEEKS.
AND ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS IS A GRADUATE PRAP.
AND SO, FOR THE NEW ALUMNI THAT ARE GONNA BE JOINING YOU ALL, WE HAVE, UH, I'M JUST GONNA CALL, CALL THEM UP, UH, THE ONES THAT ARE HERE AND ALSO THE ONES THAT ARE WATCHING ONLINE.
UH, ELIZABETH, UH, VIVA, UH, JULIA, UH, BISHOP NOVA, I APOLOGIZE.
DAN FRY, MR. MARK GELMAN, UH, CHRIS LOAD, UH, JORGE MENDOZA.
SO WE COULD, UH, TAKE A PHOTO.
ROMINA OVA, UH, ENNIO BLANCA VI RERO.
JAMES SANO PETRA, UH, P ALI, UH, ZENIDA GUZMAN AND FLO FLORENCIA.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROGRAM.
IF WE COULD JUST TAKE A QUICK PHOTO WITH THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION.
[02:25:33]
WE MAY HAVE TO DO A LITTLE PRO, UH, PROMPT TIL SQUEEZE IN AND HAVING, SQUEEZE IN THIS WAY.SQUEEZING A LITTLE BIT THIS WAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING VERY QUICKLY.
MAY I, MAY I SAY SOMETHING VERY QUICKLY TO THANK KEVIN FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HE DID AND ALL THE TIME THAT HE PUT IN THE PROGRAM.
SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU EVERYONE.
WELL DESERVED, UH, AWARDS TODAY.
REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SACRIFICE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND ALSO, HOPEFULLY IT'S, UH, A MOTIVATION FOR EVERYONE OUT THERE.