APRIL 13 - 19, 2010
Attorney gets village’s list of residents’ email addresses
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BY GARY ALAN RUSE
esidents of Palmetto Bay who signed up for the village’s regular e-Currents newsletter may be surprised to find messages in their inbox from someone they don’t know as a result of their subscription. According to information provided by Village Hall staff, an attorney named Richard L. Katz requested the list of email addresses of all those who subscribe to the village newsletter, and under the current laws of the State of Florida, even a list of email addresses is a “matter of public record” if a city has access to it. That meant the village was required by law to hand over the list of addresses. According to village public information officer Bill Kress, they asked that Attorney Katz respect everyone’s privacy, but they acknowledge that he legally can use the list without the village’s approval. “There’s a notice on each newsletter and on the official village website alerting people to the fact that once they give us their email address it does become part of the public record,” Kress said. “But some people may not read that or pay attention to it, so it may come as a surprise to them. The village must follow the
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EMAIL, page 4
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WCS orchestra students visit and perform in NYC
It takes more than a day to celebrate the Earth BY MAYOR EUGENE P. FLINN JR.
Members of the Westminster Christian High School Orchestra, under the direction of their teacher and conductor, Dr. Lee Stone, played their way to one of the most prestigious performance halls in the world. The orchestra recently performed four classical pieces at Lincoln Center in New York City, making it the only group of musicians from South Florida to achieve such a feat. They also were allowed to rehearse at the Juilliard School. Members of the orchestra are pictured at Rockefeller Center, one of the points of interest they visited while in New York.
YMCA encourages kids to get out and play
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BY LILYVANIA MIKULSKI he YMCA of Greater Miami is encouraging kids and families to make physical activity a part of their daily routine in an effort to combat the growing childhood obesity epidemic. On YMCA Healthy Kids Day, youngsters and grownups will learn the importance of physical activity and active play through fun, engaging activities. The South Dade Family YMCA branch will be providing resources to help families get
back to the basics of healthy living. YMCA Healthy Kids Day is the nation’s largest health day for kids and families. The South Dade Family YMCA branch will provide resources to help educate grownups about making everyday healthy choices for their families. The event will be on Apr. 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at South Dade Family YMCA’s Field of Dreams at Miami Children’s Hospital Palmetto Bay
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Y.M.C.A., page 4
While most of the world recognizes Earth Day just once a year on Apr. 22, the Village of Palmetto Bay has established an annual tradition of celebrating all week long. Together, with our community partners and sponsors, our commitment to this event continues to change the way we live and to make every day Earth Day. This year, our third annual Earth Week Celebration takes flight Monday, Apr. 19, with the start of a three-day Ladybug Release, starting first at Perrine Elementary and then Howard Drive Elementary. Ladybugs, which feed on aphids that can decimate local plants, are considered nature’s pesticide. Kids at a total of six Palmetto Bay schools will learn about this earth-friendly approach to pest control, as more than 26,000 ladybugs are released in village schoolyards. That’s one for every resident in our community! We will be back with the ladybugs on Apr. 20 at Christ Fellowship Academy, and on the morning of Apr. 22 at Coral Reef Elementary, Alexander Montessori, and Winhold Montessori. Earth Week continues with: • Safe solar-viewing demonstrations, conducted in coordination with Barb Yager of the Southern Cross Astronomical Society; • Our zany and fun “Magical Musical Litter Bus Tour,” a neighborhood clean-up for members of the Student Council of
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EARTH, page 4