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TR R II B BU UN NE E T
Pinecrest Phone: 305-669-7355
AUGUST 17 - 30, 2009
ONE OF MIAMI’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS
Don’t reduce hours of operation for county’s parks BY GRANT MILLER Publisher This economy has got everybody in a crunch, and Miami-Dade County government officials are feeling the pinch just like everybody else. Tax revenue is down sharply and officials are looking for ways to cut expenditures. Mayor Carlos Alvarez has already submitted a budget that slices huge allocations from areas previously sacrosanct –police and fire protection, the arts, education, even after-school care. And now comes word that the mayor’s proposed budget will sharply curtail the county parks and recreation budget. Hiring will be frozen, the number of parks employees trimmed, the frequency of workers cutting the grass reduced, even basic hours that parks remain open are set to be scaled back. Hold on there! You can’t see it in the budget, but if the hours that a park remains open are going to be reduced and in the case of our Nature Centers locked up unless a fee driven program is operating, that means there’s going to be a reduction in the number of athletic, recreation and nature programs that are offered to our young people. And if that happens, you can expect to see a sharp rise in the county’s crime rate. And, while it may not be evident to the casual observer, that means there will be a direct negative affect on the quality of life for all Miami-Dade County residents, but particularly for those people who live in the inner-urban areas and less affluent communities. Athletic programs attract young people who, without sports participation, might otherwise be hanging out on a street corner or joining a gang. The county’s youth sports programs hosted in the county parks are vital to the social
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PARKS, page 8
Read in Paris Here’s the Valido family — Oscar, Sr., Mercy, Oscar, Jr. and Alexandria – getting an up close look at the Eifel Tower in Paris. The Validos were in the City of Light to celebrate Alexandria’s 15th birthday. Of course they remembered to take along a copy of their favorite hometown newspaper and snapped this picture for us. Thanks for thinking of us, guys.
Palmetto graduate makes it big in Hollywood BY LINDA RODRIGUEZ BERNFELD
ormer Pinecrest resident and Palmetto High School graduate Emily Hirsch has entered a new phase in her career; she recently accepted a job as the vice president of production and development for Next Films. Next Films is reality TV Producer Mike Fleiss’ (The Bachelor) foray EMILY HIRSCH into feature
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Positive PEOPLE
in Pinecrest
These Positive People help add to the quality of life in Pinecrest. Look inside for their stories.
MELANIE JOHNSTON
SCHUYLER YACKEE
JENNIFER FERRER