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Abril/April 22, 2018 EDICIÓN QUINCENAL
BIWEEKLY EDITION
No. 146
DO RAL familyjournal
Abril/April 22, 2018 • No. 146
Editor in Chief: Ettore Sabatella Managing Editor: Sandra Figueiredo Art Director: Mario Carpio Contributors: Grecia Romero, María A. Pulgar Edda Pujadas, Maria Sabatella Carla De Castro, Belinda León David Pérez Hansen, Ocarina Espinoza Online Digital Magazine www.doralfamilyjournal.com E-mail: info@doralfamilyjournal.com Address: 10773 NW 58 ST. PMB # 96 MIAMI, FL. 33178 Ph: (305) 300.4594 Doral Family Journal publication is owned and operated by Doral Family Journal, LLC.
April/April 22, 2018
The opinions expressed in DFJ are those of the authors and not represent the official views of DORAL FAMILY JOURNAL, LLC or its management. DFJ and its contributors can accept no legal responsability for loss through any error in information contained herein. Submissions will be edited at the editor’s discretion. Contents of the DFJ are not to be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. DORAL FAMILY JOURNAL, LLC does not endorse any advertiser or product, and it takes no responsability for losses or damages caused through the advertiser/customer relationship.
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City | Ciudad
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Law Enforcement Agreement Unanimously Approved
Medley and Doral work together to ensure Public Safety By: Maria Alejandra Pulgar @marialepulgar - NAHJ #37172
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he City of Doral Council approved unanimously a Combined Voluntary Cooperation and Operational Assistance Mutual Aid Agreement with the Town of Medley. The agreement will permit law enforcement assistance across jurisdiction lines for routine or emergency safety incidents. “As Mayor of the Town of Medley, I am very pleased with the approval of the Mutual Aid Agreement between Medley and Doral. This will continue to strengthen relationships between our communities. Going beyond the boundaries of theTown of Medley to assist our neighboring municipality of Doral, is something that we will take great pride in” said Mayor Roberto Martell. Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez also expressed his satisfaction with the agreement. “The essential thing is that in times of need we help each other out. To their police department I think it is a great opportunity and it benefits Doral too, because we
are able to have Medley help us when needed and certainly we will help them when needed; it is a positive thing.” Bermudez explained that often law enforcement departments do a lot of work together “when something happen that impact a neighboring city. Recently when the bridge collapsed at FIU we worked with our neighbors in the south, Sweetwater, and we sent our mobile command post and we helped. It is the logical thing to do. I think the agreements are good because they codify, what is the commitment to be good neighboring cities in time of need.”
CONDITIONS OF THE AGREEMENT
Mayor J. C. Bermudez
According to the agreement, the voluntary cooperation and assistance includes participating in situations without the need for a formal request from the neighboring municipality. The assistance can
be rendered for situations such as searches for wanted subjects, crimes in progress or traffic stops where citizens may be injured and the assisting municipality is closer to the area than the officer receiving the call. Also concurrent law enforcement can be done to investigate homicides, sex offenses, robberies, assaults, batteries, burglaries, larcenies, gambling or
drug violations. The Florida Statutes stablish that “prior to any officer taking enforcement action, shall notify the jurisdiction in which the action will be taken”, turn
Acuerdo de seguridad aprobado unánimemente
Medley y Doral trabajan juntos para la seguridad pública
April/April 22, 2018
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l Concejo de Doral aprobó por unanimidad el Acuerdo mutuo de cooperación voluntaria combinada y asistencia operacional con la municipalidad de Medley. Este acuerdo permite a los cuerpos policiales de ambas ciudades la asistencia entre ambas jurisdicciones para casos tanto rutinarios como en emergencias de seguridad. “Como Alcalde de Medley me complace grandemente la aprobación del acuerdo de ayuda mutua con Doral. Esto permite continuar estrechando las relaciones entre nuestras comunidades. La posibilidad de ayudar y apoyar la seguridad de nuestros vecinos más allá de nuestras fronteras es algo que nos enorgullece mucho” señaló Roberto Martell. El Alcalde de Doral, Juan Carlos Bermúdez también expresó su satisfacción con el acuerdo. “Lo esencial es que nos ayudemos mutuamente cuando sea necesario. Para su departamento de policía es una gran oportunidad que también beneficia a Doral, pues Medley podrá ayudarnos en caso de necesidad y nosotros haremos lo mismo.
Es un acuerdo muy positivo.” Bermúdez explicó que los departamentos de policía trabajan mucho en conjunto “cuando algo sucede en ciudades vecinas. Recientemente, cuando cayó el puente en FIU nosotros trabajamos con nuestros vecinos de Sweetwater. Les enviamos nuestro comando móvil y les asistimos. Ayudarnos mutuamente es lógico; los acuerdos son importantes porque ponen por escrito las condiciones de los compromisos de asistencia entre buenos vecinos.”
CONDICIONES DEL ACUERDO
La cooperación y asistencia voluntaria reglamentada en el acuerdo incluye participar en situaciones sin la necesidad de requerimiento formal por parte de la municipalidad vecina. La ayuda se prestará en situaciones como búsqueda de sujetos solicitados, seguimiento a crímenes en progreso o atención a interrupciones de tráfico, donde
pueda haber ciudadanos heridos y la municipalidad de apoyo se encuentre más cerca que la que ha recibido la llamada. También los cuerpos de seguridad trabajan de manera conjunta para investigar homicidios, robos, asaltos o violaciones de juego o narcóticos. Los Estatutos de Florida establecen que “un oficial antes de tomar acción debe notificar a la jurisdicción donde llevará a cabo el proceso” y una vez que el departamento correspondiente atienda la llamada debe entregar la acción y preparar un reporte documentando el evento. La Asistencia Operacional puede ser necesaria para investigaciones criminales, desobediencia civil, disturbios, desastres naturales que requieran rescate o evacuaciones, actividades terroristas, crímenes mayores, seguridad de dignatarios o incidentes que requieran unidades especializadas. En todos esos casos la requisición de ayuda
the situation over to them when they respond and provide a follow-up written report documenting the event and actions taken.” Joint Operational assistance might be needed for criminal investigations, civil disobedience or disturbances, natural disasters including rescue operations or evacuations, terrorist activities, major crime scenes, security and escort for dignitaries or incidents that require specialized units. In those cases, the mutual aid request has to be approved verbally or in writing by the Chief of Police or designee, who decides on the type of assistance and for how long it will be authorized, depending on the particular situation. The Florida Statutes mandates that all forces that engage on mutual cooperation and assistance assume responsibility for the actions, omissions or conduct of their own employees rendering the aid. This provision is also contemplated on the Mutual Aid Agreement. Mayor Bermudez explained that the costs incurred by the forces when acting under the mutual aid agreement are covered depending on the project. “In most cases the departments have it in their budget as normal policing expenses. In case of out of the ordinary expenses there is a process for that [recovering costs], but the intention of this agreement is to be able to help each other and put in writing how to do it.” The mutual aid agreement not only includes collaborations to protect citizenry of crimes or in case of emergencies but also a mutual use of training and facilities that benefit both law enforcement departments. “Working together makes it more effective for our police departments” concluded Bermudez.
City | Ciudad mutua debe ser aprobada verbalmente o por escrito por el Jefe de Policía o su designado, quien decidirá el tipo de asistencia y por cuanto tiempo será otorgada, dependiendo de las circunstancias particulares de cada caso. Según el Estatuto de Florida, cada uno de los cuerpos policiales que trabajen en cooperación asume la responsabilidad por las acciones, omisiones y conducta de sus empleados que participen en la asistencia. Esta Alcalde Roberto Martel provisión de responsabilidad también está contemplada en el acuerdo entre Doral y Medley. El Alcalde Bermúdez explicó que los costos de la asistencia mutua son cubiertos dependiendo del proyecto. “En muchos casos los departamentos lo tienen en su presupuesto como parte de los gastos de policía regulares. Para casos excepcionales existe un proceso [para recobros] pero la intención del acuerdo es poder colaborar y ayudarnos mutuamente, y tener por escrito como hacerlo.” La asistencia mutua incluye no solamente la colaboración para proteger a la ciudadanía sino también el uso compartido de adiestramientos e instalaciones que sean beneficiosos para ambos cuerpos policiales. “El trabajo en conjunto hace mucho más efectivos nuestros departamentos de policía” concluyó Bermúdez.
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After rescinding the contract with Weiss Serota, Helfman, Cole & Bierman
The City of Doral will create its own Legal Department Operational reasons and budgetary savings led the Municipal Council to take this decision.
Edda Pujadas, @epujadas
April/April 22, 2018
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aking into consideration the residential, commercial, and industrial growth of the City of Doral in recent years and the amount and complexity of the legal issues that are generated in our community, the City of Doral Council approved the creation of an Internal Legal Department. This proposal, made by Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez, was supported by three of the five remaining members of the City Council based on operational reasons, as they believe that this will allow greater access to effective legal advice and budget savings, which they estimate will be greater than 40%. Mayor Bermudez explains that after reviewing the way in which other cities in Miami Dade County handle their legal affairs, he noticed that the majority of the local governments have internal attorneys. Mayor Bermudez adds that, among the twelve cities with highest population in Miami Dade (Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Miami Beach, Homestead, Doral, North Miami, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, North Miami Beach, Aventura and Miami Lakes) only four, (Doral, Homestead, Aventura, and Cutler Bay) hire external legal firms and Coral Gables hires them only for specific cases, while they still have their internal team of attorneys. “It is imperative that we have an attorney completely at the disposal of the city, with easy access and for which we do not need to pay on a per hour basis. In fact, during my first term as Mayor, we had already thought about this possibility, and I believe that now is the time to do it, Doral has many Mayor-Bermudez legal needs that require immediate action,” adds Bermudez. Regarding the budgetary portion of this decision, the Doralian leader spoke about Miami Gardens as an example, this city almost doubles our population and is 20% bigger (in square miles) and it spends (without taking into consideration the legal contingency fund of Doral), approximately the same amount as Doral in legal affairs. “With almost six hundred thousand dollars that Miami Gardens dedicates to its legal office, they pay for an internal attorney and three legal assistants.” This makes it evident that with the same funds that we use today to cover for our subcontracted legal expenses, we could be financing the legal office of the City of Doral.”
This proposal for a legal department, implies that at least three new positions have to be created (a full time City Attorney, one paralegal and one administrative assistant), to cover for this, the city needs a budget of $401,154 dollars, considering that the salary is consistent with the rest of the cities and including the legal benefits for these employees. Bermúdez clarified that this decision is not at all due to disagreements with the firm Weiss Serota, Helfman, Cole and Bierman that will continue to be used for special cases and will finish processing the pending cases during the transition period from 60 to 90 days. While checking the expenses in attorneys for cities with internal legal departments, we found out that the City of Miami, with more than 453,000 residents invests an annual total of $8,418,000 dollars, Miami Beach with 91,917 residents, invests $5,815,000 and Coral Gables with 50,815 residents spends $2,477,261 dollars per year. North Miami has a population of 62,129 people (very close to the population of Doral, estimated at 57,947) and they spend $1,151,230 in legal services, while Hialeah with 236,387 residents, spends more than $1,084,046 dollars in legal services and at Miami Gardens with 113,058 residents, the expense for their legal department is $594,635 dollars. The cities that have external attorney firms, apart from Doral are: Aventura with 37,724 residents and legal expenses of $305,000 dollars per year, Cutler Bay with 44,707 residents and legal expenses of $475,000 dollars per year and Homestead, home of 67,996 residents with a legal investment of more than $1,000,000 dollars.
OPINION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Vice-Mayor Ana María Rodríguez, highlighted the excellent work done by the firm Weiss Serota, Helfman, Cole and Bierman, represented by Daniel Espino, while clarifying that the implementation of this legal department will represent an important budgetary saving for the City of Doral. “I think we need an inhouse lawyer and only when there are specific cases to attend would it be necessary to hire an external legal service that could even be the same firm that we work with nowadays. Although, by next year I will not be part Ana Maria Rodriguez
of the Municipal Council, I think it would be convenient to evaluate this new legal framework in a year and confirm that it has worked well,” said Vice-Mayor Rodríguez. For her part, Councilwoman Claudia Mariaca pointed out that the City of Doral has reached a moment of growth and evolution that needs to have immediate legal access and 100% available for all internal requirements. “This decision will also allow us to save in our legal expenses more than $300,000 dollars.” Although Councilman Claudia Mariaca Pete Cabrera also supported the creation of the legal department, until the closing date of this edition we could not obtain his statements in this regard. Councilwoman Christi Fraga was the only Council member who opposed this proposal, considering that the creation of an internal legal department, far from representing budget savings, would triple legal expenses. Councilwoman Fraga alleges that she did not support the proposal to create an internal legal department for the City of Doral “because it will deprive us of the considerable legal experience and excellent service that Weiss, Serota, Helfman, Cole and Bierman, has provided during the last four years. The agreement with this firm gave us access to more than 80 lawyers specialized in more than 48 areas of practice, “ added Fraga. “A lawyer, a paralegal and an assistant will not be able to provide legal experience in Christi Fraga all the practice areas necessary to carry out the procedures of the City of Doral, nor will they be able to comply with the legal work load of City Hall. This will force us to hire external consultants at much higher hourly rates, “said Fraga. “For the 2016-2017 fiscal year, the City of Doral budgeted $ 685 thousand dollars for legal expenses that translate into 3400 hours of work per year, while any full-
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Abril/April 22, 2018
time city employee works 1,875 hours per year (37.5 hours per week multiplied by 50 viable weeks in a year with two weeks of vacation). So, will this lawyer work almost 70 hours per week? And if you do not work these 70 hours per week (almost twice as much as any other employee of City Hall), how would the legal workload of the City of Doral be completed? Councilwoman Fraga, ensures that an internal legal department will be aimed at resembling the City of Coral Gables (with a population less than Doral), which has four lawyers and two assistants and also requires contracting external legal advisors to meet their needs. “In this way, Doral’s legal expenses budget (estimated at $ 685 thousand dollars for fiscal year 2017-2018) will end up resembling Coral Gables, which this year reached $ 2.4 million dollars.” Fraga clarified that, during the last meeting of the Municipal Council, there was not enough evidence or support to justify the creation of a legal department. “A simple memorandum that uses as an example the only city out of 34 that exist in Miami-Dade County, with an internal legal budget of less than $ 1.1 million is not a credible source for making such an important decision.” “Quite the contrary, my investigation indicated that an internal legal department will not fully cover our legal requirements and that the City of Doral will have to invest much more in its legal budget, so I could not support it since it does not reflect a fiscally responsible form of governing, “explained Christi Fraga.
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Tras rescindir contrato con la firma Weiss Serota, Helfman, Cole y Bierman
La Ciudad de Doral creará su propio Departamento Legal Razones de operatividad y ahorro presupuestario llevaron al Concejo Municipal a tomar esta decisión.
Edda Pujadas, @epujadas
April/April 22, 2018
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n consideración al crecimiento residencial, comercial e industrial de la Ciudad de Doral en los últimos años y de la cantidad y complejidad de asuntos legales que se generan en nuestra comunidad, el Concejo Municipal aprobó la creación de un departamento legal interno. Esta propuesta, realizada por el alcalde Juan Carlos Bermúdez, fue apoyada por tres de los cuatro miembros restantes del Concejo Municipal en base a razones operativas, pues consideran que esto permitirá tener mayor acceso a un efectivo asesoramiento legal y de ahorro presupuestario, el cual estiman que será mayor al 40%. Explica el alcalde Juan Carlos Bermúdez que, después de revisar la forma en que otras ciudades del condado de Miami-Dade manejan sus asuntos legales, se percató de que la mayoría de los gobiernos locales tienen abogados internos. Agrega el alcalde Bermúdez que, entre las doce ciudades más pobladas de Miami-Dade (Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Miami Beach, Homestead, Doral, North Miami, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, North Miami Beach, Aventura y Miami Lakes) sólo cuatro de ellas, (Doral, Homestead, Aventura y Cutler Bay) contratan firmas de abogados externas y la ciudad de Coral Gables lo hace solamente para algunos casos específicos, sin embargo, cuentan con su propio equipo de abogados internos. “Es indispensable que tengamos un abogado completamente a disposición de los requerimientos de la ciudad, de acceso rápido y que no tengamos que pagar este servicio por hora. De hecho, durante mi primera gestión como alcalde ya se había contemplado esta posibilidad, pero creo que ya es el momento de hacerlo, pues Doral tiene muchas necesidades legales que deben atenderse con la inmediatez requerida”, agregó Bermúdez. Con respecto a la parte presupuestaria, el mandatario doralino puso como ejemplo a la ciudad de Miami Gardens, que casi duplica nuestra población y también es un 20% más grande (en millas cuadradas) y gasta (sin contar el fondo de contingencia de litigios del Doral), aproximadamente, la misma cantidad que Doral en asuntos legales. “Con casi $600 mil dólares que Miami Gardens dedica su oficina fiscal, pagan un abogado interno y tres asistentes legales. “Esto evidencia que, con los fondos que actualmente dedicamos para cubrir nuestros gastos legales subcontratados, podríamos
financiar la oficina legal de la Ciudad de Doral”. La propuesta de este departamento legal implica la creación de, al menos, tres cargos (abogado municipal a tiempo completo, paralegal y asistente administrativo) para lo cual se requiere de un presupuesto de $401,154 mil dólares, pagando un salario acorde al de las demás ciudades e incluyendo los beneficios contractuales de estos empleados. Aclaró Bermúdez que esta decisión no obedece en lo absoluto a inconformidades con la firma Weiss Serota, Helfman, Cole y Bierman que seguirá siendo usada para asuntos especiales y terminará de procesar los casos pendientes durante el período de transición de 60 a 90 días. Al revisar los gastos de abogado de las ciudades con departamentos legales internos, encontramos que la Ciudad de Miami con más de 453 mil habitantes invierte un total anual de $8 millones 418 mil dólares, Miami Beach con 91 mil 917 residentes gasta $5 millones 815 mil dólares y Coral Gables con 50 mil 815 habitantes gasta $2 millones 477 mil 261 dólares al año. En North Miami viven 62 mil 139 personas (muy cercana a la población de Doral, estimada en 57 mil
947) y gastan en servicios legales $1 millón 269 mil dólares, North Miami Beach con 43 mil 891 residentes invierte un $1 millón 151 mil 230 dólares, mientras que en Hialeah con 236 mil 387 habitantes el costo legal es de $1 millón 84 mil 46 dólares y en Miami Gardens que tiene 113 mil 58 habitantes el gasto del departamento legal asciende a 594 mil 635 dólares. Las ciudades que usan servicios de firmas externas de abogados, además de Doral, son Aventura con 37 mil 724 habitantes y gastos legales de $305 mil dólares al año, Cutler Bay donde viven 44 mil 707 personas y gastan $475 mil dólares y Homestead, hogar de 67 mil 996 habitantes con inversiones legales de un $1millón de dólares.
OPINIONES DEL CONCEJO MUNICIPAL
La vice-alcaldesa Ana María Rodríguez, destacó el excelente trabajo que ha realizado la firma Weiss Serota, Helfman, Cole y Bierman, representada por Daniel Espino, a la vez que aclaró que la implementación de este departamento legal va a representar un importante ahorro presupuestario para la Ciudad de Doral. “Creo que necesitamos un abogado interno y
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sólo cuando haya casos específicos que atender se podría requerir la contratación de un servicio legal externo que, incluso, podría ser la misma firma con que trabajamos en la actualidad. Si bien, ya para el próximo año no estaré el Concejo Municipal, creo conveniente evaluar en un año este nuevo esquema legal y corroborar que ha funcionado bien”, manifestó la vice-alcaldesa Rodríguez. Por su parte, la concejal Claudia Mariaca señaló que la Ciudad de Doral ha llegado a un momento de crecimiento y evolución que necesita tener un acceso legal inmediato y 100% disponible para todos los requerimientos internos. “Esta decisión también nos va a permitir un ahorro en nuestros gatos legales en más de $300 mil dólares”. Si bien el concejal Pete Cabrera también apoyó la creación del departamento legal, hasta la fecha de cierre de esta edición no pudimos obtener sus declaraciones al respecto. La concejal Christi Fraga fue el único miembro del Concejo que se opuso a esta propuesta al considerar que la creación de un departamento legal interno, lejos de representar un ahorro presupuestario, triplicaría los gastos legales. La concejal Fraga alega que no apoyó la propuesta de crear un departamento legal interno para la Ciudad
de Doral “porque nos privará de la considerable experiencia legal y el excelente servicio que la firma Weiss, Serota, Helfman, Cole y Bierman, que han brindaron durante los últimos cuatro años. El acuerdo con esta firma, nos dio acceso a más de 80 abogados especializados en más de 48 áreas de práctica”, agregó. “Un abogado, un paralegal y un asistente no podrán proporcionar la experiencia legal en todas las áreas de práctica necesarias para realizar los trámites de la Ciudad de Doral, así como tampoco podrán cumplir con la carga de trabajo legal de la alcaldía. Esto nos obligará a contratar asesores externos a tarifas por hora mucho más altas”, comentó Fraga. “Para el año fiscal 2016-2017, la Ciudad de Doral presupuestó $685 mil dólares para gastos legales que se traducen en 3400 horas de trabajo al año, mientras que cualquier empleado del ayuntamiento a tiempo completo trabaja 1875 horas anuales (37.5 horas por semana multiplicado por 50 semanas viables en un año con dos semanas de vacaciones). Entonces, ¿este abogado trabajará casi 70 horas por semana? y si no trabaja estas 70 horas por semana (casi el doble que cualquier otro empleado de la alcaldía), ¿cómo se completaría la carga de trabajo legal de la Ciudad de Doral?
La concejal Fraga, asegura que un departamento legal interno estará encaminado a parecerse a la Ciudad de Coral Gables (con una población menor que la Doral), que tienen a cuatro abogados y dos asistentes y además requieren contratar asesores legales externos para satisfacer sus necesidades. “De esta forma, el presupuesto de gastos legales de Doral (estimados de $685 mil dólares para el año fiscal 2017-2018) terminará pareciéndose al Coral Gables, que este año llegó a $2.4 millones de dólares”. Fraga aclaró que, durante la reunión pasada del Concejo Municipal, no se presentó suficiente evidencia o respaldo que sustentara la creación de un departamento legal. “Un simple memorándum que utiliza como ejemplo la única ciudad, de 34 que existen en el condado de Miami-Dade, con un presupuesto legal interno de menos de $1.1 millones no es una fuente creíble para tomar una decisión tan importante”. “Muy por el contrario, mi investigación indicó que un departamento legal interno no cubrirá por completo nuestros requerimientos legales y que la Ciudad de Doral tendrá que invertir mucho más en su presupuesto legal, por lo que no podría apoyarlo ya que no refleja una forma fiscalmente responsable de gobernar”, explicó Christi Fraga.
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Police Corner | Esquina del Policía
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Doral officially has a new police chief
April/April 22, 2018
n Thursday, April 19, Chief Hernan Organvidez was sworn in as chief along with Deputy Chief Raul Ubieta, surrounded by family, friends and supporters during a ceremony at the City of Doral Council Chambers. Organvidez and Ubieta said they are extremely proud and honored to be a part of Doral Police team and are excited to serve the City of Doral. Both officers expressed their commitment to policing and civic engagement to strengthen the bonds between the department and the community; And thanked the mayor, council members, and the administration for their confidence. In his new position, the Chief will oversee 130 sworn officers and 46 civilian employees, with an annual budget of 21 million. The Chief Organvidez brings 32 years of comprehensive law enforcement experience working for Miami-Dade County. He was also instrumental with starting the City of Doral Police Department. He has held the ranks of Officer/Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain/Executive Officer, Major, and Chief of South Operations Division. Most recently, he was employed in the private sector by Ando Consulting, Inc. and continued to provide advisory services and security assessments for private and public businesses. Chief Organvidez has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Florida International University. He is the first Police Officer from the City of Doral to graduate from the FBI’s National Academy and holds a certificate from the University of Miami Leadership Institute. Deputy Chief Ubieta has over 35 years of law enforcement experience. He began his law enforcement career with the FBI in 1981 as a civilian. In 1983, he joined the Miami-Dade Police Department and retired honorably in 2016, after rising to the rank of Police Major. Deputy Chief Ubieta’s last assignment with MDPD was as the Director of the Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute. He commanded Robbery Bureau, Narcotics Bureau, Economic Crimes Bureau, Strategic and Specialized Investigations Bureau, and the MDPSTI. After retiring from the Miami-Dade Police Department, Deputy Chief Ubieta established a business consulting on security matters for businesses and governmental agencies. In 2016, he was contracted by the United States State Department to provide an organizational assessment on the Buenos Aires Provincial Police Department in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Education | Educación
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Thanks to an Alliance between NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the worldwide artist Pitbull
Students from doral academy will be receiving Audiovisual training from telemundo academy Twenty students from Doral Academy Preparatory School joined this project which will give them the opportunity to build a future in the job market of social communication.
By Edda Pujadas @epujadas
April/April 22, 2018
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ith the intention of training young people in gaining experience, but they are also getting in touch and the world of social media, NBCUniversal creating relationships with television professionals, and this can open the doors of the job market for them.” Telemundo Enterprises created a multimedia César Conde, Chairman of NBCUniversal International institution called Telemundo Academy, of which Doral Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, Academy Preparatory School already is a participant. This was announced by Mr. Carlos Ferralls, Principal of assures that Telemundo Academy is a valuable tool that will catapult the career of these teenagers, it will develop Doral Academy. He explained that Doral Academy together with SLAM Miami (Sports Leadership and Management) their innovative spirit and it will offer them a competitive advantage for their future, because without even having Charter School owned by the internationally acclaimed singer, actor and producer Armando Christian Pérez also finished their High School studies, they will already be immersed in the telecommunications labor market. known as Pitbull, are the first participants of Telemundo Let’s remember that in recent days, Telemundo opened Academy. Those students interested in growing a career path on social communication will be offered audiovisual the doors of its new building “Telemundo Center”, very close to the City of Doral which is considered the training. epicenter of the Hispanic world. This facility, that has a “20 of our students have enrolled in this program after auditioning and having gone through an interview total investment of 250 million dollars, has thirteen fully adaptable studios, two digital process. They were selected by labs, augmented and virtual reality the executives at Telemundo, sets and a new state of the art who manage this multimedia News Center, turning it into a institution which offers students pioneering facility of technological big projections for their future”, integration. states Ferralls. “In the context of technological The program has a span and audiovisual development, of sixteen weeks. It will take Telemundo is looking towards the place at the new office building future and the young generation of Telemundo Center, which is the future, that is the reason is equipped with state of the of Telemundo Academy. This art technology and with a institution is attracting dynamic multiplatform production capacity students, who with the proper of first level. The classes are taught knowledge can provide the by professionals of Telemundo, creativity and necessary innovation outside the regular academic Mr. Carlos Ferralls to reach the young market and schedule to avoid interruptions get the attention of the audience that is always searching of the school calendar of the students. The students will for the trendy and different,” comments Ferralls. participate in production, editing, multimedia platforms, Telemundo Academy is turning into an opportunity social-media, ad production, storytelling and general for all. On one side the teens receive the theoretical and matters of the audiovisual arena. practical knowledge in one of the careers with a wider As part of the program, the students working in development and projection and on the other side, the teams will present a 60-90 second video to show what network is investing in its human resource, by training the they have learned throughout the program. The teams workers of the future. will present their videos to the leadership members for Telemundo and the winning team will be selected as the best campaign. The winners will be invited to an NEW THINGS AT DORAL ACADEMY exclusive Lunch and Learn Q&A session with Telemundo Carlos Ferralls notes that, since Doral Academy was executives and will be recognized in the show “El Poder founded in 1999, the school has kept its promise to offer en Ti”, from Telemundo. students always more than the traditional curriculum. Principal Ferralls believes that this program is a great “We currently have more than 3,450 students enrolled opportunity for those teenagers who are interested in a between 6th and 12th grades and we are engaged in future in the television. “Not only are they learning and providing them with a safe and intellectually challenging
environment for their training”. This is rightly the interest to go beyond the curriculum that took Doral Academy to join this initiative of Telemundo. “Let us remember that our school offers 30 Advanced Placement and Early College Dual Enrollment courses, just like the special programs that pushed us to construct an additional site”, Ferralls remarks. The new site of Doral Academy will be ready for the 2018-2019 school year and it will complement the current site. The new building has 7 stories with specialized classrooms and with a modern auditorium with a capacity for 600 people. Ferralls added that the intention to have built the annexed headquarters is to provide support and an adequate space to develop the special programs that they currently have, that is why it will have, for example, laboratories, a robotics room and a production studio. This effort by the directors and teachers of Doral Academy to go beyond traditional education has allowed its students to attend some of the most prestigious universities throughout the country, have been recognized as one of the best schools in the United States and has earned the award from the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) and the National BlueRibbon Award three times.
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Abril/April 22, 2018
Education | Educación
www.doralfamiyjournal.com
Gracias a una alianza entre NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises y la estrella mundial Pitbull
Estudiantes de Doral Academy reciben capacitación audiovisual de Telemundo Academy Un total de 20 estudiantes de Doral Academy Preparatory School se unieron a este proyecto que les brinda la oportunidad de forjarse una oportunidad en el mercado laboral de los medios de comunicación social.
By Edda Pujadas @epujadas
April/April 22, 2018
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on la intención de capacitar a los jóvenes en el mundo de los medios de comunicación social, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises creó una institución multimedia, denominada Telemundo Academy, de la cual ya forma parte Doral Academy Preparatory School. Así lo anunció el director de Doral Academy, Carlos Ferralls, quien explicó que la escuela que dirige junto a la escuela charter SLAM Miami (Sports Leadership and Management) del cantante, actor y productor de fama internacional, Armando Christian Perez (Pitbull), son los primeros participantes de Telemundo Academy, en el que estarán brindado un entrenamiento audiovisual a jóvenes interesados en desarrollar carrera en el campo de los medios de comunicación social. “Un total de 20 de nuestros estudiantes están participando en este programa, tras haber aplicado, realizado una entrevista y ser seleccionados por los ejecutivos de Telemundo encargados de dirigir esta institución multimedia que ofrece grandes proyecciones futuras para los jóvenes”, manifiesta Ferralls. El programa consta de 16 semanas y se realizará en la nueva sede de Telemundo Center, que esta equipada con la última tecnología y con la capacidad de producción multiplataforma de primer nivel. Las clases son dictadas por los profesionales de Telemundo fuera del horario académico regular, por lo que no interrumpe el calendario escolar de los estudiantes… Los estudiantes participantes se capacitarán en producción y edición de televisión, plataformas multimedia, social-media, producción de comerciales, la narración de historias y aspectos generales del área audiovisual. Como parte del programa, los estudiantes se dividirán en equipos y presentarán un video de 60-90 segundos para mostrar lo que han aprendido a lo largo del programa. Los equipos presentarán sus videos a los miembros del liderazgo de Telemundo, y el equipo ganador será seleccionado como la mejor campaña. Los ganadores serán invitados a una sesión exclusiva de Q&A Lunch & Learncon ejecutivos de Telemundo y serán reconocidos en una función en las plataformas de “El Poder en Ti” de Telemundo. El director Ferralls considera que este programa es una oportunidad magnífica para los jóvenes interesados en desarrollarse a futuro en el mundo de la televisión. “No
Telemundo Academy se está convirtiendo en una oportunidad para todos. Por un lado, los muchachos reciben conocimientos teóricos y prácticos en una de las carreras con mayores áreas de desarrollo y proyección y por otro lado, la cadena de televisión está invirtiendo en su recurso humano, al entrenar y capacitar a trabajadores para el futuro.
LO NUEVO DE DORAL ACADEMY
sólo están aprendido y obteniendo experiencia, sino que también están entrando en contacto y haciendo relaciones con profesionales de este medio que les pueden abrir las puertas del mercado laboral”. César Conde, Presidente de NBCUniversal International Group y NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, asegura que Telemundo Academy es una herramienta que ayudará a impulsar la carrera de estos jóvenes, desarrollar su espíritu innovador y ofrecerles una ventaja competitiva para su futuro, pues sin haber terminado sus estudios de High School ya están inmersos en el mundo laboral de las telecomunicaciones. Recordemos que, recientemente, Telemundo inauguró su nueva sede, a escasa distancia de la ciudad de Doral, denominada Telemundo Center y la cual es considerada el epicentro del mundo hispano. Esta instalación, en la cual hay invertidos un total de 250 millones de dólares, cuenta con 13 estudios altamente adaptables, dos laboratorios digitales, sets de realidad aumentada y virtual y un nuevo centro de noticias de última generación, convirtiéndose en un edificio pionero en la integración tecnológica. “En este contexto de desarrollo tecnológico y audiovisual, Telemundo está mirando hacia el futuro y los jóvenes son el futuro, por eso han desarrollado Telemundo Academy. Está institución está atrayendo a estudiantes dinámicos que, con los conocimientos adecuados, puedan aportar la creatividad e innovación necesaria para llegar al mercado juvenil y captar a esa audiencia que siempre está en búsqueda de lo actual y diferente”, comenta Ferralls.
Carlos Ferralls señala que, desde que Doral Academy fue fundada, en 1999, la escuela ha estado comprometida con ofrecer a sus estudiantes una preparación mucho más allá de las clases tradicionales. “Actualmente, atendemos a más de 3,450 estudiantes entre 6to grado hasta 12vo grado, y nuestro compromiso es proporcionarles un ambiente seguro e intelectualmente desafiante para su capacitación”. Es justamente ese interés por ir más allá de cumplir con el programa académico lo que llevó a Doral Academy a unirse a esta iniciativa de la cadena Telemundo. “Recordemos, además, que nuestra escuela ofrece 30 cursos Académicos Avanzados (Advanced Placement, AP, por su denominación en inglés) y Early College Dual Enrollment, así como programas especiales que, incluso, llevaron a la necesidad de construir una sede adicional”, comenta Ferralls. La nueva sede de Doral Academy estará lista para el inicio del año escolar 2018-2019 y servirá de complemento a las instalaciones actuales; Contará con siete pisos de salones especializados, entre los que destaca un moderno auditorio con capacidad para 600 personas sentadas. Ferralls agregó que la intención de haber construido la sede anexa es brindar soporte y un adecuado espacio para desarrollar los programas especiales con los que cuentan en la actualidad, por eso tendrá, por ejemplo, laboratorios, una sala de robótica y un estudio de producción de televisión. Este esfuerzo de los directivos y docentes de Doral Academy por ir más allá de la educación tradicional ha logrado que sus estudiantes asistan a algunas de las universidades más prestigiosas de todo el país, hayan sido reconocidos como una de las mejores escuelas en Estados Unidos y los haya hecho merecedores del galardón otorgado por el Centro Nacional para la Transformación de la Escuela Urbana (NCUST, por sus siglas en inglés) y del premio nacional Blue Ribbon en tres ocasiones.
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Abril/April 22, 2018
Education | Educación
www.doralfamiyjournal.com
RRDSH Silver Knight Nominees 2018 Recognized during Council Meeting
By Maria Alejandra Pulgar
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@marialepulgar - NAHJ #37172
cademic excellence and selfless dedication to community service are the common traits of the fourteen 2018 Silver Knight Nominees from Ronald W/Reagan Doral Senior High School that were recognized at the April Council Meeting in Doral. The Miami Herald Silver Knight Award, now on its 60th year, is one of the most prestigious recognitions a high school senior in Miami-Dade and Broward can receive and many of its recipients have achieved extraordinary success on their professional careers, living up to the potential that placed them among the best of their generation. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General and Florida House Representative Carlos Trujillo are among the Silver Knight Alumni, leaving a legacy of commitment to their communities. This year fourteen brilliant students from RRDSH are representing our city’s only public school on the several categories; they were introduced by Councilwoman Christy Fraga during the Council meeting, a special moment for all Councilmembers and the community to celebrate and congratulate them on this achievement, a testament of their good character, citizenship and the quality of our public education.
WHO ARE THE 2018 RRDSH SILVER KNIGHTS?
April/April 22, 2018
They add up thousands of volunteer hours, performed projects like coaching student athletes on their recruiting process, assisting autistic children, fostering reading and writing among her peers, educating immigrants on how to apply for higher education or rallying young voters for the registration and election process. During their high school years these fourteen students have selflessly applied their knowledge and talents to serve their community. Isabella Lopez (Art): worked with the Children’s Resource Center on a project called “Pursuits of Science, Art and Nature for Autistic Children. She will be attending University of Miami (UM) to study biological sciences and psychology. Isabella Pacheco (Athletics) assisted student athletes with the recruiting process and highlight reels. She will attend UM on the Pre-Med track. Ailleen Sarceno (Business) will attend University of
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Florida (UF) to study Electrical Engineering and looks forward to specialize in Biomedical Engineering to help develop and improve health care devices. Valeria Di Babbo (Drama). Besides taking challenging academics, she participated in choir and drama in RRDSH and wants to study Musical Theatre at one of her three excellent college options: Florida State University (FSU), Florida International University (FIU) and Purdue University. Lauren Rousseau (English and Literature) dreams to work in magazine publishing in the future and is on the right track; passionate for reading and writing, she will pursue a degree in English and Journalism at UF. Maria Albizu (General Scholarship) volunteered for a music summer camp to instill art appreciation in young children. She wants to major in Computer Engineering and is still deciding which college to attend between very selective choices: UF, Yale, Princeton and Harvard among others. Galia Long (Journalism) was the Editor-in-Chief of Tatanka, the school’s yearbook. Her volunteer project organized students who registered over 1,000 voters for November 2016 election. She will attend FIU where she will major in Journalism. Gabriela De Arredondo (Mathematics) devoted her community service to tutor students and to inspire young women to pursue STEM careers. She will attend UF on the Pre-Med track Emily Abboud,(Dance), worked as volunteer training John I. Smith K-8 dance team and also mentored students for auditions to magnet programs and dance teams. She is still choosing between the excellent programs at FSU, UF and UCF, where she plans to study Biomedical Engineering. Paula Piñeda (Science) plans to major in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Was admitted to top tier schools in
the country, including three Ivy League colleges. She has decided to attend Yale University in the fall. Regina Vejar (Social Science) has always been passionate about law and public service and has excelled in languages and debate. She plans to major in Political Science and is still choosing between FIU, UM, FSU and UF. Alessandra Jimenez (Speech) worked hard to overcome the language barrier and completed the ESOL program in record time to have access to more challenging classes in high school. She has been accepted to Penn State University and Virginia Poly, and is still deciding where she will attend to study Industrial Engineering. Jennifer Arias (Vocational Technical) plans to major in Applied Mathematics and is still choosing between UF and other selective schools like Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Columbia and UPenn. Diego Mansilla (World Languages) worked to assist immigrant high school students teaching them how to reach higher education. He will major in Computer Science and is still deciding between FIU, Purdue, University of Massachusetts and Miami-Dade Honors College. The judging ceremony to select the Silver Knight Award recipients will take place on April 24th and the award ceremony on May 17th at the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami. We wish the best of luck to our Reagan/Doral Silver Knights. You are already winners and excellent role models to the whole community.
Education | Educación
www.doralfamiyjournal.com
Consejo de Doral Reconoce Nominados al Premio Silver Knight
Por Maria Alejandra Pulgar
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@marialepulgar - NAHJ #37172
¿QUIÉNES SON LOS SILVER KNIGHT DE RRDSH 2018?
Entre todos suman miles de horas comunitarias, en proyectos como apoyar a estudiantes-atletas en el proceso de reclutamiento, ayudar niños con autismo, incentivar la lectura y escritura entre los estudiantes, educar a inmigrantes sobre opciones de educación superior o ayudar al registro de nuevos electores. Durante sus años en la secundaria estos catorce estudiantes aplicaron su conocimiento y talento para servir a la comunidad de Doral. Isabella Lopez (Arte) trabajó en el Children’s Resource Center en un proyecto de ciencia, arte y naturaleza para niños con Autismo. Asistirá a la Universidad de Miami (UM) para estudiar Biología y Psicología. Isabella Pacheco (Atletismo) apoyó a estudiantes atletas en el proceso de reclutamiento, selección y
preparación de videos de talento; Isabella estudiará Pre-Medicina en UM. Ailleen Sarceno (Negocios) estudiará Ingeniería Eléctrica en University of Florida (UF) y quiere especializarse en Ingeniería Biomédica para desarrollar y mejorar dispositivos de atención a la salud. Valeria Di Babbo (Drama) quiere estudiar Teatro Musical y está decidiendo entre los programas ofrecidos por sus excelentes opciones Florida State University (FSU), Florida International University (FIU) y Purdue University. Lauren Rousseau (Inglés y Literatura) sueña con trabajar en publicación de revistas y va por el camino correcto, siguiendo su pasión por la lectura y la escritura. Piensa estudiar Inglés y Periodismo en UF. Maria Albizu (Escolaridad General) hizo voluntariado en campamentos de apreciación musical para niños. Quiere estudiar Ingeniería de Computación y está decidiendo entre sus opciones: UF, Yale, Princeton y Harvard entre otras escuelas selectas. Galia Long (Periodismo) fue la Editora en Jefe del anuario escolar Tatanka. Su proyecto de voluntariado ayudó a más de 1000 votantes a inscribirse para las elecciones de Noviembre 2016. Estudiará Periodismo en FIU. Gabriela De Arredondo (Matemática) dedicó su servicio comunitario a dar tutorías a estudiantes y a inspirar a las jóvenes a estudiar carreras de tecnología. Ella estudiará Pre-Medicina en UF. Emily Abboud,(Danza), entrenó al equipo de baile de John I. Smith K-8 Center y ayudó a estudiantes en sus audiciones para equipos de baile y escuelas magnet. Emily no ha decidido aún donde estudiará Ingeniería Biomédica, entre sus opciones FSU, UF y UCF. Paula Piñeda (Ciencia) planea estudiar Biología Celular y Molecular. Luego de recibir admisión en las más selectas universidades del país, incluyendo tres Ivy League, ha decidido ingresar en Yale University en el otoño.
Regina Vejar (Ciencias Sociales) siempre ha sido apasionada de las leyes y el servicio público, destacándose en idiomas y debate. Piensa estudiar Ciencias Políticas y está decidiendo entre FIU, UM, FSU y UF. Alessandra Jiménez (Expresión Oral) trabajó muy duro para superar la barrera del idioma y completar el programa ESOL en tiempo record, para poder cursar materias más exigentes en la secundaria. Con su dedicación logró admisión en Penn State y Virginia Poly y aún está decidiendo en cuál de ellas estudiará Ingeniería Industrial. Jennifer Arias (Vocacional/Técnico) planea estudiar Matemáticas Aplicadas y está decidiendo entre UF y otras escuelas como Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Columbia y UPenn. Diego Mansilla (Idiomas) trabajó apoyando a estudiantes de secundaria inmigrantes en el proceso de aplicación a la educación superior. Quiere estudiar Ingeniería de Computación, y está decidiendo entre FIU, Purdue, University of Massachusetts y Miami-Dade Honors College. La sesión de trabajo con los jurados que seleccionaran los ganadores del Premio Silver Knight tendrá lugar el 24 de Abril y la premiación será el 17 de Mayo en el James L. Knight Center de Miami. Deseamos la mayor de las suertes a nuestros Silver Knight de RRDSH. Ustedes ya son ganadores y un excelente modelo a seguir para toda la comunidad.
Abril/April 22, 2018
a excelencia académica y dedicación desinteresada al servicio comunitario son las características comunes de los catorce nominados por la Secundaria Ronald W.Reagan/ Doral al Premio Silver Knight del Miami Herald. Estos jóvenes recibieron un reconocimiento público en la sesión del Concejo Municipal de Doral en Abril. El Premio Silver Knight, en su 60va edición, es uno de los más prestigiosos otorgados a los graduandos de secundaria en los condados Miami-Dade y Broward. Entre los galardonados en el pasado se encuentran Jeff Bezos, CEO de Amazon, Vivek Murthy, Ex Secretario de Salud y el Representante Estatal Carlos Trujillo. La mayoría de los galardonados con este premio han tenido extraordinarias carreras profesionales, alcanzando el potencial que les llevó a ser seleccionados entre los mejores de su generación. La Concejal Christy Fraga presentó durante la sesión a los catorce nominados por RRDSH en las diferentes categorías. Fue un momento especial donde las autoridades municipales y la comunidad celebraron junto a ellos y sus familias este gran logro, muestra de su carácter y ciudadanía y de la calidad de la educación pública de la ciudad.
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Abril/April 22, 2018
City | Ciudad
www.doralfamiyjournal.com
Beckham’s soccer stadium El estadio de David Beckham could be in Doral podria estar en Doral The Construction of this important soccer venue is considered a strong stimulus for the local economy.
Edda Pujadas, @epujadas
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April/April 22, 2018
he soccer stadium that David Beckham wants to build in Miami, and that will serve as home for the professional soccer team for Miami could be built in Doral, given the urban, commercial and sporting facilities that our city offers. This resulted from a meeting in which one of the partners of the soccer star, Jose Mas; an executive of the Major Soccer League (MLS) Mark Abbott; the owner of the land being considered, David Martin and City of Doral Officials, held recently. The Mayor of Doral, Juan Carlos Bermudez explained that the main reason for this meeting was to explain to the Beckham Group and its investors the legal process and the regulations that they have to consider from our City in order to get the corresponding permits to build a Soccer stadium in the parcel located at 7777 NW 41 Street. This land is being used today as a Pepsi distribution center, has a total area of 24 acres, it is one of the five lots being considered for the building of the Soccer stadium and has generated huge expectations worldwide. According to the investors, this stadium could be much more than a soccer complex, it could be in fact a technological hub to boost the economic output around the area, with spaces for the construction of office spaces. This complex could also include a hotel, a convention center, a youth soccer academy, restaurants and retail space. For Mayor Bermudez, a stadium with these technological, commercial and athletic characteristics would bring worldwide recognition to our city, especially if it is the home of the athletic project whose leader is David Beckham and for whom the promotion of the development of soccer is his goal. Bermudez also considers that Doral has the necessary virtues to be the Home of this athletic mega project due to the urban and commercial development of our city and considering the benefits of its location, next to cosmopolitan areas such as Downtown Doral and City Place. Regarding the land-use established by the Zoning Codes of the City of Doral, it appears as if there is no additional approval to be requested for the construction of this stadium (including additional retail and office spaces) and with an estimated height of 130 ft, as all of this is considered in our Master Plan. “The fact that our city is being considered for the construction of this stadium, that is considered a fundamental piece in the promotion of soccer in South Florida, is evidence of the good positioning that Doral has among the cities within Miami Dade County,” stated Bermudez.
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Como un pujante estímulo a la economía local es considerada la construcción de este centro futbolístico en Doral.
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l estadio proyectado por David Beckham y que serviría de sede para el equipo profesional de fútbol de Miami podría ser construido en Doral, en consideración a las prestaciones urbanas, comerciales y deportivas que ofrece nuestra ciudad. Así se desprendió de una reunión sostenida entre uno de los socios del astro futbolístico, José Mas; el representante de la liga futbolística (Major League Soccer, MLS, por su denominación en inglés), Mark Abbott; el propietario del terreno que está tomando en consideración, David Martin y funcionarios de la Ciudad de Doral. El alcalde de Doral, Juan Carlos Bermúdez, explicó que la razón principal de este encuentro fue explicarle al grupo de Beckham y sus inversionistas el proceso legal y las regulaciones de nuestra ciudad para permitir la construcción de este estadio de fútbol en el terreno ubicado en 7777 NW con 41 calle. Este terreno, que en la actualidad funciona como un centro de distribución de la empresa de bebidas gaseosas Pepsi, posee un total de 24 acres y está entre una de las cinco posibilidades que están siendo consideradas para la edificación de este estadio de fútbol que ha generado grandes expectativas a nivel mundial. Según lo afirman sus inversionistas, este estadio sería mucho más que un complejo futbolístico, sería en realidad una especie de centro tecnológico para impulsar la producción económica del área del estadio, con espacios para la instalación de oficinas de alta gama. El complejo también podría incluir un hotel, sala de convenciones, una academia de fútbol juvenil, restaurantes y tiendas. Para el alcalde Bermúdez, un estadio con estas características tecnológicas, comerciales y deportivas le daría renombre y reconocimiento mundial a nuestra ciudad, al ser sede de este proyecto deportivo liderizado por David Beckman y que tiene la intención de impulsar el desarrollo del fútbol. Bermudez también considera que Doral cuenta con las virtudes necesarias para ser sede de este mega proyecto deportivo debido al desarrollo urbano y comercial de nuestra ciudad y de sus ventajas en cuanto a localización y creación de zonas cosmopolitas como Downtown Doral y City Place. Con respecto al tipo de uso establecido por las normas de zonificación de la Ciudad de Doral, al parecer no se requería ninguna aprobación adicional para la construcción de este estadio (con anexos comerciales y de oficina) que se estima tendrá unos 130 pies de altura, pues este tipo de uso se contempla en nuestro Plan Maestro. “El hecho de que nuestra localidad esté siendo tomada en cuenta para la construcción de este estadio, que es catalogado como una pieza fundamental en la masificación del fútbol en el sur de la Florida, es evidencia de lo bien posicionados que estamos dentro de las ciudades del condado de Miami-Dade”, comentó el alcalde Bermúdez.
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Abril/April 22, 2018
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Offshore Disclosure Program Ends on 9/28/2018
April/April 22, 2018
riginally launched in 2009, the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) has been allowing U.S. taxpayers to voluntarily resolve noncompliance of unreported foreign financial assets and failure to file foreign information returns for offshore activities; however, this program will be coming to an end this year, meaning, this is the “Last Call” to disclose certain offshore investments to the IRS if you want to avoid criminal charges or large penalties. After it started, taxpayers had used the OVDP to comply voluntarily and pay back taxes, interest, and penalties to the IRS, and avoid criminal prosecution. The program has been modified through the years, but on March 13, 2018, the IRS announced the program will come to an end on September 28, 2018. The IRS hopes that announcing it ahead of time gives enough time to U.S. taxpayers who benefit from this program, to take advantage before it ends. Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter said: “All along, we have been clear that we would close the program at the appropriate time, and we have reached that point. Those who still wish to come forward have time to do so.” The U.S. taxpayers who this program should concern includes those who need to file: FinCen114 - Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), for foreign financial accounts that contain more than $10,000 in the aggregate; Form 8938 - Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets, for foreign assets above a certain thresholds; Form 3520 - Annual Return to Report Transactions with Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts, for certain foreign gifts; and Form 5471 - Information Return of U.S. Persons with Respect to Certain Foreign
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Corporation, for certain foreign entities. Form 5472 – Information Return of 25% Foreign-Owned U.S. Corporation or Foreign Corporation Engaged in U.S. Trade or Business Form 2555 – Foreign Earned Income Although the IRS intends to close the program, it will continue educating taxpayers about the international activities, and using tools like whistleblowers leads, civil examination and criminal prosecution to indict taxpayers’ violations. Don Fort, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation said: “The IRS remains actively engaged in ferreting out the identities of those with undisclosed foreign accounts with the use of information resources and increased data analytics. Stopping offshore tax noncompliance remains a top priority of the IRS.” This is the final opportunity for taxpayers with foreign tax compliance exposure, to indicate the facts and establish a reasonable cause for the failure to comply with U.S. tax laws, and come into compliance, before the program ends. If you will be affected by this change, take immediate action to evaluate and address any past noncompliance before September 28, 2018, to avoid criminal prosecution. Many times, in these delinquent cases, there are no taxes due, only the disclosure of foreign assets is required, but minimizing the penalties (basically $10,000 per missing form per year or more) are the big issue for foreign compliance cases. Call our office for more information from any of our tax specialists. File your delinquent disclosures or taxes today, before it is too late to use this special tax program! Give us a call today (305) 477-5671 . Rosillo & Associates, P.A. is located at 7950 NW 53 St. Suite 221, Doral, FL.
Events | Eventos
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John I. Smith K-8 Center Dance Team participated in Dance Xplosion Abboud has been an essential part of the middle school dance program from its inception. As a former member of the team, Emily has volunteered her time and services during high school to teach contemporary dance and it has earned her a prestigious choreography award for her work last season. Their teacher, Ms. Esquenazi affords students the opportunity to advance not only their dance technique in different genres but also it instills the confidence to discover and develop in other areas of fine arts such as choreography and acting. Several 8th grade team members have been accepted to magnet schools specializing in dance for the 2018-2019 academic school year. Although, these dancers will be missed, the John I. Smith K-8 Family is very proud of their accomplishments. This program has grown and evolved into what it is today because of so many special individuals that are involved in making it a success. Former students who volunteer their
time and expertise, parents and community members who sponsor and help coordinate events as well as the John I. Smith administrators and PTSA members who give all school teams their full support. The John I. Smith K-8 Dance Team is always displaying an upward trajectory and that is a solid affirmation of the hard work and dedication of so many.
Abril/April 22, 2018
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he John I. Smith K-8 Center Dance Team recently participated in regional dance competitions such as Dance Xplosion and is currently preparing for their next endeavor which is StarPower and Nextstar nationals in Orlando. Under the direction of Ms. Sonia Esquenazi, the dance team has prepared jazz, musical theatre and contemporary dances that have won first place in their specific category and in the overall category. This year’s top scoring routine, Adrenalina, was a jazz fusion piece highlighting the Latin American culture. The Dance Team allows students to audition in the Spring time and work together over the summer, during class and after school to create these dances and perform them at school events, fundraisers for charity and various competitions throughout the year. This year the group will be performing a contemporary piece at Nationals choreographed by Ronald Reagan High School Senior and Silver Knights nominee, Emily Abboud. Ms.
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By Grecia Romero
April/April 22, 2018
Art, Theater, Healthy Fairs, and Musicals are some of the entertaining alternatives that we include in this edition for you and your family to enjoy. Plan your weekends ahead based on these ideas:
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City of Doral is inviting residents to enjoy these events: • Lunch on the Lawn: April 27th from 11:30am to 2:30pm at Downtown Doral Park. This event offers the residents and professionals the opportunity to take a break and join the city for lunch! Come and enjoy the outdoors at this beautiful park! Food and beverage available for purchase. • Art After Dark: May 3rd from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at the Doral Government Center. Expand your artistic knowledge with this art series which features guided art making opportunities, refreshments and entertainment. Every Art After Dark is different, so attend them all! Free parking and admission. Workshop is limited to 30 participants and RSVP is required by Friday, April 27. Participants must be 21 or older. For additional information or RSVP, please call 305-5936611, or visit www.cityofdoral.com. ENSEMBLE CONCERT “SIDE-BY-SIDE”: April 28th at 8:00pm at the New World Center. New World Symphony is granting 50 student musicians from South Florida, Brazil, and Medellín the chance to perform in a special concert titled, Side-by-Side. After a long process of auditions, and an intensive rehearsals, this event will be an unforgettable experience for student ages 7 to 12 that will be living a dream. This event is free to the public and also available on Wallcast, where the symphony projects the interior concert on the large, 7,000-squarefoot exterior wall facing SoundScape Park so nobody misses it www.nws.edu FREE ARTFUL PLAYDATES: April 28th from 10:30 am to 12:00 am at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU. This event provide children and their families multiple ways to explore learning through singing, art making, role-playing and fun. Each Saturday session is designed to promote language development, reading, collaborative play, and include activities that bring art, math, music, science, technology and engineering together (STEAM) along with social skills to support future academic success. Visit the Museum
Webpage to RSVP and check the next session dates. frost.fiu.edu YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN: From April 28th to May 19th, Saturdays at 2:00pm at the Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. The Charles Schulz’s beloved comic comes to life in Clark Gesner’s classic musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The whole gang is here: bossy Lucy, piano prodigy Schroeder, perfectionist Sally, blanket-toting Linus, Snoopy, and Charlie Brown. This is a crowdpleasing classic that you won’t want to miss. www. actorsplayhouse.org/childrens Miami-Dade Public Library is offering these educational and free events: • Climate of Art – April 28th, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at West Kendall Regional. View a special art show featuring the works of local artists involved in the climate change conversation. Learn about steps you can take to diminish your carbon footprint. Ages 8 and up. • Tynker Hackathon: Saving the Planet with Code: April 28th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at West Kendall Regional. Join the Tynker computer coding challenge while learning about environmental awareness and how to care for our planet. Winners will receive small prizes and giveaways. Best for ages 8 to 18 years • Music and Movement en dos idiomas: April 30th at 10:00 am at North Dade Regional. Music aids brain development and integrates the senses from a very young age. Enjoy an interactive bilingual music session while improving socialization, communication and listening skills. Best for ages 18 months to 3 years. www.mdpls.org SHREK JR- THE MUSICAL: May 04th at 3:00pm at Pinecrest Garden. This Everyone’s favorite play is presented by Miami Children’s Theater. In it, the ogre is back and Beauty is in the eye of the ogre, in this hilarious stage
spectacle, based on the Oscar-winning smash hit film and outrageous Broadway musical. Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family. www.pinecrestgardens.org 12TH ANNUAL “ALL KIDS INCLUDED FAMILY ARTS FESTIVAL”: May 5th at 10:0am at the South MiamiDade Cultural Arts Center. In a fun and educational event, families will have the opportunity to enjoy a full day of activities and cultural experiences. The event will feature a kid-friendly show called “The Gruffalo”, and a pop singer Mandy Harvey from “America’s Got Talent”. Also the event will offer painting and print making sessions, performances by The Children’s Voice Chorus; Greater Miami Youth Symphony, Ballet at the Park, Didgeridoo Fun, and Area Stage’s Inclusive Theater Program .This event is free and appropriate for children with and without disabilities. www.smdcac.org CULTURE SHOCK MIAMI- STUDENT DISCOUNTS TO SHOWS AND MUSEUMS: This is a great news for students between 13 and 22 years-old. Thanks to the organization called Culture Shock Miami, youth can get discount tickets to numerous cultural performances in Miami for only $5 each, and buy another ticket for anyone of any age. Culture Shock also has standing discounts to various museums and attractions that are usually expensive to visit. The availability of tickets vary, but usually includes deals for Bass Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, Miami Children’s Museum, Miami Science Museum, Vizcaya, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, ZooMiami, and more. See the discounts at www.cultureshockmiami.com TOUR OF ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER: Every Monday and Saturday at noon. This unforgettable tour depart from the lobby of the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House and go around the largest performing arts center built in the United States in the last three decades. The highlights of the tour include: information about the Center’s architecture, history and the many stars that contributed with the construction; a walk that includes glimpses into star dressing rooms, private meeting rooms and lounges not open to the public; views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline from the Center’s upper tiers and Biscayne Boulevard pedestrian bridge, and more. www.arshtcenter.org
Por Grecia Romero
La ciudad de Doral invita a sus residentes a disfrutar de estos eventos: • Almuerzo en el césped: 27 de abril de 11:30 am a 2:30 pm en Downtown Doral Park. Este evento ofrece a los residentes y profesionales la oportunidad de tomarse un descanso y unirse a la ciudad para almorzar. Disfrute del aire libre en este hermoso parque, con alimentos y bebidas disponibles para la compra. • Art After Dark: 3 de mayo de 6:00 pm a 8:00 pm en el Doral Government Center. Amplíe sus conocimientos artísticos con esta serie de arte que presenta oportunidades de arte guiadas, refrigerios y entretenimiento. Cada sesión es diferente, así que asista a toda la serie. Estacionamiento y entrada gratis. El taller está limitado a 30 participantes y se requiere RSVP para el 27 de abril. Los participantes deben ser mayores de 21 años. Más información llame al 305-593-6611 o visite www.cityofdoral.com ENSEMBLE CONCERT “SIDE-BY-SIDE”: 28 de abril a las 8:00pm en el New World Center. New World Symphony está otorgando a 50 músicos estudiantes del Sur de Florida, Brasil y Medellín la oportunidad de presentarse en un concierto especial titulado Side-bySide. Después de un largo proceso de audiciones y ensayos intensivos, este evento será una experiencia inolvidable para estudiantes de 7 a 12 años que vivirán un sueño. Este evento es gratis para el público y también está disponible en Wallcast, donde la sinfonía proyecta el concierto interior en el gran muro exterior de 7,000 pies cuadrados frente a SoundScape Park para que nadie se lo pierda. www.nws.edu DÍA DE JUEGOS Y ARTE GRATUITO: 28 de abril de 10:30 am a 12:00 am en el Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU. Este evento les brinda a los niños y sus familias múltiples maneras de explorar el aprendizaje a través del canto, el arte, la actuación y la diversión. Cada sesión está diseñada para promover el desarrollo del lenguaje, la lectura, el juego colaborativo e incluir actividades que combinen el arte, las matemáticas, la música, la ciencia, la tecnología y la ingeniería (STEAM) junto con las habilidades sociales para apoyar el éxito académico futuro. Visite la página web del museo para confirmar su asistencia y verifique las próximas fechas durante el año. www.frost.fiu.edu
‘YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN’: del 28 de abril al 19 de mayo, los sábados a las 2:00pm en Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre. El querido personaje de Charles Schulz cobra vida en el musical clásico de Clark Gesner, ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’. Toda la pandilla está aquí: la mandona Lucy, el prodigio del piano Schroeder, la perfeccionista Sally, Linus, Snoopy y Charlie Brown. Este es un clásico que agrada multitudes y que no querrá perderse. www.actorsplayhouse.org/childrens La Biblioteca Pública de Miami-Dade está ofreciendo estos eventos educativos y gratuitos: • Clima de Arte - 28 de abril, de 2:00 a 5:00 pm en West Kendall Regional. Vea un espectáculo de arte especial con las obras de artistas locales involucrados en el cambio climático. Conozca los pasos que puede seguir para disminuir su huella de carbono. De 8 años en adelante. • Tynker Hackathon: Ayudando al Planeta con código: 28 de abril de 10:00 am a 1:00 pm en West Kendall Regional. Únase al desafío de codificación de la computadora Tynker mientras aprende sobre la conciencia ambiental y cómo cuidar nuestro planeta. Los ganadores recibirán pequeños premios y obsequios. Edades de 8 a 18 años • Música y movimiento en dos idiomas: 30 de abril a las 10:00 am en North Dade Regional. La música ayuda al desarrollo del cerebro e integra los sentidos desde una edad muy temprana. Disfrute de una sesión de música bilingüe interactiva mientras mejora la socialización, la comunicación y las habilidades para escucha de su pequeño de 18 meses a 3 años. www.mdpls.org SHREK JR- THE MUSICAL: 4 de mayo a las 3:00 pm en Pinecrest Garden. Esta obra favorita de todos es presentada por Miami Children’s Theatre. En él, el ogro está de vuelta y la Bella está en el ojo del ogro, en este divertido espectáculo teatral, basado en la exitosa película ganadora del Oscar y el escandaloso musical de Broadway. Parte romance y parte cuento de hadas, Shrek Jr es un espectáculo divertido con un poderoso mensaje para toda la familia. www.pinecrestgardens.org FESTIVAL ANUAL DE ARTES FAMILIARES “TODOS LOS NIÑOS INCLUIDOS”: 5 de mayo a las 10:00
am en el Centro de Artes Culturales South Miami-Dade. En este evento educativo y divertido, las familias tendrán la oportunidad de disfrutar de un día de actividades y experiencias culturales. El evento contará con un programa para niños llamado “The Gruffalo”, y la cantante pop Mandy Harvey de “America’s Got Talent”. Además, se frecerá sesiones de pintura e impresión, actuaciones de The Children’s Voice Chorus; Greater Miami Youth Symphony, Ballet en el parque, Didgeridoo Fun y el programa de teatro inclusivo de Stage Stage. Este evento es gratuito y apropiado para niños con y sin discapacidades. www.smdcac.org CULTURE SHOCK MIAMI - Descuentos para estudiantes en espectáculos y museos: una excelente noticia para estudiantes entre 13 y 22 años de edad. Gracias a la organización llamada Culture Shock Miami, los jóvenes pueden obtener boletos con descuento para numerosas actuaciones culturales en Miami por solo $ 5 cada uno, y comprar otro boleto para cualquier persona de cualquier edad. Culture Shock también tiene descuentos permanentes para varios museos y atracciones que generalmente son costosas. La disponibilidad de entradas varía, pero por lo general incluye ofertas para el Bass Museum of Art, el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de North Miami, el Miami Children’s Museum, el Miami Science Museum, Vizcaya, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, ZooMiami y más. Vea los descuentos actuales en www.cultureshockmiami.com VISITA GUIADA AL ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER: todos los lunes y sábados al mediodía. Este inolvidable tour sale del lobby de Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House y recorre el centro de artes escénicas más grande construido en los Estados Unidos en las últimas tres décadas. Los aspectos más destacados de la gira incluyen: información sobre la arquitectura del Centro, la historia y las muchas personalidades que contribuyeron con la construcción; un paseo que incluye vestuarios estelares, salas de reuniones privadas y salones no abiertos al público; vistas del Biscayne Bay, el horizonte de Miami desde las gradas superiores del Centro, el puente peatonal Biscayne Boulevard, y más. www.arshtcenter.org
Abril/April 22, 2018
Arte, teatro, ferias de salud y musicales son algunas de las entretenidas alternativas que incluimos en esta edición para que usted y su familia. Planifique sus fines de semana con estas ideas:
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