Publisher’s COMMENTARY

Publisher’s COMMENTARY

TO EVERY THING THERE IS A SEASON….

In Ecclesiastes 3, we read and ponder: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven… a time to sow and a time to reap…  a time to be born, and a time to die;… a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance,,,”

The South Miami community mourned the passing of two exceptional members of our family, former mayor Rev. Dr. Anna Price and artiste par excellence Gail Coachman Alexander. Both women contributed mightily to their Marshall Williamson neighborhood, the city of South Miami and to the greater Miami-Dade community. I was honored to have known and worked with each for over two decades. Gail’s passing in early January came as a complete shock to all: family, senior citizens with whom she worked, community leaders, fellow former teachers, students, and friends. An accomplished stain glass artist, she will also be fondly remembered for the murals on the Community Center’s grounds, the community coming together to paint the Unity Wall and the mural in the Sensory Lab. These are all testaments to her work. Rev. Dr. Anna Price and I shared a unique friendship and appreciation. Born in the same month and year, but a few days apart put us on the cusp of Aquarius and Pisces; we always made plans to observe our February birthdays. This year, like in the scripture quote, was a time for mourning…. Both Gail and Anna will be truly missed. In this issue, SOMIonline magazine is running a few pictures of Gail’s work, and in recognition of our former mayor, a copy of the resolution read by Vice-Mayor Brian Corey at the Rev.Dr. Anna Price’s memorial service together with a tribute posted by SMPD Chief Reo Hafield.

In this issue, you’ll be introduced to The Underline’s new CEO, Eulois Cleckley. Checkley’s role is to champion the mission of advancing Miami’s multimodal urban corridor destination while working alongside founder Meg Daly as chair of the board. Meg has been the volunteer founder and president of The Underline since its inception. SOMI Magazine has championed The Underline as a regular feature since before there was a shovel in the ground. SOMI welcomes Eulois Cleckley!

Speaking of shovels in the ground, several projects are advancing in the City of South Miami, and what I refer to as Its “Decade of Development.” AvalonBay South Miami Market is gearing up for its fall opening, while considering additional residential units on Dorn Avenue & US1 properties. South Miami resident and developer Henry Pino is planning a first in the area — a luxury condominium where the Roadway Inn is now. United Community Bank is in the process of building a new headquarters on Sunset Drive where Harris Travel was located (I miss the hobby train display!). This leads to a discussion on what development might there be on the former bank property on Sunset Drive and the surrounding parking lots. For updates on these, Sunset Place and others planned for our town center hometown district, stay tuned to SOMI.

Enjoy the many posts in this issue, meet new business owners, learn from elHappyBreath coach, read about new robotic dental procedures, and catch up on happenings like Arbetter’s Hall of Fame, the Porsche street concourse and the 40^th annual SOMI ArtFest presented by the South Miami Rotary International club volunteers.

Happy spring! Hop into SOMI, let us know how you think we’re doing.

John Edward Smith

Hearing From You

TC FAVS

READERS COMMENTS

I saw a city planning document that is geared to remove palm trees from our streets and sidewalks. While creating a shaded walk on our sidewalks is very attractive (except for the broken sidewalks!), removing showcase palms from our medians is a profound waste of tax-payer dollars. Within the last decade, the city put in a row of Canary Date Palms in the entrance to our downtown. These palms are worth some $12,500 a piece – that’s at least $150,000 – who’s watching our money! Are they going to remove the palm tree from the city seal too!!!

Thomas M., South Miami

I noticed that Khoury’s restaurant has closed. I understand the Khourys have retired and planning to move back to Lebanon. They certainly deserve their retirement after many years serving up the best Lebanese food in Miami! I’ve been coming here for years and will miss Maroon, his wife and sister – years have gone by since his parents passed. They will always be remembered for their great hospitality and warmth. You were always treated like family at Khoury’s.

Sam P., Coral Gables

I noticed in your printed companion publication, SOMI Guide, that you have a display of international flags on your “welcome” pages. With Miami as the nexus of the southern hemisphere, it seems to me that you should be including flags from this hemisphere.

Arturo T., Coral Gables

Thank you Arturo for calling this to our attention. We’ve replaced some flags and included more hemispheric flags to the layout – we are limited to space however, hope we got your native country included. – jes

SOMionline Seasonal Lifestyle Magazine & SOMI Guide are published quarterly in by
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