City of Coral Gables News!

Jazz In The Gables Continues Today

Jazz in the Gables, the free lunchtime jazz concert series, continues today, February 27 at 12:15 p.m. with the captivating, soul stirring jazz singer Lenard Rutledge. The event takes place on the Plaza of the Coral Gables Museum located on Salzedo Street, two blocks north of Miracle Mile. Take a break from your work routine and come enjoy some music and purchase a box lunch from Catering by Lovables which will be available for sale on-site every week. The series returns on Wednesday, March 6 with the entertaining music of the Jack Siegel Band. This event is a collaboration of the City of Coral Gables, the Coral Gables Museum, the Business Improvement District, the Miami Jazz Coop, and civic sponsors HBO Latin America and Vizcaino, Gitlin & Zomerfeld, LLP. For more information, click here.photo: Lenard Rutledge

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New Office, New Title

For Carmen Olazábal, P.E., the new year began with new responsibilities. City Manager Pat Salerno pro­moted Carmen from Assistant Director of Development Services to Assistant City Manager for Opera­tions. Carmen, a Coral Gables resident, began her employment with the City in 2010 as the Building and Zoning Director, and in January 2012, she became Assistant Director of Development Services. “Coral Gables is a wonderful community and I am excited to continue to serve my fellow citizens in this new capacity,” said Carmen.

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Artopia Brings Arts, Culture, Fashion & Much More

The fifth annual Artopia, presented by Downtown Coral Gables, Miracle Mile and the Miami New Times, takes place tomorrow Thursday, February 28, from 7-10 p.m. at the Coral Gables Museum. This event joins together an eclectic touch of art, culture, fashion, food, music and film to celebrate Miami’s best artistic talent. Guests will enjoy complimentary food and drinks. There will be musical performances, fashion shows, live performance art and works from local artists. The Coral Gables Museum is located at 285 Aragon Avenue. Tickets are $25 in advance; $35 at the door. For more information, click here.

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Free UM Men’s Baseball Game Tickets For Residents Only

If you’re a Coral Gables resident you can receive up to four free tickets per household for upcoming Canes Men's Baseball games. This special offer is made possible thanks to the 20-year Development Agreement between the City of Coral Gables and the University of Miami. Tickets for the following games are available:

Men’s Baseball:

• Game 1: Sunday, March 10 at 1 p.m. University of Miami vs. Duke. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Saturday, March 2 at 8 a.m.
• Game 2: Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m. University of Miami vs. Virginia Tech. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Saturday, March 9 at 8 a.m.
• Game 3: Sunday, April 21 at 1 p.m. University of Miami vs. Clemson. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Saturday, April 6 at 8 a.m.
• Game 4: Saturday, May 18 at 1 p.m. University of Miami vs. Georgia Tech. Only 250 tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Saturday, May 4 at 8 a.m.

The games will be played at the Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, 6201 San Amaro Drive. Tickets will be distributed in person at the War Memorial Youth Center, 405 University Drive, no earlier than the designated distribution date. The Youth Center is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 12 noon and Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Residents must show proof of residential address. Tickets are limited to four per household. For additional information, contact the Parks and Recreation Division at 305-460-5600.

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Art, Music & Food Come Together At Carnaval On The Mile

This weekend, art, music and delicious food come together on the streets of Miracle Mile. Carnaval on the Mile takes place this Saturday, March 2, from 10 a.m. until midnight, and on Sunday, March 3, from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Enjoy three main stages located on LeJeune Road, Douglas Road and Ponce de Leon Boulevard presenting more than 30 musical groups. Among the performers are Revilalist, Shamar Allen, Poncho Sanchez, Ed Calle and many more. A Fine Arts Village will also line the streets with paintings, sculptures, photography, crafts and jewelry. Miracle Mile will come alive in this weekend-long festival of music, art and good food. For more information, click here.

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Sidewalk Sale Returns To Miracle Mile This Weekend

Downtown Coral Gables’ 8th annual Sidewalk Sale returns to Miracle Mile Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3, offering coveted deals from some of the area’s most sought-after retailers. Scheduled during Carnaval on the Mile, the Sidewalk Sale features discounts from 20-75% off on items ranging from jewelry and fashion to salon services and more at dozens of stores and salons. For more information, click here.

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Villagers Present Their Annual Garden Tour

You’re invited to the Villagers’ “Garden Concepts” tour this Saturday, March 2, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. This year’s tour showcases gardens in central Coral Gables, an area that is part of the original Town Plan developed in the 1920s. The tour will allow guests to explore different landscape themes, designs and concepts at the properties selected within the heart of Coral Gables. The Villagers is an organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of historic sites. Advanced tickets are $25; $30 the day of the tour. Tickets can be picked up the day of the event at 1138 Obispo Avenue or 1242 South Greenway. For more information, contact Julie at 305-460-6030.

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Coral Gables Residents Invited To Free Lectures

As part of the 20-year Development Agreement between the City of Coral Gables and the University of Miami, Coral Gables residents are invited to attend the following free lectures:

• “The Science of Beauty and the Beauty of Science” by Richard Dawkins, one of the world’s most influential living scientists and authors. His work as an evolutionary biologist pioneered a gene-centric view of evolution, and he has become a leading advocate for reason and science. The lecture takes place on Thursday, March 7, 7 p.m. at the BankUnited Center, 1245 Dauer Drive. There are a limited number of tickets for Coral Gables residents. Tickets will be distributed in person on a first-come, first-served basis at the War Memorial Youth Center, 405 University Drive, beginning Saturday, March 2 at 8 a.m. Residents must show proof of residential address. Tickets are limited to two per household.
• “The Water Microbiome and Development of a QMR Tools” by Dr. Joan B. Rose, Chair in the Water Research at Michigan State University. Her recent work with new instrumentation has discovered more identifiable human virus sequences in sewage, including four families of bacteriophage. The lecture takes place on Monday, March 4, 3:30 p.m. at the McArthur Engineering Annex, Room MEA 201, UM Coral Gables Campus. Light refreshments will be provided. Tickets are not required.
• “Beyond Bionics” by the University of Miami’s Dr. Justin Sanchez, a biomedical engineer who is working to develop neural technology to treat neurological disorders. The lecture is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, 10:30 a.m. at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue. Parking is available across the street in the Museum Parking Garage on Aragon. Tickets are not required.

For additional information on any of these events, contact the Parks and Recreation Division at 305-460-5600.

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City Celebrates Pioneer Day
At Historic Pinewood Cemetery

The City of Coral Gables and the Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board present Pioneer Day, a celebration of the history of early pioneer families, many buried at Pinewood Cemetery. The event takes place on Saturday, March 9 beginning at 10 a.m. Join us for a tour of Pinewood Cemetery, the oldest burial ground in Miami-Dade County commonly used as such since 1897. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Pinewood Cemetery is located on Erwin Road just south of Sunset Drive. Pinewood Cemetery is recognized as the oldest cemetery south of the Miami River and one of the oldest historical sites in Coral Gables. It is the final resting place for more than 200 pioneers from the 1800s and early 1900s, such as veterans of the Seminole Indian War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I as well as victims of the 1926 hurricane. For more information or to RSVP for the event, contact the City of Coral Gables Historical Resources Department at 305-460-5093.