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District Office
8345 NW 12th Street
Miami, FL 33126
(305) 599-1200
Downtown Office
Stephen P. Clark Center
111 NW 1st Street
Suite 220
Miami, Florida 33128
(305) 375-4343
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Dear resident,
Thank you for your support. I invite you to read this month's newsletter to be informed of matters that concern you as well as community events in your area. I heard employees' complaints regarding wage theft and I'm happy to report that my legislation passed at the Board of County Commission meeting on October 3. From now on, the fine for employers who take advantage of employees will increase by up to 60 percent and bar companies that engage in wage theft from doing business with Miami-Dade County. I invite you to please attend a wage theft workshop, co-hosted by the Miami-Dade County Office of Consumer Protection and me. It will take place on Thursday, November 2 at the FireFighters Memorial Building, 8000 NW 21 St., from 6pm to 8pm. Hope to see you there!
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Commissioner Diaz pays tribute to U.S. Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson killed in Action
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Commissioner Diaz who serves as the Chairman of the Miami-Dade Military Affairs Board and members of the Miami-Dade Military Affairs board joined many residents at the funeral for fallen soldier La David T. Johnson from Miami Gardens on October 21 at Christ the Rock Church in Cooper City, followed by burial services at Fred Hunter's Hollywood Memorial Gardens cemetery. Johnson died on October 4 while fighting alongside Green Berets when Islamic militants ambushed them near the Niger border with Mali. Johnson was a 25 year old member of the 3rd Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, N.C. He is survived by his wife Myeshia Johnson, who is six months pregnant and two children. A gofundme page has been set up to benefit Sgt. Johnson's children.
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issioner Diaz co-primed an ordinance to provide paid leave to Miami-Dade County and Public Health Trust employees who are disabled veterans.
Commissioner Diaz sponsored a resolution urging Congress to eliminate the so-called "widow's tax, which reduces the Survivor Benefit Plan annuities for surviving spouses of military personnel if those surviving spouses are also receiving Dependency and indemnity Compensation from the federal government.
An ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Diaz to toughen penalties on employers engaging in wage theft passed at the Board of County Commission meeting on October 3.
Commissioner Diaz
sponsored
legislation
urging the state to adopt an annual sales tax holiday for military veterans and their families.
Commissioner Diaz sponsored legislation urging the state to make looters pay twice the value of any loss or damage caused by a theft or burglary committed during a declared statewide or local emergency.
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Commissioner Diaz helps dedicate street honoring Guillermo Benites in District 12
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On October 6, Commissioner Diaz joined the City of Doral Mayor, other elected officials and family members and colleagues of the late Univision Channel 23 anchor Guillermo Benites to officially name Northwest 41Street between 93rd Court and 97th Avenue as "Guillermo Benites Way" after the Emmy award-winning news anchor died last year at the age of 75 following a long career as a Spanish-language news anchor. Benites, an Argentine native, moved to Miami in 1968, where he worked as a radio announcer before joining Univision as a weatherman before becoming its primary news anchor.
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A drainage improvement project will start November 2017 at NW 132nd Place from NW 8th Terrace to NW 9th Terrace. The project will improve flooding in the area and will consist of the construction of storm drainage system, solid pipe along with drainage inlets, storm manholes and roadway restoration. The project is expected to be completed in December 2017.
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What's happening in District 12 Libraries
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Newsworthy Items for the Community
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Tax notices delayed due to Hurricane Irma
Due to Hurricane Irma, the 2017 Real and Tangible Person Property Tax Notices (annual tax notices ) which are normally mailed by the Tax Collector before November 1st have been delayed and will be mailed out around November 14th. For more information, visit the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser website
Loans still available for residents and businesses due to Hurricane Irma
The
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced residents and businesses impacted by Hurricane Irma still have time to apply for loans - deadline for property damage is November 9 and the deadline for economic injury applications is June 11, 2018. For more information, people can call 1-800-659-2955 and 1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing or email at customerservice@sba.gov
North Trail Park to upgrade tennis facility
The Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Department received a grant of $7,500 from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to improve the tennis courts at
North Trail Park, located in District 12. The project will include resurfacing and restriping the two existing 78 foot tennis courts and will also provide new playing lines to better serve all residents in District 12. Commissioner Diaz has also allocated funds to upgrade the facility, which will cost $15,000.
2018 "All Kids Included" Student Art Competition
Is your child artsy or wants to be an artist? If so, you might want encourage your child to enter the
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affair's All Kids Included (AKI), which is a district-wide student visual art competition open to all Miami-Dade students in grades Pre-K through 12. The 2018 theme is "Celebrating Inclusion, Empathy and Choosing Kind," which is inspired by the book "We're All Wonders" written by R.J. Palacio and the deadline to submit is February 5, 2018.
American Airlines and TSA launch automated screening lanes at MIA
Just in time for the holidays, American Airlines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MIA) has launched two
automated security screening lanes in Terminal D at MIA to enhance security effectiveness and decreasing the time travelers spend in the security screening area.
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Commissioner in the Community
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| Commissioner Diaz in partnership with CABA ProBono Legal Services held a Hurricane Relief Legal Clinic on October 5. |
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| On October 17, Commissioner Diaz at Miami International Airport (MIA) to receiving the body of fallen soldier Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in an ambush in Nigeria on October 4. |
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| On October 19, Commissioner Diaz presents proclamation to Desmond Child and Rudy Perez at the La Musa Awards at the James L. Knight Center. |
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| Commissioner Diaz supporting the lives of children in foster care at the 23rd annual Voices for Children luncheon on October 20. |
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| Commissioner Diaz, a strong advocate for our veterans was honored at the Cuban-American United Veterans Banquet at the Big Five Club on October 21. |
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Congratulations to the Mater Academy Lions in District 12 who defeated the Westland Hialeah Wildcats on October 26, to win the Commissioners Cup for the 4th year.
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| Commissioner Diaz supporting American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Marlins Park on October 28. |
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Free Zumba classes at North Trail Park
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The Miami-Dade County Parks, as part of their health and fitness initiative, will be offering free "Zumba Gold" classes to residents age 55 and older at North Trail Park Community Center, 780 NW 127th Avenue. "Zumba Gold" mingles fun and energetic music with lower impact movements to improve balance, flexibility, cardiovascular health and muscle conditioning. For more information about Miami-Dade Parks Active Older Adults Program, contact Allan Tavss at 786-372-9701 or visit the website.
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On November 30, 2009, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Six in partnership with the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX) began a reconstruction project of the State Road (S.R.) 826 (Palmetto Expressway) and S.R. 836 (Dolphin Expressway) Interchange. Now that construction has begun, there will be many upcoming lanes and ramps closures on the Dolphin Expressway. For more information about construction-related activities, please contact Oscar Gonzalez at 786-280-0983 or via e-mail at ogonzalez@mrgmiami.com. General information can be found at www.826-836.com. Motorists are encouraged to call 511 before they drive, or log on to www.fl511.com for real-time traffic and lane closure information.
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I hope this newsletter has been helpful and as always, I look forward to your comments and concerns. I am happy to serve the following cities of Doral, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Sweetwater, Virginia Gardens, and a large portion of unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
Sincerely,
Jose "Pepe" Diaz
Miami-Dade County Commissioner, District 12
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