May 3, 2021

Happy May Palmetto Bay! What a sight to behold driving through our Mangowood neighborhood with the colorful pinwheels decorating the lawns of Mangowood residents. Like the traditions of our Village, the pinwheels represent a time when things were simple and natural. The bright colors and whimsical ribbon convey optimism and hope. As we enter the summer months, fourteen months since we closed our doors to COVID, we are beginning to see that hope and optimism as we cautiously return to a more normal pattern. As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes widely available in South Florida, CHI remains at the forefront of the pandemic. CHI will offer the COVID-19 vaccine by appointment for anyone 18 years or older. Click here for details.

We had great fun celebrating Earth month in the Village during April. Congratulations to Leo Llinas on being selected as 2021 Mayor’s Environmentalist of the Year! Leo is the Science Teacher and Director of Environmental Stewardship at Palmer Trinity School and he is also the Advisor for the Environmental Action Club and 10th Grade Lead Advisor at the school. Our two runner ups, Ines Mander and James Woodard were also honored last week! Click here to see the honorees. Congrats to all! #PalmettoBaysGotTalent!

This past week we also celebrated another milestone. The reopening of the People's Dock. If this past year, if COVID has taught us anything, it is that we learned the importance of our beautiful natural environment, our parks and open spaces. We do live in paradise! Last Thursday, along with Mayor Levine-Cava, the District 8 Commissioner, Maria Nardi from Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Director the Council welcomed back People's Dock at the Deering Estate. Special shout out to the 100 Ladies of Deering, the Deering Foundation and the Deering Director, Jennifer Tisthammer. It was a beautiful event!

This evening we will have our Regular Council meeting at 7 pm with recognitions starting at 6:30 pm. You can click here for the agenda. Click here for the Village calendar and notices. Click here for this week's video update. We are also celebrating our teachers in the Village for their dedication and support of our families. This year has been an extraordinary one and our teachers have truly stepped up and found ways to keep our children engaged during these challenging times. The Village is home to many amazing place of learning. Thank you for all you do to make our Village an amazing place to learn.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Month raises awareness of trauma and the impact it can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children, families, and communities. The pandemic has shined a light on the need for more resources in our schools and community. I, along with two of our Village youth, will be hosting our 6^th Annual Kids Town Hall with a focus on discussing handling of stress and anxiety for high school students. We will have a very special panel of guests including School Board Member Luisa Santos, Mangowood resident Harry Nerenberg and several others. Check out the Village website to learn more.

Over the next few months, under the skillful hand of our Manager Nick Marano, the Village will be hard at work preparing for the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year Budget. The Village Council will be hosting three hybrid (virtual and in person) budget workshops. All budget workshops shall begin at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, May 25^th, June 29^th , and July 27^th. I encourage you all to tune in, join us or complete the upcoming community survey to share your ideas and vision for our Village.

As we see more families traveling this summer, take a minute to check to see if your passport is current. The US Department of State has advised that routine service for the processing of a new passport applications will take approximately 8 to 12 weeks with expedited service being 4 to 6 weeks. We encourage all those that are traveling in the summer to schedule their passport appointments at our passport s facility for new passport applications only. The Passport Acceptance Facility at Village Hall will be open to the community. Passport applications will be processed Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm. Appointments are required and can be made online. Visitors to Village Hall are required to wear facial coverings at all times and have their temperature checked upon entry.

Together we are making Palmetto Bay a better place to live, work, learn, and play. As always, I am here to answer questions or lend a helping hand. I can also be reached at kcunningham@palmettobay-fl.gov or at 305-799-0695.  

Village of Palmetto Bay,