Dear residents,

Happy holidays to each and every one of you! I hope you spend the last days of 2012 making wonderful memories with your loved ones and I wish in the New Year lots of love, health and creating more wonderful memories with family and friends.

I would like to thank all our military personal for all their sacrifices, please let’s keep them in your thoughts and prayers, as some are far away from home and their loved ones!

As we do our holiday shopping this year, please be aware of holiday scams and scammers, always be attentive to your surroundings.

From my staff, and my family to yours, Happy Holidays and best wishes to all for a great 2013!

Sincerely,

Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz

• Ordinance reinstates prayers before County Commission and Committee meetings. File #122411 
  
• Ordinance prohibits and penalizes the keeping of dogs on rooftops by a civil fine of $500. File #121837 
  
• Resolution authorizes county employees to be able to donate the value of leave time to the County’s emergency disaster relief fund for Hurricane Sandy victims. File #122239 
  
• Resolution authorizes the use of eligible inmates in the custody of the Miami-Dade County Department of Corrections and rehabilitations to work on roads, bridges, public works and other projects to save the County money. File #121874 
  
• Resolution urging the United States Secretary of State to intervene and secure the release of United States Marine veteran Jon Hammar from a Mexican jail. File #122452

Commissioner Diaz appointed to Citizens' Crime Watch Executive Committee

Commissioner Diaz will be serving on the Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County’s Executive Committee.  The Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County is a non-profit organization that has been serving the community for 37 years.  The organization is a crime prevention program that stresses education and common sense.  It teaches citizens how to help themselves by identifying and reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. In addition, it provides citizens with the opportunity to make their neighborhoods safer and improve the quality of life. Neighborhood Watch groups typically focus on observation and awareness as a means of preventing crime and employ strategies that range from simply promoting social interaction and 'watching out for each other' to active patrols by groups of citizens. The next meeting will be December 19th. For more information, please visit Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County website at www.citizenscrimewatch.org.  Speaking of preventing crime, check out the latest monthly crime stats released by Mayor Gimenez. In district 12, crime appears to have declined this year.

Over 1,200 district 12 seniors in Commissioner Diaz’s district had a blast at the Commissioner’s annual holiday luncheon. The event was held on December 5 at the Doubletree Hotel’s MACC (Miami Airport Convention Center) and brought the seniors together for a chance to mingle with several famous Latin soap opera stars and TV personalities. The seniors not only had a chance to greet their favorite stars but also were able to take pictures and danced with them. This year the crowd received a special treat, when Cuban singer Willy Chirino made an appearance and performed his hit song “Soy Guajiro”. This year’s event was sponsored by the Miami Marlins and Flagler Development.

On December 15, Santa Claus aka Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz arrived in the City of Sweetwater by helicopter at the Ronseli Park, delighting many children. Many families that reside in Sweetwater took advantage and were able to take pictures with Santa Claus, while more than 800 children received toys from Santa. This is an annual holiday event was sponsored by the City of Sweetwater and Commissioner Diaz.

Santa Claus aka Commissioner Diaz was very busy this Holiday season, on December 16, Santa Claus brought holiday smiles to some sick children at Miami Children’s Pediatric Hematology Oncology Associates Department’s annual holiday party at Miami Seaquarium.  Santa Claus was able to say hello to the children, take pictures and presented them with toys as well as gift cards. Because some patients were very sick and unable to attend the Miami Seaquarium event, Santa Claus also made a special visit to the hospital’s Pediatric Hematology Oncology department to bring patients there some holiday cheer, as well as gifts and gift cards.

Small business owners in District 12 are encouraged to apply for the annual Mom & Pop Small Business Grant Program.  The application process will open in January 2013. For more information about the program, please contact Commissioner Diaz’s office at 305-599-1200 or visit our website on January 7th to download the application at www.miamidade.gov/district12.  The Mom and Pop Small Business Grant program helps by providing financial and technical assistance to local small businesses.

Commissioner Diaz, who is the Chairman of the County’s Military Affairs Board, joined Miami-Dade Aviation Department officials on November 30th, to honor several local businesses, which made monetary and in-kind donations to keep the Military Hospitality Lounge at Miami International Airport open. The businesses recognized included Eulen America, Duane Morris LLC, CAWY Bottling Co. Inc., FirstBank Florida, BBVA Compass Bank, Regions Bank, South Florida, Goldstein Schechter Koch and Compuquip Technologies. Commissioner Diaz presented each business with a certificate of appreciation from Miami-Dade County. The Military Hospitality Lounge at Miami International Airport is located right off Central Terminal E, Level 2 and provides complimentary refreshments, computer, internet and telephone services and a quiet area to relax for traveling military members and their families with a valid military ID.

The Department of Property Appraisal will be mailing renewal applications for the Senior Homestead Exemption to those homeowners who qualified last year. You should receive this notice during the first week of January 2013. This exemption is not automatically renewed, and you must submit an application every year in order to verify your income. Your application must be submitted to the Department of Property Appraiser by MARCH 1, 2013. In addition, seniors who have applied for and received Florida’s Homestead Exemption for Seniors as of calendar year 2012, you will receive a $100 check from the Miami-Dade County “Save our Seniors Homeowners” relief fund.  If you should have any questions regarding your application or refund, please contact the commissioner’s office at 305-599-1200 or visit the Property appraiser’s office’s website.

Beginning Monday, December 17th, 2012, the Miami-Dade Alerts Notification System is being upgraded. The upgrade will make it easier for users to sign up and manage their accounts. As part of the upgrade, current registered users will need to re-enroll to continue receiving alert messages.

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 lane and ramp 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 [email protected]. 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.

To help Miami-Dade County residents, the Miami-Dade Public Library System is offering a wide assortment of vital information and valuable assistance for job seekers! From computer classes and access to the Internet, to help with resume writing, job interviewing skills and test preparation, the Library wants to help patrons prepare for and search for jobs. Free classes are held throughout all 47 branch locations and are available in both English and Spanish. The Library’s website, www.mdpls.org, has created a “Job Search” section for individuals to access from any location 24/7. For more information, contact 305-375-BOOK (2665) or visit www.mdpls.org. You can also click here for places looking to hire.

The Miami-Dade Community Action Agency’s (CAA) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is currently assisting eligible residents with payment of their gas or electric bills.  The program assists individuals who are experiencing an increase in their energy bill due to the weather as well as individuals with final notices or those who have had their services disconnected.  Applications for LIHEAP are available Monday through Friday at CAA Service Centers like the Hialeah Service Center, 300 E. First Avenue, or the Sweetwater Service Center, 250 SW 114 Avenue. For a complete list of all the CAA Service Centers or to download the application, please visit the County’s website or contact the Miami-Dade Community Action Agency at 786-469-4600.

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