Dear residents,

First and foremost, I know Mother’s Day has passed but since I was out of the country, I want to take this opportunity to thank all mothers for everything they do and know we cherish you every day, not just once a year. Mothers are the glue that holds the family together and I know that without the guidance of my mother, I would not be the person I am today. So thank you mom and mothers for your guidance and unconditional love! 

On another note - The 2014 hurricane season starts on June 1st and runs until November 30. I know the past hurricane seasons have been extremely good to us but we must always be prepared for the worse. Be sure to stock up on water, canned goods, flashlights and batteries and have a plan in case of evacuation. For more information, visit the Miami-Dade County Hurricane Preparedness website. Also Florida's hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday begins tomorrow and runs through June 8.

Sincerely,

Commissioner Jose 'Pepe' Diaz
District 12

Commissioner Diaz sponsored a resolution urging the federal government to stop deporting Venezuelans to their troubled homeland. The resolution calls on President Obama to suspend deportations of undocumented Venezuelans with no criminal history and urges the Homeland Security Department to immediately grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Venezuelan immigrants in light of the growing human rights abuses of the Nicolas Maduro regime. Commissioner Diaz’s district includes Doral, which has one of the highest concentrations of Venezuelan immigrants in the United States.

Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz applauds the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court affirming the constitutionality of legislative prayer. The May 5 ruling in the Town of Greece v. Galloway case upholds the right of city and county commissions and other legislative bodies to open meetings with a prayer. In December 2012, the Miami-Dade County Commission resumed its tradition of starting meetings with an invocation after eight years of suspending the practice. Commissioner Diaz sponsored the ordinance that restored the custom.

More than 2,000 residents enjoyed some fun in the sun at Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz’s annual District 12 Spring Festival on May 3 at North Trail Park. The event included an Easter egg hunt, free food, pet adoptions, games and entertainment for the whole family, as well as a ribbon-cutting for the park’s new fitness court, which features state-of-the-art outdoor gym equipment. Four dogs from the County’s Animal Services Department found new homes, including a 4-month-old Labrador-Retriever mix that was adopted by Alan Alberto Hernandez Olivo and his family after Commissioner Diaz made a personal pitch for the puppy from the stage. This year’s District 12 Spring Festival was sponsored by Pepsi, Walmart  Supercenter at 8651 NW 13th Terrace in Doral, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Crystal Springs Water,  Miami-Dade Parks Foundation, Cemex, Florida East Coast, MCM, Holland and Knight, Waste Pro, Electrical Union, Floridian Partners, and LSN Partners.

Commissioner Diaz is happy to announce that 63 small businesses in District 12 have been awarded with the Mom and Pop Small Business Grant for 2014. Each business was awarded up to $1,700 to help their business grow. The Mom and Pop Small Business Grant program was created to provide financial and technical assistance to qualified small businesses that are approved for funding. The program allows small businesses the opportunity to interact with local government and receive financial assistance to promote the local economy. Local businesses can use the grant to purchase equipment, supplies, advertising/marketing, inventory, building liability insurance, security systems and to make minor renovations. For more information on this program, please visit our website or call the office at 305-599-1200.

Commissioner Diaz provided tickets to the Hialeah Gardens baseball team to attend the April 19 Marlins game against the Seattle Mariners. The team cheered the Marlins from the County suite and also enjoyed some food. This is all part the agreement between the County and Miami Marlins to give back to the community.

Looking for housing? The Hialeah Housing Authority will be accepting online applications on June 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. only. Certain restrictions apply, so please view the flyer  for more information or visit the Hialeah Housing Authority website.

> Flyer en en Español

As the Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Military Affairs Board, Commissioner Diaz was honored to take part in honoring two fallen heroes  with the Medal of Valor at the May 20 Board of County Commission meeting.  Family members of U.S. Army Cpt. Andrew M. Pedersen-Keel and Spc. Gerardo Campos were on hand to accept the Medals of Valor on their behalf. Cpt. Pedersen-Keel, who was born in South Miami, was commissioned as an Infantry Officer after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 2006. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 and again in 2012 and died on March 11, 2013 at the age of 28 from wounds received from small-arms fire. Cpt. Keel’s many awards and decorations included three Bronze Star Medals and the Purple Heart. He is survived locally by his father and sister. U.S. Army Spc. Campos, a Perrine native and one-time youth football star, joined the military in 2010. On June 2, 2012, at the age of 23, he was killed in action by small arms fire in Afghanistan. Remembered as a loving family man, he was the recipient of numerous awards for his service, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. He left behind a wife and young daughter. The Medal of Valor is awarded once a year to the families of servicemen and women from Miami-Dade County who died in the line of duty. For more information, visit the Miami-Dade County Military Affairs Board website.

Commissioner Diaz joined Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR), family and friends for a ceremony to rename Fire Station #29 in honor of late Firefighter Juan A. Torga Jr. on May 20. Firefighter Torga, who died in 2009, spent 20 of his 24 years with MDFR at Station #29. He is remembered as a tireless worker who enjoyed sharing his knowledge and experience with his fellow firefighters and subordinates. He was committed to saving lives and serving the community. Commissioner Diaz sponsored the resolution to rename the fire station. The fire station is located at 351 SW 107^th Avenue in Sweetwater.

The Miami-Dade Military Affairs Board, along with their Chairman Commissioner Diaz joined the City of North Miami Beach on May 29 in honor of Military Appreciation Month for a free event at the Littman Theater in North Miami Beach. People were able to view the documentary 'Miami-Dade Golden Veterans: 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War.' The documentary recounts the stories of some of our veterans, who served in Vietnam and the trying time they faced when they returned home.

Project: NW 107th Avenue and NW 66th Street
Description: Traffic Signal
Comments: Project completed

The Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (ASD) now offers convenient online dog license tag renewal. The new online service allows pet owners to purchase and renew dog license tags and report rabies vaccination renewals without visiting the shelter. Pet owners receive notifications confirming receipt of detailed transactions to include, the receipt of their purchase order and confirmation of shipment, and are notified of any transactions that may be declined. Receipt of licenses tags should occur within 5 to 7 business days of the transaction notification. License tags are required for all dogs over four months and must be renewed annually in conjunction with the rabies vaccination. To renew your pet’s license tag online from the comfort of your home, visit the Animal Services Department website and click on “Renew your pet’s license tag.”

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 826-826 website. Motorists are encouraged to call 511 before they drive, or log on to the Florida Statewide 511 website for real-time traffic and lane closure information.

[email protected]

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