A 40-year theater legacy comes home
Plus a Crandon safety reminder, a Council candidate profile, and two dates for next week.
This week brings an arts milestone with deep island roots, plus a timely reminder to check beach conditions. Here is what changed and what to put on next week's calendar.
The International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami opens tonight and runs through September 27. This 40th edition carries a special Key Biscayne family connection.
The festival will honor its late founder, island resident Mario Ernesto Sánchez. He will receive a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at tonight's opening. His daughter, Vero Sanchez, now leads the festival. Sánchez spent nearly 50 years promoting Hispanic theater in Miami. He helped make Miami a meeting point for artists and audiences.
Nine productions from six countries will appear across Miami and Key Biscayne. The lineup includes a stop at the Key Biscayne Community Center. Teatro Avante presents the festival with four South Florida arts partners.
The program spans work from Argentina, Chile, Spain, Uruguay, Peru, and the United States. It also includes children's programming, workshops, and post-show discussions. Miami-born artist Alexander Mijares designed this year's festival artwork. Tickets and the full schedule are available at ihtfmiami.org.
Check the live status before a Crandon swim
Health officials recently issued a water-quality advisory for Crandon Park North. Tests had found bacteria above state guidelines.
The department advised people to stay out of the water because contact increased the risk of illness. The warning was specific to Crandon Park North and was set to remain until water quality improved.
Beach status can change after follow-up tests. Before a weekend swim, check the state's current Healthy Beaches status and any posted notice at the access point rather than relying on the original warning alone.
Former KB K-8 principal joins the Council race
Silvia Tarafa is running for one of three Village Council seats on the November ballot. Five candidates are in the race.
Tarafa led Key Biscayne K-8 Center for 13 years. She also spent more than 37 years in public schools. She earned three Principal of the Year awards and still works in education.
Her priorities include flood control, buried utility lines, safer traffic, and close review of bridge work. She also wants more open talks between the Village and residents. Tarafa serves on the Village's Education Advisory Board and the Key Biscayne Yacht Club's Board of Governors.
Village gains authority over e-bikes and scooters
Miami-Dade approved a deal on e-bikes, scooters, and other micromobility devices. It gives the Village new power on county roads within Key Biscayne.
The Village can enforce the county code. It can also add rules for county-owned roads. Those rules must appear in the deal and pass through a Village law. The Village must also say how it will enforce them.
The approved measure is Resolution R-689-26. Commissioner Raquel Regalado sponsored it. The public file is numbered 261187.
Causeway pass help comes to the island
- When
- Thursday, September 10 · 9:00 AM-11:30 AM
- Where
- Key Biscayne Community Center, Lighthouse Lounge
- Address
- 10 Village Green Way, Key Biscayne, FL 33149
- Price
- $72 annual plan fee; check or money order
Residents 65 and older can get in-person help renewing a Rickenbacker Causeway Annual Pass next Thursday. County staff will be at the Community Center's Lighthouse Lounge.
Bring copies of four items: your current driver's license, vehicle registration, proof of Key Biscayne residency, and transponder number. The annual plan costs $72. Pay by check or money order.
The session runs from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Questions about the session go to 305-365-8953.
The Village marks 25 years since 9/11
- When
- Friday, September 11 · 8:20 AM-9:30 AM
- Where
- Civic Center's Monaco Fountain
The Village will gather at the Civic Center's Monaco Fountain for its 25th Remembrance Ceremony. It takes place next Friday.
The ceremony honors the lives lost on September 11 and the heroes who responded. It begins at 8:20 a.m. and is set to end at 9:30.
The gathering will last 70 minutes at the fountain. The full remembrance stays in the morning and closes before 10 a.m.