The largest city park in the City of Miami, Virginia Key Beach Park, funding will be eliminated for fiscal year ’09-’10; effectively terminating all positions at the property. In other words, the staff funding will go but the City of Miami claims the Park's Department will continue to maintain the property.Established in 1945 as ‘The Colored Beach’ this site immediately became a spot for social gatherings for Black residents who made weekly trips to enjoy things such as the carousel, the dancing pavilion or the mini-train. During this era, there was a lack of beach facilities for Blacks and this 1000-acre barrier island characterized by a unique and fragile natural environment, served as the recreational location for those who wanted to swim in the ocean or picnic on the beach. (Historic photo of park - hit read more)
The public is urged to lend their endorsement for the proposed budget contribution from the City by telephoning, writing and e-mailing all City of Miami officials (including commissioners and the mayor), to voice their messages of support in addition to attending the two public budget meetings scheduled for September 10th and 24th at Miami City Hall.
Since the beach/park’s grand-re-opening in February 2008, praises have poured in from local residents, tourists and members of the press about the enormous strides made in the popular environmental, preservation and educational programs taking place at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, for example, the Children’s Trust presented the Marine Biology Summer Camp with the prestigious ‘Youth Development Program Award’ while Miami New Times readers voted the only Atlantic shoreline in the City of Miami, the ‘Best Beach’ in Miami-Dade.
Among the city’s independent agencies, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park stands out as a prime example of what local advocacy can achieve for the betterment of the community. As decision-makers contemplate ways to prioritize limited tax dollars, the total withdrawal of future funding for Virginia Key Beach Park Trust would not only be very wasteful and shortsighted, but, would also send an ominous signal about what is truly deemed significant in the City of Miami.
Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, once called ‘Bears Cut’, was frequented in the early 1900’s by Black settlers arriving on the island by ferry from a dock at the end of Fifth Street, in downtown Miami.
Former City of Miami Commissioner, M. Athalie Range was instrumental, together with the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust, in adding this remarkable landmark to the National Register of Historic Places in June 2002.
10 comments:
Underfunded? The taxpayers have poured money into salaries and benefits for staff for years. There is no museum. This group has been unable to raise any money from the private sector. People must learn that they must raise money from the private sector and to stop counting on taxpayers to pay for all their salaries, their cell phones, their vehicles, their travel and entertainment, their health insurance, their pensions... Enough is enough.
Who wrote this press release? Who paid him? Right...he was paid by the taxpayers.
When will these leeches stop sucking blood from taxpayers and get a job in the real world accomplishing real goals?
take a deep breath......what makes 'people' believe that the thousands of visitors to the park are NOT tax payers?...are WE entitled to have OUR taxes fund this park?
Until this land was taken away from the City of Miami's management and run by a public trust, the City had plans to put a PRIVATE resort hotel on this public park land. What will happen if the City takes over again? Go there and see the environmental restoration of the forests and beaches. See how well it's maintained. Enjoy your public beach park! It was a hard-won fight that could be taken away from the public again.
The public needs to fight to keep all its park space open and green. The City of Miami Mayor and commissioners just gave away the taxpayer owned Orange Bowl site getting nothing in return.
People getting paid by the taxpayers can be easily coerced to recommend park land being given to private hotel speculators. Let us end the farce of the useless taxpayer paid Virginia Key Trust. There are numerous excellent volunteers. Keep the volunteer board.
I think this park is important to preserve. The staff has to realize that they might not be as important. Going leaner with fewer people might be the way to go.
Okay someone who also GOT the press release is getting really pissed, not called for. Don't know why -- but how did they know there was a press release if they didn't get one themselves...I didn't mention it in my blog.
Many people get mad when they see others taking the taxpayers money and accomplishing nothing.
Please allow me to clarify a few things about Historic Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. 1. The Trustees do NOT get paid, they are volunteers. 2. The Park has been open since February 2008, hardly enough time to get self sufficient. 3. It took 8 years to get this Park ready to be opened. All the work was guided by the Trustees. 4. The Park is environmentally sensitive and CANNOT be taken care of by the Parks Department at the City of Miami. They do not have the training or the skills to take care of an environmentally sensitive park. For example, plants that should natural to the environment, call exotics, are removed and plants that are natural to the environment are planted. 5. Every park in the City of Miami gets money for upgrades and the Liberty City Trust just received $330,000 from the City. Hadley Park just received 7 million dollars from the cities CIP fund for upgrades and new buildings. Simpson Park, located in the richest area of Miami, just received $220,000 for renovation. Coconut Grove received $6,100 for bicycle racks. 6. If you have not seen the Park I urge you to take a drive and see where your tax dollars have gone. Of yes, Miami-Dade County has set aside 1 million dollars for the museum to be built but the City of Miami has to agree to maintain the building. I doubt that will happen. The Trust is desperately trying to become self sufficient to maintain the museum itself without relying on the City of Miami.
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