The Miami Herald posted a small graphic, titled Hurricane Shutters, which is a small computer generated how-to guide for the installment of hurricane shutters.It was easy to understand and gave easy to follow step-by-step instruction on how to properly install a hurricane shutter.The only thing I thought was odd with this graphic, was the timing. This type of graphic I would expect to see during the start of the hurricane season, and not towards the end of the season.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Installing Hurricane Shutters
Deadly Journeys for Mexicans
The Miami Herald featured another powerful multimedia slideshow, titled Tough Road North Walking from Mexico to Tucson.The audio slideshow which has been exported to play as a flash movie, is a combination of narration and striking photographs documenting this sad journey for Mexicans.I would have liked to share the slide show and embed it in my blog, but since it was from a flash program, it did not come with any sharing capabilities, so I have put in a link for the slideshow on the Herald website.
$15 Billion in Loans for Auto Industry
Facing massive job losses, the White House and congressional Democrats are working to provide about $15 billion in loans to prevent Detroit's weakened auto industry from collapsing.
According to the Miami Herald article, Congress, White House work to Help Auto Industry, the legislation, which was being crafted this weekend, would act as a lifeline to General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC while meeting demands from many skeptical lawmakers that Congress refrain from writing a blank check for the beleaguered industry.
Several officials in both parties said a key breakthrough on the long-stalled bailout came when Pelosi bowed to Bush's demand that the aid come from a fund set aside for the production of environmentally friendlier cars.
Caroline Kennedy Considers Senate Seat
Caroline Kennedy, daughter of America’s most storied political family who for many years fiercely guarded her privacy, is considering whether to pursue the Senate seat expected to be vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton early next year.
According to the New York Times, in their article Kenedy is Said to Cast her Eye on Senate Seat, Ms. Kennedy called Gov. David A. Paterson on Wednesday to discuss the position, Mr. Paterson confirmed Friday.The governor will choose a replacement for Mrs. Clinton upon her expected confirmation as secretary of state next month.
Bill Cunnigham's Fashion Moment
New York Times' Bill Cunningham, once again sets to the streets of New York to hunt down and analyze the latest fashions.In this style multimedia project, titled On the Street: Riding High, Cunningham analyzes the trend of the winter boot.Alongside his descriptive narration on some of the history and background of boots, he has inserted his photographs, which are almost candid-like images of pedestrians walking along the streets of New York.
Obama's Plan for the Economy
President-elect Barack Obama committed Saturday to the largest public works building program since the creation of the interstate highway system, as he seeks to put together a plan to resuscitate the reeling economy.
According to the New York Times article, Obama Pledges Massive Public Works Project, Mr. Obama and his team are working with Congressional leaders to fashion a spending package that could invest hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy.A large part of that would be infrastructure projects such as building or repairing roads, bridges, schools, sewer systems and other public utilities.Democrats hope the new Congress that takes office in early January could pass such a measure in time for Mr. Obama to sign almost instantly after taking office Jan. 20.
First Cuban-American Female City Manager
Two years shy of her retirement, West Miami City Manager Yolanda Aguilar, the first Cuban-American female city manager in the United States, reflects on her 26 years of service and whether she should stay on with the city, or spend her retirement baking cookies with her two granddaughters.
Born in Cuba, Yolanda Aguilar arrived in the United States in 1960 at the age of two. She was raised by both her parents and grandparents in their original West Miami home, in which her mother still resides in today.
Graduating from La Salle High School, Aguilar never attained a college degree, and was married at the young age of eighteen to her high school sweetheart.
“I never regretted my decision and 33 years later I am still happily married,” West Miami City Manager Yolanda Aguilar said. “I have struggled but in the end I am where I needed to be.”
“It started off with that I needed a job close to home, since I had a young son that I needed to take care off,” Aguilar said. “So I went to my city, where I applied for a clerical position.”
On January 1, 1982, Aguilar was hired as the Water Department Clerk for the City of West Miami. A year later, following the recommendation of previous City Clerk, Boots Kleiner, the then mayor and city commission appointed Aguilar to hold the position of City Clerk.
“I worked 11 years as the City Clerk of West Miami,” Yolanda said. “It became a job where I realized that public service was rewarding and that you can do so much more for others.”
In a small city with a total population of 5,587 people, Onboard Informatics and City-data.com calculated that the majority of occupational females in the City of West Miami, a total of eleven percent work as secretaries and administrative assistants. Eight percent actually achieve clerical positions, but almost none achieve government leadership positions.
However, such positions don’t come without the expected challenges and hurdles public officials need to overcome on an almost daily basis.
In 2006, Yolanda Aguilar was under fire, by both city officials and police officers, for firing Police Chief Eber Afre, after he had suspended Police Capt. Nelson Andreu without documented cause.
“I am paid to be the City’s watchdog,” Aguilar said. “There are things you don’t compromise, and my integrity is nonnegotiable.”
One of Aguilar’s first real challenges as City Manager was that of a 52-percent budget deficit in the City of west Miami.
“My first real challenge as City Manager, was to recommend measures to bring the city back to financial soundness,” Aguilar said.
The City of West Miami was placed on a Possible Financial Crisis Watch List, following a financial audit.
“In a state of financial crisis, through the collective efforts of then Mayor Rebecca Sosa and the passion and leadership of the city and the legislature, we were able to emerge from a 52-percent budget deficit,” Aguilar said. “It was tough in a small city like ours.”
Eight years later, Aguilar was offered the opportunity to serve as City Clerk for the City of Coral Gables.
“I have the highest respect for her, both personally and professionally,” City of Coral Gables Interim City Manager Maria Alberro Jimenez said. “While I was disappointed that she left Coral Gables to return to ‘her’ West Miami, I recognize her love for that city as well as ours”.
“I thought that the position would be a little bit more professionally challenging, and even though I was welcomed with open arms, I felt that both professionally and personally I had to go back to my city were I could make a difference,” Aguilar said.
Upon her return as City Manager to the City of West Miami, Aguilar together with the city’s leaders, set in motion various projects, including a multipurpose facility for the community, the development along the commercial corridors, a massive drainage improvement job, as well as an official web site for the City of West Miami.
“The overall economy needs to improve so that we can achieve these goals,” Aguilar said. “The decline in revenue in the last 18 months could take the city back into some sort of financial crisis in the near future, so we need to work in terms of budget revenue.”
The City of West Miami lost over 1-million dollars of revenue within the last 18 months, in part due to the decision of reducing garbage pick-up fees as well as overall cuts in funding from the government.
“My goal is to have a multipurpose facility which will be a venue for the arts and culture to accommodate our city and community, as well as the development along the commercial corridors of our city before I retire,” Aguilar said. “I believe that these projects which are in the pipeline will guarantee the much needed revenue for our city and improve the general aesthetics.”
Aguilar’s greatest legacy however, was the completion of $13-million dollars in drainage improvements for the city.
“It is through the collective efforts of the city that we have create a massive a 13-million dollar drainage improvement project, which promises to alleviate past flooding episodes, that kept some of the homes flooded for a period of weeks,” Aguilar said. “Any visions we share as a team, is for the greater well-being of the city; I was simply the conduit that was needed to accomplish the project.”
Approximately 10-million dollars out of the 12.5-million were efforts of the then Mayor, Rebeca Sosa and her work through the Local Mitigation group formed after the 1999 and 2000 storms. These storms left three communities in Dade-County, including West Miami, under water for over eight days.
“Yolanda was very instrumental when working with the mayor and commission to improve the city’s sewer system,” Menendez said. “She worked hard to increase certain fees to develop this project.”
The city has received an additional 2.5-million dollars from the State of Florida through the South Florida Water Management District to complete the last phase of the project.
“Yolanda is the ultimate professional, she has great energy, great intellect and a true commitment to the force of public service,” Jimenez said.
To Yolanda Aguilar, the ties with her community are of extreme importance, especially in a city so small in size.
“It’s the small details, such as giving a senior citizen a ride home in our own vehicle, that make a difference,” Aguilar said. “That is how personal we are.”
While Aguilar’s retirement is imminent, West Miami residents hope that she will extend her service for their City for a couple more years.
“Yolanda has been a stability to West Miami, and I would most definitely like her to stay on with the city for at least five more years,” Menendez said. “She has the strength and youth to continue.”
Two years away from her official retirement, Aguilar will probably have the option of continuing her position as City Manager if she decides to go into the drop program.
“I am not going to fade away, that’s for sure,” Aguilar said. “I can either choose to stay on with the city, or stay home and bake cookies with my granddaughters.”
Born in Cuba, Yolanda Aguilar arrived in the United States in 1960 at the age of two. She was raised by both her parents and grandparents in their original West Miami home, in which her mother still resides in today.
Graduating from La Salle High School, Aguilar never attained a college degree, and was married at the young age of eighteen to her high school sweetheart.
“I never regretted my decision and 33 years later I am still happily married,” West Miami City Manager Yolanda Aguilar said. “I have struggled but in the end I am where I needed to be.”
Following the birth of her first child, Armando Jr. Aguilar, she spent the first six months as a stay-at-home mom. When the growing expenses of raising a family became too much, Aguilar set out in search for a job.
“It started off with that I needed a job close to home, since I had a young son that I needed to take care off,” Aguilar said. “So I went to my city, where I applied for a clerical position.”
On January 1, 1982, Aguilar was hired as the Water Department Clerk for the City of West Miami. A year later, following the recommendation of previous City Clerk, Boots Kleiner, the then mayor and city commission appointed Aguilar to hold the position of City Clerk.
“I worked 11 years as the City Clerk of West Miami,” Yolanda said. “It became a job where I realized that public service was rewarding and that you can do so much more for others.”
In 1994, Aguilar was appointed as the new City Manager of West Miami, in a unanimous decision by the then Mayor, Rebecca Sosa, and the City Commission.
“I would like to see more women undertake what she has done and excel as she has,” long time friend and West Miami resident Sarah Menendez said. “She has been very transparent, tight on the budget and never misused any funds.”
In a small city with a total population of 5,587 people, Onboard Informatics and City-data.com calculated that the majority of occupational females in the City of West Miami, a total of eleven percent work as secretaries and administrative assistants. Eight percent actually achieve clerical positions, but almost none achieve government leadership positions.
However, such positions don’t come without the expected challenges and hurdles public officials need to overcome on an almost daily basis.
In 2006, Yolanda Aguilar was under fire, by both city officials and police officers, for firing Police Chief Eber Afre, after he had suspended Police Capt. Nelson Andreu without documented cause.
“I am paid to be the City’s watchdog,” Aguilar said. “There are things you don’t compromise, and my integrity is nonnegotiable.”
One of Aguilar’s first real challenges as City Manager was that of a 52-percent budget deficit in the City of west Miami.
“My first real challenge as City Manager, was to recommend measures to bring the city back to financial soundness,” Aguilar said.
The City of West Miami was placed on a Possible Financial Crisis Watch List, following a financial audit.
“In a state of financial crisis, through the collective efforts of then Mayor Rebecca Sosa and the passion and leadership of the city and the legislature, we were able to emerge from a 52-percent budget deficit,” Aguilar said. “It was tough in a small city like ours.”
Eight years later, Aguilar was offered the opportunity to serve as City Clerk for the City of Coral Gables.
“I have the highest respect for her, both personally and professionally,” City of Coral Gables Interim City Manager Maria Alberro Jimenez said. “While I was disappointed that she left Coral Gables to return to ‘her’ West Miami, I recognize her love for that city as well as ours”.
Following a five-month service, Aguilar left the City of Coral Gables, and returned as City Manager to West Miami.
“I thought that the position would be a little bit more professionally challenging, and even though I was welcomed with open arms, I felt that both professionally and personally I had to go back to my city were I could make a difference,” Aguilar said.
Upon her return as City Manager to the City of West Miami, Aguilar together with the city’s leaders, set in motion various projects, including a multipurpose facility for the community, the development along the commercial corridors, a massive drainage improvement job, as well as an official web site for the City of West Miami.
“The overall economy needs to improve so that we can achieve these goals,” Aguilar said. “The decline in revenue in the last 18 months could take the city back into some sort of financial crisis in the near future, so we need to work in terms of budget revenue.”
The City of West Miami lost over 1-million dollars of revenue within the last 18 months, in part due to the decision of reducing garbage pick-up fees as well as overall cuts in funding from the government.
“My goal is to have a multipurpose facility which will be a venue for the arts and culture to accommodate our city and community, as well as the development along the commercial corridors of our city before I retire,” Aguilar said. “I believe that these projects which are in the pipeline will guarantee the much needed revenue for our city and improve the general aesthetics.”
Aguilar’s greatest legacy however, was the completion of $13-million dollars in drainage improvements for the city.
“It is through the collective efforts of the city that we have create a massive a 13-million dollar drainage improvement project, which promises to alleviate past flooding episodes, that kept some of the homes flooded for a period of weeks,” Aguilar said. “Any visions we share as a team, is for the greater well-being of the city; I was simply the conduit that was needed to accomplish the project.”
Approximately 10-million dollars out of the 12.5-million were efforts of the then Mayor, Rebeca Sosa and her work through the Local Mitigation group formed after the 1999 and 2000 storms. These storms left three communities in Dade-County, including West Miami, under water for over eight days.
“Yolanda was very instrumental when working with the mayor and commission to improve the city’s sewer system,” Menendez said. “She worked hard to increase certain fees to develop this project.”
The city has received an additional 2.5-million dollars from the State of Florida through the South Florida Water Management District to complete the last phase of the project.
“Yolanda is the ultimate professional, she has great energy, great intellect and a true commitment to the force of public service,” Jimenez said.
To Yolanda Aguilar, the ties with her community are of extreme importance, especially in a city so small in size.
“It’s the small details, such as giving a senior citizen a ride home in our own vehicle, that make a difference,” Aguilar said. “That is how personal we are.”
While Aguilar’s retirement is imminent, West Miami residents hope that she will extend her service for their City for a couple more years.
“Yolanda has been a stability to West Miami, and I would most definitely like her to stay on with the city for at least five more years,” Menendez said. “She has the strength and youth to continue.”
Two years away from her official retirement, Aguilar will probably have the option of continuing her position as City Manager if she decides to go into the drop program.
“I am not going to fade away, that’s for sure,” Aguilar said. “I can either choose to stay on with the city, or stay home and bake cookies with my granddaughters.”
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
New York Times Text Messages
A couple of weeks ago, during the presidential elections, I logged on to the New York Times' text messaging feature, and requested that the latest news be texted to me.I expected to get an immediate update as soon as the presidential candidate had been announced, instead I received three text messages back to back shortly after signing up.The first message read, "Live Blogging Election Night", the second message read, "Covering the Coverage" and the third read, "Polls Begin Closing in Final Hours of Epic Campaign".Following these three text messages, I never received the big news of who had become our new president, instead I had to surf the internet to find out which of the two candidates had won.As a matter of fact, three weeks later, I have yet to receive another text message from the New York Times, maybe they just forgot about me.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Fight Against Global Warming Faces a New Enemy
All over the world, the threat to jobs, profits and government tax revenues posed by the financial crisis has cast doubt on commitments to cap emissions or phase out polluting factories.According to the New York Times, the on-line article, Economic Slump May Limit Moves on Clean Energy, states that the combat in global warming and the plans to wean businesses and consumers from utilizing fossil fuels, may have come to a stand still, due to a poor global economy and plunging prices of coal and oil.However, according to the NY Times, President Barack Obama and the European Union have vowed to stick to their commitments to cap emissions of carbon dioxide and invest in new green technologies.However, even with the input of the new US President and that of European Union, the financial crisis has rippled across the nation, affecting other powerfull nations such as Europe and Asia.It's unlikely that other leaders will join to support Obama's and the European Union's cause to combat global warming.
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