Miami-Dade Commission reinstitutes prayer before meetings

Instead of a moment of silence, Miami-Dade Commission meetings soon will start with a nondenominational prayer uttered by a local religious leader or a commissioner.

The commission voted 8-3 Tuesday to reinstitute prayer before meetings, a controversial issue that sparked lengthy debate and commentary.

Voting for the ordinance were Commissioners Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Jean Monestime, Rebeca Sosa, Xavier Suarez, Juan Zapata, Bruno Barreiro, Esteban “Steve” Bovo and Audrey Edmonson. Commissioners Sally Heyman, Barbara Jordan, and Dennis Moss voted against. Lynda Bell and Javier Souto were absent.

Diaz sponsored the item after 18 months of intense lobbying from the Christian Family Coalition and its leader, Anthony Verdugo. Verdugo called Tuesday’s vote the end of “eight years of discrimination.”

The last time meetings opened with prayer at County Hall was 2004. The practice ended at the behest of former Commissioners Barbara Carey-Shuler and Katy Sorenson.

It will start again before the commission’s Dec. 18 meeting.

On Tuesday, Diaz did agree to some changes in his proposed format: Instead of having the county clerk compile a database of local religious leaders to give the prayers, commissioners will rotate choosing someone or lead the prayer themselves. That will save the county about $26,000 in projected costs for the database. Sosa sponsored the change.

The commissioner can choose to lead a moment of silence instead of a prayer.

Diaz also changed his original proposal by moving the timing of the prayer, so it will be said prior to the roll call of commissioners, similar to the way it’s done at the state and federal levels of government.

Before the vote, Moss expressed dissatisfaction with the Christian Family Coalition and positions it has taken in the past that he said discriminated against blacks and immigrants. He noted that the group was an offshoot of the Christian Coalition that fought the county several years ago over an equally controversial human-rights bill.

“It’s like the nose of the camel under the tent. I have a real concern with the group that was pushing this issue,” he said.

Also opposed: the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which has warned the county that promises to keep public prayer nondenominational — instead of in the name of Jesus, for example — have fallen to the wayside in the past. The ACLU has not said if it plans to file a lawsuit.

Commissioners also gave the nod to construction of a massive warehouse and industrial park in the heart of the old Westview neighborhood, even as residents and their lawyer complained they were not consulted on new plans submitted by the developer, Rosal Westview.

Later Tuesday, commissioners are expected to take up Jordan’s push to take down an online database that shows the salaries of all county employees. Though Jordan said she supports the information being available to the public, she said removing it would diminish “safety and security” concerns. Heyman has joined Jordan as a cosponsor for the bill.

As part of a transparency initiative, County Mayor Carlos Gimenez started listing the salaries online earlier this year. The mayor has said he believes every government transaction should be online and available to the public. If the resolution passes, Gimenez could veto it, though he hasn’t stated his intentions.

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China goes crazy for iPhone 5: Preorders hit 100,000 units in under 24 hours

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Video: Prince William Visits Kate in the Hospital

News broke Monday that royal bride Catherine Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is expecting her first child with Prince William, and ET has new footage of the prince visiting Kate at the hospital.

PICS: Baby on the Way: Will & Kate's Royal Romance

Her Royal Highness is hospitalized with hyperemesis gravidarum -- a severe form of morning sickness. William looked like he was in good spirits as he exited King Edward VII Hospital in London on Tuesday evening.

ET can confirm that the queen and other members of the royal family found out about Kate’s pregnancy on Monday. Sources tell People.com that the queen won't be visiting her granddaughter-in-law while she remains in the hospital, mainly because her visit would interfere with the running of the hospital.

Watch the video for more, and keep checking ETonline for the latest on the Duchess' health.

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Albany pols confirm agreement to team up

ALBANY - Coalition government is coming to Albany.

The state Senate's Republicans and a group of five breakaway Democrats announced agreement today that they're teaming up to run the chamber next year, as first reported in today's Post.

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau), and Sen. Jeff Klein of the Bronx, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, announced a power-sharing arrangement that will make each man "conference leader" of his respective group.

The deal gives Skelos and Klein joint control over state budget negotiations for the Senate, what bills come to the Senate floor, leadership and committee assignments for their respective groups and appointments to state and local boards.

The two men will alternate every two weeks in the largely ceremonial position of temporary president of the Senate - which is second in line to succeed the governor after the lieutenant governor.

One source said Gov. Cuomo was aware of the developments.

Insiders say the deal will likely allow Senate votes on key legislation such as increasing the minimum wage and partial taxpayer financing of state campaigns - bills the GOP has bottled up.

“All decisions on what bills come to the floor will be made jointly by Sens. Skelos and Klein after receiving input from members of the coalition,” said Skelos spokesman Scott Reif.

The IDC also formally announced that Sen. Malcolm Smith of Queens has joined the conference - as The Post reported exclusively in today's editions.

It's an unprecedented arrangement for the state Legislature, but the Senate could wind up with none of the three conferences having enough members to claim an outright majority next year pending the outcome of two close upstate races.

Republicans now control the Senate 33-29 but could be down to 30 seats in an expanded, 63-seat Senate next year. Brooklyn Democrat Simcha Felder has said he'll caucus with the GOP when he takes office in January.

"Having dedicated the past two years to a serious, policy-driven agenda, this agreement delivers on the IDC’s pledge to become a permanent third conference within the State Senate and to have a major voice in all policy decisions moving forward," Klein said.

"Senator Klein has proven to be a thoughtful and effective leader, and I look forward to partnering with him to move this state forward,” added Skelos.

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The business behind the artist: Miami’s art gallery scene still evolving

This week, thousands of art collectors, museum trustees, artists, journalists and hipsters from around the globe will arrive for the phenomenon known as Art Basel Miami Beach. The centerpiece of the week: works shown at the convention center by more than 260 of the world’s top galleries.

Only two of those are from Miami.

While Art Basel has helped transform the city’s reputation from beach-and-party scene to arts destination in the years since its 2002 Miami Beach debut, the region’s gallery identity is still coming into its own.

“Certainly Miami as an art town registers mightily because of the foundations, the collectors who have done an extraordinary job,” said Linda Blumberg, executive director of the Art Dealers Association of America. “I think there’s a definite international awareness there. But the gallery scene probably has a bit of a ways to go. That doesn’t mean it’s not really fascinating and interesting.”

The gallery business, especially where newer artists are concerned, is a game of risk, faith and passion. Once a gallery takes on an artist who shows promise, they become an evangelist on their behalf, showing their work in-house and at fairs, presenting it to museums and curators and potential collectors and bearing the cost of that promotion.

For contemporary artists, most galleries take work on consignment, meaning they get a cut of as much as 50 percent when works sell. While local art galleries have been growing in number and popularity in the last several years — just try to find parking during the monthly art walk in Miami’s hot Wynwood neighborhood — even some of the area’s top art dealers say that while business overall is good, they struggle in the local marketplace.

“Our problem is that we have to do lots of art fairs in order to connect with the market that we need to connect with to sell the work that we have,” said Fredric Snitzer, a Miami-Dade gallery owner for 35 years. “The better the work is, the harder it is to sell in Miami. And that ain’t good.”

A handful of serious collectors call Miami home and store their own collections in Miami, including the Braman, Rubell, Margulies and de la Cruz families. But outside a relatively small local group, many gallerists say, their clients come from other parts of the country and world.

And some gallerists point out the troubling reality that even the powerhouse Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin could not stay open in Miami for more than a few years.

“The fact that big galleries have not been able to sustain their business models in South Florida tells you we’re obviously not at this high established point,” said gallery owner David Castillo. “It’s not like we’ve arrived, let’s sit back and watch Hauser & Wirth open down the street.”

Still, Miami’s gallery business has come a long way since the early 1970s, when a few dealers on Bay Harbor Island’s Kane Concourse were selling high-end pieces but the local scene was hardly embraced.

Virginia Miller, who owns ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries in Coral Gables, first opened in 1974 to showcase Florida artists, though her focus soon added an international scope. She and other longtime observers credit several factors for Miami’s transformation, including the community’s diversity, the establishment of important museums, the Art Miami fair that started 23 years ago, the presence of major collections and, of course, Art Basel Miami Beach.

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Family of worker killed in MDC garage collapse has filed suit against contractors

Family members of one of the workers killed when the garage at Miami Dade College West campus collapsed have filed a lawsuit against five companies involved in the construction.

The garage was almost complete when a part of it collapsed on Oct. 10, killing four workers.

Samuel Perez, 53, was driving a cement truck and the time of the collapse and was trapped by the rubble in the truck’s cab.

It took rescue workers 17 hours to reach him, after amputating his legs to free him. He did not survive. He died three hours later in the hospital.

Now his widow Migdalia Lopez is suing Ajax Building Corporation and other companies contracted for the project. Allegations include gross negligence, failure to comply with safety standards and rushing the operation to meet a deadline.

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Obama Is Taking Himself and #My2K to Twitter This Afternoon

What a day for Twitter! First the Pope, then the Royal Baby, and now President Obama will come online to answer questions about the fiscal cliff. A @WhiteHouse tweet with the distincitive “-bo” signature, announced not long ago that the big guy himself will be taking questions online, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Good to see lots of folks on twitter speaking out on extending middle class tax cuts. I’ll answer some Qs on that at 2ET. Ask w/ #My2k –bo

— The White House (@whitehouse) December 3, 2012

Unfortunately, he’s sticking with the troublesome #My2K hashtag that conservatives have already seized upon in a back-and-forth battle for messaging. Trying to mobilize your supporters through social media is all well and good, but the problem with any genuinely open town hall, is that anyone can invite themselves—even those who disagree with you and might be louder than your friends. (Plus, any reasonably popular hashtag moves much to fast for anyone to follow it or have an actual conversation on Twitter anyway.)

RELATED: Don’t Expect Too Much From Social Media Town Halls

But ask away! Maybe you’ll get luck and get RT’d by the President himself. And then find yourself becoming the next conservative meme as soon as the hashtag-averse pundits start making fun of your question. Should be a fun afternoon.

Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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J.K. Rowling's 'The Casual Vacancy' Coming to TV

J.K's Rowling's The Casual Vacancy, her first post-Harry Potter novel, is being adapted into a BBC television series.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rowling will collaborate closely on the project, with the number and length of the episodes to be decided.

Related: J.K. Rowling Gets Political In New Novel

The Casual Vacancy, which came out in September, is set in a small English town called Pagford. The book starts with the death of Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother, which leaves an empty seat on the town’s council, and leads to the "biggest war the town has ever seen."

Rowling herself says she is pleased that the novel is coming to the small screen rather than getting a movie adaptation.

"I always felt that, if it were to be adapted, this novel was best suited to television, and I think the BBC is the perfect home," she said.

Video: Behind the Scenes of the Final 'Harry Potter'

And clearly, the BBC is happy to have her.

"It's a book of such richness that -- through humor, social commentary and, above all, fantastic characters -- says something insightful and entertaining about the country we live in," controller of BBC Drama Ben Stephenson said in a statement.

The series is expected to air in 2014.

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R train to Whitehall resumes for first time since Sandy

AP

Service on the R train to the Whitehall Street Station resume today for the first time since Sandy.

The MTA resumed R train service today to Whitehall Street station in Manhattan for the first time since the system was shuttered for monster storm Sandy.

Trains had been stopping at 34th Street because of serious damage to the Lower Manhattan station and the line’s signals system.

“The resumption of service to the Whitehall Street station will restore a vital link to Midtown’s West Side for Staten Islanders and also ease crowding along the Lexington Avenue Line,” said Governor Cuomo.

There is still no Brooklyn-Manhattan R train service because of flooding damage to the Montague Tube, which carries the trains under the East River.

Service between the two boroughs is expected to resume by the end of the month.

“Transit workers continue to work around the clock to bring the Montague Tube back online, which will complete the R Line link from lower Manhattan to Downtown Brooklyn,” said MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota.

jennifer.fermino@nypost.com

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The business behind the artist: Miami’s art gallery scene still evolving

This week, thousands of art collectors, museum trustees, artists, journalists and hipsters from around the globe will arrive for the phenomenon known as Art Basel Miami Beach. The centerpiece of the week: works shown at the convention center by more than 260 of the world’s top galleries.

Only two of those are from Miami.

While Art Basel has helped transform the city’s reputation from beach-and-party scene to arts destination in the years since its 2002 Miami Beach debut, the region’s gallery identity is still coming into its own.

“Certainly Miami as an art town registers mightily because of the foundations, the collectors who have done an extraordinary job,” said Linda Blumberg, executive director of the Art Dealers Association of America. “I think there’s a definite international awareness there. But the gallery scene probably has a bit of a ways to go. That doesn’t mean it’s not really fascinating and interesting.”

The gallery business, especially where newer artists are concerned, is a game of risk, faith and passion. Once a gallery takes on an artist who shows promise, they become an evangelist on their behalf, showing their work in-house and at fairs, presenting it to museums and curators and potential collectors and bearing the cost of that promotion.

For contemporary artists, most galleries take work on consignment, meaning they get a cut of as much as 50 percent when works sell. While local art galleries have been growing in number and popularity in the last several years — just try to find parking during the monthly art walk in Miami’s hot Wynwood neighborhood — even some of the area’s top art dealers say that while business overall is good, they struggle in the local marketplace.

“Our problem is that we have to do lots of art fairs in order to connect with the market that we need to connect with to sell the work that we have,” said Fredric Snitzer, a Miami-Dade gallery owner for 35 years. “The better the work is, the harder it is to sell in Miami. And that ain’t good.”

A handful of serious collectors call Miami home and store their own collections in Miami, including the Braman, Rubell, Margulies and de la Cruz families. But outside a relatively small local group, many gallerists say, their clients come from other parts of the country and world.

And some gallerists point out the troubling reality that even the powerhouse Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin could not stay open in Miami for more than a few years.

“The fact that big galleries have not been able to sustain their business models in South Florida tells you we’re obviously not at this high established point,” said gallery owner David Castillo. “It’s not like we’ve arrived, let’s sit back and watch Hauser & Wirth open down the street.”

Still, Miami’s gallery business has come a long way since the early 1970s, when a few dealers on Bay Harbor Island’s Kane Concourse were selling high-end pieces but the local scene was hardly embraced.

Virginia Miller, who owns ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries in Coral Gables, first opened in 1974 to showcase Florida artists, though her focus soon added an international scope. She and other longtime observers credit several factors for Miami’s transformation, including the community’s diversity, the establishment of important museums, the Art Miami fair that started 23 years ago, the presence of major collections and, of course, Art Basel Miami Beach.

Read More..