Elsa Reus of Hialeah Gardens, who is vice chair of the Miami Lakes Cultural Affairs Committee, has traveled through much of Europe since she retired in 2024. Most recently Reus, 75, journeyed to Italy in May with a group tour to the southern area known as the “heel” of that country. Stops included Osuni; the domed Trulli limestone houses of Alberobello in Puglia, a UNESCO World Heritage Center, and Matera, ranked as the...

Kids in the Loch Ness neighborhood near Windmill Gate put aside their screens for a couple of Sundays each month and grab a bucket of colored chalks instead. They transformed community sidewalks into their own art gallery, with Batman and Godzilla themes, said Ibis Mendoza, a member of the Loch Ness Homeowner’s Association. While the kids are expressing themselves, parents have an opportunity to get together, she said. “They...

There is a new opportunity to serve veterans in Miami Lakes: The American Legion Post 144 Auxiliary. Members will visit the Miami VA Medical Center, sell poppy flowers to raise funds for activities, volunteer with the American Legion and mentor girls, President Jill Cavanaugh Green said. Currently there are 16 adult members and two junior members who are teenagers. Cavanaugh Green is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where she served as a...

Athletic fields at Royal Oaks Park and Miami Lakes Optimist Park are closed through Aug. 10 for annual maintenance. The parks will remain open and visitors can use the area north of the basketball courts at Optimist Park or the perimeter berm. One field may be left open on a rotating basis. At Royal Oaks Park, available areas are the open play field, green space east of the open play field, the green space east of the picnic shelters...

The cow sculptures installed around Miami Lakes are art in public spaces and a tribute to the town’s agrarian past. Now Miami Lakes is presenting a new display, the Little Free Art Gallery. At the request of former Mayor Manny Cid in 2024, it is modeled after the 11 Little Free Libraries in Miami Lakes that allow books to be exchanged for free. The art gallery holds drawings created by children, who want to share their work with the...