The Arc of South Florida in Miami Lakes serves Miami-Dade County citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It held a “Job-A-Palooza” on March 7 at the Robert Alonso Community Center. Students met employers including Publix Supermarkets; American Airlines; Starbucks; Trader Joe’s and the Dade County Federal Credit Union. Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho attended, along with, left to right,...

Restaurants that may normally compete for the same customer’s dollars teamed up this week against the inconveniences of COVID-19.Pizza Scene on Main Street in Miami Lakes and in Hialeah began giving away medium pizza pies to families locked down at home while homeschooling their children during the pandemic.“We want to give back to the community,” Hector Rodriguez, owner of Pizza Scene said on March 18. “These are our customers, and this is a...

When Cristina Miranda-Gilson was growing up in South Miami, performing community service was a mandate from her mother, Mercy Diaz-Miranda. “Whether we wanted to or not, we had to help,” Miranda-Gilson, 61, said about the importance of volunteering that she learned from her mom, a former newspaper publishing executive. “It just really is about giving back,” Miranda-Gilson said. “And in giving back, you gain so much.” ...

Usually all of the library’s monthly courses are listed here. But as of March 18, the branch has closed and all programming is canceled, through at least March 31. In the meantime you can download ebooks, audio books, movies and music at mdpls.org. Call the branch or visit MDPLS.org for updates on hours it will be open. Below are photos from past events: Furry Tales, when kids read to a therapy dog; a skull makeup workshop and a children’s...

The third annual Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival drew a large crowd to Miami Lakes Optimist Park on Feb. 29. A celebration of community, the festival’s theme can be summed up in co-organizer Lynn Matos’ motto, “Be Kind, Drink Wine.” Proceeds from the event, for which 1,000 tickets were sold, fund the education-oriented projects of the Miami Lakes Town Foundation. Restauranteur Giuseppe Zuozo and Matos, a Realtor, founded the...