The Education Advisory Board is calling for nominations for its annual Awards of Excellence, which recognize students who demonstrate exceptional dedication, leadership and service and make a positive impact on their school environment and beyond.       Students may be nominated in 10 categories. An educator may be nominated for Teacher of the Year.      Winners will be announced at a ceremony to...

Pedro Estopiñán  Business Development Specialist, Fision by Hotwire Communications  Homestead       “I can’t go out to a restaurant and find one that does not cook everything in seed oils,” Pedro Estopiñán said. “That’s the only thing I wish that was different at restaurants.”  Xiomara Castillo  Realtor Associate, The Keyes...

    If the U.S. State Dept. issued passports to dogs, Blanche, the apricot Toy Poodle, would have one.      An energetic 9-year-old girl named for a sassy character on the “Golden Girls” TV show, she was born in northern Japan.      Blanche has lived in three countries and traveled extensively with owner Dr. Patricia Hammer, a physician and retired major in the U.S. Air...

     Ray Palacios is the newly-elected president of the board of the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce.       Palacios, 48, previously was vice president of the chamber and in 2020, moved to the Young Professionals Committee so he could focus on his business.            A career in banking led to his founding of ASJ Financial Group mortgage brokerage in 2006. In 2013, he...

     If there was any doubt that Miami Lakes needed a professional group for women who practice law, 17 attorneys showed up to a Galentine’s Day lunch on two days’ notice.      “Things have changed so much with Zoom hearings,” said attorney Gloria M. Garcia. “A lot of our attorneys are lacking mentors. A lot of organizations cater to women in the law, but there’s nothing...