A plaque on the speaker’s podium in the Miami Lakes council chamber reads: “Mirtha Mendez Podium, in recognition and honor of her commitment to the Town of Miami Lakes and its charter.”       On Aug. 8, the council saluted Mendez, a resident who has stood at the podium for the past 23 years to share her concerns with the town’s elected officials.    ...

      For Rosa Nell Hammer, a ceremony in her honor was a bunch of “hoopla,” as she put it.       The 103-year-old Lake Sandra resident is not big on festivities or fuss.      But she is a town treasure, Miami Lakes’ own “Rosie the Riveter,” and Miami Lakers wanted to salute her.       On Aug. 7, the Miami Lakes Veterans and Elderly...

     The Town of Miami Lakes Veterans Committee is calling for nominations for a grand marshal to lead the 44th Annual Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 5.      The parade happens on a Sunday morning and travels through the heart of Miami Lakes for two hours.      The grand marshal leads the procession.      To nominate a veteran for the honor, download a form and turn it in by...

     Miami-Dade Commissioner Sen. Rene Garcia held a “Cafecito con Rene” event in Miami Lakes on July 20.      At the Vanilla Espresso French Cafe in the Windmill Gate Shopping Center, Garcia greeted constituents who decided to “come for the coffee and stay for the conversation,” as his invitation says.      Shown above are Miami Lakes Councilman Josh Dieguez; Ana...

     The Miami Lakes food scene is expanding and offers something for nearly everyone. A new place that aims to serve many tastes is Island Fin Poké Co., in the Royal Oaks Plaza.       The restaurant embodies the laid-back island feeling of Hawai’i where the poké dish was created by fishermen who ate their fresh catches while dockside.      Diners sit at indoor picnic tables....