Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr. was unanimously elected vice chairman of the County Commission last week after Commissioner Jean Monestine was chosen as chairman of the 13-member board. During a ceremony at County Hall, elected officials welcomed new Commissioner Daniella Levin Cava of District 8, who defeated then-incumbent Lynda Bell in the August primary election. Monestine and Bovo replace outgoing chairwoman Rebecca...

Miami Lakes announced the new online Recreation Program Calendar. The Town’s Community Services Department, in collaboration with the Youth Activities Task Force, offers free recreation programs and activities for residents of all ages. Among some of the town’s newer programs are: • Free Open Play for Pickleball, a cross between badminton, tennis and ping-pong, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the tennis Courts...

The Town of Miami Lakes is hosting a toy drive for the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots. Residents are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys for children up to the age of 16 by Friday, December 12, to Town Hall, 6601 Main Street. The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of  Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of the nation’s...

  Town Council members along with several volunteers and representatives from Loving Soles celebrated the collection of over 1,500 pairs of shoes on November 22 for this year’s Thanksgiving shoe drive. For the second year in a row, the Town partnered with Loving Soles, founded by Tony Garcia, Dr. Daryl Gershbein, Dr. John and Ileana McGoohan’s teenage children, who donated all the gently worn shoes collected to Miami’s...

  The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States has awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Town of Miami Lakes for its comprehensive annual financial report for fiscal year 2012-2013. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a...