Audio By Carbonatix
Saturday August 30
The distance between Panama and Haiti just got smaller, since the City of Miami is helping to celebrate both countries’ respective independence days today. At José Martí Park (351 SW 4th St.) on the Miami River, Panamanians will be honoring their patria, while at the same time Haitians will be praising their heritage at the Church of Notre Dame (110 NE 62nd St.) in Little Haiti. Both sites promise a day full of live music, great food, and a victory dance over deposed dictators Duvalier and Noriega. To make sure people don’t miss out on either festivity, Miami-Dade Transit will be shuttling partygoers between the two events and touring neighborhood sites. The shuttles depart every 10 minutes from the Overtown MetroRail Station, 100 NW 6th St. Admission is free. Call 305-373-0011. — By Juan Carlos Rodriguez
Now 24/7
Who Dat?
Tooling along NW 7th Street and 57th Avenue brings a broadcast journalistic blast from the past in the guise of Ralph Renick Way. The small stretch of road pays tribute to Miami’s first newscaster on Florida’s first TV station, WTVJ, then Channel 4 and a CBS affiliate. The station, owned by Wometco theater chain owner Mitchell Wolfson, recruited Renick fresh from the University of Miami in 1949 as news director. Regular newscasts didn’t hit the air until a year later. Remembered for his stentorian voice, the opinionated newscaster began keeping this town in line with his daily editorials in 1957. Retiring in 1985, Renick died in 1991 at age 62. Plenty of local TV personalities, including Gerri Helfman and Eliott Rodriguez, got their start thanks to him. Many Miamians still remember his upbeat nightly signoff: “May the good news be yours.” — By Nina Korman
Thursday 8/28
Community
Voicing Gay Concerns
Almost a year after winning its campaign to keep sexual orientation in the county’s human-rights ordinance, SAVE Dade, Miami’s gay/lesbian political action group, may have faded from the headlines. But that is not to say it has disbanded. Tonight SAVE Dade continues its drive by inviting members of the community to voice their ideas and find out about volunteer projects, such as handing out dictionaries in public schools. The conference begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Miami Beach City Hall Mayors Conference Room, 1700 Convention Center Dr. Call 305-751-7283. — By Juan Carlos Rodriguez
