Be careful of your closed captioning as at least once it transposed "millage" into "military". Very good podcast - Mr. Maxwell was a very articulate guest - the questioning was handled professionally - I certainly am concerned about the "pro" attitude that was expressed about millage reduction - this city must be concerned about providing high quality services to its citizens rather than saving a few dollars - we need more police officers, we need to ensure that our fire equipment is the most modern available to protect the lives of our aging population - we need many more code enforcement personnel to make sure that our codes (which we are so proud of) are obeyed by some residents who don't seem to care about following the "rules of the road", thereby negatively impacting their neighbors - we need to make sure that our sanitation department is properly manned and equipped to maintain the valued and greatly appreciated trash, garbage, and recycling services (something that truly distinguishes our city from other communities in Miami-Dade County) - small millage rate decreases are more political than practical....keep up the good work. Don
Hi Nicolas. Thank you for this latest interview with Mr Maxwell. I appreciate the mention of historic preservation and specifically the historically significant White Way streetlights. To be fair, this endeavor has been a labor of love. And Mayor Lago has been its best and most loyal advocate.
The serendipitous discovery of about 20 additional historic street lights in Fort Lauderdale in 2018 by preservation attorney Tucker Gibbs only added to Mayor Lago's involvement and advocacy role. He has been instrumental in supporting the yearslong preservation efforts.
Even before the latest find, Mayor Lago, [then Commissioner Lago] led city leaders in proposing a resolution to fully fund the "White Way" restoration plan which entailed several phases. It was approved unanimously. A project that had lagged and been dormant for decades suddenly got the attention and funding it needed.
Paris may be known as "The City of Light" and Broadway as "The Great White Way", but Coral Gables has its own illuminating claim to fame as "The City of Lights", thanks in large part to the street lights designed in 1926 by Phineas Paist and Denman Fink.
These functional works of art were commissioned almost 100 years ago by city founder George Merrick, not only to light the City Beautiful, but to enhance the newly built roads. Originally, 500 street lights adorned the boulevards. Today, only about 45 of the original White Way Lights with decorative bases remain along the Riviera Drive corridor between Andalusia Avenue and University Drive. In 1981, the street lights were designated as a City Historic Landmark Site.
In 2016, the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables partnered with the city to erect a historical marker by one of the original streetlights on Riviera Drive in front of the Coral Gables library. The marker gives a nice history about them. .
The discovered batch of original White Way lights will join the 40 plus originals in Coral Gables and be included as part of the multi-year restoration. As the saying goes, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The project includes several phases and includes replicas that will join the original decorative streetlights along University Drive. Our City will soon shine again and Mayor Lago has led the "White Way." https://coralgablesmagazine.com/the-saving-of-the-streetlights/
in "closed captioning" Jeannett Slesnick's name was misspelled. Thought your audience would like to know the proper spelling. But thank you both for mentioning my late partner and her Journal.
Thank you Mr Maxwell! In my neighborhood, the Coral Gables Flagler Street Section, there are 6 multifamily historically significant buildings of which only 2 are designated. I have approached historic resources and continue to follow up with them in an effort to move forward with the designation of these very important assets.
I love learning and this episode taught me something new! Initially, I thought the controversy surrounding the lighting being changed around the golf course had everything to do with the typical opposition to change and nothing to do with an established process to incorporate the lights that were in place. While I do think the new lights look better, I can appreciate the effort of those involved to develop the standard in the 80’s.
Thank you for a delightful, informative and enlightening conversation for all who appreciate both the history of Coral Gables and the current state of affairs. A healthy, vibrant and robust community depends on the contributions and investment of time and effort by talented people who care more about the common good than personal interests.
Thank you Robert! I share a mutual gratitude towards you and Robin for your weekly Great Gables Guide. In fact, I encourage everyone reading these comments to sign up! Hope to have you on the podcast sometime in the near future.
For anyone interested in Gables Good Government, check out their website here: https://gablesgoodgovernment.org/
Be careful of your closed captioning as at least once it transposed "millage" into "military". Very good podcast - Mr. Maxwell was a very articulate guest - the questioning was handled professionally - I certainly am concerned about the "pro" attitude that was expressed about millage reduction - this city must be concerned about providing high quality services to its citizens rather than saving a few dollars - we need more police officers, we need to ensure that our fire equipment is the most modern available to protect the lives of our aging population - we need many more code enforcement personnel to make sure that our codes (which we are so proud of) are obeyed by some residents who don't seem to care about following the "rules of the road", thereby negatively impacting their neighbors - we need to make sure that our sanitation department is properly manned and equipped to maintain the valued and greatly appreciated trash, garbage, and recycling services (something that truly distinguishes our city from other communities in Miami-Dade County) - small millage rate decreases are more political than practical....keep up the good work. Don
Hi Nicolas. Thank you for this latest interview with Mr Maxwell. I appreciate the mention of historic preservation and specifically the historically significant White Way streetlights. To be fair, this endeavor has been a labor of love. And Mayor Lago has been its best and most loyal advocate.
The serendipitous discovery of about 20 additional historic street lights in Fort Lauderdale in 2018 by preservation attorney Tucker Gibbs only added to Mayor Lago's involvement and advocacy role. He has been instrumental in supporting the yearslong preservation efforts.
Even before the latest find, Mayor Lago, [then Commissioner Lago] led city leaders in proposing a resolution to fully fund the "White Way" restoration plan which entailed several phases. It was approved unanimously. A project that had lagged and been dormant for decades suddenly got the attention and funding it needed.
Paris may be known as "The City of Light" and Broadway as "The Great White Way", but Coral Gables has its own illuminating claim to fame as "The City of Lights", thanks in large part to the street lights designed in 1926 by Phineas Paist and Denman Fink.
These functional works of art were commissioned almost 100 years ago by city founder George Merrick, not only to light the City Beautiful, but to enhance the newly built roads. Originally, 500 street lights adorned the boulevards. Today, only about 45 of the original White Way Lights with decorative bases remain along the Riviera Drive corridor between Andalusia Avenue and University Drive. In 1981, the street lights were designated as a City Historic Landmark Site.
In 2016, the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables partnered with the city to erect a historical marker by one of the original streetlights on Riviera Drive in front of the Coral Gables library. The marker gives a nice history about them. .
The discovered batch of original White Way lights will join the 40 plus originals in Coral Gables and be included as part of the multi-year restoration. As the saying goes, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The project includes several phases and includes replicas that will join the original decorative streetlights along University Drive. Our City will soon shine again and Mayor Lago has led the "White Way." https://coralgablesmagazine.com/the-saving-of-the-streetlights/
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Karelia Martinez Carbonell
Local resident and preservation advocate
in "closed captioning" Jeannett Slesnick's name was misspelled. Thought your audience would like to know the proper spelling. But thank you both for mentioning my late partner and her Journal.
Thank you Mr Maxwell! In my neighborhood, the Coral Gables Flagler Street Section, there are 6 multifamily historically significant buildings of which only 2 are designated. I have approached historic resources and continue to follow up with them in an effort to move forward with the designation of these very important assets.
I love learning and this episode taught me something new! Initially, I thought the controversy surrounding the lighting being changed around the golf course had everything to do with the typical opposition to change and nothing to do with an established process to incorporate the lights that were in place. While I do think the new lights look better, I can appreciate the effort of those involved to develop the standard in the 80’s.
Thank you for a delightful, informative and enlightening conversation for all who appreciate both the history of Coral Gables and the current state of affairs. A healthy, vibrant and robust community depends on the contributions and investment of time and effort by talented people who care more about the common good than personal interests.
Thank you Robert! I share a mutual gratitude towards you and Robin for your weekly Great Gables Guide. In fact, I encourage everyone reading these comments to sign up! Hope to have you on the podcast sometime in the near future.
https://www.gablesguide.com/