Spotlight 124-250725

Good morning. What we’re covering in today’s Spotlight:

The Grove’s New Police Commander
Traffic Delays on South Bayshore Drive
The Ghost Traps Fouling Biscayne Bay

Coconut Grove’s Top Cop: Heart, Humor, and a Deep Miami Legacy

After nearly three decades with the City of Miami Police Department, Freddie Cruz steps into a new assignment in Coconut Grove with his trademark energy, empathy — and a pocketful of jokes.

By Jenny Jacoby

A year out of high school, Freddie Cruz joined the police force almost on a whim. His original job plans had unraveled, a friend encouraged him to apply, and the promise of structure and purpose pulled him in.

Since that day, Cruz, a Miami native, has spent 28 years with the City of Miami Police Department, filling several different positions – from the Public Information Office (PIO) that handles communications and media relations to his most recent posting, starting last month, as Coconut Grove’s top cop.

“It’s not just about putting people behind bars,” says Commander Cruz, who oversees the Grove’s policing district. “It’s actually helping people, when you can actually make a difference, when you actually have someone tell you, ‘thank you’.”

After rotating between the PIO office and several district commander positions in Edgewater, Wynwood and Little Havanna, Cruz was summoned by Chief of Police Manuel Morales to replace former Grove Commander Daniel Kerr, who stepped down in June after three years in the post.

“[Cruz] mirrors that community perfectly,” Morales tells the Spotlight. “Even though he’s not homegrown, he matches the vibe of the Grove. He knows what the Grove needs.”

More Traffic Delays Ahead, this time on South Bayshore Drive

South Bayshore Drive will be temporarily closed to all but local traffic as workers install a new sewer line from Mercy Way to Halissee Street.

By Spotlight Staff

Expect traffic delays and road closures next week as Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department installs a new sewer line along South Bayshore Drive from Mercy Way to Halissee Street in the North Grove.

South Bayshore Drive will be temporarily closed between SW 17^th Avenue and Alatka Street (Mercy Way), with local access only.

Installation of the new sewer line is expected to take two weeks, and is part of a larger infrastructure project including the relocation of a pump station at South Bayshore Drive and Halissee Street.

The project also includes the installation of new sewer lines on Halissee Street, Micanopy Avenue, Coacoochee Street and Tigertail Avenue.

The “Ghost” Traps that Haunt Biscayne Bay

Volunteers at this month’s Derelict Trap Rodeo on Biscayne Bay removed 112 abandoned “ghost” traps from bay waters and another 782 pounds of marine debris.

By Carla Mendez & Sofia Zarran

The sun shimmered over calm waters as a small Florida International University research vessel zigzagged slowly across Biscayne Bay on a hot and humid Saturday morning.

Aboard the boat, a team from FIU’s Institute of Environment scanned the horizon in search of a telltale round bob of a buoy. They peered through the shallow water looking for box-like shadows resting on the seagrass below.

Their quest: find and remove “ghost traps.”

After nearly an hour, someone finally called out: “Over there!”

Letters to the Editor

Readers React: Miami traffic engineers favor cars over pedestrians, and that’s why crossing the street where Main Highway meets Grand Avenue and McFarlane Road is so dangerous, says a Spotlight reader.

Where We’ll Be

Family Matinee. Kick back, relax, and enjoy a Saturday afternoon matinee with the kids – snacks included – at the Coconut Grove Library. This week’s featured movie: Moana 2. Don’t know the plot? Details here. Coconut Grove Library, 2875 McFarlane Road, Saturday 7/26 from 3 to 5 p.m. All ages welcome.

Yoga by the Sea. Enjoy an evening Hatha Yoga class with a water view twice a week at the Barnacle State Historic Park. Instructor Gabby Goldbaum leads the outdoor classes, open to all levels. Bring your own mat, strap and blocks. Individual classes are $13, or $55 for five classes. Barnacle Historic State Park, 3485 Main Highway. Monday 7/28 and Wednesday 7/30 from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Sign up and start stretching.

Fiction Book Club. Books & Books in Coconut Grove is starting a fiction book club and you’re invited. The club meets the last Tuesday of every month, Katherine Wakefield hosts, and this month’s read is Foster by Claire Keegan. Books & Books in Coconut Grove, 3409 Main Highway, Tuesday July 29 at 7 p.m. Free, but registration required.

Celebration of Life. Family and friends gather to honor the life and legacy of Jack King, publisher of The Coconut Grover who died earlier this month. Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 2990 South Bayshore Drive, Thursday 07/31 from 6 to 9 p.m. RSVP to [email protected]

Writing Workshop. Join author / bookseller Cortney Casey at Book & Books in Coconut Grove for an evening of writing “sprints” – timed sessions of focused, silent writing designed to boost creativity, discipline, and confidence. The $10 admission fee includes an adult beverage (to get things flowing). Books & Books, 3409 Main Highway, Coconut Grove. Thursday July 31 at 6:30 p.m. Details and tickets at this link.

Virginia Key Celebration. Get ready for a weekend full of community, culture and environmental preservation as Historic Virginia Key Beach Park – the first and only beach designated for Miami’s Black community – celebrates its 80^th anniversary with three days of events. The celebration begins on Friday 8/1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a museum project commencement ceremony and birthday party, followed by a Community Fun Day on Saturday 8/2 from 12 to 4 p.m., and a Poetry Potluck on Sunday 8/3 from 3 to 7 p.m. Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Drive. Event details / tickets for free entry on August 1.

Summer Dance Party. Shake your Groove Thing to music from 1970s, 1980s and beyond with DJ Nicholas Martin at the Midsummer Night Dance Party hosted by the Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, 2985 South Bayshore Drive, on Saturday August 2 from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person with a cash bar. Proceeds benefit the club’s sound equipment fund.

Bug Out at Fairchild. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is transforming itself this summer into a life-sized insect wonderland with its daily Bugging Out exhibit and some select nighttime activities, including a family movie night and twilight bug safari on three upcoming Saturdays (July 26, August 9 and August 30) from 6:30 to 10 p.m., and an adults-only Bug-N-Grub Night Crawl on August 26 and September 27 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road. Tickets available here.