Good morning. What we’re covering in today’s Spotlight:
- What Voters Had to Say on Tuesday
- Next Week’s Veterans Day Parade
- Where We’ll Be: A Guide to Local Events
This week’s election results in the City of Miami gave a boost to the reform agenda pushed by Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo and others.
By Don Finefrock

City of Miami voters embraced change this week, shunning three City Hall veterans in the race for mayor, propelling two other reform-minded candidates into a December runoff, and voting overwhelmingly to impose a lifetime term limit on serial politicians.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins came out on top in the mayor’s race with 36% of the total vote. She’ll face former Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez in a Dec. 9 runoff election. Gonzalez came in second, with 19.5% of the vote.
Organizers say this year’s Veterans Day parade through the West Grove will be bigger than last year’s event, with 16 marching bands.
By Spotlight Staff

Some of South Florida’s top marching bands will be lighting up Grand Avenue next week during Coconut Grove’s annual Veterans Day parade.
Sixteen high school and academy marching bands are slated to participate in Tuesday’s parade, starting at 10 a.m. on Grand Avenue at Elizabeth Street. The parade will then head west for five blocks to Armbrister Park for an after-party with food trucks.
A graveside ceremony will be held earlier in the day, starting at 9 a.m. at the Charles Avenue Cemetery, 3650 Charles Avenue, to honor veterans who have been laid to rest.
Heat, Harmony, and a Little Holy Nostalgia.

The Grove has its dancing shoes on and its heart wide open this week — dancing, singing, reminiscing, and generally refusing to act its age. From the bold new moves of Four by Four to Aymée Nuviola’s Cuban pulse in Sones and Songs, it’s all rhythm and risk, sweat and sparkle. Even Plymouth Congregational gets in on the action, celebrating 128 years of “I do’s” and baptisms with cake, memories, and a little holy nostalgia. No better time to say — yes, we clean up nice.
Meanwhile, the rest of the city is humming louder than a sax solo. The Book Fair is throwing a literary street party that doubles as date night, and the calendar can barely keep up. Parades, disco, gratitude, and a lot of good noise — it’s one of those weeks when Miami reminds us she’s got range, rhythm, and plenty of heart.
Recent News
A new portion of the Underline has opened beneath the Metrorail and across from Coconut Grove, with space for community events, bike rentals, food trucks, and more.
More than 21,000 Miami residents – 12% of all eligible voters – have already voted ahead of this week’s election. That includes 13,133 people who voted by mail this year,…
Miami voters will choose a new mayor, two new commissioners, and vote on four proposed charter amendments this year. Election day is Tuesday Nov. 4.
Coconut Grove residents say a long-neglected wall on U.S. 1 is an eyesore and safety hazard, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines as city enforcement drags on.
The high cost of housing and other basic expenses in Miami is driving a conversation about affordability in the race for mayor this year.
Despite multiple complaints to City of Miami officials — and at least one citation for violating the city’s noise ordinance — residents say repairs at a Center Grove office building…
Coconut Grove’s once-gritty waterfront is generating millions in rent for the City of Miami as an upscale entertainment zone. But a close look at the lease shows the city may…
The parents of an 11-year-old girl who nearly lost a leg while participating in a summer camp program at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club are suing the club and three…
Outdoor dining is part of the charm of Coconut Grove, but pedestrians often have to negotiate narrow stretches of sidewalk to squeeze past restaurants that lease space in the public…
The Grove has its dancing shoes on and its heart wide open this week — dancing, singing, reminiscing, and generally refusing to act its age. From the bold new moves…
Halloween’s barely out the door, but we’re not done dressing up—just trading cobwebs for culture. The week ahead is all rhythm and shimmer: live music under the palms, art that…
Editor’s Note: Robert Denardes Whittle Jr. was fatally shot on Aug. 6 at Ike’s Food Center on Douglas Road in Coconut Grove. Loretta Scippio-Whittle, the president of Macedonia Missionary Baptist…
To the Editor: For too long, the shape of Miami’s political map has determined the shape of our democracy. Lines drawn in back rooms have divided neighborhoods, weakened communities, and silenced…
Call it Cultural Whiplash. It’s officially that time of year when your social calendar looks like a ransom note. The Grove’s rolling out concerts, costumes, crafts, and carnivals faster than…
Where We’ll Be is looking downright boo-tiful this week — from pep rallies to pup parades, trivia throwdowns to haunted house showdowns. Shenandoah’s got parking debates, Silver Bluff’s got bragging…
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