Spotlight 82-250304

Good morning. In today’s Spotlight:

Another Advance for Macedonia Missionary
Murder Video Released
Pedestrian Safety Recommendations
The Fate of Trash Pick-up

Freedom School Returns to Macedonia

Now in its second year, the free program adds Black history and cultural studies to Macedonia’s long-standing summer school program.

By Noah Gulley

For generations, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church has been a pillar of Coconut Grove, not just as a place of worship but as a foundation for education and community strength.

Last summer, its legacy as Miami’s oldest Black church grew deeper with the launch of Freedom School — a new initiative within the church’s long-standing summer school program that adds lessons on Black history and culture to the program.

Designed to close academic gaps, boost confidence and instill cultural pride, the church’s summer school program has given local children a space to learn and grow since 1984.

Now, Macedonia is poised to expand the program with the addition of new classroom space, and the return of the Freedom School pilot program, which was developed in partnership with the Center for Ethics and Public Service (CEPS) at the University of Miami.

“I have a vision that we can do this in Coconut Grove. We can teach our children our history,” said Loretta Scippio-Whittle, a longtime Miami-Dade County educator, a member of Macedonia and a director of the program. “Teaching is like building a castle. Once you really teach somebody something, it never decays.”

Miami Police Release Video of Grove Murder

Demonte Poitier was killed last year in a drive-by shooting that police say is gang related. The murder is unsolved.

By Don Finefrock

Miami Police homicide detectives have released dramatic footage of the drive-by shooting of Demonte Poitier in Coconut Grove last year – a murder that police say is gang related.

Poitier, 24, was shot and killed on February 13, 2024 as he sat in a silver 2003 Toyota Camry near 3354 Plaza Street in the West Grove. The murder is unsolved.

The short video, released on X (formerly Twitter) last month, shows a black Chevy Tahoe drive by the parked Camry at the moment the shooting occurs.

As the Chevy disappears from view, Poitier falls from the driver’s side of the Camry. Police say he can be heard calling for help, but that portion of the audio isn’t included with the posted video.

The video, which has been viewed more than 1,700 times, can be seen here.

Miami Police Commander Daniel Kerr encouraged West Grove residents twice last week at two different community meetings to view the clip, saying the video may prompt someone to come forward with information that could help to crack the case.

Opinion: How to Improve Pedestrian Safety in the Grove

Start with some paint, better signage, and a plan.

By Henrietta Schwarz and William Finan

More than any other area of Miami, Coconut Grove has a well-deserved reputation as being a great walking district. On any given day, you will see parents walking and biking their kids to school, runners, babies in strollers, dogs being walked, people heading to dinner, sailors on their way to the bayside or crossing the street to do some shopping.

In recent years Grove residents have witnessed changes making it increasingly unsafe for pedestrians, including:

The sheer volume of cars and development

There are increasing numbers of vehicles transiting the Grove as drivers’ GPS directs them to use Grove roads to bypass the bumper-to-bumper traffic on saturated South Dixie Highway, especially during peak commuting hours.

The completion of Grove at Grand Bay (96 units), Park Grove (132 units), and Mr. C’s (118 units) has added hundreds of cars to this traffic maelstrom. When you take some of the smaller buildings and new single-home projects being built, the recent saturation of new residents has swelled far beyond the capacity of the existing roadway and sidewalk infrastructure. Sidewalk closures due to construction (why don’t they build pedestrian tunnels?) have added another danger by forcing people to cross the street, many poorly marked or lacking signage.

City Withdraws Proposed Solid Waste Changes

Miami City Manager Art Noriega withdrew a proposal last week that could have led to a suspension of the city’s curbside recycling program and a reduction in the bulky waste pickup service provided by the Solid Waste Department. The City Commission had been expected to consider the item at last Thursday’s meeting. The measure had been deferred previously to the commission’s February 27 meeting. Noriega didn’t explain the reasoning behind the withdrawal, but city residents and environmentalists had previously objected to the cuts. “This is great news! Our weekly trash pickup and twice a month recycling will continue for the time being,” one of the measure’s critics – community activist Elvis Cruz – wrote in an email blast after Thursday’s meeting. “A big thank you to all who sent in emails in support of keeping these services intact! However, please know that the city may very well bring up the issue again in the future.” Stay tuned.