Community News Briefs & Events

Hollwyood Arts and Culture Center Raises Funds for Arts

2010-06-27T14:29:29Z

Nearly $22,000 Raised at Cuisine for Art Fund-Raiser

Nearly $22,000 was raised for the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood at its 13th Annual Cuisine for Art fund-raiser, which was held recently at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. More than 350 people attended this fun event, where for the first time, community leaders joined elected officials to serve as celebrity waiters. Another first at this year’s event was recognizing local restaurateur Steve Martorano for his culinary excellence and national attention to South Florida.

This year’s celebrity waiters included Hollywood Commissioner Patricia Asseff; Broward County School Board Member Robin Bartleman; Memorial Healthcare System Senior Vice President and Chief Strategic Officer John Benz; Hollywood Commissioner Dick Blattner; City of Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober; AutoNation Vice President of Corporate Affairs Gale Butler; Hollywood Commissioner Beam Furr; Bitner Goodman Partner Michael Goodman; Broward County School Board Chair Jennifer Gottlieb; Broward County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger; Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President Alan Koslow, Esq.; Broward County School Board Member Ann Murray; Hollywood Vice Mayor Heidi O’Sheehan; Nova Southeastern University’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Dean Don Rosenblum; Funding Arts Broward! President Drazia Rubenstein; Miami Dolphins Alumnus and Russell Life Skills and Reading Foundation Founder Twan Russell; Hollywood Commissioner Fran Russo; Winterfest, Inc. President and CEO Lisa Scott-Founds; and Hollywood Commissioner Linda Sherwood.

"We changed the recipe for this year’s event, and we were thrilled with the results,” says Art and Culture Center of Hollywood Executive Director Joy Satterlee. “Everyone present thoroughly enjoyed themselves while raising funds for the Center’s education, visual and performing arts programs."

Event sponsors include Black Art Beer; the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; and Southern Wine and Spirits.

The Art and Culture Center of Hollywood presents contemporary gallery exhibitions, live stage performances and high-quality education programs for adults and children. The Center fosters a creative environment where new and challenging work can flourish through programs that reflect the highest standards of artistry and diversity. To learn more, call 954.921.3274 or visit www.ArtandCultureCenter.org.

FIU Students Learn and Support Scholarships at Wine and Food Fest

2010-02-06T19:04:05Z

FIU Students Work Hard, Raise Money for

Scholarships at Wine & Food Fest

When the greatest names in the restaurant industry converged for FIU School of Hospitality annual fundraiser: 2010 South Beach Wine & Food Festival, February 25 – 28, 2010 it was not only good food and good fun, it was also for a good cause: Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. More than $2 million dollars has been raised for FIU School of Hospitality for student scholarships, and to enhance the experience of students by investing in program, faculty and facility enhancement.

For the 2010 Festival celebrity chefs and personalities such as Rachael Ray, Emeril Lagasse, Ming Tsai, Paula Dean, Bobby Flay, Michael Lomonaco joined famed South Florida based chefs such as Michelle Bernstein, Kenny Lyon, Michael Schwartz, Jonathan Eismann and Allen Susser – to name just a handful of participants -- to once again position Miami-Dade County as the culinary capital of the world during the festival. Everyone is drawn to the event, not just for the celebration, but also for the opportunity to benefit one of the leading hospitality programs of its kind in the world.

Formerly known as the “Florida Extravaganza”, proceeds from the South Beach Wine & Food Festival benefit FIU’s School of Hospitality. Over the past 10 years, over a $6 million dollars has been raised to enhance the students experience at the School of Hospitality by expanding the School of Hospitality Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were set aside for student scholarships.

“The students of FIU are the real winners of this festival. They provide tireless support for the four-day weekend of events while reaping indispensable real world industry experience,” says Joan Remington, Interim Dean, FIU School of Hospitality.

FIU Hospitality Management senior AJ Mindermann, assistant culinary manager at the 2009 festival, knows first hand the value of working with industry leaders in a real-world experience. “The experience is priceless,” Mindermann said. “You can’t put a number on it. I got so many internship opportunities from chefs last year. The networking is terrific. It’s probably one of the biggest career-jumpers there is.”

Having just completed his second year in a leadership role at the Festival, Arthur was honored with the Barilla Best FIU Student Chef Award, and a $1500 cash prize. Barilla established this award to recognize students at FIU’s School of Hospitality and who exhibit their commitment to and passion for the culinary arts.

Hundreds of other students benefit from real-world experience at the Festival. Experiences range from fulfilling thousands of ticket orders to restaurant solicitation, sponsorship fulfillment to meeting and greeting guests at myriad activities throughout the annual four-day festival. Overall, some 850 Hospitality majors – most with excellent internship experience already under their belts – worked in a variety of key capacities both before and during the festival.

“I hear comments like ‘the experience changed my life’,” said FIU Chef-Instructor and South Beach Wine & Food Festival Culinary Director, Michael Moran. “You don’t expect to go to school and have a teacher say that there’s a field trip to cook barbecue for 500 people.”

Students are required to work 1,000 hours in the hospitality industry and then complete a 300-hour internship. Upon graduation, students are prepared to compete for top positions in every aspect of the hospitality industry. To date, the School’s graduates have a 100% career placement record.

For more information, visit www.hospitality.fiu.edu.

City of Dania Beach and County Officials Break Ground for New Library

2010-01-09T18:43:34Z

Under a tent, golden shovels lift up the ceremonial dirt for what could be many major projects in this historic city. See related story on this web site, and watch for more more details in the upcoming edition of the Promenade News in print in February.

City of Dania Beach Breaks Ground for New Library

2010-01-09T18:27:32Z

City of Dania Beach Breaks Ground for New Library

January 9, 2010: On a chilly, rainy Saturday morning, the visionaries and the government officials whose job is to attend such events (in some case they were one and them same) gathered outside of Dania Beach City Hall to break ground for a new library and parking garage.

Golden shovels in hand, city and county officials scooped up the wet soil marking the beginning of what planners hope will be a new Dania Beach, complete with a major City Center that will retail stores, parks and components of a major marine industry.

"We are going to bring restaurants, shops and tourists to our community," said Anne Castro, City of Dania Beach Mayor. Other speakers included Broward County Mayor Ken Keechl who recalled how important libraries were to him as a boy who was often too poor to buy books.

The mayor recognized Jeremy Earle, Executive Director of the Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. Earle envisions a major marine industry and, in the coming years, new bridges, hotels and facilities that can accommodate all requirements of the $10 billion marine industry, even the owners of the mega yachts that will come there from around the world.

But that is in the future. And it all has to start somewhere, and the new Paul DeMaio Branch Library is a fitting beginning. Keep your eye on Dania Beach, South Florida, the best is yet to come.