Long-time Palmetto Elementary School teacher Thomas Uhle was honored at a dedication ceremony for a school building recently named for him. The event was attended by more than 70 people many of whom spoke about Uhle’s devotion to education including his work teaching students with severe emotional difficulties.

The Palmetto Elementary Jazz Band, led by Oliver Diez, played before the event. Among those praising Uhle at the gathering were Lawrence Feldman, vice chairman of the Miami-Dade County School Board; Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner; Karen Aronowitz, president of United Teachers of Dade; Barry Mezey, former student and successful talent agent; Felicia Faller, colleague and long time friend; and Eric Torres, principal of Palmetto Elementary.

The Thomas Uhle Building, TUB for short, is a four-pack classroom. Uhle has been a teacher at Palmetto Elementary since 1980 and has mentored countless student interns and beginning teachers. He was twice recognized as Palmetto Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, said his wife Karen Uhle, special education teacher at Palmetto Senior High School. Their two grown children, Thomas Uhle Jr. and Heather Uhle Peacock are both teachers and are both married to teachers. Uhle is the proud grandfather of Grace Uhle, Taylor Uhle, Joseph Peacock and Joshua Peacock.

At the close of the ceremony, Uhle surprised everyone by singing, “More Than a Building To Me" to the tune of Billy Joel’s "She’s Always A Woman." There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

HELP CANCER SURVIVORS

Designer fashions will be modeled and for sale at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon on Nov. 14, at the annual holiday show and live auction hosted by the Woman’s Cancer Association of the University of Miami Bush Chapter. Featured styles will be from the group’s trendy Bargain Box Thrift Shop in downtown Miami.

Community leaders, including former Coral Gables Mayor Dorothy Thomson, and other models will walk the runway at the Courtyard by Marriott, 2051 LeJeune Rd. in Coral Gables. Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. and the fashion show will begin at 12:30 p.m. Bob Soper, former South Florida television personality and supporter of many charities, will be the master of ceremonies and will conduct the live auction of fashions, as he has done for many years.

Attendees can arrive at 10 a.m. to sort through bins of other clothing from the association’s Bargain Box. Items will be available for purchase at discounted prices.

The Woman’s Cancer Association of the University of Miami Bush Chapter has operated Bargain Box Thrift Shop, located at 1350 W. Flagler St. for many years to raise funds for cancer research. The thrift store accepts donations, as well as clothing and other items, for resale to support research.

Other models for the fashion show include Judi Ashworth, Bridget Stark, Brittany Stark, Michelle LoCicero, Genevieve Atkinson, Nara Tenney, Rilya Thomas and Ruth Jacobs, current president of the Women’s Cancer Society of the University of Miami Bush Chapter. Mary Nolan is chair of the event.

For reservations or more information, contact JoAnn Cappelletti at 305-235-6453. Luncheon and show tickets are $50, but you can look through and purchase discounted items of clothing, jewelry and more on display from the thrift store for free. All monies raised help the store’s cause, Cappelletti said.