Miami citizens own the Olympia Theater. Their voices must be heard | Opinion
Olympia’s future
The Villagers is Miami-Dade’s oldest historic preservation organization, completely run by volunteers and dedicated to preserving and restoring historic sites in Miami.
The Olympia Theater was completed in 1926, designated a City of Miami historic site in 1983 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This magnificent theater is only one of two “atmospheric” theaters which survive within Florida. It is a historic, cultural and architectural gem that deserves to be preserved for future generations.
As the process moves forward in the city’s discussions with SLAM Miami charter school, it’s imperative that negotiations be transparent. Miami’s citizens — who own the property — deserve a chance to provide input on this important decision.
Any plans for the Olympia’s future must take into consideration its historic and cultural significance and include specific details regarding its restoration and maintenance. In addition, the Olympia Theater must remain open to the public in some meaningful way.
Gina Guilford,
president,
The Villagers,
Miami
Police state
Re: the June 26 Miami Herald story, “Chaos at Miami-Dade commission as officers drag out objector to new ICE jails agreement.” This is another prime example of the United States government under these MAGA representatives, from the president, Congress, the Supreme Court, the governor and so on down to the elected county and city officials.
Wake up people!
Look at 1938 Germany and take the hint. Better yet, use your “smart” phone and Google “fascism.”
Michael G. O’Neill,
The Villages
State aggression
Evidently, more and more regions of the United States are becoming belligerent to their own citizens. The chaos at the June 26 Miami-Dade County Commission meeting, in which police officers dragged a woman out of the chamber who was objecting to new the ICE jails agreement, does not set a good example for anyone who believes the U.S. guarantees free speech or is willing to allow open dialogue.
This event is a blight on citizen governance and is an example of what not to do.
Vera Demchenko,
Lakeville, PA
Repeating history
I am a Florida native and a former historian and archivist at the Smithsonian Institution, but one does not need to be a historian to be incensed at the proposed housing of immigrants in the Everglades. In tents. During hurricane season.
Does no one remember the Bonus Army?
The hurricane of 1935 killed hundreds of World War I veterans sent to the Everglades to complete a highway. Mostly, they were sent there to get out of President Hoover and the nation’s line of sight after they marched on Washington to demand bonuses due to them.
Housing detainees in the Everglades during hurricane season is an abomination to common sense and humanity and an affront to the memory of the Bonus Army. It is also an abomination to any Floridian who has weathered a major hurricane. The Florida Legislature should be ashamed to support this idiocy.
The government made this mistake once and it cost hundreds of men their lives. Has history taught us nothing?
Mimi Minnick,
Indian Pass
Our backyard
As a 17-year-old, I’ve noticed countless posts on social media from friends and influencers traveling the globe. While those adventures look amazing, I’ve realized that we often overlook the incredible beauty in our own backyards, like Florida’s vital Everglades and mangroves.
These unique ecosystems are crucial, yet frequently go unnoticed. They are not just scenic backdrops; they are vital for our planet’s health and directly impact our well-being.
Climate change, a global issue, has direct local consequences. It actively harms nature, preventing pollinators from finding flowers and posing a significant threat to species, like frogs. We’ve even witnessed the fourth global coral bleaching event in three decades, impacting vital marine life. Globally, wildlife populations have seen a catastrophic 73% decline in 50 years.
Our local ecosystems are not immune. This summer, I urge everyone to pause the travel scroll and truly connect with our natural wonders. Visit the Everglades, explore a preserve, learn about mangroves.
Let’s make conserving our local nature a priority, ensuring its beauty endures for generations to come.
Audrey Duenas,
Pembroke Pines
Inhumane place
After reading about the construction of Alligator Alcatraz just outside Miami-Dade County’s urban boundary, I cannot help but think of the historic precedent of Nazi concentration camps located near residential areas in Germany, Poland and other territories.
Besides its construction on county land designated as a protected ecosystem, the new facility compromises environmentally sensitive land and water within Big Cypress National Preserve. Most egregious of all is the injustice of imprisoning a 1,000 or more undocumented individuals, most of them with no criminal records, rounded up like cattle by masked men with guns.
We cannot become desensitized to the cruelty in our backyards.
Rosemary Ravinal,
Doral
Going low
In criminal terms, the lowest of the low is a thief who knocks down an old lady and steals her purse, which contains a check she relies on for food and rent. That thief should feel shame and should go to jail.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott will vote yes on President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” because he wants to limit benefits for seniors, the young and vulnerable. Scott is a multi-millionaire; he will benefit personally from the extension of tax cuts. This bill will also divert money from benefits Americans count on to fund certain programs.
When millions can no longer afford a doctor or buy food or pay rent, will Scott feel shame?
Likely not; he knows the devastating impact these cuts will have on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. The tax cuts Scott and the wealthy receive will add to the deficit, impacting generations to come. What Congress is doing by gutting our benefits is nothing short of thievery.
Scott and Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Maria Salazar will get a pat on the head from Trump, whose power and ego and wealth are growing to new heights.
When will they feel shame?
Cecilia Tavera-Webman,
Coconut Grove
Unhealthy site
Did Glades prison planners consult hydrologists and sanitation engineers about the hygienic use of the Everglades?
Seems they’ve missed key steps in their proposed wetlands placement of a detention center.
We’re taught — kindergarten through college — to respect and revere this delicate aquifer and water-filtration zone, yet everything is now suddenly reversed?
Logic and wisdom seem to have floated downstream, as could sewage, which could contaminate drinking water for millions of Floridians of all the counties south of Lake Okeechobee.
From paradise, we may devolve into one of those cancer cluster hot-spots with cholera and other water-borne diseases, making life a nightmare.
This prison plan is a giant step backward and lacking reason. Put it on pause and rethink.
Miriam Rosen,
Miami
Energy transfer
President Trump has called solar energy projects “ugly as hell,” but it is his support of fossil fuels and coal in particular, that are making American weather “hot as hell.” Let’s get these “last century” fuels out of the new century budget and put cool green energy back in.
If you think it’s “hot as hell,” contact your U.S. Representative.
Mary Zins,
Miami
Job security
South Florida’s Congressional politicians claim to be against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. However, until they vote on the record against him, their claims mean nothing.
These politicos don’t dare vote against him; if they did, they would be primaried and lose their cushy jobs.
Sol Yanowitz,
Miami