Calling All Writers! Well, Maybe Not All Writers
We here at Biscayne Times World Headquarters are looking for some new correspondents to supplement our stellar cast. If you live in a condo in downtown Miami (between the river and I-395), and you’d like to chronicle life in that particular frontier, we want to hear from you. Ditto for these areas: Edgewater, North Bay Village, Bay Harbor Islands, and North Miami. Warning: This is not a path to riches.

Please send contact information and writing samples (if you have them) to editor Jim Mullin: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Shores to BT: More Positive PR, Less Snooty Spin
Jen Karetnick is factually correct that Miami Shores is not as rich, white, and snooty as many people think (“Take a Good Look in the Mirror, Village Beautiful,” January 2010). Therefore, why not make it a positive article?

Where does the story of the house selling at 1999 prices fit into the article? Why start off with the “lecturing” she received about the Shores being wealthy? Why the sarcasm about coupon-counting at Publix?

Is it not a tabloid mentality to set the article’s tone toward the few Miami Shores residents who are indeed “snooty”?

Miami Shores needs a bit of PR assistance that is positive and based on facts. The BT has a prime spot for that kind of coverage, but you may need to stop looking for that “spin.”

Cesar Borja

Miami Shores

Shores to BT: We’ll Help Jen Pack Her Bags
I am a resident of Miami Shores. Jen Karetnick, the woman who has been assigned as our neighborhood correspondent, is doing a horrible disservice to the village. Her articles are repetitively negative and come dripping with disdain for the community. They are incredibly self-centered, horribly misinformed, and downright repugnant.

She has unfairly called our residents racist, anti-Semitic, and pretentious. Those who open the Biscayne Times hoping to read important local news or a neighborly human-interest story instead are subjected to self-interested drivel about her cat, her flute-playing, or some other absurdity. No one cares that she has to tent her house -- we all do! I’m sorry Pelé doesn’t officiate local soccer games, but the kids are only eight years old!

Ms. Karetnick’s latest article, in which she implores us to stop being snooty and face our own poverty, is no different. It’s ignorant.

The storefronts on NE 2nd Avenue are not vacant because no one has the income to shop there. The storefronts are vacant because we live within minutes of the largest shopping mall in Florida.

If Ms. Karetnick really wants to bring about positive change, she should stop complaining and actually contribute something. Whining doesn’t count. Step up or back off! If she finds this village so intolerable, I am sure I am not the only resident who would be eagerly willing to help her pack her bags.

You would think that the BT has some vested interest in portraying a positive image of Miami Shores since their offices are located here!

Chris Fernandez

Miami Shores

Miami’s Spray-Can Creativity
Kudos to Biscayne Times and Anne Tschida for reporting on Miami’s exciting developments in mural art (“Street Art Has Arrived.” January 2010). The current discord is unfortunate, but the BT’s overall coverage seems fair-minded and thoughtful.

Though the issue of proper recognition of outdoor mural artists can get murky, I am sure many Miamians celebrate this profusion of visual creativity. The abundance of energy and talent on display does merit national and international attention. It is a big deal.

By the way, one of my favorite local murals, on NE 37th Street and Biscayne Blvd (just west of the Boulevard), recently had a baby! The artist is Fila.

John Chellino

Miami

If Philly Can Do It, Shorecrest Can Do It
I feel compelled to respond to Peter Otto’s letter cautioning Shorecrest to not seek historic designation and warning of its horrors (“Shorecrest, We Implore You: Don’t Get Historic on Us,” January 2010).

I’m not sure where Mr. Otto grew up, but coming from Philadelphia, a city that celebrates its history, I would like to see Miami preserve its character. Few neighborhoods in Miami possess the charm that the homes in the Upper Eastside have. Historic preservation ensures the integrity of communities for future generations. The pros of historic designation far outweigh the cons.

Jack Spirk

Shorecrest

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