Want to Save Gas, Ride the Doral Trolley

Have you taken a spin on the Doral Trolley yet? If not, maybe now is the time to test it out.

With gas prices escalating, riding the trolley seems be a good option. It’s new, reliable, and the ride is free. Since its initial launch about 8 months ago, the Doral Trolley’s popularity has grown. The initial goal of the trolley was to alleviate traffic congestion, but now I think people are starting to see a second advantage, saving gas.

The trolley operates from 7:00-11:30AM and from 2:30-7:00PM on weekdays. On Saturday the schedule is from 10:00AM-7:00PM. Sundays it is non-operational.

If you want to experience the ride or need more details, go to the City of Doral website, www.cityofdoral.com

Want to Learn How to Start Your Own Travel Biz?

Your Travel Biz (YTB) will be hosting a presentation tonight and tomorrow to teach you how to start one. It will be held in Spanish at 7:00PM. The location is the Doral Chamber of Commerce, 8181 NW 36th Street, Doral. The event is free and registration must be done in advance. To register call 305-477-7600 or visit the Doral website www.DoralChamberofCommerce.org.

ABC FINE WINE & SPIRITS COMING SOON

A new ABC Fine Wine & Spirits will be opening it's doors in the Doral Plaza shopping center on NW 41st Street and 97th Avenue. ABC will be located next to Panera Bread. The store’s opening has been pushed back a little bit, but will be opening its doors any day now. Keep your eyes opened for it.

Doubles Tennis Tournament

The first Doubles Tennis Tournament was hosted this weekend at Doral Park. It started on Friday, and continued through Sunday. There was a good turnout, and although the Park reached it’s capacity in parking spaces, people didn’t seem to mind circling the parking lot waiting for space to become available.

Skateboard Park in the Neighborhood!

Doral has a skateboard park called MIA. It’s located in an industrial park at 1850 NW 84th Avenue, Suite 108. It’s a hot spot for both kids and adults that get their thrills from 360ing (skateboarder and board turn 360 degrees while in the air) and carving (leaning and cutting into turns).

This park is the talk of the town by skateboarders in Doral, and even outside the city. Chris Williams, whom is no newbie to the skateboarding world, is one of the owners of the park. He has been skateboarding for about 15 years, and is well aware of what skateboarders are looking for in a park. Chris along with his partners, have designed the park with ramps for all levels from beginners to advanced. It also has a lounge with a flat screen TV for enthusiasts to chill out while watching the sport. In the front reception area, MIA sells clothing, skateboarding shoes, knick- knacks, and yes, skateboards. Skateboards can be purchased in the front lobby, and assembled by one of the parks attendants.

Yesterday, Saturday, September 27, 2008, was MIA’s SK8 Day event. It was an event brought together by MIA and Dunkxchange. The event gave the skateboarding community the opportunity to enter a best trick contest where skateboarders got to show off their moves and maneuvers. It was an invigorating event and participants were definitely in skateboarding heaven. If you missed this event, don’t despair. There will be other events starting in October that will be held once a month.

The park is opened 7 days a week and the rates are between $10-$15.00 for boys/men. Girls skate for free.

Go check it out!
www.miaskatepark.com

RAIN OR SHINE!

Family fun day was held today at Doral Park. The event was full of activities for children of all abilities. Although the weather was not favoring, the park activity coordinators opted to continue the event indoors. It was moved to the ample rooms located on the east side of the park, and the activities continued as planned. Fun and smiles were the goal of the day, and what seemed to be a damper at first, turned out to be a very fun and fulfilling day. Good job Doral Park!

Family Fun at Doral Park Tomorrow

Doral Park is having family Fun Day on Sunday, September 28, 2008, from 10:30AM-12:30PM. This will be full of recreational activities for children of all abilities. Activities will include hula-hoop competitions, kickball, soccer, music, games, wheelchair tennis and much more. It’s going to be fun for the whole family

Teacher Planning Next Week

Finally something for your child to do on Teacher Planning Day! Next Tuesday, September 30th is the first Teacher Planning Day of the school year. Doral Park now has a program for children 5-11. It offers educational and fun activities from 7:30AM-6:30PM (check in time starts @ 7:00AM). Even better, the price includes lunch, snack and complimentary early and late care. The cost is $22.00 per day for Doral residents (proof of residency required) and $27.00 per day for non-residents. Location is, Doral Park 5300 NW 102nd Avenue, Doral. Space is Limited

Scheduled Teacher Planning Day for 2008:
September 30, 2008
October 9, 2008
October 24, 2008
November 4, 2008

Obama and McCain Presidential Debate

Politics are not my forte, but with all the hoopla being addressed about the 2008 presidential campaign, I decided to post an update on what’s presently taking place regarding the presidential debate previously scheduled for this Friday.

Yesterday McCain asked for a postponement of the debate scheduled for Friday between him and Obama until congress sorts out the $700 billion government plan to rescue banks from tremendous debt, saying, "We are running out of time." Obama opposed McCain’s request and said that the next president needs to "deal with more than one thing at once." Although our nominees will definitely have to juggle more than one task at a time as President, pressing issues do take priority, and that is exactly what McCain is proposing, putting the nation first. Demonstrating pressing issues about the nation comes first for McCain even before winning the election, to me; this is a sign of dedication to the well being of the nation. Was it the right move for McCain? I believe it was. I think regardless of what anybody says, it was a risky, but calculated decision. McCain never stops catching the nation of guard with his strategic moves, and maybe they will pay off enough to earn him the presidency.

Both nominees are heading back to Washington today, after being called by President Bush to attend a White House meeting with congressional leaders in hopes of securing the legislation to rescue the fragile economy.

Volleyball Tonight!

Hey guys and gals want a fun way to squeeze in some exercise and release some stress? Well, the Doral Park offers Open Play Volleyball tonight. It’s recreational volleyball that is offered to men and women ages 18 and over who want to put their volleyball skills to the test. It’s offered every Thursday night until October 30, 2008, from 6-9:00PM.

Republican Party Command Center, Doral, FL

We now have an official Republican Party Command Center that was inaugurated on September 15 in the City of Doral. The offices are now located at 7780 NE 25th Street, Suite22, Doral FL. The reason for the switch in locations you ask, to accommodate the high response of supporters for the Republican Presidential candidates, McCain-Palin. The offices were inaugurated by congressmen Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart and congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehitnen

Tennis Anyone?

The Double Tennis Tournament will be held this weekend, September 26-28, 2008, at the Doral Park Tennis Courts. Men and women will duke it out to win the first Doubles tennis championship in the City of Doral. So if you think you have what it takes, prove it by registering at the Doral Park Community Center. The tournament will be held at the Doral Park Tennis Courts, 5300 NW 102nd Avenue, Doral, FL. Registration deadline is Thursday, September 25 @ 11:00AM. Residents of Doral pay $36.00 (team).

Hurricane Relief Efforts in Doral, FL

The devastation that was left behind from the storms that swept through Haiti and the Caribbean are truly heart breaking. It left thousands without shelter, food, and clothing. If you would like to extend a helping hand to these victims, this is your opportunity. The City of Doral and the Rotary Club of Doral are now partnering to collect, sort, and distribute clothing, blankets, non-perishable food, and First Aid Supplies.

I ask that you please open up your hearts, and reach out to those individuals going through this devastating ordeal.

DETAILS:

If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up at www.cityofdoral.com or for further details, please contact the volunteer coordinators listed below:

Colleen Mourra 305-205-9042, mourrac@bellsouth.net
Maria Van Name 305-593-1120, mvanname@bellsouth.net

Donation Drop-off Locations are as follows:

Doral City Hall – 8300 NW 53rd Street
Doral Park Community Center – 5300 NW 102nd Avenue
Doral Meadow Park – 11555 NW 58th Street
Doral Park Country Club – 5001 NW 104th Avenue
Doral Isles – Island Club (Doral Isles Residents Only)

For additional drop-off locations, please visit the City of Doral website, www.cityofdoral.com

Monetary support can be made by mailing your check to Rotary Club of Doral, PO Box 228223, Doral, FL 33222.

Is this Doral or the beach?

That’s right people; we have a lighthouse in the City of Doral. Who says lighthouses are only seen on the seashore?

For those of you that are savvy with the geographics of Doral, take a shot at posting a location for this lighthouse.

Best Buy Opens it’s Doors in Doral, FL

The City of Doral has opened a brand spanking new Best Buy Store. That’s right all you electronic junkies in Doral, no more driving to the Hialeah or Bird Road stores.

The store opened its doors on Saturday, September 20th, and it’s located on 107th Avenue across from the Pier I and Cold Stone shopping center. They really couldn’t have picked a better spot for it. It’s on the 107th Avenue shopping strip, which makes it right smack in the middle of Doral store galore.

I was curious to see what it was like, so I decided to go check it out. The parking lot has easy access to drive in. It has a ground level parking along with an open roof parking lot. I don’t know if there are any other BB stores with a roof parking lot here in Miami, but I have never seen one. Call me sheltered! This structure is able to accommodate plenty of shoppers, especially when the holiday season rolls around, which I am sure was the intention of the additional roof parking. The store is spacious and is set up pretty much the same way all other Best Buy stores are except it has a big display area with kitchen appliances and kitchen cabinets. No, Best Buy is not getting into the business of remodeling kitchen cabinets. The cabinets are just for the sake of giving buyers a visual of how the appliances would look in a kitchen. It also has an Apple section that looks bigger than other stores. Perhaps it was the way it has been set up. This section carries Apple computers, Ifones, Apple software and accessories, giving convenience to the Apple enthusiasts.

I asked around about the customer turn out for the opening, and everyone responded the same, “it was a very busy weekend.” Apparently, customers were outside waiting prior to the doors opening. They offered some good promotional sales, especially on the WII, and shoppers were taking advantage of the sale prices, with a quickness. I guess it was a good opportunity to start their holiday shopping.

Overall, the store is ample and has a good selection of products, plenty of parking, and is very centralized. I’m sure the store is going to be a success, and one that compliments the City of Doral very nicely.

The Yoga Craze!

Well the new craze in exercise is Yoga. More people are coming aboard to practice Yoga for its health benefits. What exactly is Yoga you ask? Well, it's a Hindu discipline aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight, and tranquillity. Yoga helps to exercise the body, mind, and soul. There are different forms of Yoga, but all types give you a complete work out. You are targeting all areas of your being in one shot. It's rejuvenating, and helps to re-focus the mind. Classes usually last 1 1/2 hours, and they go something like this: a 15 minute warm-up, 1 hour of flexibility, balance, and strengthening poses and 15 minutes of relaxation. Classes in studios, and/or gyms are guided at warm temperatures to help the body sweat, and release toxins. The exercises can be modified to fit the age, and activity level of the individual, and some forms even offer props to help accommodate the being. So for all of you exercise phobic people, it can be adjusted to your endurance level!

Well now that I have given you an overview of what yoga is, I want to let you know some places I am familiar with that offer classes in Doral.

• 
  
  Hinomaru Karate School (Publix shopping center) located at 9763 NW 41st St, Doral, FL, (305) 594-1971; classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-10:00PM; Rates will run $15.00 per class.


• LA Fitness located at 10055 NW 41 Street, Doral, FL (305) 593-5621; classes are held on Sundays @ 11:00AM, Wednesdays @ 8:00PM and Saturdays @ 12:30PM; Membership to gym required.
  Doral Park located at 5300 NW 102nd Avenue, Doral, FL, (305) 482-9590; classes are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays @ 7-8:30PM, and Thursdays @ 10-11:00AM; Rate will run $8.00 per class.


• Doral Conservatory and School of the Arts located at 2900 NW 109th Avenue, Doral, FL, (305) 513-8840; classes are held on Tuesdays @ 7:30 PM, Wednesdays at 9:00AM, Fridays at 7:30 PM and Saturdays at 9:30AM. Rates are $20.00 per class.


• Doral Spa located at 4400 NW 58th Street, Doral, FL (305) 592-2000; classes are held on Mondays @ 6-7:30PM, Tuesdays @ 3-4:00PM, Thursdays @ 3-4:00PM & 6-7:00PM, and Saturdays @ 11-12:00PM. Rates run between $50-$90.00.
  

Now turn off the TV, get off the couch, and invest a little time on the being that you love the most in this world, YOU! Go check it out, and let me know how it goes. Also, if you are an avid yoga follower, please let me know about your experiences with this popping craze.

How U Doin?

Hey everybody, welcome to Doral Whispers. This is a blog created by yours truly, Cindy, to review and comment about life in Doral. Nothing formal, just topics that we hear and wonder about. I came across some city blogs, and thought it would be cool to start one about Doral, so here it is. I hope everyone enjoys it.