16814: (Hermantin) Miami-Herald-Budget money earmarked for fest raises ire (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Thu, Sep. 25, 2003


NORTH MIAMI
Budget money earmarked for fest raises ire
Some residents complain that Haitian independence party gets funding, while
the July 4 bash needs sponsors.
BY DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@herald.com

JOE CELESTIN,

North Miami mayor

Some North Miami residents are griping after the city last week appropriated
$35,000 for a Haitian bicentennial celebration while the annual Fourth of
July celebration needs to find financial sponsors.

During last week's second budget hearing, Councilman Scott Galvin identified
tens of thousands of dollars in cuts from the general fund, including
training seminars for employees, furniture and some minor reconstruction
projects and studies.

Mayor Joe Celestin quickly reappropriated some of that money, including the
pot for the Haitian Bicentennial celebration.

Of the five council members, only Michael Blynn voted against the move.

''North Miami is no longer part of the United States,'' said longtime
resident Jim Tracton. ``We celebrate a holiday from another country.''

Celestin, however, stressed on Tuesday that the Jan. 1 bicentennial
celebration has ''no parallel.'' The island was declared independent from
France in 1804 after a series of successful slave revolts.

North Miami has one of Miami-Dade's largest Haitian populations and has the
country's only Haitian-majority city council.

Celestin is the first Haitian American to be elected mayor of a large South
Florida city.

''This day is not for Haitians; it's for all black people in general, to
celebrate freedom,'' Celestin said.

``This is the day that the nation broke down the barrier of slavery for all
people.''

Celestin said the independence celebration will likely be centered at
Griffin Park on West Dixie Highway and Northeast 123rd Street. He said the
city will invite presidents of Caribbean nations and serve free pumpkin
soup, a Haitian tradition on New Year's Day.

''I envision an Army 21-gun salute, a mass in the morning at every major
church in town,'' Celestin said. ``I envision children singing.''

Meanwhile, the 2004 Fourth of July celebration, usually held at Florida
International University's Biscayne Bay Athletic Stadium, needs to find
sponsors to give $35,620.

Last year's celebration featured interactive field games, a bounce house,
music, food, entertainment by the North Miami Community Band and a 15-minute
firework display.

The holiday celebration funding was not the only controversial budget item.
Despite complaints from citizens, the city council also voted, 3-2, to use
$72,000 for office renovations.

Galvin and Blynn voted against it, saying the money was needed elsewhere.

The renovations were appropriated under last year's budget but the money was
never spent, and could have been re-directed toward whatever the council
wished.

But the other council members complained that they they were tired of
sharing two desks in a small office next to the city council chambers.

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