🌱 Patch AM: Who gets Miami Beach’s $500 checks—and who’s left out?

What's up Miami Beach! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Who gets Miami Beach’s $500 checks—and who’s left out?
• Why a Miami Beach superyacht dock must now start from scratch
• What new hate-crime warning did Miami Beach’s mayor just issue?

Also on today's calendar: intriga Vol 35 ft Santelises and friends(Grand finale 2025) and 8 more events.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Friday: Humid with some sun, with a high of 82 and low of 72 degrees.
• Saturday: A passing shower or two, temps: high: 80, low: 73.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 80 and low of 73 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Miami Beach will send $500 checks to homeowners. Renters no longer eligible (miamiherald.com) — Miami Beach is preparing to send $500 checks to about 14,000 homesteaded homeowners, using part of a $13.4 million budget surplus while excluding renters from direct payments. Commissioners also agreed to channel remaining surplus funds into permitting services and a North Beach property, and to craft next year’s budget using a rolled-back tax rate that could mean future savings for both owners and renters.
   

2. Plans for superyacht dock in Miami Beach sunk over permit fraud allegations (miamiherald.com) — A waterfront homeowner on North Bay Road in Miami Beach must restart the permitting process for his new dock after Miami-Dade’s environmental board revoked approval over problems with neighbor consent letters. The decision resets a high-profile clash involving celebrity neighbors and could still lead to a new permit, even without their support.
   

3. Local mayors and community leaders come together to denounce antisemitism in South Florida (wsvn.com) — Miami Beach residents should know their mayor pledged mandatory jail time when a hate crime is tied to any city ordinance violation. At a Hanukkah gathering in Miami, mayors and Jewish leaders from across South Florida united to denounce antisemitism and promise stronger protections for local Jewish and interfaith communities.
   

4. Concrete Cars Submerged in the Ocean Aim To Revitalize Florida's Coral Population (mymodernmet.com) — Just off the coast of Miami Beach, a new underwater artwork called Concrete Coral is turning 22 concrete cars into a habitat designed to grow coral and shelter marine life. The installation launches the ReefLine, a planned seven-mile underwater sculpture park that blends art, tourism, and environmental restoration aimed at helping Florida’s struggling coral reefs.
   

5. Sunken dreams: New anchoring rules address Miami's liveaboards (wlrn.org) — Miami Beach is cited as one of several wealthy coastal cities that have effectively shut out liveaboard boaters, pushing more vessels toward Miami’s Dinner Key. The story explains how Miami’s new anchoring limits aim to curb derelict boats and environmental damage in Biscayne Bay, while liveaboard residents worry about losing affordable access to the water.
   

📸 Around Miami Beach

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Miami Beach

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday December 20

• intriga Vol 35 ft Santelises and friends(Grand finale 2025)
  La Ferneteria (Rooftop Miami), 230 NW 24th St, Miami
  10:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Thursday December 18

• Holiday Pottery Painting with Mercado Art Studio at Hotel Continental Miami Beach
  Hotel Continental Miami Beach, Tapestry Collection by Hilton , 4000 Collins Ave , Miami Beach
  7:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Beach Fit Camp at 64th Street Beach
  64th Street Beach - on the sand, meet near the lifeguard tower with a towel or mat and water
  7:30 am
• Zumba at Lummus Park on South Beach
  Lummus Park on South Beach , 13th Street and Ocean Drive , Miami Beach
  9:00 am
• Group Fitness Workout at Altos Del Mar Park
  Altos Del Mar Park , 76th St and Collins Ave , Miami Beach
  9:30 am
• Read It, Make It, and Take It
  North Shore Branch -
  11:00 am
• Open Studio
  The Bass , 2100 Collins Ave , Miami Beach
  12:30 pm

Sunday December 21

• Beach Fit Camp at 64th Street Beach
  64th Street Beach - on the sand, meet near the lifeguard tower with a towel or mat and water
  7:30 am
• Lincoln Road Farmers Market
  Lincoln Road Farmers Market , 1920 Meridian Ave , Miami Beach
  9:00 am
• Community Yoga on Lincoln Road
  Euclid Courtyard
  10:00 am

Wednesday December 31

• Orchestra Miami's NYE Celebration
  Collins Park , 2100 Collins Ave , Miami Beach
  8:00 pm

📣 Miami Beach Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 19

• Take and Make Crafts
  North Shore Branch -
  9:30 am
• TECHConnect
  North Central Branch - North Central Branch -
  10:00 am
• Talking is Teaching - Talk, Read, Sing for Toddlers
  South Shore Branch Library - South Shore In-Person Programs South Shore Branch - South Shore In-Person Programs
  11:00 am
• Furry Tales - Reading with Rudy
  Bay Harbor Islands Branch -
  11:30 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• A fire in a Northwest Miami-Dade apartment building led to the evacuation of residents, with no injuries reported.
  7:50AM on Dec 17: A fire in a Northwest Miami-Dade apartment building prompted resident evacuations. (Nextdoor )
• A Tri-Rail train collided with a vehicle in Opa-locka, Florida, early Thursday morning, but the two passengers in the car were not injured.
  7:52AM on Dec 18: A train hit a vehicle in Opa-locka, but the two passengers were able to escape before impact and were not hurt. 7:09AM on Dec 18:… (Nextdoor )

• Fontainebleau Miami Beach posted a job opening for Prime 54 | Food Runner in Miami Beach. Apply here.
• Snipes posted a job opening for Stock Personnel in Miami Beach. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Miami Beach here.

Ok Miami Beach! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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