Our monthly news & updates

Hello CMI friends: In addition to honoring our Mother’s on Mother’s Day and our fallen soldiers on Memorial Day, this is also a month to honor the birth of Glenn Curtiss himself – 140 years ago. His birthday is May 21st. Also on May 21st, the Curtiss Explorer’s Award Ceremony will take place and the winners announced here at The Curtiss Mansion. This contest has been in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System the last two years and has grown consistently with their help.  Dade County Schools also assisted us in meeting with several educators who promoted the contest in their classes. This year’s competition had multiple schools represented in Dade County and approximately 70 entries. This is a substantial increase from the contests’ humble beginnings. It is exciting to see this continued growth.. which in turn creates more awareness in our County’s young people of Glenn Curtiss and his contributions to aviation, invention and the Miami land boom of the 1920’s.   Local Miami Springs Senior High school student, Ricky Aguila, raised money with his service project, “Aerial Miami Springs.” The funds he raised and donated to CMI, enabled us to be able to have more tech prizes this year for the top three winners of the contest. The following day, Tuesday, May 22nd, I will take on the monthly speaker role; focusing on Glenn Curtiss’ additional contributions to the South Florida 1920s land boom with a strong emphasis on architecture. Being that it’s the day after his birthday – there may even be singing and cake. This is open to the public and completely free of charge. Have a wonderful May ! Melinda Jester, Executive Director

Visit our Website

March/April Recaps and Announcements

March Public Speaker Wally Clark!

Thank you to Wally Clark for speaking to us about how to get the perfect photo. I’m sure everyone in the audience learned a lot! Thank you to everyone who took the time to come out for this great presentation.

New Miami Springs Visitors Center!

Congratulations to Miami Springs on their new visitors center! The Greater Miami Visitors & Tourism Bureau was instrumental in making this all possible. It looks beautiful. Locals – please take a moment to stop by City Hall and see it. Great place to send visiting friends & family to show them what our city has to offer.

A Fond Farewell – Jean Tucker’s Going Away Party

We are sad to say farewell to Jean Tucker. She has been a faithful volunteer here at the Curtiss Mansion, especially with the gardening and beautiful landscaping around the house. We wish her all the best as she moves on to new and exciting places. Thank you for all you have given to us while you were here! Most especially the butterfly garden and orchids. You will be missed.

2018 River Cites Festival!

What a wonderful weekend at the 2018 River Cities Festival! This is a tradition we hope to participate in for years to come. It is always nice to be part of an event that brings so many parts of the community together. The children really enjoyed their Team Curtiss Tattoos and activity packs!

AIE Charter School Fundraising Gala

Proud to represent CMI at The Annual AIE Charter School Fundraising Gala this year. AIE’s facility is the former Glenn Curtiss Elementary. This year’s gala was held at The Maimi Springs Country Club. Love the step & repeat – Team Curtiss !! CMI & AIE will be working together on this upcoming school year. More info to come at a later date..

Congratulations to Student Volunteer Heather Robison!

Congratulations to our volunteer and part-time front desk worker, Heather Robison for participating in the National Youth Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City! Her choir was one of just 20 youth choirs from across the country chosen to participate. We are very proud of you and this wonderful accomplishment.

Anchor Club Updating the backyard Wedding Garden

We are very excited for Anchor Club’s newest Environmental Project! They are helping us to update the wedding garden near the original BBQ. This area is our secondary wedding site for smaller ceremonies. They are using all native plants which are white, flowering, and fragrant. With their help we have also been able to plant 5 Slash Pine trees, known as Dade County Pines, by the lake.

April Public Speaker Buzz Fleischman!

Buzz Fleischman was our April speaker last week. He shared his views of living a long and happy life. It was very funny, and I’m sure everyone learned a thing or two. Thank you to Buzz for taking time to do this, and for always being such a great support here at the Curtiss Mansion. Great info on living a longer/fuller life – with humor Note to Melinda – use another camera other than your phone Camera – sorry Buzz…… 🙂

History of Aviation Tour with HistoryMiami

Thank you to HistoryMiami for stopping to see us on their History of Aviation Tour! A big thanks to Dr. Paul George who led the tour, and all of the wonderful Pan Am Crew (‘stewardess’ in their day) from the local World Wings Chapter who came to welcome the visitors. This was a very fun morning and it was exciting to see so many new faces at the Curtiss Mansion who are passionate about history and preservation.

Anchor Club Awards Ceremony and Thank You

The Miami Springs Anchor Club hosted their annual awards ceremony here this past weekend. We are so thankful that we have such a dedicated group of students that have made such a difference on the grounds here at the Curtiss Mansion. This dedicated stone is just a small way of expressing our gratitude.

Upcoming Events Camp Invention Returns to the Curtiss Mansion! Wild and crazy ideas become reality in this year’s all-new Camp Invention program, Fast Forward! Campers in grades K-6 explore the technology behind self-driving cars and create vehicles of the future, build their very own “smart” homes, design a mechanical robot dog and take home an Optibot, a robot that senses dark and light surfaces. Local educators lead the week of fun, hands-on, STEM activities that allow children to think big, explore their curiosity, and never give up! Early registration discounts are available, so don’t delay.   Contact Cari Martinez at  CampInventionMIami@gmail.com  for more information.  There are still a few spaces left, but it is filling up fast. Reserve your space today by visiting  campinvention.org  or call  800.968.4332  to register.

The Curtiss Mansion Will Be Welcoming the Finalists of the Curtiss Explorers on the evening of Glenn Curtiss’ 140th Birthday, May 21st! AWARDS CEREMONY 7:30pm / Invitation Only

Curtiss Mansion May Guest Speaker: CMI Executive Director, Melinda Jester Tuesday, May 22nd at 7:00 pm

In honor of Glenn Curtiss’ birthday- Executive Director, Melinda Jester, will be giving a talk about his contributions to the land boom of the 1920s with a focus on architects he worked with & architecture he was fond of. There may even be singing and cake – hint hint. 🙂

Ongoing Programs Don’t Miss Yoga Every Week! Check Out Our New Merchandise at curtissmansion.com/shop/ Stop by the Mansion to get your Team Curtiss T-shirt. Adult sizes cost $15, and kid’s $10. We have also recently opened a small gift shop featuring jewelry, specialty soaps and Pan Am memorabilia. With even more coming! Website shopping cart also nearing completion. Stay tuned for that.

Curtiss Mansion is a Blue Star Location Again

We are proud to announce that we will be participating in the Blue Star Museum Program again this year! This means that there will be free admission to all of our Saturday tour goers for active duty military from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.

Get Your Free Pass To Our Saturday Tour!

We are excited to announce that the Curtiss Mansion is now partnering with the Miami-Dade Public Library to bring you FREE passes to the Historic Tours on Saturday. You can find them at any of their 50 Library Branches and their Bookmobiles! The pass is good for up to 4 people. Click  HERE  to go to the passes. We hope to see you soon!

Don’t Miss Our Saturday 1-Hr. Historical Tours Every Week at 10AM! Help us Celebrate Glenn Curtiss’ Birthday entire month of May!

Support the Curtiss Mansion While You Shop on Amazon!

Give back to the Curtiss Mansion simply by shopping on Amazon. Use this link to participate: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/65-0878612

LEND A HAND & MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN? Local History? Aviation? Urban Planning? Architecture? Invention? CURTISS MANSION HAS IT ALL!! All Ages Welcome! High School to Retired   Current training available for: Docents/Tour Guides & Information Desk     Help us build awareness of the significance of Glenn Hammond Curtiss, the importance of his discoveries and how they affect our lives today. Group and Weekly Saturday tours began in May and were well received by tour guests.  Training continues, please join us in preparation to present tours yourself!      Contact   Member & Volunteer Services member-services@curtissmansion.org

Give THE GIFT of MEMBERSHIP All Year Long Become A Member | Give Gift Memberships  In doing so YOU Support Growth & Development of Programs, Tours & Exhibits at Curtiss Mansion    Member Levels start at Only $30 per Year | Discount on 2 Year Memberships   Benefits Include:   Admission to Curtiss Mansion AND 10 Local Participating Institutions:  Coral Gables Museum, Lowe Art Museum, HistoryMiami, Dade Heritage Trust, The Wolfsonian, The Bass Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Frost Museum of Art FIU, Ft. Lauderdale History Center, City of Miami Black Police Precinct   & Courthouse Museum   Invitation to Exclusive Member VIP Receptions Subscription to Curtiss Mansion Newsletter   Discounts on Camps, Classes, Tours & Events — 10% Discount on Curtiss Mansion Merchandise    Membership Purchases Available at Curtiss Mansion Front Desk 305-869-5180 or Online  www.curtissmansion.org/membership Check | Paypal | MasterCard | Visa are Accepted For more information please contact: member-services@curtissmansion.org

Board of Directors

Richard L. Wheeler President Paul Bithorn Vice President Carlos “Charlie” Leonard Treasurer Carlos Danaan Angeline “Nikki” Jester Rita Mayer Jacqueline Neetz Roy Rodriguez Enrique Aguerrevere Patricia Fernandez-Lefebvre

CMI Staff

Melinda Jester Executive Director Sherry Feijoo Director of Meetings & Events Debbie Villasmil Bookkeeper & Assistant to the Executive Director Alexandria Robison Social Media Coordinator Meeting & Event Staff Javier Diaz Nyree Feijoo Imilsy Gatell Front Desk Coordinator Spiro Armenis Caretaker

Curtiss Mansion Inc 500 Deer Run, Miami Springs, FL 33133 | 305.869.5180 | www.curtissmansion.org