Newsletter January/February 2019

Volume XII | January – February 2019

News & Updates

Love is in the air …

Hello CMI Friends:

Here’s hoping everyone had a lovely Valentine’s Day.

Please see below our most recent and upcoming activities, awards, pubic speakers, our Curtiss Explorers Essay Contest specifications and the ever popular Camp Invention registration!

Our next speaker is Thurs, Feb 28th at 7pm – Sylvia Gurinsky on Building South Florida – Boom Era Architecture.

Please also keep our gift shop in mind next time you are looking for a thoughtful item. Along with aviation memorabilia, we have an extensive collection of merchandise geared toward the celebration of baptisms, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or any memorable occasion. All proceeds go directly toward Curtiss Mansion, Inc and our ongoing capital improvements.

I am also including a Letter to the Editor of our local Miami Springs River Cities Gazette from CMI Board President, Richard Wheeler.

We appreciate and thank all of you for your continued support.

Melinda Jester,

Executive Director

A LETTER FROM OUR CMI PRESIDENT

As we begin another year of planning and events for the Curtiss Mansion, the CMI Board would like to open its doors to new ideas that the Mansion could help support. Our mission under the agreement with the City of Miami Springs is to provide items of educational, cultural, historical and social interest.

We are always on the lookout for a few public speakers and events that can be offered to our community, free of charge. Our previous monthly speakers have discussed everything from beekeeping, palms, birds, authors, historical, health and finance. Some of the free events have consisted of music, art, theater and Shakespeare festivals aimed at children.

There are current ongoing programs for young inventors (Camp Invention/June 17-21) and researchers (Curtiss Explorers Essay Contest Ages 11-13/Deadline March 5) that can use an experienced guiding hand. Volunteers and visitors are always welcome.

We have a core group of docents giving Historical Tours every Saturday at 10am and would like to train a few others with a love of the Mansion as great as our own. We could definitely use more bilingual docents. Visiting tour guests have requested Spanish, French and Chinese.

The CMI Board has a few vacancies to fill as well – with talent/experience needed in financial reports, legal matters, small business operations, historical presentations, archival, youth programs and landscaping.

For more information, please stop by the Mansion.

Richard Wheeler,

President / Curtiss Mansion, Inc.

Visit our website

Upcoming Programs

February Public Speaker – Sylvia Gurinsky

Thursday, February 28th at 7pm

Curtiss Explorers Essay Contest Returns

for Children Ages 11 – 13

Submission Deadline March 5, 2019

visit curtissmansion.org/explorers

March Guest Speaker – Vincent LaPietra

Tuesday, March 26th at 7pm

We are very excited for another great year of

Camp Invention.

June 17-21

with the discount code below!

Recaps and Announcements

Thank you to our January Public Speaker

Frances Colon!

Special thanks to our speaker last month, Frances Colon! She shared ways to boost your family’s immune health in a natural and holistic way. Make sure you check out all of our upcoming public speakers so you don’t miss our unique topics.

The Curtiss Mansion was Chosen Once Again

as a Couples’ Favorite Wedding Venue!

We are overwhelmed by the generous support and feedback we have received from clients over the years. This is the 5th year in a row the Curtiss Mansion has obtained this award! We take great pride in making each wedding as magical as possible and would like to extend a special thank you to all of the couples we have had the pleasure of working with this past year.

The Greater Miami Visitor’s Bureau’s (GMVB) Visitors Guide breaks down the places to see in each area of Miami, and the Curtiss Mansion was on that list! It has a wide range of suggestions making it perfect for anyone you know planning a trip to Miami, or if you are looking to find something new in the city!

To read the whole guide and see their other recommended sites click here .

Miami Springs Woman’s Club Health Fair representing both CMI & Yoga with Natasha

Thank you Natasha for representing the

Curtiss Mansion on January 26th at the Miami Springs Woman’s Club Health Fair! Check out our Ongoing Events below for information on her weekly Yoga Classes here at the Mansion.

Taping for the NFL Network’s

Superbowl Pregame Coverage!

The NFL Network filmed a 2019 Super Bowl pregame segment here at the Curtiss Mansion in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Joe Namath’s “guarantee” which he gave at the Miami Springs Villas Playhouse in 1968. The gentleman speaking is Mark Kriegel, author of the biography simply entitled, “Namath.”

Watch the full segment here.

Articles by Dr. Paul George on Glenn Curtiss!

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Click the images below to link to the full articles

If you haven’t had the opportunity to read articles written by Dr. Paul George we highly recommend you take a look. Here are a couple which were featured in the last two editions of Biscayne Times which he is a contributor. These articles give an introduction to the life of Glenn Curtiss, as well as Curtis’ collaboration with James Bright and the impact they had on the development of South Florida in the 1920s. Dr. Paul George & our Director, Melinda, serve together on the Dade County Preservation Board.

Dr. George’s historical tours throughout greater Miami are always informative and fun.

Go to: www.historymiami.org/city-tour/

Here is another article that was published recently on the Curtiss Explorers Essay Contest!

Surprise Visitors from the Glenn Curtiss Museum!

Art and Kay Wilder came to visit from Hammondsport, New York. Art Wilder is the Restoration Shop Director at the Glenn Curtiss Museum. Melinda was caught gardening at the time – what a pleasant surprise! Mr. Wilder also gave her some invaluable advice – perhaps there is a collaboration in our future 🙂 Wouldn’t that be nice?!

Miami Springs Memorial for Flight 401 Survivors

Memorial to go in Miami Springs at entrance from 36th street onto Curtiss Parkway

Flight 401

Ron Insantino & his late wife Lilly on their wedding day

Beverly Raposa with her Eastern Airlines stewerdess class in the 60’s at the Miami Springs Villas

Melinda attended the last Miami Springs Council Meeting to lend support to the survivors of Eastern flight 401 that crashed over the Everglades in 1972.

What a moving tribute – they are on a quest to build a beautiful memorial to honor the victims and also show the progress that has been made in aviation emergency CRM procedures since that time. Many of these improvements were developed from knowledge gained in the aftermath.

The Council voted unanimously to have Miami Springs serve as home for this lovely memorial. It is planned to be situated at the entrance to Miami Springs on Curtiss Parkway just north of 36th Street near the golf course.

Memorial photos are in the design stage – subject to change.

If you are interested in donating to the funds being raised for the memorial: Planesafe.org

Donations should be made to National Air Disaster Alliance/Foundation. Memo should be noted: EAL Flight 401

Your donations are tax deductible as this is a 501c3.

Special thank you to Bevery Raposa, Ron Infantino, Mercy Ruiz, Brockhouse Associates and Benny Benitez for information and photos.

ZONTA Club Amelia Earhart Meeting

ZONTA is an international service organization built to empower women worldwide through their service and advocacy work. Each year the Zonta organization provides the Amelia Earhart Fellowship to women working in aerospace-related sciences and engineering. This year a local FIU Mechanical Engineering Student was one of the scholarship recipients here at Curtiss Mansion. “Since the program’s inception in 1938, Zonta has awarded 1,573 Amelia Earhart Fellowships, totaling more than US$10 million, to 1,144 women representing 73 countries.”

Ongoing Programs

Fasten your belts and be sure

your seats & tables are in an upright position

Lena’s Gift Shop is ready for take off!

Our new Gift shop is open – we have named it after Glenn Curtiss’ wife, Lena. Some of the items featured in Lena’s shop are local jewelry, specialty soaps, candles and aviation memorabilia, and even Miami Springs puppy dog scarves! This is a work in progress so it will be growing.

If anyone is interested in bringing merchandise in on consignment please contact Melinda@curtissmansion.org or Imilsy@curtissmansion.org

We now have a large selection of Precious Moments Collectibles from a gift shop which recently closed in Coral Gables.

The shop is open during Mansion hours: Tues-Sat 10a-3p.

Get your Team Curtiss T-shirt here , now available in green, or stop by the Mansion! Adult sizes cost $15, and kid’s $10.

Don’t Miss Yoga at The Mansion!

Contact Natasha directly for times and prices.

Get Your Free Pass To Our Saturday Tour!

Curtiss Mansion has partnered 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!

Don’t Miss one of our Saturday tours, just like this one on December 15th! Come and learn about Glenn Curtiss’ life and his inventions from our fun and knowledgeable docents. If you are interested in becoming a docent look at our volunteer information below.

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

Don’t forget to leave us a review on

Trip Advisor or Google Reviews!

Thank you for the kind reviews already left.

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

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

Enrique Aguerrevere

Carlos Danaan

Patricia Fernandez-Lefebvre

Angeline “Nikki” Jester

Jacqueline Neetz

Roy Rodriguez

CMI Staff

Melinda Jester

Executive Director

Sherry Feijoo

Director of Meetings & Events

Debbie Villasmil

Bookkeeper

Alexandria Robison

Social Media Coordinator

Meeting & Event Staff

Javier Diaz

Nyree Feijoo

Front Desk Coordinator / Gift Shop

Imilsy Gatell

Spiro Armenis

Caretaker

Newsletter January/February 2019

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