Our monthly news & updates

Hello CMI Friends: I often wonder what my Father would have thought of my changing careers to come on board here at Curtiss Mansion, Inc. He loved this place. Met my mother here and even kept an apartment on the grounds while traveling extensively. I believe he’d be proud. Both as an Aviator, Miami Springs resident and doting father. I know he always spoke reminiscently of his many times at King Arthur’s Court and coveting an end piece of Prime Rib during the Villas era 🙂 ______________ In May we hosted the Curtiss Explorers Awards and what an amazing group of young people. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Sarah Currea. Curtiss Mansion along with the Miami-Dade Public Library System also won a National Award for this Essay Contest featuring Unsung Heroes. NACo, National Association of Counties, awarded this honor. I also made a local Television experience and am branching out with more public speaking. As our staff grows it has afforded me the luxury of being able to venture out into the South Florida community a bit more and share the message of Glenn Curtiss and his contributions to aviation, invention and the 1920’s land boom in Miami. Mark your calendar for our public speaker in June. Dr. Thomas Beley will be here on Tuesday night – June 27th. Dr. Beley will be speaking on the ever growing Opioid Addiction crisis. Camp Invention is June 18-22 here at The Curtiss Mansion. There are only a few slots left. Please email CampInventionMiami@gmail.com if you are interested in registering your child. Please enjoy the newsletter – below you can catch up on last month’s events and see what’s around the corner – including Little Revolt’s ShakesFestival on Sunday, July 22nd – Fun for the Family and Free. Our Saturday Tours continue to grow – we are averaging 15-25 visitors every Saturday at 10am for this historical 1 hour tour. Anyone interested in being a docent – please let me know. Wishing Father’s reading this a joyous Father’s Day and may you all have a Happy 4th come July ! Miss you Dad – Les “Chief” Jester. Melinda Jester, Executive Director

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May Recaps and Announcements

May’s Public Talk Celebrated Glenn Curtiss’ 140th Birthday with History, Song & a visit from Glenn himself!

We were excited to celebrate Glenn Curtiss’ birthday with everyone one who came out this month! We heard our Executive Director talk about Curtiss’ contribution to the Florida land boom of the 1920s, and his continued legacy in our community. A special thanks to Sofia Alpizar for her beautiful singing of ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’. As well as Michael Scaglioni, who joined us as Glenn Curtiss. He read an account of the first flight from Albany to NYC, in Mr. Curtiss’ own words. Last but not least, thanks to Sam Chesser for his assistance and ongoing support.

Congratulations to this Year’s Curtiss Explorers Contest Winners!

On May 21st we hosted the Curtiss Explorers Essay Contest Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to our winners: 1st place – Sarah Currea 2nd – Anabelle Ballate 3rd – Jayesh Agarwal. This event was made possible in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System, and tech prizes were enhanced by local high school student, Ricky Aguila and his service project, ‘Aerial Miami.’ Special thank you also to The Miami Heat for supplying a few more surprise gifts to the finalists. We also need to thank Nadege Green for mentoring our students, and all of the judges for all of their hard work. Thank you to everyone who participated, and made this event possible. And a very special thank you to Rita Mayer and all the librarians who helped make this such a success.

Curtiss Explorers Essay Contest Won 2018 National Achievement Award!

This year’s Curtiss Explorers Essay Contest won an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). It was given for “MDPLS and the Curtiss Explorer Unsung Hero Essay Program Partnership” in the category of Libraries. We are very proud of how the Curtiss Explorers Contest has grown this year, and we are eager to see what it will become.

The Beach Channel Presents the Curtiss Mansion and Incredibly Catered Events!

Watch Executive Director, Melinda Jester and Isabel Interian on Eat This. Drink That. Go! Learn about recipes that could have been served at a dinner party hosted by Curtiss in the 1920s from Isabel Interian, owner of Incredibly Catered Events. We appreciate being invited by The Beach Channel to come and share our story, and to the hosts Jimmy Cefalo and Brenda Basset for making us feel so welcome. Watch a segment now on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Curtiss Mansion Represented on a Panel at the Coral Gables Museum!

Melinda Jester was asked to represent the Curtiss Mansion as part of a panel at the Coral Gables Museum on May 30th. They discussed Glenn Curtiss, James Deering, and George Merrick as early developers of Miami, and their visions and architectural influences. The other speakers were Remko Jansonius, Deputy Director at Vizcaya, and Dona Spain, Historical Resources and Cultural Arts Director, City of Coral Gables. We are grateful for these opportunities that allow us to share Glenn Curtiss’ story with people who have never heard it before. With two more similar presentations coming up they play and important role in bringing increased visibility to this forgotten part of history.

The Bus Stops at the Curtiss Mansion

Congratulations to Miami Springs and their new Shuttle. The Curtiss Mansion is one of the stops on route. So take the bus to come say hello, or to take one of our tours every Saturday at 10am. Click HERE for a map of the bus route and hours of operation. Hope to see you soon!

John Cavalier Clock Dedication

CMI Executive Director and board members, including President and former Miami Springs Mayor, Richard Wheeler, attended the Dedication Ceremony of the John A. Cavalier, Jr. Town Clock. Mr. Cavalier, Jr was a Miami Springs Mayor, following in the footsteps of his father before him. The clock is dedicated to honor Cavalier’s service to the town of Miami Springs. It sits at the end of the Glenn Curtiss Parkway on the Circle – right across from his first office and the Circle Gazebo he was a large part of initially bringing to our town.

Glenn Curtiss’ Birthday in the News!

Upcoming Events SPACE STILL AVAILABLE! Register today for Camp Invention at the Curtiss Mansion! June 18th – 22nd 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.

Curtiss Mansion June Guest Speaker: Dr. Thomas Beley, Tuesday, June 27nd at 7:00 pm

Little Revolt’s Midsummer ShakesFestival, Sunday, July 22 at 1PM F R E E

Ongoing Programs Don’t Miss Yoga with Natasha! 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!

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 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 Rita Mayer Secretary Carlos Danaan Angeline “Nikki” Jester 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