Miami Shores councilman and former Vice Mayor Jesse Walters resigned from office on Tuesday in a surprise announcement that has jarred the local political scene.
Walters announced his resignation before Tuesday’s regular Village Council meeting and was replaced by Mac Glinn, the man who barely lost out on a seat in the council election held in April. Glenn will serve out the remainder of Walters term, which runs out in April of 2017.
Walters will continue as the Executive Director of the Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce.
In an interview with Rise News, Walters said he resigned because he no longer enjoyed the job.
“It just isn’t fun anymore and I crossed it off my bucket list,” Walters said.
Former Miami Shores councilmember Jesse Walters. Photo Credit: Miami Shores Village.
Walters also said that the tenor of correspondence between himself and members of the Shores community has grown darker in recent months.
“Some of the people that email you are really really angry,” Walters said. “I just feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
Walters said that he intended to stay an active member in the community and now has more time to spend with his family.
“We love it here,” Walters said. “The vast majority of people are nice and great.”
Rise News reached out to Glinn but could not reach him before the publication of this story. We will update it with his comments.
Freshly appointed Miami Shores council member Mac Glinn. Photo Credit: Facebook
Glenn did post a message to Facebook however celebrating his new role in the community.
“While I was very sorry to see Jesse resign and I am grateful for his years of service to the Village, I am also very honored to have been selected and am excited about this chance to directly influence our Village’s path forward,” Glinn wrote on the social media site. “I cannot thank you enough for all you did this year to help me reach this incredible opportunity. I look forward to the opportunity to deliver on the faith you have placed in me.”
Walters made news in in 2011, when he was only the fourth openly gay public official elected in the history of Miami-Dade County.
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Cover Photo Credit: Phillip Pessar/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Miami Archbishop Announces Findings Of Investigation Into Priest Accused Of Improprieties
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski released a letter to the parishioners of St. Rose of Lima in Miami Shores today on his investigation of the parish’s former priest Father Pedro Corces.
In it, Wenski claimed that many of the allegations leveled against Corces in a 129 page dossier of information were not true.
However, Wenski’s investigation also found that Corces was not fit for service as a parish priest and he accepted Corces’ resignation.
Wenski’s investigation was prompted after a group of concerned parents at St. Rose accused Corces of putting children at the school in “grave danger” after he allegedly hired a man as a school maintenance worker who was once arrested on prostitution charges.
The parents united under the name of Christifidelis and they paid a private investigator over $3,500 to surveil Father Corces to help them build a case against him. Once they could no longer afford the investigator’s services, parents took to surveilling Father Corces on their own, even digging around the rectory trash to find incriminating documents.
The parent’s report also alleged that Father Corces took frequent expensive vacations, sometimes with a St. Rose maintenance worker and that he often spent the night at the same workers condo where they claimed Corces paid the cable bill.
Read More: Miami Priest Accused Of Hiring School Maintenance Worker Who Was Once Arrested For Prostitution
During the investigation, Wenski said that Corces volunteered to take a polygraph exam and that the priest denied any sexual improprieties with school maintenance staff.
“The investigation of these allegations is now completed,” Wenski said in the letter. “Based on the outcome of extensive interviews of all persons that could have knowledge of the truth of these allegations as well as the results of a voluntary polygraph examination of Fr. Corces, it is concluded that no sexual impropriety had occurred. Nevertheless, Father’s decisions to hire friends to work for the Parish and his continues socializing with them outside the Parish did contribute to the perception among some of inappropriate behavior.”
Read the whole letter:
Letter from Archbishop Wenski on Fr. Corces Investigation
Interestingly, while short on specifics, Wenski’s letter did say something damning about Corces:
“The investigation did identify other deficiencies with Fr. Corces’ administration in which we failed to follow clear Archdiocesan policies.”
While trying to put a bow on the story, Wenski may have only opened up more questions as to the full extent of what actually happened.
For example, which specific deficiencies were there with Corces’ administration?
Which clear Archdiocesan policies did he not follow?
Why was Sister Bernadette Keane fired from her role as principal before the end of the school year?
Did the maintenance worker not have a criminal record when he was hired?
This is a developing story. Stay with RISE NEWS for further updates.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
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Miami Taco & Tequila Showdown Tickets Now On Sale
Rise News partner MIAbites and The Liquid Projects present: Taco & Tequila Showdown #TNTShowdown on November 8th and tickets are ON SALE for $65 pp thru Eventbrite link here
There’s no hotter duo in food and beverage right now than tacos and tequila. So now…imagine 12 of Miami’s hottest chefs and taquerias making their interpretation of the best taco, each aside a bartender making a bespoke tequila cocktail to pair with each taco and then judged to crown the winners. The Liquid Projects and MIAbites present the hottest event of the year:
The Taco & Tequila Showdown (#TNTShowdown)
at Vagabond Restaurant and Bar -Sunday November 8, 2015 6-9 pm
Each of the participating chefs, led by Vagabond Restaurant & Bar host chef, Alex Chang, will create their signature taco using either soft or hard, corn or flour tortillas and be as creative as they want with the ingredients. Attendees will have chance to vote for the Peoples Choice for favorite taco and favorite tequila drink, while an esteemed panel of judges led by The Miami Herald Food Editor, Evan Benn, Broken Shaker alum, Gabe Orta, Adri Garcia, of Verde Kitchen Cafe, and food blogger, Nidal Barake @YoCulinario will select their Best in Show winners.
It is our belief that no food and beverage event would be complete without including and supporting a local industry non-profit. Therefore, we are delighted to partner with the Urban Oasis Project, (think Upper East Side Farmers Market – close to Vagabond) and founder of Verde Community Gardens Market and Cafe who has joined us to work with our chefs and bartenders with 20% of ticket sales donated to UOP to support their program of doubling the value of food stamps at local Farmer’s Markets.
EVENT DATE: Sunday November 8, 2015 6 -9 pm
PLACE: Vagabond Restaurant and Bar – 7301 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL (Valet parking available)
TICKETS: $65 advance sale / $70 at door- Available thru Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taco-tequila-showdown-tntshowdown-tickets-18300424061
PARTICIPATING CHEFS ( in alphabetical order ):
Chef Bee– Oishi Thai
Aaron Brooks– EDGE Steak and Bar
Jeremiah Bullfrog– GastroPod
Alex Chang– Vagabond Restaurant & Bar
Todd Erickson– HuaHuas
Richard Hales – Centro Taco
Bradley Kilgore– Alter
Niven Patel– Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
Romero Ramirez– Taqueria Morelia/Homestead
Giorgio Rapacavoli– Eating House
Steve Santana– Taquiza
And FOOD TRUCK: BC Taco Truck
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to sample creative tacos and tequila from Miami’s top chefs and mixologists while hanging out at the very hip Mid-Century Modern Vagabond Restaurant and Bar. Limited availability so get your tickets now!
Eventbrite link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taco-tequila-showdown-tntshowdown-tickets-18300424061
Let the Countdown to the Showdown begin!!
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