Who can believe that?

The year is certainly like to start off recognizing members of our community that do amazing things, and of course, we are still in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month.

And today we're so honored that Commissioner Gabella has chosen not uh only an amazing Dominican American to be recognized today, but also something I love, which is someone who is deeply involved in the art.

So Commissioner Govell, let's invite everybody up here, and I'll turn it over to you.

Yes, so in the celebration of Hispanic Month, uh, we're so honored and and uh privilege really to present this young man and acknowledge him for all his efforts that that he's done in his community.

He's uh 17 years old, and we want to uh give this to you

and recognize you.

Whereas uh Hispanic Heritage Month observed from September 15th through October 15th provides an opportunity to celebrate the history's cultures, achievements, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the United States, and whereas Elizor Soriano is a Dominican American visual artist, graphic designer and photographer whose creative work reflects a longstanding commitment to the arts and creative engagement within the community of South Florida, and whereas Mr.

Soriano has developed his artistic and professional career for more than a decade working across graphic design, photography, illustration, and visual communications while participating in exhibitions, conventions, and cultural events throughout South Florida.

And whereas Mr.

Soriano currently serves as a graphics media specialist at Miami State College, where his work includes developing digital graphics and visual communications, complementing a career that has included numerous creative and design rules in the in the Miami area, and whereas throughout his career, Mr.

Soriano has received recognition for his artistic accomplishments, including awards for his work in art design, while continuing to participate in opportunities that highlight the talent of Hispanic and Latino arts, and whereas during Hispanic Heritage Month, the city of Miami recognized artists such as Mr.

Soriano, whose creativity professionalism accomplished accomplishments and cultural expression country to the artists, artistic and cultural character of our community.

Well, it is just incredible to have you here surrounded by people that love and respect you, and um a bunch of proud Dominicanos are in the house uh to support you, especially with all of the work you've done in Alapad and all throughout the community.

We're just so honored to have you here.

And um I'm sure your decorative arts are a little fancier than our proclamations, but our proclamations mean we love and respect you.

So congratulations.

Would you like to say a few words?

Um

good morning, everybody.

Um, as you saw, my name is Elieza Soriano.

I am a visual artist.

I've been an artist since I was born.

Um I want to thank God for this opportunity, and then I'm gonna thank my family, especially uh my mother that has always supported

me

and other in the same vein.

My grandmother, who was the first person that bought me my first uh box of color pencils, and after that I never stop.

I just continue drawing every single day of my life uh when things are good, when things are bad, when things are things doesn't matter.

Um I uh also want to thank my girlfriend.

Uh she's uh right now she couldn't make it because of work, but uh she has always supported me since they won as well.

And thank you to the city of Miami, thank you, Commissioners.

I really appreciate this.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, we can be balanced out.

Okay, I'll see.

Okay, okay.

What do you think?

You're happy?

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Well, and now we have um, as you know, the month of October, we think about a lot of things in October.

Um you'll find us at the next commission meeting really highlighting um breast cancer awareness.

It's also domestic violence awareness month, but it is at the same time fire prevention awareness month.

So I want to honor and I want to bring up our incredible Miami Fire Rescue uh department as we declare October National Fire Prevention Month so they can good morning.

Good morning, morning, come on up, everybody.

We don't have as many as we might normally have because um eighty-two of them are deploying up north for the hurricane.

But so um fire prevention month is something where we really can take our own safety into our own hands, and there's many, many ways that that we can do that.

And I know, Chief, you and the team are gonna be out in the community letting people know the small steps uh that can be taken.

So, do you want to maybe tell us a few things?

I think I you're probably gonna yell at me because I haven't checked the batteries and my smoke alarms in a while, but I'm sure there's other things.

So let us know how we can spread the word for fire prevention.

So thank you, Madam Mayor, um, and all the commissioners and the city administration, city manager, there he is.

Um before we speak of that, I just want to highlight the folks that are here for fire prevention week.

We have our team of uh plans reviewers and inspectors and our public education team.

This fire prevention week because in 1871 it commemorates the great Chicago fire, just to give you the perspective that fire Chicago looked nothing like it looked today, and a hundred thousand folks remain homeless after that fire, and across the nation, we focus on fire prevention, which is really the majority of what saves lives, and it's folks like this that do it.

In 2017, we started hiring fire and protection engineers because of the skyline of Miami that was changing the technical competence this team has to have.

We have engineers and architects and specters trained to a very high level.

We have the third tallest skyline in the United States, so we're really trailblazers in this field, and our our public uh education team