Unlike the failings of a certain one-term elected official, whose name shall not be mentioned here but will be referred to as the Criminal Ex-Commish, the legacy of Commissioner Barbara Kramer will forever be associated with extraordinary public service in the City of North Miami Beach.

Unlike the Criminal Ex-Commish, who ignorantly accused Barbara of “doing nothing for the residents,” Commissioner Kramer accomplished more in her 13 and a half years of service than most politicians in Washington do in their entire careers.

Certainly more than that ineffective Ex-politician. whose warped idea of “public service” was to act like royalty, throw parties, and take credit for giving away other people’s money.

Before she was termed out on November 22, 2022, Commissioner Kramer’s long list of achievements especially include the projects she advocated for during her appointment by the Miami-Dade County League of Cities to the Homeless Trust.

Most notably, Barbara Kramer began a community sock drive, Socks on a String, to raise awareness about homelessness to students from local schools.

In conjunction with the Homeless Trust and Carrfour Supportive Housing, Barbara hosted the first Socks on a String event to commemorate Homeless Awareness Day on November 15, 2012.

She also contributed at the Miami Rescue Mission in 2013, Lotus House in 2014, the Salvation Army in 2015, as well as Miami Homes for All, Lotus House, and the Miami Beach Community Church in 2016.

In October 2010, Commissioner Kramer launched the annual Citizen Appreciation Day for the purpose of honoring outstanding residents and recognizing their contributions to the City of North Miami Beach.

In 2012, Barbara introduced the Magical History Tour, a guided tour through the City hosted by local historian, Alan Sokol.

The City’s annual signature event continued through 2019 when, unfortunately, the pandemic curtailed all activities beginning in early 2020.

The Multi-Cultural Committee prepared to relaunch the Magical History Tour on October 23, 2022, when the positively vile City Manager Arthur “Duke” Sorey decided it wasn’t an important enough event to hold.

This was hardly surprising, considering that Duke has absolutely no ties to or sense of community with the City of North Miami Beach or its residents.  In his quest to remake NMB into the thuggish image of his own hometown, North Miami, Duke has been doing everything in his power to erase your City’s rich history from the moment he arrived.

Try has he might, however, he cannot erase the exalted legacy of Commissioner Barbara Kramer from the collective memory of the residents she has unselfishly served since her landslide win in the May 5, 2009 municipal election.

As liaison to the North Miami Beach Multi-Cultural Committee, Commissioner Kramer brought the community together by hosting three seasons of Cultural Cinema Night, with weekly showings of diversity themed films.

The seasons took place during the school year, and students who attended received volunteer hours for high school.

The Committee’s first film on January 13, 2012, Catfish in Black Bean Sauce, featured an intriguing story about two Vietnamese refugee children who were adopted by an African American couple in Los Angeles.  Twenty two years later, one of them locates their birth mother in Vietnam and invites her to come to the United States.  The film portrays the struggles and culture clash that ensues.

During the next two and a half years, the following movies were shown at the Multi-Cultural Committee’s Cultural Cinema Nights:

 

Under Barbara Kramer’s leadership, the Multi-Cultural Committee also:

• Hosted the first ever Black History Month Living Museum in North Miami Beach, and subsequent celebrations each year with concerts, dance and dialogue.
• Initiated the first ever Miami Chinatown Kickoff Gala 2019.
• Sponsored the celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month event with Tito Puente Jr.
• Hosted the first ever grand Haitian Heritage Celebration with TiMache and performances by Tradisyon Lakou Lakay, Patrick Dorce & Rara Roots Rock, Empress Addi and Rara Lakay.

In addition to all of the amazing accomplishments listed above, Commissioner Barbara Kramer also:

• Sponsored the first state-wide Resolution No. R2013-66, which urged the Florida Legislature to restore the voting rights of convicted felons, and directed the City’s state lobbyists to advocate for legislation.
• Initiated annual city park renovation projects with the Beautification Committee on Arbor Day, including park renovation and tree giveaways to the City’s residents.
• Accepted the Inviting Gateway Award from the Miami-Dade County Neat Streets Miami board for two projects she helped design — the City’s gateway signs and the City Hall traffic circle.
• Initiated Highland Village Rehab and Cleanup.
• Helped to achieve the Fulford-by-the Sea Monument restoration.
• Succeeded in having the Fulford-by-the Sea Monument added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2010.
• Supported a new Washington Park Community Facility that is finally being realized.
• Supported new development to revitalize our city and bring in much needed revenue so that we can sustain the rising costs of running a municipality.

Last, but certainly not least, on her personal time Commissioner Barbara Kramer used her skills as an interior designer to help design and select the materials needed to renovate the City’s Marjorie & William McDonald Center and the Ronald A. Silver Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Center.

As you can see, Barbara Kramer’s distinguished legacy as a North Miami Beach Commissioner will endure long after the unnamed, minor-league Criminal Ex-Commish, and her three former co-conspirators still on the dais, and the loser public officials they hired, have been long forgotten.

Barbara Kramer’s only goal as an elected official was to unselfishly serve the residents of North Miami Beach with respect, commitment, and a heart full of joy.

Her leadership will be sorely missed.

Stephanie