Weak. That’s what Michael Rosenberg thinks of “West End,” the catchy neighborhood name that 
Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan Zapata came up for his West Kendall/Hammocks district.
Rosenberg, president of the Kendall Federation of Homeowners Associations and the founder and executive director of the Pets’ Trust, didn’t like the way Zapata just changed the name of his longtime home from one day to the next. And he took to an unlikely way of protest — poetry.
Accompanied by sad piano music and photos of West Kendall “landmarks” — like Kendall Shoppes Shopping Center, Lexus of West Kendall, Planet Fitness and On The Border Mexican Grill — Rosenberg himself recites his prose on a video made by Daniel Castropé, a news reporter at Diario Las Américas.
“When I woke up this morning, I was at a dead end. But I realized I must move and get off my rear end. Into a new world I cannot comprehend, I now live in the infamous West End,” Rosenberg waxes, although Ladra can’t attest to how infamous Country Walk is.
“I got in my car and the traffic was the same,
It will take more than changing a name.
Mr. Zapata, please, let the community decide.
Let us vote, but our hands are tied.
The commissioners decided they know what is best.
But hey, what about me and all the rest?
You changed our name, once again without asking us first.
You changed our name, implying it’s cursed!!
West Kendall is my home and is where I live,
No matter what new name you want to give.
If you want a change, we the people will speak.
But for God’s sake… West End is so weak!!!!
Ladra must admit she doesn’t see anything wrong with branding the community as “West End.” It’s not just West Kendall, Michael. It’s West Kendall and Hammocks and Country Walk. It’s a regional name. Maybe Rosenberg fears, like some others do, that this is a first step towards incorporating District 12 so Zapata can officially secede from the county and distance himself from the mayor and the fools on the dais that don’t get him.
Read related story: Juan Zapata’s ‘West End’ study could portend new city
But what makes you think, Michael, that the commission will respect a vote anyway? They didn’t with the Pets’ Trust Initiative, which got a 65% approval. You should know that better than anyone else.
Maybe rather than a yes or no, up or down on “West End,” we should provide a number of options and let the residents decide.
Ladra offers Traffic Town. Or Gridlock City. Or Beehive Village. Or Walmartlandia.
Somehow, though more accurate, I don’t think those names have the same promise of opportunity Zapata was looking for.
Rosenberg likes the idea and has some better options: East Everglades, Far Kendall (like Far Rockaway in New York), Weke like SoBe for South Beach (would that be pronounced “weak”?). He proposes a contest via email with district residents submitting choices. A volunteer committee of residents picks the top five. Those are put on a ballot with the added choice of leaving it alone with no umbrella name.
“If West End were to win, and based on the calls I get, it would not, then let it be,” Rosenberg said. 
“It is not for the commissioner, particularly one that is so evasive and impossible to reach, to wantonly change the name of my community without aggressively seeking my input.
“Gimenez said we didn’t know what we voted for. Zapata believes he needs to change the name of our community. What’s next….telling me what movies I must see!!!??”
Additionally, such a question on the ballot might really get more people to the polls for the August election. Bonus!
“The point is to engage the community,” Rosenberg said.
Ladra agrees that if the community is made part of the renaming or rebranding of District 12, it will be easier for them to own it.
But will it really solve the problems that West End or whatever you want to call it, is facing — namely traffic and the worst police coverage in the busiest call area of the county.
After all, a rose by any other name.
Juan Zapata’s ‘West End’ is criticized — with poetry added by Ladra on
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Per the statement “District 11 has a good public servant in Zapata.” Please dig a little into your local politics. Each Commissioner’s budget is $900,000. Much of Mr. Zapata’s budget is used for Mr. Zapata and the spreading of the Christmas wonderland joy works to win your heart and your vote while he flies to Boston (oops, it wasn’t ethical to use his budget for that) to garner a Harvard degree (oops, it wasn’t ethical to use his budget for that too.)
He uses the public libraries as stages for his productions. Stand in the line in front of the library to get your free Zapata school backpack., Shameful that he doesn’t support funding libraries.
some folks here should be ashamed of themselves. As a longtime follower of local politics…District 11 has a good public servant in Zapata. Yes, there is sprawl, traffic, etc in West Kendall…But those issues were decades in the making and will not disappear overnight. Whether you like the name “west end” or not is irrelevent… the concept behind the name is to give this area a sense of community and a boundary-restricted name does that. In the last couple of years I have seen more sense of community in West Kendall than I had seen before. Between the commissioner’s initiatives like movie nights and Xmas tree light ceremony residents are beginning to congregate where they live.
Lastly, remember the commissioner is one of 13 votes on a commission, he does not have a magic wand. This is why the ills on an area cannot be changed quickly. But with tenacity and vision I believe the Commissioner can get us there. Zapata is only 3 years into his 1st term and it will take time to right this ship. I will leave you with one thought…Kendall is a DONOR community. You pay the county more in taxes than you received in services. If you truly want more local control on issues of growth and resources, look at the other successful examples of incorporation.
Sorry Commissioner Zapata.. West End the name is already taken…. go look at the park that is on SW 60th Avenue and SW 2nd Street in Miami. I grew up playing in that park in the 70s and 80s.
Sorry for the typos folks and sorry you have to subjected by rita’sdeceitful attempts at character assisnation but those comments affirm my initial allegations. Heaven forbid one has the courage to dissent.
Rita. You have your facts wronf. Contrary to what you say here I was shunned because the kfha couldn’t tolerate a dissenting point of view when I tried to expose the fact that this pact which claimed tax exemp status
. the group is intolerant if dissenr which is why they huddledin the shadows like cockroaches to.plot behind my back. The stiffling of d i ssentis third world behavior. Contrary to what you insinuate I had the courage to stand up and speak my mind despitetne ffact I was slapped down for it. Funny you were very appreciativeofme whenyou wanted andneeded my advice. So don’t blame me that you have to deal with this stupidity. Moi don’t live in Kendall any more. I love in a place that respects dissent and differing opinions, values you obviously can’t appreciate. Shame on you for making accusations re. A situation you weren’t even privacy to
Hey! Ladra lives in Kendall. Sure, it’s not the tacky chokehold known as West Kendall, but who are you to judge?
Keep it polite, people!
Love, Ladra
Lee Zimmerman was the former president of the same group that he speaks so poorly of. He was unceremoniously “dumped” from the board because of his prejudiced actions. Please note he calls our community “third world”. I really thought better of you Lee! You have moved away from Miami, but the courageous one’s have stayed to continue to make our community a better place! I question who the Bozo is:)
And anyone who puts any stock or credibility in the opinion of the president of a bogus self righteous intolerant group like the Kendall federation, a political group with a biased political agenda who ultimately have no relevance to begin with, is really in trouble. Bozos on both sides.
So silly. People with nothing better to do than make themselves out to be more important than they. Welcome to life in the third world.
“It’s called west end” he said with a shrug, “named by a guy who sounds like a tool used to kill bugs.”
West Kendall Regional Library was forced to become the West End Regional LIbrary. When the staff answer the telephone using the new name, callers think that they have misdialed.
No doubt It will take only a decade or two to convince the public that the name used for the past 25 years wasn’t wanted. Such a waste of resources and energy.
Ladra says,…”but will it really solve the problems that West End or whatever you want to call it, is facing—namely traffic and the worst police coverage in the busiest call area of the county.”
NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE COUNTY TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A NO GROWTH COUNTY —gridlock is killing us with westward sprawl & everywhere. Whatever happened to leadership and “in-fill” responsibility?? This is “Smart Growth”
Time for Zapata to go! He better get his Harvard education in now while still in office.
Here’s another vote for HATE the “West End” name. We are not in COLOMBIA anymore, Mr. Zapata. Let the residents vote on it.
maybe Zapata should have called in the Pet Shop boys to help promote – hate the name
Right, that’s the REAL West End.