Summer is coming.

As we enter the last full week of May, we realize that the usual summer political doldrums should not hold true this year, since we have the special eletion in Senate District 40 to keep us entertained as well as municipal elections in the county’s four largest cities just gearing up.

But Miami-Dade County is already suspiciously quiet. So we’ll have to get by with a big meeting in Doral and club gatherings and candidate events — even Roger Stone telling stories — to pass the time meanwhile.

Did Ladra miss something? Get me the 411 on your 305 government and club meetings, campaign fundraisers and political powwows and get in the calendar. How? By sending an email to edevalle@gmail.com or inviting me on Facebook or hitting me up on twitter like some of these people did.

MONDAY — May 22

6:30-8:30 p.m. — Roger Stone is back again. Must have to sell those books. This time, he is the guest speaker for the Women’s Republican Club of Miami Federated’s May Forum features Stone — billed as author of “The Making Of the President 2016: How Donald Trump Orchestrated a Revolution — Monday evening at John Martin’s Irish Pub, 253 Miracle Mile. He’s an interesting guy and tells great stories, for sure. But you have to guess what’s true and what’s gibberish or part of his delusions. Ladra can’t go but boy do I wish they would Facebook live it.

TUESDAY — May 23

8:30 a.m. — The Miami Beach Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club continues its candidate parade with another candidate for commission. They’ve already had five other commission and both mayoral candidates on the podium. They’re going to run out of candidates soon if more people don’t file. This week, we will hear from commission candidate Mark Samuelian, who also leads the actvist group Miami Beach United. Former Mayor Matti Bower, who is still so far not running for anything, serves as moderator at the morning meetings, which are at Puerto Sagua Restaurant, 700 Collins Ave. Questions can be submitted in advance via Facebook or email TuesdayMorningBreakfastClub@gmail.com.

6:30-8:30 p.m. — The Miami Young Republicans will kick off their Leadership Speaker Series with a bang. First, former Miami-Dade School Board Member and onetime county mayoral hopeful Raquel Regalado “will make a special announcement.” Ladra suspects she will formally announce her candidacy for congress. Then they are having a panel discusssion on “Women Impacting Miami” about leadership development and journeys in business, public policy, and philanthropy with Diana Arteaga, director of Government Relations at the city of Miami, Cuban American Bar Association Vice President Maria D. Garcia, a partner at ZP&W Law, and Isis Pacheco, a vice president at Interamerican Bank. The disussion will be moderated by Jessica Fernanez and Rey Anthony and it is at CubaOcho Museum and Performing Arts Center, 1465 SW 8th Street.

6:30-8p.m. — Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Grieco, who is running for mayor, is having a “friend-raising” reception meet and greet at the Mondrian Hotel, 1100 West Ave., Tuesday evening. “Food and drink will be served,” the Facebook invite says, but Ladra doubts its open bar, so take some cash (but not for the candidate; he can only take checks).

WEDNESDAY — May 24

5 p.m. — The Doral City Council will to consider a proposal to develop a park in the north part of the city and a variance request from Miami-Dade to put a second monument within 100 feet of the first at its new Pet Adoption Center.  They will also look at expanding different zoning categories that can be combined in mixed use districts (like downtown), establishing parking requirements for assisted living facilities, a possible moratorium on workforce housing and changing the zoning from business and office residential to high density residential for 10 acres north of 41st Street between 107th and 109th avenues. It’s gonna be a busy night at City Hall, 8401 NW 53rd Terr.

THURSDAY — May 25

5-6:30 p.m. — A campaign kick-off event for Cedric McMinn‘s bid for state rep in District 109, where Rep. Cynthia Stafford terms out next year, will start at 5 p.m. at Jackson Soul Food, 950 NW 3rd Ave. McMinn, who has been chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party and works now as community outreach director for Miami-Dade School Board Member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, filed the paperwork earlier this month. He will be running in the Democratic primary against former State Rep. James Bush III, a schoolteacher who filed in January and raised $1,000.

SATURDAY — May 27

10 a.m.-2 p.m. — Annette Taddeo‘s “campaign canvass kick-off” for the Democrat nomination to the Senate 40 District race begins at 10 a.m. in West Perrine, 17490 SW 104 Avenue. Taddeo and her team will be canvassing the neighborhood until 2 p.m. For more information, call Manuel Gutierrez, 786-973-9067.

It’s the last week of the first month of the new year — and there’s lots going on.

From the megamall discussion at the Miami-Dade Commission to an upzone request in Doral to a town hall “brainstorming session” (read: campaign event) in Coral Gables — this is where and when we watch our government and politicians in action.

But also, it’s the first week without a Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club in Miami Beach. Sad. Someone please, please find a new venue before the election cycle gets in full swing.

As always, please keep sending news about meetings, campaign rallies, political club powwows and other events to edevalle@gmail.com. Last week, we had to add a couple of last minute items after posting because there were important events we weren’t aware of and should have been. This is your Cortadito Calendar, after all.

TUESDAY — Jan.  24

9 a.m. — The controversial  metal flower sculpture at Segovia Street and Coral Way and the North Ponce de Leon Boulevard Mixed-Use Overlay District will be hot topics at the Coral Gables Commission meeting Tuesday. Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick wants to put a question on the April ballot asking voters if they want the flower sculpture, which many residents have complained about, to remain or be moved elsewhere (more on that later). Commissioners will also take their first vote on the North Ponce Overlay. They’ve been talking about it since 2014, getting feedback from the community on this effort to develop North Ponce commercially but also protect the residential neighborhood adjacent to it. It aims to provide buffers and pedestrian connectors and to support historic preservation. As if that wasn’t enough, they will also consider beginning negotiations with a vendor on the redevelopment of two downtown parking garages. Commissioner Vince Lago wants his colleagues to consider the creation of a “parking code.” They’ll also talk about a 25 MPH limit in residential zones. And Mayor Jim Cason has a “special message.” Oh, boy. You might want to take a snack.

9:30 a.m — You may want to take two snacks to what looks like a mammoth Miami Dade Commission meeting Tuesday. They will consider spending a lot of money Tuesday. A lot of money. One contract on the agenda is for a $428.7 million to Trillium Transportation Fuels for compressed natural gas as well as issuing $100 million of the Jackson Memorial Public Facilities bond monies, another $11 million in bond funds (to be repaid by the developer) for a pubic housing project known as La Joya Estates in District 9, and a $3 million contract to Bermello, Ajamil and Partners to plan and design the master plan for the seaport. They will also consider resolutions urging state legislators to (1) enact legislation that would divert excess MDX funds to Miami-Dade County for transit projects, (2) contain utility fees and (3) oppose legislation that would allow concealed weapons on university and college campuses, among other messages they are sending to Tallahassee. They will also talk about two neighorhood traffic studies, the awarding of 59 grants for a total of $470,000 ($308,000 to promot tourism and $160,00 for cultural groups), enhanced penalties for wage theft and creating three more of those special taxing districts (for street lights). Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez will also provide ideas on possible funding for The Underline, which is not controversial (not yet, anyway; wait until he starts awarding the work) and reports on the costs of creating a multi-use path around Miami Executive Airport and preventing condominium association fraud, for which he has apparently assembled a Condominium Fraud Task Force comprised of Miami-Dade Police with the help from officers in Miami Beach, Surfside, North Miami Beach and Aventura. Ladra doubts commissioners will get out of there before 6 p.m.

7 p.m. — Developer Armando Codina, who built downtown Doral, wants the Doral City Council to upzone 10+ acres north of 41st Street between 107th and 109th avenues, from business and office residential to — what else? — high density residential. The council will consider this on Wednesday so former Doral City Attorney, Joe Jimenez — who know works as Vice President of legal and government affairs for Codina — is going to have a community workshop meeting the day before to address residents’ concerns. The powwow begins at 7 p.m. in the first floor conference room at City Hall, 8401 NW 53rd Ter., and will end after the last question is answered, Jimenez said.

WEDNESDAY — Jan. 25

9:30 a.m. — Even though a lot is happening Tuesday, this is the Miami-Dade County Commission meeting that everybody is talking about this week. Wednesday’s meeting is on amendments to the Comprehensive Master Development Plan and the main item on the agenda is the megamall and shopping themed amusement park called American Dream Miami on some 200 plus acres north of Northwest 178th Street between I-75 and the Florida Turnpike (more on this later). This is the land that Gimenez made sure the developers got at a discount price while he secretly negotiated the deal for months. Wednesday is only the first of several public hearings that could draw a lot of speakers. The main opposition so far has come from the owners of the competing malls and people who live in Miami Lakes or Pine Springs North, who already have to deal with blasting from the nearby quarries. On Wednesday, we will really get to see how this fight is going to shape up.

9:30 a.m. — The Pinecrest Village Council has will continue a worskhop from last week on the development of a strategic plan that directs the Village’s efforts and actions as well as informs the budgetary process for the next five to eight years. It is in council chambers at the Pinecrest Municipal Center, 12645 Pinecrest Parkway.

6 p.m. –Developer Armando Codina, who built downtown Doral, wants the Doral City Council to rezone 10+ acres north of 41st Street between 107th and 109th avenues, from business and office residential to — what else? — high density residential. The application says this use is consistent with the surrounding area and the city’s master plan objective of providing a wide range of housing options and rates. Of course it does. Ladra expects quite a few people to speak against this planned development of 250 units, to be called Doral 4200, because traffic in Doral is already a huge problem. The developers even expect push back, which is why they had that workshop meeting Tuesday. Newly elected Mayor J.C. Bermudez made the traffic due to overdevelopment part of his campaign. Ladra can’t imagine he’s going to be favorable. And the council is also considering a site plan for a medical plaza on the west side of 109th, among other things. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 8401 NW 53rd Ter.

THURSDAY — Jan. 26

6 p.m. — Coral Gables Commissioner and 2017 mayoral candidate Jeannett Slesnick will have another one of her community meetings. This one is called a “brainstorming session” and residents are asked to weigh in on a number of topics, including traffic, annexation, city services, speed limits and development, among others. Hmmm… wait a minute. Those look like campaign issues. Is this a live poll in disguise? “She wants to hear from you,” shouts the email blast, and that is a great campaign message. She is so in touch. And is that why there is a registration that starts at 5 p.m.? Slesnick already has an enviable email list but there’s no harm in adding to it. And this will provide her with more official contact with voters — but she’s always in contact with everybody, so Ladra is sure she would do it anyway. It just becomes extra helpful two and a half months before the election. And it being a city event, it won’t costs the campaign a dime to have this event in the Alhambra Ballroom at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Ave.

6 p.m. — Miami-Dade Commissioner Javier Souto has one of his town hall meetings at Kendall Soccer Park, 8011 SW 127 Ave. Residents who live in that District 10 area can go and learn about services or give their complaints to the commissioner and/or his staff. If you miss it, don’t worry, there will be another one next month at the West Dade Regional Library.

FRIDAY — Jan. 27

9:00 a.m. — The Citizens Independent Transportation Trust hosts a “Municipal Transportation Workshop” every year to provide information updates and new program requirements to officials from the cities receiving Surtax funds. After opening statements by OCITT Executive Director Charles Scurr, they will discuss future initiatives, best practices, a major corridor overview — all are on the agenda, which is designed to engage the participants in panel discussions and allow municipal representatives to present and highlight their transportation achievements using PTP funds. This event also allows municipalities to communicate directly with Transportation Trust and other county staff to discuss matters of mutual concern. In the theater at the History Miami Museum, 101 West Flagler St.