Bill U's Mini

Signum '68

Heeere's Bill Urbizu - a man who needs no introduction - reporting on himself, live from Miamuh! Well of course it's a live report...dead men tell no tales.

"After my ILS graduation, went to Miami-Dade Community College for two years (didn’t we all?) then began working as a news editor at Channel 7, writing for Wayne Fariss and Richard Whitcomb. Remember them? [Sure do, Bill - remember black and white TV and no remotes? - Editor] Went to the U of M or Suntan U until ‘73 when I returned to Channel 7 as the first on-the-air, Cuban-born TV reporter. I married in ’75 to great gal, an elementary school teacher. In ‘77, I joined Channel 10 and became the first Cuban exile ever permitted back in the island and filmed a ten-part series entitled An Exile Returns. I went back 8 additional times for ABC News and Post/Newsweek, including interviews with Fidel on four different occasions. After 10 years of working nights, weekends and holidays, when my daughter was born and was only able to see her one day a week, I decided to leave the news biz and jumped the fence into Marketing and PR for Miami-Dade County.

In 1990, I was appointed Assistant Director of the Miami-Dade Public Library System. In the 90’s, I traveled Latin America bringing more than 30 exhibitions to Miami for the public libraries. Hey, I even got knighted in ’94 by Peru’s Alberto Fujimori (who is in jail now) for the exhibition I brought during that year’s Conference of the Americas. Yes, you may address me as “Sire” which can also mean ass. I also dabbled in journalism again on my weekends and won a TV Emmy in ‘95 as a roving correspondent on a 60 Minutes format show on Telemundo. (Not bad for a part-timer). I’m still at the library, managing the construction and openings of four new libraries this year and two next year. I’m still married to that elementary school teacher, except she’s now Assistant Superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools.

Enough of this nonsense. Can’t wait to see you all on May 16^th!!!!!"

Bill at a recent library groundbreaking, Miami - it appears he has shrunk since 1968. Perhaps this is just our imagination. But, the show ain't over! Relish the photograph from a long, long time ago, but not in a galaxy far away...surely you recognize Little Billy and perhaps some of your LaSalle classmates too!

Saints Peter and Paul School, Miami - 7th Grade, 1962-1963