Coral Gables Riviera

Friday, January 3, 1941, page 1 (of 2)

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Grocery Buyers

Save Money By Reading the Food Ads in THE RIVIERA

CORAL GABLES RIVIERA

AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Make The New Year's Resolution

Patronize Your Neighbors by Shopping in Your Home Town

Applications Being Taken Now For New Gables NYA Project

Robert R. Goodman, Area Work Supervisor for the National Youth Administration, reports that applications may be made at once for the new mechanical project located at 4300 Ponce de Leon Boulevard by any youths between 16 and 25 years of age, and adds that operations will begin within two weeks. The former municipal garage building has been secured here, and more than $10,000 worth of machinery has been purchased to give applicants actual work experience in automotive mechanics, metal work, welding, woodworking, furniture manufacture and finishing. Radio construction and repair and aviation mechanics courses may be offered at a later date. Boys and young men who are interested in the training work are urged to apply at once, aiding in the installation of equipment at the Gables project. Like all other work projects in progress, the Gables establishment will operate with two shifts of workers each month, each shift consisting of 78 hours. Each worker receives $14.04 for this time. All those eligible who wish to apply for work on the Gables project can register with the Personnel Supervisor at the Area office, Federal Arcade, 35 N. W. 1st Street. While the age limits have been broadened, changing the lowest age from 17 to 16 years, the Administration warns that any youth who drops out of public school for the express purpose of taking advantage of this opportunity will not be eligible for training work. All boys interested in working at the Ponce de Leon mechanical project should enroll early, as a limit of 30 boys for each of the two monthly shifts has been set.

Fifteen Give Benefit Show For British

The Fifteen have announced a special benefit performance Sunday evening, January 5th, for British War Relief. The play will be their current hit, "Design for Living" by Noel Coward. Mary Greene, Richard C. Sullivan and Willard Thompson play, respectively, the roles created by Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and Mr. Coward himself. James Crow, Barbara Parmlee, Elizabeth Cope, Frank Rellinger, Gerard Grondin, Daisy Hauck, Charles Faber and David Derbyshire complete the cast. The play is under the direction of Hale McKeen and the settings are by Edward Sheffield. The benefit is presented under the auspices of the Miami Committee of the British War Relief Society. Executive members are Mrs. Gordon Smith, Mrs. Robert R. Ross, Mrs. James Hamilton Wilson, Mrs. George Lomas, Mrs. Victor Sharman, Mrs. L. A. Oates and Mme. Greenley-Crotty. Tickets for the special performance of "Design for Living" may be secured at the British War Relief Booth on the mezzanine of Richards in Miami at the Theatre of The Fifteen, Douglas Entrance, Coral Gables, or by telephoning Mrs. Robert R. Ross 7-5852. Curtain time will be 8:15.

Newcomb to Speak Here Thursday

Charles Milton Newcomb, popular lecturer, who was last heard here two years ago, returns to the Century Club of Coral Gables, Thursday, Jan. 16, to speak. The occasion is to be the annual Welcome Home Dinner sponsored by the club in honor of winter residents. It will take place at 7 p. m., at the main dining room of the Miami Biltmore Hotel. Wives of members also will be guests at this meeting. Mr. Newcomb, who has been heard in Greater Miami at both the Century Club and Committee of One Hundred, will address the local club on "How To Be Happy Though Educated." It is understood that the talk deals with present-day political and economic conditions and offers a constructive philosophy of life. A number of Coral Gables notables are expected to attend the dinner, the third event on the 1940-41 Century Club program. George A. Hughes is club president. The executive committee includes W. Scott Dennison, Dr. Gurney E. Rhode, Col. P. J. O'Shaughnessy, William F. Cheek, J. Harry Collins, Frank O. Hendley, and Daniel H. Redfearn.

Garvin Birmingham Goes North To Join Canadian Air Corps

Coral Gables made a healthy donation to the defense of Britain when Gableite Garvin Birmingham, 23, of 301 Aledo Ave., left for Montreal to enroll in the Royal Canadian Air Force. "I've always liked to fly," Birmingham said in commenting on his decision, "and I've wanted for some time to take up military aviation. This trip to Canada has been in the planning stage for quite a while, but I've just worked out the details that make it possible." Birmingham, who is a licensed pilot, added that he was anxious to join the American Army air force, but that some of the rulings of that organization disqualified him. "You see," he explained, "they won't take anybody who is or has been married. I'm divorced now, but the fact that I had been married made me ineligible. The Canadians don't mind that part of it, so I applied to them." A United States flying license was an inducement to Canadian recruiting officers, who told Birmingham to proceed to Canada, but would accept no responsibility for the trip or his safety. He expect to have three months of primary battle training at Montreal, and then, he hopes, he will cross to England for advanced training before going into active service. Birmingham, will report in Montreal Jan. 6. He left here Tuesday morning.

ANNOUNCEMENT

It gives me pleasure this week to announce the appointment of our managing editor, Jim Moore, to the position of editor and general manager of the Riviera Publishing Company. Mr. Moore has been associated with The Riviera for the past six years, coming here as news editor in 1935. He is familiar with the community and the people who reside here, and I am certain that The Riviera will continue to progress with the city under his management. At the same time I wish to announce the association of Wells F. Bruen with the newspaper as news editor. Mr. Bruen is an experienced newspaperman of the highest type he will be an asset both to the paper and the community. Signed: JOHN D. MONTGOMERY, Publisher.

Dog Champs Running Flagler Oval

The cream of the nation's outstanding derby champions will see action at the West Flagler Kennel club, Miami's most popular greyhound racing center. They are racing at the picturesque westside oval where record crowds are making their afternoon's playful. Rural Rube, world record holder, which raced at Flagler during the 1939-40 meeting and the year before, has many brothers and sisters racing this season and if early season races mean anything Rube's world record is endangered of being broken by one of his own kin. My Topper, a full brother of the Rube, captured the Inaugural race at West Flagler, while It Girl, Hy Gunn, Fern O'Gunn, Big Brother are some of Rube's other brothers and sisters which are expected to make greyhound history at the Flagler oval. West Flagler also has a fine group of jumping greyhounds, among them being those two great stars of this year, Lemont and Tobacco Buyer. Lemont failed to lose a race last year at Hollywood before moving over to Flagler where he tangled with Tobacco Buyer, The Flagler champion, in some red hot steeplechase duels.

Exhibit at Blue Dome

Robert Connayale and Edna Sortelle McCoy are showing an exhibition of their works of painting and sculpture at the Blue Dome Gallery of the Coltege Cupboard, 243 Giralda Ave., which will be open to the public until Jan., 11, from 9:30 a. m. to 9 p. m. daily. The exhibition opened Thursday. Connayale, a former member of the Brooklyn Society of Painters, is described as one of the most adept exponents of tropical art in the painting world today. His work has been exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy in Philadelphia and at the Grant Galleries in New York City. He was a pupil of John Sobel and John Bernard. Edna Sortelle McCoy is showing a number of prize-winning pieces of sculpture, including two which have won first prizes at state-wide exhibitions. Her bust of Clayton Sedgwick Cooper is attracting attention, being unusually rugged in style, unlike most of her work, which is known for its delicacy. Miss McCoy was a student of Joseph Niccolosi and has studied at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts.

Sends Kiwanis To Conference

At least three members of the Coral Gables Kiwanis Club will be present at the opening of the Mid-Winter Conference of the Florida District of Kiwanis International at Winter Haven Jan. 12, with Jim Hoffman, Harry Rath and Andrew Houston making preparations for the trip next week-end. The Winter Haven conference will feature an address by Florida's most eminent Kiwanian, Governor Spessard Holland, who will speak on the theme of the conference—"Citizenship Responsibility — the Price of Liberty." Kiwanis Governor Frank S. Wright, publicity director of the University of Florida, will be installed with other 1941 officers by E. B. Stahlman, Jr., editor of the Nashville Banner and trustee of Kiwanis International. Gableite Jim Hoffman will be inducted into office at the installation ceremonies as lieutenant-governor of the Florida district. The Florida district of Kiwanis is made up of 63 clubs, with a membership of more than 2,850 of the state's leading business and professional men.

Slow Start Seen for 'U' Cagers

With three players counted on for regular duty still nursing football injuries, the University of Miami basketball team is expected to get a slow start this winter. In as much as Coach Hart Morris' men must tackle powerful Stetson in the openers January 9 and 10, the situation is not helped one bit. Stetson has four veterans from its 1939-40 squad—along with the brilliant sophomore who won the state A.A.U. crown last year as freshmen. In addition, Joe Krotulis and Bill Totterdale, a trio of juniors, are potential regulars who gave Tom Hlibish a great race for runner-up in scoring last year, are lettermen. Totterdale was unable to play last year because of a bad knee but he won all-state honors in Ohio in high school days. Adding to Coach Morris' trouble is the fact that both the regular guards of 1939-40 are gone so it looks as though the first few games will see Tom Hlibish senior veteran forward and a quartet of sophomores in the starting lineup. Out of the new men are Norman Scott, Jimmy Kees and Eugene Bogart, who won fame in Miami high school days.

Orange Bowl Brings Bands To Gables

With all Greater Miami in a cheerful upset, the Orange Bowl game brought two mobs of youngsters on holiday this week to Coral Gables hotels, with the high school bands of Jacksonville and Clearwater making their quarters at the Solana and Casa Loma hotels. The Solana Hotel received a milling young army of 105 boys and girls from the Landon High School of Jacksonville, who arrived by bus late Tuesday afternoon. Known as the Lions and Lionettes, the aggregation was booked into the Solana by the Orange Bowl committee. A group of 64 boys and girls from Clearwater High unloaded from another bus Tuesday at the Casa Loma Hotel, where they stayed overnight, leaving for home immediately after the big game. In addition to band members and other students, both high school groups were accompanied by teachers and chaperones.

Holidays Crowd Coral Gables Inn

Escaping the cold beauties of a white Christmas, a varied group of holiday visitors is stopping this week at the Coral Gables Inn. Numbering guests from all parts of the country, the new visitors include: Mr. and Mrs. Elwood Cooke, noted tennis players, who have just returned from a tour of South America; Harry Adams, Chicago golf professional, and Mrs. Adams; Major and Mrs. George Howard of Fort Benning, Ga.; Lieutenant S. H. Murphy of the Savannah air base; John Morrison of Philadelphia; a party including Mr. and Mrs. A. Y. Dunn, Miss Miriam Bailey and Mrs. J. C. Krissmaul of Cleveland, Ohio; and Professor and Mrs. D. H. Carnahan of the University of Chicago and their daughter, Sally.

Banner Season For 1941 Say Gables Business Men

"Biggest since the boom!" That's the word that's running through Coral Gables as all indications show a gain in December business and an outlook for the 1941 season that surpasses last year by a healthy margin. Gables merchants and hotel men are confident of the biggest winter in many long years, as visitors pour into the city, renting and buying homes, leasing apartments and taking hotel suites for the entire season. L. W. Robinson, building inspector, reports an increase in building here of over $500,000, while Paul Brick, health inspector, says that establishments handling food, such as restaurants, groceries, etc., have increased in number about 35 per cent. Merchants declare that their business gains in the month of December show an increase of 30 to 40 per cent over the same month last year, and now winter residents, arriving every day from the North threaten to swell the gains even more. "Using December business and advance reservations as a barometer," said W. H. McCreary of the Coral Gables Inn, "we're far ahead of last year. It looks like a banner season." "We're way ahead of last year," R. H. Brown of the Antilla Hotel, declared. "Our reservations are up by 25 to 30 per cent, while our annual New Year's banquet was a good 25 per cent better than on any previous New Year." Milton Chapman, manager of the Miami Biltmore, reports: "From present indications, the outlook for the 1941 season is very encouraging." Real estate men, viewing the heavy influx of visitors and the swelling ranks of homeseekers, declare that a big year is in store. Some of them feel that a swing from Miami Beach towards Coral Gables is taking place, and they cite several buyers of new homes here who were Beach residents during previous winters. Filling stations feel the increase in traffic and are finding more out-of-town customers in their stations every day. All in all, the new year has launched itself with a heartening bang, and the Gableites feel that this year is something really worth welcoming. Their attitude toward 1941 can be summed up: "That's off to a swell start. Keep up the good work!"

Given $2,000, Will Reveals

A $2,000 bequest, which was given to her granddaughter the day she was 20, was revealed yesterday in the will of the late Fannie Wooster Whiting, filed for probate in Dade County. The bequest was made to Patricia Eleanor Paine, by Mrs. John Louis Hamilton, Jr., by her grandmother, "in appreciation for her for not smoking before she was 20 years of age." The will was dated July 13, 1934. Mrs. Whiting died December 14, 1940. After bequests of $100 to the Woman's Service League of St. Stephen's Church and to C. G. Gibson, an old family servant, the estate is divided, three-fourths to the daughter, Florence Whiting Paine, and one-fourth to the granddaughter. D. H. Redfearn attorney, was named executor. The estate was estimated to be in excess of $10,000.

Antilla Hotel Draws 30 Hoyas

With 30 students of Georgetown University stopping there for the duration of the holidays, the Antilla Hotel is right in the Orange Bowl spirit these days. The group of students, which includes Carlos Rodriguez, manager of the Hoya basketball team, will remain at the hotel until classes reopen at Georgetown. Also stopping at the Antilla are Mrs. Felice Lawrence of Meriden, Conn.; Mr. and Mrs. Armand Nicolosi of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Leonard Spiro, attorney, of Chicago, Ill., and D. P. Houser of St. Louis, Mo.

Coral Barber Shop Has New Owner

The Coral Barber Shop, 2322 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, has been bought by Gordon Hemmon, proprietor of Gordon's Barber Shop. Before taking this change of hands the Coral was Howard's Barber Shop. Eddie Roffler is now manager of the establishment.

Lost Lake Casino Opens for Season

A new restaurant and casino graces Coral Gables night life tonight when the new Lost Lake Restaurant and Casino opens, right on the shore of Lost Lake itself, the old duck haven and Gables landmark. Dance music and a floor show will be the entertainment offered, and patrons will be able to see the electric fountains playing in Lost Lake from their ringside tables. Opening time is 8 o'clock tonight.

'15' Performance Polished As Theatre Season Opens

By MARY THOMPSON MOORE At the beginning of any show's run—be it Broadway or a little theatre—there are countless little problems to be ironed out in lines of production and presentation. So it was with Coral Gables' favorite group, the Theatre of the Fifteen, when it opened its 1940-41 season Monday night at its new headquarters, Douglas Entrance. The problems, however, were not so much those of technique. The Fifteen still are the most polished players you could find outside Broadway. But the difficulty lay in the audience-stage relationship. It was difficult seeing the show behind about the fifth or sixth row. So, there was considerable neck-straining and some grumbling. The Fifteen's new theatre is almost twice as large as last season's, and it is and is being better arranged. But it was suggested that the stage be moved farther away from the first row of the audience in order to be viewed from the rear of the theatre. The play, Noel Coward's comedy hit, "Design For Living," is a favorite. Many of Monday night's audience had seen it before either as the motion picture or on the legitimate stage. Most of these agreed, however, that the Fifteen played it to perfection. Richard Sullivan, as the artist, Otto, carried a large portion of the speedy tempo upon which the production depends. He was dynamic and natural. Mary Greene, as Gilda, the woman in the well-known triangle, had a lead to carry, with long, long lines and much enthusiasm. But she, too, kept the action flowing, and charming with her polished finesse as an actress. Applause was won by Willard Thompson as Leo, the playwright, the other part of the lovable threesome. And James Crow, as the English friend, was set by himself last year, as a fine supporting player. "Design for Living" is a difficult vehicle. It allows no real for the actors. The comedy must be kept bouncing through three acts. And Coward is not able for his action climbing toward a superb third act. Perhaps that is why the show seemed a little long in the first two acts. Barbara Parmlee, in a tiny part of the maid, stole each scene in which she appeared. Other supporting players, who all helped to complete the picture, included Gerard Grondin, Frank Rellinger, Elizabeth Cope, Daisy Hauck Charles H. Faber, and David Derbyshire. Not to be ignored was the enthusiastic applause which greeted each member of The Fifteen, with his first appearance on the stage. Coral Gables and Greater Miami are glad to welcome this talented group back for the season.

Coral Gables Police Figure In Two New Year's Smashups

After an unusually quiet and trouble-free New Year's Eve, Coral Gables police began 1941's accident record January 1 by taking part in two of the three accidents recorded for the day. A squad car and a motorcycle were the police vehicles involved. Officer J. D. Powers, chasing a speeder at about 50 miles per hour on Coral Way, received severe bruises of knee and elbow when his motorcycle collided with a bicycle ridden by Gail Parkinson of Coconut Grove. Parkinson was uninjured. A squad car, driven by Officer Andrew Csaky, collided with another car driven by Malcolm L. Williams of Black Mountain, N. C., at LeJeune Road and S. W. 8th St. Police say that Williams failed to heed the stop sign there. The police car was moving at about 50 miles per hour in answer to a wreck call. Mrs. Anita Robezvoy, a passenger in Williams' car, received a fractured shoulder. Her companion in the back seat, Mrs. H. Barker, was treated in the Gables clinic for a sprained shoulder. Williams was arrested on a charge of reckless driving. In a third New Year's Day collision, Miss Gloria Jane Bidwell, 16, of 1612 S. W. 12th St., received a back injury when the car in which she was riding, driven by John Bidwell, 48, collided with an automobile driven by Nathan Mack, 45, colored. The accident took place at 9 a. m. in S. W. 8th St. near the Douglas Entrance. Mack was arrested for reckless driving and for driving under the influence of liquor.

BILTMORE B R I E F S

By MILTON M. CHAPMAN Managing Director Some of the most amazing as well as comical diving exhibitions you have ever seen will feature our inaugural Pool Show on Sunday afternoon at 3:15. This initial performance is the biggest news of the week at the Miami Biltmore when Alexander Ott presents his famous "Water Follies." Mr. Ott has engaged only top flight talent for his shows this year. Who does not recall Ruth and Mary Hoerger as youngsters? Now they are grown up, attractive young ladies who have perfected their diving abilities to such an extent that Mr. Ott could not resist engaging them for the Biltmore shows. Their rhythm of performance and ease of execution are enough to make you hold your breath. For stunt work there will be, among others, the Sensational Kays, whose tight-rope bicycle riding many feet above the pool will make you forget all your troubles. You'll wonder, as we do, why they don't fall in. But they don't, as their perfect sense of balance brings them through safely. Besides the aquatic and stunt exhibition, there will be a floor and fashion show, with plenty of music. Irvings' of Miami Beach will sponsor the fashion show in which twenty-five lovely models will display the latest in formals and sports wear. An altogether, splendid program has been arranged and I'm sure the Biltmore Pool will be a grand place to spend Sunday afternoon. Strolling along the pool deck these days I notice more and more of our guests taking advantage of the wonderful Florida outdoors as they lunch beneath the spreading umbrellas, gay in their multi-colors, enjoying the balmy breezes that sweep so gently across the pool. Still others find the atmosphere as comforting on the upper terrace overlooking the golf course. One way to start the day right is to have breakfast on the terrace which offers an especially beautiful view in the morning. It was a rare pleasure for me to welcome back to the Miami Biltmore this week that favorite orchestra leader, Maximilian Bergere, the musical artist who can play the piano with one hand while he swings his baton in the other. Dancing to Bergere's music is a real treat. His swing style and the soft tunes of his new-popular melodies will make you enjoy the evening and take along with it memories of good times. We added two splendid entertainments to our already fine staff this week. One, Miss Helene Cartwright, is a noted graphologist, and the other is J. W. McDonald, an unusual magician. A student of psychology and vocational guidance, Miss Cartwright analyzes your handwriting. Among the noted personalities whose signature she has analyzed are President Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie. Theorizing that handwriting is the reaction of a brain wave, Miss Cartwright maintains that it reveals all sorts of hidden characteristics of the mentality and can, for instance, predict a forthcoming nervous breakdown within ten days. If you want to know anything about yourself I'm sure Miss Cartwright can enlighten you. Mr. McDonald's feats of magic are all the more amazing because he has only one hand, yet he can do more tricks with that one than most of us can do with two. For example, he asks you to take a coin in a handkerchief, hold it over a glass which is hidden by the handkerchief, and drop the coin in it. You're psitive the coin is in the glass because you hear it clink. Yet, on removal of the handkerchief, you discover the coin has apparently dropped through the glass onto the table. Sometimes Mr. McDonald makes it go right through the table! This is only one of his many baffling tricks and Mr. McDonald will convince you he is one of the cleverest sleight-of-hand artists in the business. The bridge-luncheons held on Mondays and Wednesdays are proving extremely popular among the ladies and enjoyable afternoons are reported by those attending. After luncheon in the Giralda Room the ladies retire to the Main Lounge for bridge. These are always sociable affairs and are directed by Mildred Applegate Archer, our friendly hostess. Besides the inauguration of our weekly Pool Shows, this Sunday will also see the start of our series of Tea Dances held every Sunday afternoon on the Patio between 5 and 7 o'clock. Our Patio, as you probably know, is one of the loveliest spots at the Biltmore, surrounded as it is by shading palm trees and tropical plants, with umbrella tables conveniently near. This is a grand spot to meet your friends and we'll be happy to see you there.