Coral Gables Riviera

CORAL GABLES RIVIERA

AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER Published every Friday by the Miami Riviera Publishing Company 306 Coral Way, Coral Gables, Florida Established January, 1926 Combined With the Dade County and Coconut Grove Times, 1929. ALBERT E. HARUM President and Publisher JAMES B. MOORE Managing Editor Mailing Address, P. O. Box 704 Telephone 4-1634 SUBSCRIPTION RATES One Year by Carrier, Coral Gables and immediate vicinity... $2.00 Six months ..................................................................................... $1.25 One Year by Mail ............................................................................. $3.00 Entered as second class matter May 21, 1926, at the Postoffice at Miami, Florida, under Act of March 3, 1879.

A Prayer of Thanks

The Fourth of July this year-with the rest of world in such a turmoil-carries a new and thought-provoking significance. Our personal liberties have been-and we hope will continue to be-unaffected by the world strife. In the warring nations personal liberty has been practically removed either by the dictatorship form of government or by emergency war powers granted by the people to the countries allied against Hitler. True, our taxes are rising and probably will go higher to pay the terrific bill attendant upon our making ourselves invulnerable insofar as attack is concerned. But, in some or most of the warring nations, almost half of the income a citizen earns goes to the government. We need fear nothing when we walk down the street in the morning to go to our work. We need not subdue our thoughts and feelings on in any way be guarded in our conversations. We give loyalty to the chosen government, but we need to have no fear of voicing our criticism of that government. No Coral Gables housewife is told how much or what she may purchase for the evening dinner table. We are unrestricted in our movements in any direction-provided only that we have of cause of travel. We sleep peacefully, confident that when we awaken our loved ones will be there with us, that our home will be intact, that our liberties will have been preserved overnight for us. Truly we should be more than thankful-thankful that we can walk and talk and act as do free men; thankful that the halter of dictatorship is not around our neck; thankful that the bombs of barbarism and war are not crashing around us.

Speedy Conclusion Desirable

Coral Gables' action in federal court to consolidate its bonded debts under the 1937 Refunding Plan again came to a temporary pause last week when Special Master F. M. Hudson adjourned the hearings until August 5. When the hearing re-convenes, over a year will have elapsed since the city filed its petition in July, 1940, in an attempt to compel refunding agreement and bring about a completion of the city's debt adjustment. Hearings held to date have filled approximately 1,000 pages of the record of the proceedings and documents filed as exhibits would fill two suitcases. Opposing the petition is a minority group of bond holders headed by Edward P. Wright of St. Petersburg, which has steadfastly refused to come in under the 1937 refunding agreement. This group represents approximately $675,000 of the city's $11,231,000 bonded indebtedness. In originally filing the petition the city took advantage of the Wilcox Bill, the intent of which is to prevent small minorities from forestalling a debt adjustment to which more that two-thirds of the creditors have assented. In the case of Coral Gables, 93 per cent of its bonds have been refunded and George Shaw, director of finance, states that approximately 70 per cent of the bondholders have assented to composition of debts under the Wilcox Bill. Another element was injected into the suit last week when Wright questioned the legality of the city's $25,-000 annual appropriation to the University of Miami Wright contended that if the contribution and other items of expense were eliminated, the holders of the refunded bonds could be paid in full from tax levies. The support of the University has been questioned before, but the legality of the donation has never been tested in a court of law. That the great majority of Gables residents favor the support of the school seems to be indicated by the fact that every commission has voted in favor of the appropriation. And after all, the commissioners are the elected representatives of the people. We believe that a public poll on the question would result in approval of the contributions by a very large vote. Most residents feel that any curtailment in the activities of the University would be a backward step. A favorable consummation of this case, in as short a time as possible, should be a go-ahead signal for hundreds of realty transactions and a greatly increased building program. It is to be hoped that the re-convening of, the court will mean that the suit will be brought to a speedy conclusion.

Selling the Home Town

Major resort cities throughout the South are more than anxious every year to entertain American and National League baseball clubs during the spring training. To this end, these cities submit bids to the clubs, tell them about the beauties of this or that city, the hotel facilities, the degrees of entertainment, the abundance of baseball fans-and, most important, just what this or that city will do, financially and otherwise, for the baseball club. In fact, it gets down to this: the city with the highest bid gets the ball club to use its facilities for spring training quarters. And why? Because with the baseball teams come droves of sports writers to the spring training camps. And in the reports of these hundreds of news writers, is carried the date line, the name of the city in which the team is getting set for the baseball schedule. This date line appears on the reports of the reporters for individual newspaper and is sent throughout the country by the reporters for the wire services. We, in the Gables, can do much along these lines. We don't have to invite the major league ball teams into our backyard. But we can, every time we travel, register on the books of the out-town-hotel the fact that we hail from Coral Gables. And we might even do a little talking around to convey the idea that we are pretty darn proud of it.

NO!

CITY BUDGET | PETTY POLITICS | 256 | Copyright 1941, Lincoln Newspaper Features, Inc.

IN OUR MAIL

The mail column of the Riviera is open to anyone who has anything to say on any subject provided that what the correspondent has to say does not enter the realm of libel. Readers are encouraged to voice their feelings on civic and political matters. All letters must be signed although the names will be withheld and kept in strict confidence if so requested. Editor, The Riviera: Right now there is more going on locally, politically and civilly than at any time in the five years that I have lived in Coral Gables. There is the forthcoming freeholders election for creation of a bond issue to purchase the water system, and the attendant discussions and decisions that will ensue in commission meetings in formulation of the plan of operation if the system is purchased. There is the current discussion of the Community Building and property situation, with the demand by the WPA that the city secure ownership of this building from the Women's Club or restore the $30,000 allotted by the WPA to this project, with the threat by Mr. Curry that if this $30,000 refund is made to the WPA it will result in an additional tax levy on all property owners sufficient to meet this amount. There are the hearings of the bankruptcy suit of the City of Coral Gables, hearings that were held in our City Hall before quite a brilliant array of counsel during all of last week and which will be resumed August 5. And there is the perennial budget which always appears on the scene at this time. Public hearings on the budget for the ensuing year will be held on next Monday and Tuesday, July 7 and 8, in the commission room on the second floor of our City Hall. The meetings will convene both of those days at 8 P. M. There are of course the regular commission meetings open to the public, which are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 5 o'clock in the commission meeting room of our City Hall. These are usually attended by a small handful of persons a half dosen, a dozen, sometimes more or less, citizens who have an interest in the affairs of our municipal government. Special commission meetings held between the dates of the regular meetings are usually open to the public and are sometimes attended by a very few of the public who happen to learn of these special meetings. For anyone having the least degree of interest in civic affairs all of these meetings provide an interesting and educational background of what goes on in our City. Most of the City's business is transacted at these open meetings. After attendance at one or two of these meetings, with an understanding and grasp of the workings of our municipal government and the problems that confront it, the interest of the observer grows with each succeeding meeting. Through lack of interest and through other activities, but very few persons attend any of these open meetings. But right now, with so much going on in our city government, and with social affairs quiescent, there could be and should be a good attendance. Particularly, there should be a very representative attendance at the two budget hearings next Monday and Tuesday. Citizens will then be given an opportunity to express their opinions on the allotment of funds under the next year's budget, more for this, less for that. These budget meetings are for open discussion by the property owners. If you want to know where your tax dollars go, attend the meetings, listen, and if you like, speak. Then, as a further step why not attend the regular commission meetings the first and third Tuesday afternoons of each month. The next regular commission meeting will be at 5 o'clock on Tuesday, July 15. And if you are still interested beyond this point, ask your favorite Commissioner to advise you in advance of any special meetings called between the regular meetings. Therefore, let us turn out in greater numbers and familiarize ourselves with the workings of our city government and with where our money goes. S. DUFFIELD HOPKINS, JR. Editor, The Riviera: The Coral Gables police staff in charge of traffic would be doing pedestrians and other motorists a real favor if they'd clamp down on out-of-town and local drivers who insist on be lieving that the city's wide thoroughfares were made that way so they could make U-turns. Anybody who drives a car in the business section knows the menace of these drivers who nonchalantly endanger life and defy traffic regulations by sweeping around in the middle of the block instead of going a bit out of their way to get to their destinations. Mrs. E. D. Editor, The Riviera: Heard a woman, obviously a visitor, at the Country Club the other night exclaim, "Oh, my! what lovely orchids!" when she saw the Poinciana blooms used as table decorations. Why doesn't the city label trees and tropic vines and shrubs on its properties for the edification of winter-and summer-visitors, and make life easier for us who have to try to identify from vague descriptions, the flora to be seen hereabouts? ALL YEAR ROUNDER

OUR TOWN

By JIM MOORE Have you ever stopped to realize how the looks of a progressive city change from year to year? Those of us who live here often do not realize the great extent to which the outward appearance of Coral Gables is altered every year. It often takes some old timer, coming back after an absence of several years, to wake us up to the fact that the business district of this community resembles very little what it did three or four years ago. Think back that far. Two corners of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Coral Way were vacant lots. Rank weeds also grew where the very modern Coral Theatre now stands and the facade of the Terminal Building was weather-beaten and far removed from the modern appearance it has today. These are but a few of the changes that have taken place in the last couple of years. But all of this is looking back. Let's look to the future a little bit and try to imagine what the business district will look like two or three years hence. For the most part, we can use only our imaginations, but there are a few current hints, still in the rumor stage, that give us an inkling of some of the scheduled changes. Because many real estate moves are shrouded in secrecy until everything is "signed on the dotted line," many rumors cannot be converted into actual news stories until definite agreements are reached. Because of unsettled conditions at the present, some of the hinted changes may never come to be-but they definitely are under consideration at the present time. Firstly, a 99-year lease for the vacant property on the southeast corner of Salzedo Street and Coral Way was signed not so many days ago. The Miami Beach real estate firm of Wolfson-Spiesberger handled the transaction, but are keeping the name of their client a deep, dark secret for the present. The property is owned by John D. Montgomery, former publisher of The Riviera. The deal seems to indicate the erection of a building on that site in the near future. A local real estate man has been approached by a Miami group, looking for a suitable location for another bank here. This move is being kept very much under cover but we understand that an option has been taken on a building in the business district. There is also a rumor that a new cafeteria will be opened on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in the fall. This new, venture, if it comes through, will require the remodeling of a building that underwent drastic changes not so many years ago. There is also a business building proposed for the vacant lot between Dennis Murphy's Drug Store and the Coral Gables Furniture Company on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. A Miami Beach man is supposed to be the builder. Two automobile tire firms are dickering for Ponce de Leon Boulevard locations and the actual construction of a new building to house one of them is being held up because of zoning restrictions. This will not affect the appearance of the business district, but we consider it worthy of mention, even though it is a bit remote at the present. A Miamian, closely connected with the Cleveland Indians, is very much interested in starting a Coral Gables baseball team in the Florida East League. If it comes to pass, the local outfit will serve as a farm club for the Indians and will consequently be a high calibre ball club. This is a project that the Chamber of Commerce could well afford to look into, because it would mean reams of publicity for Coral Gables. All of these rumors are items in Coral Gables' "future book". Some of them will become ac-tualities in the near future, others may not come to pass for a year or two. Some, perhaps, will eventually be discarded entirely. They do, however, prove one definite point: that outsiders are interested in our town from an investment standpoint. They regard Coral Gables as an up-and-coming community with a great future. They have seen the community spirit that is evidenced here and have drawn the conclusion that Gableites are going places with their town. They too, want to ride along on the band wagon and there's plenty of room.

This ONE'S ON YOU

FIREWATER - We've heard lots about what goes on at conventions and such; about how many gallons of the various brands of firewater were consumed; about how one each successive morning' of the convention the remorse which comes from a hangover became more and more acute. That's why we want you to know about Jim McIntyre and the Atlanta convention of the Kiwanis. Quite evidently Jim had the same idea as we about fraternal gatherings and so, when Don't waste time telling stories on your friends to your friends, with the whole circulation of The Riviera waiting eagerly to join in the laugh. Mail those pithy paragraphs, those anecdotes, those cute stories about your neighbor's children to The Riviera right away. We'll print them with due credit to you or we'll cloak them with anonymity-if you so desire. Just don't tell us any fibs. he left the Gables Atlanta-bound, he was armed with a safe quota of firewater. But-the world situation being what it is and there being discussions of a very serious nature-the Kiwanians all but passed up the lighter phase of convening and mapped out a serious program to aid National Defense. So Jim came back to the Gables with his giggle water practically untouched. * * * CHASER-We don't want this column to feature discussions on elbow bending, but the previous item practically obliges us to tell you about A. B. Mack, raconteur of note and fisherman of questionable ability. Well, it seems Mr. Mack was out on the Bay with a few friends and, after all, what is a fishing trip without a bottle to borrow from after the big catch? Mack had had a tough fishing trip a day out and had been cheered on to victory by his friends in the party. Landing his quarry, one of the friends handed him a snifter of gin. Another friend stood by with a chaser in his hand. Mack drank the gin, grimaced, reached for the chaser. He downed the chaser, grimaced more and then discovered the chaser was a large tumbler of gin. * * * RECOMMENDED READING -Singing drills, pincers and the like hold no horror for George B. (Spike) Caster. Bravely last week Spike voluntarily went to the dentist for a periodic inspection. Spike sat in the dentist's chair while the man in white mapped diabolic plans, Spike accomplished most of them. Reaching a point where Spike must await the effect of certain nostrums, the dentist told his patient he'd be back with him in fifteen minutes. To help pass the time the Dentist's pretty assistant brought him a copy of Time magazine. Then the following took place: Mr. Caster: Is this the only magazine you have? Pretty Dentist's Assistant: No, We have Esquire if you want that. Mr. Caster: Let me have Esquire. Pretty Dentist's Assistant: (fetching and delivering Esquire to Mr. C.) You know, Mr. Caster, I would have given you Esquire in the first place, but I thought you were the intellectual type. * * * WHAT'S IN A DATE?-Felicitations came thick and fast for Mrs. Charlotte O'Shaughnessy Crawford Saturday night as members of Harry Reser's orchestra gathered around her table at the Country Club and played "Happy Birthday to You." To complete the occasion, a messenger boy arrived at that moment bringing her a bouquet of flowers. The only fly in the ointment was the fact that Mrs. Crawford's birthday is in April-not June. The whole thing was a gag concocted by her escort, Karl Schmitt, to cover up the fact that the flowers he had sent her arrived so late. * * * STORK STUFF-The selling of advertising, like other occupations, has its trials and tribulations, but we doubt if many in this field have ever had to (Please Turn to Page Five)

Scanning the Screen

Robert Taylor, Mary Howard and Brian Donlevy are featured in "Billy the Kid," which opens Friday for a four-day run at the Gables Theatre.

Alice Faye, Jack Oakie and John Payne are starred in "The Great American Broadcast," which will be shown Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at the Grove Theatre.

GABLES THEATRE

Air Conditioned GABLES THEATRE Phone 4-1221 25c MATINEE TAX INCLUDED 35c EVENINGS Smoking Loge - No Extra Charge Open Daily 2 P. M. FRIDAY-MONDAY-JULY 4-7 ROBERT TAYLOR in BILLY THE KID with BRIAN DONLEVY · Ian Hunter · Mary Howard · Gene Lockhart · Lon Chaney, Jr. Friday-Saturday Mat: Chapter 1 "JUNGLE GIRL" FREE CANDY FOR CHILDREN Tues.-Wed. July 8-9 Merle Oberon Dennis Morgan Rita Hayworth "AFFECTIONATELY YOURS" Thurs.-Friday July 10-11 Fred MacMurray Sylvia Sidney Henry Fonda "THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE"

GROVE Theatre

WOMETCO BEST ENTERTAINMENT GROVE Theatre COCONUT GROVE 20 Cents MATINEE Saturday-Sunday 1:45 Phone 4-4929 FREE SMOKING LOGE 30 Cents EVENINGS (Inc. Tax) 6:45 Thurs.-Fri. July 3-4 Chilling! Thrilling! "The Black Cat" with Bela Lugosi Hugh Herbert Saturday Only July 5 A Columbia Picture Bill ELLIOTT with "WILDCAT of TUCSON" SPECIAL MICKEY MOUSE MATINEE 2 P. M. CELEBRATE THE FOURTH AT OUR SPECIAL HOLIDAY MATINEE 1:45 GROVE MICKEY MOUSE BAND AMATEUR SHOW Free Candy to All! SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY-JULY 6-7-8 7 NEW HIT SONGS Alice FAYE Jack OAKIE John PAYNE * Cesar ROMERO in THE GREAT AMERICAN BROADCAST with MARY BETH HUGHES NICHOLAS BROTHERS WIERE BROTHERS THE FOUR INK SPOTS A 20th Century-Fox Picture

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