Coral Gables Riviera

CORAL GABLES RIVIERA

AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 16TH YEAR. VOL. 49 CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, DECEMBER 19, 1941 PRICE FIVE CENTS

COPS CLOSE IN ON THIEF

Momentary Arrest Expected to Solve Gables Burglaries HOLLEY'S CASH REGISTERS RIFLED BY INTRUDERS; TWO MORE THEFTS REPORTED The string of burglaries that have kept Coral Gables police busy during the last few weeks are expected to be solved momentarily, The Riviera learned today. Although their moves are guarded, it is understood that officers are "hot on the trail" of a suspect, and expect an arrest at any time. Police believe that the apprehension of the suspect will clear up a majority of the recent burglaries. Holley Department Store reported Monday morning that the cash registers had been rifled of change left there over the weekend. Leo Robertson, store manager, told police that someone had either broken into the store or had hidden there at closing time. The exact amount taken was not determined. H. W. Hoyt's home at 1433 Avenue Artega, was broken into and jewelry amounting to approximately $500 stolen on Monday. John Woelfel reported the theft of a German make automatic pistol from a residence at 751 Avenue Malaga. The home had been unlocked. He received and the weapon was taken some time on Sunday. Two hit-and-run cases were also chalked up on the police report sheets the week. Walter Flinn, Tropical Park, was struck while walking on Bird Road at 7:44 Sunday afternoon. He received a broken leg and lacerations. Wednesday evening the car driven by Harry Anderson, 1050 S. W. 31st Avenue, was struck by a hit-and-run driver at the Trail and Salzedo Street. A collision as Bird Road and Red Road yesterday morning resulted in injuries to Roy Buckles, Exchange Hotel, and Roy and Henry Mae Hob, negroes, 209 North 9th Street. Buckles was treated at the University Hospital.

Need for Volunteers As Fire Wardens Is Cited by Capt. Hardin CITY DIVIDED IN DISTRICTS; DEPUTIES TO GET TRAINING AT LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT

An urgent call for volunteers to act as district fire wardens in Coral Gables was broadcast today by Capt. J. H. Hardin of the fire department. These posts, which are separate and distinct from the air raid wardens, are an essential part of the county defense set-up, and the immediate organization of the Coral Gables corps is necessary, Hardin told The Riviera. Coral Gables has been divided into 11 districts. A deputy warden will be named for each district, and will be a person living in and familiar with the neighborhood. Each deputy warden will name an assistant and both will be given a training course at the Coral Gables fire department. Special emphasis will be laid on the handling of incendiary bombs. When the deputy wardens and their assistants have completed [TEXT LOST] training, they will [TEXT LOST] organize their districts, familiarizing the people in their neighborhoods with the training they have received. The deputy wardens will be authorized to appoint as many assistants in their districts as they deem necessary. All persons who wish to volunteer for this service should contact the Fire Department, Salzedo Street and Aragon Avenue. The phone number is 4-6161. Miami Fire Chief Henry R. Chase, who is fire warden for Dade County, announced that the same set-up is being followed in Miami.

Miami City Clerk Pays Gables Visit; Is Put to Work

Frank Kelly, Miami City Clerk, now knows what it feels like to be drafted. Kelly attended the meeting of the Coral Gables city commission on Tuesday, "just to keep in contact with other municipalities" in line with a new policy adopted by the Miami commission. But he was more than a guest. George Shaw, Gables city clerk, had been unable to attend the meeting, so the commissioners pressed the Miami clerk into service. Kelly fell right into his familiar role taking down the minutes, calling roll and performing all the duties of the clerk with the ease of an expert.

To Georgia

Mr. and Mrs. W. O. Mehten will leave Christmas Eve to spend the Christmas with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hancock in Bainbridge, Ga. They will return the following Sunday. Mrs. Mehten has been busy arranging entertainment for 20 boys from the Sub Alpha Training Station for the Christmas party on the 30th.

SAVING PAPER FOR DEFENSE? LET CITY HELP YOU DO IT

The city of Coral Gables will cooperate with the National Waste Paper Conservation campaign by acting as a collection agency for waste paper, according to an announcement made by A. B. Curry, city manager, this week. No old newspapers, magazines, boxes, etc., will be burned or destroyed, Curry said. The waste is sold for conservation purposes. "By having the city act as the collecting agency, we can eliminate a lot of over-lapping of effort on the part of civic groups which are, in other communities, acting as collectors," the city manager said. "Furthermore, it will be unnecessary for housewives to clutter up their garages with saved paper." The waste paper is collected by the city twice each week as part of the regular trash collection service. Then, it is sorted from other trash, and sold for defense purposes. Waste paper is important to national defense because it is converted into paperboard containers used to ship defense materials. Curry said housewives could further help in conservation by using market bags, or baskets, thus eliminating the use of paper bags, and on the part of the various stores.

Guard for Defense Mobilized 123 Present at Legion Wednesday For Organization

Organization of a home defense guard, the members of which will be ready to take over any defense post on a moment's notice, was started Wednesday night at the meeting of Post 98, American Legion. City officials and 138 Legionnaires were present to hear Commander W. Edward Winegar tell the post that every man would be expected to serve in defense work in some capacity. Yesterday, a corps of Legionnaires was at work in the Legion home compiling the cards filled out following the meeting which supplied them with all necessary information as to the availability for emergency duty of those volunteering their services together with preference as to type of duty preferred. Enough volunteers for air raid spotting service have already been secured, Legion officers stated. The 60-man reserve police company has already drawn almost its complement, many volunteers for duty with the fire department were listed and the guard detachment at the cadet training school at the U. of M. is filled, it was announced. Officials representing the City of Coral Gables attending the meeting included Mayor J. A. Whitley, City Manager A. B. Curry, Police Chief L. C. Reeves, Wallace A. Bell, Andrew T. Healy, Thomas C. Mayes and Capt. John H. Hardin of the fire department. With many of the information cards yet to be turned in at the Legion home by those who volunteered services th following are already turned in and will receive early notice of instructions from Commander Winegar: C. A. Marvin, Willard Hubbell, Louis Barberis, W. C. Canfield, St. Squire, L. W. Fahnstock, F. V. Tompkins, H. W. Karcher W. M. Hiles, W. P. Harris, Wm. B. Fuller, O. D. Pace, J. W. Patterson, Jack Schoenwald, B. L. Barnes, Pat (Please turn to Page 8)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Horses Take the Limelight Tomorrow As Tropical Park Opens for Season

Tropical Park, widely known thoroughbred center operated by the Gables Racing Association, will open its annual Winter meeting and the 1941-1942 Florida horse racing season at 2 o'clock tomorrow before what is predicted as a record opening day throng of turf and sports followers. To start the 21-day meeting, the first eight-race program will be highlighted by the two annual features, the Inaugural $2,500 Handicap and the Coral Way $1,200 Purse. With well-filled fields throughout the card, the mile racing strip in outstanding condition and the entire plant offering the patrons new and attractive features, Tropical Park looks to a winter meeting which will bring new records of attendance, mutuel play and thoroughbred speed. The chief feature, the $2,500 Inaugural Handicap, will be at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and upward. The secondary feature, the Coral Gables, $1,200 Purse, also at six furlongs, will be for 2-year-olds. The opening-day card also will offer three other events for sprinters and three races for distance horses two of the latter at a mile and 70 yards, and one at a mile and one-sixteenth. Referring to the well-filled card, Racing Secretary Robert S. Shelley pointed to the fact that approximately 2,000 horses from nationally-known stables are quartered at Tropical Park and nearby Hialeah. He said others are now on the way to this area as a result of the Santa Anita race meeting cancellation. With the start of the current meeting, it will be a new Tropical Park that will welcome turf and sports followers. This not only includes a new management comprised of nationally-known turf leaders and sportsmen but also a greatly improved and beautiful plant. The new management includes Henry L. Straus as president; A. Charles Schwartz as executive vice-president; Gurnee Munn as vice-president; Charles A. Munn as secretary and treasurer; Gerald Brady as assistant to the president; Walter H. Donovan as resident manager, and Herbert Bayard Swope as chairman of the board of directors. Associated with Mr. Swope, who also is chairman of the New York State Racing Commission, on the board are, Charles A. and Gurnee Munn, James Donn, Stephen (Laddie) Sanford, George W. Langford, A. Charles Schwartz, Francis M. Barker, Henry L. Straus and William Rhinelander Stewart. The new management has looked well to its racing division and has employed a widely-known staff of officials in each department. This staff includes, Tom Thorp and Samuel C. Nuckols as stewards; A. J. (Jack) Cleary as steward representing the Florida State Racing Commission; Robert S. (Bob) Shelley as racing secretary and handicapper, F. P. Dunne as assistant racing secretary; James P. Ross, Jr., as entry clerk and clerk of scales; Thomas A. Steele, William R. Dalhstrom and Dunn as judges; Albert H. Nun as timer; William A. (Dad) Myer as track superintendent; Dr. A. T. Knowles as veterinarian, and Henry C. Collins as general superintendent; R. P. McAuliffe and James Butwell as patrol judges.

HOLLEY SEES MIAMI AREA NATION'S MORALE BOOSTER

Voicing a note of optimism over the present season based upon the fact that persons employed in defense industry and their families, as well as others generally, will need the climate and recreation offered by the Greater Miami area as a morale builder during this war period, Frank N. Holley, Jr., president of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, expressed the opinion this section should see a large influx of visitors particularly of the families of business men unables to spend their usual winters in our midst. "This is no time for pessisism, either of the outcome of the war or of our winter season," Mr. Holley declared. "Of course we, just as we are all other Americans, 'All out' for the winning of the war, and as soon as possible, and will do our part in making this come true. We cannot overlook the fact that in times such as these there is a general unrest among all of us and probably more so in those cities where industry is working day and night in turning out war materials, therefore the best way to overcome this nervous tension is to relax and recuperate whenever possible. "The Greater Miami area offers just what the nation needs to keep the morale of those cit- Please Turn to Page Four

Gables Awaits Christmas Elaborate Program Comes to Climax On December 24

Coral Gables, atwinkle with Christmas lights and with the air filled with carols, started this week to observe Christmas with one of the most extensive celebrations ever staged in this community. Through the cooperation of the Merchants' Bureau, the City and the Florida Power and Light Company, the streets have been bedecked with garlands of lights and laurel and a green banked bandstand set up on Ponce de Leon Boulevard at Alhambra Circle. The Christmas Festival opened Monday with a concert by the (Please Turn to Page 5)

Defense Bonds For Best Home Decorations

Details of the home Christmas Decoration Contest, to be sponsored by the Merchants' Bureau, were announced yesterday by Sam Weissel, committee chairman. Twenty-five dollars in defense bonds will be given for the best decorated home, $15.00 in defense bonds for the second prize and $10.00 worth of bonds for the third prize. Judging will be held Christmas Eve and all entries must be in at the Chamber of Commerce by noon on Christmas Eve. Judges will be William Wood, director of the Federal Art project; Mrs. Dana McLendon, president of the Junior Woman's Club; Mrs. Charles T. Fuchs, president of the Garden Club and Mrs. Charles Susong, president of the Woman's Club.

Poor Kiddies Face Toyless Christmas Unless You Help!

Unless something is done immediately, there are going to be a lot of dissapointed poor kiddies on Christmas Eve. Capt. J. H. Hardin of the fire department, informed The Riviera yesterday that not near enough worn and broken toys had been received to date to fill the demand. "We've received about 300 letters," Hardin said, "and only have toys enough for about half that many. They're coming in awfully slow this year." There's a challenge, Gabelites! Get busy today and dig up those toys and take them to the fire department, so that no kiddie will be dissapointed on Christmas.

GABLES CHURCHES PLAN SPECIAL YULE SERVICES

Special Christmas services were announced this week by Coral Gables churches, with the majority to be held next Sunday. Only the Catholic and Episcopal churches have scheduled Christmas Eve and Day services. Christmas masses will be sung at both the Catholic and Episcopal churches on Christmas beginning with the midnight services. At the Church of the Little Flower, carol singing will precede the solemn high mass at 11:30 p. m. Wednesday. The regular masses will be said Christmas day with the high mass being sung at 10:30 a. m. followed by the benediction. At St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, carol singing followed by the procession of lights and mass will begin at 11 p. m. Wednesday. On Christmas Day the Christmas Mass and sermon will be at 10:30 a. m. with the Rev. William Barnes officiating. Methodist Church "Holy Night" will be the subject of the sermon to be delivered by the pastor, the Rev. Carlock Hawk at the 11 o'clock service Sunday. From 5:30 to 6:15 p. m., a Christmas Cantata will be given at the Candlelight service, when the following program will be presented by Mrs. C. H. Forbes, choir director, assisted by the chorus of the Miami Music Club: "Choir and Chorus" Hymne 92-100-106. Choir-"Star Over Bethlehem" by Lillie Strickland. Evening Prayer. Organ offertory, "Prelude". A Christmas Motett, entitled "Jubilate" by Mozart, sung by the Miami Music Club chorus with Celeste Moon (Mrs. Charles Moon) soloist; (Music arranged by Henry Gregor, organist) Choir and congregation singing (Please turn to Page 5)