Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Coral Gables Times
Thursday, September 21, 1961, page 1 (of 24)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
THE Coral Gables Times THE CITY BEAUTIFUL
Vol. 36, No. 32 24 Pages Thursday, September 21, 1961 Phone HI 3-1661 Price 10c
Something TO TALK ABOUT
George Merrick is the man most responsible for creating Coral Gables. As a boy he made money peddling tomatoes and other vegetables to the few hundred residents of Miami and to the Flagler Royal Palm Hotel. His daily trip, started at 2 a.m., consumed four hours in each direction. He let his horse have its head while he studied and read, composing poetry, dreaming, and building "castles in Spain" which one day were to become the City of Coral Gables. Merrick wanted to be a writer and a poet, but his father's death forced him into managing the family plantation. Between 1911 and 1920 he developed more than 1,000 acres of fruits and vegetables, the largest plantation in South Florida. He once related, "For 10 years I worked night and day to build a nucleus for the Coral Gables which constantly grew in my dreams. I never told anyone about my plans but as my profits grew I bought adjoining land." The 160 acres the family originally owned, southwest of the frontier outpost called Miami, increased to 300, then 500, a thousand and finally to 1,600. With 1,600 acres and $500,000 in cash, an efficient sales organization and, most important, with a city plan developed by Denman Find, Merrick's uncle and a foremost artist, the dreamer was ready to convert to reality. Coral Gables was planned completely on paper before the first streets were laid out in 1921.
Maybe You Don't Know, So We'll Tell
Oldtimer or newcomer, we believe you'll enjoy a feature starting today in the Times. It's called "Something to Talk About," and the first installment is in the columns to your left. The feature is an outgrowth of a Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce project. The Civic Affairs Committee, Larry Larimore, chairman, wanted people who live here or work here to know the facts about their town — its history and important cultural, economic, governmental, educational and recreational facts.
City to Give IOU's For $1 Million, Use Money for Building
By MAURICE LABELLE Times Reporter Coral Gables took a giant step Tuesday toward realization of many capital improvements when the City Commission authorized a $1 million bond issue. An ordinance providing for the million-dollar capital improvement bonds was passed on first reading by the Commission at its weekly meeting. The move by the Commission was unanimous. A second and final reading is scheduled for next Tuesday, Sept. 26, at which time the ordinance will be adopted and the machinery set in motion for filing of the validation suit in Circuit Court Oct. 4. Final approval by the Circuit Court is expected by Nov. 21. Handling the transaction will be Goodbody & Co., a Miami and Coral Gables stockbroker firm. In authorizing the $1 million bond issue, the City pledged its quarter-million dollar annual cigaret tax revenue to back up the deal. No real estate or other taxes involved. Revenue from the cigaret tax last year was $254,397 and $271,486 this year. The retirement schedule calls for the last payment to be made in 1986.
Bookworms To Golfers To Benefit
Here are some of the things the City plans to do with the million dollars which it will place in a revolving fund: More than $185,000 is earmarked for street improvements in the downtown business section. Sidewalk repair program—$50,000 a year. New Library (total cost $400,000). Additional street lights in residential areas, $18,480. Improvements at Salvadore Park, $14,200. Plans and specifications for a new building at Granada Golf Course, $1,500. Construction of new bridge on Blue Road, $25,000. Development of neighborhood parks, $31,460. Improvements to City Garage, $32,900. Repayment of the Fire Station loan, $150,000.
Brighter Courts
Salvadore Park Tennis courts are going to be brighter with the addition of $6,467 in new fixtures, wiring and poles authorized by the City Commission last week. Wagner Electric Co. was the suc-
THIS OLD TENT CITY was photographed in 1924 at the Southeast corner of Le Jeune and Bird Road, across from the site of today's Gables' High. Construction workers lived there, according to Gableite H. F. (Jimmy) Wells, who remembers the scene. The '26 hurricane demolished the city of some 500 tents.
He'll Mete The Bounds Of Noise, Yet
How much sound does it take to become noise? And how much noise constitutes a nuisance? These are decisions facing City Manager L. W. Robinson Jr. in coming up with an antiair conditioner noise ordinance. Robinson told the City Commission at Tuesday's conference meeting that he'll need a precision instrument costing $430 to help him do the job. City Attorney Ted Semple told the commission the ordinance would be a difficult one to write because of the problem in legally defining noise and proving the existence of a nuisance. The move results from some neighborhood feuds over air conditioner noises. City Commissioner Joe Murphy proposed such an ordinance a year ago.
President Asks Adult Supervision Give Us a Chance for Good, He Pleads
(The following is written by Julian Kilman, 17-year-old president of Deucalion, one of seven fraternities at Coral Gables High School threatened with extinction if the Dade County School Board enforces a state law against non-sponsored, secret organizations in public schools.) (Related story, Page 2.) By JULIAN KILMAN Lately there has been much publicity given to "illegal high-school fraternities." Although some of the charges brought against them are ridiculous, others are unfortunately true, although largely exaggerated for readibility. In defending fraternities I cannot excuse some of their actions but I can and will say that if the school and the club sponsors would take interest and effort enough to actively supervise the groups, fraternities would be a useful element in our community. A minority of boys has been responsible for the activities which have been associated with all fraternities. The school board seems determined to abolish fraternities. I suggest it would be much more practical and constructive to recognize these organizations which would put the school in a position to censor any activities of which it does not approve. The newspapers have emphasized the fact that these fraternities are "secret." At any time, any fraternity at Coral Gables High School will welcome a faculty member or official from Metro at any meeting. Fraternities have been forced into "secrecy," because they have been refused recognition and supervision by the school. The School Board and the newspapers have condemned fraternities without permitting them any voice in their own behalf. The papers have brought out every illegal thing ever connected with these organizations and have even invented a few. Not one word has been printed about the worth while projects the groups have sponsored. I think it only fair that the School Board give fraternities a chance to prove what a group of boys can do with the supervision of the faculty and other prominent organizations. JULIAN KILMAN
Larry Larimore, Realtor. Coral Gables' only accredited property management organization 150 Andalusia HI 8-1563 —Adv.
WANTED
Real Estate Salespeople to staff new South Miami-Coral Gables office. Walter M. Freeman, Realtor FR 4-5111—Adv.