The Coral Gables Times

2 CORAL GABLES TIMES Thursday, November 15, 1962

We Honor 'Sister' On 151st Birthday

In a ceremony at Cartagena, Colombia on the occasion of its Plaza Sunday, the Coral Gables People-to-People Program honored the city of Cartagena, Colombia on the occasion of its 151st anniversary of independence. Members of the People-to-People group were joined in the observance by Gables city officials and by Colombian residents of the area, including Colombian Consul-General Hugo Nicholls. The speaker was Mrs. Dorothy S. Faust of the Miami Reception Center of the U.S. Department of State who paid tribute to the importance of international friendship. Mrs. Luz Solano, secretary of the Colombian Consulate, introduced an entertainment program which featured the internationally known concert guitarist Rufino Duque, who is stopping briefly in Miami between engagements. Alberto Lenis rendered several songs. Two tiny sisters, Vicki and Johanna Cocco, presented folk dances of Colombia. President Edmund Russo of the People-to-People Program called attention in his opening greeting to the contributions made by many individuals and firms to the design and planting of the landscaping which has created a charming setting for the "old shoes" statue, the focal point of the Plaza. MRS. DOROTHY S. Faust was principal speaker at the People-to-People ceremony honoring Cartagena independence day. Sharing the picture (left to right) are Vicki and Johanna Cocco, Mrs. Luz Solano, Rufino Duque.

Franchise For Gas Delayed

A second and final reading on the proposed 30-year natural gas franchise with City Gas Franchise was put off by the City Commission Tuesday. The deferral came upon the request of attorney Joseph Dumond after Mayor Robert L. Searle failed to return from Cartegena, Colombia, in time for the meeting. Second reading was rescheduled for next week at Dumond's request. He is attorney for City Gas. A referendum on the franchise is necessitated under the City Charter. No date has been set, but a probable time is in the April Municipal Election. City Gas beat out Florida Gas Utilities Co. by offering to pay 6% of gross revenues plus ad valorem taxes and licenses. They agreed to pay $3,000 minimum the first three years and $5,000 minimum afterwards. Florida Gas declined to go beyond the 6% including taxes and licenses, according to City Manager L. W. Robinson Jr. City Gas, under the terms of the proposed ordinance, agrees not to raise rates for at least five years and not to levy rates higher than those prevalent in the area. The estimated $2,500 cost of holding the referendum would also be borne by the company. After 15 years, the City would be able to purchase the company, if it chose. The gas company agreed also to accept responsibility for personal and property damage, carry insurance and to restore City property after construction.

'Space Hogs'

The Gables is considering ticketing parking space hogs. Commissioners at Tuesday's conference discussed the action after hearing Commissioner George Wilson complain about parking practices on the City's off-street parking lots. Wilson told of parkers who straddle lines and take up more than one place. The policy will be brought up at next Tuesday's meeting for official consideration. The problem of enforcement on off-street lots stems from the limited police powers of the meter checkers, City Manager L. W. Robinson Jr. told the Commission. Robinson asked for a statement of policy to clarify the checkers' powers.

Tallahassee He Argues Own Case Before Court

Coral Gables developer A. H. Sakolsky argued his 12-story Biltmore Way high rise apartment proposal before the Florida Supreme Court last week. "He made a very fine presentation of his own case," City Attorney Ted Semple said after returning from Tallahassee, where he argued the City's right to rescind the permit. The high court took the case under advisement after hearing both sides of the argument, Semple said. Sakolsky has fought for the right to build his high riser ever since the latter part of 1960 when the City Commission first approved the structure on a 3-2 vote and later rescinded the action when one commissioner resigned and his replacement reversed the vote. Only Mayor Robert L. Searle and Commissioner Joe Murphy sat on that Commission, with Searle voting with former Mayor John M. Montgomery and former Commissioner Winston W. Wynne for the multi-story apartment. Murphy and former commissioner Frank Kerdyk were joined by Commissioner James Hess in voting to rescind the permit after neighboring property owners had filed suit against the City. Hess replaced Wynne briefly until the following April election after Wynne resigned to take a seat on the Metro Commission. The City has been victorious in all the lower courts in blocking Sakolsky's permit.

Mayor and His Mrs. Take in Latin Fete

Mayor and Mrs. Robert L. Searle returned from Colombia, South America, Tuesday night following a gala five-day trip that included celebration of the city of Cartegena's 151st anniversary. Searle had been scheduled to arrive in time to attend Tuesday's City Commission meeting, but was delayed in flying back. Cartegena is Coral Gables' sister city in the People to People Program of cultural exchange. An estimated 80,000 celebrants jammed the streets of Cartegena in one wild celebration after another, Searle reported. The Searles also visited Baranquilla while in Colombia.

Four Firms Are Taken

Four Coral Gables businesses, including one owned by the president of the Chamber of Commerce, were hit by bad checks last week. Al Jacobson, president of the Chamber and owner of Rae's Stationery store, 253 Miracle Mile, was hit for a $67.83 check. Engel's Men's Shop, 2201 Ponce de Leon Blvd., got a check for $38.06. Accurate Business Machines, 1510 South Dixie Hwy., were stuck for $92.70. And The Old Book Shop, 1564 South Dixie Hwy., $38.37.

WE HAVE A VISITOR 'Oh, Lord, I Had a Weakness' For Week

"Oh, Lord, I had a weakness," was the way Miriam the cook at the Dr. Richard Strains' expressed it Tuesday when the dozen luncheon guests were there and the hostess wasn't. However, Mrs. Strain called just after noon to say she and the guest of honor were delayed at the Seaquarium. The guest, Atta Koffi, a newspaper columnist from West Africa, was invited to feed the dolphins as the Seaquarium's guest of the day. A friend of the Strains, Mrs. Gunnard Antell, filled the breach while the guests waited in the Strains' living room at 4510 Santa Maria Dr. Shortly, Mrs. Strain; the African guest, Koffi; and his French interpreter, Charles Horn, arrived. After some conversation, the whole party went to the patio for a buffet luncheon of fried chicken. Some dispatch was necessary since the guest of honor had a plane to catch for Boston at 2:30 p.m. and it was then 12:30. Miriam, the cook, and her assistant moved about efficiently to get things done. Among the guests were several foreign students from the University. There were an Indian, a Moroccan, an African and an American Negro (UM freshman), plus several others. Koffi, the guest is from the Ivory Coast town of Abidjan. His city has a population of about 250,000, roughly the size of Jacksonville. The young (20) African writes a daily column in the newspaper for which he works. He was selected by our U.S. Information Agency officer there for a six-weeks trip to this country and is just ending that journey. Some impressions, via his interpreter: "Automobiles surprised me the most; there are so many of them." "I came especially to study race relations." "In Atlanta, there was not the tension I had imagined from the stories I had read in our newspapers." "How do I regard the American Negro? As brothers. We have a different culture now, of course." "No, we do not have the same press freedom that I have heard you have in America." "About 25 per cent of our people are literate." There was time for no more because Columnist Koffi was hurriedly off to the airport. —RN.

Laundry Is Still In Wash

Personal charges replaced legal arguments Tuesday as opponents began to wash their dirty linen over a proposal to build a laundry in South Miami. The laundry wants to tie into the Gables sewer system through South Miami Hospital. "If these fellows were honest in their objections, I wouldn't be up here," Dr. James Lyons, one of the owners of the South Miami Professional Building told the Commission. The building is the home of South Miami Hospital, whose directors have charged that the deal was made without their approval and with misrepresentation. "It's boiling down to a matter of personalities," said Dr. Lyons, telling about last week's South Miami Council meeting which became a personal fight. The proposal of Wash Bowl Inc. to hook up to the Gables sewer system through the hospital was first approved by both the Coral Gables City Commission and South Miami City Council, but subsequently rescinded when trouble developed in the five-way transaction. Commissioner C. L. Dressel Jr. moved again Tuesday to grant the hook up request, but the move died for the lack of a second. Instead, the Commission agreed to invite all the parties back next week to air the new charges. The hospital had not been notified the matter was on Tuesday's agenda.

Construction At $89,000 For Week

A $76,000, 10-unit apartment at 10 Madeira Ave. helped sagging weekly total to $89,000 last week. The apartment is being constructed by Armstrong Manor Inc., which also owns the building. R. F. Ware is the architect. Other permits went to Philo Maier, 3613 Alhambra Ct., addition $5,000. Rovin Construction Co., 11036 Monfero St., pool, $2,500. Air-Lite Homes, 4800 Granada Blvd., pool, $2,500. Mr. and Mrs. George Wilson, 510 Barbarossa Ave., addition, $2,300. Alfred D. Armengol, 530 Navarre Ave., addition and alteration, $3,000.

Next Week

Next week's Times will carry a full account of the Amigo activities while they were Gables High guests.

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