Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Guide
Thursday, October 5, 1961, page 1 (of 15)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
Metro Court Squeezed You? Then Read This
YOU MIGHT not read about it right away in the dailies but the Dade League of Municipalities is readying pressure against Metro to do away with the Metro Traffic Court and give the traffic courts back to the cities. AS RECENTLY as last [?] the League directors huddled and came up with a list of grievances against the Metro Traffic Court system which is thorough, reasonable and justified. IT BOILS down to the fact that the Metro Traffic Court is not doing the job for which it was intended. The league recognizes this. So do most Metro officials. But whether [?] o will do anything about it is another matter. PRIMARY AIMS of the Metro Court were to reduce accidents, reduce traffic violations and save the cities money through the elimination of traffic courts in every city. The three-year-old Metro Traffic Court system has accomplished none of these, according to the League report. ACCIDENTS have not been reduced, traffic violations have not been reduced, the efficiency and economy of the system have not come through and still we have Metro Court. Not only this, but a backlog of unserved warrants for traffic violations is causing a flagrant loss of respect for law and order. THE LEAGUE has plenty of ammunition. Here are some more reasons for the abolition of the Metro Court: the mandatory court appearance for all moving traffic violations has hurt traffic code enforcement because so many police officers must be in court. THERE IS no uniformity in the traffic violation penalties. Speed traps have not been eliminated and cities do not have available records of traffic accident patterns for study toward accident prevention. A CONSERVATIVE estimate is that the Metro Court system has cost both the cities and the traffic violators millions of dollars in revenue. The cities get two-thirds of all the revenue for traffic violations tried in their cities. Metro gets the remaining one-third. THE LEAGUE has figures to back up its arguments, too. City of Miami has come up with a figure of $566,000 lost in a year to Metro Court. Coral Gables took in $190,000 the year before Metro Court and $68,505 the year after Metro Court. THE BIGGEST loss is to the little fellow, the guy who commits a minor traffic violation and then must go sit in a Metro Court half the day or night to hear a judge scold other violators who probably never will commit the same error again. IF THE court was doing any good it would be different. The number of accidents is not decreasing, the number of violators hasn't taken a sharp downward turn and the overall cost of the operation has steadily risen to an alarming figure. DADE LEAGUE of Municipalities serves as a watchdog for the cities. It has taken its time with this report, has given Metro plenty of rope and is ready now for the purge. County residents could well benefit by the League's victory over Metro Traffic Court.
COUNTY LINE with Ed Knight
THE GUIDE
RED-BIRD | KENDALL | SUNILAND | WEST DADE | WEST MIAMI | SOUTH MIAMI | WESTCHESTER | CHAPMAN FIELD | WESTWOOD LAKE | Vol. 3, No. 17 | 16 Pages | Thursday, Oct. 5, 1961 | Price 10c
Parade Coming Up SM Fire Engines Will Roll
Coral Gables will be the focal point for a countywide Fire Prevention Week Program beginning Oct. 7 with a parade through South Miami, the Gables and the county. The week begins Sunday and ends Oct. 14. "It'll be the biggest the Gables has ever had," said Chief Paul Matheson of the parade in which nine separate fire departments are scheduled to participate. The parade will be led off at 11:45 a.m. by "Miss Coral Gables Flame," to be chosen this week in time for the event. The selection was handled by the Coral Gables Jaycees, who are also sponsoring the parade. South Miami Jaycees last week distributed 100 posters to stores in that community proclaiming Fire Prevention Week. On Oct. 14 they are scheduled to distribute 3,500 fire prevention kits to virtually all residents of South Miami. The Coral Gables Fire Department Oct. 11 will participate in a two-phase program at Veterans Administration Hospital Drills in which firemen will practice simulated rescues of patients will be held that day and the hospital itself will demonstrate patient saving techniques. The parade route will be a long one beginning at South Miami City Hall, right to Sunset Road, east to Red Road and left to South Dixie Highway to Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Then north to Alhambra Circle, right to Merrick Way to Miracle Mile, west to Coral Gables City Hall left at Biltmore Way to Segovia Boulevard. From there to Bird Road, to SW 57th Avenue, north to Tamiami Trail, west to SW 67th Avenue, South to Bird Road, west to SW 107th Avenue, North to SW 24th Street, east to SW 82nd Avenue, south to Tropical Park, where the parade will terminate. Participating will be fire departments from Dade County, Coral Gables, South Miami, Miami, West Miami, North Miami, Key Biscayne volunteers, Tamiami volunteers, and Homestead Air Force Base.
McLeod Amendment to Be Debated At Women's Club
The proposed McLeod Amendment to the Metropolitan Dade County Charter will be debated at a public meeting sponsored by the Riviera Republican Women's Club Oct. 12. South Miami Mayor Paul U. Tevis and Miami attorney William Kruglak II will debate the pros and cons at the Coral Gables Country Club beginning at 10 a.m. Tevis will debate in favor of the McLeod Amendment and Kruglak against. The South Miami mayor is manager of the Sunset Court Mortgage Co. and past president of the South Miami Toastmasters Club. He is also past governor of the Moose and past commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The retired Navy commander served in both World War I and II. Kruglak is president Palm Hibiscus Island Property Owners Association, chairman of the Inter-Government Committee of the Dade League of Municipalities and Governmental Research Committee. He is also a member of the board of the Miami Beach Taxpayers' Association and attorney for the Better Business Bureau and the attorney for the Variety Children's Hospital Club. The meeting is open to the public and reservations may be made through Gertrude Cunneen at HI 3-8983. Admission is $1.
MAYOR TEVIS
Immaculata Will Discuss Colleges
In order to make it easier for senior students at Immaculata Academy to select the college or university of their choice, the students and their parents may attend an informal panel and discussion at 8 p.m. Oct. 12, in the school auditorium. Mrs. John B. Partridge is program chairman. A panel consisting of representatives of five colleges, and six representatives from the senior class will participate.
You can now order a new Electrolux as a Christmas present on our lay-away plan. Call Mr. Inman HI 8-3812 or at at 1616 Ponce to place your order. -Adv.
They Want You
If you've wondered how you could perform some service for your community, here's a chance. A 20-hour course for practical nurses will be held at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Oct. 11-13, by Mrs. Lorin Nelson, 4211 Anderson Road, nurses aide unit chairman at the hospital. Classes will be from 10 a.m. to noon. Completion of the course will qualify anyone for practical nurses work. "We're hoping they'll volunteer," said Mrs. Nelson.
Episcopals Have Week For Schools
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church joins other Episcopal schools in the nation in observing "Know Your Episcopal School Week." Examples of work being done in the classrooms at St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish School are on exhibit this week at the Church, Red Road and North Kendall Drive. The school for elementary grades and pre-school for 3, 4, and 5-year-olds has an enrollment of 224 with 16 teachers. Just six years ago, the school consisted of a one-room frame building. The Rev. Arthur J. Rantz, B.D., rector of the parish, is the headmaster. Mrs. Freeman Fletcher is the director.
JIMMY'S LOUNGE 737 SW 109th Ave. Package goods Sun. noon 'til 5 a.m.; Daily 8 a.m. 'til 5 a.m. Y'all Come!! -Adv.
House Talk! See Our Ad on Page 8 Walter Freeman Corp., Realtors 5829 S.W. 73rd St. MO 1-1644 -Adv.
HOSTESS TODAY
Mrs. Ronald B. Shaefer, 6500 Sellini St., will be the hostess at 10 a.m. today (Thursday) for the meeting of the Riviera Circle of the Florence Crittendon Home.
THE GUIDE
TIMES & GUIDE CIRCULATION 40,095 Published by Gables Publishing Co. 364 Sevilla Ave., P.O. Box 580 Coral Gables 34, Fla. Phone HI 3-1661 ROLFE NEILL ............ Editor ROBERT SLANE ....... Adv. Mgr. Distributed free by carrier each week to homes. Mail subscription $3 yearly.