Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Guide
Thursday, January 4, 1962, 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.
It May Be Nutty, Son, But It's an Olympic Sport
THE GUIDE
• RED-BIRD • KENDALL • SUNILAND • WEST DADE • WEST MIAMI • SOUTH MIAMI • WESTCHESTER • CHAPMAN FIELD • WESTWOOD LAKE THE GUIDE BULK RATE U. S. POSTAGE PAID Permit 742 Miami, Fla. Vol. 3, No. 30 16 Pages Thursday, Jan. 4, 1962 Price 10c
Louis Bell Is One of 30 Sky Divers
By MAURICE LABELLE Guide Reporter Looking down from tall buildings gives him a funny sensation and viewing window washers on TV makes him feel squeamish — so what does Louis Bell do for kicks? He dives out of high flying airplanes and makes like a bird before reluctantly pulling the rip cord that brings him back to earth. Bell is one of about 30 South Dade Countians who spend their week ends going through a lot of effort getting up there so they can experience the thrill of skydiving back. "People think you're some kind of a nut," said Bell, "but it's an Olympic sport." Relatively new to America, the Russians have been leaping out of planes by the droves since 1930. France took up the sport following World War II and it was these two countries that led the pack until Americans began to take a dive for their country in the mid-1950s. Now the records are falling all over the place as home grown skydivers aim for tiny circles inscribed on mother earth far below. Many of the top divers come from right here in South Florida, New England and California. What's it like? "You feel like you're suspended in space," said Bell, concession chain business manager and private pilot who prefers the thrill of hurtling through space at 120 to 160 mph to flying a plane. His first jump last year might have been someone else's last — he landed in a tree up in Nashville, Tenn. But Bell crossed his legs instead of his fingers and he came out unscathed. Does Mrs. Bell, the mother of two children, fret about her husband's proclivity for leaping out of airplanes? She's learning to fly so her husband may jump. "I worry more about him driving to and from the field," said the pert blonde bookeeper. You housewives who hate to to have your nicknacks disarranged had better not encourage your husbands to pack his chute indoors. When the weather outside is non-Miamian, Bell totes his chute inside their home at 7840 SW 20th St. and stretches its 40-foot length from one corner of the house to the other. One day a field mouse leaped out of the chute and the Bells spent anxious hours and six traps to finally capture it. Packing a chute outside has its hazards too. Once Bell punctured his plastic underground sprinkler system driving stakes into the ground. Bell belongs to the South Florida Parachute Association — also known as South Florida Skydivers. They have their own plane, a Cessna 180, and chutes, but about half the members have personal chutes. Surplus Air Force and Army chutes cost approximately $50, but some have new ones costing $300 to $400, Bell said. Boots, goggles, a helmet and coverals may be purchased for about $28 and membership in the club is $30 a year, including liability insurance. A Carol City man, Paul J. Popenhager is president of the club. Popenhager is a civilian parachute rigger at Homestead Air Force Base and packs the reserve chest chutes —the insurance — for club members. Top competitors are Ed Henry, Ben Brezin and Popenhager. They bested all others in the 1960 National Open Invitational in 1960 at De Land. Active members of the club are George R. Bell, of 6000 San Amaro Dr., who is not related to Bell; Harry Garman, 6061 West Flagler St.; Thomas Rudder, of 1410 S. Dixie Hwy.; Coral Gables; Steve Dublin, 5800 San Amaro Dr.; Robert Queredo, of 1125 SW 19th Ave.; Deta Weisz, 3669 Poinciana Ave.; and Norman Gray. Louis Bell is publicity chairman for the club.
TED WILSON MAKES HIS FIRST JUMP
You Like New Bus In Area
The new bus service from the Coral Gables Bus Terminal to the Baptist Hospital has apparently filled a need. Lee Davis, director of transportation for the City, reports his telephone has been swamped at times with calls from persons inquiring about the route. After leaving the Bus Terminal, the Baptist Hospital bus follows Le Jeune Road to Blue Road, to San Amaro, to Miller Road, to 92nd Avenue, to 48th Street. Thence by SW 97th Avenue, 98th Court, 99th Court, and N. Kendall Drive to the Hospital. The return trip is over the same route. The first bus leaves the Terminal at 7:20 a.m., the last one at 6:20 p.m. There is no service on Sundays or holidays. Fare is 25 cents to points west of Ludlum Road; 20 cents east of that street.
Southwest Y Opens Cage Loop Saturday
The Southwest YMCA Church Basketball league will begin its fifth season at the University of Miami armory Gymnasium Saturday night at 6:30. There will be five churches represented with a possible sixth team still to enter to make the league complete. The churches are Hope Lutheran, Palmetto Presbyterian, First Methodist of Coral Gables, Wesley Methodist and First Christian of Coral Gables. The league will run each Saturday night until March 31. A recent meeting was held at the Southwest YMCA building at which time representatives from the churches attended to help plan the league. Those present were Steve Piel, 6721 SW 64th Pl., from First Christian of Coral Gables; Pat Fuller, 5160 SW 96th Ave.; Jim Wehr, 5000 SW 96th Ave. From Hope Lutheran; and Dick Heinemann, 6382 SW 38th St., representing Palmetto Presbyterian. The YMCA is still looking for a sixth team for the league. Any church that may be interested should contact Bruce Bartlam, Youth Secretary, MO 5-3513.
McNayr Asks For Lights In Gables
County Manager Irving McNayr has asked the Metro Commission to close up the lighting gap on Le Jeune Road between the Gables and Tamiami Trail. McNayr Monday asked the Commission to approve the expenditure of $14,000 from contingency funds to install the new lights along the approximately eight-block long area. The section was neglected when the Le Jeune Road improvement was approved. Coral Gables, which is paying more than $30,000 for a new lighting system for a stretch from Mendoza Avenue to South Dixie Highway, took notice of the darkness gap through the unincorporated area between it and Miami and notified Metro.
West of the City Limits with Ron Levitt
These trading stamps really get me! The housewives all say that they know they are paying more on various items to get the green, blue, yellow or what-h a v e-you-color trading stamps . . . but they seem to like them. The typical housewife — if there is anyone left nowadays whom you might call a typical housewife — gives you the impression that she's thrilled to be "saving up" for an item in the various trading stamp catalogues. You can get everything from a candy dish to a European vacation for stamps. The women save these stamps in drawers, pocketbooks, dishes, and containers of every possible shape. And they hoard and trade the various color stamps among themselves to a point reminiscent of the days when the kids used to save the baseball player cards from the old-fashioned bubble gum and trade their "doubles." Some suburban women — charitable to the end — have started collection drives to get stamps donated to buy something for the church or school. Several major food stores have donated space at their entranceways where shoppers can put in stamps for the donation to a worthy charity. These things are happening in Our Town. And there have been similar uses for the stamps elsewhere. The entire library of a small New Jersey school was stocked with trading stamps. One Northern town furnished an entire classroom with equipment from trading stamps. A Mid-Western town gave out stamps to all citizens who took the Free-X-Ray examination in a recent health drive and got their biggest response ever. Churches have gotten organs. A fire company gained a new pump. And in a normally Republican stronghold in New York Continued on Page 3
New Class Opening Up For Sewing
Sew for spring with the YWCA. The Miami YWCA is holding beginning and advance sewing classes at the Sunset Park Playdium, Sunset Dr. and SW 97th Ave, each Tuesday. The classes are held from 9 a.m. to noon, according to Wilma Sakal, South Dade Program Director. Fee for the 12-week sessions is $2. A nursery is available at low cost to members of the group, she said, and machines are furnished. Interested? Call the YWCA at FR 7-2571
THIS IS Leland Aber, moments after the son of Southwest Miami High's principal got a football letter — at Coral Gables High. Ironically, Dr. Lee A. Aber taught at Gables High before SW High opened. The Abers live at 1111 Aduana Ave., in the Gables. (Photo by Raymond Lang)
Chamber Election
Annual meeting of the voting members of the South Miami Chamber of Commerce will be held tomorrow (Friday) at 8 p.m. at the chamber. New directors will be elected for the next three years.
NEW MEMBERS
Granada Presbyterian Church has new members from scattered parts. They are Mrs. Anna Johnson, 5735 Granada Blvd.; Lt. and Mrs. G. S. Lybrand, 6530 SW 42nd St., who came from Puerto Rico; and Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Williams, of 4240 SW 60th Ct., who transferred from Miami.
EVERGLADES PTA
"Physical Fitness Night" is the program title for Everglades Elementary PTA's meeting Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 7:45 p.m. Nicholas Bringas, Everglades physical education instructor, will be in charge of the program.
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 $4.20 yearly.