The Times

THE TIMES

the local community newspaper for all South Dade John T. Watters, President & Publisher William von Maurer, Editor Robert M. Slane, Advertising Manager Subscription: $3.00 year by mail anywhere

Humane Answer Needed

What to do about the growing number of elderly citizens in the United States is a question that is demanding more and more attention from government on the Federal level down to the municipal. How much attention has Coral Gables, an ideally governed community, paid to this problem? The answer is practically none at all. In fact, the Gables has been either hostile or cool towards recent moves to establish homes for the aged in this area which is ideal from the standpoint of climate. The city proved downright resentful when a recent attempt was made to establish a home for the aged on Dixie Highway, even though the proposed home was for paying guests with good economic resources. In addition, Coral Gables has shown little enthusiasm for a proposal to convert the empty Antilla Hotel into a home for elderly persons. This lack of hospitality toward such projects, it must be pointed out, is directed toward private homes that would not be built or maintained at the taxpayers' expense. If such privately operated homes cannot get a good reception in communities such as Coral Gables, what hope is there for aid on the municipal level supported by tax funds? The point of municipally-supported homes for the aged is important because there is a large body of sympathy in this country for the philosophy of state and local solutions for such problems. The bitter truth, however, is that, political philosophies aside, county and city governments are almost totally unprepared to meet this problem alone and state aid in too many cases is niggardly and often the first to be sliced in "economy moves." Proponents of states rights have often sat idly by and watched these responsibilities slip away to the Federal Government simply because the States had no programs to resolve their own problems. Scandals in state welfare departments are a painful memory for most of us who are more than 30 years old. We can only conclude from these circumstances that communities must warm their hearts towards institutions for the accomodation of aged persons. If that isn't done, the problem will land in the lap of the Federal Government-or worse, no new solutions or bold thought will be introduced. Imagination, foresight and planning are needed now to meet this ever-increasing need. America's aging population demands attention. Communities such as Coral Gables can give leadership by analyzing their own institutions with the goal a humane answer for the problems of aged citizens.

Emphasize The Positive

Last week's edition of The Times carried a feature story about a former military man, now teaching school, who set forth his belief in the youth of America. This dedicated teacher's faith in our youth was set forth in firm, unequivocal terms that left no doubt about his feelings in the matter. It was, indeed, refreshing to read his story. There is plenty to back him up. Every week, if you take the time, you can read in your Times of the scholastic successes and honors being won by our local students. They are winning awards in science, literature, journalism and intellectual endeavors by the score. These awards are not easily come by-they require study, concentration and even sacrifices on the part of the winners. As it has often been said, the juvenile delinquents steal all the headlines, leaving the impression that American young people are simply a bunch of burgeoning criminals. This just isn't so. Let's give our youth more credit for their worthwhile endeavors in countless fields. With the emphasis in the news on the wrongdoings of delinquents, something postive should be done to offset the stigma which too often attaches to teenagers in our minds. Why not a special community day dedicated to the achievements of our local young people?

Beat It Bud-I Got Problems

Remember The Times

25 Years Ago A new liquor control ordinance was adopted by the Coral Gables City Commission. The move was taken to insure that alcoholic beverages would be sold only in specified areas and to bona fide restaurants . . . Work was set to start on a civic center in the Gables. It was to house a library and auditorium . . . Believe it or not, Coral Gables was playing host to a beauty queen from, of all countries, Cuba . . . Great expectations mounted as the Miami Biltmore Hotel prepared to open for the winter season. 10 Years Ago Two miles of paintings lined Miracle Mile and Ponce de Leon Blvd. as Coral Gables observed American Art Week . . . University of Miami students should pay less for merchandise in Coral Gables. That was the proposal the University's "Student Discount Service" put before the Retail Merchants Division of the Chamber of Commerce . . . Salvador Park officials beamed over the success of their new grass tennis courts, said to be the first of its kind in Florida . . . Gables' city fathers folded their hands contentedly and smiled. Halloween brought no serious acts of vandalism. One Year Ago A hard core of South Miamians were burned up because the city was going to use its only community building as a public library . . . Gableites went to the polls and voted against reapportionment and making offices of sheriff and county assessor elective . . . Clyde R. Higgins was installed as president of the Coral Gables Board of Realtors.

PROFILE of the week

Frank Klebba, 3570 Battersea Rd., has been building homes and apartments in the greater Miami area for six years. The Detroit-born contractor is currently building some apartments on South Dixie Highway. Much of his work can be seen in Coral Gables where he built the Palm View Apartments on Granada Blvd. "I've built about three dozen homes in Coral Gables, too," Frank said, "none of them under $40,000 and some around $80,000." Frank builds home and apartments as a speculation, planning to sell them after completion of the structure. Frank went to high school in Detroit and lived there for several years. He lived in California for five years and has traveled in most of the other states. "I've been in almost all the states," Frank said. "I visited Miami several times and decided the climate was best here, so I finally settled here." Frank has made two pleasure trips to Europe, where he decided Scotland, Denmark and the French Riveria are his favorite countries. "I like the Riviera best because it has a climate most like Miami's. The standard of living is higher and it is cleaner than most of Europe." Frank attends the Church of the Little Flower, St. Theresa parish, in Coral Gables. For relaxation, he enjoys fishing in the Gulf Stream. "I have only fair luck," said Frank, "no really big ones yet." Bn. Detroit, Mich. Bus. Contractor Ed. Denby High School, Detroit

South Miami Roundup

By EDWIN KNIGHT ONE OF THE FASCINATING aspects of playing a typewriter at a window on the second floor of a building is the ability to see the panorama of daily life passing beneath that window. The habits of thousand of citizens - businessmen, secretaries, children, teenagers and housewives - are thrown open to view. They go to work, eat lunch and go home in the evening. AND IN THE LATE evening another group comes into view - the moviegoers - who pass along to the theater and two hours later come by again on their way home. We in THE TIMES office are on the second floor of a building at the intersection of Salzedo and Aragon avenues - it is an old building, one of the oldest in the city. My desk is in a corner facing a wall. But I have only to turn my head to the right to see a large area of Coral Gables. My typewriter - old like the building but none the less dependable - is at a right angle to that desk with its back to two large windows that let in sterams of sunlight. ON HOT SWELTERING days, we can see the folks on the street moving slowly to their destination, the heat beating down. On the rainy days we view the commuters dodging the raindrops as they run between two points. The passing parade, I call it. When I am at my typewriter - sometimes for long periods of time - I get a view of Coral Gables quite unlike that of most Gableites. It's an interesting view - as refreshing as Coral Gables itself. FROM THOSE WIDE, deep windows I can see Coral Gables' fire station at the extreme right across Salzedo. Directly in front is Howard Johnson's Rstaurant. And on the left is Coral Gables' bus station, with its myriad of commuters arriving and departing on scores of blue and white buses. This is the hub of Coral Gables. This is where life begins in the morning and where it quiets down late at night after every thing else in the city has gone to bed. The cativity of the restaurant and the bus station are so interwoven that one is completely dependent on the other. THE BUSINESSMAN ARRIVES early in the morning, buys a paper at the magazine store, reads the paper while he is having breakfast at the restaurant and departs later on a bus to his work in downtown Miami. In the late afternoon that businessman arrives on a bus from Miami and stands with scores of others awaiting his spouse to pick him up in his car. They go home for the night. The shadows are long - from the east in the morning and from the west in the late afternoon-when the buses bring the hundreds of passengers to the hub of Coral Gables. IN BETWEEN, THERE ARE mothers with small children making their way to Miracle Mile, elderly residents leisurely soaking up the sun and school children cavorting in and out of the bus station and the restaurant after school. After nine in the morning the area is quiet. Office girls, after making an appearance at their offices, can be seen entering and departing in groups from the restaurant. The coffee break is an essential part of the restaurant's life. PERIODICALLY, ONE HEARS a clang-clang-clang from the fire department. One, two or three fire engines race from their stalls to various points throughout the city. When they return in a few minutes we know there has been a false alarm. Lunch time arrives and the restaurant tempo increases. Office girls arrive and depart, the Coral Gables businessmen prop their legs up on the concerte parapet outside the restaurant and talk of contracts. THE HOUSEWIFE, her arms laden with bundles, rushes home to prepare lunch. A man in a sports car parks beside the restaurant, lets somone out to catch a bus, gets a newspaper in the magazine store, an ice cream cone in the restaurant and departs. The restaurant and the bus station are quiet after lunch. The waitresses sit in a corner and have their own lunch. Coffee is being served to little groups at tables. A RESCUE TRUCK from the fire department races from its stall in the fire department, turns a sharp left and glides between cars down Salzedo. The buses begin arriving at the station with the school children now. They are noisy running normal school children and they are glad to be out of school. They are the little ones who have come to change buses. Soon they will depart. The older students are arriving now on buses - and the restaurant has prepared for them. All the sugar bowls, salt and pepper shakers and mats have been taken from the tables not to be replaced until the students have departed for the afternoon. THE BUS STATION-RESTAURANT is a meeting place for the students. The boys stand in little groups and talk about the girls. The girls tease the boys and the boys chase the girls. Ice cream is bought with leftover lunch money. It happens every day. The shadows are getting longer now. Most of the students have gone. The commuters begin arriving now. They get their favorite magazine or paper from the magazine store and wait for their car. THE SUPPER CROWD is casual. Young couples, little girls and college students mostly. They may catch a bus or they may go to a movie. It's dark. The lights are on and another fire engine leaves its stall.