The Times

THE TIMES the local community newspaper for all South Dade

Coral Gables South Miami Vol. 35 No. 40 Second Class Postage Paid at Miami, Fla. Thursday, November 17, 1960 Published Weekly at 308 Aragon, Coral Gables, Fla. Price 10c

Gables Police Lax, Wynne Claims Commissioner Questions Traffic Ticket Volume

By MAURICE LABELLE Coral Gables is getting inadequate law enforcement, City Commissioner Winston W. Wynne charged Tuesday, touching off a controversy within the Commission about responsibility. "The Police Department is not enforcing the law," Wynne said, citing reports indicating a decrease in the number of traffic tickets being issued. Wynne, who is scheduled to resign the City Commission to take a seat on the Metro Commission in January, touched off a series of debates which ultimately led the Commission to order City Manager L. W. Robinson Jr. to obtain complete statistics on traffic law enforcement in the city and report back. Not Prepared Robinson, obviously not prepared to answer Wynne's charges fully, indicated that the reasons for a decrease in traffic tickets while the accident and death rate apparently increased were many and complex. Th city manager indicated that on parking meters, for instance, more persons are observing parking limits and fewer tickets are being issued as a result. This has resulted in a rapid climb in parking meter revenue, Robinson said. Commissioner Frank Kerdyk cited the fact that traffic enforcement responsibility had been taken away from the city for the situation. "We don't have an adequate police force," said Mayor John M. Montgomery. Indicating that the city may have to go back into the motorcycle patrol business, something that it voluntarily surrendered to Metro more than a year ago, the mayor charged that Metro was not providing the protection promised under terms of the agreement. "The community is not adequately protected," Montgomery said. "The Police Department is not enforcing the law," Wynne retorted. Same Number Wynne pointed out that the same number of men for a comparable period after Metro took over the motorcycle division have been issuing fewer citations. , Commissioner Robert Searle said the situation appeared to be "a failing in our own system." "I'm not getting any complaints," Robinson said. Montgomery said that was understandable. People are not going to complain about not getting arrested, he indicated. Commissioner Joe Murphy, who sat silently through most of the discussions, pointed out that the stringent penalties being handed down by the Metro Court plus the requirement that defendents show up in court may have had its effect. The Commissioners decided finally that they lacked all the necessary facts upon which to draw a conclusion and ordered Robinson to obtain them. Accident Summary According to the 10-month traffic accident summary issued by the Police Department, the number of accidents and deaths has increased over the same period last year, but the number of injuries has decreased. Police records show that there have been 1397 accidents through October 1960, as compared to 1174 last year, and three deaths compared to two. The number of injuries has decreased from 512 to 456. However, the raw satistics do not take into consideration population increase and the greater number of motor vehicles and also that accident stickers are now required of all vehicles involved in accidents. The latter fact has tended to increase the number of accidents reported to police. A rise in hit and run accidents has been noted countywide since the stringent state and Metro was adopted. Metro and Coral Gables have been negotiating for nearly a year and a half for a written contract covering traffic enforcement and the Metro Court in Coral Gables. A written agreement was to have been conclude his fall but none has been forthcoming.

Plans For LeJeune Rd. Stall Again

What ever happened to the plans for LeJeune Rd.? Recently revealed plans for its improvement by widening and repaving to four lanes show that it will not be constructed in the manner agreed to months ago. What happened? In the final analysis it will have to be noted that the agreement between the Chamber of Commerce, City of Coral Gables, the County and tSate Road Board could not be reduced to engineering drawings. The reason this could not be done was simple: A 70-foot right of way could not accommodate safely four lanes of traffic, a left turn lane and five-foot sidewalks on each side. Complicating the problem of left turn lanes is the fact that the planners who laid out the city created many non-matching intersections where the streets fail to join. Added to the fact that 60 feet is a far cry from the 100 feet recommended, the engineers finally threw up their hands. Therefore, don't look for left turn lanes when the highway is placed under construction in December.

A GREAT HONOR was recently bestowed on Coral Gables Fire Chief Paul Matheson, right, and Gables' vice mayor Frank Kerdyk, when they were accepted into Iron Arrow, the highest men's honorary fraternity at the University of Miami. Wearing the traditional Indian jackets of Iron Arrow, Matheson and Kerdyk took this moment to congratulate one another before appearing minutes later in front of the Coral Gables City Commission to receive its congratulations.

City Relents On Parking Crackdown

Coral Gables has declared a moratorium on stringent overtime parking enforcement from Thanksgiving through New Year's. The announcement came Tuesday after the Commission heard complaints from various sources about lack of information concerning the recently ordered crackdown on overtime parkers in the downtown area. Reaction to the get tough policy has been strong among shoppers and merchants. An error in enforcement helped create more hard feelings. The City Commission's policy of strict enforcement of one-hour parking on downtown streets somehow was translated into strict enforcement of all parking regulations: Police have been marking tires to prevent parkers from cheating on time by putting additional coins in meters. The move was designed to discourage the use of downtown on-street parking by merchants and employes to the disadvantage of shoppers.

He'll Be Here Nov. 26 High Flying Santa Will Whizz Into Coral Gables

It'll be a high flying Santa who'll come to Coral Gables the morning of Nov. 26. The gregarious old gent with a bag full of toys will land his helicopter near Coral Gable's City Hall at approximately 10:30 that morning and will greet and expected mob of kiddies, many of whom will cast eyes on him for the first time. Santa, long accustomed to air-borne travel, has switched to the helicopter for his visits to this snowless area. Live Deer But live deer will be on hand at Merrick Park across Biltmore Way from City Hall to make him feel at home. And a band will liven things up by playing some of his favorite yuletide numbers on his arrival. Old Saint Nick will then be paraded through the downtown area on a special float obtained for the occasion. His arrival will put the 1960 Christmas shopping season into full swing. $10 Assessment The Retail Merchants Division of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, which has assessed its members $10 each to finance Santa's royal reception and long stay here, has asked other merchants to participate in the event. Donations may be made at the Chamber of Commerce office. The RMD has agreed to set Dec. 9-23 as the period during which stores will remain open nights. Closings will generally be at 9 p.m., but this was left up to individual merchants. Stores will not be open on Sunday.

150 Golfing Fans Needed For PGA Tourney

The City of Coral Gables needs the help of at least 150 persons to sponsor the Professional Golf Association Tournament, Dec. 8-11, at the Biltmore Golf Course. Sponsorship for the second annual national golf tournament cost $150 and will help raise approximately $22,500 toward the event. Last year's tourney drew some of the top names in golf and the city hopes to draw more top talent for this years' event. Qualifying rounds are scheduled to get underway Dec. 5, with competition beginning Dec. 8. PGA Tournaments are nationally televised and brought thousands of players and spectators to the Gables last year. Coral Gables was selected for the event when Havana, Cuba, proved politically unstable following the Castro Revolution.

Gables Moves To Acquire More Parking

The City Commission Tuesday moved to acquire more land to create additional off-street parking facilities in the industrial section near Ponce de Leon and LeJeune Rd. Spurred on by the possibility that an electronics plant may hinge on the program and the need for parking for those already employed in the area, the Commission authorized City Manager L. W. Robinson Jr. to negotiate for a small lot to create ingress for a proposed lot. The new parking facility would be created by filling in the southeast portion of the lake located at the equipment yard off San Lorenzo and LeJeune. Approximately 70 spaces would be created in this way, but 200 to 250 are needed. More vacant property, considered generally not suitable for building because of condition of the ground under the surface, will have to be obtained.

Good Skate Needed

Richard Stengle, 28 Zamora Ave., manager of the Little Theatre properties department of the Country Club of Coral Gables, is in need of a pair of ice skates for the club's next production "Anniversary Waltz," by Jerome Chodory, to be presented, Nov. 28, 29 and Dec. 1 and 2 at the Club.

We pack, wrap, Ship, Anything - Everywhere. Rubber Stamps, 1 Day Service. Pens Repaired. Complete Hallmark Greeting Cards. (Santa Item) The Barefoot Mailman, 234 Valencia. Adv.

Holy Comforter Bazaar

The Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, 150 SW 13th Ave., will hold its annual bazaar Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. A turkey dinner will be served from 6-8 p.m. The public is invited.

Santa Sleigh Contest

$150 in Cash Prizes 35 Winners First Prize, $50 Second Prize, $25 Third Prize, $7.50 Fourth Prize, $5.00 Fifth Prize, $2.50 Sixth-Thirty-Fifth Prizes, $2.00 Each See Details, Page 4 - 5

Enter The Santa Sleigh Contest

Pages 4 and 5