The Times

Coral Gables THE TIMES South Miami

the local community newspaper for all South Dade Vol. 35 No. 48 Second Class Postage Paid at Miami, Fla. Thursday, January 12, 1961 Published Weekly at 308 Aragon, Coral Gables, Fla. Price 10c

Fullwood Quits, Blasts Athletics

"I've had it," Leo Fullwood, tennis professional at Salvadore Park, said Friday in announcing his resignation after 15 years with the City of Coral Gables. Coral Gables is all washed up with tennis, predicted Fullwood, who coached city and Gables High teams through 28 national championships. The 40-year-old coach is taking over the newly created 10-acre Royal Palm Tennis Club at 70th Ave. and SW 98th St. The non-profit club will have 24 clay courts. Fullwood appeared full of the enthusiasm which brought him to Coral Gables at the age of 25 to establish a tennis kingdom which saw his teams win 106 consecutive victories, five national high school championships and only one loss in the last 12 years of play. UM Players Three of the University of Miami's top tennis stars, John Skogstad, Roger McCormick and John Karabasz, who are pushing the Hurricane victory streak towards a possible all time national collegiate record, were trained by Fullwood, as were many other UM tennis greats. As a result, Fullwood's resignation may adversely affect future Hurricane prospects. Why did Coral Gables teams fare so well in tennis? "We ran a better program," said Fullwood. But the team was always dogged by lack of adequate training facilities, he pointed out. Promises that proper facilities were coming never materialized, Fullwood charged. Budgeted at $17,000 this year, Salvadore Park lacked shower facilities, let alone a field house, Fullwood said bitterly. Too Old He said he was getting too old to hang around in athlete clothes after playing two sets of tennis. But Fullwood had even more important reasons for quitting after two dozen years of success. "Golf is king in Coral Gables now," Fullwood said. Tennis and swimming, which brought the City national fame and untold millions in free publicity, have been relegated to secondary status, said Fullwood. He charged that the present City Commission is dominated by golfers who have taken little interest in maintaining tennis facilities. (The five-man commission has two golfers, Mayor John M. Montgomery and Commissioner Robert Searle). Criticize Appropriation Fullwood, in a telling off mood, was critical of a $25,000 appropriation for the recent Coral Gables open. But these factors were only instrumental, he indicated. "The Youth Center. That killed us," Fullwood said emphatically. Promising youth who used to come to him are now going to the Youth Center and are lost in a myrid of sports. To be a tennis champion, Fullwood indicated, a youth must start around age six and concentrate on that one sport. "We ran out of good players," he said. Fullwood placed himself in the same camp with William Burrell, who coached Coral Gables Swimming Association teams to scores of championships in past years. Burrell has also been critical of the City's change in policy in recent years. "There'll be no more champs," Fullwood predicted Friday. LEO FULLWOOD

City Yields On 12-Story Building | Victorious Homeowners Glow With Victory

By MAURICE LABELLE The people of Coral Gables spoke. Their voices were loud and strong. And the Commission heard them Tuesday. The proposal to construct a 12-story apartment at 720 Biltmore Way came tumbling down on a 3-2 vote. James Hess, who replaced Winston W. Wynne on the Commission, provided the margin of victory on the move by Commissioner Joe Murphy to rescind a previous sanction for A. H. Sakolsky's "skyscraper" apartment. Thus Mayor John M. Montgomery and Commissioner Robert Searle, who had enjoyed a majority position last month when Wynne was on the Commission, found themselves in a defensive position when Commissioner Frank Kerdyk stood firm on his opposition. Retain Right Sakolsky, who delivered an impassioned plea to the Commission not to bow to the mob, indicated that he would sue to retain his right to construct the building. This put the City in a flip-flop position, defending themselves one week from a group of irate home and apartment owners who sought to block the $3 million, 150-unit apartment from reaching skywards and the next week against the builder who had been issued a permit. City Attorney Ted Semple will have to adopt a chameleon like stance in countering Sakolsky's threatened suit. Semple in December re-affirmed the Commission's right to grant a permit for a building of more than three stories. Now he may have to prove in court the city's legal right to revoke a permit already issued. Meanwhile, the City Commission received a joint report of the Zoning Board, Board of Architects and Planning Advisory Board on high rise buildings which favored the construction of such structures, but the report held out for more study on the problem before other recommendations would be made on specific locations and other factors. Study Again The Commission instructed the Committee to go back and tackle the problem and come up with the needed recommendations. Tuesday's meeting was electrified with positive and negative charges—the polarity depending on the position of the conductors. John Wynn, a Coral Gables attorney who also fought a recent proposal to erect a 10 story apartment near Venetian Pool, and former mayor W. Keith Phillips generated the argument against the proposed tower apartment. Wynn, who indicated the committee for the Preservation of Present Zoning Ordinances had picked up 1800 signatures from opponents in just two weeks, pointed out that he had seen no petition from proponents. He predicted that 98 percent of the people would sign it. "It looks to me like it's a one-sided proposition," said Wynn. Wynn said also that he had seen no clamor from downtown merchants for the building. "Coral Gables was never created by George Merrick or designed to be a shopping center," Wynn told the Commission. "It was designed to be a residential area." 150 Families The 150 families living in the apartment would create congestion which he said was the most undesirable aspect of the plan. "If that course is followed, you'll destroy Coral Gables," Wynn said. "The matter ought to be left to the people of Coral Gables," Wynn said, in asking that the matter be submitted to a refer-(See GABLES, Page 2)

Luncheon Will Honor Home Lighting Winners

The winners in the Christmas Home Lighting contest, sponsored by THE TIMES and the Coral Gables Board of Realtors, will receive their awards at a noon luncheon, Jan. 18. The silver awards for first place and certificates for honorable mention will be presented at Grandma's Kitchen, 5240 SW 8th St. First place honors in the "Most Beautiful" category went to Mrs. W. S. Harrington, 6600 SW 127th St. First Place Winner of first place in the "Most Original" catagory was Henry E. Schaefer, 1535 Trevino Ave. Second place in the "Most Beautiful" division went to Mrs. R. H. Hart, Sr., 617 University Dr. Third Place winner was Omer Renuart, 6640 SW 122nd St. Most Original In the "Most Original" competition, second place was garnered by Mrs. William Brady, 924 Alava Ave. Third place went to Mrs. A. C. Bivins, Jr., 7030 Almansa St. Contest judges were Ira Willard, president of City National Bank, George Fink, a Coral Gables architect, and Winston Wynne, former Coral Gables City Commissioner.

Jaycees Seek Outstanding Citizens

You've got five days left to nominate a worthy candidate for the Good Government Award or Distinguished Service Award in the Coral Gables Junior Chamber of Commerce contest. The deadline is Jan. 16. Your nomination should be sent to Larry Adams, Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, 50 Aragon Ave. The judges will make their decision known Jan. 19 during a banquet honoring the winners at the Coral Gables Country Club. Three Judges This year's judges are Bernie Blanck, a Coral Gables merchant, John M. Montgomery, mayor of Coral Gables and Claude Pepper, an attorney and former Senator from Florida. What qualifications should a person have for either annual award? "The Good Government Award," explained Larry Adams, banquet chairman, "is for a person who has been active in government office for a period of time. "Or whose activities or business or background lend themselves to guarding the procedures of government." Adams said the person does not have to hold a government position. But the nominee should have "an active interest" in Coral Gables government. Should Be Heard "It should be someone who lets himself be heard and who makes continuing efforts toward good government," Adams added. How about the qualifications for the Distinguished Service Award, for a person between 21-35 years old? "That person should be engaged in community work," Adams explained, ". . . not just casually, but active in a broad span of activities in the community." The person nominated for either award does not have to be a man. In 1952, Lucille Neher, a former Gables City Commissioner, won the Good Government Award. Last year's winner of the Good Government Award went to Coral Gables City Manager, L. W. Robinson Jr. Former Gables' mayors W. Keith Phillips and Fred W. Hartnett won in previous years. Last Year's Awards Last year's honors for Distinguished Service went to attorney, Frank W. Guilford and the year before to Don Cuddy, former news editor of the TIMES. The presentation of the awards at the banquet will highlight National Jaycee Week, Jan. 16-23, across the nation. A CASCADE of nominations in the Coral Gables Junior Chamber of Commerce contest falls out of this container. Pleased with the number of nominations are, left to right, Jaycees Larry Adams, second vice president, Richard Fuller, president, and Frank Guilford, first vice president.

Electronics Firm Issues Contract For Addition

Communications Co., Inc., a Coral Gables electronics firm, has issued a contract for $150,000 to Lyle Roberts, Inc., for construction of a two-story addition to its facilities at 300 Greco. The firm has been negotiating with the city for provision of additional off street parking facilities for its employes. Otto H. Oppenheimer designed the new addition.

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