The Times

Murphy Asks For Cleanup At Entrance

Controversial Douglas Entrance, quiet for the past several months, came back to life again Tuesday when Commissioner Joe Murphy asked for action on removal of an unsightly wooden blockade erected more than a year ago by the owners. The wooden carpenters' horses were placed at the entrance several months ago after the previous City Commission approved a plan by the owner to landscape the area. They have remained there ever since despite several reports to the City Commission that the owner, James Lowry, president of Douglas Entrance Corp., was ready to begin landscaping. Contract Awarded City Manager L. W. Robinson Jr. told the Commission Tuesday that a contract has been awarded to Troup Bros. for the work, and that it should get underway as soon as Troup moves equipment to the site. Douglas Entrance has been the subject of much controversy and a law suit since 1956 when a unified tract was created by the then City Commission by vacating three streets, including the entrance street, East Ponce de Leon Blvd. Hotel Planned The plan, presented to the Commission at that time by the owners, was to erect a 100-room hotel and apartment houses. The hotel never materialized, but the apartments were constructed last year after a group of opponents failed to block issuance of a permit and lost out in a court suit.

Alvin Ewald Is Nominated For Academy

Alvin C. Ewald of Coral Gables has been nominated by Congressman Dante B. Fascell for the U. S. Air Force Academy. The youth is the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Morrison Ewald, Sr., 540 Madeira Ave. Four area youths were named as alternates to the seven-year-old Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs, Col. The youths are James A. Granere, son of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Granere Sr., 3828 SW 58th Ave.; Christopher Spire, son of Mr. and Mrs. William M. Spire, 5721 Granada Blvd. Also, Thomas H. Hughes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Hughes, 10900 SW 42nd St.; and Donald; Russell Barber, son of Mrs. Beverly Jean Williams, 5301 SW 114th Ct. Congressman Fascell of the Fourth District said young men interested in attending a U. S. service academy, 1962 class, should write him at once at 1216 NHOB, Washington, D. C. Nominations to fill vacancies for the 1961 entering class at the U. S. Naval and Merchant Marine Academies will be announced later this month from the office of Congressman Fascell.

House On Santa Maria Splattered With Eggs

A vandal splattered a half-dozen eggs against the side of Dr. Curtis Haggard's home at 430 Santa Maria sometime during the night Saturday or Sunday. The victim has found the stains difficult, if not impossible, to remove without taking the paint as well.

Gables Homeowners Win Apartment Victory

(Continued From Page One) endum. He and Sakolsky had a brief exchange when he charged Sakolsky was an outsider from Chicago. "Coral Gables, brother," Sakolsky boomed back from the back of the Commission Room, packed with a standup crowd. Wynn concluded that the people shouldn't be put to legal expense to protect their property. "They deserve a better deal than that," he concluded. Former Mayor Phillips, who served with Mayor Montgomery and Commissioners Searle and Kerdyk on the previous Commission, sympathized with the predicament of the Commission. "I'm not here to criticize you ..." said Phillips, who then went on to give them advice. City of Homes "The City of Coral Gables is known as the City of Beautiful homes," said the former mayor. This made the city what it is, he added. "Are we going to kill the golden goose?" he asked. "Once you let the bars down, it becomes just another city," said Phillips in pointing out that progress is a relative thing. The speeches by both Phillips and Wynn were met with loud and prolonged partisan applause from the large gathering. Then Sakolsky had his say. Holding up the large green stamped permit in his left hand as he spoke, Sakolsky told the Commission that it represented legal tender and the promise of the city to redeem it. "Otherwise," Sakolsky said, "our city government is meaningless. To revoke its previous action, he indicated, would be to dishonor, disavow and discredit the "legal tender" represented by the permit. Denying him permission to build now would place him in financial jeopardy, Sakolsky said, pointing out that he had already incurred expenses with the project. He pointed out that the property is properly zoned for a hotel as well as apartment use and asked the City Commission to turn down the petitioners. Pendulum Policy His voice cracked several times as he pleaded with the Commission not to submit to a "pendulum policy" under pressure. Mayor Montgomery, in voting against Murphy's move to rescind, said that the property was properly zoned for an apartment and only the height was in question. "You just don't want high rise," the mayor told the group, pointing out that they had not sought to learn fully the plans and feelings of the Commission majority. "I have an open mind on high rise buildings whether in Coral Gables or elsewhere," Commissioner Hess said in prefacing his remarks. Hess said he believed that a set of standards ought to be established and a landscaping plan required before these buildings are approved. "It might or might not help the merchants, depending on the tenants," he said. The factor of unrented existing apartments was also going to influence his vote, Hess said. And the fact that he had championed strict adherence to zoning codes was also going to weigh on him, he said. Measure Approved The die was cast and the measure to rescind was approved. Loud and extended applause met the decision. Sakolsky, visibly disturbed by the decision, asked for permission to ask City Attorney Semple a question of the irrevocability of the permit. "I'm not called upon to give you any opinion," Semple snapped back. And there the matter stood nearly 100 happy spectators filed out of the Commission chamber. Many were among another group who had left in anger in December when the building was approved.

Gables Okays Two Lagoons For Sol Rovin

Hammock Oaks developer Sol Rovin has closed the gap to 300 feet on a plan he once had of creating luxurious water front homes with access to the ocean. The Coral Gables City Commission Tuesday gave him a conditional okay to go ahead on a proposal to create two large lagoons at Hammock Oaks Estates, just south of Tropical Gardens. The lagoons, which will be deepened to 15 feet if the county approves, will provide Rovin with fill materials for the remainder of the proposed plat. 300 Feet And they have been placed temptingly only 300 feet from a yacht basin which is east of the county salt water line. The basin is being linked to Biscayne Bay by a 100-foot canal which bisects Matheson Hammock Park. The canal was approved by the Metro Commission after much controversy. No proposal has been made by Rovin to connect the lagoons to the yacht basin. Attorneys Present Attorney Alice Wainwright and O. C. Corbin, president of Fairchild Tropical Gardens, appeared before the Commission Tuesday to learn of Rovin's plans. The public park representative indicated they will oppose the proposal if salt encroachment is threatened. Rovin agreed to dig only to 6 feet—the depth of the yacht basin and canal—until he receives permission from Metro to go deeper. The possibility of a canal barrier separating the lagoons from the basin was mentioned along with a salt water dam barrier, but Rovin did not make the proposal Tuesday.

Woman Hurt By Hit-Runner

A woman was injured slightly in a hit-and-run accident at LeJeune Rd. and Ponce de Leon Blvd. Monday night. Gladys Batz, 45, of 4149 Bonita, Coconut Grove, received emergency treatment from Coral Gables Firemen Charles R. Vaughan and Jerome S. Kirk at the scene immediately following the accident shortly before 7 p.m. The victim told Officer Kenneth Bush that she was stopped on LeJeune waiting for the light to change when she was hit from behind by an unidentified car which sped away from the scene. Damage to the Batz car was estimated at approximately $150.

City Defers Bid To Equalize All Golf Fees

A move by Commissioner Joe Murphy to raise non-resident golf fees at both municipally operated Coral Gables golf courses and make fees for all residents identical was deferred b, the Coral Gables City Commission Tuesday. The surprise move by Murphy came on the heels of a suit filed in Circuit Court the last week of December by a group of residents who asked basically the same thing. That group charged in its suit that they are being discriminated against, because they are not members of the Coral Gables Country Club. Non-Residents Benefit Club members benefit from reduced golf fees whether they are residents of the City of Coral Gables or not. The plaintiffs charged that 60 percent of the club members were not residents of the city and paid lower fees than residents. A Coral Gables attorney, Bernard Weksler, led the fight against the alleged discrimination and was joined by a group of Granada and Biltmore Golf Course players who filed the suit. 3 Percent Tax The City Commission, including Murphy, had previously held that club members pay the city a 3 percent tax and that this compensated for the lower fees. "Residents should be treated alike whether they are members of the Country Club or not," Murphy said Tuesday in proposing the change. "Non-residents should make up the loss (in revenue)," he said. Fellow Commissioners indicated they needed more time to study Murphy's proposal and asked City Manager L. W. Robinson Jr. to get figures on the proposed revision of fees.

Hotel Design Rejected Again

A second attempt to have a design for an eight-story hotel approved has been rejected by the Coral Gables Board of Architects. The Board Jan. 4 rejected as "not acceptable design" a drawing for the $2 million structure submitted by architect Gilbert Fein, an associate of William Martin. Cralaire Corp., the builder, proposes the 140-unit hotel for 1500 Madruga, just off South Dixie Hwy. This is the same site which had been proposed previously for a 13-story apartment for elderly persons. The Coral Gables City Commission turned down the plan, which was opposed by a large number of residents in the area.

Jewelry Is Stolen; No Signs Of Breakin

Jewelry valued at more than $100 was reported stolen from the home of Mrs. Jack Manley, 510 Bargello, sometime before Jan. 4. Rings, earings, pins and a bracelet were reported missing to Coral Gables police, who said there was no sign of a break.

$480 Reported Stolen

A New York City resident, Irving Jacobs, reported to Coral Gables police that someone broke into his room at the University Court Motel while he was out Sunday night and stole $480 and papers.

Mayor Reverses Votu Blount Case Jumps Back Into The News

Another dramatic move by Commissioner Joe Murphy to restore the Coral Gables tax assessor's office to department status and Thomas C. Blount as its head failed Tuesday when Mayor John M. Montgomery reversed himself on an earlier vote for Blount. The move came unexpectedly following the regular agenda when Murphy introduced an ordinance to restore Blount. Commissioner James Hess, sitting at his first meeting, seconded the move and a roll call vote produced a 3-2 count against the proposal. Montgomery voted with Commissioners Robert Searle and Frank Kerdyk, who made no comment on Murphy's surprise move. The mayor, however, indicated after the meeting that he voted against the measure principally because of the manner in which it was brought up, but that he might vote the same way again. The mayor indicated als.. that the pending transfer of tax assessment functions to Metro had something to do with his vote. Searle and Kerdyk teamed up with former Commissioner Winston W. Wynne back on July 14, 1959, to defeat a similar move made by Murphy. At that same meeting, Montgomery voted with Murphy. Indications are, however, that the matter is not dead. Blount had no comment to make for publication following the surprise move. The "never say die" tax assessor was reduced to the status of clerk in 1954 by the then City Commission after he won out against a move to fire him for insubordination. Trial Board A Trial Board found him guilty of insubordination to former City Manager William T. McIlwain, but allowed that there had been mitigating circumstances and recommended a two-month pay dock. The Commission retaliated by abolishing the department and reducing the tax assesor to clerk status on a 4-1 vote. Ironically, the case involved conflicts of interests over which so much is being made today. Commissioner Murphy recently proposed a City Charter change on this which was defeated. Basically, Blount refused to bow to requests that he r..luce taxes for a former city commissioner and a group of residents which included Montgomery, who was not a commissioner at the time. The incident labelled Blount a "troublemaker" among city emploes loyal to the Commission majority and the Commissioners themselves. But Blount, knowing the tortunes of political war, never gave up the fight to regain reinstatement. The election next April is bound to contain a lot of repercussions, unless some other action is taken in the meantime.

Three Area Attorneys Form New Partnership

Coral Gables attorney William J. (Buddy) Weissel, 1540 Blue Rd., has joined two Southwest Dade section lawyers in creation of a law partnership. The new legal firm is to be known as Harris, Robinson & Weissel. Marshall B. Harris, of 7751 SW 78th Ct., and Barnett Robinson Jr., of 7820 SW 90th Ave. are the partners. Their office is located on the 12th floor of the Dade Federal Building.

Down In Front Dispute At JOB Parade Leads To Court Squabble

Two area women who engaged in a squabble during the recent Junior Orange Bowl Parade were told to act like adults and not children by Municipal Judge Charles Spooner Tuesday in finding the combatants not guilty. The defendants, who filed cross affidavits against one another following the parade, were Elsie W. Lawrence, 46, of 2035 SW 25th Ter., and Jacqueline Teicher, 29, of 450 Sansovino. Couldn't See Typical of complaints at parades, the defendants quarreled over being able to see the parade. As near as anybody could make out from the hoard of witnesses who appeared, Mrs. Teicher and her family situated themselves in front of Mrs. Lawrence and her family after they had waited for an hour for the parade to begin. Mrs. Teicher said she wasn't interested in seeing the parade, only in getting across the street after doing some shopping, but was prevented from doing so by the parade. Words followed and pushing and striking is alleged to have followed that. Mrs. Lawrence claimed she was hit by a toy lawn mower in the process and Mrs. Teicher said that Mrs. Lawrence pushed and jostled her, causing and break a wrist watch. Charges Filed This infuriated her no end and she came to the police station and filed charges of disorderly conduct by pushing, jostling and striking against Mrs. Lawrence. When Mrs. Lawrence learned about the charges, she filed counter charges claiming that she was pushed and struck by Mrs. Teicher. Tuesday they stormed into court with an array of witnesses but this time the conflict was limited to the exchange of legal charges and counter charges for nearly two hours. Finally, Judge Spooner had had enough and cut off testimony.

THE TIMES Coral Gables, Fla. | Thursday, January 12, 1961 | Page 2