Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Thursday, March 30, 1961, page 1 (of 24)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
City Fires 2 Of 4 Meter Checkers
A long standing controversy involving City Commission parking policy, merchants and meter maids came to a head Monday when two of the girls were fired. The girls, Shirley Searle and Norweida Barrow, hired an attorney and asked the City of Coral Gables to list the dismissal charges. "It's just an excuse to get rid of us," Mrs. Searle said Tuesday. Miss Barrow could not be reached for comment. "We expected it," said Mrs. Searle. The meter checkers were on regular policeman status until recently when the City Commission placed them under the authority of finance director Kenneth Allyn. Allyn interrogated the women Friday about alleged falsification of parking tickets and recommended to city manager L. W. Robinson Jr. that they be relieved. Robinson reviewed Allyn's findings and made the firing official Monday. Robinson said he fired the women "For failure to answer questions concerning discrepancies in a number of over-time parking tickets they issued." Allyn recently blamed the transfer of the four meter checkers from the Police Department to his department for their low morale. The women, who were not reduced in pay but whose future pay and other benefits were affected, were disgruntled, Allyn said. The two dismissed checkers were paid $87.68 a week for 40 hours work. Another facet of the controversy is the charge by some merchants that the city placed the girls on quotas. This was denied by both Robinson and Allyn. Robinson said the checkers had been instructed to ticket all violations. "No matter how many we wrote, it wasn't enough," said Mrs. Searle.
The Times
Coral Gables South Miami the local community newspaper for all South Dade Vol. 36 No. 7 Second Class Postage Paid at Miami, Fla. Thursday, March 30, 1961 Published Weekly at 308 Aragon, Coral Gables, Fla. Price 10c
NORWEIDA BARROW WRITES TICKET
Checkers Tell Their Side Of Hassle With Parkers
By RAYMOND LANG "My goodness, do you people hide somewhere and wait for the meter flag to pop up?" This is only one of the complaints made against meter division personnel who write tickets for overtime parking. But what is their story? To find out, the ticket-writers were asked. "Being discourteous?" Shirley Searle, a petite redhead asked. "We're not, no less than they (motorists) are. Some of them don't treat us like human beings, but like animals. "I don't think they dislike us. They dislike the job we're doing. I think it all boils down to this: It's not us, it's the job. "When they get a ticket, they think its a personal affront. But it's not! It's my job!" One main reason some motorists feel the ticket-writers are discourteous is that a deaf ear is turned to the motorist's request not to finish writing the ticket. The meter division person has orders from Metro and Coral Gables city hall not to heed the motorist's request, but to finish writing the ticket. When the motorist sees his request has no effect, the ticket-writer is often said to be discourteous. Another complaint is that the ticket-writer "hides somewhere" and waits for a meter to run out of time. Not so, say the ticket writers. "We have too much to do without playing games," Sherry Sherman said. "And besides, we're just enforcing the law." Shirley agreed. "All we know is that that flag is red and we don't know how long it's been red. We're told to write the ticket." Gayle Campbell, the only male ticket-writer, told of a merchant who became abusive and refused (See METERS, Page 24)
Douglas Entrance Issue Injected Into Campaign For City Commissioner
Douglas Entrance, the perennial campaign topic, became an issue again this week. Col. J. R. Younger (U.S.A., ret.) claimed that candidate C. L. (Jerry) Dressel had a financial interest in the controversial development. Younger is former president of the Greater Miami Crime Commission. Dressel said Tuesday that he owns a one-eighth interest in the entrance property. His brother, R. L. Dressel, with whom Dressel is associated in a dairy and other enterprises, also owns a one-eighth share, Dressel said. A 100-room hotel and apartment houses were proposed by investors back in 1956 at the Douglas Entrance site. The proposal was backed by the Chamber of Commerce headed by James Lowry, president and subsequently president of the Douglas Entrance Corp. The Canadian and other investors who pushed the plan backed out of the project in 1958, selling their interests to Lowry and other investors, including the Dressels. The project raised the ire of some local residents over the issue of the city's vacating three streets to create a unified tract and then the project failed to get underway. One law suit to block the venture failed and a grand jury took a look without taking action. Dressel said Tuesday that he had no part in the original proposal made in 1956. He and other investors attempted to put the project back on the road in 1958 after it became bogged down, Dressel said. The hotel project still has not materialized. There have been several offers to build the hotel, but all have failed, some of them because of bad publicity surrounding the property, Dressel said. Apartment buildings on the property were finally constructed by Edward Walters last year. Walters has a 99-year lease. Dressel said he would gladly sell his share at a loss. The investment has been a liability, he added. Dressel estimated the value of the remaining land and entrance building at more than $300,000. Opponents of the planned hotel have proposed a public park at the entrance.
Something For You
If there's a common complaint about The Times it's the quality of its printing. Keith Phillips Jr. said the other week that his 15-year-old could do better with his rubber stamp. We suspect Keith may be right. Our mechanical staff has worked wonders with machinery which should have been put into an old folks' home long ago. So we tell you that the staff has done well under trying conditions. But the complaint about the need for improved printing has been so widespread that we have looked for a way to solve it. We have found the way. Beginning with next week's issue, the paper will be printed on the million-dollar presses of The Miami Herald. It will be cleaner, easier to read. The headlines will be better looking. Pictures will be sharper. Improvement in quality means a better newspaper both for subscribers and advertisers. This is but the first of several major improvements to be made in Coral Gables' newspaper. We believe you'll approve of all of them; next week we'll furnish more of the details.
'Burdine's' Hearing Set
A new hearing has been set for April 4 on re-zoning of the 20-acre "Burdine's" tract off South Dixie Highway. The City Commission set the hearing last week after hearing J. Allen Brown, agent for the present owners, tell of minor changes that had been made since the last hearing. The so-called Burdine's tract was the subject of a controversy in 1955 when nearby residents sued the city and blocked a proposed shopping center. Brown's proopsal entails creation of a series of buffers — professional offices and apartment houses—between the highway and neighboring residences. Some of the streets would also be re-aligned. The real estate broker worked out the re-zoning plan with surrounding residents, but must now get approval on the minor changes in zoning. Principal owners of the property are reported to be the Brovay Corp.; Arthur B. and Edward J. McBride and James Keller, trustee for the remaining portion.
Now You Can Build Shelter
Bomb shelter requirements were adopted by the Coral Gables City Commission recently. The ordinance, passed on first reading, will enable Gableites desiring protection in case of war to construct underground shelters as far as their property lines. Doors, however, will have to be within the regular setbacks. Above ground shelters will have to conform to the regular setbacks.
City Accepts Lovell Offer Of Park Land
A proposal to create a beautified park at the southeast corner of Coral Way and Red Road was accepted by the City Commission Tuesday. The acceptance followed a second appearance by Malcolm Lovell in which he denounced the Commission for their earlier rejection of the offer. "I think the Commission has shown very poor judgment," Lovell said Tuesday. While the Commission bridled at Lovell's criticism, he modified his proposal considerably. "We'd sell it (the property) for a dollar unhappily," Lovell said. His previous offer had been to sell it to the City "at any price considered fair by the City Commission."