The Times

CORAL GABLES Shop in the City Beautiful

Realtors honored

Big smiles all around greeted Coral Gables Mayor Robert Knight when he proclaimed April 18 to 24 "Private Property Week" in honor of the Coral Gables Board of Realtors. Receiving the proclamation, left to right, are Robert G. Loeffler, executive secretary of the Realtors; Frank Kerdyk, director and Realtor; John B. Stadler Sr., director and Realtor; John B. Stadler, Jr. president of the Realtors Borad; Mayor Knight; Janey Buehler, chairman of the Realtor-Associate committee and John Frederick, director and Realtor.

Woman declines budget board post; male banker selected as alternative

By ERICA MEYER Staff Writers Confronted with feminists' complaints about his appointment of a male to the Coral Gables Budget Advisory Board, Commissioner Bob Brake said he did ask a woman to join the board before nominating University Federal Bank President Ben Turner. Brake invited Mrs. Peggy Brodeur to join the board. Mrs. Brodeur said she declined because, "I'm president of a fulltime business and the mother of five children." Head of Brodeur Printers on Almeria Avenue, Mrs. Brodeur said, "Brake did ask a woman. He tried. But I'm in five P.T.A.s and have a heavy responsibility to this company. If I take on anything as demanding as the city budget, I'd want to be able to do a thorough job." Gableite Roxcy Bolton called Turner when she learned of his appointment to the board. Unaware that Mrs. Brodeur had been asked to join, Ms. Bolton asked Turner to step aside and allow a woman to be appointed. "The city has failed to recognize the need for women to participate," Ms. Bolton alleged. "We have government by the men, for the men." She recalled the controversy sparked last year by Commissioner Al Jacobson's statement that women have no fiscal responsibility and said, "After that, we thought the commission would consider a woman when there was a vacancy." The appointment was in Brake's hand because his former appointee, George Bensabat, resigned when he moved to another city. Roxcy Bolton Bob Brake The commission fully endorsed Brake's appointment of Turner. "I had assumed that if any women were interested they would have made a request," Brake said. "When the vacancy appeared and I didn't hear from Ms. Bolton, I assumed she had dropped her interest." Though Ms. Bolton could not be reached for comment after Brake disclosed he had invited a woman to join the board, Gableite Melinda Croft said she had asked Jacobson for the Budget appointment when Bensabat resigned. "I have a degree in industrial management and 60 credits in business and accounting courses," Ms. Croft said. "And we have supplied lists of names of other qualified women in the past." Ms. Croft said she was not acquainted with Mrs. Brodeur but was pleased that a woman had at least been consulted about the position. "There are plenty of other qualified women he could have considered," Ms. Croft said. Ms. Bolton, though she said Turner is "a qualified expert in the field," also wondered if he would face a conflict of interest on the Budget board because his bank handles some city business. Mayor Robert Knight pointed out that many bankers, whose banks also do business with the city, have been on the board — including Bensabat, who was with Coral Gables First National. "The board does not determine where money will be placed," Knight said. "The profession of these individuals indicates their qualifications to serve on the board."

IS YOUR AIR CONDITIONER SICK?

SPECIAL PRICE ON SPRING CHECK-UPS your BANKAMERICARD welcome here master charge THE INTERBANK CARD 445-2413 GABLES AIR CONDITIONING SERVICE INC. Member BBB 4070 Laguna, Coral Gables SINCE 1941