Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Saturday, May 8, 1976, page 6 (of 27)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
opinion
editorials commentary letters
Minus $500,000
Long before the multitude of assistant principals and other academic elitists, many of whom couldn't hack it in the classroom, are taken off the Dade County school system's payroll, some worthwhile programs are going to take it on the budget-cutting chin. Evidence of this is recent news that funding for community schools is going to be hacked by at least 25 per cent. Word first was a 66 per cent slash, but via some "juggling" by school board members, the projected cut may "only" be a fourth. Sounds to us like the announcement of a two-thirds reduction was a psychological ploy to make a 25 per cent cutback (about $500,000) sound like a gain rather than a loss. Community schools, a concept that put neighborhood school buildings at the disposal of residents of any age, is perhaps the best justification for all property owners paying school taxes whether they have children of school age or not. If the program should die due to lack of money, with it will die the best reason for senior citizens and childless couples to foot their part of the county-wide school bill. Granted Dade's school system may come up $16.9 million short for next fall due to less state funding, but there still exists a gaggle of people sitting in the Lindsey Hopkins building counting holes in the acoustical ceiling. A little trimming along those lines would enable the school board to more adequately fund community schools, a program everyone can benefit from.
. . . plus $15,000
On the more positive side, Coral Gables Recreation Department Director Don Hart intends to ask the city manager to add the needed $15,000 for community schools to the city budget in lieu of a recreation department request for $16,000 for a summer recreation program. Hart discovered that the community schools could manage to have a summer recreation program and still remain open for the rest of the year for $1,000 less than his summer program budget bid. The death knell almost sounded for community schools in the Gables last year when the commission warned the schools that they would not be funded past last summer. Now, it seems that someone has come up with a positive plan to keep the program going for the citizens, at least for a while, and at the same time make as much use of the school plants as possible.
the gables publishing company
serving south dade and coral gables since 1926 jim storey general manager bea moss managing editor gary gibbs news editor carole myers advertising manager bill mc hugh circulation address: 4627 ponce de leon blvd coral gables, fla 33146 telephone: 666-7961
Mother's Day is smiles, burned toast and memories
bea moss That day is here again. The one day in the year when mothers are honored for all the things they do for their families every day of the year. It's also the day that mothers, lounging in bed, eating overdone eggs, burned toast, black bacon and drinking bitter coffee with a smile, say, "Thank you, the breakfast is great," and perhaps think back to other times. Perhaps they think back to when they were small and worried for weeks ahead of the big day just what they would do for mom, and what kind of gift they would give her. Lumpy dishes made of clay in school were always a big hit (name scratched in the bottom), and even though mom usually ended up with a dozen or so over the years, she always said it was just what she wanted. And the Happy Mother's Day cards, made out of blue or red or green construction paper went over big and were hung on a wall until they frayed around the edges and were packed away in a box marked "personal." And a bunch of wilted flowers, or even crab grass, picked at the last minute from a field, never fazed mother because she knew you were thinking of her. And now the mother thinks back to all the days when her children were small. She thinks of that first tiny bundle she carried home from the hospital, that helpless little being who grew up all too fast. That little girl who toddled about and played in the sand and went off to school that first day, afraid but brave, leaving home with a kiss and a wave from mommy. "Bye, sweetie! I'll see you later." And that young lady who went to her first party, her first dance and pouted and smiled and talked on the phone for hours. And the second child came along and it began again. The little boy who always seemed to attract dirt, who fell down and hurt his knee. "Let mommy kiss it and make it well." That little boy who played ball and dug ditches in the back yard and went off to school on his new bike and when bikes became "kid stuff" walked to school with the "other guys." And the years fly by and the children are grown and mother gets real flowers, beautiful big flowers from a florist and perfume and candy and it's really not that much better than wilted flowers or cards made out of construction paper because it's the love of the children that counts. And she eats her overdone eggs, burned toast, black bacon and drinks her bitter coffee with a smile. She's smiling because the love is there and who cares if mother's day comes only once a year. For a mother, mother's day is every day of her life. And when the children have flown the nest to find lives of their own, she still has the memory of those tiny babies, those wilted flowers, the good times and the bad, the dirty faces and the smiles. Especially the smiles.
Epilepsy needs education, not embarrassment
EDITOR: I am writing in response to letters to the editor in The Guide's May 5 issue in which two people found your page one picture of a young woman being helped by fire rescue, after an epileptic seizure, "in poor taste" and lacking decency." It occurs to me that these letters were written by two people who themselves were embarrassed by seeing someone having a seizure published in the newspaper. My husband has epilepsy, and had that picture been of him I would not feel that my husband or our family would be embarrassed or humiliated in anyway. I feel, through the media, people can be educated to the point where no one need ever feel embarrassed by seeing someone who has a seizure, whether it is on the front page of a newspaper or on the street. Keep up the good work! MRS. DONNA SIMON 7600 SW 99th Ave.
Neighbors should report all zoning violations they witness
EDITOR: How to put a stop to getting your pocket picked. Our zoning department enforcement division does not have the manpower to locate all the zoning violations that are reducing the value of our property. Just like the Citizens Crime Watch movement, it is essential that we have a Citizens Zoning Violation Watch movement. It is easy to participate — here is what to do. Call the Zoning Department at City Hall when you see: • More than one family living in the same house. Most areas are single family zoning. • Business trucks parked overnight outside of garage. • Motorhomes or mobile homes parked in yard or front of house. • Work being done for trade in a garage or driveway. Don't be afraid to call. Be anonymous. The person doing the violating has no consideration for you. Why should you have consideration for them? Maybe it is not a violation. Let the enforcement people make the decision. Be a Gables-natic. Keep the Gables the place you thought it was when you invested here. LES ROSS Coral Gables
Story helped group raise bus funds
EDITOR: The students and members of our organization for exceptional adults are so very grateful to you for publishing the article about our need for a minibus on March 31. As a result of that article we have received pledges and contributions heading toward the $1,000 mark. Thank you once more for your kind assistance; it may take a while but we will continue to reach out toward worthwhile goals; people like you give us courage. May I mention also that our family reads The Guide from cover to cover. LORRAINE MATHIS President Community Habilitation