Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Saturday, August 21, 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
Quell 'outrage' with court action
Two Coral Gables residents, dubbing themselves "outraged citizens", wrote us a letter which we published in last Wednesday's edition. The gist of the correspondence was that the firing of Coral Gables police officers for conduct unbecoming was mild punishment for alleged acts of wrongdoing — sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl being among them. We agree — if the allegations that led to the dismissals are true. And the truth of the matter is something for the courts to decide, if an ongoing state attorney's investigation finds reason to bring it to that stage. We think it will. The officers involved deserve a fair shake and only a full court hearing will enable innocence or guilt to be determined. Court action will clear the air that has been clouded by the city's administrative action. And it should serve to quell the "outraged citizens" among us.
Cops' leaking roof no laughing matter
The picture on Page 1 of this issue may well bring a smile to the faces of those whose tax dollars weren't laid out to finance a practically new police and fire station that leaks like a sieve. But the sight of Coral Gables police department secretaries armed not only with typewriters and steno pads, but umbrellas as well, is no laughing matter. Not when millions were spent to build a fortress, only to later discover that it can't even fend off the wrath of Mother Nature. Leaking roofs and walls, no jail, a parking lot with impossibly tight turns and support columns lacking supporting steel all add up to an unsound investment. Coral Gables city commissioners should launch an investigation into the building's brief but inglorious history. If the city administration is at fault, through inadequate planning, heads should roll. If the builder ignored plans and specifications to cut corners, financial restitution should be made.
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 | yvonne moss classified manager address: 4627 ponce de leon blvd. coral gables, fla. 33146 telephone: 666-7981
Of South Dade's swamps, mosquitos and things that go 'ribet' in the night
ana maria alvarez Wearing proper frog stalking attire, the flashlight-toting nature freaks gathered on a rainy, windy night to learn about, then seek out those tailless amphibians that dwell in the swamps of South Dade. There was an eerie feeling as the caravan of cars inched along an unpaved, pot-holed road in search of the perfect frog observation post, that niche in the Everglades were you can hear and identify the mating calls of several different species of frogs. Forewarned and armed with insect repellent, nearly 30 people showed up last Wednesday night to participate in a "frog walk" sponsored by the Castellow Hammock Environmental Education Center in South Dade. Threatening skies might not have been the best weather for a hike, but for identifying frogs it was ideal. After a short lecture at the center, naturalist Sally Black led young and old nature lovers on an expedition through the Everglades. Some caught tree frogs so that others could listen to their call, while others identified squirrel tree frogs by their duck-like sounds and the leopard frog by its multi-colored skin. Only once did the group hear the illusive chorus frog. All flashlights went off, so as not to scare it. The sound it made was akin to a finger going down along the teeth a comb. "I still can't believe I went out there," said Mrs. Frances Meltzer, a South Miami resident who frog-hunted with the best of them. "If anyone would have seen us out there traveling along that gutty, rut-filled road to look for frogs, they would have thought we were all crazy," she said. "But I'm glad I went because it opened a whole new world of sound that exists out there. The walk was truly delightful." Accompanying Mrs. Meltzer were her children, Elizabeth 10, and John, 8, and a friend of the family, 13-year-old Joseph Bryant. "It was fun getting all muddy and looking for frogs," said Elizabeth, a student at Ludlam Elementary School. "It became muddier and rockier as we drove on, but the only time it got a little scary was when we crossed a bridge with no rails," she said. "I got to learn all the different sounds that frogs make and see what they look like," said Joseph, a student at Ponce de Leon Junior High. "I didn't catch any frogs, but I saw leopard frogs and squirrel frogs and even a baby tree frog," he said. Wednesday's program was the first of its kind offered at Castellow Hammock. The first frog-walk, scheduled last June, was rained out, according to Ms. Black, a biologist who has been at the South Dade park for more than two years. There is a wide variety of evening programs at the education center, located at 22301 SW 162nd Ave., at least once a month. Among programs scheduled for September are a beekeeping lecture and a workshop on edible plants. The edible plant workshop will be held Sunday, Sept. 12 at 2:30 p.m. and there is a $3 fee. The beekeeping program will be taught by Sterling Tucker, a beekeeper from North Miami, on Thursday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m.
people poll Are you planning to vote Sept. 7?
"I'm not going to vote because there's not enough information on hand for a decision to be made on a candidate." Debbie Morgan SW 112th Street "No, I'm not going to vote. I don't feel politicians are taking a stand on population problems, the problem of communication between young and old, and are not taking responsibility for the development of the South Dade community." Michael Spring 10786 SW 88th St. "I haven't really been paying a lot of attention. I'll start watching TV later and then vote." George Myers 12307 SW 84th Ave. "Yes, I intend to vote in elections pertaining to judges... I feel that competent and responsible judges are necessary for a working court system." Bradford Von Schirel 8650 Ludlam Rd.