Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Saturday, February 12, 1977, page 6 (of 23)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
Fun with guns?
Some nice, sunny day if you feel like having your brains blown out, take a ride out to any one of a number of fields in South Dade. Or, if that doesn't excite you, stand around (from afar, of course), and observe other people blowing each others brains out. Sound like a joke? No, indeed. It is no joke. It seems as though there are gun toting residents living in our community who engage in target practice on various pieces of private property (not their own) in South Dade and West. Dade and it is most definitely not supervised. We know this because, among other things we have learned, they are shooting in all different directions. Different groups of people are gathering in the same field, apparently indulging in some strange form of Russian roulette, no one knowing who an unsuspecting victim might be. People have been arrested and an arrest carries a possible penalty of up to $500 fine and/or 60 days in jail for discharging firearms on private property without written permission. But it is not this that we worry about. If people who own guns are this careless, we'd say they probably deserve what they do to each other. But what about the inquisitive child passing by on a bike, or a child running through one of those fields? Does that child deserve to suffer for some adult's irresponsibility? We're not saying here that people should not have guns for specific purposes, but shooting wildly into bottles, targets or just into the air without care as to where bullets might end up or what damage they might do, seems to us to be sheer madness.
A new twist
We certainly can't speculate at this point on how heated the competition will be for the candidates vying for votes in the upcoming Coral Gables election. Nor do we even know as yet, how many people will qualify for the available seats. But we do know the principal parties will be facing something they never have before. A 21-year-old contender for the mayor's job. Would the people of Coral Gables vote for a 21-year-old recent University of Miami graduate to be the City Beautiful's spokesman? Only time will tell but it happened in Opa Locka when an 18-year-old young man was elected to that city council. And if all the eligible voters at the UM went to the polls, their votes would surpass the number of Gables residents who voted in the last city election. Something to think about. It will certainly be an interesting campaign. And who knows, come election day, an historical turning point might be reached in Coral Gables history... the day apathy died.
the gables publishing company
serving south dade and coral gables since 1926 leonard h. chusmir publisher bea moss managing editor bob levine advertising manager richard linn circulation manager address: 4627 ponce de leon blvd. coral gables, fla. 33146 telephone: 666-7981
camera comment | What's that again?
It certainly pays to advertise but we're not quite sure this is the way. A billboard at Coral Way and 71st Avenue was either put together by someone who had drunk too much of the product formerly advertised there, an alcoholic beverage, or by an admirer of Salvadore Dali. We hope it's straightened out soon because we're dying to know what it says. You see... it does pay to advertise. Photo by FRANK TURSI
Gables needs woman on commission
EDITOR: It's great to hear that several women in the community are planning to run for the Coral Gables City Commission. It is time someone carried on the work of Commissioner Rebyl Zain who died in 1973. Since that time the commission has been without a woman representative and consequently has shown a tremendous imbalance. Very seldom do we see a woman occupying any high position in our city's government and perhaps a woman commissioner could correct this injustice. I believe a woman's point of view is sorely needed on the commission. And if there is ever going to be equal rights and equal opportunity for women in Coral Gables, a woman commissioner would be the best place to start. If the right woman candidate qualifies, perhaps she could even run for mayor of the city. It would be the first time in the history of Coral Gables but a welcome change. There are more women voters in this city than men, and I hope all those women get out there and pull the lever for one of the women running in April's election. NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST
Prisoner wants pen pal
EDITOR: I am a 37 year old, white male inmate confined at the Nevada State prison serving a 10 year sentence. I do not have any family or a wife like most of the guys here, therefore I do not have anyone to correspond with. To say an individual doesn't get lonely in this environment, would be impossible. I would be most grateful to you if you could run this in your paper for correspondence with anyone who wants or needs a friend. Any consideration you may give me, would be most appreciative. JOSEPH A. WALSH P.O. Box 2247 Carson City, Nev. 89701
Letters welcome
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