The Key West Citizen Newspaper, September 22, 1954, Page 1

Key West, Florida, has the most equable climate in the country, with an average range of only 14° Fahrenheit Local Safety Queen To Be Named Rally Slated For Thursday Night In Park ‘The Key West Safety Week’s activities will reach a colorful crescendo in Bay- view Park at 8:00 o’clock Thursday night. At that time, from the eight can- didates from the Key West High School and the Convent of Mary Immaculate, one will be selected and crowned Safety Queen by May- or C. B, Harvey for the ensuing year. Films Described In addition to these ceremonies at which Mrs. Alice Roberts of the Key West Safety Council will offi- ciate, Corporal Howell Gillett, Sa- fety Representative of the Florida State Highway Patrol, will give a talk, at which time two moving pictures will be shown. as One of these films is aimed par- ticularly at adults and is entitled “A Day In Court” whereas the film. is on the subject of motor scooters and primarily of interest to children. Rally Plans "The Safety Rally in the Park will be opened ‘with an invocation by the Rev, Eldon Simmons, president of the Key West Ministerial Asso- eo of honor will include: Representative Bernie C, Papy; Senator nominee William Neblett; County Commissioner, Frank Bent- ley; Monroe Sheriff, John M. Spottswood, Mayor C. B. ‘Har- vey, City Com , Louis Car- ‘bonell and Ke: est Chief of chols, Cha! . Week Program who will act as Master of Ceremonies. Kids To Visit Boea Chica Sat. Children will be given a tour of the Boca Chica Naval Air Station on Saturday afternoon, September 25. The event is sponsored by the local Kiwanis club as a project to observe National Kids’ Day. The Naval Air Station will play host to the visiting children and will give them a. tour of airplanes nd. facilities. 3 ber 5 Boza, chairman of the Ki- wanis committee in charge of the event, asked that children desir- ing to make the tour come to Bay- view Park where school buses will take them to Boca Chica. There they will be transferred to Navy buses for the tour. After returning to the park the children will be given a Coca Cola and a children’s book, donated. by the soft drink bottling company. Tickets for the tour are free and ean be obtained from any Kiwanis member or in Bayview Park on Staurday afternoon. It was also announced that about 100 children would be coming from the upper keys to make the tour. Children who make up the trip must leave from Bayview Park on the buses. They will not be admitted at Boca Chica except on the Kiwanis’ tour buses. It was decided that there will be mo segregation. Gay Ferry Fiesta _ Decorations Seen Key West will be gaily decorat- ed for the ferry fiesta. Louis Carbonell, chairman of the Parade and decorations committee said today that colored flags and bunting will be strung along Tru- man Ave., from White to Duval St., and down the length of Duval St. to the ferry dock. Each flag will bear an emblem designed especially by the Berke Display Co., of Miami. The gold and black emblem bears a key and oe notation “Ferry Fiesta, Key est.” ———____— For Sale! For Sale! For Sale! Complete Kitchen Equipment for Restaurant Including Stainless Steel Auto- matic dishwasher .. . Like new TELEPHONE 2-7500 Ken West THE KEY WEST, FLORIDA, WEDN MOVIE MAKERS HERE—Hal Wallis (third from left), veteran Hollywood producer, confers with his assistants during dinner on Casa Marina Hotel patio Tuesday. Williams’ drama, “The Rose. Tattoo.” here early in November. assistant director Richard McWahorter, director Daniel Mann and art director Tambi Larsen. Wallis will film Tennessee Shown with him, from the left: New Attempts May Be Made To Find Oil In Florida Keys Chamber To. Elect New, Officers Final Ballot To _Be Sent Out On September 28 The annual election of of-, ficers of the Key West Chamber of Commerce is in progress, according to Trends, the monthly news bulletin published by the Chamber. A primary ballot listing the en- tire membership has been mailed to each member who is asked to vote for no more than 8 or less than four, Only paid-up members may vote. The sixteen highest names will appear on the second: ballot waich the membership will receive on September 28. Election Method Members will again vote for not more than 8 and less than 4 and the four members receiving the highest number of Votes will be elected to serve 2 terms on the Chamber’s board and the remain- ing 4 will be elected for a 1-year term. The results of the final ballot will be tabulated on Qctober 5 and the committee in charge has in- vited interested members to be present to witness the procedure. Handling details and judging this year’s election are Ken Longhurst, chairman, Ken Kiplinger, Norman Markwell and Manuel Lopez. Present Board Members of the present board who will retire and cannot succeed themselves on the board for a per- iod of at least a year are Mary Lee Graham, president; Ralph Fa- raldo and Paul J. Sher, vice pre- sidents; Aquilino Lopez, Jr., trea- surer, and directors Earl Adams, J. J. Trevor, Clem Price and Joe Allen. Hold-over members are Will Freeman, M. E. Bennett, W. Curry Harris and Merville Rosam. Community Chest Leaders To Meet A general meeting of officers and board members of the Com- munity Chest agencies will be held tonight at 8 o’clock in the County Court House. The purpose of this meeting is to inform the community. leadership of the campaign plans and meth- ods, the policies of the United Com- munity Chest-Red Cross campaign, and to outline the responsibilities of the various groups and individ- uals. Since the success of the fund drive will depend a great deal on the participation of the individuals connected with the agencies, the executives of these groups are urg- ed to attend the meeting tonight. Commonwealth Land Holdings In Annual Report Next year may see a new attempt to find oil in the Florida Keys area, it was le The Commonwealth Qil Co. and the Gulf Oil Corp. hold leases on 3,500,000 acres in south Florida, including all the bay bottom land around the keys and up the west coast of the state to the 26th ER —Aipsmpir eve — ra “Bang, Youw’re Dead!” Nearly Proves True A three-year-old boy shot a 38- year-old woman with a Luger last night, the sheriff's office re- ported today. Mrs. Frank Russo, whose hus- band owns the Overseas Garage ‘on Stock Island, was reported in good condition today at Monroe General Hospital with a wound in the right side of her neck. The sheriff’s department said Mrs, Russo was entertaining a neighbor and the woman’s three- year-old son last night in the Russo trailer behind the garage. They heard a prowler. Mrs. Russo brought out the Luger and slipped off the safety. She then laid the pistol on @ window sill and she and the neighbor woman continued look- ing at a photo album. The child picked up the gun, the sheriff's department said, pointed it at Mrs. Russo, pulled the trigger, and cried: “Bang! You're dead.” The bullet narrowly missed Mrs. Russo’s spinal column, the sheriff's office said. od O’Bryant Goes To Washington For Conference Horace O’Bryant, superintend- ent of public instruction, said to- day he is leaving for Washington |Sunday to discuss details of the $250,090 Federal grant fer enlarg- ing the high sctiool. O’Bryant will confer with offi- cials of the Office of Education. The enlargement of. the building will provide for a 20 per cent in- crease in student capacity, O’Bry- ant said. The $250,090 will cover construc- tion, the architect’s fee, and new furniture. Constructicn is expect- ed to begin in early January. William H. Merriam, of Coral Gables, is the architect. “While in Washington,” O’Bry- ant said, “I will attempt to pave the way for more funds for new school construction.” TREATY RATIFIED BANGKOK (#—Thailand today became the first nation to ratify the Southeast Asia collective de- fense treaty. 8 & Oil Co. Lists Keys arned today. parallel, ™ According to Commonwealtit's annual report, the two companies hold 4,613 acres in the Key Largo area and 36,802 acres in water bot- tom land in the Key Largo area, Report Quoted The following quote from the company’s 1954 report covers Mon- roe County: “Florida State Leases No. 826 and No. 658 comprise more than three and one-half million acres lying principally in the Bay of Flo- rida area and extending along the West Coast of Florida to the 26 degree of parallel. Seismic work is progressing satisfactorily at this time. “Upon completion of the seismic work, and within 12 months from July 20, 1954, Gulf has agreed to drill a well on Lease No. 826 to | test the Sunniland Line. | ‘‘All costs in connection with the seismic work and the drilling of the well will be borne entirely by the Gulf Oil Corporation. Common- wealth and Gulf will participate in any production from the well. Lease Extension “In consideration of the obliga- tion of Gulf Oil Corporation to do the seismic work and drill a well, the State uf Florida has agreed to| extend the primary term of Lease No. 826 for a period of 5 years from September 18, 1956 and Lease No. 658 for a period of 5 years from August 1954, “The Company has extensive holdings offshore in the Key Largo Area. In July, 1953, some of its acreage in this area was transfer- red to Sinclair Oil and Gas Com- pany on a farmout agreement, in consideration for Sinclair’s obliga- tion to drill a deep test well. “This well was subsequently drilled, by Sinclair as its ‘No. 1 H. R. Williams’ resulting in a dry hole which was abandoned on Sept- ember 3, 1953, at a depth of 11. {968 feet. Seismic work has just been completed in this general lo-| | cation on our Lease No. 362, in the |Card and Barnes Sound area, | | which comprises approximately 48,- | 000 acres, | “Gulf Oil Corporation and others | are participating in the cost of this geophysical work,” | SCHOOL LIBRARIANS PLAN BOOK WEEK Plans for the observance of Book | Week, Nov. 14 to 20, were made| yesterday at a meeting of school! librarians in the school adminis-| tration building. Present were Miss Margaret Strassler, chairman and co-ordina- tor of materials; Miss Helen Wil- liams of Harris School; Miss Helen LaMonte of Truman School; Mrs. Elsie Rolfe of Poinciana School; Miss Mary Trevor of the high school; and Miss Frances Gray of | the high school annex, ~ i é. | mother over the loss of her hus- SOUTHERNMOST NEWSPAPER ESDAY, SEPTEMBER cad Proditcer Says Key West For Quick Communication, Use CLASSIFIED Ads! You'll reach buyers and sellers— tenants or workers . . . Just DIAL 2-5661 or 2-5662 Today PRICE FIVE CENTS Is Ideal Set For Movie Hal Wallis Tells Of Search For “Rose Tattoo” Location By JIM COBB It was a “combination of things” that gave Key West the nod as the scene of the production of Italian actress Anna Magnani’s first American movie, according to pro- ducer Hal Wallis. Relaxing on the Casa Marina Hotel patio after a busy day of combing the city for the correct atmosphere and backgrounds for the filming of Tennessee Williams’ “The Rose Tattoo,” Wallis declared that he had searched all over Europe, up and down the California coast and through Louisiana and Missippi for several months — but that it took only a couple of hours of riding around | Key West’s streets to discover that they had found what they were looking for. Shooting of the movie, co- starring Burt Lancaster, will start the first week in No- vember. Williams, a winter resident of Key West, also wrote the script for the mov- ie. Wallis, in commenting on how well Key West’s atmosphere fitted into his conception of the setting of the script, said: ‘“‘We were look- ing for two houses on quiet streets surrounded by tropical vegetation — the feeling of a Gulf coast com- munity. Key West with its quaint, tin-roofed houses, filled the bill.” Various Scenes One of the scenes in the movie will be filmed on a sailboat off the coast, another in the high school auditorium with local studnents playingwextra Ss: The Casa Marina palms will furnish the backdrop for the sailboat scene, Wallis said. It wasn’t an overnight decision to | film the movie here. Daniel Mann, who will direct the movie (he also directed the Broadway play, as well as Williams’ initial success, “A Streetcar Named Desire’) made a trip here several months ago. He roamed the streets for hours, made dozens of photographs and reported to Wallis that Key West might be the place to film the movie. Trip To Key West Then, Wallis, along with assistant director Richard McWahorter and | art director Tambi Larsen, flew in | yesterday to make the final deci- sion, A remarkable coincidence occurr- ed when they chose a home ad- jacent to playwright Williams’ on Duncan St., as one of their set-| tings. “We were driving down the street when we spotted the house and decided it would be a natural,” said Wallis. “We stopped the car and were amazed to find it was next door to Williams.” Another setting has been decid- ed on, Wallis added, the home of Charles Anderson, on Duval St., between South and United Sts, “Dream Cast” Wallis has what he describes as a “dream cast” for the film. In addition to Magnani and Lancas- ter, he has signed Marissa Pavan, twin sister of starlet Pier Angeli, for a supporting role. The play deals with the great ob- session of a Sicilian - American band. The Rose Tattoo serves as the symbol of her emergence from a life in the past into reality. For producer Wallis, it will be the second Broadway play he has adapted for the movies recently. His “‘Come Back Little Sheba” met | with widespread box office and critical success. “Rose Tattoo” will be produced | by Wailis independently and re-| leased through Paramount Pic- | tures. Ferry Fiesta Meeting Slated The final meeting to wind up| planning for the ferry fiesta io! mark the maiden voyage of the | “City of Key West” Oct. 2 will be held Thursday at 8 p. m. in the city hall. . Representatives of all civie or- ganizations, merchants and other interested persons are urged to at-| tend. “hotel, with its | lush tropical vegetation and safety | Plans call for a parade, fiesta ball, fish fry and open house a- board the vessel. Thief Makes Off With Door Handle An attempted safe robbery at Tavernier ended with the burglar taking only the knob and handle that he knocked off the safe. The sheriff's department. to- day reported that the attempt- ed burglary took weekend in the Tavern Store, owned by Homer Byrum. The burglar failed to open the safe and took only the knob and handle. Two Fliers Die, 3 Escape In Triple Crash OTIS AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (@—Two Air Force fliers were killed and three others escaped injury in the crash of three jet airplanes after landing in foul weather last night. Air Force officials blamed the crashes on a flat tire and a tor- rential rainfall which shut out visibility and made radio commu- nication between the planes and the control tower so erratic that messages could not be understood. The victims were identified as Lt. Russell H. Olson, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin H. Olson of St. Louis Park, Minn., pilot, and Lt. John T. Steele, 24, radar op- erator. Steele, father of a 2-weeks-old child, leaves his widow, Edith S. Steele, of nearby Pocasset, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Steele, Batavia, N.Y. Details Given The mishaps were outlined by Air Force officials early today as follows: The first of three F94C Starfire jets were preparing to land when the weather closed in. The pilot’s forward visibility neared zero and, to complicate matters, radio com- munication with the airport control tower became erratic. The tower cleared that jet—pi- loted by ist. Lt. Frederick J. Luddy, 25, of Altoona, Pato land. As the plane touched ground it blew a tire, forcing the plane to grind to a halt in the center of the runway. The tower, unable to hear Lud- dy’s message and unable to see the disabled craft because of the dirty weather, cleared the second plane to land. Visibility Poor The pilot of that plane, hindered | by lack of visibility, brought the craft down far short of the runway, tearing a swath through small trees and brush. Both the pilot, 2nd Lt. Anthony Cunningham, 26, of Roanoke, Ala., and his radar observer, 2nd Lt. Joseph Gallagher, 24, of Philadel- phia Pa., walked out of their wrecked plane uninjured. The tower, unable to see the plane on the runway and the crashed jet, cleared the jet piloted | by Olson. As Olson’s plane came in, its landing lights on, Luddy attempted to signal Olson with his flashlight. However, he suddenly realized neither Olson nor Steele could see him, and dived off the runway to save his life. OnLand keys land to the governmen’ Gillett Tells Need For HLS. Driver Course Kiwanis Hears Safety Talk; Announces Its Polio Drive Proceeds By BILL SPILLMAN A move to initiate auto- mobile driver training in the |Key West High School will be considered by the board of directors of the local Ki- wanis club at the next di- rector’s meeting. The move was suggested last night at the regular Kiwanis meet- West High School is the largest o! five remaining high schools in south Florida that do not have driver training as a high school subject. Howell Gillett, safety officer for the Florida State Highway Patrol, appeared at the Kiwanis as guest speaker. He said that high school driver training has cut in half the number of traffic fatalities and accidents caused by high school students. More Males Die Gillett said that if the present trend of accidents continues, a family with two boys will either have one of them killed or ser- iously injured in a traffic accident during their lifetime. In stating statistics on traffic deaths, he said, 885 out of a thou- sand deaths are males. Most peo- ple who are killed are between the ages of 25 and 34. More people are killed on Saturday than any other | day of the week. Tuesday is con- sidered the safest day of the week for driving. Speed causes twice as many accidents as any other di- rect cause. . Danger Near Home Gillett said that everyone usual- ly thinks that the corner nearest their home or place of business is the most dangerous spot in town. In telling about the use of ra- dar to detect speed violators, he said that it has one fault, in as much as it can not differentiate the politicians, Gillett said that he is going to be careful in his driving so he can be around with all the women after the men are killed off. He had re- ference to a large percentage of men that are being killed com- pared to women. Gillett was introduced by Ed- ward Bayly. Routine Business In conducting the routine busi- ness of the club, Glenn Archer ex- plained to the new members the fact that the club sponsors the high school Key Club. Ralph Faraldo, club president, told of attending an inter-council meeting at Miami Beach. He told) the members that the Key West club is on the honor role for 11th district of Kiwanis. | Bill Freeman was told that he could wear a tie to the meeting |after next without paying a fine | because winter dress rules will then be in effect. Fish Fry Proceeds Kiwanis has contributed $316 raised at the fish fry held at the | Congregational Church social hall | to the emergency March of Dimes. William Neblett announced at the meeting that the fund for Key West has reached over $17,000. The club was commended for its effort. Everett Sweeting told of the forth coming softball game to be held against the Upper Keys Kiwanis ing when it was told that the ofl Papy Hits Rumors T ransfer State Representative Bernie C, Papy said today that | Statements that the State Board of Administration may not have approved the transfer of millions of dollars in it of Monroe County “came from incompetent sources — they are nothing to be alarmed at.” The board, according to the As- sociated Press, approved the action of the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge in deeding their surplus land to Monroe County when the bonds floated to finance the Over- seas Highway are paid off Oct. 1, Most of the more than 700 acres of keys land will be used to ex- pand the county park system. Papy appeared before the board yesterday and made a plea that the land be given to Monroe Coun- ty. It was. Deeds Brought Here Rep. Papy brought the deeds to the land back to Key West with him last night. They are scheduled to be filed in the office of County Clerk Earl Adams today. Papy said that rumors that the action of the board had not given final aproval were started “by Dade County interests who have been working against Monroe County for 20 years.” Here is the Associated Press dispatch from Ti gi TALLAHASSEE —- The State Board of Administration today ap- proved action of the Overseas Road and Toll Bridge District in turning its surplus lands over to Monroe County. Excludes Highway The action did not include the overseas highway itself which was turned over to the state Road De- partment. The Board of Administration's approval came at the request of Rep. Bernie Papy of Monroe Coun- ty and was over the objection of Atty. Gen. Richard Ervin. Ervin said he thinks the Road Depart ment, State Park Board and Mon- roe County commission should con- fer over conflicting claims to the land. Comptroller C. M. Gay, who moved that the board approve the land transfer, said he didn’t “think it makes any difference. We're go- ing to be out of the picture Oct. 1. It won’t hurt anything for us to take this action.” The Board of Administration, which has acted as fiscal agent in connection with the overseas high- way bonds, finishes its duties Oct. 1 when the bonds are retired. The highway already is toll free. Papy’s Objection Rep. Papy, objecting to Ervin’s suggestion that the board of parks has claim to some of the lard, declared the park service “is the type of people who don’t do any improvements. “They’ve taken the best property we've got and taken it off the tax rolls. They are land grabbers—for what I don’t know. They haven’t come down and looked at the land.” Papy said his constituents had been enraged by a 1945 agreement under which the state was to have title to overseas road district land when the indebtedness was retired. “The property rightfully belongs to my people who bought and paid for it,” he said. Ervin had questioned whether or not the agreement had been set aside by a 1947 legislative act giv- ing the land to Monroe County “subject to existing leases and in- cumberances.” TRANSPORT BURNS STANSTED, England —A four- engine transport with 45 British soldiers and a crew of 5 aboard crashed and caught fire taking off today. Everyone scrambled out safely with only a second or tw to spare. Strunk Lumb IS OPEN ALL DAY THURSDAY Club on Saturday night in Bayview Park. 120 SIMONTON, near City Hall