The Omaha guide., 1944-11-11

MABEL FAIRBANKS, brobGb y
the races only professional ice skat-
er Just finishing tagri. -CNS-
GIRL ICE SKATER IS TEARING
DOWN RACIAL BARRIERS
MABEL FAIRBANKS SKATES
AS SHE FEELS.
by Bernice and Dolores Calvin
New York (CNS) Dimpled 10
year old Mabel Fairbanks is probably
the races only professional skater.
Coming up out Of a twirl in true
Sonia Henei style, she gracefully
gllded to the edge of the rink and
told us "All I'm interested in is to
become the best possible skater"
And she's we'll headed that way.
People watching her work have been
charmed by her grace and ease. With
her innocent face in deep seriousness,
she seems to soar into another world.
MabePs story is simple. She tells
us Five years ago, when | was IA,
| came up from Jacksonville, Flor
ida to live with my sister and take d
business course. Then | saw a Sonia
Henie movie and that changed every
thing | wanted to skate more than
anything else in the world. My
first pair Of skates cost me $1.25 but
they served the purpose"
At the Gay Blades, manager Lewis
Clark saw her gliding over the ice
and was greatly impressed by her
rapidity-for after six months Mabel
was mastering sit-down spins, spirals
and stops which amazed veteran.
Champion skaters tutored her with
out pay and in years she made her
debut on ice. Among her coaches
was a famous Sonia Henie instruct
or, Howard Nicholson. Time Mag
azine November, 1943) remarks
that she has turned up TO skate fig
ure eights around all but the top
white performers"
Her manager and coach, Wally
Hunter, who put an all out effort in
to Mabel's career, believes she's Har-
lem'S Wonder Girl,
Creator Of the Swanee Spiral, Fly
ing Waltz Jump, Camel Parade, Ele-
vatcr Spin, Jump Camel Combination
Ace Dust Stop and the Twirling Sit
Spin, Mabel is always searching for
new names to call the steps she max
es up. Now on a rigid schedule, she
reads anything on ice skating; she
makes it her hobby as well as her
career.
With cleaning eyes she said: =.
there something so free about skat-
ing. | never skate by any rigid pat
tern. AS soon as my feet feel the
ice, something goes on inside of me
and | make up all kinds of steps"
With those words, she whisked off
from us. Watching her execute such
dainty figures, we knew what she
meant.
eEamnaeGerDEsrzzrnnns
varied from marine railways, fueling
docks, and coastal defense gun
mounts, to harbor boat nests, lophins
piers and considerable jungle and
mountain roads for the Army de-
fense. A unit at Tulagi took over
and performed Naval Base mainteri-
ance, relieving the 27th Seabees until
the arrival of the two CBMU's to
release the battalion for assignment
to Guadalcanal in March 1914.
The battalion was re-equipped with
new housing facilities and a small
quantity of new equipment and sup
plise early in 1914. The movement
Of the entire battalion personnel anc
equipment from the Tulagi area tc
Guadalcanal was completed in ap
proximately six days aboard thre,
LISTS.
A new camp was set UP on tn,
beach at Kukum to accommodar,
1900 men and 40 officers The bat
talon duties were assigned by tn
Public Works Division Of the Com
mander, Naval Base Guadalcanal. Ii
two months the battalion has cleaned
up the unfinished priority project
|, in addition to numerous newly author
lied projects assigned during thi
period. The duty hours of this bat
talon ran from to 10 hours a day
Z days per week for the first year
and for the last five months tn
hours were 8 hours per day, ant
one-half days per week.
just beofre the men embarked 70
home, Capt. Mark l. Halsay, Jr
| USN., Commander of the Naval bas
sent them the following unit citation
"On the occasion of the completio