The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-12-22
Nov, New, AdmiraII

y
AS the saying goes: ''You may
fire when ready, Admiral!" But
make sure you are ready-with the
facts before you castigate the citi-
zenry.
Key West led the state last year
in per capita contributions to the
March Of Dimes polio campaign.
Talk about general apathy and
a failure to meet its civic re-
sponsibility."
Tain't so, Admiral.
And ninety per cent Of the money
for treatment of polio patients dur
ing our recent epidemic, went toI
Navy families. They had no hesit-
ancy about lining up for gamma
globulin shots.
THE Navy looks to the civilians
for everything" to paraphrase Al
statement made recently by al
Navy officer.
And how much of the Navy'sI
$4,000 Chest contribution came
from civilian workers at the Navy
yard? Take away that money and
the Nays response might look
pretty sickiy, too.
No Evidenee7
Our comments regarding the
city's need for a few capital i'm.
provements and how we might
pay for them, drew this (ouchl)
response from Guy Carleton, 916
Windsor Lane.
"A recent article by Jim Cobb,
starts with the assumption that
Key Vests four imperative needs
are: a new city hall, a garbage
incinerator, civic auditorium,
and swimming pool and the mat
ter Of raising the large sums neces-
sary as the only consideration.
What evidence has he that q pub
lie demand exists for these things
that people in general would be
willing or rather, please, to pay a
utility tax to secure them and I'M
til there is any such evidence,
they should not be undertaken.
"a better city hall could posi-
bly, be reconstructed from the pre-
sent one at a much less cost--has
anyone inquired. An incinerator
would probably be very good
thing-has anyone an idea of where
it would be located and the type?
We do not need civic auditorium
we now have available two halls
for public gatherings, both FIRE.
quentiy used, at small expense.
Don't argue about Conventions
no convention manager would in
his right mind pick Key West
when he could get Miami, for OBJ
vious reasons.
"As for a swimming pool-that
is a private enterprise to be run
for profit; we already have a very
expensive County Beach and q
beach at Duval Street and for the
eight to ten thousand Navy popu-
lation they have three very large,
very expensive, water-consuming
pools. For the city to operate one
maintenance is high-the job
would be political and where would
1t be located TO serve conveniently
a large number.
"Most of these things are luxury
items and with our present debt
and onorous taxation, we cannot
afford them.
aft Mr.. Cobb wants to get be-
hind a project that probably would
be acclaimed and cost very little
in capital and maintenance look in
to the matter of many small fenc-
ed community Fairgrounds to keep
our children from the present haz-
ards and unsatisfactory conditions
incident to playing in the streets" "
Very truly,
Guy Carleton
You have a point, Mr.. Carleton.
And I'm glad you took the time to
make your views known. Myself,
Il I hope that when it comes time
to decide just what is to be done,
the city fathers will throw it up to
referendum, so both of US can
make our wishes known where It
counts-at the polls. Anyone else
got any ideas?
DUAL STREET VIGNETTE:
Things we never knew It'll now
dept: Mrs. Dorothy Williams, wife
Of Navy Ii. James 7. Williams,
24S7 Harris Ave, is a sister to
Miss Katherine Rawls, the swim
ming champ. Mrs. williams, active
in bowling circles here was a
swimmer of note in her hometown
Fort Lauderdale. She even walk
ed off with couple of state titles. .
Scores Of Key West seryicemen
are home for the holidays. For ex-
ample: Donnie Williams. 800 Ashe
Street; erry Doughty. 9Ol Geor-
gia Street: Charles Taylor, 1902
Fleming Street: "Squeakie" Vidal,
926 Truman Avenue; Ralph Hen
riquez, &C Porter Place; Gary
Thompson, Ills Grinnell Street and
Enrique Esperdy, sol Virginia
Street. Police Chief Joe Kemp
is quite a rose gardener as a look
into his yard viii attest. =.