Have you ever wondered what life was like in Jacksonville half a century ago? It was a different era of history, culture and politics but there are often parallels between the kind of stories that made headlines then and today. As interesting as the differences may be, so are the similarities. These are some of the top stories from this week in 1963. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library's periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• Mayor Haydon Burns ordered a crackdown on throwing objects into the St. Johns River that were becoming a hazard to navigation.
Burns' action came after the City's new $90,000 fireboat was damaged when it struck a submerged object during a test run.
He said damage was estimated at $6,000, but the vessel fortunately had not officially been delivered to the City. Insurance provided by Gibbs Shipyards Inc., which converted the former U.S. Navy patrol boat into a fireboat, would cover the damage, Burns said.
He said the fire department would soon inaugurate a set of strict regulations regarding littering in the waterway.
"Whatever it takes, we are going to stop this abuse of throwing debris in the river. If it had been a private yacht, the accident could have been the end of a $30,000 or $40,000 piece of equipment," said Burns.
Acting Fire Chief G.R. Cromartie said the City already had ordinances covering the situation and he would direct the fire marshal's office to take steps to better enforce the regulations.
• City Park Superintendent John Rogers said birds were "waging chemical warfare" on the trees in Hemming Park.
Rogers told the City Commission that for the previous 10 years, the City had been fighting a losing battle to save the trees from damage by starlings.
Rogers said one last-ditch effort would be made by applying a new material to a large live oak tree near the northwest side of the bandstand. He said if the strategy didn't work, the tree would be dead within two years.
"I am sure you are aware of the potency of the droppings of these birds, as the droppings on the parked cars have removed the paint therefrom. These same droppings have been the primary cause of the loss of trees in Hemming Park," said Rogers.
He explained to the commission that several trees had been removed from the park over the protests of people who complained that eliminating the trees made the park no longer "an attractive, shady place to rest."
• Jacksonville attorney Fred Kent submitted his resignation as chairman and member of the State Junior College Board.
The resignation followed a blistering indictment by Kent of local school officials and legislators who he said "played at politics" at the expense of the junior college system.
He said politics prevents the junior colleges from being detached from local control and put directly under state control. They were being treated, he said, as the 13th and 14th grades of the public school system.
Kent said he was resigning because the powers of the board needed to be broadened to be effective and he wanted to avoid any implication he was seeking the powers for himself.
Junior colleges were institutions of higher learning and should be financed entirely by the state like universities, he said.
• A family outing to Little Swan Lake was peaceful until 17-month-old Betsy Browning drank the charcoal lighter fluid.
At that point, the day became hectic until an emergency helicopter flight dropped off the child in the backyard of Baptist Memorial Hospital, where her stomach was pumped.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Browning of 8814 Norfolk Blvd. were with their three daughters at a cottage along the lake. It was just another day until someone spotted Betsy holding an open can of lighter fluid.
"She didn't seem to get upset, but there was no doubt in our minds she had been drinking it. She smelled to high heaven of lighter fluid," said Charles Browning.
He quickly bundled his daughter into the car and headed to the nearest doctor's office, but about seven miles from Starke, the car's fan belt broke.
"All I could think of at that moment was what a long walk it was going to be, but no sooner had I stopped than someone pulled up and asked if he could help. He drove us to Starke," Browning said.
After examining the child, the doctor decided the patient immediately needed to be taken to a hospital to have her stomach pumped to avoid any complications.
Browning said he "dreaded to even think of a long drive to Jacksonville," so he decided to take drastic action.
He called the Air Traffic Control Center at Hilliard, where he was employed, and asked if they could arrange for him a helicopter. Fortunately, one was available and flew to Starke to pick up the patient and fly her and her father to the hospital in Jacksonville.
Betsy was admitted for observation in satisfactory condition.