20 Jul 1961
Page 1
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Newspaper
Sarasota News
Location
Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
Date
Jul 20, 1961
Page
1
Cape Canaveral reports grim weather again threatens Gus Grissom’s launch aboard a Redstone rocket. A 50 50 launch probability was given as 5 000 technicians and sailors await a go no go while Grissom rests after a tense countdown and doctors note his strong condition.
President Kennedy prepared to address Western Allies about stern steps to bolster U S military strength against the Soviet Berlin threat. He plans to urge NATO members to raise preparedness and coordinate more closely, with a 30 minute nationwide radio television address Tuesday night and a congressional report the next day. A possible $2 billion to $3 billion defense budget increase and expansion of airborne bombers and sea forces were among expected actions.
West Berlin authorities speed refugee processing as East German evacuees pour in daily. Planes chartered to move refugees across the 110 mile East German standoff to West Germany. Officials aim to shorten processing time from four days to two at Marienfelde center.
London reports iron curtain diplomats grow uneasy as Western resolve sharpens in response to Khrushchev's Berlin ultimatum. Soviet envoys, likely guided from Moscow, increase their soundings at diplomatic receptions to gauge Allied resolve.
President Bourguiba reports French aircraft attack Tunisian forces with bombs and rockets during the Bizerte naval base battle. He cites 33 Tunisian deaths in two days, including 20 at the Bizerte armory, and threatens to cut diplomatic ties and seek UN Security Council action. Paris says Tunisian shelling followed by counter attacks killed and captured soldiers.
Soviet and American officials hailed a breakthrough in the Laos conference in Geneva while warning obstacles remain. The restart of talks followed a decision to end a stalemate and to pursue a neutrality declaration with restricted sessions.
Agriculture Commissioner Doyle Conner ordered Hayden's Hollandaise Sauce removed from Florida store shelves after federal authorities warned it may cause food poisoning. Conner directed retail inspectors to look for the product made in College Point New York.
Administration aides aim to push Kennedy school bill through the House Rules Committee with 319 congressmen backing, covering about 3,800 districts. The impacted areas programs finance construction and maintenance grants, part of the bill, totaling hundreds of millions and facing potential end without a general education measure. The plan hinges on linking continued aid to broader legislation as Senator Morse warns they will end without a general bill. President Kennedy declined to promise a veto on a separate extension, urging lawmakers to seek a comprehensive education package.
Francis Stilley reports on Evan Esar’s view that American humor, not force, could undermine Soviet influence during the cold war. Esar argues jokes and satire travel abroad, making communism look weak and spreading anti communist sentiment in nations like India. He cites quips about elections and free speech as decisive tools.
Brief unreadable fragment shows a local newspaper back page classified section with spots for comics editorial entertainment and sports. No readable names dates or events available.
General Douglas MacArthur returns to Washington for a private lunch with President Kennedy to discuss U.S. policy toward the Philippines and broad Cold War issues. Sources say he may urge preferential ally status for the Philippines, completing WWII damage payments, and a strategy favoring air power and potential atomic options over large ground forces, plus firmness on Berlin.
A 12 man investigating team is examining lightning as the possible cause of Argentina's worst air disaster. Sixty seven people perished when an Argentine Airlines DC6 crashed near Azul amid heavy rain and there were no survivors. An American victim was Wilbur Taylor, an Oklahoma oilman employed by Loffland Brothers Drilling Company of Caracas. Witnesses said the four engine plane was struck by lightning and one engine was on fire as it went down.
Ex convict William Estes Benson admitted the 1937 New London school explosion story was a hoax. He claimed he loosened gas pipes to get back at the principal for scolding him about smoking. He signed a Dallas statement denying any pipe loosening under New London High School.
The Plaza Restaurant marks 32 years serving Sarasota residents with consistent dining in a longtime local spot. Owner-operator reflects on growth and community ties as regular customers celebrate this milestone.
A Charleston cloudburst sent 12 bodies recovered and four missing as 5.14 inches of rain fell in four hours. Homes, hillsides, and gas lines were swept away, with 200 families displaced and 30 injured as rescue boats operated at dawn.
Heavy rains and strong winds from the midweek storm knocked out telephone service in seven Sarasota sections. General Telephone Co. crews worked to restore lines, with repair teams deployed across areas from 40th Street to Palmer Boulevard.
A tramp steamer discharged 15 tons of heavy oil into Milwaukee harbor after a seaman accidentally opened the wrong valve. The incident disrupted oily waters for hours before containment. In England, the Marquis of Hertford reports securing his library books against theft by wiring down the shelves during visits.
Sampson the Labrador retriever is the Coast Guard patrol boat mascot in Cleveland harbor. Crew members questioned his duty quals after he fell overboard when the pilot suddenly advanced the throttle and had to be rescued.
A New York store sells an indoor outdoor electronic golf computer measuring 9 by 14 feet. It analyzes how far a driven ball would travel if it went true, sliced, or hooked. The device costs $1,595.
Real estate ad promotes FHA home loans from Sarasota Federal with as low as 3 percent down. Highlights include low monthly payments and low interest rates. Contact number 955 1161 provided.
The San Juan Weather Bureau reports a low in the southeastern Caribbean has become the season’s first tropical storm named Anna with winds up to 60 mph near the center and gale winds extending in both semicircles. It lies about 500 miles south-southeast of San Juan and moves west to west-northwest at 17 mph with uncertain future track. Coastal Venezuela islands Curacao Bonaire Aruba should monitor alerts and small craft along the southern Leewards and Venezuelan coast should stay in port.
Locally heavy rainfall of at least two inches was forecast for much of Florida's upper Gulf coast as a diminishing northeast Gulf low persisted. No tropical development expected. Thunderstorms hit Tampa Bay and Jacksonville areas with dawn temps in the 70s, highs expected in the 80s and 90s. Kensington Park hosts Cavalcade of Homes from 8 a.m. to dusk with prices starting at 11,950 dollars and a 375 dollar down payment.
President Kennedy marks six months in office amid questions about achievements. Associated Press reporters John Hightower and Jack Bell note the progress and challenges Kennedy faces as his term continues.
Real estate notice promotes Bayshore Gardens homes near US 41 with shopping center plans and extended shop hours from morning until dark.
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