Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 12A

12A TODAY, Sunday, December Zt, 1174 UNEMPLOYMENT, TAXES CLIMB Economy Woes Top Headlines IT STORlESJy DAVID HEATH TODAY IMfl IW Economic developments were the big news for Brevard in 1974 gas shortages coupled with high gas prices, growing unemployment and a time of increased property taxation. Building density, natural and man made damage to our our beaches as well as a controversy as to what's considered proper beach attire, also headed the list of major news events. The gasoline aspect of the energy crisis reached its peak imF ,,,,1 'HpP TOOAY Flwta EMPTY TANKS, LONG AUTO LINES OPENED THE YEAR gasoline shortage has eased, but prices remain high Energy Crisis Hit Gas, Utilities Dollar Aq energy crisis as the year began gave way to staggering unemployment as Brevard entered the final weeks of 1974. Last winter Brevard's landscape was cluttered with long lines of cars, as gas hungry motorists as long as two hours for fillups during Jhe energy crisis. At times police had to move waiting cars out of streets motorists apparently feared they'd be caught without fuel and during February stations often sold their daily fuel allotments by noon or earlier.

There were unconfirmed accusations of overcharging, and some dealers finally managed to eliminate the linesland TOOAY Pltvt BERNARD EUGENE GILES. 21 confessed to murdering six girls Giles Slayings Shock Citizens During the closing days of 1973 a bizarre story Ibegan Its first chapter. First one body, and ultimately six bodies, were discovered in orange grovesand other wooded areas' in North Brevard: six young women, some of them raped, all dead from strangulation, gunshots or knife wounds. Dec. 11, 1973, was Bernard Eugene Giles, 21, an unemployed electrician's helper from Mims.

Public outcry, mostly from the victims' families, extensive press coverage, caused Giles' trial for the murder of 18 year old Nancy Gerry to be moved to Sanford. Giles maintained his innocence Jar several on April 25 he pleaded guilty tojhe Gerry slaying. Circuit Judge. Volie Williams found himself in a quandary: in his 18, years on the rjehch he'd never sentenced a person to execution. "When I meet my maker, I don't want justice I want mercy," Williams Said, and withheld sentencing while ordering Giles to be sent to the state mental hospital in Chattahoochee as a mentally disordered sex offender.

Also at the end of April, Giles was charged in the stangulatlon of 22 year old Paula Hamric. But on Ju ly 27 he confessed not only to that killing, but to three others as well. Krista Melton, 14, Jan Bennett, 17 (both of Mims), and 14 year old Sharon Wimer of Titusville all hitchhiking and picked up iy GilesTwere the other victims. Giles said he killed the five young women during various times from Sept. Oct 1973.

Circuit Judge David Strawn, saying inten tionls that he never' get out of jay," sentenced him on Aug. 13 to four consecutive life terms. congestion by selling on an appointmentappointment only basis. Some dealers required minimum purchases, others set maximums. An alternate day rationing plan such as Oregon's was proposed but never carried through.

Numbers of motorists ap; parently hoarded gas during the worst times, engaging in what a few dealers called buying" In response to news media accounts of the nation's fuel shortage. "Everyone wants to be the get the last drop of gas," Merritt Island station owner John Ramsey said at the time, adding that one driver actually tried to get a 15 cent fillup on his credit card. But by the end of March the shortage had eased and prices climbed to 60 cents a gallon or higher. Dealers, consumer groups and some politicians charged that the gasoline industry fabricated the shortage to get prices up and run independents out of business. This winter season gas is plentiful and the cost of it still high.

As gas prices rose, so did the cost of electricity. Florida Power Light passed on the increasing cost of fuel through the now Infamous fuel adjust ment charge. FP4L gets its fuel from Exxon, via Venezuela. And thar'country followed Arab oil barons In frequently hiking the cost per barrel during the year. Citizens protested the fuel adjustment, not simply because of the sharp rise In electricity bills but because they suspected utility companies, were passing on to consumers more than just fuel costs.

POWER. Inc. was. JormaL by consumer advocates, and its Brevard chapter staged several demonstrations at local Exxon gas stations. The picketings and a Titusville rally were sparsely attended; the state.

Supreme Court in early 'December dismissed POWER'S request for, an investigation of fuel adjustment charges. But Brevard POWER'S outgoing president, Sandy Brunei, insisted shortly before moving to Indiana earlier this month that the organization had begun to get support and would continue to fight fuel adjustment policies. businesses have closed pr cut back as a result of inflation and "unemployment. Two beneficiaries of the situation, however, have been the, military and the citrus industry." The local Army recruiter reported his December quota was filled before mid month. And growers have had more than enough willing pickers.

As a Brevard agriculture official said, "Some people may consider plckingymenlal, but at least it's work! during the winter months early In 1974. At the end of February, everywhere one went there were extended lines of tars waiting to.be filled with the rare commodity. Charges of hoarding by frightened motorists, and of deception by the oil companies filled the air. By March the pinch had eased and gas buying returned almost to normal with perhaps one significant difference: Gas is readily available and Is expected to be plentiful throughout this winter, but at premium prices that have dropped only slightly since the shortage that began the year. As if this weren't headache enough, during the summer it became painfully apparent to many Brevard property owners that they were going to have to pay a lot more ad valorem taxes than in past yecrs.

Reassessment to full value required by state law was done last summer, and although some land owners got tax relief, the howls from those having to pay significant Increases were loud and long. To top it off, in the past few months there has been a drastic jump in the county's unemployment rate. In November the national percentage of people out of work was 6.S, highest in the nation since 1961. Florida's rate was 7.1. But 10 3 percent aboik 9, 000 persons were' out of work in Brevard, a rate that, had Brevard been part of a survey taken of 150 population centers around the country, would have put the county second in the nation.

LAND USE and building density, issues that relate both to economics and environment, brought heated debate in two Central Brevard beach towns. Of greater prominence was the March density referendum in Cocoa Beach. Pushed by the Citizens' League, voters approved limiting density in residential building to IS units an 'Re elect' Tickets Win Out year elections joL 1974 were tduted as being "the voters' chance to throw the rascals out. Watergate related matters and the nation's staggering economy did leave many politicians around the country particularly Republicans out of work. But in Brevard the most noteworthy thing about the election was that voters went completely counter to the trend: every incumbent running for countywide office was re elected.elected.

Perhaps the most significant victory was that of Winter Park's Lou who trounced his opponent and got re elected to" the U.S. Congress. Some political analysts have noted that even though Frey's opponent was little known before, during and after the election the 3 1 margin looked impressive for a Republican in the year of heavy national Republican losses. In the State Senate Dist. 16 race Lori Wilson, Cocoa won easily over two challengers.

And Jane Robinson of Merritt Island and Chester Clem of Vera, Beach, both Republicans, also won re election as representatives, of Districts 46 and 48, respectively, Two new faces in the new Legislature will be Dave Bar rett. Democrat from Diiu 44, and Republican Clark Maxwell Jr. from Dist. 43, long known to Brevardians for his terms on the school board and past chairmanship of that body. Two county commissioners 'both Democrats kept their seats: Dist.

John Hurdle and Lee Wenner from Dist. 4. Brevard's School Board be came all Democratic this fall. First, Bud Gardner from Dist 1 was re elected in the September primary and faced no Republican opposition, Gloria DIFablo from Dist. 9 won.

the scat while Charlie. Goodrich from Dist. 3 took over Maxwell's vacated position, A Space Coast acre, and 40 an acre for motelshotels. Developers and others who felt threatened economically by the referendum formed the Concerned Citizens and Taxpayers of Cocoa Beach, claiming lowered density would drop property values, raise taxes and cause a building boom before the law could take effect. On the latter point, at least, the Concerned Citizens were right: Just before the referendum the city's planning and zoning board approved bjdfld ing permits or 850 condominiums valued at $25 40 million.

Those favoring lowered density stressed fears the city would be turned Into another Fort Lauderdale If housing weren'jt limited. And their view overwhelmingly prevailed. With 66 percent of registered voters turning out one of the highest voting percentages' in the city's history the referendum passed, 2,400 671. A similar density referendum passed in Cape Canaveral In 1973, but was overturned in August through a court suit by developers. In that case, however, the lowered density is still on the books because Cape Canaveral's City Council passed an ordinance similiar to the referendum.

The court action Is still under appeal. Cape Canaveral has had another problem in recent years. Because jetties were1 tjuilt north of the city in 1964, Its beach has suffered continued erosion so that in some spots at high tide there were no more than a few feet of sand separating water from the dune lines. This situation was to be corrected by the dumping of 2 million cubic yards of sand ob tainea from the dredging operation at Port Canaveral nwthe Trident submarine basin. That project started in April but was discontinued for five weeks in August and September.

Not long afterward a northeaster battered the coast for three days, knocking out a wall In, the locally known Ap plegate house, already sitting perilously close to the sea. Hundreds of workers sandbagged the beach, but subsequent requests for federal disaster relief were denied. City Manager Bert Francis said if the sandfill had continued on schedule there would have been a 150 foot buffer of sand when the storm hit. There wasn't. But the restoration continued In November toward an eventual 400 feet of sand.

MEANWHILE, back In Cocoa Beach the citizenry was split over another sun and sand issue: should women be allowed to go topless on the city's beaches? Although more or less unnoticed for several years and practiced by a relatively small number of women, the issue surfaced during the summer. "I believe that a woman's breast was meant to be covered," said Mrs. Lee Gagnon, a leader in the Cocoa Beach coverup movement. On the other side, led by topless dancer Cindy Mills, were those who claimed hat the anti topless forees threatened civil liberties. Mayor Lee Caron suggested two compromises: either set aside part of the beach for mono kinied sunbathers, or "we'll Just have them cover one (breast).

But In "a November referendum city voters decided 1,637 1,378 to keep the bare facts hidden. While all this was going on, Cocoa Beach alsp hired and fired a city manager. William Williams rode in from the' West in July to take the $20, 600 a year post, then departed for points unknown in early November Questionable activities many involving use of city funds in places he'd previously worked came to light conccr ning Williams, despite a pre hiring Investigation for the cl ty by the Wackenhuf Corp. After several TODAY stories and a fact finding trip by Police Chief, Bruce'Parsons, Williams was fired Nov 4 The 1974 elections dominated the news for several months, and perhaps the most significant aspect to the elections was that unlike the pattern in some states, incumbents weren't thrown out of office. In fact, every incumbent running in countywide elec tions was returned to his or her seat.

Major league football came to Central Florida in 1974, but the ill fortuned Florida Blazers vt the World Football League may never recover from their chaotic first year. An attempt by would be financial backers, fronted by some Brevardians, has resulted in controversy and yet more jokes about the fledgling league. AND sensational crime made news once again. Most noteworthy were the "orange grove murders" in which the bodies of several young worn; en were found in wooded areas of North Brevard. A 21 year old Mims man, Bernard Eugene Giles, was arrested 'and subsequently admitted to the murders.

But another murder on south Merritt Island has yet to be solved. Retired Col. John K. Docnges and his daughter apparently found burglars1 in their home June 12. The daughter escaped when she heard gunshots, but Doenges was fatally wounded.

Despite police roadblocks the suspect vehicle escaped from the area, and the Investigation continues. About two weeks later 16 year old Cynthia Howell was found raped and strangled, also on Merritt Arrested in September, a former high school basketball star pleaded guilty Nov. 19. Rodney E. Callahan agreed to a second degree murder charge, but State Atty.

Abbott Herring asked the court to sentence Callahan to life in prison. A big diamond heist occurred north of Cocoa last week. Some $500,000 in jewels and $20,000 in cash were stolen from Globe Distributors. Police investigators called it a professional job, and the culprits are still being sought And in August a man wearing a Halloween mask hit the Mims branch of First Federal Savings and Loan. A search failed to come up with the two suspects, who got away with an estimated $13,000.

I SAT HHPBi Kb TOOr Wlr.lt, WFL's Florida Blazers Team Now Crippled From Lack of Funds Local Support Spells Bad News for Blazers The Florida Blazers should have been playlnglnThoenix. Born in the nation's capital," reborn In Norfolk.Va., and again in Orlando before the season began, the World Football League team overcame growing adversities. Unpaid and unwanted, they came within two pouitsof Joining Muhammed All, Hank Aaron and Lou Brock for being the biggest, sports story of the year, And it wasn't Just because they were the second best team in a new league that some longtime gridiron watchers considered superior to the American Football League's first year. Their story is a big orie because they played well from September through the World Bowl' without being paid, while the team's owenrship crumbled for lack of funds and mismanagement all too typicaUl other WFL teams. Then, while the team's owner and man aging general partner were busy suing each other and the league, came the big shot in the arm; A group of investors, fronted by two Brevardians, flashed a $1.5 million check during a playoff halftime, money that, purported to be a small part ofsome $500 millionjrom slill unknown sources and that would save not only the Blazers but the WFL, But hard cash didn't, appear more bad news did.

XJie league rejected the buyers' original offer' of a loan to the WFL. Then It was revealed that Manning Taylor of Cocoa Beach, oneof the Investors, had been paroled'from ieaerai prjson in August on interstate auto ineu cnarges. Rumors flew that the $500 million was Arab oil' money from Swiss banks, which Cocoa Beach investment broker Robert Prentice and Taylor somehow got wind of. But the biggest blow came a few weeks ago, when the $1.5 million check, bounced and It was revealed that the account from which jt was to be drawn in a Nashville bank had a balance of only $1,000, Allegedly a few Brevard investors have lost money on In the meantime, a grarid Jury in Orlatfdo investigated the case, one question being whether fraud was committed against the players through the bogus check, which backers said would ber used to pay the Blazers. Members of the WFL's second best team did get a check last week a few hundred dollars each as their share from the World Bowl.

And Mananine General Partner Rnmmip Loudd, who for years tried to get a professional football club into Central Florida, not only lost his position with the team last week but also was arrested on embezzlement charges because of another check that bounced written to pay state sales taifes. With the Taylor Prentice' connection much 'in doubt and with onlyhree or four solvent WFL teams, the league itself faces becoming like the Phoenix just a myth, and a memory, TT.