Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 1

Moire Aptios Beach Inn Pictures mi Pages 5, 6 and 12 Guaranteed Paid Circulation of The Sentinel Friday was 17,330 The County teat dally read by more than 50,000. Every edition presents buyers and sellers classified and display advertising news of the area. Weather Report Temperature tor the 24 hour period ending at 8 a.m. today Maximum 58, minimum 32, Monterey Bay Area Fair tonight ynd Tuesday; slowly risinR temperatures; northwest winds 10 to 22 knots, 107th Year-No. 65 Paid Serving Santa Cruz County for More Than 100 Years SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA ir MONDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 18, 1963 Second Class Postage ai Santa Cruz, California Sunday and Daily Excepting Saturday 10c mm Co mm Guests, Spectators Watch Hotel Burn 300 Guests Celebrating St.

Patrick's Day Herded Safely Out Sunday Morning 000, 000 000 Owners Undecided On Future Use Of Site Wr TWsPm 000 By Wally Trabing Aptos Beach inn, the gathering spot for dinner-dancing for the past 30 years in Rio Del Mar, was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning during the height of a St. Patrick's Day celebration. The luck of the Irish held as the some 300 guests were safely herded out of the structure minutes before flames enveloped the ballroom shortly after midnight. About 100 firemen from volunteer fire departments throughout the area fought a losing battle from the beginning, managing only to save part of the west wing which housed most of the 30 rooms. Two Aptos firemen were injured and several overnight guests lost their personal FOURTEEN PAGES urn 000 Executive Should Receive Merit Badge From Girls Santa Cruz Girl Scouts may well end up with merit badges in salesmanship.

They've just about sold out their cookies, and they just started their drive late last week. To meet the urgent demand, the president of the Mother's Cookie company, Floyd Wheat- ley, this morning flew down from San Francisco with 16 cartons of the fast-selling delicacies to stem the Santa Cruz demand stirred up by the Girl Scouts. Wheatlcy flew into Sky Park, aiirport this morning in his own private plane, delivered the cookies to Mrs. James Smith, who heads the local drive, and then flew right back to his cookie factory, presumably to get another batch ready for Santa Cruz' demon "salesgirls." Unidentified Body Found In River The body of an unidentified man was discovered in San Lorenzo river approximately 200 yards below the Riverside bridge, at about 10 a.m. this morning.

Cause for death occurred within 48 hours, was not readily apparent, according to deputy coroner Larry Rawson. He said an autopsy would be conducted. Investigation will be made by Santa Cruz Police Chief Geno Pini. The body, now in Ferguson mortuary, is that of a middle-aged man, 5'5" tall, weighing about 140 pounds. He appears to be an Indian, with a medium to stocky build, and dressed in blue jeans and grey flannel shirt.

000 ballroom. A cocktail waitress came to her table and asked them to leave immediately. She said everyone filed out in an orderly fashion. "There was no panic," she said. In the meantime the fire had been spreading in the attic and between the walls.

Minutes after the last guest had gathered out front of the cliff side hotel, the whole ballroom end seemed to burst into flames, she said. The two injured firemen were Harold Dyer and Dale Stoker, both of Aptos. Chief Dorei said they were hosing in a small room when heat pressure in an adjoining room blew a door open. Both received head burns from the heat blast. Stoker was confined in the Community hospital up to Sunday afternoon.

Dyer was treated by a private physician. Units participating in attempting to save the building were: Aptos, Live Oak, Scotts Valley, Capi-tola, Freedom, Soqucl, Division of Forestry, and a civil defense tanker from Watsonville. Some firemen were still on the scene last evening. Chief Dorei said one of the band members said he had smcll-ed smoke up to 45 minutes before "anything was done about it." Attorney Prim said this morning that, "As far as we are concerned the hotel is a complete loss. We had some insurance on it.

It is partially covered. "I am naturally very disappointed and surprised at the development. We had recently completed re-zoning negotiations and had ob tained what we felt was a very good use for the property. We're hopeful that something might be worked out, but it is too soon to say, because we have not formulated anv The hotel is located on about five acres of land overlooking Monterey bay. Jit v4 rr 1 1 111) Hil 1 (f San Francisco International Bomb Explodes In Airport belongings.

Their rooms were above the lobby. At the height of the fire, flames were seen as far away as Monterey, 17 miles across the bay, and along the coast line to Santa Cruz. The unofficial loss was placed at $400,000 by Wayne Prim, San Francisco attorney and president of the Aptos Beach Development corporation which owned the hotel. The hotel had been under lease to Joe Puddu and Pete Devevi who were converting it into a swim and tennis club. Thousands of persons were drawn into the area, but James H.

Dorei, fire chief for the Aptos volunteers, praised the California Highway patrol and sheriff's units for keeping the area reasonably clear of crowds. Chief Dorei said, "From what we can gather it sounds like the fire started in the exhaust vent above the cooking range, apparently there was an accumulation of grease which caught fire. Wiring may have entered into the cause around the exhaust fan. Grease has a way of deteriorating insulation on wiring." The hotel, which has echoed with music from big bands, society bands, and combos for organization dancing, has also experienced periods of ghostly darkness when business was bad. But it met its end in a high mood with the bar glasses tinkling, the hum of small talk and a hot, fast twist number by the Jimmy Del Porto band.

About 180 Pacific Gas and Electric company employes occupied the main ballroom and about 50 Campbell teachers and their wives were celebrating in an adjacent dining room. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Young, 3541 LaMadrone drive, Aptos, were chairmen of the affair. Mrs.

Young said about five minutes before midnight some smoke could be detected in the That Remains Of heavy tile roof hastened the collapse of the building is flames weakened the supporting timber early yesterday morn- I Fashionable Spot main passenger terminal. Several windows were shattered. Area postal inspector John Van Meter said the explosive apparently was in a package mailed from Korea. "On a basis of the information so far it looks like it might have been a hand grenade a souvenir, you know," said Van Meter. "He (the sender) probably thought it had been deactivated." The blast stopped a nearby clock at 8:20 a.m.

Several of the 50 employes in the room quickly extinguished a small fire. Van Meter said employes handling the package did not seem to know too much about it what flight it arrived or how long it had been in the building. He could not estimate what damage might have been done had the bomb or grenade exploded aboard a plane. "Some of these things may never be clarified," he said as postal and FBI investigators swarmed over the site. The injured were David Bel-bow, 46, Redwood City, and Aptos Beach inn guests who had, a half hour previously, been twisting in the ballroom, stand in awe with others attracted to the scene as the famed hotel exploded in flames just after midnight Sunday.

Water thrown into the inferno by the firemen had little effect as first the roof, then the sides collapsed into rubble. Close to 300 persons were dining and dancing inside, but all walked out without panic. Two firemen were injured in the $400-000 fire which started in the kitchen. Photo by Vester Dick. Costa Rica Gives Kennedy Big Welcome San Jose, Costa Rica (iTi.

Presi dent Kennedy arrived today for a conference of Central American presidents and was given a rip-roaring welcome. Crowds estimated by security officials to total 250,000 lined the capital streets, broke through police lines, crowded around Kennedy's black limousine, and at times halted the cavalcade. The hotel gained considerably fame with its national broadcasts of dance music in the dancing days prior to World War II. It was closed in 1942 after successful operation by Manager Paul Manual. It was leased to the Aptos Hotel company, a group of Watsonville businessmen in 1946 with James White as manager.

Later it was operated by John Perkins. The hotel was re-opened in 1957 as the Aptos Beach Inn by a group of investors who formed the Aptos Beach Development company, including Harry Tellyer, Henry Howard, Wayne Prim, Mrs. Louise Garcia and others. It was initially operated by Peninsula Properties until the formation of the Rio del Mar Country club company in 1935 Even as the Spanish tiles crumpled in the roar of falling roofs and exploding windows, the memory of the hotel will stay alive with nostalgic recollections of wonderful times of not so long ago. Spectacular photographs of the blaze which destroyed the Aptos Beach inn were taken by Vester Dick.

Trini Contreras took the pictures on Page 12 and one on Page fi. The two photos on Page 5 were taken by Vester Dick during the heighth of the fire. All This is all that remains of the onre fashionable Aptos Beach Inn in Rio del Mar. The Post Office Robert Kingman, 42, San Francisco. Belbow lives at 280 1st avenue, Apt.

3. Kingman's address is 1159 Masonic avenue. They were taken to nearby Peninsula Hospital, Burlingame, along with six other employes. Postal spokesmen said Belbow sustained head injuries, cuts, and his glasses were shattered. Kingman received a broken left wrist and cuts on his left side.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined postal inspectors at the scene. Belbow was soon released from the hosiptal. Kingman remained to have his broken wrist put in a cast. FORT ORD HAS SECOND SPINAL MENINGITIS CASE Ft. Ord Pvt.

Louis Holquin, 20, a basic trainee from Coachel-la, died of spinal meningitis at this U. S. army base Sunday less than two hours after he was admitted to the base hospital. It was the base's second spinal meningitis death of the year. gained sufficient recognition at the Rio del Mar hotel to become a celebrated dance orchestra at Las Vegas.

In the earlier days. Ted Fio Rito repeatedly played at the hotel. The hotel was originally built as part of the Rio del Mar development by Monroe, Lyon and Miller, who formed the Peninsula Properties company in 1925, buying more than 3000 acres from the Spreckels family. Earlier it was a part of the 6600-acre Don Rafael Castro, established in 1833. It was acquired by sugar millionaire Claus Spreckels for a summer estate in 1872.

Harold O. Heiner said the initial small hotel was built in 1932 and the building wa expanded with the addition of the dining room, bars and desert room in 1937, opening with a New Year's Eve party. (Earlier, estimates of the hotel construction ranged from 1927 to 1930.) CsS Z2m. ban rranciscn W). An explosion at San Francisco International Airport possibly caused by a souvenir hand grenade from Korea injured two postal employes today.

Six other persons were examined for possible ear damage. The blast was in the overseas mail section of the airport post office, a building next to the Sue Grover Wolf, Pioneer Family Member, Dies Mrs. Sue Grover Wolf, 79, member of a pioneer Santa Cruz family, died yesterday after a long illness. The daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs.

Dwight W. Grover, Mrs. Wolf was born in the family home at 434 Walnut avenue. She was long prominent in Santa Cruz social activities and was an early member of Sigma Alpha chapter of Omega Nu. Her mother, the former Mary Emma Halsted was the daughter of the late James L.

Halsted, well known California political leader. Her father operated the Grover Lumber company. She is survived by her sister, Mrs. Hazel Grover Leonard of 434 Walnut avenue; a cousin, Wilma Staffler of Bonny Doon and an aunt, Mrs. William A.

Doyle. Services will be held at the WeeSendorf Thai Chape! Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock with Rev. Norman H. Snow officiating. Interment will be in the IOOF cemetery.

Inside Today Paee Amusements 7 Classified Section 9-10-11 Comics 8 Editorial Features ...13 Junior Editor 8 Markets -12 Radio and TV Programs 5 Society, Club News 3 Sports 7 Vital Statistitcs -12 Inn Was Once Top Resort In Northern California By Gordon Sinclair As the flames reached into the cold March skies above Aptos Beach Inn late Saturday night. Santa Cruzans begain recalling fond memories of the golden days at the famed Rio del Mar hotel. It was the setting for many a fabulous party from the days of the great depression to the St. Patrick's fete last Saturday night. It was the scene of intimate suppers, of gay parties, of scrumptious dinner dancing.

Perhaps, the inn was in its most golden period when the strains of "Veini Su" floated through the banquet room from the music of Carl Ravazza and his orchestra in the late 1930s. Ravazza gained national fame with his nightly broadcasts from the Rio del Mar hotel. One of his vocalists was the late Carole Landis. Another well known orchestra at the hotel was Joe Suti. Ravazza was followed by Neil Bondshu, formerly a pianist with Ravazza.

Still later Hal Pruden ing. The hotel, which has had its financial ups and downs nvcr the past 30 years, was mak-0 ing a comeback at a swim and racquet club when the fire struck. 0 0 0.