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Cobble HillTenants TakeCase to CourtTenants in a Cobble Hill building face legal action as their rent strike enters its fourth week. Meyer Strauss, a resident of 186 Amity Street, was in Housing Court on August 23 facing dispossess proceedings, and four others will' appear in State Supreme Court today, Thursday, fighting an injunction which orders them to take down a sign that says %u201c rent strike.%u2019%u2019In the August 23 proceedings, a counter-suit was filed by the tenants, charging the building%u2019s owner, Amity Court, Inc., with failure to supply basic services. Assemblyman Mike Pesce of the 52nd A.D. acted as counsel for the tenants. The case was adjourned until October 2nd.On August 23, both sides will argue in Supreme Court over the legality of the sign. Martin Baumrind, an agent for the property, says the lease strictly prohibits tenants from putting any sort of signs in their windows, and that the large %u201c rent strike%u201d sign has caused him %u201cirreparable damage.%u201d The tenants argue that the lease is not applicable since management has broken it in not making %u201cnecessary repairs.%u201dThe strike started on August 1 after tenants had complained that many of the buildings problems, including mice, holes in ceilings and floors, frequent boiler breakdowns and dimly lit halls, had received little action.Baumrind says he has offered to make all necessary repairs, and that the tenants refuse to allow him to do so. The tenants, in turn, say he has promised to have contractors do work before, but workmen never actually showed up. Tenants also says that they don%u2019t have time to wait for contractors any more, especially since they are already missing days from work to appear in court. They want %u201c concrete proof%u2019%u2019 that a contractor has actually been hired to do the work, and not just called in to make estimates.%u2014D.H.RichmondGiffordFace to FaceCongressman Fred Richmond and former Deputy Schools Chancellor Bernard Gifford, Democratic primary opponents for the Democratic nomination for Brooklyn%u2019s 14th Congressional District, will debate on television this Sunday, August 27.The candidates will appear on channel 4%u2019s noontime %u201c Here and Now%u201d show and speak on issues in this Democratic primary race. Although the two candidates have met on other occasions, including local %u201ccandidates%u2019 nights,%u201d the TV debate will mark the first %u2018head to head%u201d debate since Gifford declared his candidacy in June.Landmarks OKsEastern ParkwayThe City Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated Eastern Parkway from Grand Army Plaza to Ralph Aven \\e as a scenic landmark. Lenore Norman, executive director of the Commission, says the designation was made because the Parkway is %u201c an example of innovative urban planning.%u201dIt was the first parkway in thiscountry and was planned by architects Ohmstead and Volks as part of a %u201c chain of green%u201d , along with Prospect Park and Ocean Parkway. Norman also said it was hoped that the designation would act as a %u201c unifying force%u201d for troubled Crown Heights, through which the Parkway passes.In other Brooklyn matters, the Commission denied developer Bruce Eichner%u2019s request to add three doors on the ground floor of the east bay and change the bay material from masonry to metal in 222 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn Heights. It approved the conversion of a ground floor store in 190 Dean Street, Boerum Hill, to a residence and tabled discussion on the demolition of a one-story front in 140 Bergen Street, Boerum Hill, to be replaced by a two-story garage until a more thorough presentation, including an architectural drawing, is made.Exlax ConvertUnder WayThe conversion of Atlantic Avenue%u2019s Exlax building into 57 cooperative loft living units has begun.A spokesman for Recycling for Housing Partnership, sponsors of the project at 423 Atlantic Avenue, estimated it will take approximately ten months until construction is completed. Demolition began this week.The lofts will be sold in four to five months. In the meantime, a prospectus is being prepared, which will then be sent to the Attorney General for approval.LEAA Grant toCommunityThe Williamsburg-Greenpoint Coalition of Community Organizations has received a $247,973 LEAA grant, which will enable the Coalition to publicize anti-crime programs of the 83rd, 90th and 94th Police Precincts.Coalition president Neil Sheehan said that an Anti-Crime Program will begin in early December and will sponsor, among other projects, weekly %u201c Senior Citizen Nights%u201d at local centers. Cooperation between youth and the elderly will also be encouraged to revitalize the McCarren and Cooper Park areas.The federal grant, procured with the help of Congressman Fred Richmond, will also provide for installation of intercoms and buzzers in apartment buildings, the painting of identification numbers on buildings and the production of an educational anti-arson film.West IndianDay Carnival SetThe annual WEst Indian-American Day Carnival will be held once again this year in the parking lot area of the Brooklyn Museum, starting on September 1 and culminating in a Carnival-Parade along Eastern Parkway on Labor Day.%u201c Carnival Festival 78%u201d opens on September 1 at 7:30 pm in the Museum%u2019s Theater-In-The-Back, with Ole Mas competitions, limbo dancing, bottle dancing, steel bands and the Islanders Dance Troupe ($5). on Saturday and Sunday, 1-4 p.m., a Kiddies Carnival will be held and at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday the Steel Band Panorama takes stage, including the Panorama Dance Troupe, fire eaters, Queens of the Band Contest, limbo dancing and more ($6). The galaCONGRESSMAN FRED R IC H M O N Drecently received re-election endorsement fromthe United Jewish Organizations of W illiamsburg. Making the announcement are (left toright) Andor Weiss, spokesman of the VenaCommunity; Rep. Richmond; Rabbi LeopoldLefkowitz, president and official spokesman forthe Satmar Community; and Rabbi JuliusTemplar, leader and spokesman for the PupaCommunity. Richmond meets his opponent,Bernard Gifford, in a television debate onAug. 27, at noon on Channel 4.i %u25a0< %u00bb %u2018 ,Dimanche Gras will be held on Sunday, at 7:30 p.m., with celebrities, a reggae contest, La Tropical Dance Co., Calypso Rose, calypso contest and the grand finale ($8). The free Labor Day festival and parade on September 4, from Albany Avenue to Washington Avenue on Eastern Parkway, starts at 10:30 a.m. and includes jumps, dances, floats, music, clowns, costumes and more. For information and reservations call 772-5709; or 783-4469.Call Now For School UseSchedules for the use of neighborhood schools by community groups are being compiled now for the 1978-79 school year. Any neighborhood group interested in reserving time in Brooklyn schools or consultation on that subject should contact Dennis Cheteyan at the Children%u2019s Youth and Development Service, 788-4800.FDIC WillStudy BrooklynThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) plans to run an eight-week study of real estate in Brooklyn. The study has been deemed necessary because of the large number of challenges to bank branch applications in Brooklyn. Under the federal Community Re-Investment act, branch applications can be denied if it is shown that the bank does not invest enough money in its neighborhood.BUG Gets Rate Hike QKAn administrative law judge has recommended that the state Public Service Commission authorize The Brooklyn Union Gas Company to increase its rates, but only by about two-thirds of the amount sought by the utility.In a 69-page decision, Administrative Law Judge Walter T. Moynihan held that the Brooklyn utility had justified an increase in revenues of $35.5 million annually, rather than the $51.1 million it had claimed it required.The increase would be achieved by increasing the monthly minimum charge for nearly all customers to $5, up from $3.79 currently. The remainder would come from a new rate based on a uniform number of cents per unit.Traditionally, the commission follows the recommendations of administrative judges, but has until the end of November to reach a final decision. Copies of the recommendation were sent to parties in the case for reply.Moynihan%u2019s decision resolved 33 separate issues, nearly all of which were raised by the commission staff, which represents the consumer interest in rate cases.He said that the utility had justified a greater return on its investment in its physical plant, recommending that it be allowed to earn 10.25 per cent on the facility, including 13.98 per cent on the portion owned by stockholders. In its last rate case, Brooklyn Union Gas was allowed a 13.75 per cent return on common equity.Albee MallPlans MovingDemolition of Brooklyn%u2019s downtown Albee Theatre, to make way for construction of a proposed $16 million mall will begin next week, according to a spokesman for the project%u2019s financers, Rentar, Inc.Interior preparatory work for demolition has already begun, according to Felice Bassin, vicepresident of Rentar, Inc.The Albee Square Mall will contain 80 stores on three levels. Two levels will be for stores selling merchandise and the other level will be strictly devoted to fast-food shops and restaurants. There willtw> a W l-cnnw narlrino oaraop. - * r