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N e w s b r ie fs :Subways Geta FaceliftNineteen Brooklyn subway stations are among 84 selected by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for a $10 million facelifting between now and next spring.Plans unveiled by Mrs. Phyllis Cerf Wagner, chairperson of the MTA's Aesthetics Committee, call for improvements including painting, better lighting, increased platform sealing, restoration of worn wooden handrails and replacement of glass panes and doors where required.MTA Chairman Harold Fisher said money for the program is coming from the Transit Authority%u2019s operating budget and from increased farebox revenues due to growth in rapid transit ridership.The Brooklyn stations are: DeKalb Avenue, Hoyt Street, Nevins Street, Hoyt-Schermerhorn, 4th Avenuc-9th Street, Prospect Park, Beverly Road, Cortelyou Road, Brighton Beach, Newkirk Avenue, Suiter Avenue, Nostrand Avenue-Fastci n Parkway, Church Avenue, Rockaway Parkway, Sutter Avenue-C .mai'sie, Livonia Avenue, East 105th Street, and Myrtle-Wyckull.Bank RevampEast Flatbush redlining group Bank-on-Brooklyn met Tuesday evening, September 19, with the regional director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission to discuss bank branching procedures and the Greater New York Savings Bank%u2019s branch application in general.Bank-on-Brooklyn opposes Greater New York%u2019s application to open a branch at 401 East 7th Street, Manhattan, because the bank allegedly does not make enough investment money available to its home community. The bank has received state approval on the application and is awaiting federal approval.Bank branching criteria will be revamped by a new federal law scheduled to go into effect in November. The Community Reinvestment Act calls for a review of a bank's lending practices before approval is given to open a new branch.Greater New York was allowed to pass the state banking department under the old law. %u2018%u2018We want to make sure this doesn%u2019t happen on the federal level,%u201d says Bank-onBrooklyn co-chairperson Diane Moogan.JFK CommutingPains EndOne of the city's biggest commuting headaches will be relieved starting this Saturday, August 23, when Brooklyn travelers to Kennedy Airport will be able to get there for $3.50 via* the %u201c JFK Express%u201d from the Jay $t.-Borough Hall street subway stop.With the exception of %u2018 opening clay,%u201d the new schedule calls for service from the Brooklyn station every 20 minutes starting at 6:25 a.m. and running through 10:25 p.m. daily and from 6:20 a.m. to 10:25 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with some 45 minutes %u201c door to door%u201d time alloted. The running time from the Borough Hall station to the Howard BeachJFK station is some 28 minutes,with liie loiai r u n n i n g iuiic **o r%u00bblr c fraufllpfcwill pay $3.50 one way: 50 cents to get into the subway station and an additional $3 on the train itself. On the return trip, from the airport to Brooklyn and Manhattan, passengers will pay the $3.50 on the train. The fare includes transfer to and from terminal busses at the Howard Beach train stop.The JFK Express will start at 6 a.m. at the Avenue of the Americas and 57th Street and will make the following stops: Rockefeller Center; Avenue of the Americas at 42nd Street; Avenue of the Americas at 34th Street; West 4th Street-Washington Square; Chambers Street-World Trade Center; Broadway-Nassau Street; and Jay Street-Borough Hall. --J.L.Manhattan BridgePlaza OpensTo commemorate the renovation and reopening of the Brooklyn side of the Manhattan Bridge Plaza, a crowd of about one hundred gathered on September 7 for ceremonies which included ribbon cutting and tree planting. The $500,000 project, which was completed at $40,000 under budget, has been in the planning stages for about three years by the Bridge Plaza %u201cAction 12%u201d Block Association.The ceremonies, headed by Councilman from the 29th C.D., Abe Gerges, began at 11 a.m. at Flatbush Avenue Extension and Concord Street with a performance by the Riversiders Kiddettes Drum and Bugle Corps. Gerges called the Plaza%u2019s renovation %u201cone of the many projects leading toward the total renovation of the area as well as all of Brooklyn.\step towards the reopening of the Manhattan Bridge walkway, pending the determined safety of the Bridge. In addition, the plaza will be used as an %u201cextended campus%u201d for the New York Community College which previously had no campus. The college will be responsible for the Plaza%u2019s upkeep.The Plaza, which now consists of benches and street lights, was %u201cin absolute desolation,%u201d according to Anne Faulkner of the Downtown Brooklyn Development Association, because of construction that was done on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.Cobble TowersGroundbreakingGroundbreaking for the $3.4-million renovation of Cobble Hill Towers is set for Tuesday, September 26 at 11 a.m.The Towers, at Hicks and Warren Streets, comprise a 102- year-old, nine-building complex which has landmark status. The renovation will last 16 months and affect 187 housing units.Mayor Koch is expected to attend the ceremony.15 SchoolSpectacularSalute toSmithStreetBY PETER HALEYThe whack of hands hitting congas and hundreds of hands clapping were the beat behind Sunday%u2019s Latin Festival as thousands jammed Smith Street from Butler to Atlantic Avenue to hear top Latin music stars perform in the street.The Festival was sponsored by the Merchants Association of Smith Street, who were hosts to the largely Hispanic crowd. Lo ,al stores and vendors provided Hispanic delicacies like alcapurrias, pastellitos, and bacalaitos, as well as plenty of beer, soda, and Pina Coladas to wash it all down. The Latin Festival had two stages of music and one boxing ring, with several bouts put on by the Luna Boxing Club while the crowds moved from one event to the other during the sunny afternoon.Tito Puente, the %u201c King%u201d himself, performed, and the fiftyish %u201ctimbalero%u201d (timbales are a set of twin small drums and two cowbells) had the packed crowd moving with his renditions of both old and new favorites. %u2018%u2018Oye Como Va%u201d and longtime Latin classics competed with salsa-fied versions of Stevie Wonder%u2019s %u2018%u2018Isn%u2019t She Lovely/Music Is%u201d and disco hits like %u2018%u2018Star Wars%u201d and %u201c Copacabana%u201d . Puente proved once again why he is champion of the timbales and rattled his sticks off the drums like a machine gun, leading his eight piece bandFood jCuiccio Photo].through salsa tunes.Bobby Rodriguez and Company, one of the top rising %u201c young%u201d bands, followed Puente and had their own corner at Pacific and Smith. The Rodriguez band has a number of hits including some English crossover songs like %u201c What Happened.%u201d A strong horn section led by fine trombone and trumpet playing mixed with the strongest conga and drums team seen all afternoon had couples mamboing in the streets.Angel Canales, Charanga Novedades, and Pete %u201c El Conde%u201d Rodrigues brought their music to the people and had their share of aficionados also.Among those elated with the festival%u2019s success and overwhelming response was Sal DiMattrei, head of the Smith Streetreef Fair [MichaelMerchants Association and owner of Jerry%u2019s clothing store, who was already talking about next year.%u201c In about a week we%u2019ll evaluate today%u2019s festival and start planning for next year,%u201d said DiMattrei. %u201c But the Festival has been a big success.%u201dAiding the merchants was Smith Street%u2019s Cobble Hill Service Center, whose staff helped put the Festival together, and according to deputy director Vinnie Dolan, the behind the scenes coordination contributed to its success.%u2018 %u2018The key to the whole thing was that the Festival was diversified,%u201d said Dolan. %u201c We had events in different places along Smith Street, so it moved right along and as far as I%u2019m concerned we provided more entertainm entthan any street fair in the city.%u201dMethodist Hospital Rehab Plan ApprovedBY MARTHA DOGGETTThe Office of Health Systems Management of the New York State Department of Health has approved P a rt 1 of the rehabilitation plan for Park. Slope%u2019s Methodist Hospital.Phase A, scheduled to run from October to February, includes remodeling of the operating suite and I he pediatric and psychiatric departm ents. The emergency room will be expanded to include a walk-in clinic designed to improve non-emergency care. Finally, a natural childbirth room will be added to the obstetrical department.Also included in Phase A but not yet approved by the state, is demolition of the old Nurses%u2019 Residence. The cost of Phase A is expected to reach $1.5 million.Phases B and C of the plan include construction of a nine-floor, 334-bed facility located between the new Nurses%u2019 Residence and the Miner Pavilion, renovation of the Buckley, Miner, and West Pavilions, and the addition of a new emergency room, service entrance, and loading area.The entire rehabilitation plan for I.Iethodist is scheduled to be completed in 1982 at a total cost of $55 million.Despite state pressure to reduce total bed capacity more drastically, renovation plans call for a reduction of 48 beds, reducing the hospital%u2019s total to 514. %u201cWe don%u2019t see eye to eye with the state on this question,%u201d said hospital spokesman Bob Chandler. %u201cWe are negotiating now to keep this figure where it is.%u201dIn keeping with plans to reduce bed capacity throughout the city, the state Health Department has recommended a total Brooklyn reduction of4523 beds.Small hospitals such as Methodist would lose approximately 100 beds each.Boerum Hill vs. Daytop at Board 2 MeetingCommunity School Board District 15 will hold its first meeting of the new school semester at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27, at the board office, 360 Smith Street.Slope Council Special ProgramsJohn Jay High School's special programs will be the subject of the September 28 general meeting of the Park Slope Civic Council to be held at the school, Seventh Avenue- %u2014 4 C*L o4- fi n m u u u *^vu o it w v i ) mv ^ !<%u2022%u2022%u2022%u2022%u2022Among those programs to be presented will be the Community volunteers, Criminal Justice studies, and the Honors Academy.Proposed changes in the Civic Council's constitution are also on the agenda.For further information contact James Goetz, 60 Sterling Place.BY GARY FREDERICKA controversial factory on a residential Fort Greene street, and the continuing friction between the Boerum Hill neighborhood and Daytop Village were among the key issues discussed at the first meeting of Community Planning Board 2, on September 13, following a three month recess.Some 50 board members and community residents heard Janet Matloff, vice-president of the Vanderbilt Block Association, describe efforts to have the Wise Excavation removed from the Vanderbilt Avenue block between Myrtle Streetand the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.Residents say the company, now temporarily suspended from operating, poses a hazard from constant truck traffic, and disrupts the serenity of the block. Matloff will bring the case before the Housing and Zoning Committee of the board on September 25.In another matter, the board decided to send a letter to Daytop Village, at 401 State Street advising them to implement an Advisory Council Board within two weeks. The board has been trying for months to have Daytop form acouncil, which would have a watchdog functionThey claim Daytop Village has been stalling by asking the board t jsend a list of community organizations from which they would choose the advisory members. Councilwoman Mary Pinkett said Daytop Village has enough knowledge to start an Advisory Council on their own without a list of organizations from the board.Other matters included the %u201c disappointing%u201d role of the summer youth employment program and a proposed mental health facility at 3 Lafayette Avenue.Self-Help Program Awards Local GrantsThe Park Slope Civic Council and the Vanderbilt Avenue Merchants Association received grants from ttiA Sotf Hpln NeighborhoodAwards Program (SNAP) of the Citizens Committee for New York City September 21.The History and Landmarks Committee of the Park Slope Civic Council received $500 to be used for the printing of a free booklet describing renovation techniques applicable to landm ark andhistoric houses in. the Park Slope area. Bob Ohlerking, who wrote and compiled the booklet, said, %u201cThe houses in Park Slope are by no means all in the $100,000 pricerange. Many are valued at much less, because of decay and too many changes, but with a few simple steps these brownstones can be made to look like the homes they were in the late 1800%u2019s.%u201d The book, Ohlerking said, will give people a little %u201cknow how%u201d on thesteps of this type of renovation.The Vanderbilt Avenue Merchants Alliance was awarded $200 for the purchase of newspaper ads to encourage merchants to rent available store space on Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights. This alliance of merchants hopes to turn around what seems to be a steadily declining amount of businesses on this commercial district through this publicity.September 21,1978, THE PHOENIX, Page 6