Page 415 - Demo
P. 415
Sound Off Feedback from Readers------ 1- i __ _ if__i_L/dUKrury i u rvucnEditor%u2019s Note: A copy of the followingletter was sent to The PHOENIX by Rev.Herbert Daughtry.Dear Mayor Koch:Your leading the Atlantic Antic parade on Sunday, September 24, 1978 in front of the House of The Lord Church during the religious hour was a clear violation of the Penal Law of the State of New York, Sect. 240.21.In addition, it was a breech of an agreement that we had worked out with the Atlantic Antic Parade Committee that we would allow the parade to proceed provided there would be no noise as the parade passed the church. This showed our attempt to be reasonable, even though we could have appealed to the administrative code mentioned above.1 am hard put to understand why you would lead a parade, noise and all, in front of a religious service. Is it insensivity, ignorance, disrespect or~provocation? Would you lead a parade in front of St Patricks Cathedral during a mass? Would you lead a parade on the Jewish sabbath in front of a synagogue? No one could believe that you would do such a thing, and yet, you did it in front of my church.And to add insult to injury, the next day, you gave the impression that we were trying to stop the parade and intimidate you, and you called me a racist. Would you have said the same thing to Cardinal Cook or Rabbi Schnerson if they had attempted to inform you that you were breaking the law and an agreement by proceeding with a parade while they were conducting a religious service?To show the double standards with which this city treats its Black citizens, on July 16, we were desirous of holding a rally in front of the Lubavitcher at 770 Eastern Parkway. Chief Milton Schwartz, Commander of Brooklyn South, told us that it could not be done because of the aforementioned code.We informed Mr. Schwartz that Hasidim worship on a Saturday, which why we scheduled the rally on Sunday. To which Chief Schwartz replied that the Hasidim were going to be worshipping all day Sunday. When Sunday, July 16 arrived, hundreds of policemen were deployed to see that the law was obeyed.Moreover, some time ago, a black police officer at the 71st precinct attempted to make an arrest of a Hasidim and was attacked by said group. None of them were beaten and none were arrested, and yet in our case, you Sir had broken the law, and when we attempted to apprise you of the situation, we were beaten and handcuffed as thought we were the criminals.In the light of the foregoing, decency would dictate that you apologize to my congregation, to myself and to the entire Christian community. gy.--Rev. HerbertDaugherty, House of the Lord Church,Atlantic AvenueA Child%u2019s RightMy daughter Tracy (11 yrs old) just started at Packer Collegiate Institute. Every year we go to the' Atlantic Antic but this year there was more excitement about our attending this great street fair since my daughter was to be a %u201c Packer Pelican%u201d on a float in the parade. She left the house Sunday morning, wings and beak intact looking very proud and excited. At 12 o%u2019clock my 9 yr old son Jamie, my 10 month old baby and myself were met by a number of my relatives at the Grandstand. Some had come as far as Liberty, New York. Others from New Jersey.We waited, cameras in hand for the approaching Packer float, and to see the delight in my daughter%u2019s eyes when she would spot her family. %u201c Here comes Mayor Koch,%u201d someone shouted. Suddenly Reverend Daughtry and his followers appeared. There was chaos, to say the least. There was pushing and yelling and a policeman got hit. There was a great deal of confusion us wc iiicu iu kccjj ihe children together and get the baby someplace safe. Someone discovered that my aunt was missing. Luckily we found her almost immediately but not before she had almost been knocked to the ground.Just when it looked like everything was under control, the Reverend and his followers decided to make a barrier and prevent the parade from continuing. Aswe started to walk to the Packer float, which was a block away, the tloat turned off on Third Ave. Walking toward us was Tracy, beak and feathers intact and delighted to see the family although disappointed that she did not have the opportunity to wave to us from the float. Someone got up and made a speech about the Atlantic Antic people not respecting the rights of the Church across the street since their services are at the time of the parade. And then they were gone.Well, this is to you, Reverend Daughtry-I think that you have a right to be heard whether I agree or disagree with your complaints but I also think my kid had a right to be seen in the parade by her family. My baby has a right to sit in a carriage without someone trampling on it. My family and myself have a right to attend street fairs without being pushed and shoved. Does it really help anydne or anything to jeopardize the safety of children? I think not.In spite of all this, the rest of the day turned out great and a good time was had by all. Hopefully next year my daughter can leave the house wings and beak intact and have the right and freedom to do so without a recurrence of what occurred the year before.--Jacqueline Corfnor, SeventhAvenueCommitted to What?Rev. Daughtry misfired on September 24. He lost the support of many of his neighbors by disrupting the Atlantic Antic on Sunday-a day when Blacks, Whites and Hispanics come together to celebrate the revival of South Brooklyn.Rev. Daughtry proports to lead a very worthy cause-the struggle for civil rights and justice for Blacks on Crown Heights.I question Daughtry%u2019s commitment to this cause. His %u201c dem onstration%u201d on Sunday made only one thing clear-Rev. Daughtry will go to any length to get public attention focused on himself.Demonstrations are powerful weapons against oppression--a fact Dr. Martin Luther King proved. Demonstrations can also be counterproductive-a fact that Rev. Daughtry proved.I particularly abhor the violence of Sunday%u2019s %u201c dem onstration.%u201d To use physical force is to abdicate the moral power of the non-violent tradition. That Rev. Daughtry allowed his followers to abuse the Mayor on Sunday is an indication of the weakness of his leadership and his lack of moral strength.--Kitty Terjen,Prospect PlaceGiving ThanksSt. Charles Jubilee Center wishes to express sincere thanks for the marvelous community response to our Fall benefit bazaar. Coordinated by Sally Rolette, the sale which took place in St. Ann%u2019s Parish House on Montague Street realized over $3,000. The money will be used to subsidize the meals on wheels program which provides hot nutritious meals to the homebound elderly and also to provide a wide range of human services at the Center.We are grateful to Fr. Vilas for the use of his hall, to Ms. Rolette and her co-workers from the synagogue, to the Jubilee members who manned the tables, and to everyone who contributed items for the sale. We owe our success to your joint efforts.-Catherine Egan, Secretary, Advisory Council, St. Charles Jubilee CenterStability ProblemThe article on %u201c Rehab\Feingold (%u201c Community Forum,%u201d Sept. 14) is typical of the middle class social worker approach to the Housing Problem.For 40 years I have been involved in this field as a Tenants Organizer. For 10 years in Yorkville. For 35 years in Williamsburg.* * %u2022 . %u00bb < . L ' . l ' i . . . f %u00bbilie piuuicin 1 5 lilt 5 lui_MJtty U1 aneighborhood. How many sections of this City can boast of residents 25 years or more?Feingold talks about %u201c vacant buildings.%u201d What became of the people who resided in tnem. V/ho harassed, intimidated, torched these tenants and their buildings to force them to vacate? Who bribed building inspectors to overlookviolations. What Health Dept %u201c inspectors%u201d , Fire Dept., Poiice Dept., Tax Depu, Boiler Inspectors-Mortgage Holders aided and abetted illegal evictions.So the buildings are vacant. Sell them to political real estate sharks. Operating thru dummy fronts. The Welfare Dept moves plenty of people in. The mental hospitals dump alcoholics, drug addicts, senior citizens into them. The Federal Govt supplies funds for a while.Soon those who can leave the neighborhood and the houses next door becomes vacant. In a vicious cycle. Then comes the HUD to erect a 20 story fire trap called a Senior Center. Or blocks of %u201c low rent housing%u201d for the middle class. The rents raised every year are soon no longer %u2018 %u2018lo rent%u201d , %u201c stabilized rent%u201d , %u201c rent-controlled.%u201dMore vacancy, more middle class leaving neighborhoods. More border line slums. More vacant buildings.Solution:--Keep the neighborhood stable. Decent police, sanitation, inspection, insurance, stop %u201cred-lining\jobs in rehab work!--Irvine D. Lasher, EastNew York AvenueNot GuiltyRobert Crane%u2019s article on FlatbushRealty (Phoenix, Sept. 28) was misleading,because it did not indicate that theFlatbush Development Corporation area %u2014was not guilty. If that article was not readin the proper perspective - it could have adevastating effect on all that we are tryingto do to keep the middle class people inFlatbush at reasonable prices! The areas ofProspect Park South, Ditma% Park, Albermarle-Kenmore, Beverly Square West,Ditmas Park West, Midwood Park, WestMidwood and Fiske Terrace %u2014 have no taxarrears and there is no deterioration here. Iwish you could indicate that to yourreaders. Best Regards. Maty Kay Gallagher, Flatbush Avenue.Afraid of ReprisalI watched, this afternoon, Sept. 22, what may be the break-down of law and order in the 78th Precinct.On my way home from work, between 5:15 and 5:30 p.m., I turned the corner of Union onto Fifth Ave and witnessed what to me as one of the most frightening things 1 have witnessed. As two (2) patrol cars rode by, a gang of people, black, white and Spanish, rushed into and looted a Variety Store at 195 Fifth Avenue. Witnesses declare they were told to %u201c Clean it out%u201d by the cops who had done a drug bust a few minutes before at the same store.In the mad rush of people, later estimated about a hundred, but certainly seeming like thousands, I fought to get out of the crowd and rushed back across to the west side of 5th. I watched the slaughter of a store and the breakdown of law and order, and it took about 5 minutes and the----- _i ~ ---- 15 1 UIC Wtt5 ucail...nipcu vui IV/ iuvThen the patrol cars came back and locked up...but only after everything was taken... it was almost as if they were waiting for the last looter to leave. After they had arrived I asked why the other 2 cars had passed by and got the answer that they must not have seen it happening. How can you not see people mobbing in front of your car? 1 was so busy getting to safety I did not get anvcar number, but then how was I to know itiai iv- cars were no* to stop.After everything had quited down I went around to see if the rumor of %u201c sanction by the cops\7 or 8 persons 1 spoke to declared they heard the cops say this. But of course no one will give a name or sign a complaint as they are afraid of the reprisal from the 78th.We who live along the edges of 5th Ave are trying hard enough to keep the blight checked and then to have looting sanctioned by the police. It is a frightening thought and even more so since I am a home owmer in the area and a self-employed store owner. Does this letter mean that I won't get the police protection I am due as a taxpayer. It is a terrifying thought and I don't like the idea that law and order may be on the way out in the 78th Precinct. -Lew Smith, Berkeley PlaceElection CorrectionThe September 21 article about the election, %u201c Most Incumbents Won,\tained errors in the paragraph about the Democratic primary in the 43rd Assembly District.The two candidates defeated by the able Rhoda Jacobs were Stanley E. Clark, whose name was misspelled, and Mollie Schcff. No candidate named %u201c C. Chess%u201d appeared on the ballot. Thanks for the chance to offer these corrections.-MarieShear, E. 35th StreetIt%u2019s So NiceIt was so nice to read Judy Linscott's glowing account of the Hoyt Street Garden (PHOENIX, September 21). Thanks. -Margaret Cusack, Hoyt StreetP r a i s i n g P a s c u c c iI have had numerous occasions to call onEdward Pascucci, superintendent of Sanitation District 38, in which I live, for help indealing with problems that all of us knowwell: landlords who are indifferent tocleanliness; abandoned cars; overworkedsanitation equipment; snow emergencies;bulk removal situations; and others. Hehas always been accessible, attentive,courteous,and clearly determined that thepersonnel and equipment under hiscommand shall function efficiently and forthe public%u2019s good. Better yet, he hasalways cooperated fully with those of us inthe neighborhood who, like himslef, caredabout keeping New York cleaner and moreliveable - and whatever he promised hewould do, he has done thoroughly andwhen promised.If we had more men and women likeEdward Pascucci on the city payroll -people who simply cared enough abouttheir jobs to do them well -- we would havea far more congenial and safer city to livein. I wrote this because I think people likeEdward Pascucci should get the publicrecognition and praise they deserve.-Laurence Jaeger, Park PlaceHoenig is 1st ClassI think Gary Hoenig%u2019s columns on the exalting of athletes and on Bill Bradley were absolutely first class, insightful and well written. They would have graced any publication in the land. The PHOENIX is lucky to have you.-Dick Walton, CorneliaStreetRespect AffirmedFor many years, I have been one of those PHOENIX subscribers who silently laud its existence. However, my involvement in the recent elections for School Board (1977) and State Assembly (1978) has impelled me to publicly affirm my respect and appreciation for excellent coverage of local community issues and activities. I shall never again take for granted the importance of your input as an objective and knowledgeable voice for the people of ourrvA rvv m n n i f t o cI am especially grateful to you for your endorsement of my candidacy in the Assembly race. You undoubtedly made a favorable impact on many voters in the District. Even though I did not win the Primary, I will continue to be involved in activities that affect the quality of life in my community. --Velmanette MontgomeryWilloughby AvenueOctober 5,1978, THE PHOENIX, Page 11

