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Editorials\\A /k ; ^ h VA/ V V I I I V/l i v v A\\ \\ / %u00ab n n %u2022 %u25a0 I A 1^ a X P i i a a a a I i a a a y w u c o m e i u v v c i u i o u g g c i l i u n r i ___on u w :E vents o f th e pa st tw o w e e ks %u2014 th e u n c o n n e c te d m u rd e rs of p u b lic o ffic ia ls in S o uth A m e ric a and San F ra n c is c o and th e m ass m u rd e r/s u ic id e o f th e P e o p le %u2019s T e m p le c o lo n y in G uyana %u2014 brin g in to sh a rp fo c u s th e e ffe c t tha t te le v is io n and m o vie fic tio n may have on o u r p e rc e p tio n s o f v io le n c e .W h ile the J o n e s to w n ritu a l death sce n e in S o u th A m e ric a w a s a s h o c k in g and d e v a s ta tin g s ig h t, and s till p ro b a b ly in c o m p re h e n s iv le to m o s t o f th o s e w a tc h in g and rea ding a b o u t it on ne w s re p o rts and in th e press, it also to o k on th e aura of bizarre fic tio n . In fa c t, so m e o f th o se re p ro b a te s we hang aro u n d w ith q u ip p e d in m o m e n ts o f b la c k e s t h u m o r th is w e ek th a t fo r on ce m aybe fa c t d is h e d up by th e Rev. Jo n e s w as even m ore s e n s a tio n a l and o u tra g e o u s tha n m o st o f the fic tio n we are fed th e s e days. TheN ow %u2019s The Tim e to do Som ething About ItIf you live o r w o rk in the d o w n to w n B ro o kly n b ro w n s to n e areas and are b o th e re d ab out b e ing re p re se n te d on th e local c o m m u n ity b o a rd s by p e o p le w ho are in d iffe re n t to th e p ro c e s s th a t m ig h t h e lp im p ro ve c o n d itio n s in o u r n e ig h b o rh o o d s , now m ay be the tim e to speak up a b o u t it.T e rm s o f a n u m b e r o f m e m b e rs o f b o th B oards Tw o and Six, w h ic h e n c o m p a s s a ll th e d o w n to w n areas, are e x p irin g on D e cem b er 31, and B o ro u g h P re sid e n t H o w ard G o ld e n is re c e ivin g a p p lic a tio n s fro m in d iv id u a ls w ho are in te re s te d in m e m b e rs h ip .C o m m u n ity B o a rd s re p re s e n t th e b e s t ro u te o u r n e ig h b o rh o o d s have to e x p re s s in g in to w n m e e tin g s ty le , the o p in io n o f %u201c the p e o p le %u201d on w h a t is and s h o u ld happen fo r the renew al and im p ro v e m e n t o f the q u a lity o f life in o u r areas. Thetra g ic m u rd e r o f th e M a yo r o f San F ra n c is c o and a n o th e r p u b lic o ffic ia l th e re , lik e w is e , s u g g e s ts m aybe a K o ja k s c rip t.The q u a lity o f th e se c rim e s , very d iffe re n t in sco p e , w as the sam e: s ta rk ly o u tlin e d in th e h e a d lin e s , th e y w ere la rg e r th a n life %u2014 unreal. So u n real, in fa ct, th a t th e b o u n d a rie s b e tw e e n fa c t and fic tio n fa d e d and we had to p in c h o u rse lv e s to re m e m b e r th a t we w e re n %u2019t w a tc h in g th e %u201c e n te rta in m e n t%u201d part o f te le v is io n o r w e re n %u2019t s ittin g in a m o vie th e a te r. T h is w as real.The iro n y, o f co u rse , is th a t th is %u201c re a lity %u201d is b e in g tra n s la te d in to fic tio n so m e w h e re by so m e b o d y rig h t n o w and the tw is ts th a t all o f th e se e ve n ts s u g g e st to th e fic tio n w rite rs w ill b u d in to new flo w e rs w ith fa c t fe e d in g fic tio n and fic tio n s tim u la tin g ne w h e ig h ts o f v io le n c e . Is th is th e p e rm a n e n t hum an c o n d itio n ?boards a lso m o n ito r th e p e rfo rm a n c e o f c ity a g e n c ie s in th e d e live ry o f se rvice s to o u r c o m m u n itie s .U n fo rtu n a te ly , a large p o rtio n o f th o s e in c u m b e n t m e m be rs, p a rtic u la rly on B oard Six (re p re s e n tin g Park S lo pe, S o uth B rooklyn), have not m a de th a t Board v ia b le over the pa st year. W e urge ou r readers in th is area w h o are in te re s te d in p a rtic ip a tio n as m e m be rs, o r know so m e o n e w h o is, to see th e new s s to ry on Page Six th is w eek and s u b m it th e ir a p p lic a tio n s o r re c o m m e n d a tio n s to the b o ro u g h p r e s id e n t. W e n e e d w o rk in g , fu n c tio n in g a n d re p re s e n ta tiv e c o m m u n ity b o a rd s to speak up fo r th e p e o p le on the p re s e rv a tio n , re n e w a l a n d d e v e lo p m e n t o f o u r d o w n to w n n e ig h b o rh o o d s and th a t p ro ce s s s ta rts w ith w o rk in g m e m be rs.Community ForumD e b a te s O v e r P a rk S ta tu s F lo w In to B ro o k ly nBY DONALD E. SIMONAt a recent conference convened by Manhattan Borough President Andrew Stein. U.S. Sen. Daniel P. Movnihan set forth three propositions he considers essential for all discussions about the future of Central Park. They are:1. Central Park will not survive under the present management. The City of New York is unable to provide the resources necessary to preserve and protect it.2. The federal government will assume a more active role in the affairs of the park if the City of New York requests such action.3. Federal involvement need not require a total takeover of the park.City Parks and Recreation Commissioner Gordon J. Davis countered these propositions and supported continued city control and administration asserting Uiat:1. Central Park now has more people assigned to its maintenance than was the case four years ago.Donald E. Simon, a former executive assistant in the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and a former curator of Prospect Park, is working on a project to involve corporations In the management of public parks and to revitalize the neighborhoods in which they are located.2. Central Park represents one twenty-fifth of the city%u2019s park acreage and its work force is one tw'enty-fifth of the total.3. There is more money available for restoration programs than at any time in the recent past. More than $9.2 million will be used to undertake many of the projects envisioned in the 1973 Clurman Plan for the park%u2019s rehabilitation.This debate placed before the public the various arguments concerning a proposed change of jurisdiction for New York%u2019s principal park. Some might assert that since Commissioner Davis%u2019 statistics include CETA employees, that because the park receives more intense use than other facilities its proportion of the work force should be greater and that the capital funds available for restoration are from various federal programs, his argument is not as strong as it first appears. However, no one can take issue with his conclusion that it would be a great psychological loss to the city and to the Parks and Recreation Department in particular if the park were to be transferred to the federal government.While this argument continues in New York, Brooklynites are also engaged in debate over the merits and possibilities of federalizing parks, in this case the subject of discussion is Prospect Park which also suffers, although to a lesser degree, from many of the same ills which plague Central Park. The need for large sums of money toundertake necessary restorations to buildings, monuments, and the landscape is equally evident. And, clearly, the prospect for such money coming from the city is%u2018The need for largesums of money toundertake necessaryrestoration is evidentin Prospect Park. And,clearly, the prospect forsuch money comingfrom the city is unlikely.%u2019unlikely. Security and maintenance are lacking, yet there is no apparent mechanism available to remedy this shortcomingeither.While Brooklynites can make a case for additional support for Prospect Park, there does not appear to be any groundswell which will link the park%u2019s fortunes to what may happen to Central Park.In reality Prospect Park does not possess a national reputation in the same manner as does Central%u2019 Park nor does it attract as many visitors from so broad an area. Where Central Park is worthy of federal involvement both on the merit of its design and its function as a national resource, Prospect Park can only claim such support on the basis of what it is. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), Prospect Park is not used as a national park; it is the metropolitan area%u2019s finest park, but one which serves mostly local residents.The present climate of opinion does not seem to favor the federalization of Prospect Park. Central Park may or may not receive new status. Regardless of the outcome of that debate, there remains little doubt that the Brooklyn park will not share any new fund of support. What this means is that the park will face further decline as its physical facilities%u2014the trees, lawns, lakes, buildings, monuments, and structures %u2014the very essence of the park %u2014fail to receive necessary repairs. With maintenance and security details all but sure to be cut in upcoming city cutbacks, the future of Prospect Park %u2014and New York%u2019s park system%u2014appears rather bleak.Inklings B y B e n e S u ch m aPlea se. HELP m e !.,.MVIS UN%u00a3>eRTHC INFLUENCE OF A FANATICAL R%u00a3UG-10USs e c r u.)W HICH 0 N %u00a3 7 T H E c a t h o l ic . UUHA%u2018 ?/S CHURCH.' T h%u20acY Do T G R RiGl E\\NH%u00a3NJ THEY PRACTICETHeiR 0 A 2 M K RICtHTS1Page 8, THE PHOENIX, November 30. 1978