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Page 15, May 17, 1973, PHOENIXAIDA K i \\ f D C D A R TM L u n m A t r v i v iA Report On A ctiv itie s o f O u r State LegislatorsRHBHHIMHIIIHIIIIItBIIIReport fromState SenatorCarol BellamyReinforcement of existing police and auxiliary police programs and establishment of controls on the judiciary system in New York State are the purposes of the Joint Democratic Policy Committee%u2019s current program, State Senator Carol Bellamy recently stated in her end-of-the-month report to constituents on happenings in the State Legislature.Senator Bellamy, a member of the joint committee, described the program, called %u201cToward a CrimeFree Society%u201d , as a broad-based program which is in direct contrast to the widely-publicized and limited %u201cdrug pusher%u201d program of Governor Rockefeller.In connection with the crime control program Senator Bellamy recenly introduced a bill in the Senate which would set up a sentence review board to which convicted prisoners can have recourse in cases of unfair sentencing.State aid which would work in conjunction with the Federal Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, increased support for the professionalization and education of police officers, and provisions for the appointment of a state-wide Chief Administrative Judge and and Judicial Inquiry Board are also facets of the committee%u2019s program, Senator Bellamy said.The Senator also reported that she took two steps in the battle against air pollution in New York City during the month of April. %u201c Recently, I testified before hearings urging the adoption of regulations which would limit the lead content of gasoline sold in New York City,%u201d she stated, adding that she had also prepared testimony for a hearing on the construction of a new gasoline station at Atlantic and Third Avenues in Boerum Hill. %u201cThe downtown Brooklyn area is already adequately serviced by gasoline stations at the present time,%u201d the Senator said, %u201cand 1 see no need for additional service that will only increase the air pollution problem.%u201dThe %u201cfreshman%u201d Senator%u2019s first legislation, which eliminates duplicate testing of driver%u2019s license and learner%u2019s permit applicants, was signed into law by Governor Rockefeller in April. This law, she stated has the dual purpose of saving money for the taxpayers asCarol Bellamywell as saving time and money for the prospective drivers.Senator Bellamy reminded her constituents that her four community service offices, 1702 Church Avenue, 78 Montague Street, 286 Court Street and 69A Seventh Avenue, are staffed by trained workers and urged that residents take advantage of their services when they run into difficulties concerning government agencies and programs.Advice to VetsA large number of programs designed to aid returning veterans are available through the State of New York, State Senator Carol Bellamy announced recently in urging constituents who have recently returned from the service to take advantage of these benefits.Training programs in automotive, business and repair and maintenance skills, in addition to many other areas of employment, are available through the State Manpower Division at 550 Nostrand Avenue, Senator Bellamy said.In addition, there are education benefits, scholarships and incentive awards available to veterans who wish to extend their educations, the Senator said, mentioning the New York Higher Education Assistance Program and the National Defense Student Loan Program as other possible sources of educational aid.Senator Bellamy urged veterans to contact their State Veterans Counselor for up-to-date information on these and other benefits, including life insurance, medical and dental services, annuities and GI loans for homes, farms and businesses.Blocks Urged To EnterBeautification ContestSamuel Azadian, Deputy Commissioner of Water Resources and Chairman of the Mayor%u2019s Park Slope-South Brooklyn Urban Action Task Force has urged local block, civic, school and other organizations to submit their entries in this year%u2019s Mollie Parnis neighborhood beautification contest which will award $40,000 to this year%u2019s winners.Applications for the secondCUJUlUCli ------- ------ ----------- %u2014-----V p ------------- -------o --borhood%u201d Contest must be received by the City%u2019s Environmental Protection Administration, 2352 Municipal Building, before June 4.%u201cThe contest offers an invaluable opportunity for a neighborhood or civic group to obtain additional resources to beautify their neighborhood at the same time as it helps create a greatei\\ r ----sense of community pride,%u201d said projectsAzadian.The contest is open to any group, school, organization or business. Entries will be evaluated on the basis of imagination and creativity of concept and on the success of implementation.The prizes will be awarded this September in the following four categories: 30 prizes of $800 each for block and civic associations; 3----: ------- %u2014 f tt> a r\\r\\ _ %u201e %u201e V- C----- p i iz.co u i fitu u c a v u a n 1 1 0 5 1 1borhood and major commercial groups; 8 prizes of $400 for school, college and youth groups; and 4 prizes of $400 each for city, private or co-op apartment complexes.In addition, approximately ten grand prizes of $1,000 each will be awarded in December for the best continuing, long-term impieiiieiiutiiOii ui a waru-WinfiiiigThe PHOENIX Probes Park Problems:Parks Dept. Cancels Only Park ConcertBY JOHN BLACKMORELast week in this space the PHOENIX investigated the complaint of Ruth Rafael that Cadman Plaza Park is underutilized and that more facilities and programs should be implemented at the park. At that time we mentioned that there was only one special event on the park%u2019s agenda for this summer, a folk-rock concert %u2014 community festival slated for mid-June. Since then the PHOENIX has received word that this event has been canceled by the Parks Department.According to its organizers, Mike Scott and Paul Tainsh of Brooklyn Heights, the B rooklyn R e n a is sa n c e Festival was to be an afternoon get together, with local artists, musicians, and craftsm en performing and displaying their work. The o rg a n iz e rs e n v isio n e d something like a community fair, with speeches by politicians, handicraft booths, and lots of music.Scott and Tainsh, who produced the successful %u201c Planets%u2019%u2019 concert at the Brooklyn Academy earlier this Spring, said that they had enlisted the support of such community groups as the Brooklyn Arts and Cultural Association, the Centralfilm festivals have previously been held there. This leads up to the question of what constitutes suitability? What makes these activities acceptable and the concertfestival inappropriate?As for the second objection, the Festival might be disturbing to the Association of Retired Civil Servants who meet every Saturday within the War Memorial Building; but given that it was the only sp e c ia l e n te rta in m e n t program at Cadman Plaza scheduled this summer, one would think an exception might have been made in this case.A third reason surfaced during our conversation with a recreation official at the D epartm ent%u2019s Litchfield Mansion headquarters. Apparently, residents of the Cadman Plaza Towers adjacent to the park have barraged Park Commissioner Clurman%u2019s office with complaints about any gathering held there. Last year complaints were registered even about a relatively quiet indoor event at the War Memorial building. Perhaps it is the weight of these complaints that has caused the underutilization of Cadman Plaza Park.A basic axiom of the Parks Department is that parks arefor the people. Brooklyn has only five parks of sufficient size for events such as this Festival. If parks are indeed for all the people, then residents and organizations are going to have to live with a variety of park activities. No one group should have the exclusive use of a park, neither should any group have the exclusive veto power over what may or may not occur there.The Parks Department has sponsored many successful and imaginative programs in the past. They have also been reasonable about permitting a variety of activities not under their sponsorship in the parks. With the financial squeeze curtailing programs in the city%u2019s parklands, the city should encourage outside groups to sponsor public events. There may be other, better reasons why the city refused a permit for this Festival, but the ones given do not seem sufficient to justify their action.In the meantime, we stand corrected. As of this date there are no special entertainment events slated for Cadman Plaza this summer. Is this the result of lack of demand, or hasn%u2019t your voice been heard? Write the PHOENIX Park Probe, and let your views be known.|iYMCA, the Downtwon Brooklyn D evelopm ent Association, and Enlightenment Together, Inc. for the festival.On Monday, the Parks Department killed the event, refusing to grant a permit for Cadman Plaza. This seems contrary to the repeated assurances of Parks Department officials that there would be more special events at the park if not for lack of demand and financial resources. Since the Festival would be privately funded, the Parks Dept.%u2019s costs would be minimal, and the demand for such events might be created by allowing such an event to take place.The Parks Department gave two reasons why the permission was withdrawn: one, that the War Memorial is not a suitable place for such an event, and two, that it might disturb the senior citizens that meet Saturdays within the War Memorial building. As we pointed out last week, the War Memorial would make an excellent band shell for concerts. The mall in front of it is enclosed and of good size for an audience or part i c i p a n t s . C o n c e r ts , graduation ceremonies, andITIS1Let UsAbout LocalPark Problems l11| Clip & Mail This CouponII-to The PHOENIXLocation1 Nature of Problem1%u00a3sSBicycles or bands? %u00a7i-----| You*' N am e___________________________lY o ur Phone___________________________| M a il lo PHOENIX, 130 C linton St. Brooklyn 11201IiII11IsIIiiIIIRiI1IIInliiiiiiiiiiimiiiin iiiimiMHimiiiiiiiii