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Page 2 PHOENIX February 14,1974Slope Merchants, ResidentForm 7th Ave. CommitteeAim: Better Security,ArchitecturalPlanningBY JOHN BLACKMOREAmidst the clamor of theNovember meeting where theformal announcement was madethat plans for a shopping mall for7th Avenue were to be scrapped,there was a general consensuamong merchants and residentsalike that something must be doneto improve Park Slope%u2019s mainshopping street. The SeventhAvenue Merchants%u2019 Associationauthorized Harry Tarzian, ownerof Tarzian%u2019s Hardware, %u201cto form aworking committee from the ashesof the mall proposal%u2019%u2019 to bringabout real improvements for theAvenue in the areas of sanitation,security and architecturalplanning. Subsequently acommittee has been formed, theSeventh Avenue BettermentCommittee (ABC), representingvarious community andcommercial interests in theneighborhood.At their organizational meetingin early December, the ABCconsidered the nature of SeventhAvenue and the ways in which thecommittee could effectively dealwith its problems in a manneracceptable to the community. Fivepermanent committees wereformed, including Sanitation,chaired by Jim Dishun of SterlingPlace; Security, chaired by EdReinfeld, proprietor of BrooklynValet; Architectural Planning,headed by Tom Schmitt of CarrollStreet; Funding, chaired bv KevinBrooks of Third Street; andCommunity Relations, chaired byBurnley Graham of Third Street.Tarzian was chosen ascoordinator of the committee as awhole. It was further decided thatthe committee would maintainclose relations with the SeventhAvenue Merchants, but wouldattempt to be answerable to thecommunity at large.At their January meeting, theABC resolved to organize anadvisory group composed ofprofessional architects andplanners as an ongoing service tothe merchants. Theseprofessionals, coordinated by localarchitects Tom Schmitt and A1Grossman, would adviseparticipating merchants onrenovation or redocoration of theirstorefronts. %u201cAlthough we hope toformulate certain generalperimeters in this regard, weintend to be responsive to themerchants%u2019 own wishes,%u201d Schmittsaid, %u201cAfter all, we hope tostimulate the merchants to do thework them selves.%u201d The firstproject of the group is to preparephotos of the avenue with variousarchitectural suggestions.Schmitt added that the groupintends to get the city to contribute%u201cboth physically and functionally%u201dto the upgrading of the avenue.Nick Pappas, the AssistantCommissionerof the city%u2019sDepartment of Commerce andIndustry, the agency which hadpromoted the mall plan, promisedhis continuing involvement in thedevelopment of the avenue %u2014 if thecommunity wished it. The ABC hasrenewed contact with Pappas, whowill attend the group%u2019s nextmeeting. The committee willentertain suggestions from himand other city representatives onhow they can help.In the security area, the ABC hasmade contact with officials at the72nd and 78th Precincts. Onepossibility they are pursuing is amerchants%u2019 security program, likethe one that has been initiated onFlatbush Avenue, which willprovide expertise and funding forimproved internal security ofshops along the stretch.The ABC has recently receivedfunding toward their operatingexpenses from the Seventh AvenueMerchants, the Park Slope CivicCouncil, and the 7th AvenueNeighbors Association. Thecommittee plans to use part of thismoney to open a storefront office at122 7th Avenue. The new office,which will open in late F%u2019ebruary, ispart of the effort to maximizecommunity participation in theproject. %u201cWe%u2019ve tried very hard toform a truly representativegroup,%u201d commented BurnleyGraham, %u201cTo have any one personor group decide what%u2019s going tohappen to the avenue withoutrecourse to the whole communityis dangerous. We%u2019re gloing to be asopen and receptive as possible.%u201dMs. Graham added that she%u2019d liketo poll the community before anyformal plans are made.Seventh Avenue: Main Street, Park SlopeCollege Prep CourseRegains PersonnelLouise Finney, DemocraticDistrict Leader of the 51stAssembly District, was informedon Feb. 11 by Julius Grill, Directorof John Jay High School%u2019s CollegeBound Program, that as a result ofparent protests certain temporaryrestorations were made to theprogram.Five teachers and two familyassistants have returned to thePark Slope school%u2019s program, andclass sizes will remain reduced.However, the College BoundProgram%u2019s future still remains indoubt, says Ms. Finney.On January 29th, in testimonyshe submitted to a Board ofEducation hearing, she decried theone-third cut in John Jay%u2019s CollegeBound Program budget. TheCollege Bound Program, fundedLocal Mental Health BoardSets Psychiatric ClinicA sub-regional Mental-HealthPlanning Board, controlled bylocal people, organized by the CityDepartment of Mental Health inconjunction with area mentalhealth provider agencies, is todayinvolving local residents in formulating City policy of localservices.II is City policy io obey die wishes of the community inopening new services in the areasof psychiatric and other mentalhealth services for children, adultsand senior citizens.The Planning Board is open toanyone who wishes to join and hasthe power to suggest, plan, fundand monitor all efforts in HealthArea A whir%u00bbh inrluHpc FnrtGreene, Brooklyn Heights, SouthBrooklyn, Red Hook, Park Slopeand Windsor Terrace.To dale the Planning Board hasopened senior citizens andalcoholism treatment centers inFort Greene under the aegis ofCumberland Hospital, and hasworked to develop an out-patientrs y c iiia tric Clinic fui P a rk Slupeat Methodist Hospital.The Slope project, which is nowclose to fruition, will serve peoplein the area with serious psychiatricproblems, and will operate on anoutpatient basis. There will be nofee for those unable to pay. Apublic meeting of the Board is settor Feb. 20 at the Nurse%u2019sResidence at Methodist Sixth Stand Eighth Ave., 8 p.m. to discussthe project.Community insistance onpatient-oriented services, onsignificant community outreachefforts and on input in the runningof the clinic have been at issuebetween the Hospital and the ParkSlope Health Task Force, theorganization active in this enort.Most of the problems are close tosolution and the community isinvited to hear how' the clinic willbe run and to participate in apermanent Community AdvisoryBoard that will be organized at themeeting.For further information, callRev. Brian Callahan at 625-3017, orBob Furman at 965 -1under Title 1 and serving over10,400 pupils in 31 New York Cityhigh schools, is the largestfederally funded program ofcom pensatory education forsecondary school students in theU.S.Recently, the State EducationDepartment changed its guidelinesand limited the use of Title 1monies to remedial instruction inmathematics and reading and tobilingual education. As a result,guidance services, cultural enrichment programs, tutoring, collegevisits, reduced class registers wereeliminated or restricted.%u201cIt is outrageous,%u201d Ms. Finneystated, %u201cthat such a successfuleducation program, which placed93 percent of its graduates incollege and maintained an averagedaily attendance of 87 percent incontrast to the 67 percent attendance for the total studentpopulation at the schools involved,should be ravaged by such shortsighted decisions. Successfulprograms are so few and farbetween, that we cannot afford todismember our successes.%u201dMs. Finney, noting that JohnJay%u2019s College Bound Program hadalready lost one counsellor and onefamily assistant, and that onehundred seniors had been droppedfrom the program after being in itfor three years, urged %u201cthat theBoard of Education continue thefinancing of the College BoundProgram out of tax levy fundswhile pressure is placed on thediait* aujiuni&Liaiiuii iu revise lisruling.%u201dMs. Finney added, that %u201cthiscollege preparatory programcontributes to the success of JohnJay students in the City%u2019s OpenAdmissions program by bringingthem up to college level in highschool, rather than dumping themunprepared into college.%u201dt%u201e %u2014 %u2014 * * %u2014 u * %u201e n u . , in an cum t tc uuiam gi caici v/1lyassistance for the beleagueredCollege Bound Program, Ms.Finney arranged a meeting between John Jay and Board ofEducation College Bound officialsand City Council Majority Leader,Councilman Thomas Cuite. OnFebruary 6th, a citywidedelegation of affected parentstraveled to Albany to meet withstate legislators and educationofficials to protest the CollegeBound Program cuts.YW PlansIce SkateDinner%u201cIt poured last year and yeteveryone present had a marveloustime,%u201d stated Marge Litton, cochairperson of the Brooklyn YWCASpecial Events Committee.%u201cThat%u2019s why we%u2019ve decided to do itagain. . . truly by populardemand.%u201dMs. Litton was talking about the2nd Annual YWCA Benefit IceSkating-Buffet Dinner partyscheduled for Friday, February22nd at the Promenade Cafe andRockefeller Center Rink. Ticketsfor the popular event are availableat $12.50 for adults and $8 forchildren under 12. The party willstart at 7:00 p.m. with a sumptuousbuffet dinner and a pay bar in thecozy atmosphere of the Cafe,overlooking the Rockefeller Rink.Free skating will be available toguests from 8:30 to 10:30, Bringyour own skates or rent themthere.Tickets may be purchased bymail, at the YW front desk, 30n n u :%u00bb .j a __ ____ i m i u n v c iiu c ,