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Page 16r rPHOENIX February 28,1974Byrne Park:Deplorable butProspects GoodBY JOHN BLACKMOREWith all the very positive activity going on for the improvement of recreational facilities in Brooklyn's renovation neighborhoods (skating rinks, tennis courts, adventure playgrounds, toddler playlots, etc.), we must not forget the critical shortage of such facilities in less prosperous neighborhoods in South Brooklyn.One such area is the lower Slope, from the expressway to Flatbush Avenue, where only one full-sized park serves a huge population. That park is the J. J. Byrne Park and, as we do not have to remind regular readers of this column, it is in deplorable condition.J. J. Byrne Park, which is located between 4th and 5th Avenues and 3rd and 4th Streets, is a J-0 Playground, i.e., it is jointed operated by Parks and Recreation and the Board of Education (because the facilities are used heavily by the adjacent intermediate school, I.S. No. 51). It%u2019s a %u201cgreat space,%u201d according to Joel Skolnik, of the Borough%u2019s Department of Recreation, %u201c with its basketball courts, two softball diamonds, handball courts, and botchi courts. Considering there%u2019s nothing else down there for recreation except for a few mini-playgrounds, which are more like needle-parks, Byrne Park is a very important facility.\Skolnik, this very important facility is going to get some very necessary improvements.%u201cWe%u2019re going to be seeing some repairs made on Washington%u2019s old headquarters,%u201d Skolnik reports, referring to the dilapidated stone house which sits at the center of Byrne Park, %u201c And we%u2019re going to get some new recreation programs, particularly for pre-schoolers.%u201d Both are welcome prospects.Tennis Anyone ?Nays OutweighYeas So FarThe PHOENIX has received only a handful of negative responses, but none positive as yet, to the call for community reaction to the idea of building eight tennis courts on the south side of the War Memorial at Cadman Plaza Park, the site proposed by the Downtown Brooklyn Tennis Courts Association. Feasibility studies of this site as well as of Squibb Park are currently being conducted by the Department of Recreation, we have learned.Typical of the feedback we%u2019ve received from the community are these comments from Eleanor McGregor of Sidney Place: %u201c I love tennis. It's a great game. But when it threatens to displace ball-playing kids who have little enough space to play in, or just plain strollers or sitters, I say no, no, no to tennis at Cadman Plaza . . . There%u2019s no such thing as a part-time tennis court.%u201d Another respondent said he%u2019d prefer to see a larger variety of scheduled activities at the park %u201c such as concerts, fairs and art shows.%u201dOn the other hand, Jerry Demers, director of the city's Department of Recreation, acknowledged that he had received \for the installation of tennis courts at Cadman Plaza. \development of new recreational facilities is the community's request,%u201d Demers said, %u201c But first we look around the neighborhood to see if any existing facilities can be improved. We're reluctant to build anything new because of the additional personnel expenses.%u201d Mr. Demers added that because of the change in administration, approval of any new site %u201c w ill have to be neid in abeyance until critical positions in the department are filled.\The PHOENIX also heard from Stanley Gallant,<$az