Page 214 - Demo

Page 6 PHOENIX March 21,19741 ? * idV/Clinton Hill/PS20: C om m unity Control W orksBy Dan IcolariP.S. 20 Revisited: While I was in the school the other night, I sat in on a meeting of P.S. 20%u2019s staff selection committee. The committee had before it an exhausting agenda: they had to interview and evaluate six teachers to fill two staff vacancies.Now I%u2019ve always supported community control %u2014 in the abstract, at least: since the experts have messed things up so completely, let's give the amateurs a chance. Seeing eight parents, a principal and an assistant principal work so easily and well together was really amazing. They made what I considered the right choices on the right grounds. Given that chance, community control can work; it does %u2014 at P.S. 20.P.S. 20%u2019s PTCA has %u2014 as do most organizations %u2014 a core of dedicated, hard-working people (parents) who are really involved; not only in theirchildren's classrooms, but in the larger school as well. This entails vigilance in seeing that the school is not bypassed when there's funding available for new programs or equipment; in evaluating a new type of lunch program; in creating dialogue between school and home %u2014 and not just when a kid isn%u2019t performing up to par, either.Typical of this kind of parent involvement is an application submitted to the district office so that P.S. 20 can become an Optional Unzoned School. This means that our school would be able to admit children outside the d istrict into the open corridor. Further, parents of both public and private school kids would be actively proselytized and encouraged to meet with P.S. 20%u2019s staff and parents; observe the program; see the very concrete results.These results will amaze parents of kids in private schools who are becoming a bit disenchanted because their kids$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ W $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ i$ $ $ $ $l I n c o m e T a xFREE 15-MINUTE $ CONFERENCE$ To discuss tax services, ideas, $ review a tax return, answer $ questions. All fees set before further j work. By appointment.$ THE TAX ADVISOR$ 145 HENRY ST. 624-7347M GOOD N EWSFOR YOUR CONVENIENCEH A M I L T D N F E D E R A L S A V I N G SAND LOAN ASSOCIATION420 Court Street, corner of 2nd PlaceO p e nSaturdaysfrom 1 0a.m. to 2p.m.\still can't read and write at age 10. In my son Evan's fourthgrade class, reading scores rose from a median 3.7 last October to 5.0 in February; similarly, math rose from a median 3.6 in October to 5.6 in February. I might add that Evan%u2019s class is not a star collection of middleclass darlings; the class couldn't be more representative of the neighborhood. It is that the open corridor staff are determined to show that open education can %u2014 and does %u2014 produce. What better illustration than those reading and math scores?As far as my son Evan is concerned, there is just one remaining hurdle. Talking about his teacher, Evan asks, \I have to call him Mr. Barcan? Can%u2019t I just call him Steve, the way the other teachers do?%u201d I%u2019m still working on that one.When Ellen and I moved to Boerum Hill in 1967, everybody we met was a fanatic neighborhood nationalist. It was contagious; we succumbed. If there was an abandoned house around, we'd seal it up; we%u2019d never rip out mantles or remove detail that might attract some renovator. And we%u2019d schlep to every church supper, dance, meeting or clean-up held anywhere in the neighborhood. Just about the time it got to be a big drag, the neighborhood filled up with people who were willing to take over these duties. We were able to relax.But in Fort Greene-Clinton Hill, there's never time to relax; it%u2019s a much bigger piece of territory. Obviously, it%u2019s impossible to attend every meeting or social function that goes on here; but we've got to help each other out.For instance: The leaders in the fight against the expansion of the ARTC Drug Program on Fulton Street live, naturally enough, very near the program.Nonetheless, Vanderbilt 2 Block Association decided to support that fight, even though it represents a block that%u2019s as far----------4L - . ----- r . . I * ____O x _____avwcijr H u m i u i i u i i o i l c c i a s y u ucan get, and still be in Fort Greene. And when this block was revving up to fight the expansion of a gas station, we fully expected the anti-ARTC people would help us. Energy crunch et al, we don't need that help right now; but you never know.More recently, the Adelphi Street Block Association (Willoughby-Myrtle) decided to hold a dance to beef up their tree-planting fund. So they rented space at P.S. 20, hired a band, bought soda, beer and hot dogs, and printed up some handbills that were posted (very locally, I must say) along Myrtle Avenue. And the dance was a disaster. Hardly anybody showed.Though the band \\Ajas, shall we say, somewhat overamplified, the dance could have been more successful with some advance publicity. So call me (624-4644). If you can let me know a month or so in advance, I'll be glad to talk up any event your block association sponsors %u2014 in this column or by word of mouth; I'm sure Bonnie Goldsamt, editor of The Fort Greene Paper, would gladly do the same. Through the Landmarks Committee you can contact presidents of all block associations in Fort GreeneClinton Hill and provide announcements for distribution on their blocks. Most important, support your community. Even if the event is ten blocks away, try to attend.One positive side-effect of the Myrtle Avenue widening is that there are loads of excavated cobblestones piling up. Though I%u2019m probably geing an urban guerrilla-advocate, these cob blestones are just dying to grace your garden walk, your areaway, or your hearth. Cart them away in the back of a station wagon or car-trunk; store them temporarily in your area way for future installation. It's called recycling %u2014 a term nobody in the City Administration seems familiar with.Nine out of ten people, if 3sked, will tell you they hate cocktail-type parties. Somebody%u2019s lying, because most of the parties we're invited to offer Almaden Chablis, acid rock, and the opportunity of shoutingOpen Mon.-Fri. 11:30 am-lOpmTWO ST E PSDOWN240 D ekalb Ave.RESTAURANT LUNCHEON & DINNERBring your favorite wine 783-9239over the music as your bladder fills and your voice gets hoarse.For those of you who think of the word %u2018party%u2019 as a verb rather than a noun, I recommend NuBeings, Inc., Myrtle Avenue near Clinton. The proprietors have a list of current, best-selling 45%u2019s on hand, and they'll tell you which are good for a party %u2014 meaning which are danceable. I believe more people would get up and dance if the music were irresistible %u2014 and a little softer.With music from Nu-Beings, Inc., people will leave your party with voice-boxes intact and the distinct feeling they%u2019ve had a good time. And that is what a party is supposed to be %u2014 a celebration, not a lot of yakking in between line-ups for the bathroom. Celebrate! Party! (the verb).Locals PlanFor 200thAnniversaryDuring the last two months some 30 people representing several Fort Greene-Clinton Hill community groups including St. Michaels-St. Edwards Church and Saint Joseph's College, have met to plan the events held in celebration of our nation's 200th anniversary.Rev. Anthony Failla of St. Michaels-St. Edward's heads the committee for this historic area. There have been two preliminary meetings at which three theme committees, - Horizon, Festival, and Heritage - were chosen. With the help of the New York City Bi-Centennial Corporation, proposals for the 1975 - 1976 year of celebration will be written at the March meeting.\says Fr. Failla, \site for an indoor museum in order to highlight dramatically the monument to the 12,000 American patriots in Fort Greene Park.\The Heritage Committee, headed by Rev. Brian Callahan of St. Michaels-St. Edward%u2019s is seeking to compile the rich history of the area. With the assistance of Sisters Joan Ryan and Joan Blake of St. Joseph%u2019s College, topics such as the history of the Churches of the area, local politics, tra n %u00adsportation, genealogy, and the Navy Yard will be researched. Further, an oral history from the senior residents of the area is proposed.A school curriculum, as well as a look into the future of Ft. Greene, is planned by the Horizon Committee. \of this skeleton committee\explains Fr. Failla, \all the residents of Fort Greene to take part in the exciting events of the Bi-Centennial Celebration.\f l / 11Eat Drink & Be MerryAf *%u25ba>* ' 8 8 0 I Ti%u00bbv# n I n B o i ' o \r.tdien Op>f EfuJJr.SJturdi^ SundayC o n n Hoy* Ir'l 658 n?2I a a _ _ _ I jyj'tV t* Mliyc