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Page 16 PHOENIX April 18, 1974History in the Re-m akingAs Prospect Park Is RefurbishedThe renovation programs ofsignificant buildings in ProspectPark is now wel i underway. TheMusic Pagoda reconstruction isnow nearly complete. W e weresomewhat concerned that thenew wooden roof would betempting to the vandals whohave burned the roofs of boththe Music Pagoda and therecently-decim ated OrientalPavilion. Prospect Park CuratorDonald Simon reports, however,that the wood has been treatedwith fire-retardant chemicals,and the old wood columns andrails have been rebuilt with ironand concrete.The firs t plans for therenovation of the Oriental Pavilion &The Teahouse) have beencompleted by Park Slope architect Gene Miele. The ParksDepartm ent is now seekingformal approval for the design,and if all goes well, work shouldstart later this summer, to becompleted next year. Twoweeks ago in this column weurged that P R C A considerdeleting the concession stand inthe center of the Pavilion thathas graced the Calvert Vauxstructure for 20 years. W e werepleased to hear that the concession will indeed be removed asLet UsHear AboutLocal ParkProblems > -[Michael Piuyear Photo]part of a full historic renovation.What is less pleasing, however, is that the newly-renovatedboathouse will become the sitefor a new concession. Restaurant Associates has been namedconcessionnaire for the boathouse, and what is planned forthe operation has been described variously by ParksDepartment personnel a s 1 %u2018a hotdog stand,%u201d or %u2018%u2018an informalrestaurant. %u201d In any case, therestill exists the question: Why isthe result of a$1.4 million-dollarCity-funded renovation beinggiven over to Restaurant Associates?Simon described the newconcession as something moreelaborate than a hot-dog stand,but still a purveyor of so-calledconvenience foods. This rubricapparently covers hot dogs,hamburgers, but also an elaborate ice cream counter and chairsand tables on the upper terraceof the boathouse. Preparedpicnic baskets might also beavailable.In addition to the foodconcession, boats will be rentedfrom the lower terrace of theboathouse. Simon said thatother functions for the structureare also being considered, suchas golden-age and pre-schoolprograms.What is being done at the siteto protect the boathouse fromvandals? W ith relief, welearned that the massive amounts of glass required by thefenestration of the building isnot glass. A plastic substitutecalled %u201c lexan%u201d has been usedthroughout. This polymer is sotough that apparently you%u2019dneed a chisel or a diamond todamage it. Lexan has onedrawback: it flexes slightly inthe wind.The comfort station adjacentto the boathouse has recentlybeen de-roofed to make way fora thorough renovation. Thecomfort station has been described as one of the fewremaining buildings from theearly days of the Park, whenstructures were sited so as toblend in with the landscape,thus explaining why the comfortstation is half buried in thegrouna and covered with foliage.The comfort station will berestored to its former glory (orobscurity), the plans includingfilling in the moat that currentlysurrounds the structure. Themoat was dug in the 1930's toprotect the building from roofdamage, since people had takento walking on it. %u2018%u2018I takeparticular pride in the saving ofthis building,%u201d remarked Simon. %u2018%u2018Theoriginal plan was toelim inate the old building(which was designed by CalvertVaux) and put the johns in theboathouse. I asked Tom Hovingto save the building soon afterhe was appointed PRCA Administrator in 1966, and hestopped the demolition plans.With the boathouse, comfortstation and Music Pagoda renovations underway, and with theTeahouse work slated to beginin the near future, this wholesection of the Park will bereturned to a semblance of itsformer glory.Also scheduled for later thisyear is the renovation of theTennis House, which sits atop aknoll at the south end of theLong Meadow. Formal contractnumbers were assigned this lastMonday, and constructionshould be completed sometimein 1975.The Tennis House will housetoiiets, as weii as performingfield-house functions for thenearby baseball and footballdiamonds.[Michael Pniyear Photo]C andidateN ight atW BIDU.S. Senate aspirants Ramsey Clark and A1 Lowenstein will speak at the West Brooklyn Independent Democrats-sponsored %u201c Candidates%u2019 Night%u201d at 7:30 on Tuesday, April 23 at Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights. A third candidate, Queens Borough President Donald Mannes, who is expected to run for governor will also address the meeting. The public is invited to attend.Additionally, invitations have been extended to gubernatorial hopefuls Howard Samuels and Congressman Ogden Reid. Along with lieutenant-gubernatorial declarees State Assemblyman Tony Olivieri and State Senator Mary Ann Krupsak.To round out the ballot, two candidates for the office of attorney general have been invited-Bronx Borough President Robert Abrams and Rockland County District Attorney Robert Meehan.M eth o d istM eetin gContinued from Page 2Hospital now was to develop its Hospital-based clinics. Dr. Neiman agreed the clinics in the Hospital are in very poor shape, and other hospital facilities which would act as backup for such a neighborhood center just are not present. This lack of backup facility would ruin the chances of a satellite clinic%u2019s being successful, he said.The meeting co-chairman, Frank Torres, asked the two Hospital employees, Mr. Rece and Dr. Neiman, why there is no Spanishspeaking interpreter in the clinics and/or emergency room. He said the medical treatment received by Puerto Ricans and others who use Methodist Hospital is very poor in general, but patient care becomes virtually impossible when a Spanish-speaking person can%u2019t be understood and/or can%u2019t understand the medical staff.Rece said the Hospital is attempting to hire more Spanishspeaking workers for the clinics and emergency room, with some success. But, Ms. Fitzgibbon and others responded, this is not enough; a patient advocate and translator must be hired. Rece said there was no money to fill such posts.Another questioner asked why the Hospital hasn%u2019t recognized the workers%u2019 union. Rece said the Hospital is still contesting the union election of January, 1973, but added that the Hospital is in binding arbitration with the union over a contract. Asked if the Hospital would agree to the award of the arbitrator, Rece gave a very emphatic %u201c No.%u201d He made it clear the Hospital will continue to oppose the workers%u2019 union, even though it has been recognized by the National Labor Relations Board. It was pointed out by the audience that such opposition does not help patient care in the Hospital.The meeting drew to a close around the issue of Methodist%u2019s expansion plans. Rece said these plans are open to community view. He said that any community organization can request a presentation by the Hospital and will receive one. Rece further stated under questioning that the Hospital nas no turtner expansion plans ana that Methodist doesn%u2019t intend to destroy any housing that it doesn%u2019t already own. He added that the Hospital does own 519 Eighth Avenue.One item on the program, the appearance of Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias, director of pedia1 in themeeting. The speaker was unable to appear as she was injured in an auto accident.