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f i 'D I T O R I A L SWhere Are The Neighborhood Voices?When the commotion over the city corruption scandals has died down, after the convictions have been announced, and when the sentences are handed out, what will remain from this year%u2019s worth of headlines will be one task: the revision of the Charter ofthe City of New York.This is, for once, not the discovery of a reporter, the talk of politicians or the move ofa trial attorney. It%u2019s an order, straight from Judge Neaher of the Federal District Courtin Brooklyn. Neaher%u2019s ruling last month that the Board of Estimate violated the constitutional principal of one-man, one-vote mandated that the city change the way inwhich the board operates.The revision of the city charter will not be an easy task. It%u2019s going to take time tohear each point of view. Proposed revisions will have to be submitted to a fully openand public process that will be lengthy. And, in a city where political power is oftenmeasured in inches rather than feet, some of the choices for change the city will befaced with will be difficult, if not downright unattractive. The results will affect the cityfor many years to come.That%u2019s why we commend Mayor Koch for rolling up his sleeves without hestitationand appointing the 15-member Charter Revision Commission. Yet, in a process as important as the task before the commission, the Mayor neglected to include representation from the city%u2019s local communities.Volunteer commissions have become a popular tool of late to assist elected officialsin making decisions on broad matters of public policy. This year alone saw the resultsof the work of the Small Retail Business Study Commission, the Cooper Committee andthe West Side Task Force, all of which invariably contained many distinguishedhousehold names, all to some extent asking for the public%u2019s input on such vital issues ascommercial rents, landmarks, and comprehensive urban planning.We have argued in the past for the need for as open and public a process as possibleon the issues these volunteer panels have dealt with. But the Charter Revision Commission will deal with the whole urban picture in all its facets. It%u2019s important then, that thecommission contain representation of the residents of the city who will be most affectedby any changes in city government. Since they have to deal with the vicissitudes of urban life on a day-to-day basis from such groups as local community boards, communityrepresentatives would certainly add a commonsense perspective to the issue.Sure, none of them are household names. But then again, the process of revising thecharter is not a glamorous task. However, the results of the commission%u2019s work willhave far more credibility when it comes time to vote on the charter revisions two yearshence.f ^ O M M U N I T Y J * O R U M views of read ersLocal Resident Says Thanks To Merchant Marty For Making ChristmasBY ANNIE THOMPSONI am writing this letter as a Christmasstory, about Marty Goldstein, merchantowner of Roman Check Cashing Store, 203Fifth Avenue at the corner of Union St.For the past 14 years, the United Fifth Ave.Coalition staff volunteers have givenChristmas toys to 300 underprivilegedchildren in our area. For the last seven years Ihave been doing the fund-raising. We keep itlocal, so our community can have impactwith their donations to this cause.The story started with another merchant %u2014I will not mention his name or store. Many ofour residents deal in his store, and he suremakes a buck. But he%u2019s a merchant who saysI%u2019m with you in spirit but not in deed. When Icalled on him, he screamed and cursed onabout giving a donation for these kids onwelfare, whose parents should find a job etc.I ran out of the store and ran into MartyGoldstein who had already had given me acheck for $50.00. He asked me what happened, as I had a tear in my eye and it wasn%u2019tfrom the cold.When I told him, he said, %u201cSay Annie, comeback to my store. Give me back my check.Tell me how much more you need to reachyour goal.I said, %u201cMarty, I took in only four blocks ofmerchants, from Sackett to 1st St. and I picked up only $28.%u201d%u201clisten,%u201d Marty said, %u201cAnnie, you%u2019re 63Annie Thompson lives on Union Street andis acting president of the Union/lst BlockAssociation.M arty and Anne spread som e holiday cheer in Park Slope using funds d o n a te d by merchants %u2014 m ost notably M arty. Each year he gives a check so th e underprivileged will havea C hristm as.years old. I don%u2019t want to see merchantsharass you. Go back home and keep warm.Here is a check for $300 for the kids.%u201dThat was four years ago. He still gives usthis amount to this very day.Marty also came to our rescue this summer for our beautiful Talk of the TownGardens on Lemon and 1st St. I washospitalized and couldn%u2019t go fundraising forour garden. Marty hear we owed $64.00 to/ don V want to see the merchantsharass you. Go back home andkeep warm. Here is a check for$300fo r the kids. That was fouryears ago, and he still gives that.Page 34, TH E P H O E N IX , D ecem ber 11, 1986Merry For Local Kidsthe Green Garden Center on Atlantic Ave., sohe sent them $100 to clear our bill and left therest to buy bulbs, etc. for next spring.Please publish this story so the residentswho read about Marty in the best local paper,%u201cThe Phoenix,%u201d will read and know. This letter is our way to say thank you to dear Marty,who shares some of his profits with the kidsfor Christmas gifts, for all young and old toenjoy our gardens. For the tab he picks up inthe summer time for kids volunteer operationBig Sweep, who pays for all the pizza andsoda lunch.Again, Marty, from the children who knowthat you are the real Santa Claus to them andthat may be the only gift they receive forChristmas. Marty, your kindness is beyondthis planet, your compassion is further thanMars and beyond.We also heard that Marty supports abaseball team for youngsters in his community where he lives. He is a champion of aguy. Thank you again and again. We love thatMerchant Marty.Confessions O f ALocal BibliophileIn the last issue of the Brooklyn PublicLibrary%u2019s Bulletin, we asked for writtenreminiscences about using the Library. Anumber of people responded, often withlengthy and interesting stories which wedon%u2019t have the room to print in their entirety.Here are some portions of the letters.%u201cI have been using the library since I wasthree years old. My grandma Otilia took meto the library. At the library, I saw many people reading books, and I did the same thing. Igrabbed many books off the shelfs. I toldMom all about the library. My mother continued taking me to the library. Sometimes Ihugged the book. I got my library card whenI was 4 1/2 years old. I felt very important. Iborrowed books. The librarian smiled at me.Today I am 6 1/2 yeas old and I go to thelibrary almost every day. I like the books alot. The library is a place for me to read andlearn about the world.%u201d Marc Borrero%u2022 %u2022 %u2022%u201cEver since I was a little girl, (I am 73 andfour months) I have enjoyed my membershipin the Brooklyn Public Library. To this day, Istill borrow six books every two weeks; thusmy Library Card is one of my proudest, mostprized personal possessions %u2014 without whichI could not do! Just look at all the money Isave (not) buying books.%u201d%u2022 %u2022 %u2022The Library affords me escape into theworlds of of fiction, fantasy, mystery,biography, learning, adventure and yes, evenROMANCE (are you listening, RosemaryRogers, Barbara Cartland?)%u2022 %u2022 %u2022%u201cThe Library offers a haven of peace andquiet from the hectic world outside its doorsand I must add my compliments to thelibrarians. I%u2019ve always found them to bededicated, helpful and pleasant to one andall. Thank you, New York City, for providingthis wonderful free service to all who can ap-- %u2014 ~ii %u00bb> u %u201epi WlUbV u u J WU VUV/I %u2022 1.IUIIU1 UU%u2022 %u2022 %u2022If you would like to send us an account ofyour memories, write to Editor, Bulletin,Public Information Office, Brooklyn PublicLibrary, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY