Bethpage-Tribune_1975-07-03

              BETHBSGE ^HPiift
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PIAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 9 NO. 32 Thursday, July 3,1975 10 cents per copy
Fishman Demonstrates Touring With American Youth Orchestra
For More School Aid
A small but vocal group-including
Carole Fishman,
Plainview-Old Bethpage civic
leader and Democratic candidate
for the Oyster Bay Town Board-was
on hand in front of last
Wednesday's Democratic Party
Dinner to demonstrate in favor of
increased State aid to local school
districts. Their target was
Governor Carey, who was being
honored at the Dinner, and who
has been less than sympathetic to
proponents of more State aid.
Most of the other demon­strators
were teachers and of­ficials
of the Plainview Teachers
Union, but that didn't bother Mrs.
Fishman. "I joined the demon­stration,"
she noted, "not as a
candidate for public office, not as
an official of the Nassau
Democratic Party, and certainly
not as a supporter of the
Teachers Union with whom I.
have violently disagreed many
times in the past. I was there as a
parent, as a taxpayer, and as a
concerned citizen who has seen
the cost of education and local
property taxes skyrocket over
the past few years, while Albany
has done little to help."
Mrs. Fishman also observed
that her motivation in demon­strating
was neither personal nor
political. "State aid to education
is not, cannot be, a partisan
political issue. It is an issue of
survival-our local school districts
and suburban homeowners
cannot survive without a massive
influx of additional State aid."
What is really needed, ac­cording
to Mrs. Fishman, is a
complete overhaul of the means
by which public education is
financed in New York State-but
she realizes that this can't come
in time to take care of this year's
pressing local needs. Immediate
relief must be forthcoming to the
local taxpayer-this year and,
most important of all, without
any strings attached.
Mrs. Fishman expressed
disappointment that more people
weren't on hand to push the point
Wednesday night. "The Governor
can't get the message unless the
people of Nassau County send it
to him," she stated.
Yevoli Urges
More School Aid
Assemblyman Lewis J. Yevoli
(D-Old Bethpage) angrily
responded* to Governor Carey's
announcement today (6/ 24) that
only 100 million dollars would be
available for school aid this year,
by calling the Governor's position
"unconscionable, untenable and
totally unacceptable."
Yevoli said, "the Governor has
demonstrated an insensitivity to
the entire question of aid to
education that smacks of
hypocrisy and borders on in­competency."
Yevoli noted that the Assembly
approved a $330 million school
aid bill almost a month ago. He
said, "in the intervening period of
time Carey and Senate Majority
Leader Warren Anderson (R-Binghampton)
have engaged in a
political harangue that has
successfully delayed any
meaningful solution to one of the
most important) problems
confronting the residents of New
York State. Their irresponsible
actions have seriously jeopar­dized
the educational system in
our state, their callous disregard
for the already overburdened
taxpayer is an insult to every
resident of our state. Absolutely
no thought is being given to the
education of our children and
even less consideration is being
given to the financial plight of
their parents."
Yevoli continued, "if the
Governor's proposal is enacted
into law the average homeowner
in Nassau and Suffolk Counties
would be forced to absorb
astronomical increases in their
property taxes. The average
home in these counties is
assessed at $7,500, and if only $100
million is allocated for state aid
the taxes would increase 25
percent - 50 percent. This can
represent an additional $20. - $60.
and more per month on the tax
bill every month to the
homeowner."
Yevoli concluded, "if Governor
Carey persists in maintaining his
unwarrented Scrooge-like ap­proach
towards the funding of
education, then I intent to enlist
the support of as many school
boards, taxpayers, teachers, and
students as possible in an attempt
to institute a lawsuit requiring
the state to meet its con­stitutional
obligation to
education."
Marino Supports
Students Equal Rights
State Senator Ralph J. Marino
(R-Syosset) announced passage
of a bill in the Senate to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of sex
in high school extracurricular
programs.
Marino said that the legislation
is necessary to overcome con­fusion
concerning membership in
after-school programs offered by
service clubs whose charters
exclude females from mem­bership
in adult organizations. In
some instances, the exclusion is
being carried over into the high
school programs, denying female
participation in social activities.
Said Marino, "I believe we
must reinforce educational
policies that prohibit sex
discrimination in our schools.
Pittsburgh, Pa. June 18,1975
Hi,
They came from everywhere,
California, New York, Florida
and all points in between;
Nebraska, Utah, Pennsylvania,
Connecticut, Ohio, Virginia,
Georgia, Deleware, Montana,.
Michigan, Louisiana, Canada,
Texas, and even Deadwood,
South Dakota. Thus, by plane, by
train, car and bus the 120
members of the American Youth
Symphonic Band, and Chorus
assembled at ' the North
Alleghany High School in Pitt­sburgh,
for its 1975 Goodwill
Concert tour of Europe.
The people of the North
Alleghany School district were
our hosts and their gracious
hospitality was most welcome as
we were picked up at the airport
and bus terminal or train station,
all at least an hour's, drive from
the school.
We have- received a mailing list
of the band and Chorus members,
the adult staff and directors, but
not until the orientation meeting,
held at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday,
June 17th, did we realize how
large a group we were. The
logistics of getting this tour
assembled and literally off the
ground are almost mind-boggling
and kudos are due Mrs. Barbara
Pater son, the quiet and soft-spoken
executive secretary of the
AYSBC whose Director,
Professor James Paterson calls
"the boss."
At the orientation meeting
Professor Paterson welcomed
the group and laid down the
"ground rules" of the tour in no
uncertain terms. He admonished
the students, and the adult staff
too, "Remember, you are going
on a goodwill tour as repre­sentatives
of the United States,
and your country will be judged
by your actions. Be courteous, be
gracious and even if you don't
understand what they are saying
- SMILE - everyone understands
that. As for griping, if you expect
to find things in Europe the same
as at home, then maybe you
should stay at home. This is the
23rd goodwill concert tour of the
AYS' which organization was
started in 1964, and we have
taken more than 10,000 young
people abroad, and that's a lot of
kids to be responsible for. We try
to give you a musical education,
and a tour experience. Enjoy it.
Obey the rules and let others
enjoy it too. It will be your ex­perience
of a lifetime."
Pittsburgh, Pa. June 20,1975
We are scheduled to leave
Pittsburgh by Charter Flight to
Prestwick Airport, Scotland on
Friday evening June 20. From
the time of our arrival in Pitt­sburgh
to almost the hour of
departure, the days were filled
with intensive rehearsal
schedules for the young
musicians, expecially for the
symphonic band. You must
remember, that coming as they
did from all parts of the country,
they had never played together
before. However, they are all
good musicians and the band
conductor, Mr. Jene H. Melton, of
Deadwood, South Dakota, ex­pects
to have them ready for
their first concert in Scotland on
Sunday, June 22nd. The nucleus
of the chorus comes from the
north Alleghany High School and
their conductor, Mr. Roland
Dollhopf will have them ready to
sing their little hearts out before
we leave Pittsburgh. As a matter
of fact, they will be giving a
farewell concert on Thursday
evening during evening services
at the St. John's Lutheran
Church, where Mr. Hollhopf is
organist and choir director. But I
am getting ahead of my story....
After orientation on Tuesday
afternoon we were taken home by
our host families for supper. The
young people had to return for
rehearsal, but the adults were
free to enjoy the hospitality of
their new families.
I loved my family from the
moment my hostess met me at
the airport. Nancy and Vincent
Drayne are writers and artists
and they have two lovely, teen-aged
girls Karen and Ellen, both
of whom wished ardently they
could go along with some of their
classmates on the tour, but Karen
will be entering the University of
Pennsylvania this fall and alas,
Ellen is too young. The age
requirements of the AYS students
is from 15 to 21.
Mrs. Drayne asked me what I
knew of Pittsburgh, and although
I had visited the city on one or
two occasions, I had never really
had the time to enjoy some of its
more prominent features. So we
planned an itinerary which in­cluded
the Cathedral of Learning
of the University of Pittsburgh,
the Stephen Coiiins Toc* ~
Memorial, the Heinz Chapel and
the Carnegie Institute, with a
special visit to the newly opened
Sarah Scaife Gallery of the
Museum of Art.
The Nationality Rooms of the
42 story Cathedral of Learning
are fascinating. There are
eighteen of them which were gifts
to the University of Pittsburgh by
the nationality groups of
Alleghany County. Most of the
rooms were designed in the
countries they represent and are
indicative of the people's culture.
Imagine attending classes in
these Rooms which represent the
Renaissance, Classic, Imperial,
Gothic, Byzantine, Tudor,
Romanesque and Regency
Periods. As we strolled from
Room to Room, I felt as though I
were on a miniature tour of
Europe and the Far East.
The Czechoslovak Room with
its beamed ceiling is reminiscent
of a typcial farm home. On the
rear wall is the 1348 charter of
Prague's Charles University.
The Italian Room is in the 15th
century style of a Tuscan
monastery. The backs of the
student's seats are carved with
the names of founding dates of
Italian universities, dating back
to 1088 for the University of
Bologna. A bronze bust of Dante
is over the blackboard.
The German Room has the
names of famous German
philosophers, scientists, artists,
poets and musicians inscribed
above the panelling. In a cabinet
there was displayed a hand-wrought
silver crown traditionally
worn by a woman on her 35th
wedding anniversary.
The Hungarian Room has
stained glass windows which tell
the story of the country's
historical and cultural
development.
In the Polish Room there is an
original manuscript of
Paderewski's only opera
"Manru."
In the Irish Room the chairs
have handcarved heads of Irish
wolfhounds. It is believed that
these guard against evil spirits.
The Romania Room has Icons
above the blackboards and a
beautiful Byzantine type mosaic
"Straying Prince Constantine
Brancoveanu, who with his entire
family was martyred for his
Christian Faith.
The S vedish Room suggests a
bright and colorful farm home.
The walls are of handmade, two
hundred year old bricks which
have been covered with many
coats of whitewash.
The Chinese Room induces an
atmosphere of contemplation
(Continued on Page 4)