The North Adams Transcript from North Adams, Massachusetts • Page 9

SECOND SECTION the transcript NORTH ADAMS ADAMS WILLIAMSTOWN MASSACHUSETTS Wednesday, November 17, 1976, PAGE 17 Gambling bill is Kitterman's Transcript-Trabold Early Americans Celia Campbell of Petersburg, N.Y., looks out from window display of pilgrims and Indians at Pine Cobble Nursery School. She is wearing her Indian headdress. Housing Now to appeal Union St. rehab application rejected NORTH ADAMS The city may have lost another big one as an application for $747,000 by Housing Now Inc. has been shot down by the federal government.

Rejection was disclosed today by Housing Now president Donald W. Sprague, who said his organization will appeal it. The money, to have come from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Farmers Home Administration, intended for rehabilitation of residences along Union Street.

Rejection comes at a time when the federal government is supposedly encouraging rehabilitation of existing homes rather than new building. "It's a little hard for me to comprehend," said Mayor Joseph R. Bianco. "For some peculiar reason, the federal government seems to be shying away from rehab," he said. Mr.

Sprague called the reasons for the rejection "specious. They said it (the Housing Now proposal) isn't eligible according to FMHA standards, which just is not the case," he said'. Farmers, Home Administration concentrates on rural housing problems. Agency money can go only to areas that have under a certain population. In the past, North Adams has been considered eligible for funds.

Mr. Sprague reported the agency does not think the area in which rehabilitation was planned is "a Green Mt. applies for dog racing POWNAL, Vt. Green Mountain Race Track has applied for 88 days of greyhound racing from Jan 14 to May 1, the Vermont Racing Commission said yesterday. Friday at 8:30 p.m., track officials 'will meet with a local citizens group lobbying to preserve horse racing at the Pownal track.

The commission has yet to act on the track's request, which makes no mention of horse racing in 1977. District 4-4 representative, Theodore Boulter, a committee member, said the group is preparing a formal report on its views for presentation at tomorrow's meeting. In general, he said, the committee will try to gauge whether the track is "hell bent" on racing dogs only. Track officials have said they would prefer to run greyhounds as horses are too expensive in terms of purses and operating costs. Mr.

Boulter also reiterated the committee's stand that the elimination of horse racing would have a serious negative impact on the local economy. The committee sent a letter last Friday to track owners requesting the meeting, and received a positive reply, with the stipulation the conference take place at the race track. Green Mountain general manager Daniel Laughlin, verified today the 88-day greyhound request. The dogs would run Wednesday through Sunday, he said, for six performances a week. The manager refused, however, to release track plans past Mayl.

Mr. LaughJin confirmed Friday's meeting. He said he would like to answer charges made by committee members through the press. The track had previously applied for 250 days of greyhound racing for 1977, but the application was rejected by the commission on grounds it included no ending date. Mr.

Laughlin admitted later that track owners, the Arthur Rooney family of Pennsylvania, would like to race only dogs. Patrick J. Rooney, track president, will attend the meeting Friday, Mr. Laughlin said. conducive neighborhood.

They think it is an industrial type area." The agency also said plans for parking were unacceptable and some of the targeted structures do not meet guidelines for the money. "We are going to appeal it. We are going to try to meet their objections," said Mr. Sprague. He said he is optimistic his organization can get a reversal of the decision.

The Housing Now proposal calls for the purchase, reconstruction, and management of about 30 units of housing along Union Street. It is distinct from the North Adams Redevelopment Authority's neighborhood rehabilitation project that will provide homeowners in the same area with low cost loans for work on their properties. That project is already partially funded as part of the $1.1 million the city is entitled to under the federal Housing and Community Development Act. Mr. Sprague said his group "opted for the Union Street area to compliment the other work being done there." In addition to the redevelopment authority's work, he pointed to efforts of the Hoosuck Community Resources Corp.

and state plans to upgrade Union Street as it enters the city. "We were trying to support these efforts, "he said. Age for bivalent flu shots lowered to 50 NORTH ADAMS-State public health authorities have lowered the eligibility age for bivalent flu vaccine to 50. Officials of the western Mass, public health district, which includes north Berkshire county, say they have 87,000 doses of bivalent and 150,000 doses 'of monovalent vaccine still to give away. Local health officials hope to pick up those of the newly eligible who want the shots in the last of the scheduled vaccination clinics.

The bivalent vaccine, which protects against both swine flu and A- Victoria flu, had previously been available only to those 65 and older and persons with chronic diseases. The monovalent vaccine, which protects against swine flu only, continues to be available to everyone. Dr. Stuart Shapiro, deputy commissioner of public health, says eligibility for the double-barreled vaccine was increased because "We have adequate supplies available and while we have it we would like to see it used." Arthur Hyman, a spokesman for the western Mass, public health district, says "the turnout has been so low that we think we can increase eligibility and still cover everybody who-wants it." He reports 25,000 of an eligible population in the western district of 191,000 have received the bivalent shot. Another 10,000 have received the monovalent vaccine.

"In general we have been seeing about a 15 per cent turnout," he says. The state wants local health boards to turn back whatever vaccine they do not use so an inventory of the surplus can be made. Further expansion of eligibility for the bivalent vaccine may be in the off ing. "This is the third change in eligibility they have made," says Dr. Edmond P.

Larkin, city health officer. He says originally those eligible for the bivalent included people working in "essential public services." However, because of production problems, it was feared there would be a shortage of vaccine so essential service workers were dropped. "Now they are trying to get rid of the stuff. Otherwise it will go to waste," he says. Dr.

Larkin is more concerned about the possibility of an A-Victoria flu epidemic than he is about a swine flu epidemic. "Nobody anticipates a swine flu problem now," he says. He says characteristically A- Victoria flu "seeds itself" one year, strikes hard the following year, and disappears in the third year. "We had a fair amount of (A- Victoria) flu last year. We should have a good Victoria flu epidemic this says.

He reports roughly 1,000 people have received bivalent vaccine at the two city clinics conducted thus far. A third clinic is scheduled for Sunday from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. at the American Legion building in the city. Dr. Larkin says he will have 600 doses of each type of vaccine for Sunday.

If turnout is heavy he may set up another clinic. Sue A. Briggs, of the Williamstown board of health says the fifth and final clinic in that town will be conducted tonight at the Mitchell School gymnasium from 6 to 9 p.m. Both vaccines will be available. Those who miss tonight's clinic may receive shots at the Visiting Nurses Assn.

office on Cole' Avenue from 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays. (Related story in Adams section) ADAMS State Rep. William Kitterman of Pittsfield is the author of the proposal for casino gambling that goes before town meeting members Monday night. He was enlisted by Greylock Associates to draft the bill that will go before the state legislature if it is approved Monday, said Joseph R.

Dragone, one of the principals of the consulting firm working to obtain casino gambling for Greylock Glen resort. Mr. Dragone said "several other attorneys" were also involved in drafting the bill. Rep. Kitterman, who lost his bid for re-election Nov.

2, may also have written a bill "running around" Beacon Hill. Sources there say a former state representative has dafted legislation that has not yet been filed. Mr. Dragone denied Greylock Associates is pursuing any other avenue than the town meeting bill, saying, "I'm hanging my hat on town meeting." Rep. Kitterman was in a Boston meeting and could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Dragone suggested that the bill already reported to be on Beacon Hill may be the product of some other group interested in having casino gambling in another section of the state. He predicted five or six bills would be filed and they would be lumped together by the legislature. He predicted that the bill to permit casino gambling in Adams would be in better shape than the others because it would come from the town meeting, and said, "This is the bill I'm working on right now." The casino is necessary if the stalled $30 million Greylock Glen resort project is ever to be completed, its proponents say. Mr.

Dragone said he formed Greylock Associates to handle real estate sales for Greylock Glen, but he is not an officer otthe corporation. He said he is acting as a financial consultant for Greylock Glen and for Greylock Associates, "with the primary goal of getting Greylock Glen built." Greyloek Associates has undertaken what is for Adams a mammoth publicity campaign, which began three weeks ago with a Chamber of Commerce meeting where representatives explained the casino proposal. After that, Greylock Associates sponsored a cocktail party for town meeting members to explain the proposal to them. Yesterday, letters were sent to town meeting members, urging them to Many have ties to province Quebec secession unlikely, observers say By JOSEPH C. DAY NORTH ADAMS Vive Quebec libre! That political war cry, once thought to be the squeak of a minority of French Canadian separatists, will be the focus for a new provincial government that won a plurality in Monday's provincial elections.

Prospects that the victorious Parti Quebecois could lead Canada's largest province from its century long association with the federation to emergence as an independent nation carry significance for northern Berkshire. Both North Adams and Adams have large minorities of second or third generation French Canadians whose roots stretch back to Quebec. The 1970 federal census, moreover, indicates nearly 5,000 persons hi the area speak French as a first Ma'ny of these Franco-Canadian Americans have relatives scattered throughout the St. Lawrence Valley so family connections, travel, and business make Quebec politics a potentially important item. In addition, the Canadian Studies Program at North Adams State College gives an academic color to the local Quebec connection.

More than a dozen Canadians have completed studies here, while several local students have studied a year in Quebec. Despite claims that rejection of the ruling Liberal Party will lead to secession, few north county observers think the province will go that far. Pierre Levesque, leader of Parti Quebecois and premier-elect, reaffirmed his commitment to separatism, but said yesterday secession would be subject to a popular referendum within two years. Although his party ran first in the voting, antiseparatist factions got 59 per cent of the vote. "The vote was really just a political ploy," said 'Arthur F.

Sullivan, a philosophy instructor, who as academic dean at North Adams State established the Canadian studies program in 1970. Installation of the separatist party in Quebec City with a majority of 66 assembly seats of a total of 110 "should be seen as an anti-liberal vote, expressing voter dissatisfaction with wages, prices, inflation, and other bread and butter issues," Prof. Sullivan said. Quebec has a crippling 10.1 per cent unemployment level, especially strong in rural areas where the winning party, dubbed "Pequistes," have substantial support. High taxes and a large budget deficit are other problems.

1 Prof. Sullivan, who sits on the state council overseeing Canadian studies in all Massachusetts state colleges, compared voting ruses used in Quebec and Puerto Rico, the U.S. Spanish-speaking commonwealth. "Probably the last thing most people who vote for the separatist element want is real independence. They know they've got it made under the present system, but votes can register dissatisfaction and focus the attention of either Ottawa or Washington on specific local problems," he said.

Language, however, is the burning issue engulfing the province's six million citizens. Quebec's French majority insists that theirs be the single official language throughout the province and all students must attend French classes under a 1974 law. Meanwhile, throughout Canada, mostly English-speaking, French enjoys an equal legal status with the majority tongue. Residents of western provinces particularly resent complications the language policy creates. Ron Mills, a Transcript editor and a native of Saskatchewan, noted many government workers cannot get promotions unless they demonstrate proficiency in French.

On the other side of the county, however, many franco-phones OD page 12) vote in favor of the casino bill as a means of adding jobs and income to the town's economy. A four-page advertisement promoting the idea appeared in the weekly Shopper's Companion. That led to some speculation that Greylock Associates may be in part financed by the Chamber, or by Ignatius Michalenko, publisher of the Shopper. Asked whether he was financing them, Mr. Michalenko replied, "Why should we? They're paying their way." Mr.

Dragone, asked about financing, said Greylock Associates is a separate corporation from Greylock Glen, and he raised money for it through the sale of stocks to a cousin and a "personal friend" whom he declined to identify "until the time comes." Asked if the friend is Alan Canter, president of Greylock Glen, he said "I wish it was." If the casino gambling bill obtains town meeting approval and is approved by the legislature, there is no indication of whether Gov. Michael S. Dukakis will sign it. Alfred E.G. Edmonds a press aide, said it's "much too early and there are too many imponderables" to (Concluded on page 32) Business poll gives casino a slight edge here have given a slight edge to prospects for a gambling casino on the lower slopes of Mt.

Greylock, but a substantial number of them are still undecided about the issue going before town meeting next Monday. Janet Zabek, president of Adams Chamber of Commerce, says a poll shows 43 of 82 members in favor of a warrant article seeking legislation to enable operation of the casino at Greylock Glen resort. Of those polled, 20 were opposed to the proposal, and 19 had no opinion. Miss Zabek and the chamber's board of directors interviewed members by telephone last week and this week. It is the second survey on the casino instituted by the chamber in the past month.

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