Daily News from New York, New York • 65

220 E. 42d Nw York, N.Y. 10017 MORTIMER B. ZUC'KERMAN, Chairman 4 Co-Publisher FRED DRASNER, Chief Executive Officer Co-Publisher MARTIN Dl'NN, Editor In Chief PEBBY KRENEK, Executive Editor MARTIN S. GOTTLIEB, Managing Editor RIC HARD GOODING, Metropolitan Editor ARTHUR BROWNE, Editorial Page Editor IKKONYOU ff I HAVEN'T HIT U.

ANYTHING, I I BUTSOMEHOW I pr A Jjl I Ct Wit zss-l I II Jd Judge Ito's lost horizons SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN "Himalaya 90210" and commercials for Yak Chow, Tibetan TV reported on the O.J. Simpson trial or so said Judge Lance Ito, who's been thrown into such a tizzy by the media that he banned the press from part of the jury-selection process. The part, ironically, having to do with media impact. Unless Ito supposes he'll eventually have to go to Tibet for an impartial panel, the link between press presence in the Los Angeles courtroom for jurors' questioning and whatever was said on the Shangri-la network is less than tenuous. His decision was wisely reversed yesterday, after Simpson's lawyers said the reporters would not inhibit jurors' frankness.

But Ito is beginning to look a little like a ringmaster in this circus. The judge has but one responsibility here, which is, of course, to see to it that Simpson gets a fair trial. This is going to happen or not happen in his courtroom. It is not going to take place on television or in books or the newspapers. These are beasts that are properly beyond his control, and Ito is wasting an enormous amount of time and energy trying to tame them.

Instead of rising above it all, the judge appears to have been adversely affected by his exposure to the bizarre cast of Simpson characters, the latest being Faye Resnick, whose journalistic credits are on a par with "Elvis' Two-Headed Alien Love Child Ate My Gerbil." Resnick created much angst for Ito with the publication of her alleged biography of her alleged friend Nicole Simpson. Ignore Resnick and she'll go away; instead, Ito bolstered her notoriety, even going so far as to ask Connie Chung and CBS News to forgo an interview with the "author." There is no question that Ito faces a tough job in selecting a jury, starting with the fact that this is going to be a long, intensely scrutinized trial. He's getting carried away, though, in thinking that potential jurors must be shielded from any and all O.J. information. The public can easily judge the likes of Resnick, who felt it necessary to reveal Brown's most intimate alleged secrets in the supposed cause of upholding her honor.

The most heartening aspects of the whole episode are, first, that Resnick's book is apparently bombing and, second, that a talk-show audience, that most American of juries, was nicely hostile to her. Connie Chung and CBS News did not do themselves proud by putting Resnick on national television. But their offense was contempt of the public, not the court. As for Ito, he should focus on what's happening in his courtroom. The quicker he seats a jury, the faster he'll be able to control what jurors see and hear, and the sooner this circus will be brought to a close.

The sky ain't faUin' Manhattan: That new survey says marriage is alive and well, families are happy and homosexuality is not taking over. Despite the doomsday rantings of Quayle, Limbaugh, Robertson, O'Connor and all the other "Chicken Littles" of morality, family values are doing just fine. So can these guys shut up now, please? Anthony Joseph passed because some of the Democrats voted against it. And if some Republicans had not voted for NAFTA, it would not have passed. Please do not blame the Republicans for not voting for something that most of us are against Salvatore Ciunta On schedules Far Rockaway: Your article on subway information hit the nail on the head.

Some conductors are not aware of the service pattern of the No. 5 train, which goes into Brooklyn only during the rush hours, or the which operates for one hour each rush hour. And I am sure many of them are not aware that the 19 skip-stop now runs only during rush hour. Sometimes I wonder if they know where their Queens-bound A trains terminate. With the line operating to Lefferts Far Rockaway and Rockaway Park (rush hours), they should alert their customers.

Ronald Weinfeld Customer Services, JVYCTA Rating the Prez Manhattan: I want to congratulate our President for the clever way he is handling Haiti. Without the deal made with Cedras, it would have meant a terrible cost of lives, as much ours as Haitians'. Thanks, Mr. President, for thinking to preserve the lives of our boys. Our foreign affairs have never been handled better equally perhaps, but not better.

Mary DaCosta Haiti investment Middle Village: Sending our troops to Haiti is a waste of money. Clinton could be spending our taxes to research a cure for AIDS and to build jails so criminals can stay in jail longer without overcrowding. Mark P. Shemitz Porky's II emies where there are none by fostering division and intolerance. Guy Molinari, through your own mouth, you have revealed that you are a dismal role model for Italian-Americans and a lousy politician.

Ms. Burstein is an inspiration. She will make a fine attorney general, a courageous leader and a beautiful role model for everyone. Mary Efrosini Gregory Her kind of town Chicago: I have recently visited New York for the first time and I decided to write to pronounce my enthusiasm at what I discovered. As a Chicagoan, I had heard the negative about your city, but I was pleased to find it to be stimulating, beautiful, interesting, historically intriguing.

Dianne Kampinen Placing blame Ardsley, N.Y.: To Voicer Elissa Schwartz, who says the Republicans made sure President Clinton's health plan did not pass: In the first place, the Democrats control the Senate and the House by a large margin. If all the Democrats had voted for the President's bill, it would have passed. The bill did not pass because some Democrats voted against it. Also, if some of the Republicans had not voted for the President's crime bill, it would not have Warped priorities Plainview, Cal Thomas' brilliant commentary "Proofs in that sex education's flunking" was right on target in stipulating that children are sexually miseducat-ed. The so-called curriculum "Learning About Family Life" is a farce.

What in the world does masturbation have to do with family life? We live in a culture where the educational system hands out condoms when it should be handing out books and rulers. Nick Teng Burstein brouhaha Brooklyn: The recent criticism of Karen Burstein's lesbianism is superficial nonsense. I applaud Miss Burstein for being open and honest about her homosexuality. Her sexual orientation should not be an issue, but is being made an issue to cover the real opposition: She's a woman. Her opponent Dennis Vacco is obviously a man of class and integrity for not wanting to make her orientation an issue.

Michelle Criscudo Fitness questioned Staten Island: After reading what Guy Molinari said about Karen Burstein, I seriously question his ability to remain as my borough president Who is next, Guy? Will blacks be singled out? Or will it be Jews? Muslims? Single mothers? What we look for in a candidate is the person who we think will do the best job, regardless of what they do in their bedroom. And that includes you. Who knows what you do in your bedroom. I shudder to think. Bob Miller Guy's all wrong Rego Park: Guy Molinari's vicious attack on Karen Burstein is When Sen.

Alfonse D'Amato entertained his Senate colleagues with an ear-splitting rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" last August, he brought along a picture of a giant, pink cartoon pig. Must have been a self-portrait. The Senator's latest barnyard escapade took place at the "21" club Wednesday night after a fund-raiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate George Patakl. After railing that Mayor Giuliani had not yet endorsed Pataki, D'Amato encountered Pata-ki's running mate, Betsy McCaughey. Giving a new and overly literal twist to the phrase "political prostitution," D'Amato suggested that McCaughey might be able to bring Giuliani on board.

"You'll make him an offer he can't refuse," said the porcine Senator. E-I-E-I-Ouch. Pataki yesterday sharply rebuked D'Amato, an important political patron, and D'Amato issued a statement saying: "It was wrong, even if said in jest and in private, and I apologize." Earlier, though, D'Amato denied making the remark. "It is made up," he told the New York Post "I stake my personal and political reputation on it." Good thing he didn't have much of one to begin with. From here to eternity Hi 3 Burt Lancaster, a son of East Harlem, was one of the true greats of the silver screen.

Nominated for four Oscars, he has been described as "the thinking man's tough guy," a rugged leading man with a warm heart. It was a heart attack that took his life Thursday night at the age of 80. Lancaster was in more than 70 films, some of which are the most memorable in movie history. "The Birdman of Alcatraz." "The Rose Tattoo," "Atlantic City." And no one wjU forget his Transit latrine Yonkers: I have lived in New York for 20 of my 27 years and I have smelled and seen some repulsive things, but none as repulsive as the human excrement on the stairs as I exited from the 1 train at 33d St and Seventh Ave. I cannot believe that in a city that has more money than most countries, Port-O-Sans cannot be provided for the homeless to relieve themselves.

I'm sure "New Yorkers would not mind Mayor GitflianF Spending a few hundred thousand $3 insure that the stajwelfewfPfubway stations are not used asf bathrooms. The MTA arid the transit police have done a great jdb cleaning up the garbage and reducing the crime that once plagued the subway system. Must they be the "pooper scoopers" too? Jennifer R. Lester love scon' with Deborah Kerr in rorn Heretoi.ternny.bun. an iconic representation of the Beach, frid.

And a wave that made It an enduring symbfaf of ro-Li underlying factst agenda of the-mance JiepubUcani'amJSecauseJthas This was a guy with special class ana style, a New York origi- nothing to offer middle-class nal.ai American icon. They don't make 'em like that Ameriea or the poor, the GOP Do they? r. must garner votes by creating en-.