Daily News from New York, New York • 218

1)AILY NEWS, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1971 Kneller urm seiMM By IAN NEWMARK Despite a demonstration by over 1,000 Brooklyn College students and the brief takeover of several Boylan Hall offices yesterday by a few hundred of that group, college President John Kneller refused to rescind his appointment of a chairman of school's Puerto Rican Studies Department. His choice has caused student protests tL, K)r News photo by Tom Gallagher Senior citizens at Queens College conclave yesterday. 3K. Alt- IB! No Bliss hf lnmii If rem Stymied A ged 1 throughout the week. Marching to show support of the 44 students and faculty members arrested on Thursday for occupation of the registrar's and computer keypunch offices, hundreds of chanting demonstrators paraded through the halls, disrupting classes for several hours.

The group had originally occupied the offices to protest the appointment by Kneller of Elba Lugo, formerly of the University of Puerto Rico to the post, instead they wanted Maria Sanchez, the choice of a faculty search committee, to chair the department. Kneller wa3 unyielding in his support for Prof. Lugo, whom he termed "the best candidate available." He rejected all demands by the protestors that he reconsider. Student government leaders called for a strike and boycott of classes yesterday to deal with Kneller's action, but only a small percentage of the school's 15,000 day students stayed out of classes. The original group of 200 protestors had occupied Kneller's offices on Oct.

18, and last Monday took over the registrar's office, which they held throughout the futile negotiations with Kneller. Forty-four remaining demonstrators were removed by the sheriff. After a Supreme Court justice issued a warrant because they ignored a temporary restraining order demanding that they vacate the office on Tuesday. Student government president Ron Harrington sought to use the Hispanic protest as a springboard for a general protest for students' rights in hiring and firing of teachers and curriculum changes in the college. About 40 speakers, representing" such factions as the Puerto Rican Alliance, the Italo-Ameri-can Student Union and the War Resistors League, harrangued the large crowd of students yesterday afternoon.

However, after it began to rain, part of thd crowd moved into Boylan Hall where the occupation and class disruption took place. The sit-in lasted about two hours. I By THOMAS PUGH A public hearing on the problems of the elderly was held yesterday in a packed Queens College auditorium decorated with signs urging "Senior Power" and "Let'a Do It Together Alice M. Brophy, director of the Mayor's Office for the Aging, said the purpose of the bor-ough-by-borough meetings is "to share with all interested parties our concern for the major issues facing older people health services, safety, trans portation, housing and inflation." In her opening remarks to the nr1 ian rf naa r-I A 00 HT rs News photo by Anthony Pescaforc Studants rally following Thursday's arrests. Another demonstration yesterday on Brooklyn College campus disrupted classes.

Has Big Plans To Expand Albans By DAVID MEDINA After operating a bare-bones nursing care center for seven months at St; Albans, officials of the Veterans Administration have announced elaborate plans to fully expand and renovate the old Naval hospital. Borough President's Ad i Committee on the Aging noted "Transportation services in Queens is in a sad position. There should be more of MTA and or school buses during off hours for the elderly to get to and from hospitals or recreation areas." Transport Seconded Nicetas H. Kuo, regional director for the Queens area of the Department of Health, warned, "Transportation for the elderly for our sprawling 118-square-mile borough is greatly needed." She pleaded for assistance in transporting the aged in need of medical services. Queens, it was said, has the second largest senior citizen population in the city, with 367,000 people over 60 in an area five times the size of Manhattan.

Brophy pushed for the cooperation of all to take advantage of the rent increase exemption pro- fram. She told them to call 212) 349-8700 to apply for rent exemption assistance. Queen3 mass transit problems, especially for those in need of medical attention at Elmhurst City Hospital or Queens Hospital Center, seemed to be the main complaint made by the first few speakers. As Al Weiss, chairman of the announcement was made The at a meeting in the hospital's main building, called partly to soothe community fears that the Arsonist Makes a Sad Day for the Irish VA was trying to relinquish its responsibility for the hospital. The plans, as outlined by the VA's director of field operations, Calvin Chandler, include: Preparation of 88 additional chronic care beds by about Nov, 15.

Admission of 60 additional chronic care patients by Jan. 1. Restoration of three other buildings in the hospital complex for 120-bed intensive care area. Construction of an $3 million ambulatory care unit by late 1975. Establishment a $2 million laundry to service the five VA hospitals in the "metropolitan area.

Chandler emphasized that the VA's plans envision the use of 51 of the compound's 117 acres. He noted that the hospital buildings are presently leased to the VA by the Navy in anticipation of a full transfer at some future date, and explained that the transfer is being held up until it can be decided what will be done with the other 66 acres. The only agency, thus far, with a bid to use the additional property is the Department of Agriculture, which is intent on building an animal quarantine center there. Su a prospect was opposed by the Queens legislators who attended the gathering. They included: Democratic Reps.

Joseph Addabbo of Ozone Park, Lester Wolff of Kensington, Benjamin Rosenthal of Flushing; Democratic State Sen. Karen Burstein of Woodmere and Democratic City Councilman Archie By ARTHUR MULLIGAN "The kids are broken hearted," said 66-year-old Patrick Kelly yesterday as he viewed the charred remains of 125 band instruments and uniforms by fire early Thursday morning in a one-story building occupied by the American Irish Society at 1 Shamrock Drive, Rockaway Beach. The kids he referred to are 125 youngsters, aged 8 to 18 who are members of the society's internationally known drum-and-bugle corps, which has been strutting off with honors since its formation by director Kelly 25 years ago. The corps natty green-white-and-gold uniforms and instruments, including drums, bugles, trumpets ajid glockenspiels, were all lost when the blaze of suspicious origin broke out in the storeroom of the society building at 7 a.m. Thursday.

1 Firemen confined the flames to the storeroom. Chief Fire Marshall Sheppard said he suspected it had been set by juveniles. Loss Estimated Kelly, who lives at 229 Beach 108th Rockaway Beach, estimated the loss at $16,000 and said the organization doesn't have funds to1 replace the uniforms or instruments. He said the society stiH owes the better half of a $6,700 loan taken out last March to send the corps to Dublin to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade there.

"It looks like we will be forced to disband," Kelly said sadly. The band appears in all the local parades, and every year until this year it was in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan. It has won trophies in state, county and interstate competitions. After leaving Dublin last March it won prizes in international competitions in Limerick and Galway.

We can't practice without instruments and we can't march without uniforms Kelly, summed nvj.U-J- News photo by Ed Clarity Patrick Kelly views1-charred remains of band instruments..