The Berkshire Eagle from Pittsfield, Massachusetts • 15

Letters Berkshire Eagle, Saturday, June 24, 197213 Roads and destinations Letter to a German friend The Weatherwomen To witor.of ths according to the Massachusetts The national transportation transportation secretary, Alan battle has been raging for a Altshuler is to "give an enor- number. of years. Citizen opposi- mous lift to the economy of tion has stopped or slowed con- Western New England." nartic- presidential campaign and political party promises concerning the environment. Citizens should express their concern by writing and speaking By Donald A. MacCillis ing you attended with me it was in? Bn inn struction Of highways In almost ularly the depressed community to state arid federal representa-every majors American city.

In of North Adams. tives and senators. They should Congress, a debate about trans- go on record with these represen-portation priorities is under way. However, the assumption that tatives opposing' highways which Now, however, the transportation a highway like Interstate 8 will adversely affect the human and battle is coming to rural areas generate desirable development natural environment. Sen.

Ed-hke Berkshire County. is open to question. 1-91 through ward M. Kennedy has indicated In Massachusetts, citizen op- Greenfield was justified on the opposition to the plans of the position has stopped highway basis it would increase employ- highway men. The Highway Ac-construction in the area inside ment in the town.

Large industri- tion Coalition (HAC), an anti-Route 128. However, the DPW. al parks were built in the hope highway lobby in Washington. another liberated 1 woman who said And no one called me a chauvin-their group couldn endorse such ist pig. Reporters have no pride, I an opinion but would concern it came back.

But I didn't take my self with loftier issues. With this ban against sex discrimination, the next liberated American Woman Germany will get to see will probably be a draftee in fatigues and combat boots standing coatoir. Second interruption. Same delegation of two. "Why are you back?" I told them the girl with the dress on at the door soaked nerseu in the ram to tell me I guard at Checkpoint Charlie nmiM I 1.

Interruption. Two of them, Y01 on it "We're going to vote wheth. dressed something between fa PITTSFIELD, Mass. IS. June 21 87 Wuerzburg West Germany Dear I'm at a meeting at the Christian Center on Robbins Avenue but it won't start for a half hour so I have a moment to write you.

It's a women's liberation meeting which my editor decided should be covered, probably because the state of Massachusetts became the 20th in the nation today to ratify the amendment to our Constitution which would ban all discrimination on account of sex. Not much on TV tonight, I said OK. You probably remember the liberated women from your visit to Pittsfield in January when one of them said that having pretty girls sell buttons for the winter carnival was sexist. Then at the hear rather than diverting unused that economic development would highway funds to needed public occur. But the industrial parks and mass transportation in Bos- are now mostly empty.

Interstate ton (and Pittsfield), is proposing 495 has not significantly reduced to spend this money in the Berk- unemployment in Lowell and shires, by building a major north- Lawrence, south interstate highway. Unlike the Route 7 bypasses The DPW is leading a move around Pittsfield and Great Bar-in Congress to divert unused in- rington, and the controversial terstate funds from urban-sub- Route 23 bypass in Monterey D.C., which coordinates and publicizes opposition to destructive highway building, is fighting the proposed plan to divert interstate highway funds to Berkshire County, HAC proposes diverting unused interstate funds to mass transit and. to improving the safety of existing roads. er men can stay, but a male reporter will still not be welcome. Would your paper 6end a white to cover a Black Panther meetins?" tigues and standard penitentiary issue, came over to me as I was writing and said I would have to go, because I'm a male reporter.

They send an ostensible straight They were going to do some con- ne con- nH You can stay 8 and then I ought not witness that Further- more, "no insult to a male report uiuan aieas suun as rsosion to wmcn wouia De uuui wnn Even if the 1-8 proposal is ac-rural areas such as the Berk- 50 per cent federal funding, 1-8 cepteri by Congress citizen op-shires. Specifically the DPW would be built with 90 per cent position an stjll stop the high. proposes to spend S213 million federal funding so tha high-way Citizen environmental of federal money building a way can be built as rapidly as groups have stopped many high-major new taterstate highway ways in urban areas and helped 66.7 miles through the Berk- Because of this federal fund- halt construction of 1-93 through SJnm "iraucratic Franconia Notch in New Hamp- North Adams along the Route 8 turn behind this proposal will be gjg corridor. tremendous. This interstate highway would Under federal law, schedules or tt' go north from the Winsted Ex- for expenditures for all parts of t.

it v- mgs are required: one, on the me meeting will start and you'll have to go." I rehearsed parting shots. Been thrown outta better places than this. Wanted to see "Mannix" on the tube anyway. Maybe something going on at the Legion convention. Not the only show in town.

Mumbling all of them on the WT THE PHONE COMPANY CUT OFF MY SERVICE, er but it would be reinforcement for a woman reporter to be assigned to an important thing like this meeting and not always to tea socials and other women's page I argued, wondered if I could invoke the Massachu Religion "corndor" (location), and a interchange with the Massachu- established by the DPW by July 7 one on design (inter changes, width, The corri et area. It would then follow the cannot be built. With such time dor hearing is the best time to Talmudic values for today synthesized by rabbis9 'rabbi dty of and connect give thorough consideration with Unlit. 5 Tr wmilrl trn fnl. ha onvtrnnmental imnart nf the w.ay ar XWerai regulations i t.7.

1 n. also require citizen and com By Edward B. Fiske munity participation in the preparation of an environmental statement which documents the effects of the proposed road. setts open meeting law. "There's way out, I met a more sympathet-no place for men to be here member of the group.

"They it's a place for women. Men being were our most radical members, here inhibits our freedom of the ones you met." She apologized speech." I went, before their them by letting me help her speech got freer. open the windows. I left, thinking As I was driving off, the I'd head over to the convention, woman who had been collecting where Legionnaires are Legion-donations to the cause at the door Mires and Auxiliaries are Auxilia-sprinted in the rain down Robbins ties, but the rain discouraged me Avenue to catch me. She stuck in and I went home.

Tropical storm, my mind because she had a dress formerly Hurricane Agnes, is the on. Very wet now. We've had ter- cause of all this weather. Ha! rible weather lately. "You can.

They can throw male reporters come back. They're going to vote out of their meetings but hurri-on it Maybe you can stay." Give canes are still Agnes and not democracy a chance, you Angus, wouldn't get a better shake with a Tschuess, regional school committee decid- D.A.M. mmmmmmmmmmMmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Route 7 and then proceed north planning requirements. Further-along the Route 7 corridor to more, 1-8 would make the contro-the Vermont line. versial bypass of Monterey much more likely because of in- The main reason for this new creased traffic, particularly highway plan is to allow Massa- heavy truck traffic.

1-8 would it. This makes a different Bible altogether. "Halacha is essentially a FALLSBURG, N.Y. AMONG Orthodox. Jews he is known simply as "the Rav" his views, though nonbinding, are usually definitive.

Perhaps his best-known decision concerned the question of The Berkshire County Regional method -a way of approaching whether Orthodox Jews should things and reacting to them. also cause a speedup in the construction timetable of att highway projects in Berkshire Planning Omunission is now ap- the rabbi's rabbi, plying for a federal grant for com- He holds no elective office prehensive transportation plan- and occupies no pulpit, yet the nhig- breadth of his learning and the Ultimately, it is hoped that re- depth of his piety are such that chusetts to keep its slice of the federal Highway Trust Fund pie. The highway planners feel a major Interstate Highway through the Berkshtres would be less contro- participate in ecumenical dia- However, to equate Judaism logues with Christians. He took with legalism the way Christian the position that such discus- theologians are prone to do is sions were permissible as long like equating mathematics with as they were restricted to social a compilation of mathematical Although the DPW insists it is versial than an urban highway putting on a "new face" more gional transportation planning authority on matters of Jew-in Berkshire County will be jsh law is unchallenged. Some and that scattered, unorganized responsive to citizen and envi- "You know the saying about Qutes and ethical issues and did not get into the realm of religious belief.

"The Jews" relation to God is an intimate one," he said in the interview. "It is like a romance. citizen opposition-can-be more ronmental concern, it is even one we cixizens wno nve say that only half a dozen schol-easily overcome. now fighting in Washington to here, rather than in Boston or have shown such brilliance The bill to allow Route 8 to continue highway spending in Washington. since Maimonides in the 13th become' what 1 choose to call Massachusetts at the present Until then, citizens should be century, hypothetlcally "Interstate 8" high level.

alert- pey should join and sup- name Js Rabbi Joseph B. fcoo kun tntrnAiiA In rnnorfws POlt the antlhlghway groups cnin0it-hilr an iftii. nrAoIr hio by Rep. Thomas P. O'Neill.

What can Berkshire citizens, ineir commumnes. iney snoma ipi es had another chance to and there-is a certain shyness Congressman- SUvio Conte has do to stop proposals such as in- '1U1U sit at his feet in search of learn- wnen one speaics of romance- an eye for an eye," he continued. In many cases, such as the "eye for an eye" situation, he said, there is a contradiction between the demands of love and justice. "The medieval man gave truth or whatever he thought to be truth precedence over loving kindness and so do the Communists today," he said. "What is the difference be The commitment of the money people to McGovern is basically ideological, not financial.

The alienation and disaffection in this country cuts across economic lines. Miles Rubin, Los Angeles manufacturer who organized the McGovern California primary campaign, explaining why the man who wants to redistribute the nation's wealth is attracting affluent donors. spoken in favor" of this proposal terstate ana nauonai annnpway groups ing and inspirauon. and Gov. Francis Sargent has In general, citizen opposition such as HAC.

In traditional fte doej urged 'Transportation Secretary to highway proposals is most town-nau style, citizens must 6g ld schoiar addressed Volpe to support it. Project 1-8 effective if expressed to the express heir opposition to pro- KSrS Rabbi Soloveitchik said he had profound respect for many Christian leaders. He has a detailed knowledge of the work of Kari Barth, the late Swiss theologian, whom he likes because "for him, faith is an act of surrender." You deal with 1,000 artists, you have to expect 2,000 problems. Janet Sumner, executive director of the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, The children of the deprived and poor are all too often the frustrated grown-ups who take out their slow anger on whatever will hurt most perhaps memorable works of art or would-be political leaders. Cloire M.

Tousley, in 0 letter to the New York Times. I have a very high opinion of Fischer as a chess player. He is a great player. The world of chess would be very boring without him. Boris Spassky, world chess champion, in training in Moscow for match against V.S.

-challenger Bobby Fischer. mpAfinp nf tnp RahniniMl Pniin- will help keep all of the urw early stages of me nignway 4v Wtrhwnv Anpiiwwr. Atnnloved. nlann nrocess. The best time wm senuusiy aueti ua-v cil of Amefica (RCA), the larg.

mo i but its impact on the natural to stop the Interstate 8 proposal future quality of life in est of the country's Orthodox beauty r.nd raral character of is now, while Congress Js still rabbinical organizations. tween a Torquemada and a Mao the area is likely to be devastat- debating it and while congress ing. men and senators are concerned One reason for this highway, about their re-election, the 72 New Marlboro Road Monterey HE ADDED though, that Tse-tung? Judaism is basically Christians had generally misun- very tolerant and usually comes derstood Jews. down the side of loving kind- "They have never tried to ness. But it acknowledges that penetrate the soul of the Jews," full reconciliation of the two is he declared.

"They have read possible only in God. He is the the Bible but neglected the oral coincidence of opposites." tradition by Which we interpret "72 New York Times Ntws Service Today, more money is printed every year for the game of Monopoly than for the U.S. Treasury. Lucinda Smith, Boston Globe staff writer, reporting on revival of interest in the game rage of the '30s. Keeping the Pla open Rabbi Soloveitchik comes from a long line of distinguished Talmudic scholars on both sides of his family.

Born in Russia with Yiddish as his. mother tongue, he moved to Poland and then to Germany, where he earned his doctorate in philosophy, and immigrated to the United States in 1933 at the age of 29. He now lives in Brookline, but spends three days a week at Yeshiva University in New York City where he is professor of Talmud. tres are latching onto the same "type of production," undoubtedly all with the same hope in mind-survival. Incidentally, the coming season augurs well for BTF on the basis of community support I was motivated to take a reaction poll of community members after read DESPITE his accomplish- Phone company re-irivades privacy To the Editor' ot TEE BAOLB: It is with.

regret that I note, that Taconic Telephone Corp. has again asked its operators to request the names of customers making long-distance telephone' calls; Many of us breathed a-great sigh of relief when the burden" of this invasion of privacy was lifted from our shoulders' months ago, when the telephone company improved its billing system so that the -names of customers were no longer required. The company states in its defense that customers have complained of unauthorized parties using their telephone numbers To th Editor of THE EAGLE: The headline, 'Show Will Go Despite BTF Strike" Eagle, June 19, struck a nerve. When one considers that the Berkshire Theatre Festival has managed to survive six seasons of presenting innovative theatre in a house that cannot "break even" even when "sold out" and that grants supporting theatre in the United States are limited, it is, indeed, time that Berkshire County extend a tribute to those unsung heroes the BTF members for figuring out a way to keep the doors of the historic Berkshire Playhouse in Stockbridge open for a seventh season. What does Paris have that Pittsfield doesn't? ing the Eagle article.

I flashed ments, "the Rav" is largely un-the article in front of everyone known outside Orthodox Jewish with whom I came in contact in circles, and even within them the Stockbridge Post Office, he remains a somewhat cryptic grocery stores, drug store, etc. figure. The main reason for this and asked, "Did you read this?" is his reluctance to publish dur-My sample wasn't large (approxi- ing his lifetime, mately 50), but I do believe that why has he not published? the general response is indicative am a funny animal," he re-of community feelingr, "What's pHed. "I'm a perfectionist. I am the matter with them? Julie Har- never sure somethine is the best I can The Eiffel Tower? The Louvre? The Arc de Triomphe? Brigette Bardot? Well, yes, Paris has those things too, but what we'fe talking about are sidewalk cafes, outdoor restaurants, alfresco dining.

A newcomer to the area, Craig Karpel, a young writer who has broken breadsticks and quaffed spirits in various parts of the world, feels that what Pittsfield needs is an outdoor restaurant, and he knows of a good place for it the sidewalk in front of Berkshire Common. He writes of the glories' of such dihing, and puts the idea up to Berkshire Life, which owns the property, and any other prime movers who might be interested. It's the Sampler's cover story. to make long-distance calls and scan the 1972 Summer that this is the reason for rein- ris in 'And Miss Reardon Drinks a little' this is the kind of theatre we've always wanted." (Mrs.) BEATRICE GREEN East Street Stockbridge Theatre Directory on Page 7D of the June 18 New York Times. They will find that BTF is not alone.

Practically all of the thea- The unique status of Joseph Soloveitchik is due principally to the fact that he is a master not only of Talmudic law but also of philosophy and is capable of extracting a modern value system out of the halacha, or Jewish legal system. It is this ability to synthesize Jewish Orthodoxy with Western culture that invites comparison stituting the request for names. However, it seems to me that anyone engaging in such a practice would have no scruples about falsifying his or her name as The right to privacy of citizens of this country is so clearly established that it may not even Armed citizenry To the Editor of THE EAGLE: fats and Communists believe in gun control. It is the illegal use not the ownership of a firearm that is the proper object Following the recent shooting be encroached upon by law-en- Gov Wallace, we again hear legislative concern. Yet the figures such as Sampson lorcemeni onicera.

vyvi cuing iu forces mentioned pusn for lemen- aDhael Hirsch. the 19th-cen- the fine of duty. cy in our courts and prisons, tury founder 0f the neo-Ortho-handcuffing our citizens and dox movement and Abraham law-enforcement agencies. Koolc chief raDbi of Pales-v It is vital to us and our chil- tine from 1920 to 1935. ZlrI tTJrl Rbi Soloveitchik lists fig-ZJXZTLtZLZi ranging from Hindu philos- cries for gun control George Wallace was not ah advocate of controlling civilian gun ownership and 1 believe he still is not The Wallace shooting was the act of a criminal who would have obtained a gun in any way possible, much as the addicts in our society obtain illegal heroin.

Therefore, I believe it would be foolhardy If not downright dangerous to concede this right to a private company dealing in public services. There is no legal ruling requiring "customers of Taconic Telephone who are mak Are you lonely, are you blue? Pick up the phone and dial HELP. You'll get a pleasant person on tlie other end who will commiserate and provide comfort and advice. Sampler staff writer Eleanor Thurston writes about a new local organ-rization, "Help Line." John W. P.

Mooney rides again The scourge of South County takes off this week on local politicians who seem to care less than they should about conservation. Read Aim and seethe, or admire! Gofton disgraces America Frank Gofton, BCC't traveling English teacher, in Scotland on sabbatical, writes back about how he introduced the American custom of doggie bags to a restaurant in tlie Highlands, and got away alive. his intellectual sources. He ing ordinary long-distance calls, In this country, over 100 million to give their names to telephone firearms are owned by private islation, including 2507 soon to be- heard in the U.S. Senate.

Concerned citizens should write a short letter now and stop it whenever, and -wherever it is proposed. Free citizens must protect their freedom and rights, for citizens who do not soon have no freedom or rights. ALAN F. MARSDALE 70 Center St. Pittsfield citizens.

How many times are I urge their customers to ihese citizens involved in crime withhold their names as a mat- or accidents with these weap- ter of principle so that our pre- -ons? cious right to privacy is not Gun-control advocates say eroded away by sheer neglect onjy police and military (Mrs.) GLORIA RAPOPORT should be allowed firearms. Canaan, N.Y. Only criminals, liberals, Social- Three (count 'em picture pages: Photographer Warren Fowler does a photo essay on a pulchritudinous lady truck driver, and also records the influx to Tanglewood of some 30 tons of pianos. In addition, the Sampler reproduces the, first page of the first edition of the famed Boston Transcript, which lived in Boston from 1830 to 1941. The old newspaper has been in the family of Jean Dillard of Lanesboro for generations.

informed on current trends in philosophy and social thought and a legal decision on something like the use of sophis- ticated new appliances on the 5 Sabbath is apt to hinge on his interpretation of a new theory about the nature of electricity. 1 RABBI Soloveitchik said Juda- 1 ism was unique in a number of ways. "For one thing, we are 1 practical," he stated. "We are more interested in discovering what God wants man to do than- we are in describing God's ess- ence." He said Judaism was also basically noninstrtutional reli- gion. "You' don't need a syn- agogue to pray.

Any cubit of space can be converted into a temple or synagogue. You can pray on the seashore or in Times Square." He was asked to accept chief rabbinate of Is- 3 rael but said he declined be- 3 cause "I didn't like the idea of an institutionalized rabbinate." 3 Why does he go to rabbinical 3 meetings? "Aristotle said that man is a social animal," he re- plied. "I belong to the RCA be- cause I need fellowship, people 3 to talk with." 3 Rabbi Soloveitchik is often called upon by both individuals 3 all in the All II 1 0 Days9 reading for a dime HltmiCM LAST A CkltmS Buauiiinainuis, romnmiiHimiinnnniisnxE and Jewish organizations for opinions on legal matters and ct.