The Berkshire Eagle du lieu suivant : Pittsfield, Massachusetts • 4

General News A4 The Berkshire Eagle, Wednesday, October 29, 1997 College sued over live-on-campus rule not one of economics but of academics. Since the fraternity houses were the college's president says, the intellectual tone of the college has improved and the college has attracted more women. For the first time, they slightly outnumber the men in this year's freshman class. As the case awaits hearing, fewer students on campus remember what it was like to use the fraternity houses. Hamilton allows fraternity members to live together in the dormitories, but, like everyone else, they must use college buildings for social functions.

sion built in the late 1920s. "It's beautiful," he said. "It has four floors. It's all stone. Lots of hand-done woodworking.

It was built at a time when people took pride in building things." He said it riled him that Hamilton could dictate what the fraternity could do with its private property, which had housed about 45 students and taken in about $150,000 in annual revenues, but is now closed. "These properties were purchased with private funds," he said. "If we had to put a new roof on, we raised the funds." Hamilton says the matter is With the help of alumni and Clark Silcox of Steele, Silcox Browning, an antitrust law firm in Washington, four fraternities went to court. "I know this is a novel application of the antitrust laws, an avenue that's not been tapped before," said Francis O'Brien, a 1958 Hamilton graduate and former antitrust lawyer who has been involved in the lawsuit. "I'm a graduate and I was a trustee of the college, and I want to make sure they make the right decision." O'Brien, a former member of Psi Upsilon, has fond memories of his years in the fraternity house, a grand old stone man Craig F.

Walker Berkshire Eagle Start Jo Anne LaForest, in foreground, co-chairwoman of the Massachusetts Nurses Association chapter, talks with An-gie Lingner after a voting session yesterday. MpjHa ImswL a IdOnRlK Nurses from Al New York Times News Service In a novel case that could affect colleges trying to close fraternity houses, a federal appeals court has reinstated an antitrust action charging Hamilton College with monopolizing the market for student housing in Clinton, N.Y., by requiring all students to live on campus. Because of concerns that fraternity social activities were giving the college an unfavorable reputation that was driving away potential students, particularly women, Hamilton College required fraternity members two years ago to live on campus and to use campus buildings for social functions. The measures effectively shut down the sprawling mansions that have served for decades as fraternity houses in Clinton, a small central New York village just east of Syracuse. Represented by a Washington antitrust law firm, several fraternities sued.

A U.S. District Court judge in Syracuse, Rosemary Pooler, dismissed the case last year, saying the fraternities failed to establish that the issue was one of trade or commerce and concluding that the court did not have jurisdiction. But this month, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court Appeals ruled in Albany that the District Court should hear the case. "If they find against the college, that might embolden those who don't believe there should be any restrictions on fraternities," said Neil Grabois, president of nearby Colgate University.

A few years ago, Colgate moved fraternity rushing from the freshman to the sophomore year, prohibited hazing and ruled that only juniors and seniors could live in fraternity houses. As on many campuses, fraternities have played a central role at Hamilton, a college of about 1,660 students. Before 1978, about two-thirds of the students belonged to fraternities. But that year, the college became coed, and by the mid-1990s, fraternity membership had shrunk to about one-third of students. Still, college officials worried about the fraternities' influence.

As they sought to attract better students and more women, they decided to upgrade college residential life and de-emphasize fraternities. "We wanted to reaffirm the intellectual tone on campus and felt the fraternity system was impeding that goal," said Eugene Tobin, Hamilton's president. After years of review, Hamilton declared in 1995 that all students' must live on campus and participate in the college's meal plan, although they could still belong to fraternities, it also offered to buy the fraternity houses to use as college residences. There was an immediate uproar, that would have allowed the replacement of full-time nurses with part-time nurses and made unilateral changes in the nurses' hours of work. While salaries and benefits have not been the focus of the contract talks, which spanned the last 10 months, the agreement provides a 2 percent wage increase in each of the two years of theY'ontract, retroactive to April 1, 1997.

The talks, for the most part, centered around safe patient care and job security. The nurses' former three-year contract expired March 31, 1997. The 128-member union had a total of 26 negotiating sessions, many of which were held with a federal mediator. Terry Briggs, a member of the negotiating team, said last night that she was reluctant to disclose how she voted. But she did say that it was a difficult decision.

"I felt very agonized because I personally have fought very strongly to maintain patient care," she said. "I felt the suc-cessorship language was a hard sock in the stomach." lion in Medicare payments in the next five years and $500,000 this year because a group of eye surgeons set up its own practice in Adams. In anticipation of that precipitous loss in revenue, the hospital this year is looking at ways to offer services and patient care more efficiently. It plans to hire a consultant to conduct an assessment of the entire institution. Though the contract includes the same language governing layoffs and scheduling that management has said would prevent it from making wise staffing decisions, Cronin said it opens the door for greater flexibility.

"The decision by the MNA to develop language that talks about the collaborative approach to redesign signals their intention to be a part of that process," Cronin said. The MNA contended that the hospital's reduction-in-force language contained provisions Wtt "Mil 1 0 KITCHEN CABINETRY SALE! KraftMaid has a quality custom cabinetry look with all the features and style you priced lower than custom lines. Outstanding KraftMaid construction and warranties. i Vfreeestomates mEECXJMPUTER DESIGN FREE DELIVERY Come in, let us show you your new kitchen or bath in full color perspectives. Official NKBA Members Access from Al window of opportunity lor this season may already be past.

The DEP isn't ready to give up just yet, however. "We are going to be going through properties that already have access and doing it as expeditiously as possible," said Cutler. "If time, weather, and engineering permit, other properties may be added to the list. So it certainly wouldn't hurt to get access agreements in now." So far, GE has access agreements for six of the 18 properties for which it has submitted cleanup proposals. But two of those lots are not scheduled for cleanup this fall because of the amount of work GE will have to do on surrounding lots.

In addition, many construction, firms have already made their plans for the remaining few weeks of the construction season based on contracts in hand. As big a concern as the weather, then, is GE's ability to line up excavation, landscape and other contractors in time to complete remediation this season. "We will consider doing whatever is practical," said GE's Jane Magee, the director of the company's local environmental programs. "We are mindful that people do not want us to start the project and not be able to finish it." Meanwhile, testing on new residential sites is continuing. On Monday, GE contractors were sampling two homes on Oak Hill Road where preliminary soil testing showed PCBs in excess of the state's 2 ppm threshold.

Last week, GE also submitted proposals to test four of the 35 homes identified by the DEP as potential fill sites in September and has agreed to further investigate the potential for PCBs at the remainder of them. In an Oct. 20 letter to the agencies, Magee also reported that 11 of 17 flood plain properties tested for PCBs this summer showed levels lower than 2 ppm. A potential imminent hazard the presence of PCBs in concentrations above 10 ppm in the top 6 inches of soil within 500 feet of a dwelling was found at three sites, which GE will test further. Two other properties will also receive further sampling after preliminary tests showed PCBs greater than 2 ppm.

484 HOUSATONIC DALTON 684-0025 HOURS: 7-5, SAT. 7-4 MAIN HINSDALE 655-8177 HOURS: 8-5 We've got your style The Dress department at JCPenney has the clothing to fit your lifestyle. We feature styles that are fashionable and comfortable for todays women. Our selection includes designs from Karin Stevens, Harve Benard, Randy May and Allison Che. Singles group planning brunch PITTSFIELD The Berkshire Jewish Singles 50-plus Group will hold a potluck brunch this Sunday at 11 a.m.

All Berkshire Jewish singles 50 and over are invited. The brunch will be held at Carol's Restaurant, 8 Franklin Lenox. Those attending are to bring one covered dish to share. Information and reservations: The Jewish Federation, 442- 4360. The gjfe Eagle Agriculture event set for November at Jiminy Peak HANCOCK Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) of North America, in partnership with Just Food, Wilson College Center for Sustainable Living, and University of Massachusetts Extension, is convening a Northeast CSA Conference on Friday and Saturday, Nov.

7 and 8, at Jiminy Peak to explore the challenges of, and possibilities for, creating and operating successful CSA farms in the region. In addition to the workshops, there will be readings by John Peterson and Scott Chaskey, as well as an exhibit by well-known photographer Clemens Kalischer, a contra-dance and at least one meal that is cooked using all regional, seasonal ingredients that will be procured from farmers attending the conference. Registration is requested; sliding scale fees are available. Information and registration: Elizabeth Keen, 528-4374. Public schools to hold parent-teacher talks PITTSFIELD Parent-teacher conferences will take place at the elementary level in the city's public schools on Friday, Nov.

21. Children at the elementary level attending public schools will be dismissed at noon. The middle and high schools will remain open. CIRCULATION, DELIVERY, SUBSCRIPTIONS: 41 3-496-6355 CONNECTING ALL DEPARTMENTS: 413- 447-731 1 ISSN 0895-8793. Published every day by Pittsfield Publications, 75 South Church P.O.

Ilox 1171, I'ittsfVld, MA 01202. Periodicals postage paid at Pittsfield, MA 01 201 Single copy: 50 cents; $1.50. Back copy by mail: $2.50. Subscription rates: Carrier delivery: 1 month: 3 months: 6 months: 1 year: $150.60. Postal delivery elsewhere in the U.S.

and in (Canada: $111.60 per month, Other foreign countries: $35.65 per monrh. Senior citiiens, military, hoarding school and college students: eligible for discounts. The publisher reserves the right to edit, reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. Only publication of an advertisement shall constitute final acceptance of an advertiser's order. TO E-MAIL THE EAGLE caglcbcrkshire.net For complete local Internet access, phone Herltshirenet Internet Solutions at (413) 442-7805.

i-'B HB: Take 25 off now on regular priced dresses 8c career wear. JCPenney' i love your Style- Berkshire Mall, Lanesboro 10-9.