Newsday (Suffolk Edition) from Melville, New York • 36

if 'J Ford to Fire Man Who Told of Tapes L.A. 1 Pm-t NC'W Service Washington President Ford lias the resignation of Federal Aviation Administrator 'Alexander P. Butterfield as part of a general siiakeup directed at all prominent Nixon holdovers, according to high-ranking While Mouse sources. But these sources said that Butterfield, the mail who revealed to the Senate Watergate eomiiiiltee the existence of the secret White ifoiiM- tape system which helped push Richard Nixon out of the presidency, will be given chance to present the-caw- for his-retention, probably later this wrk. Butterfield is known to feel that he has been the victim of unfair criticism from departing Transportation Brinegar, who will leave the administration Feb.

1. Brinegar has long been a foe of Butterfield and the two men have clashed privately on aviation safety issues. The-FAA came under fire last month in a report by a House subcommittee which said that rhe agency has failed to take action on many potential aviation hazards. From the FAA point of view, Brinegar himself hears much of this responsibility. Butterfield holds the transportation secretary responsible for delaying for more than six months an FAA recommendation to create an aviation safety board.

According to administration sources, Brinegar called Butterfield into his office Dec. 19 and told him that Ford wanted his resignation. The sources said Butterfield told Brinegar he would wait until he received a signal' from the White House. But the President left for a skiing vacation in Colorado two days later, and Butterfield was unsuccessful in his attempt to present his defense to either Ford or Rumsfeld. Since Fords return, word has been quietly passed to Butterfield that Ford still wants him out.

Island Awaits New Chapter in History LA. ii-liir(in Post. Nows New Yrk Over the years, history has been written on tlie rocky, wnve-washed chores of a long, narrow island in the Fast River next to Manhattan. Boss Tweed v.ns banished there for a time, to stare out the window of a sumptuous jail cell at the city hr had cheated. In later years, police escorted Mae Wed to its jail to serve 10 days for appearing in a play called Sex.

Over the years, loo, its name kept (hanging. The Dutch called it Varcken Kylandt in 1637; then it became Blackwells Island, followed by Welfare Island and now, finally, Roosevelt Island. These days, dead haves swirl through a deserted, winding main street, lined with vacant show, empty park benches and towering unoccupied apartment buildings watched over by scores of soaring gulls. In the heart of New York City, a new town, consciously planned to mix all races and income groups, is awaiting its first residents. This spring, after six years of design, construction, and financial Vrohk'ius, Roosevelt Island, two miles long and WX) feet wide, will come to life.

The first families will begin to move into 400 of the 2,100 apartments now nearing completion; by summer's end, if all goes according to schedule, they will be linked by aerial tramway to Manhattan, a three- to five-minute trip across the river. ICwill be the first tramway used in urban transit in the nation. Hie project, a leading example of the often trou-Uid movement to build new towns preplanned com whether people of different backgrounds and incomes can live together harmoniously in a self-contained community. In part because of Roosevelt Islands currently limited access the only auto connection is a narrow bridge to a dingy industrial neighborhood of Queens many facets of the new town have remained shrouded from New Yorkers. But, the president of the Urban Development Edward J.

Logue, believes this will change when the new tramway starts operation. Visitors to the island will find striking architectural and scenic vistas, generous park and recreational facilities, two towns linked by the winding Main Street, apartment buildings and town houses scaled down in height as the rivers edge draws closer. Historic buildings, including a restored 18th-century farmhouse and a red brick church, have been retained. But the old city jail is gone. In all, 5,000 housing units are envisioned, and plans call for construction to be completed 1977.

Dogs will be barred from the island, as will be autos in many areas. A network of waterfront promenades will serve strollers and bicyclists, and mini-buses will provide transportation. In general, the islands upper-income apartment complexes face the East River with sweeping vistas of Manhattan, 'rhe lower-rent buildings the other side of Main Street faces Queens, with sweeping views of a Consolidated Edison generating plant. The two-sides-of-the street approach has brought some criticism. There have also been doubts among some real estate developers about the attractiveness of the island project to New Yorkers.

But Logue is optimistic. He noted that 50 families already had signed up, even before the start of extensive advertising. munities in the U.S., has continuing problems. Its parents corporation, the quasi-public State Urban Development faces the possibility of a major reorganization under Gov. Carey, which may threaten the development's funding.

In addition, the island will be an experiment in social engineering, a test of Carey Will Revamp Development Agency At tle heart of the problem is the fact that the URCs borrowing is not Nicked by the full faith and credit of the state. If it were, the dae would guarantee any loss to bondholders. That assurance, experts say, would reduce interest on current borrowings to about six per cent. As' it is, the slate has only a niora lobligation to cover the UDC losses and that is not enough to satisfy uneasy 'bankers in a bond market wracked by inflation. State Controller Arthur Levitt has repeatedly criticized the vast borrowing power given the UDC without requirement for public referendum.

The UDC now has the legal right to borrow up to 82 billion at any one time Carey has not yet released Loguea response to the recommendations for overhaul of the agency made by the Wilson task force. That panel did not accuse the UDC of mismanagement, but suggested that additional formal administrative mechanisms be introduced in order to enable closer state monitoring of the UDCs management and direction. Carey, shortly before taking office, assailed the UDC for "apparent fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement, a statement widely viewed as meaning Carey planned a major revision of the agency, though not its abolition. Major overhaul of the UDC would require action by the Legislature. and is in debt to the tunc of about 81.07 billion.

The agency depends on revenues from its projects to pay back loans, but high vacancy rates in some projects, a lack of federal funding in the last two years and a few' cases of unwise investments, officials say, have made money lenders "reluct int to-buy UDC bonds that are not officially guaranteed by the state. Logue, in the UDCs recent annual report, said the agency was in generally sound financial condition but victimized by high interest rates. Logue said the state should increase the UDCs bonding authority to take advantage of federal matching funds, rather than reducing it. Continued from Page 5 housing units and more than 50 nonresident ial projects in six years. The agency has also acquired a reputation for architectural excellence.

Among its major projects are the "new town surrounded by waterside promenades being built on Roosevelt Island in the East River, a waterfront townhouse development in, Buffalo, a chic low-rise housing development outside Binghamton and Utica's Kennedy Plaza. For a variety of reasons, the UDO was having serious trouble by last fall selling its tax-emempt bonds. The agrney was forced to borrow, in its most recent bond issue, at 9.3 per cent interest, which one loiul analyst called "one licll of a high rate. A task force named by former Gov. Malcolm Wilson recently urged that the legislature bait UDC funding of in projects planned but not startl'd, including the second stage of construction on Roosevelt Island.

A study group named by Carey lo evaluate the UDCs troubles plans lo meet for the firt time this week. A spokesman, investment banker John G. Heimann, said the panel will lie "quite quick in reporting to Carey what should lx' done to stabilize the agency's reputation in the bond market. Carey to Start Nursing Home Probe homicide cases scheduled for mure than one year to go to trial, closer gubernatorial scrutiny of iudicial sentencing, more judicious spending of law en-forcement funds and closer cooperation among law enforcement agencies are among the other promisee Carey is expected to make. and state commissions and pay salaries only for work performed.

Other pledges would be to submit legislation requiring full financial disclosure by all policy-making officials, to eliminate duplications of state rental of offices and to make public a list of all major state leases. Close monitoring of all Continued from Tage 5 choice for the prosecutor's position had not definitely accepted the post; a final decision was expected early this morning. In his Slate of the State message, Carey is expected to repeat campaign pledges to do away wih no-show jobs.