THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1974
Noisean
* At one point during the student
disruptions of (he iate Sixties it
was suggested that
demonstrators in Washington
might raze the Pentagon with the
> collective noise of assembled
- rock bands. The idea is not realty
so far-fetched, after all, Joshua
did it at Jericho, and research
has shown that noise can damage
everything from massive stone
? structures 10 delicate glassware
as well as the mental and
physical health of human beings.
'. In the case of buildings and
I . pi#*"
Basically, noise irlTdistiirbance
of the air that isWeated by an
event of some sort such as the
firing of a piston in an internal
combustion engine or the act of
' drawing a bow across a violin
string. The sound thus created
radiates from the source in
waves in the same way that
ripples spread from a pebble
dropped in a still pond. The
$ waves are registered as sound
# when they strike the eardrum.
This sets up a series of reactions
within the delicate bone structure
of the middle ear which are then
transferred via the inner ear to
the brain which interprets
whatever information the sound ~
may carry.
It is the information, or lack of
it that counts, because noise is a
relative thing. Just as an
unwanted flower is referred to as
~lr weed, unwanted sounds are
called noise. Generally, when the
frequencies of the sound waves
are carefully selected as in the
i4 chords of a symphony, what you
hear is pleasing, but when they
are random, as with trucks and
snowmobiles, the sound is
disturbing. On the other hand, to
some, the painfully high whine of
a snowmobile across a winter
landscape is pure music.
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Response 10 sound, nowever,
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d the Env;
depends on culture as well as
individual tastes. It is said that
when a Westerner hears a
dissonant chord, his immediate
reaction is to wait for resolution
into resonance, while the Oriental
hears the sound as complete in
itself. Similarly, what is
disturbing noise to one culture
. may be pleasing to another.
It is the information that makes
the difference. If sound carries a
message, it attracts attention and
causes a response. However, if it
pjmtiac tolftrmnhftn aa ualh
J-unless overly louH, *
is rarely disturbing. In fact,
"white" noise is sometimes used
like perfume to mask other more
disrupting sounds, '
. .? ?? * *
noise is on me increase in tms
country. New sources such as
supersonic planes are surfacing
daily and it has been calculated
that the present rate of increase
amounts to one decibel per year.
Not that noise problems are
anything new. Writers from
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uuveuai iu 1.5. Hiiioi nave
complained about their noisy
environments, and legal action
concerning noise abatement
dates back to Julius Caesar who
instituted laws to silence chariots
that rumbled through the streets
of Rome at night. However,
somehow our present. situation
seems more pervasive. It is
almost impossible to find silence.
Of all the forms of pollution, noise
is the most pyschologically-'
disrupting. We never seem to
benefit directly from its
production - unless, of course we
are making-it.
Unfortunately, noise pollution
is not just a question of being
disturbed. Damage to buildings
from loud noises ranges from
minor loss, such as broken
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WINSTON-SALEM CHRONICLE
1 4
ironment
windowpanes and cracked
plaster to actual structural
damage. Some of this destruction
is threatening a few of man's
most unique creations. For
example, sonic booms have
damaged prehistoric cliff
dwellings in the Southwest and
shattered the delicate glass
flowers in the irreplaceable Ware
- Collection at the Harvard
Botanical Museum.
Noise also damages life. In
laboratory experiments sudden
??<Lwr>i^oged-souiids^breeding
and eating'patterns in
small mammals and in some
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Research on wild, animal populations
is not complete, butitis
a safe guess that excessive
noise affects wildlife, especially
animals which have highly
sensitive ears, such as owls.
? It is a well-known fact that
sudden loud noises cause sea
birds to leave their nests in a
panic. Cliff-nesting sea birds
often spill their eggs from the
ledges in such instances and in
1969, after a season of exposure to
almost, daily low level sonic
booms irom military planes,
sooty terns on Dry Tortugas
experienced a 99 per cent
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naicning tailure. *
Most dangerous of all is the
lack of knowledge. If SST plans
are completed, almost half the
North Atlantic would be
blanketed with sonic booms
daily. The problemls thatnothing
is known about the effect
of loud noise on the breeding and
migratory habits of commercial
species of fish. Thus, for the sake
of a few hours saved by a few
persons in crossing the Atlantic,
we could be blindly destroying
one of the earth's major food
sources.
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John Priyack" Bond lJI pensively takes care of city business.
Chronicle Profile
What Its LikevBeing '
A Part Of The "System"
> 14When I was hired by the "system" I became suspect among my
people." Those words are often heard from blacks who have managed
to move up in a world that is most often, white. Some blacks fepl,
however, that to work along with (He system is to "cop" out.
But, many black professionals are doing just that: working within
the system to make changes that will benefit everyone. Few., however,
hold the position that Jack Bond holds for the city of Winston-Salem.
Bond is the Assistant City Manager and probably is the second most
powerful person in city government. "The black community saw me
as "the BLACK assistant city manager'," Bond remarked in a recent
interview. "But, those who hired me and I saw me as simply the
assistant city manager."
?
Often times, Bond commented, blacks demand more from a person
because he is black. But, he added, "usually, the role and function of
the position is such that one is limited as to what he can do." In
addition, many blacks are just not aware of the difficulties involved
with over night, wholesale changes.
He said he saw no difference because of color. "Hopefully, we're
beyond that stage." Bond, sitting comfortably in his huge office amid
Washington Redskin banners, was perplexed over the sharp criticisms
he has gotten. "A lot of people were just waiting for me to move out of
the neighborhood I live in," he said, shaking his head. "I've lived with
black folk all my life," he said, "why would I want to move now9"
7
Bond probably Is the second most powerful man in city government
because Winston-Salem is a council-manager form of government.
Eight aldermen make up the Board of Aldermen and, along with the
Mayor, make up the city council. The City Manager is responsible to
the board and is in charge of all of the cities departments. He is, of
course, assisted by the assistant manager, Jack Bond.
?id
Contrary to what people feel, the Mayor has no real power. He is a
voting member of the city council, but has no managerial duties. As
Tne elected head of the city, the Mayor presides at all meetings of the
Board of Aldermen, nominates the members of appointed boards and
commissions, and represents the city at all important functions.
The City Council hires the manager and "the manager hires
?? n 1 ? ......
cvci y uKJKiy eisc, oona explained. "Ail we do is carry out and
administer the policies of the Board. We are paid professionals who
administer their policies and they're a good group to work with."
0
Bond, who lives on West 25th Street, said although the city has begun
to respond more to the needs of the total community, there are still
problems. "One of our (the city) distinct problems is communicating
with 35 per cent of the city... the black community.
"It's a problem because of the black culture. The city has not
identified that one of its major problems is 'Education' of all of the
people."
* -9"
r r
Bond admitted that it is difficult to appeal to such a diversity of
people. But added, "We are trying to develop a program that does
send out messages to the minority population. A program that gets to
all of the people; specifically the black population."
He said, however, that the city is more tuned in to problems of the
people than ever before:
"The city took a somewhat passive attitude before, but now we take
an advocacy role in delivering services. Today, 50 per cent of- the
aldermen are black. Ten years ago," he continued, "the only black
you'd see was an elevator operator. But now you can see Qualified.
competent blacks in top level positions."
Bond cited Ms. F. Creque, head of the Human Services Department,
and L. Jones, Public Safety Legal Advisor, as examples of the changes
;hat have come about recently. __
_ On the next-to-the-last shelf of Bond's long, crowded bookcase is a
small, plaque that roads: "Big Things Happen Quietly; It's The
Insignificant That Are Always Accompanied By A Lot Of Noise." He
subscribes to that philosophy, he said, by "maintaining a low profile."
Bond, 36 is married to the former Carol Sawyer, a Winston-Salem
native. He has two children; Phillip, nine, and Johanna, 10.
E.HJP.
? ' *