Another part of the inscription says "By bequest Mrs. Chapman H. Hyams left her jewels to Audubon and City Parks, the proceeds of which were to build a testimonial of her love for her home city. This fountain was erected March 1921 in a faithful endeavor to realize her wishes. She loved the beautiful and gave that all might enjoy."

Now the Audubon Park Commission is considering a move that would make Mrs Hyams' generous legacy available only to those who pay admission to visit the zoo.

Under discussion is a commission proposal to expand the zoo area toward Magazine Street, a move that would push the zoo fence further into the open, free green space of the park and, in the process, swallow up the Hyams memorial.

In my opinion, a more appropriate recognition of the Hyams memorial would be to maintain it properly, much in the manner that has been done with the Sophie and Simon Gumbel memorial fountain near St. Charles Avenue. The present seedy state of the Hyams fountain could give rise to the suspicion that calculated neglect has been allowed to work so as to provide an excuse for an extension of the zoo area.

Such an extension would be in violation of the 1978 court settlement in which the Audubon Park Commission agreen not to expand the boundaries of the zoo area beyond the adopted zoo master plan in effect in 1978.

That settlement was the outcome of concerned citizens' protests that arose when the commission poured a slab of concrete under the oak trees lining Magazine Street, preparing a site for a paid-admission amusement center. That concrete slab continues to be a scar on what had been open, free green space.

The current Hyams memorial proposal indicates that those concerned about preserving open, free green space in Audubon Park cannot afford to relax their vigilance.