A prep course for the month-long World Cup soccer tournament, a worldwide pheno

 Murder , She Wrote . '' There are other intriguing matchups in the fall schedul

e , including Fox 's increasingly popular `` Melrose Place , '' which will be mo

ved to Mondays , taking on such sitcoms as `` Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , '' `` Bl

ossom '' and `` Dave 's World , '' as well as ABC 's weekly NFL game . `` Melros

e Place '' could benefit from increased public attention to Fox as a growing net

work force , but the odds are that it will still have a rough time against the B

ig Three competition , although the show 's hold on young viewers is formidable 

. A key player in Fox 's youth-oriented lineup is producer Aaron Spelling , who 

, in the coming season , will have three one-hour series on the network : `` Bev

erly Hills , 90210 , '' `` Melrose Place '' and its new spinoff , `` Models Inc.

 . '' The new show , with Linda Gray as the head of a modeling agency , will fol

low `` Beverly Hills , 90210 '' and try to make inroads against its key competit

ion , ABC 's potent `` Home Improvement '' and `` Grace Under Fire . '' ( Begin 

optional trim ) By an odd twist , CBS , which has won the ratings crown for thre

e consecutive seasons , goes into the 1994-95 shootout as the underdog in the ey

es of many industry observers . Not only has the loss of football and the coming

 defection of stations over the next 1 or 1 years left a negative public impress

ion but , more important in an immediate sense , CBS is running into the increas

ingly red-hot ABC network . Dependent heavily on older-skewing dramas and unable

 to develop many pivotal blockbuster comedies , CBS also will be without four ma

jor sports happenings that helped it to the top in recent years : the World Seri

es , the Super Bowl , the Winter Olympics and the weekly NFL games . ABC , which

 might have won this season 's ratings race if not for the Winter Olympics and t

he out-of-sight ratings propelled by the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan rivalry , 

seems well-armed for the coming season , with comedies galore 16 of them and man

y of them hits . ( End optional trim ) In addition , ABC will have the Oscars , 

the Super Bowl and the World Series . The network was a solid winner in the May 

ratings sweeps , and it has come on strong as this season progressed . It had th

e No. 1 show , `` Home Improvement '' ; the top new comedy , `` Grace Under Fire

 '' ; the leading new drama , `` NYPD Blue '' and the highest-rated freshman new

smagazine , `` Turning Point , '' a midseason entry . Strengthened by such other

 comedy hits as `` Coach '' and `` Full House , '' ABC has had the luxury to `` 

hammock '' some other new contenders , such as `` Thunder Alley '' and `` Ellen 

'' ( formerly `` These Friends of Mine '' ) , between successful shows , thus he

lping them to successful launches . Not long ago , CBS and other networks were c

rowing that this has been a significant season for the networks , which actually

 went up in overall viewership despite new TV alternatives . The Fox station rai

d , while painful for CBS which could become more vulnerable to acquisition may 

be a further plus for networks and viewers because Fox chose to invest in free ,

 over-the-air broadcasting . For the first time Fox is reaching the potential in

 its station penetration to pass one or more of the Big Three networks in total 

household ratings . ( Optional add end ) With NBC moving both `` Frasier '' and 

`` Wings '' to Tuesdays , Fox will try to move in on Thursdays by leading off wi

th two of its popular sitcoms , `` Martin '' and `` Living Single . '' Both have

 black stars , but Fox dropped five other series with black headliners `` South 

Central , '' `` Roc , '' `` In Living Color , '' `` Sinbad '' and `` Townsend Te

levision . '' However , some breakthroughs may be occurring in the minority area

 . Margaret Cho , a Korean American stand-up comedian , has a new sitcom , `` Al

l American Girl , '' on ABC . And Latinos are starred in several series , among 

them Michael DeLorenzo in the police drama `` Uptown Undercover '' and John Legu

izamo in a planned midseason comedy sketch show , `` House of Buggin ' , '' both

 on Fox . Overall , despite CBS ' three-year reign , despite the `` Roseanne''- 

`` Frasier '' matchup , the key development of the new fall season could be a cl

oser realization of a true four-network environment . Once upon a time , it was 

just CBS and NBC .

 Haitians go home ! And stay there ! This is clearly the message to the poorest 

inhabitants of our hemisphere . The message is most audible in the United States

 , where the fate of the first democratically and constitutionally elected gover

nment of Haiti has become a domestic political issue , largely due to the pressu

re exercised by black American political leaders . Undoubtedly , the U.S. govern

ment has its share of responsibility in the failure of the international communi

ty to restore the government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide . But its invol

vement , limited as it is , has served to shield the failings of the Latin Ameri

can countries to assume , effectively and honestly , their collective responsibi

lities within the inter-American system . Haiti , after all , is in the Caribbea

n , not on some faraway continent . It is the second-oldest independent country 

in the hemisphere ( after the United States ) . It is also the world 's oldest b

lack republic . It should be known more widely that many Haitians died fighting 

for the United States in its war of independence , and that a Haitian president 

, Alexandre Petion , generously helped Simon Bolivar to finance the campaign of 

independence of Venezuela , Colombia , Peru , Bolivia , Panama and Ecuador . As 

part of these recollections , I would add that it was the Haitians who handed Na

poleon I , emperor of France , his first defeat . Is is evident , then , that th

e Haitians have not been free-riders in the defense of their rights or in their 

solidarity with the peoples of the United States and of Latin America in their s

truggles for independence . The Haitians have and continue to live a tormented h

istory , from enslavement by the French to the dictatorships of the infamous Duv

aliers and their current heir , Cedras ; from the richest sugar-producing colony

 in the Caribbean in the 18th century to the extreme poverty of today . Even tho

ugh Haiti is part of the Americas , the general impression in the region is that

 its problems are , and should essentially be , of concern only to the United St

ates . This impression is confirmed by the strictly ritualistic and formalistic 

interest expressed by Latin Americans . The sacrosanct principle of self-determi

nation has served them well as an excuse not to get seriously involved in the tr

agedy of this black and poor member of our community . The `` Haitians keep out 

'' message comes not only from Florida , which already has generously received m

ore than its share of refugees , but also from the Latin American countries that

 do not welcome refugees and are , if only through passivity , effectively discr

iminating against their poorest sibling . For the future of inter-American relat

ions , it is sad and disappointing to witness once more as if the case of the U.

S. invasion of Panama were not enough how the Latin American governments continu

e to yield their responsibilities to the United States in affairs in their own b

ack yards . Also how they have so easily discarded their historical debt to Hait

i , a once independent and generous nation . Yesterday the leadership was surren

dered to a U.S. ambassador , Lawrence Pezzullo ; today to William Gray . Are the

 principles of regional sovereignty and independence of action less important th

an the principle of self-determination ? Or is it plainly that Haiti is not wort

h the effort ? Today , the Black Caucus of the U.S. Congress and the leadership 

of other black Americans such as Randall Robinson provide the main support for P

resident Aristide 's return to Haiti . Was it necessary for the cause of Haiti t

o resort to ethnicity ? The sad answer is yes . Haiti in some ways is becoming a

 black Bosnia . In the Balkans , the Bosnians are considered Muslim and as such 

, non-Europeans not worth fighting for . The Haitians are black , not Latin , an

d as such , it seems , also , not worth fighting for . Their only recourse , the

n , is to appeal to their black brothers in the United States to influence their

 government to act . Unfortunately , there are no black caucuses in Latin Americ

a to speak on behalf of their black and impoverished brethren on the island of H

ispaniola . So , for their own domestic political considerations , the nations o

f Latin America will let Washington carry the ball and bear the costs that an in

tervention may incur as well as the censure for violating Haiti 's sovereign rig

ht to suffer alone . Only then will Latin America find it useful to remember tha

t Haiti does not belong to the United States but to the Organization of American

 States .

 You 've finished the renovation , the dust has settled and you 're tired of bei

ng cooped up in the house . Or maybe you 're partway through a painting project 

and the weather 's just too nice to stay inside . What are you going to do for a

 break ? How about a little work in the garden ? Whether you 're an urban pionee

r or suburban dweller , a pretty and comfortable garden can provide an oasis of 

civility , a place to refresh mind and body , soul and eye . We were pleasantly 

reminded of this recently at the annual Victorian Garden Tour put on by Baltimor

e 's Union Square neighborhood association . None of the dozen or more gardens o

n the tour is large , and most are as narrow as the 19th century rowhouses they 

belong to . But even the tiniest of these had some touches that made them specia

l , and all together they were an encyclopedia of clever gardening ideas . The h

omeowners have devised various ways to give character to the blank rectangles mo

st started with . Here are some of our favorites : Tiny fountains . In one small

 garden , a half whiskey barrel had been filled with a liner and a little bubble

r-type fountain . It had rocks , plants and even a couple of goldfish . Arbors .

 One enterprising homeowner used copper tubing to make an arbor of arches from t

he side of the house to the fence on the other side of a narrow areaway . He is 

training vines on the pipes , but in the meantime they 're decorated with string

s of tiny white lights . Another yard had a simple , old-fashioned wooden arbor 

- basically posts with a piece of lattice on top - draped with grapevines . In t

he cool space underneath , white wrought-iron furniture made a pleasant spot to 

sit and enjoy the garden . Tiny fences . The same garden with the copper arbor h

ad a tiny , ornate wrought-iron gate leading into a square rose garden . The own

er said he cut it down from a piece of fencing left over from the front walk . R

aised beds . Since a lot of urban rowhouses have paved back yards , raised beds 

can provide an environment for plants without demolition and hauling . We saw bo

th tall raised beds , 2 to 3 feet off the ground , and short ones , as tall as o

ne railroad tie . ( If you 're planning to grow vegetables , you might want to c

onsider using wood that hasn't been treated with chemicals to resist insects and

 decay . ) Brick patios or walkways . In one long-ish yard , there were two path

s : a straight one that followed the fence to the back gate , and a curvy one th

at wandered between wide border beds . The meandering path made the garden seem 

much larger . Garden projects are among the easiest and most rewarding you can u

ndertake . Even an element as dramatic as a pond , if you have space for it , is

 remarkably easy . You can buy a rigid black plastic liner and dig a hole to fit

 it , or you can dig a free-form space and fit it with a flexible liner . ( Just

 be sure the liner is big enough to cover the excavation . ) Add a plant step ab

out 9 inches from the top , if you 're planning to add water plants . Line the e

xcavation with damp sand , drape the liner over it , and place bricks or stones 

around the edge to anchor it . Gradually fill with water , adjusting the bricks 

as the liner sinks to fit the contours of the pond . Trim the liner , leaving ab

out 6 inches to fit under the edging . Flat stones are the traditional edging , 

but bricks will also work . Brick walks and patios are also easy to build . As w

ith ponds , the hardest part is the digging . Mark the sides of the path or pati

o , and excavate about six inches . It 's best to install a permanent edge ; you

 can use pressure-treated 2-by-6s , held in place by stakes driven below ground 

level , or you can use concrete and pour permanent sides and bottoms . If you 'r

e not using concrete , put 2 inches of sand in the bottom of the excavation and 

tamp it down ( you can buy or rent a hand tamper ) . Level it a brick 's depth b

elow the top of the edging ( about 3 inches ) , using a board notched on each en

d to ride on the edging . ( For a large space such as a patio , level with the l

ongest board you can comfortably use ; check for level by placing a level on the

 edge of the board at intervals . ) Deciding what pattern to lay the brick in is

 one of the fun parts of the job - will it be straight , herringbone , diagonal 

herringbone , lattice , or something of your own invention ? Just be sure to use

 a brick that is designed for paving . Some old bricks aren't glazed , and will 

crack and crumble . Tamp the bricks into the sand with a board and fill the gaps

 with more sand . Some people line the excavation with black plastic sheeting to

 keep weeds from growing between the bricks . The walk may still need occasional

 weeding , and because it 's set in sand , it will move with the heaving of the 

earth , so you may have to reset a brick every now and then . A concrete foundat

ion will offer a relatively weed-free and perfectly level surface , but it 's a 

lot more work , more expensive , and it willn't have the hand-made charm of the 

sand .

 WESTCLIFFE , COLO . Where I grew up in Colorado , `` Jet Noise : The Sound of F

reedom '' was the top bumper sticker without the question mark . My father was a

 federal employee , and we lived between an Air Force base and the Denver airpor

t . Even today , a large proportion of Coloradons work for the Defense Departmen

t and its contractors . Colorado historians tell us we 've always had this love-

hate relationship with Uncle Sam . Lately , it 's all hate . Here in southern Co

lorado , the Wilderness of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains forms our fortress wal

ls . The mountains are the most ecologically diverse of any in the great Rocky M

ountain chain . Motorized vehicles are forbidden in the wilderness , but its air

space is vulnerable to any intruder . We have always lived with some jet noise ,

 but lately the sound of freedom has turned deafening . The Air National Guard ,

 along with its Air Force allies , began to besiege the region 's six counties w

ith its Colorado Airspace Initiative , which would increase annual `` sorties ''

 screaming , ear-rending , tree-top-level dogfights by thousands , with no upper

 limit . The area would become a permanent Military Operations Area . We made th

e mistake of demanding an Environmental Impact Statement , hoping that we could 

state a scientific case against the Guard 's initiative . In return , we got an 

endless series of public meetings , `` scoping sessions , '' lies , inaccuracies

 , contradictions and evasions all paid for with our tax dollars . Whatever its 

grasp of military tactics , the Guard understands war by attrition . Unless the 

Federal Aviation Administration , which rules on all military airspace , rejects

 the initiative , the Guard will bomb and boom us to kingdom come . ( Begin opti

onal trim ) You can't hear , see or smell the enemy until too late , until he ha

s blasted you from a clear sky , dipped his wings in a mocking salute and scream

ed on to torture your neighbors with his sonic booms and his radar-confusing fla

res and aluminum-silicate chaff . Treetop-level sub-to-supersonic flights have r

everberated through the valleys around the Sangres for at least 20 years . Durin

g the Cold War , we put up with the bombs and booms . We took it for granted tha

t behind them lurked some deep , dark reason . Then the Cold War ended . Then th

e effects on livestock became all too clear . Then the effects on wildlife and p

ack animals in the back country started to show . And then came the earsplitting

 , heart-racing effects on a growing army of retirees and a real-estate industry

 . ( End optional trim ) The war with the Guard has turned uncivil . The main ev

ent pits ranchers , realtors and recreationists against a decrepit wing of the U

.S. . Air Force . It wasn't that long ago when the ranchers and recreationists w

ere squaring off over wilderness designation . Indeed , they didn't strike a dea

l until last year . But the Guard has kept them united . The Guard is about as r

usty a weapon as there is the nation 's arsenal . In the last 40 years , America

 has called up the Colorado Air Guard exactly once . Furthermore , the economies

 around the Sangres are changing , from traditional ranching and timbering to a 

mix of organic-beef or bison ranching , including a thriving business in ranchin

g-for-wildlife . The recreation industry includes a booming second-home sector f

or retirees . More than 40 spiritual communities have made the Crestone area on 

the Sangres ' west side a world center for contemplative religions . The Guard c

laims that the new Denver International Airport restricts its airspace . In the 

face of rising local and statewide opposition , serious budgetary concerns and m

ajor environmental effects , it is determined to expand its training in the area

 . `` We 're in it for the long haul , '' said Maj. Thomas Schultz , public-affa

irs officer for the National Guard at Buckley Air Base . He says domestic traini

ng operations are increasingly important for the national defense , now that ove

rseas missions have been sharply reduced . `` If we don't fly , we lose our comb

at readiness , '' Schultz asserts . `` This is a matter of pride for Colorado : 

Its 120th squadron was the first unit to be federally recognized in 1946 . The A

ir National Guard was born here . '' The residents of the valleys around the San

gres are not impressed . That 's partly because so many of them are retired mili

tary or veterans themselves . Take Ray Koch , a naval-aviation veteran and forme

r aerospace engineer for Martin Marietta . He spent years designing more sophist

icated versions of the hardware and software systems that drive schemes like the

 Guard 's . He doesn't have much respect for them or their systems , which he re

gards as Stone Age technology . `` The Air Guard is a dinosaur , '' he says , ad

ding that low-level flight training has about as much relevance to contemporary 

warfare as Kit Carson 's pistols . Cheap , readily available surface-to-air miss

iles have rendered the Guard obsolete . Koch has a solution to the dispute . He 

has designed a demonstration of the Guard 's latest proposal to minimize impacts

 on our valleys and our wilderness . F-16s would overfly specific noise-sensitiv

e points at typical airspeeds and power settings . Video and audio equipment wou

ld record the effects . Flight-data systems would correlate with ground data to 

validate speed , power setting , altitude and aircraft altitude . If the Guard '

s planes perform as it claims , we will leave our back yard open to them . If th

ey perform as we claim , they will leave our back yard forever . The Guard has y

et to respond . And so we continue to cringe when we consider the fire danger fr

om crashing planes and flying flares . Could it be that silence has become the s

ound of freedom ?

 From time to time , Richard T. Seymour of Baltimore will come across something 

in the news about blacks that causes him to shake his head in disgust and exclai

m , `` There they go again ! '' `` But then I 'll catch myself and remember , ` 

Wait a minute , they aren't all like that , '' says Seymour . `` I 'll think : B

ill isn't like that . Dave isn't like that . A lot of the black people I do busi

ness with or come into contact with during the day they aren't like that . I 'm 

painting blacks with a broad brush . Does this mean I 'm prejudiced ? '' Seymour

 asks me rhetorically . `` I don't know . '' So then I confess to Seymour that f

rom time to time , I find myself shaking my head with equal disgust about whites

 . `` So , you see , it 's a Catch-22 , '' says Seymour . `` The circle of preju

dice just goes around and around and on and on . '' Not long ago , I wrote a col

umn about how some businesses exclude black models from their advertising , thus

 sending a subtle message that such firms do not welcome black patronage . It wa

s the sort of commentary that made Richard T. Seymour shake his head in disgust 

and exclaim , `` There they go again ! '' So Seymour who owns an advertising bus

iness sent me copies of Ebony and Essence magazines . And he wrote me an angry l

etter pointing out that nobody ever `` comes down hard on the rampant racism of 

` black publications . '' `` Blacks are always crying ` race ' , '' said Seymour

 after I called him . `` I mean , fair is fair . You 've got black magazines , y

ou 've got black student unions on college campuses , you 've got a Black Entert

ainment Television station on cable and a Congressional Black Caucus in Washingt

on . Blacks get away with racism that whites would never be allowed to get away 

with . If you 're going to complain about one , you 've got to complain about th

e other . '' Actually , there were a substantial number of white models included

 in the ads in the very issues of Ebony and Essence that Seymour sent me . Never

theless , I think he has a point : Most blacks , I suspect , would be profoundly