April 22, 1984

SOME people thought John Baptist Greco was crazy 28 years ago, when he first began to build ''Holy Land U.S.A.'' ''Why are you doing this?'' they would ask, as Mr. Greco, the son of a shoemaker, mixed concrete, moved boulders and fashioned cast-off statuary and windows, scrap iron, lumber, plastic and wire, discarded mannequins and old automobile paint into a 17-acre reconstruction of ancient Bethlehem and Jerusalem on a steep, rocky hill overlooking the industrial city of Waterbury. ''Why,'' Mr. Greco, a tiny man with wisps white hair and dark, expressive eyes, would reply. ''For the glory of God.'' Holy Land U.S.A. was open to visitors of all denominations, with Mr. Greco giving tours, showing film strips and otherwise telling them the story of Jesus' life and death. Now, a victim of progress, the elements and vandals, Holy Land U.S.A. is closed for the first time in its 28-year history.

The Federal Department of Energy is involved in intense negotiations aimed at saving the Shoreham nuclear plant on Long Island, according to documents obtained by a House subcommittee. The department, according to these documents, is seeking a way for the Federal Government to lend its legal authority to the Long Island Lighting Company's plan for the company to evacuate the area around the plant in the event of an accident. The Lilco emergency plan recently failed an evaluation by the Federal Government because of technical problems and questions about the legal authority of Lilco employees to take steps in an emergency that would usually be taken by public-safety officials. The documents indicate that the Energy Department, which favors the operation of Shoreham, is seeking to develop some solution by Friday, when Lilco faces a major financial hurdle. The department has been engaged in intensive talks with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the White House and Lilco since the beginning of this month, the documents show. It is not clear from the documents which party initiated the discussion.

PRINCETON, N.J. IT was usually about 6:30 A.M. when he finished work and headed for the bus stop. Larry Ellis, then a teen-ager, would take the bus to his family's apartment, and soon afterward, leave again for school. He had finished his rounds as a part-time milkman, accompanying a neighbor who had given him the job on his Bronx route in the days when milk was delivered by horse and wagon. ''A nice horse,'' Ellis remembers. Sometimes, the neighbor would even let Ellis ride on the horse's back as the trusty steed clippety-clopped down the quiet streets in the predawn hours, past the apartments and one- family homes where the workingmen and women were still asleep.

If Andre Robertson had not bobbled Buddy Bell's grounder, it would have been sufficient. If Toby Harrah had not bobbled Larry Parrish's grounder, it would have been sufficient. If Rick Cerone or Don Mattingly had made good throws with Parrish running, it would have been sufficient. But the four Yankee players did not make the plays when they had the chance, and their combined efforts resulted in a Texas run, which was sufficient for the Rangers to beat the Yankees, 1-0, yesterday at Yankee Stadium.

Something Going On Arms Control Negotiations on nuclear weapons may seem dead for now, but the arms race being the growth field it is, there's always plenty else to talk about. Vice President Bush flew to Geneva last week to present the Administration's proposals for banning chemical weapons at the 40-nation Conference on Disarmament. In Vienna, North Atlantic Treaty Organization delegates unveiled a new formula for reducing the forces of the Warsaw Pact and NATO, more than two million altogether, stationed in Central Europe. The Soviet Union said it would study both proposals, but heaped scorn on them.