Pete Rose signed copies of his book, “My Prison Without Bars” on Jan. 9 in the Downtown Borders bookstore at 100 Broadway. In his newly released book Rose admits to gambling on baseball and on his own team after lying about it for 14 years. Despite the controversy surrounding his recent confession, the bookstore had an attendance of 500 people said Daryl Mattson, the store’s marketing manager. He said this was the second highest turnout for a book signing event since the Borders opening on June 11 2003, the largest being the book signing of former President Jimmy Carter, who drew 800 people.
Surprising political choices
High school students from 25 public schools in New York and Westchester County came Downtown to Pace University last Friday for a mock presidential convention and Dennis Kucinich has emerged as the Democratic nominee for president. In convention balloting, Howard Dean was second, and John Kerry third.
What’s more, in the mock convention Vice President Dick Cheney refused to accept the Republican vice presidential nomination for undisclosed reasons. Instead, Republican convention delegates nominated Secretary of State Colin Powell. Other contending candidates were former Mayor Rudy Guiliani, Condoleezza Rice and John McCain.
Pace political scientist Christopher Malone, PhD visited the 25 high schools to educate and prepare the students prior to the pseudo conventions. The 600 students came together on the Wednesday night in the Downtown Pace campus’s gymnasium to be sworn in as delegates.
In addition the students put forward a number of platform planks, that will be sent to respective Democratic and Republican national committees. The Republican planks included a “divorce tax” to encourage working on marriages and discourage the increasing divorce rate, support of school vouchers and a brand new social security program involving investment in stocks, lock boxes and privatization. Democratic planks called for a more comprehensive environmental protection program, repeal of the Bush tax cuts and redirecting $20 billion of the $87 billion costs of the Iraq war for education.
Chinatown walks
Adventure on a Shoestring is offering Chinese New Year “snack-and-sight safari” tours of Chinatown on Saturday January 24th. There will be three successive tours at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. meeting at the northwest corner of Canal and Baxter Sts. The cost is $5 per person Call (212) 265 2633 for more details.
Pier 40 plans
The Hudson River Park Trust will present its plan to build interim ball fields in the court yard of Pier 40 at a public forum at 6 p.m. Wed, Jan. 21 at 75 Morton St., sponsored by Downtown United Soccer Club, Greenwich Village Little League and Pier Park and Playground.
The multi-sport artificial turf fields are to be ready for play this summer in the Pier 40 central area previously occupied by Fed Ex trucks and Academy buses, according to the Trust’s interim plan for public recreation on Pier 40. The fields are to serve until the Trust decides on the permanent redevelopment of the pier.
C.B. 1 meeting
The full board meeting of Community Board 1 will meet at 6 p.m. Tues. Jan. 20 at the Wellington Conference Room of New York Law School, 57 Worth St.
Correction
Last week’s article about youth funding (“City says no to Downtown youth funds”) misstated the number of community boards citywide. There are 59, not 52, community boards throughout the five boroughs.
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