Scoopy’s notebook

Cancels out past defeat: In the recent primary election, Alice Cancel defeated Norma Ramirez for female Democratic district leader on the Lower East Side/Little Italy, regaining a position she held before Ramirez scored an upset two years ago and unseated her. A source said Cancel hadn’t been fully focused on the campaign because of personal issues, which may have partly helped Ramirez win.

Club numbers: Also in the recent primary, of eight judicial delegates slots, the Downtown Independent Democrats/Village Reform Democatic Club won five, or 63 percent, or almost two-thirds of the votes in a three-way race. Village Independent Democrats got two delegates, or 25 percent. And Lower Manhattan Alliance for Political Action got one, or 12 percent. In addition, D.I.D./V.R.D.C. won four of the eight alternate delegates slots, while V.I.D. got the other four. LaMAPPA had no alternates. So, of the 16 total available combined judicial delegate and alternates spots, D.I.D./V.R.D.C. won nine, or 56 percent, V.I.D. won six, or 38 percent, and LaMAPPA got one, or seven percent, of the vote. Non-political junkies may find such facts and figures not too exciting, but the clubs and politicians follow these races very closely, since they demonstrate grassroots strength — the ability to muster support from the voters for local candidates. Sean Sweeney, president of D.I.D., was thrilled with the outcome. “We are elated that the voters overwhelmingly chose our candidates in a level playing field,” he said. “We attribute it to our commitment to grassroots activism.” V.I.D.’s president Chad Marlow spun it another way, saying his club more than held their own in light of the fact that they were running against two clubs working together, D.I.D. and V.R.D.C. Also, Marlow noted, Rick Braun, V.I.D.’s former president, was nominated to the State Supreme Court last week…. On a less positive note, Sweeney broke his girlfriend former City Councilmember Kathryn Freed’s finger when he jumped onto the couch recently while she was watching herself being interviewed by Tom Brokaw about the E.P.A.’s debacles at ground zero. One hundred percent of her middle finger is in a splint now.

Revson Rosie: Democratic District Leader Rosie Mendez, chief of staff for Councilmember Margarita Lopez for the past several years, is one of 10 individuals selected for the prestigious Revson Fellowship program at Columbia University. She’s taking a leave of absence from Lopez’s office to take courses in planning and at Columbia’s School of International Affairs. The fellowships are offered to individuals who have spent an extensive amount of time involved on urban issues. Nuris Rodriguez takes over as Lopez’s chief of staff.

Crash! John Penley reported that a new movie, “Taxi,” was shooting at Avenue B and Third St. last Wednesday. The scene called for a car to be rammed into a storefront at the location that had been rebuilt for the movie. But some had actually been looking forward to shopping at the store. “I thought they were really opening up a new bodega,” Penley said. “They even brought products in and everything…put up signs, saying ‘Goya beans, 2 for 99 cents.’ ”

Lights are dimming: Either our eyes are playing tricks on us or the lights on the tips of the bollards along the railing in the new Greenwich Village segment of the Hudson River Park were recently changed from deep indigo blue to a very pale bluish white. Is this the color of the month?…. The bluish white is not as striking but a little less dominating, in Scoopy’s humble opinion. The Hudson River Park Trust didn’t say what the deal with the lights was. In other park news, in Nolita, someone has spruced up little Lt. Petrosino Sq. with new wooden-box planters with tasteful plantings and even trellises for vines to climb on. Now, how about some benches so it can be used as well as admired? Just an idea.

Delayed Harvest: Due to Hurricane Isabel, Harvest in the Sq. was rescheduled to Thurs., Oct. 2. The paid-admission food-tasting feast at Union Sq. starts at 6:30 p.m. for V.I.P.’s and 7:30 p.m. for others.