Wheels of progress: Jim Smith, Community Board 2’s chairperson, recently appointed Brad Hoylman as the new chairperson of the board’s Transportation Committee, replacing Arthur Harris. After Smith beat Hoylman in the intense board chairperson race last June, Smith tapped Harris to head the Transportation Committee. “There had been a desire ever since the election to find a place of importance for Brad,” Smith said, “to the point of even creating something for him. It’s indicative of nothing other than he’s an asset to the community.” One mark against Hoylman in the chairperson race was that he had never chaired a committee on the board…. Apparently this warming trend doesn’t include putting deposed zoning maven Doris Diether back on the board’s Zoning Committee. Asked if Diether’s exile from Zoning would continue, Smith said: “I appoint the chairs of committees — and within reason, I try to accommodate them. If they say, ‘This is the panel I want,’ 98 percent I go along with them.” Translation: Smith is deferring to David Reck, the Zoning Committee’s chairperson.
Landmark event: Robert Tierney, chairperson of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, will speak at a breakfast event of the Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce on Wed. Oct. 29 at 8:30 a.m. at North Square Restaurant, 103 Waverly Pl., $10 members/$15 nonmembers. To purchase tickets, call 212-255-5811.
Sacre bleu! Scott Melvin, former chief of staff of state Senator Tom Duane, is back from Paris and in City Hall, where he is now a staff member for Speaker Gifford Miller.
Green Market: It’s hard to miss the four new leafy trees planted in front of the onetime Dizzy Izzy’s bagel store, now home to highest-end fashion boutiques, on W. 14th St. in the Meat Market. The greenery in the primarily arborless Market really sticks out. The building is owned by the Winter Organization.
Surface value: We hear the new name of Paul Stallings’ hotel tower on Rivington St. may be Surface, after the style magazine of the same name. At least that’s what Al Orensanz of the Angel Orensanz Foundation tells us.
School fair: The Earth School is holding its annual Fall Fair in Tompkins Sq. Park (corner of E. 10th St. and Avenue A) on Sat. Oct. 25 from noon to 5 p.m. (rain date Sun., Oct. 26). Admission is free. There will be craft tables and kids’ games, a giant maze and a raffle, live entertainment and the “Biggest Rummage Sale Ever.” Refreshments will be sold. For more information, call Doug Jacobs-Moore at 212-438-7536 or e-mail douglas_moore@standardandpoors.com.
Feels good: District Leader Arthur Schwartz said he had a great feeling at the recent County Committee meeting at which the Village’s Democratic factions seemed more unified than anytime in recent memory. He and new co-District Leader Keen Berger got along well, he said, and the local clubs will unite in a rally at Sheridan Sq. to oppose nonpartisan elections.
Where are the activists? Scoopy heard a tip that some property is being sold on E. 13th St., between First Ave. and Avenue A, and that Gregg Singer, who bought the former Charas/El Bohio building, was the buyer. But Singer said it’s not him, though he’s been looking all over the East Village for buildings. “Everything’s too expensive,” he said. “If you know of any other place where Carlos Garcia and activists are ranting and raving, let me know. It just keeps people away — so the price goes down.” Singer was referring to Chino Garcia, Charas’s executive director, and the protests fighting the sale of the former public school building, for which Singer has yet to find tenants.
Extreme store: Roomates Vinny Ponte and John Roy are opening a new skateboard, snowboard and outerwear store on the ground floor of the building where they live at Canal and Varick Sts. Ponte, scion of the Pontes of the Tribeca real estate holdings and F.Illi Ponte restaurant, is a professional skateboarder, Roy a snowboarder.
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