The end for D.M.:
Martha Danziger, district manager of Community Board 3 for about 20 years, announced her resignation in a November letter to community board members, according to Susan Stetzer, a member of the board and an East Village neighbor. Danziger told the community board executive committee that she would stay on to help whoever succeeds her get settled as new district manager, Stetzer said. The board has advertised for a new manager and the community board Web site, www.cb3manhattan.org, is calling for applications no later than Jan. 15, 2004. As the job listing makes clear, it’s not for the fainthearted: “Community Board 3 in Manhattan seeks a highly motivated, organized person to carry out and communicate the resolutions and policies set by the Community Board regarding government actions and the quality of life in our diverse community. Must work constructively with 50 volunteer board members, supervise staff of 3, and represent the board to government agencies and others. Candidate must be able to deal with a high volume of work at the direction of the Board and its Executive Committee, ability to delegate and multi-task. Job requires a flexible schedule including evening and early morning commitments. Qualifications include at least baccalaureate degree, relevant work in government, strong computer and technology skills, urban planning, or relevant fields. 2 years supervisory experience preferred. Salary 40’s.”
Slam dunk:
Board 3 last week voted nearly unanimously to approve that lease negotiations move forward between Basketball City and the city’s Economic Development Corporation for Basketball City’s use of Pier 36 on the Lower East Side. There was one no vote and one abstention — by Stetzer, who said that she wished the board would try to get more of a firm written commitment from Basketball City on how much time will be set aside for community use.
Oh…that task force:
“What about the task force that Councilmember Margarita Lopez called for last August to deal with problems about noisy bars in her district?” asks Anna Sawaryn of the Coalition to Save the East Village. “I was on top of it,” said Lopez, explaining that she had asked Harvey Epstein, Community Board 3 chairperson, to get it together with bar owners and 7th and 9th Precinct police. Lopez said she had received a list of problem bars, but Epstein told her later that the formation of a task force “fell through the cracks” and was forgotten. Lopez said the problem about noisy crowds in front of bars is really the result of the smoking ban, “especially late at night when the traffic is quiet and you can hear them talking.” Bar owners, she said, have no power to control people in the street. People who smoke are addicted to tobacco and the smoking ban should have had a program to help people quit, said Lopez. “That’s no answer at all,” said Sawaryn. “Half the people who speak at the community board public sessions complain about the violence associated with bars. It’s a problem of enforcement.” The Coalition is contemplating a lawsuit against the State Liquor Authority about oversaturation of bars in the neighborhood.
Correction:
Last week’s article on the ban on new bars and restaurants in Soho and Noho misstated Councilmember Alan Gerson’s reaction to the proposed arts component in new developments. The article said Gerson was disappointed that the City Council didn’t show stronger support for the arts in Soho and Noho. The sentence should have read, “Gerson said he was disappointed that City Planning didn’t show stronger support for the arts in Soho and Noho.” Gerson said he is thrilled with the Council’s support of the arts in his district.
Lenny leniency:
Governor George Pataki on Tuesday announced that he has granted a posthumous pardon to performer Lenny Bruce, who was convicted of the misdemeanor of giving an obscene performance in 1964 at Cafe Au Go in the Village. Bruce was sentenced to serve four months in jail. “The posthumous pardon of Lenny Bruce is a declaration of New York’s commitment to upholding the First Amendment,” Pataki said. “Freedom of speech is one of the greatest American liberties and I hope this pardon serves as a reminder of the precious freedoms we are fighting to preserve as we continue to wage the war on terror.” Bruce’s pardon is the first posthumous pardon granted by Pataki, and the first posthumous pardon granted in New York, according to records kept by the New York State Division of Parole.
