Villager photo by J.B. Nicholas
Rock legend Patti Smith leaving the Bowery Ballroom on Delancey St. last week after one of her three performances there. A new documentary about the singer and Downtown resident, “Patti Smith: Dream of Life,” aired on PBS on Dec. 30. She also has a new book out, “Just Kids,” about her close friendship with the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
Hot Cooper purchase? Local blog Bowery Boogie recently reported on the persistent rumor that CNN’s Anderson Cooper has recently purchased Fire Patrol House Number 2, at 84 W. Third St. “The rumor has been swirling for a couple of months, but is getting more attention now,” B.B. wrote. “According to The Real Estalker, Cooper and partner Ben Maisani purchased the firehouse together back in September for $4.3 million.” The property reportedly has 8,420 square feet, plus its original brass poles and spiral stairs — no doubt, those poles will help Cooper get to his breaking news stories faster.
Changing of the guard: Deputy Inspector Dennis De Quatro, commanding officer of the East Village’s Ninth Precinct for the past four and a half years, has been promoted to inspector and transferred to the Midtown South Precinct, where he takes over as C.O. De Quatro’s last day at the Ninth was Monday, the same day Deputy Inspector Kenny Lehr started as the precinct’s new commander. Lehr formerly headed Transit Division 33, in Brooklyn South. Asked his thoughts on De Quatro’s tenure at the East Village precinct, Detective Jaime Hernandez, the Ninth’s community affairs officer, said, “He’s very well liked — excellent boss. He was well liked by the community — that makes it easier.”
Kurland assaulted: Yetta Kurland, the attorney who ran unsuccessfully for the City Council seat of Speaker Christine Quinn in November, was the victim of an apparently random assault by a young man during the early hours of New Year’s Day. Her assailant, one of a group of several youths, punched her in the back of the head several times as she was standing on the south side of 14th St. between Seventh and Eighth Aves. The 3:50 a.m. assault was painful but the injuries were not serious and Kurland refused medical attention. “I was waiting with a friend for someone to come out of a building when we saw about six guys coming up the street,” she told The Villager. “One of them ran up and pummeled me in the head. He seemed hopped up — strung out — and it looked like he didn’t even see me. It seemed like he would have attacked anyone who was standing in that spot at the time,” Kurland said. The suspect, who was no older than 20 and might have been younger, could have been swinging wildly as he was walking up the street, she added. “It made me ask myself what we are doing about youth violence and what we are doing to get drugs off the street to make sure that young people can celebrate New Year’s or any other occasion peacefully and responsibly,” she added. Kurland said she and her friend followed the suspect and his group to the subway station at Seventh Ave. and 14th St., where she told them she was calling police. One member of the group of white Hispanic youths tried to persuade her not to call police, but a Transit worker dialed 911 and the group dispersed.
Banquet politics: Following our item two weeks ago on the new Downtown Democratic political club finally coming up with a new name for itself — Lower Manhattan Democrats — Sean Sweeney, president of Downtown Independent Democrats, fired off an e-mail to put the upstart club in its place. Celebrating her impending entrance into the City Council, Margaret Chin, Sweeney wrote, had had a big banquet at Jing Fong in Chinatown on Dec. 23, and D.I.D. was out in force, as opposed to the other guys. “D.I.D. had three tables with 10 people at each table,” Sweeney crowed. “Reading Scoopy’s column about David Reck’s new club, it seems that selecting a name is the about the only thing they’ve accomplished. In fact, the only person from the new club who attended [Chin’s banquet] was Bill Love.”
Extra! Extra! Josh Rogers, associate editor of our sister paper, Downtown Express, and his wife, Sarah Wolff, had a baby boy Tuesday morning. Named Isaac Nathan, he weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. The delivery was at 8:56 a.m. at N.Y.U. Medical Center, at 32nd St. and First Ave. Mazel tov!
The Mosaic Awards: Things are really looking up for Jim Power, the East Village’s “Mosaic Man.” First of all — getting him off the hard streets and out of the cold — he now has a place, with three hot meals a day, up in Harlem at Kelly House, a facility run by Common Ground. He said the program is for the “chronic homeless,” and that for an individual to be accepted, outreach workers must spot the person five times living on the street. After a few months up on 127th St., he said he might transition to Common Ground’s Times Square residence, and then to their new project at East Houston and Pitt Sts., at the former Boys’ Club site — assuming it ever gets built, hopefully. Jesse Jane, Powers’s canine companion, was dozing comfortably by his side when we called “Mosaic” Monday night. Power, who is in his 60s, noted that Jesse Jane is 9 — that’s 63 in dog years — and that she’s been leading a rough life with him for 8 1/2 years, so she really needs this break. However, Power’s hips are going, and he needs to fix at least one soon, or he’ll really be in trouble: And there’s no way he’ll ever be able to repair his mythic “Mosaic Trail” of 80 tile-covered street lampposts unless he gets a hip replacement. So he and friends are planning a big fundraiser at Theatre 80, on St. Mark’s Place, Tues., Feb. 16, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The details are still being worked out, but Power said several historic films about the East Village will be shown — including the 1989 movie “Mosaic Man,” not seen for 20 years — and that there will be musical performances. Power also will be handing out awards — in the form of his trademark mosaic-encrusted plaques — to several individuals who have, for a long time now, been contributing to the community and making a difference. Among these will be Ray Alvarez, of Ray’s Candy Store on Avenue A; a police officer whose last name Power said is something like “Persellie” (though we couldn’t find anyone with that name at the Ninth Precinct); Photographer/blogger Bob Arihood of Neither More Nor Less — who will get the “Best Local Blog” award; and Brian Shebairo of Crif Dogs. The honors, Power said, as much as anything else, are for sheer “endurance.” Alvarez is deserving, he said, “because he has been dealing with the public for 35 years,” and yet, somehow, can still tolerate them. “Ray’s a pretty rare guy,” Power said. Arihood deserves his honor because, as Power put it, “He’s completely dedicated. He does investigations. His form of reporting is extremely dangerous — besides the fact we’re friends. … They’re meant to be community awards for people who have really gone the distance,” Power said. The evening’s emcee will be musician Jay Wilson, who ran for City Council some years back. As for performers, Power is in talks with local punk rock legend Bobby Steele, and also with the East River String Band and sax player Charles Gayle, though the latter two acts are going on tours right after the date of Power’s bash, so it’s not clear if they’ll be able to make it. Ticket price for the event is still being worked out. Asked if it will be a black-tie affair, Power said, “More like a black-eye affair — just kidding!”
