Sexton on the spot: New York University President John Sexton and Sharon Greenberger, the university’s new vice president for campus planning, will host an N.Y.U. town hall meeting for Village community members on Mon. Dec. 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Jurow Hall, in the N.Y.U. Silver Building, at 100 Washington Square East. Among issues expected to be raised by community members will be the 26-story dormitory planned on E. 12th St. between Third and Fourth Aves. and N.Y.U.’s development property at the Morton Williams supermarket site at Bleecker St. and LaGuardia Pl. John Beckman, N.Y.U. spokesperson, confirmed that Sexton will be present. “Definitely, he will be at the town hall. He’s hosting it,” he said.
Take me out to the ballpark: In more N.Y.U. news, it was reported last week that the university has chosen Shea Stadium as the venue for its commencement ceremony in May. The university decided to switch the event from its usual spot in Washington Square Park, apparently convinced that the Parks Department will have started the first phase of a planned $16 million renovation by then. Of course, the Art Commission has yet to vote on the contentious issue of whether the park’s fountain can be moved 22 feet as called for under the plan. “We’ve heard from the Parks Department that they fully expect to begin renovation work in the park by early spring, which would make it unavailable to use for this spring’s commencement,” said N.Y.U. spokesperson Beckman. “Shea was chosen after significant consultation with our community and with students who liked it because it would allow for more tickets [for family members and friends].” Asked how N.Y.U. would feel if the renovation hasn’t, in fact, started by the time of this year’s commencement, Beckman said, “I just can’t discuss that kind of hypothetical.”
No Coke, Pepsi: Also on N.Y.U., after the university’s Senate voted to ban sales of Coke on campus because of alleged antiunion practices at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Colombia, the university began removing the company’s products from campus last week.
Stringer wannabes: A crowded field of candidates is gearing up to run for Scott Stringer’s Assembly seat after he takes over as borough president in January and assuming Governor Pataki calls a special election. Names we are hearing are Linda Rosenthal, Congressmember Jerrold Nadler’s Manhattan director; attorney Marc Landis; Charles Simon, son of Upper West Side preservationist Arlene Simon of Landmark West; Arthur Gregg; and attorney Charles Imohiosen. Word has it that the race is between Rosenthal, Simon and Landis.
Back from Baghdad: Villager columnist Ed Gold told us he was at the door at the Butterfield, his W. 12th St. building, last Friday at 6:30 p.m. when a coatless, worn-out man stepped out of a cab, luggage in hand and entered the lobby. It was none other than his neighbor Ramsey Clark, who had just taken a 17-hour flight from Baghdad, where he had been defense counsel for Saddam Hussein. “He looked relieved to be back,” but didn’t look like he felt like talking, Gold said. Gold’s hunch was confirmed when he called the former U.S. attorney general’s number, and his wife, Georgia, answered and told him Ramsey isn’t talking to anyone right now. As for Gold, he’s had it rough too, and is on the mend after a painful fractured sacrum from a fall.
Graffiti skirmish: It seems A. Charles isn’t thrilled that fellow grafitti muralist Chico told police that the former did the painting of 50 Cent with a gun poking out of his pants on E. Third St. that has drawn neighbors’ wrath. A. Charles has posted Sara Levin’s Villager article on his Web site, highlighting in yellow the sentence where it says Chico went to the fuzz. However, we hear that Chico first told A. Charles personally that he should paint over the offensive work, and feels A. Charles is hyping the situation for publicity.
