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Volume 74, Number 50 | April 20 – 26 , 2005

Scoopy’s Notebook

New candidate: In the constantly shifting race for chairperson of Community Board 2, Brad Hoylman tells us he’s dropped out of the running. Meanwhile, Maria Passannante Derr has entered the race. Derr reportedly has the backing of Bob Rinaolo, who she replaced as chairperson of the Business Committee in December, after Rinaolo was forced to give up his committee chairpersonship by Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields following a conflict of interest ruling by the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board. Before his ouster as committee chairperson, Rinaolo had been planning a run for chairperson, but recently told The Villager he had abandoned the idea. The other candidate for board chairperson is Don MacPherson.

Off with their heads: In more C.B. 2 news, Borough President Fields recently notified two well-known community activists that they were not being reappointed to the Greenwich Village board. Tobi Bergman, former president of Pier Park and Playground Association, or P3, who was a driving force in getting the FieldTurf sports fields on Pier 40, and who was vice chairperson of the board’s Parks Committee, is not being reappointed. Also, Jo Hamilton, co-chairperson of Save Gansevoort Market, the group that spearheaded the successful effort to landmark the Meat Market, was not reappointed. “I’m disappointed,” said Bergman. “The main reason I’m disappointed is because I’ve enjoyed myself on the board the last eight years.” Hamilton said, “I am, of course disappointed. But I am not surprised. I tried to do a good job serving my community and I’m hopeful I’ll have the opportunity to serve again.” A Fields spokesperson did not provide an answer by press time as to why Bergman and Hamilton weren’t reappointed. However, some think it was because Bergman was supporting MacPherson for chairperson, while Hamilton has been outspoken against granting new liquor licenses to clubs in the Meat Market’s new nightlife scene.

Smooth sailing: The East Side’s Community Board 3 used to be known for its wild meetings, which required a detail of police to be present. However, at least judging by the board’s politics, C.B. 3 is looking a lot tamer than C.B. 2 these days. David McWater, the board’s chairperson, said that, unlike the contested situation at Board 2, he expects to face no opposition in the upcoming June election for board chairperson.

Ol’ Blues Eyes’s Aunt Elsie: A memorial service was scheduled to be held for Elsie Garaventa Cardia at Casa Italiana, 24 W. 12th St., on April 16. Italian dignitaries were to participate. Cardia, who owned the Beatrice Inn for 50 years, and was a conspicuous promoter of Italian and Italian-American cultural activities, died earlier this year at the age of 77. By the way, we are informed by LindaAnn Loschiavo of W. Ninth St., that The Villager obituary on Cardia didn’t mention that she was the sister of Natalie (nee Garaventa) Sinatra, who was Frank Sinatra’s mother.

Night of music: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, co-creators of the Tony award-winning musical “Avenue Q,” are hosting “Avenue Q Swings” at the Lortel Theater on Christopher St. on June 27 at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds from the one-night-only performance will benefit Greenwich House Music School’s Piano Fund, replacing the school’s two well-worn Steinway grand pianos. The event will feature special guest stars who will perform songs from “Avenue Q” in jazz, classical and other surprising arrangements. Lopez is an alumnus of the Greenwich House Music School, where he studied piano for over 15 years and began composing at a very early age. When he started collaborating with Marx, the two would often meet at the school to compose, writing many of the “Avenue Q” hit songs. The school has provided affordable music lessons and musical events for students and audiences of all ages since its 1902 founding. For information on ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities, call B.C. Vermeersch, director of the school, at 212-242-4770.

Star quality: Well, Scoopy has found out more information on former City Council candidate Jay Wilson’s son’s movie in the Tribeca Film Festival, and we’re getting more interested. Filling us in on the details, Jay tells us that his boy, Charlie Wilson, is the star of Iranian filmmaker Amir Naderi’s movie “Sound Barrier,” which will be opening at Stuyvesant High School on April 24 at 3 p.m. as part of the film festival. Charlie plays Jesse, a deaf mute “fending for himself in an indifferent city” on a quest to find an audiocassette in Greenpoint with the voice of his deceased mother.