Stealing Freedom
David Childs is no Freedom Tower thief, at least that’s what he told a judge at a U.S. District Court last week. The Skidmore, Owings & Merrill heavyweight who brought us the garish Time Warner Center has been accused of lifting the W.T.C. Freedom Tower designs from a fledgling Yale architecture grad, Thomas Shine, the Yale Daily News reported. Childs, a fellow Yaley himself, insisted that although he did see the then-student’s design at a 1999 Yale workshop and later invited Shine to swing by the S.O.M. Wall St. offices, he never snatched his designs. Any similarities between the two designs, said Childs, were solely the result of “stock elements” common in modern architecture. Is that Daniel Libeskind we hear chuckling?
Dovish Koch
Former Mayor Ed Koch, a big supporter of the Iraq war, now says the troops should be brought home. “We accomplished what we needed to do, on the basis that we destroyed Saddam Hussein and his army,” Koch said. Hizzoner said if countries like France and Germany offer to contribute troops to help with Iraq’s recovery, only then should the U.S. keep troops there. Otherwise, he said, we should pull out within 60 days after the upcoming Iraqi elections. And if Iraq devolves into a civil war, then neighbors like Saudi Arabia should get involved in quelling the problem, he said.
Gimme Faith
Retail extraordinaire Faith Hope Consolo and her sidekick Joseph A. Aquino have flown the coup at Garrick-Aug Worldwide, Ltd. and fluttered across town to Prudential Douglas Elliman. Consolo, with a hefty new chairman title, and Aquino playing the role of E.V.P., will head up the firm’s newly expanded Retail Leasing and Sales division. We can hardly wait for the shopping craze to begin!
Ditching Glee?
The Down Town Glee Club is not feeling as gleeful these days. They’re toying with a newer, hipper name for their ensamble: Downtown Singers. “There are some among us who suspect that the term ‘glee club’ might not be familiar to some younger guys and may even be an outright turnoff,” explained Jerry Osterbergg, the group’s frontman. The all-male group is preparing for a spring concert at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center and is hoping to add to its ranks. With an aging membership, we’re pretty sure the Singers can lure a few youngins’ their way. Check out their open auditions on Jan. 25th, Feb. 1st, or Feb. 8th from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at 74 Trinity Place, second floor.
Taste of Defeat
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy made a friendly wager before last Sunday’s A.F.C. Divisional playoff game between the Steelers and Jets, with each promising to provide the other with some tasty foodstuffs from their respective city if their team was defeated. Among the items Bloomberg sent Murphy — as a result of those missed Gang Green field goals, darn it! — was a tray of Italian cookies from Veniero’s pastry shop on First Ave. and 11th St. If the Jets had won, Bloomberg stood to receive a case of Pittsburgh-brewed Iron City beer in its “new, one-of-a-kind aluminum bottle.” It sounds like the deal was stacked in Murphy’s favor: Although we wish the Jets had won, personally we would take Veniero’s over Pittsburgh brews any day.
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