scoopysnotebook

Volume 74, Number 44 | March 09 – 15, 2005

Scoopy’s Notebook

Trees, acorns & roots: Although some branded it a “tree massacre,” Jeanine Flaherty of the Jefferson Market Garden said the four trees in the garden that were recently cut down had to be because they were infested with carpenter ants. “We will be replanting healthy saplings,” Flaherty said. “We hope the community will take pleasure in watching them grow.” By the way, the 30th anniversary celebration benefit for the garden — on the site of the former Women’s House of Detention at Sixth and Greenwich Aves. — is slated for Tues., April 26. The honoree will be Lynden B. Miller, public garden designer; the event chairperson will be Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe; and co-chairperson will be Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, founder of the Central Park Conservancy. Miller is an established landscape architect but political junkies may know her better as Giff’s mommy, as in mother of Council Speaker Gifford Miller, who might be firing Benepe next year if the speaker has his way in the mayoral race and moves his office to the west wing of City Hall this January.

Lopez heir: Darren Bloch, a candidate to replace outgoing City Couniclmember Margarita Lopez, picked up the endorsement of his ex-boss, former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, last week. Another source told us with glee that two more Hispanic candidates have entered the race, raising the possibility of saying hasta la vista to Rosie Mendez’s chances to fill her mentor’s seat in the Council. But neither of the new supposed candidates seems enthusiastic at all about running when we checked it out and the source may be whistling past the grave. After all, Mendez has the big enchilada of endorsements when it comes to open Council races — the incumbent — in this case Lopez.

BAMRA saga: You know there had to be a catch when Bleecker Area Merchants’ and Residents’ Area’s Lois Rakoff and Charlie Wolf went to court recently to try to settle Wolf’s lawsuit against BAMRA. Wolf is seeking thousands of dollars to reimburse his expenses as the organization’s past resident co-chairperson. Well, it turned out Rakoff’s lawyer and the judge knew each other, so the hearing was rescheduled.

Pizza props: D.J. Loco said props should be given to d.b.a. and Two Boots Pizza for chipping in for the recent Squatter Aid party for Michael Shenker and Fly — d.b.a. bar gave 200 beers for free, which were sold for $1 each, raising $200, while Two Boots provided “tons” of free pizza.

Corrections: In our article last week about a Conflict of Interest Board ruling on Community Board 2 member Bob Rinaolo (“Fields’s and C.B. 2 chair’s stories conflict about a conflict of interest”), we made two errors regarding Councilmember Alan Gerson and the 2003 C.B.2 chairperson election. We incorrectly reported that a Gerson staffer lobbied on behalf of Jim Smith, who won the election, 28 – 20. Brad Sussman, who had worked on Gerson’s election campaign in 2001, was lobbying for Borough President C. Virginia Fields, not Gerson. We incorrectly reported that Gerson named a number of new members right before the election to help Smith win the election, when in fact Gerson had only recommended appointing one new member. In 2003, Gerson did endorse Smith and say support for Smith was a factor he considered in C.B. 2 appointments. Six of the members he has a say over voted for Smith, and two for Brad Hoylman.

In last week’s issue, we printed the wrong last name in the byline for the article about Evergreen Video. Rania Richardson wrote “The struggling video business.” The article about artist Marjorie Kouns, who is hoping to place lampshades over lampposts in Washington Sq. Park, did not have a photo credit. Anna Morris took the picture of Kouns.