Spitzer, Silverstein, Björk Plan Cocktail Summit
In what may be the most bizarre event line-up of the year, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D), New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D), World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein and his wife Klara, Icelandic musician Björk and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" director Michel Gondry will be honored at The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's annual spring benefit, "The Downtown Dinner."
The "artistic visionaries," "governmental leaders" and "developers" will be honored May 3 atop Silverstein's World Trade Center 7 with cocktails and a silent auction preceding the dinner and program. To see the event's funkadelic, "Wiz"-inspired trailer go to lmcc.net/us/benefits/2007.5downtowndinner/dinnerinvite.html.
As Green Becomes President, Clinton Moves into His Old Offices
The collective gulp was almost audible on the morning of March 19, when many around the New York political world opened their email inboxes to find a message: "News from President Mark Green."
But far from some odd White House coup, the email was just the first official word from New York's most-run candidate about his new job at Air America, the lefty talk radio station Stephen Green rescued from bankruptcy before installing his brother as the president. (Subsequent emails are just "from the desk of Mark Green.)
Green cleared out his personal office in the Graybar building—owned by Stephen's real estate company, SL Green—to move to Air America's headquarters at Sixth Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. That building is beyond the borders of the SL Green real estate empire.
Meanwhile, the offices on the Graybar's 30th floor, most recently the headquarters of Green's failed bid for attorney general, have a new tenant: the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D). As is its fashion, Clinton's campaign is keeping quiet on details, but her staff unpacked boxes in their new digs in March. They did not have far to move—the campaign office was formerly on the third floor.
In Stock
Olde Good Things, an architectural antique dealer in Chelsea, has three doorknob sets with the Board of Education's seal among their stock. According to manager Harodlyne Rannels, the store bought them from sanitation workers charged with cleaning up the board's building years ago. Priced at $150 for a set, the octagonal doorknobs have been in stock for 10 years. More popular oval doorknobs emblazoned simply with "New York City" are also for sale.
Wal-Mart Rolls Back from Manhattan
While discount superpower Wal-Mart discarded plans for opening a Manhattan store, that unflappable yellow smiley is not shedding any tears. Phillip Serghini, a senior manager in Wal-Mart's New York Public Affairs division, said the discount superpower still has designs on the four outer boroughs in hopes of winning more city money. A Wal-Mart study reported New Yorkers already spend $125 million at Wal-Mart locations outside the city limits.
Buffalo Council: We're Not Qualified
Every time something goes wrong in New York City, City Hall aides need to almost literally dodge Council members racing to the podium to announce an investigation. That is a sharp contrast to Buffalo these days.
Deputy Mayor Steven Casey is said to have interfered in the permit process and a plan by city inspectors to stop work on a building being developed by a major contributor to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown (D). Casey has been accused of blocking a city inspector's plan to stop construction of a city building where a worker fell to his death last month, though Brown and Casey both deny wrongdoing.
The FBI, Erie County District Attorney and U.S. Labor Department have all announced investigations into the case.
Add to that Buffalo City Council Member Michael Kearns' call for a City Council investigation into the issue. But he is having trouble gathering support: the rest of the all-Democratic Council has shot down the idea. Their reason? They insist they are not qualified to launch such an investigation.
Casey's fate remains in question.
Pay Raise for Parsons
Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons may have gotten a little help from his board as he considers a self-financed mayoral run in 2009. Parsons' compensation package was upped to $22.5 million as a reward for helping raise the company's stock price 28 percent in the last year.
Over the River, Even More Petition Problems than in New York
While New York candidates routinely get tossed off the ballot for petition irregularities, a New Jersey State Senate candidate this year did not even get that far. Democrat Sandra Bolden Cunningham filed general election petitions as an Independent and not petitions to run in June's Democratic primary for a Senate seat representing Jersey City and Bayonne. Cunningham, the widow of former Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham, said she downloaded the wrong form off of the Internet. She plans to try fighting her way onto the primary ballot in court.
Toussaint's Rain Delay
The stage was crowded at the Second Avenue Subway groundbreaking April 12. Absent, though, was Roger Toussaint, the president of a certain union which will likely have a lot to do with the new line.
"I came late," Toussaint said, insisting that heavy rain had kept him from making it to his rightful place.
However, though his own members present seemed happy to see him, there was not a spare chair on the platform, and in all the speeches made, his name was never mentioned. Nonetheless, Toussaint said that he believes he and government officials are enjoying "a new day," with any lingering animosity resulting from the 2005 strike fully faded.
Joining the Team
Joining the Team - Vincent Ignizio (left) is congratulated by James Oddo moments after being sworn in as the City Council's newest member March 14. Ignizio won the special election to replace Andrew Lanza.
Fishing for Candidates
Robert Hornak, who is heading the Queens GOP's search for candidates in 2008 and 2009, sent an email to local reporters and political bloggers last month seeking "a good potential candidate in Queens."
Hornak said asking the local press to find community leaders who could run on the Queens GOP ticket is not unethical because it was "part serious" and "half tongue-in-cheek."
"I wouldn't say my inbox has been flooded with emails," Hornak said, laughing about the response.
He has yet to receive one.
Dilan Ties Knot with District Leader
Council Member Erik Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn) tied the knot on March 3 after a year-long engagement to Jannitza Luna, a district leader in Brooklyn's 54th. The nuptials took place in Dilan's district at St. Martin of Tours Catholic church, followed by a West Caribbean cruise for the newlyweds. The ceremony was attended by fellow Council Members Albert Van (D-Brooklyn), Leroy Comrie (D-Queens), Eric Gioia (D-Queens), Thomas White (D-Queens), Domenic Recchia (D-Brooklyn), Speaker Christine Quinn, Assembly Member Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn) and, of course, Dilan's father, State Senator Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn).
New Wardally
Political operatives get ready for some competition: there is a new Wardally in town. Emerson Wardally, at 8 lbs. 4 oz., was born April 9. His parents are Adaku Wardally, most recently communications and finance director for City Council Member Inez Dickens (D-Manhattan), and Kevin Wardally, the director of political & governmental operations for Bill Lynch Associates. Emerson is the couple's second child.
—By John R.D. Celock, Edward-Isaac Dovere, Andrew Hawkins, Natalie Pifer and Carla Zanoni
