By Dee Richard
An update on candidate Joe Kasper’s run for Civil Court judge in District 4: As we reported last week, Joe had unearthed an obscure glitch in the election law. The glitch is that running for a Civil Court judgeship is the only position where you do not need a Wilson-Pakula to change your party or run on other party lines.
Garth Marchant and Everly Brown were running for city council seats and offered to carry Joe’s name on their petitions. Joe, not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, said OK, thanks. Unfortunately, Joe was busy supervising his own petitions for district leader and assumed they would do their own petitions (and his) correctly. Not so, according to the Board of Elections. Some of the people were not registered to vote and some were not in District 4.
Frick and Frack were a little too laid back and a little too casual with the petition-gathering details, such as: Are they really registered to vote, and if so, do they really live in District 4? Overlooking little details like that will do you in every time. Remember, “the devil is in the details.” With a little more than 300 short, Joe could have challenged and possibly won.
He also is working on the campaign of Republican Michael Mossa, who eliminated Richard Iritano of Howard Beach, thereby avoiding a primary in his campaign against City Councilman Joseph Addabbo. To quote Joe Kasper, he said, “He would not have the time to fight the mother of all election wars.” He felt it was better to oversee the other fellows’ campaign as it would be a tough up-hill battle.
His candidate is running against the Addabbo dynasty — enough said. The election law glitch is a most interesting bit of information and one to be stored in the arsenal of future possible Civil Court candidates.
The Queens Chamber of Commerce had its Business Card Exchange July 24 at the Courtyard Marriott. It was a pool party around the hotel’s lovely pool. Live music was provided by The New York Connection. On a hot summer evening it was a delightful way to pass the time, with good music, good food, lots of good Chamber friends and fabulous Hawaiian-style drinks. Needless to say the Courtyard Business Card Exchange is one of the more popular Chamber events.
After the Chamber party the Cypriots held a farewell reception for Erato Kozakou Marcoulli, the ambassador of Cyprus who is returning home. Among those gathered to wish her godspeed were Archbishop Dimitrios, Jimmy Kalodis, Philip Christopher, Andreas Konnaris, Peter Papsnicalcou, Andraes Comodromos, Apostolos Tomopoulos, Lena Marouletti, Andraes Sabba and the ambassador’s husband, Dr. George Marcoulli. The reception was held at Terrace on the Park.
Those in attendance presented the ambassador with a huge framed photograph of the Greek Independence Day Parade marching down Fifth Avenue. They also gave her a magnificent cobalt blue crystal vase. I wish I could tell you what was said at the reception, but pardon the pun, “It was all Greek to me.” Not a word of English was spoken.
On Saturday, July 26, we checked out the powwow at the Queens Farm Museum in Little Neck. As usual, it was a fun evening. The only jarring note were trays of rhinestone jewelry interspersed in the midst of all the native handicrafts on display for sale. They looked more like Broadway in the early ’30s rather than the Shinnecock Reservation arts and crafts.
Also there was a face from the past, Chief Carl Truchell, who used to live in Whitestone and always marched in the College Point, Whitestone and Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day parades about 10 years ago. He was at the powwow doing his thing, dancing in the competition dances.
I had a chance to talk to him for a few minutes. He lives in the Rockaways and is doing some sort of work with television. It was fun seeing him again as he is a most interesting guy with lots of offbeat projects going on at all times.
“Heard it on the grapevine.” On Wednesday, July 30, Donna Hanover, (former wife of Mayor Rudy) and her fiancé, Ed Oster, arrived the office of the New York City clerk and applied for — what else — a wedding license. She looked absolutely gorgeous. She must be working out. She lost weight and it’s most becoming. The groom-to-be, I’m told, is just as nice as he is handsome. Lots of luck and happiness to Donna and her family. The happy day took place on Sunday.
Assemblyman Jose Peralta is also supposed to be tying the knot either this week or next. Ditto — good wishes to Jose and his lovely bride-to-be.
Mary Anderson’s grand baby Ryan Christopher Dorn was christened on Sunday, July 27. Congratulations to the Dorn and Anderson families.
More congratulations to the Maguire family on the outstanding success of young Martin Jr.’s progress on the golf course. The 18-year-old Martin has only been playing golf for the past four years. The talent scouts are already eying him. He is ranked among the top 60 golfers in all of Division III. Pretty impressive.
Ivan Lafayette tells me his son in California gave him the best birthday present of all. On Ivan’s July 28 birthday, his son and daughter-in-law presented him with his sixth grandchild, a baby boy. I think he said the new baby’s name is Tyler. Congratulations to grand parents Ivan and Bertine Lafayette.
More congratulations are in order to Brendan Fay and Tom Moulton who took advantage of Canada’s same-sex union laws this past Sunday in Toronto.
For those of you who are unaware, there are photos in the “Focus on Queens” page that go with the events on this page, so be sure to check it out.
If you care to share information or invitations on your upcoming events call, me at 718-767-6484 or fax me at 718-746-0066.
Till next week,
Dee
