The Buzz

Volume Number 1 Issue Number 13 / December 22 - 28, 2006

The Buzz

Tarnished tiara: It seems everyone is talking about the travails of Miss USA, Tara Conner, and how pageant owner Donald Trump on Wednesday forgave her for her hard-partying ways and allowed her to keep her tiara and title — as long as she goes into rehab, that is. But not as much is being said about the fact that Conner, 20, reportedly was doing much of her drinking in the Chelsea clubs, which have become synonymous with underage drinking. Conner reportedly frequented Guest House, Ultra and Stereo — and even dated Mike Satsky, Stereo’s owner. Question: Everyone knows who she is — so why is she still being let into the clubs, when they are allegedly supposed to be cracking down on underage drinking? Plus, Conner reportedly was bringing Katie Blair, Miss Teen USA, 18, in tow while making her rounds of the clubs. Also on Wednesday, in response to the allegations of underage drinking, Mothers Against Drunk Driving severed its ties with Blair. In the past, MADD has teamed with Miss Teen USA to raise awareness of underage drinking — but that was before Blair and Conner started tearing up the Chelsea club scene.

Teams rebound: When Basketball City was forced to leave Pier 63 in the Hudson River Park, there was concern that the public school basketball teams that don’t have their own courts and played there would be left out in the cold. However, Urban Dove, the group that helped get the kids court time at Basketball City, has worked something out, with the help of the City Council, where the young hoopsters will now be able to play — only not all at one court as before. The teams will play at Chelsea Piers, Hunter College, Baruch College, John Jay College, the Harlem Armory, the Police Athletic League Center of Harlem, Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Center, the Salvation Army, Chinatown YMCA and Riverbank State Park. An announcement was planned on the City Hall steps on Wednesday morning to which Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff was invited, as well as former Knick John Starks — who reportedly helped with the arrangements — Councilmembers Chris Quinn, Alan Gerson and Gale Brewer and players and coaches from the teams.

wheel deal: After the opening ceremony for Hudson River Park’s Chelsea North section on Dec. 11, we asked Mayor Bloomberg about what’s being done to improve the safety of the park’s bike path, on which two cyclists have been killed this year alone: Dr. Carl Nacht, 56, who was hit in June by a police tow truck crossing the path at 36th St., and, more recently, Eric Ng, 21, who was struck on Dec. 1 at W. Houston St. by a drunk driver who had been drinking at Chelsea Piers and was speeding down the path in his BMW. Bloomberg expressed sympathy, but said bikers also have to watch out for themselves in interactions with cars. “Even if they’re in the right, they are the lightweights,” Bloomberg said of cyclists. “Every year, too many people are hit by cars — and bikes have to pay attention.” Bikers shouldn’t assume car doors won’t open in front of them, for example, he said. Bloomberg said he’s personally concerned about safety on the street too, noting, “I’m a pedestrian.” Both the mayor and Connie Fishman, the Hudson River Park Trust’s president, said that a multi-agency investigation is being done to see how path safety in the park can be increased. On another bike-related topic, asked about the ongoing “war” against Critical Mass, the mayor’s tone changed. “Critical Mass is not where people just accidentally show up and 10,000 people happen to ride down a street. That idea is ridiculous,” he said. “Critical Mass has unfortunately tried to co-opt the city and the law applies to everyone. And if they don’t like the law, they can try to change it. We are going to enforce the law — and any group that thinks they are above the law is sadly mistaken.”