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| . | p6 A crucial decision will shortly be made on how and by whom Hackney Council will be run. The government has told all councils that they must have a new system that defines a clear split between those leading the council (the executive)and 'other' councillors who will be responsible for 'scrutinising' the decisions taken. The executive will be based on one of three options: a cabinet with a leader elected by councillors; a directlyelected (by the people of Hackney) mayor with cabinet; a directly elected mayor and a council manager (a paid council officer). People will make up their own minds as to which option they prefer and many will undoubtedly say that anything would be better than the chaotic situation of the past years. However, the third option is possibly the worst. Only two people would have their hands on the levers of power and it is likely that the manager, an unelected officer, with access to the day-to-day running of the council and control over other officers, would soon become the main player. The other pros and cons are set out fairly and in detail in Hackney Today. Questionnaires in the paper should be returned by 26 October. People have died of thirst looking for a good pub on Stamford Hill. Help is now at hand. The Birdcage has had a complete refurb of style and customers. It features a nightly DJ and some unusual drinks, including one from Finland produced in a women-only brewery. On the cocktail list there's the Cuban Mojito favoured by Ernest Hemingway and his pals in Havana. Hugh and Caroline run the show. After a trip to Safeway's (opposite) you probably need a drink or two. The 393 bus which will run from Clapton to Holloway (Nag's Head) via Stoke Newington Church Street and Highbury Corner, is just around the corner. It's planned to start in 'early 2002' according to Hackney Environmental Services. It will be run by East Thames Buses, using fully accessible low-floor singledeck buses with a minimum capacity of 40 passengers at 12-minute intervals from Monday to Saturday and every 20 minutes in the evenings and all-day on Sunday. It will serve Clapton and Stoke Newington mainline stations and Highbury & Islington Tube. N16 has offered to donate a bottle of champagne (to be drunk, not smashed) as the first bus leaves the depot. After all, we've been waiting long enough. Catch the late autumn sun in the new garden at the Auld Shillelagh. There's plenty of natural wood, bright colours and a mixture of the rustic charm of the English countryside and the spirit of County Roscommon. The Sinatra night at the pub proved a great success. People queued outside (it was a warm night), the bar was packed and from beyond the grave Blue Eyes performed as well as ever. It was billed as the Grand Finale but a little songbird has told us that there may well be a reprise. It's all down to 'the Man with the Plan', organiser and entrepreneur David Knight. Former Mayor and Tory Leader Joe Lobenstein has had his knuckles rapped by the Council's Standards Committee. They found that he had not declared an interest when applications for planning permission came before Stamford Hill Neighbourhood Committee. In a strange mixture of roles and responsibilities, the investigation was carried out by Chris Hinde, former Borough Solicitor, Borough Secretary and Director of Law and Probity at Hackney Council. Joe strongly contests the findings and says that he consulted Mr Hinde, in his role as Borough Solicitor, on one of the matters and was told that he need not declare an interest. The investigation took two years - an extraordinarily long time to find out some simple facts. The Standards Committee has recommended that no formal sanctions be taken against Councillor Lobenstein. This has not pleased at least one of the complainants who says that it was not a fully independent investigation, pointing out that Joe and Mr Hinde held office and worked together on the Dalston City Partnership. Mr Hinde has since departed to Coventry City Council. Hard line on soft drugs. Hackney police are not following the policy of their more liberal colleagues in Lambeth in relation to people found in possession of cannabis. At a meeting of the Stoke Newington Neighborhood Committee, Chief Inspector Brian Horsley dismissed the Lambeth approach and said that all offenders in Hackney would, if caught, be arrested. If it was their first offence they would be cautioned; on further occasions, they would be charged. Hackney for Sale. For two days, on the 6 and 7 September, local residents and workers squatted the premises of a former retailer on Stoke Newington High Street to protest against Hackney Council's current proposals to 'sell, privatise or cut over 50 community properties'. Nelson Bakewell is the company advising the Council on potential sell-offs and to highlight their campaign the protestors filled the window of the occupied office with descriptions of the properties under danger of disposal. Further protest action is planned. For more information email: hackney4sale@yahoo.co.uk or telephone 07752 592740. Blush Cafe Bar in Casanova Road recently held a charity auction night in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer. For auction were signed celebrity bras, England football shirts and a signed football, along with meal vouchers donated by The Fox Reformed, Aluminium and 11 Bacio. In all £1826 was raised by host Jean The bra donated by Zoe from Survivor, which she modelled on the night, raised most, £125, closely followed by the bra of Sophie Ward and all the restaurant prizes raised more than the cost price. Blush would like to extend a big thank you to all the donors and celebrities involved, especially the Football Association. The next auction is set for late November so get ready to bid for some imaginative Christmas present in aid of the same charity. The campaign to save Hackney Town Hall trees goes on but the start of the consultation period has been delayed by a typical piece of ineptitude. The council who submitted the Planning and Listed Building application to itself for validation did so on the wrong forms. For more information check: www.hackneytreewardens.org.uk or phone Jo on 020 7249 5820 Letterbox around the corner. The specialist mail order company for kids' books, Letterbox Library, has now opened a shop in Allen Road. Letterbox, who have been going for 18 years, sell carefully selected multi-cultural, nonsexist childrens' books, many of which are not available on the high street. Pay them a visit or get their catalogue by phoning 020 7503 4801.
Local shop owner, Gina Moore of Texture, has gone into print twice in the last few months. With Amy Dawson she has published The Weekend Decorator, a step by step guide to transforming your home in two days or less, and she has also provided a chapter on fabrics and clothing in Organic Living edited by Lynda Brown. Both books, published by Dorling Kindersley, are available in Texture, 84 Church Street. |
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