IN THE NEWS
••• “Ending months of speculation and battles that divided Lower Manhattan, the District 2 Community Education Council voted Wednesday night for school zoning Option 2,” says Downtown Express. “The board’s 6-4 vote means that all Tribeca children west of Church St. will be zoned for P.S. 234. Children in east Tribeca and the Seaport will attend the Spruce Street School; the Financial District south of Liberty St. and Battery Park City south of Albany St. will attend P.S./I.S. 276; and north Battery Park City and Gateway Plaza will attend P.S. 89.”
••• Mayor Bloomberg announced that the terror trial should be held somewhere besides lower Manhattan, possibly annoying the Obama administration: “It’s going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb an awful lot of people,” Mr. Bloomberg said at a news conference in Brooklyn. “My hope is that the attorney general and the president decide to change their mind.” (New York Times)
••• The heart-shaped icon found on a lower Manhattan burial site for colonial-era Africans—and now the African Burial Ground National Monument—may not be a sankofa, as previously thought. (New York Times)

“Author” Lauren Conrad

COMING UP
••• “Craig Bero is inviting the public into the new version of his Cosmopolitan Cafe this Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Bero will serve free champagne and crepes in his new location, on Chambers St. between Church St. and W. Broadway. The space used to belong to The Soda Shop, which closed last year.” (Downtown Express)
••• Next week will be Biodynamic and Organic Week at New York Vintners, with classes on Biodynamic and Organic Food and Wine (Feb. 1) and Biodynamic and Organic Winemaking and Farming (Feb. 2), and a vertical tasting of Mooiplaas Winery (Feb. 3). All events require a $15 donation to Slow Food USA.
••• Did someone say “wine”? On the evening of Feb. 23, Maslow 6 will host “Adventurs in Austria with Monika Caha” ($45).
••• February 16, Roc will celebrate Carnevale—costume preferred but not required.
••• Next week at Barnes & Noble: Robert Goolrick, author of A Reliable Wife (Feb. 1); Kati Marton, author of Enemies of the People: My Family’s Journey to America (Feb. 2); Lauren Conrad, author of Sweet Little Lies (Feb. 3); and Robert McChesney and John Nichols, authors of The Death and Life of American Journalism (Feb. 5).

AROUND THE WEB
••• Kiva Cafe‘s brunch gets a rave from the Wandering Foodie—and those cornmeal blueberry pancakes certainly do look tasty….