About 250 guests capped off the holiday season by celebrating the wedding of Revé Gipson and Arthur Parks at one of the classiest receptions this community has seen in years. It hearkened back to the good old days when Black folks of all persuasions — religious, political, entertainment, business, community activism, etc. — found occasions to just get together and party. This time, they put their ideologies, agendas and deal-brokering aside and sat down together in one big gloriously decorated room and feted a couple whose very public 14-year courtship resulted in marriage — finally.

Revé’s mother, Gertrude Gipson, the popular entertainment editor and columnist who died 10 years ago, was surely smiling down on the festivities, which were graciously hosted by her younger daughter, Shonté and her husband, Joseph Abraham. Political figures, such as congresswomen Maxine Waters and Diane Watson, former Supervisor Yvonne Burke, Assemblyman Mike Davis and Councilman Herb Wesson, joined Councilman Bernard Parks, the brother of the groom, in saluting the newlyweds. Actor Sidney Poitier introduced the couple, the Rev. D.J. Rogers blessed the food, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan danced with the bride and the pair was serenaded by the bride’s longtime boss, R&B singer Frankie Beverly and Maze, as well as songstresses Nancy Wilson, Mary Clayton and Bridget Bryant. O’Jays’ singer, Eddie Levert brought it home with a rendition of “For You.” I got a chance to holler at quite a few old friends, including Sir Lady Java and Leroy Beavers, whom I had not seen in years, as well as hang with my usual running buddies, Jerry Edwards and Brad and Eunice Pye. It was a great day.

THIS NEEDED TO END — Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas was correct this week when he ordered the county’s CEO to review and re-evaluate the scope of the proposed $700,000 renovation plans for his 2nd District offices — whose cost and plans had already been unanimously approved by the board some time ago. The uproar over this proposed expenditure was an effective distraction from the crucial work the supervisor is doing and plans to do for his long-neglected constituency. The 2nd District’s downtown offices have been the most ragged since Supervisor Kenneth Hahn left them. In fact, the total of the 2nd District’s county facilities and service sites are the fewest in number and the poorest in quality than any of the other districts and I intend to report on these blatant discrepancies in the coming year. But in the meantime, the 2nd District has more important gaps to close now, so we can wait a little while before bringing Ridley-Thomas’ downtown offices up to par with those of the other four supervisors. However, the immediate replacement of that ratty carpeting in the 2nd District office is an absolute must. That carpet is so raggedy that a tax-paying, middle-aged journalist could trip and fall on it, break her hip, become disabled and sue the county for at least $700,000.

ZOO BEES — Speaking of public lawsuits, earlier this month a group of 70 school children were attacked by a swarm of bees at the Los Angeles Zoo. Paramedics were summoned to treat the children, some of whom had to be transported to a hospital. I told you about those bees at the zoo, as well as that raggedy zoo parking lot, didn’t I, Councilman Tom LaBonge?

HUMBUG! — The City Council, dressed in its Santa Claus suit, was good to DWP workers earlier this month when it voted to give workers a 3.25 percent salary increase this year and four consecutive annual raises ranging from two percent to four percent, depending on the rate of inflation. The Santa Claus City Council left coal in the stockings of other city workers, as it negotiated no raises for the police and handed out pay cuts to civilian workers for the next six months. Excuse me, but didn’t we, not too long ago, vote to increase trash collection fees on our DWP bills for the express purpose of providing money to pay police because Bill Bratton asked us to? What happened to all that money?

CHEERS! — A federal judged ruled the other day that the U.S. government’s move to cut off funding for ACORN is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon in New York issued a preliminary injunction against the government, ruling it is in the public’s best interest for the organization to continue receiving federal funding. ACORN, which as come under attack recently for allegedly engaging in partisan political activity, sued the government when Congress decided to cut its funding to punish it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR? — Democrats say they are determined to take the 36th Assembly District next year, as it has been a Republican stronghold for as long as anybody can remember. The district, which includes such places as Lancaster, Littlerock, Palmdale, Adelanto and Victorville, is currently represented by Republican Steve Knight, but because of the increased diversity of the demographics over the past 10 years, the total number of registered Democrats in the district has finally nudged past the Republicans — 39.55 percent Dems, 38.72 percent GOP and a whopping 16.97 who decline to state. Whites, at 51.72 percent, still outnumber all the other racial and ethnic groups in the district and even though Democrats have always been soundly beaten in every race there, they are looking forward to the 2010 election and candidates have already launched enthusiastic campaigns. Among the candidates are two African-American women: A teacher, Linda K. Jones, who has run for the seat before, and an Eastside Union School Board trustee, Shawntrice Watkins, who has been a Los Angeles Police officer for 13 years.

A JOKE — It’s against my nature to pass along false information, but there’s a fake news release going around that is just too funny. The head reads: “Al Sharpton Blasts Tiger Woods for Lack of Mistress Diversity.” It goes on to state that Sharpton held a news conference in Harlem and attacked Woods for the lack of African-American women in his harem. He is reported as saying such an exclusion has a negative effect on the Black community, especially on young Black girls. “Why is it that a man who calls himself Black can’t bring himself to cheat on his wife with a Black woman?” Sharpton is quoted in this phony release. “What does it say to young Black girls everywhere when you pass them over? Shame on you, Tiger Woods! What would your daddy say?” Sharpton is bogusly quoted.

Then it says that Sharpton, “who has long championed taking Black women as mistresses, said that today’s Black athletes need to stop neglecting Black women when it comes to extramarital affairs, and should follow the examples of positive Black role models such as [deleted] and [deleted], both of whom cheated on their wives with Black women.” The fake release has Sharpton stressing that cheating with African-American women would help the Black community financially by giving Black girls the chance to sell their stories to tabloids and gossip magazines. “I’m not asking you to not cheat on your wives, I’m just asking you to give back to your own community,” the fake release quotes Sharpton.

I don’t care what you think. I think it’s funny! Merry Christmas.