Prankish ways hurt top cop

by Nancy Gaines

Didja hear the one about the police chief, waiting on line at Dunkin' Donuts, who stuck his hand into the pants pocket of a fellow officer and suggested the subordinate pay for coffee? No? Perhaps because it's alleged to have happened in Worcester. Citizens there are calling for a civilian review board to get to the bottom of the "cruller case," just one of the incidents that have put police chief Edward Gardella in a hole. The top cop of New England's second-largest city, who is said to be prone to "slapstick" humor, is the subject of sexual-harassment charges and official rebukes. He's also gained fans -- and foes -- for marching in a gay-pride parade and for emphasizing community involvement.

LOOSELY SPEAKING

One big happy Globe family Groton: School for scandal

A bridge too far

In a story last Sunday about Cambridge, the New York Times, which probably has more Harvard grads in the newsroom than all the Boston dailies combined, described MIT as being linked to Back Bay by the "Harvard Bridge," where distances are measured by "Smoots" in memory of student Oliver Smoot, who was used as a human yardstick in a legendary MIT prank 41 years ago. The only problem: the photo accompanying the article by former Globe writer M.R. Montgomery is of the footbridge that leads from the Harvard Business School to Harvard Square.

Measure for measure, Globe gets puckish Rare evidence of playfulness at the Boston Globe last week was quickly quashed, but not before hundreds of readers were treated to a double- entendre headline that -- incredibly -- editors say was a copy editor's unintentional slip. ANY WAY YOU MEASURE IT, SABRES' PECA IS BIG proclaimed early editions of last Thursday's sports section. The headline accompanied a story by correspondent Shira Springer about Michael Peca, the Buffalo hockey player, that described the difficulty players had in describing the "little smaller than average" center. "He's small . . . he's not small," a teammate was quoted as saying. "Bang. Bang. Bang. Small but effective," wrote Springer. "Believe it or not," says Globe editor Matt Storin, who couldn't stifle a laugh, the headline "was done innocently." Storin says there was no big powwow over the errant line and no repercussions ensued. Sports department editor Joe Sullivan says the headline "should have been read and changed" before it made its way into print, although it was discovered after initial press runs and revised to DESPITE SIZE, SABRES' CENTER HAS BIG IMPACT. Writer Springer, when asked if there was any way she could not have been aware of the Peca problem, said stiffly, "I don't think that way."

If money could talk, it would bite

If an auction last week to benefit the Children's Museum is any standard, Bostonians would rather eat their money than play with it. Dinner for four with Christopher Lydon of WBUR's The Connection, for instance, went for $2300 -- and two separate bidders each paid that price. Mexican food for six at museum head Lou Casagrande's house went for $3900 -- to three different bidders. A meal for 10 prepared in one's own home by chef Jody Adams (of Rialto and new restaurant Red Clay) fetched $10,000. By comparison, four Red Sox tickets and behind-the-scenes access went for $1000. And nine holes of golf with Mayor Tom Menino, "the opportunity of a lifetime," went for $2000.

Native intelligence

Although Aerosmith's Steve Tyler and recently fired band manager Wendy Laister had been butting heads for weeks, the New York Post says the final straw came at the Oscars, when Tyler asked Laister where the men's room was and she didn't know. As far as Tyler was concerned, that was exactly the kind of thing a manager should know. She was soon out, and HK Management of Los Angeles -- people who know where the head is -- was in. . . . Shortly after being shuffled from business editor to political editor (not a promotion), the Boston Globe's Larry Edelman has quit to join John Hancock's investor-relations team. . . . Cambridge sweeties Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both appear to be opting for an image change: Damon is said to be ready to jump into his first action flick, Oh Baby Sky, which has been described as Trainspotting set in the rock-climbing world,

while Affleck is negotiating to star in Boiler Room, a film about bad-boy stockbrokers.