FOR THE RECORD

Veteran TV journalist Gabe Pressman, who is also the president of the New York Press Club Foundation, last week chastised Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly for denying press credentials to two veteran reporters who have been critical of them or the NYPD.

Len Levitt, who has continued writing his "NYPD Confidential" column on-line after Newsday phased it out, and Rafael Martinez Alequin, who has turned his small newspaper, the Brooklyn Free Press, into an on-line blog, were both denied NYPD-issued press credentials earlier this year.

The Police Department's chief spokesman, Paul Browne, told the New York Times last month that neither had demonstrated a need to cover breaking news for a legitimate journalism organization, saying, "An individual's declaration that they are a news-gathering organization does not make it so."

Mr. Pressman disagreed, expressing a view widely held by other journalists that the two men were not issued the credentials because they had said or written things that displeased either Mr. Bloomberg or Mr. Kelly.

Mr. Martinez Alequin was recently given credentials, but the Mayor has refused to take questions from him. His inquiries, particularly during the prior mayoral administration, were sometimes loaded and often impertinent. While he made Rudy Giuliani uncomfortable and even angry sometimes, other reporters believed the queries sometimes offered unintended relief by giving the then-Mayor an excuse to cut short press conferences in which other reporters had placed him on the defensive with tough questions.

Mr. Levitt, who is still without a credential, feuded with Mr. Kelly dating back to his days with Newsday, and probably antagonized the Police Commissioner even further several years ago when he indulged in the questionable move of running several items that reflected positively on his predecessor, the infamous and unfortunate Bernie Kerik.

But Mr. Pressman noted in his NewsChannel 4 blog, "It's not how gentle or kind or gentlemanly a newsperson can be that should decide whether he or she should be recognized. It's whether that person is a journalist, entitled to report on the news, regardless of what flavor those reports have."

He continued, "Does the NYPD decide who is 'legitimate' and who is not? I know Commissioner Ray Kelly to be a fair and honest man. Indeed, in half a century of covering City Hall and the NYPD, I believe he is the best of all the commissioners. But, on this issue, he is treading on dangerous ground ... The specter of a licensing system for journalists should haunt us all."

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Our condolences to the family of Richard Cook, who for 36 years was a key official in the Hundred Year Association until his recent death following a long illness.

Mr. Cook became treasurer of the Hundred Year Association - a group of city-based businesses that have been in operation here for at least a century - in 1971. Eleven years later, he was elected president, and served in that capacity until 2004, when he became its chairman.

During his tenure heading the organization, he expanded its awards program, ultimately distributing more than $1.3 million to 850 career municipal civil servants and college scholarships to their children.

Private funeral services were held at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Pawling, N.Y. June 30. A memorial service will be held in the city at a later date. Remembrances in his honor may be sent to the Hundred Year Association at 20 West 44th St., New York, N.Y. 10036.

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A spokesman for Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch last week told the New York Post that he was not interested in running as a Democrat against Queens State Sen. Frank Padavan next year.

Such a denial could be counted on for a couple of reasons. The obvious one is that Mr. Lynch is supposed to be otherwise occupied with getting his members a contract that is nearly three years overdue. At least as important are two others factors: Mr. Padavan, a Republican whom even Democrats in his district like for his candor and community service, would be tough to beat, and any move that would threaten the GOP's slim majority in the Senate would antagonize Majority Leader Joe Bruno and make it difficult to get PBA-favored bills passed.