But If That Were Really True, Then The LMDC Wouldn’t Need That Parcel For . . .

Oh wait . . . I get it now:

A top executive with the construction firm managing the problem-plagued demolition of the former Deutsche Bank building said yesterday that the so-called “toxic tower” may not be as contaminated as the public has been led to believe.

“It is our belief there are not nearly [that] level of contaminants and the fear that is out there may or may not be justified,” said Mark Melson, vice president of Bovis Lend Lease, which is in charge of dismantling the eyesore overlooking Ground Zero.

Kevin Sheekey’s Prezzing Schedule

The question is what was Kevin Sheekey working on in March 2007 that was so hush-hush:

Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey — who’s laying the groundwork for a possible presidential run by Mayor Bloomberg — released 18 months of his private schedules yesterday containing more than 600 passages that were blacked out.

Records of every meeting Sheekey had on nine days in March 2007 were redacted.

City lawyers took markers to virtually every page of Sheekey’s schedules covering Jan. 16, 2006 to June 29, 2007, a period when the Bloomberg presidential rumors were gaining traction.

In all, The Post counted 626 redactions.

Stu Loeser, the mayor’s spokesman, said the schedules released under a Freedom of Information Act request filed last year conformed to the law by withholding information that was personal or security-related.

“Entries are redacted for personal or security reasons,” said Loeser. “If a lunch or an afternoon cup of coffee is personal and not city business, it gets redacted.”

. . .

City workers can’t engage in politics on government time, but are free to do what they want on their own time.

Doug Muzzio of Baruch College said the redactions raised an obvious question: “What is he doing during those hours?”

Some other possibilities: Census shenanigans/PlaNYC coverup, high-stakes pedicab negotiations, containing the powerful Jerry Orbach lobby.

But At Least You’re Not In France, Where You Would Likely Be Eaten

It’s tough to be a pigeon in this town. When the City Council isn’t trying to get rid of you you have to worry about pigeon poachers. Then all of the sudden the Department of Health wants to protect you:

According to city Health Department Commissioner Thomas Frieden, several city and state agencies have recently joined forces to combat “pigeon netting,” the underground act of snatching pigeons off the streets and selling them for $5 and $10 each, mostly to legal, out-of-state pigeon shoots.

According to bird advocates, men armed with large nets drive around the city — particularly in the early-morning hours, when birds are hungry — and place seed on the ground to attract pigeons. When the birds come to eat, the men throw nets over them, place them in trucks, and drive off.

“It happens incredibly fast,” said one advocate. “This is a solid operation. There are usually groups of guys, and they use several cars with switched license plates. They get $5 a bird to ship them off to pigeon shoots, particularly in Pennsylvania. It’s cruel, it’s wrong, and it’s happening right under our noses and no one’s doing anything about it.”

. . .

“We’ve followed the netters to a warehouse in Queens that sells poultry,” said one advocate, who also didn’t want to be named. “We’re still trying to pull together evidence.

“This is not a joke. A lot of people think, ‘Oh, pigeons, what’s the big deal?’ But it is a big deal. These are wild birds, and they’re being stolen right off the street. It’s not right.”

Silly When The Polar Bears Already Use Coney Island Year Round . . .

Does Thor even need to keep buying off everyone? Apparently:

The annual New Year’s swim at Coney Island used to be only about jumping into the frigid ocean — but now, the Polar Bear Club is finding itself in uncomfortably hot water for accepting a donation from Thor Equities, the mega-bucks developer that wants to create a Vegas-style amusement and residential district along the Boardwalk.

The 104-year-old club was pilloried on a Coney Island Internet message board last week for letting the developer sponsor the famed New Year’s Day swim.

“Thor has proven nothing but being an opportunist when it suits them, and they are using [the Polar Bear Club] just like they tried to attach their name to the Mermaid Parade,” one poster ranted. “It’s transparent, and I’m sorry, but I’ve lost respect for the Polar Bear Club.”

Many people might be surprised by the partnership forged between Thor and the club, because last year, the Mermaid Parade — Coney Island’s other great tradition — became a politically charged event that featured Polar Bears growling in the anti-Thor procession.

But now, club President Lou Scarcella said he’s made peace with Thor Equities because the company has jettisoned the idea of having condos inside Coney’s historic amusement area.

“We are definitely not sellouts,” Scarcella told The Brooklyn Paper. “If Thor wants to help, I say fantastic.”

So How Did The Bryant Park Holiday Market Do Yesterday?

It’s suspicious, is all:

Police closed most of Union Square Park for more than an hour yesterday while they investigated several small piles of what a park security guard said was later identified as bleached flour.

At 9:30 a.m., park security officers discovered nine piles of a white powder scattered around the park and called police to investigate, the security officer said. Police cordoned off three-quarters of the park and ordered a quarter of the stalls that are part of the park’s holiday craft market to close during the course of their investigation.

Once the substance was identified, police officials sprayed a mixture of soap, water, and bleach on the crushed piles. One official said the powder piles may have been a prank, but they are investigating further.

Location Scout: Union Square Holiday Market.