Daily News from New York, New York • 624

.3 1 I By PETER GRANT Frank Mercado-Valdes, who mounted a challenge to wrest "It's Showtime" from Sutton, blasted the board for allowing Inner City to hike its bid at the last moment, but not his company's, African Heritage Network. "We're concerned that the process was corrupted," said Mercado, president of African Heritage. Mayor Giuliani weighed in on the Apollo controversy for the first time yesterday, criticizing the board's action. "I think it's a big mistake," he said. "Everything should be held in abeyance," the mayor said, until the state investigation is concluded.

Marc Wurzel. a spokesman for Vacco, said records on the Attorney General Dennis Vacco into possible improprieties in the foundation's relationship with Sutton did nothing to quell the controversy surrounding the world-famous landmark. Vaeco's office had asked Rep. Charles Kangel, the Harlem Democrat who is chairman of the Apollo foundation board, not to participate in any Apollo matter involving Sutton because the two have long-standing personal and political ties. Vacco is probing whether those ties affected the board's decision not to press Sutton for S4.4 million the foundation's staff says it is owed.

Sutton has maintained he does not owe the board any money. Upstart television producer vote would be subpoenaed immediately. He said investigators will look into Mercado's charges, as well as Rangel's role in the vote. Rangel presided over the board's debate yesterday and voted in favor of Sutton, foundation officials said. Afterward, he described Vaeco's request that he not vote as an "insulting suggestion." Rangel declined to comment on Mercado's charges or describe details of the bids.

But other officials involved in the process credited Mercado with forcing Sutton to pay far more than he expected to keep the "It's Showtime" production contract. Sutton had paid the foundation about $200,000 during the entirety of Inner City's five-year contract, which expired in December. But Mercado greatly upped the ante. For a one-year deal, he offered at least $1 million, plus a $500,000 donation to the foundation. Every time Mercado upped his offer.

Inner City followed suit. On Friday, Inner City increased its bid for the last time, adding a $600,000 donation, as well as a $1 million minimum payment. "The Harlem community owes Frank Mercado a vote of gratitude," said Evelyn Cunningham, a board member who favored his bid. "The bidding process he initiated led to the Apollo gaining much more money." rj Cat iiaS icrd t0S lM id fa i Wftre? The board that runs the famed Apollo Theatre jester-day approved a new deal with Harlem media tycoon Percy Sutton's Inner City Broadcasting despite a state investigation into Sutton's expired contract. Alter a tense four-hour meet in? at the historic Harlem snowplacc.

a bitterly di- ideij Apollo Theatre Foundation approved Inner City's bid to continue producing the kite-night "It's Showtime at. the Apollo" television program lor another year. Because of a last-minute deal sweetener by Su'lon. the deal will briny the Apollo SI ti million. But the vole which conies amid an investigation bv state '1 i i Li fci i By LISA REIN As workers restoring City Hall hoist a new cupola, clock tower and statue of Justice onto the building's roof this month.

Schneider will clamber to the top lo yet a landmark ticking again. The City Hall clock has been out nf commission for six months, as 81-year-old wooden hands, dials and four -iias-, laces are reproduced and replaced. A new motor will make the clock chime for the first time almost a decade. Then it will be back to business as usual for Schneider oiling, cleaning and replacing, as needed, the clock's 32 light bulbs. "I hope this time they get longer-burning stuff," he says.

Schneider, 58, is the city's clock master, responsible for winding and tending to the gears and pulleys of its treasured timepieces. Most days, he can be found in his sandals, khaki pants and straw trap Hi lories above ouce.irm Ins vh in me ini. i the tmht cor-the cilv unknown to most New Yorkers. He could be iri-ide a clock replacing a broken cable or spring or simply allowing time to march on as he does Wednesdays, when he winds the hands of his favorite clock at 346 Broadway. Also in his charge are the Minerva and the Bell Ringers clock at Herald Square and the clocks above the former Harlem Courthouse and the borough halls in Brooklyn and Staten Island.

There are eight or so more lor i. loch Schneider is the unofficial caretaker lMth century grandfather and wall clocks in public looms in Citv Hall. Schneider sa' he's "mechanical by nature." and he seeks precision in ail areas of i2 wt hat 7 JIM HUGHES DAILY NEWS of City Hall. When Ed Koch was mayor, the City Hall clock told time but, as legend has it, its chime was disabled. "Koch didn't like the noise.

He wanted to make all the noise himself," Schneider chuckles. When David Dinkins was mayor, the clock's striking motor burned out and was never replaced, a low priority during a financial crisis. Now only the movement will be untouched when the clock is replaced in the $3 8 million CIock master Marvin Schneiders favorites, in order of preference. A.I 6'e striking clocks except Harlem Courthouse, which is only a timepiece: 346 BROADWAY former New York Life Insurance Co. towcrj BEST FEATURE: Space within clock tower, where clock gets wound and mainlamel.

"The grandest of them all." HARLEM COURTHOUSE (former) 170 E. 121st St. BEST FEATURE: Spacious clock tower. MINERVA AND THE BELL RINGERS Herald SQuare BEST FEATURE: Animated figures with hammers simulating striking. STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH HALL BEST FEATURE: Spectacular view of Staten Island Harbor from clock tower.

HEATHER EATMAN DALLY NtV.S MASTER AT WORK: At City Hall, clock master Marvin Schneider holds the heart of one of its treasured timepieces. City Hall restoration. But the 6-foot-wide faces cannot be replaced with just any glass, as Schneider discovered last week on a final check of the new panes. The glass was too bumpy and bore no resemblance to the honey-amber color of the original. He made sure the glass was reordered.

"Most likely they didn't figure color was important," he says. "But you can't make a mistake like that" mS A life. "I like to be at a certain place at a certain time. I don't like things that aren't functioning. He got his first repair job in 1979 through sheer chutzpah.

He had begged the city for a crack at the broken clock at 346 Broadway, whose silent hands represented for him "a city that wasn't working." He had never fixed a clock before. He now devotes five to 12 hours a week to the job. There is the occasional TRIVIA si Li clock emergency like the call from City Hall last week to attend to a broken wall clock in the City Council chamber. Knowing he had just a few days between Council meetings, Schneider rushed from his house in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, carrying a white paper bag with a wrench and a Phillips screwdriver. It took just a few minutes to diagnose the problem the clock's 100-year-old cable had snapped.

Clocks can be signs of the times and of the occupants 1 See QUESTION: What is the highest retired number by the Yankees? answer in tomorrow's Daily News YESTERDAY QVESTIOS WAS: What Yankee hit the most triples In a single season? ANSWER: Earte Combs hit 23 triples in 1927..