Printed May 2, 2002 New York Times by Joe Brescia

Looking Over His Shoulder

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. was there. So were celebrities like MATT DILLON, FISHER STEVENS, SUSAN SARANDON, TIM ROBBINS and NICOLE MILLER. And so was TRENT D. LOOS.

Mr. Loos was never far from Mr. Kennedy during a party for Mr. Kennedy's Waterkeeper Alliance, which has as one of its targets industrial hog farming.

So is Mr. Loos Mr. Kennedy's bodyguard? His assistant?

Hardly. He is a pig farmer from South Dakota.

''There are many inaccuracies that Mr. Kennedy accuses the pork producers of in the United States,'' he said at the party, at the restaurant Man Ray on West 15th Street. ''I want him to know that I'm going to hold him accountable to make sure that he tells the truth.''

Mr. Loos said he did not want to cause a scene (though he said that once, a month or so ago, Mr. Kennedy ''wanted to swing at me''). And Mr. Kennedy? ''I'm delighted to see Trent here,'' he said, ''as long as he pays his $150 at the door.''

As for a federal appeals court decision upholding his trespassing conviction for protesting Navy exercises in Vieques, P.R., Mr. Kennedy said, ''I did what I did.'' He added, ''I'm prepared to accept any of the consequences.''

Up for auction at the party was a walk-on part in a movie that Mr. Stevens is producing about, of all things, a pig. ''I don't want anyone to worry,'' he said. ''We're not going to eat the pig. The pig will lead a long life.''

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