Scoopsville! INC. hears that the campaign to sidetrack Mayor Harold Washington by making next year`s mayoral contest nonpartisan is alive and kicking. Watch for hizzoner`s foes to file a referendum petition with almost 200,000 signatures next Monday–the deadline for filing the long-rumored attempt to defeat Washington in the next election. This referendum question would make the 1987 mayoral election nonpartisan and require the two biggest vote-getters to face each other in a runoff election–presumably pitting Washington against a lone white opponent. Background: Washington supporters recently attempted to thwart this move by having the city council pass ordinances calling for the placement of three–the legal limit–nonbinding and frivolous referendums on the November ballot. Foreground: Watch for the whole mess to end up in court with administration foes challenging the Washington referendums, and mayoral supporters challenging the election referendum.
THE POL MAUL . . .
Stateside: INC. hears President Reagan will make an announcement Tuesday on grain storage, but will make a superstrong push for a local GOP race:
former Police Supt. Jim O`Grady`s campaign for Cook County sheriff. . . . INC. hears U.S. Rep Lynn Martin (R., Ill.) has just told her staffers they will begin drug testing next week. . . . Is it true that a ”photo opportunity”
with Reagan and U.S. senatorial hopeful Judy Koehler will be available for a $3,000 donation? My, my. High. . . . Mr. Clean in the ”Twilight Zone”: INC. hears that Secretary of State Jim Edgar`s campaign manager Bob Hickman worked out the details with the League of Women Voters and that the future holds a
”political forum” between Edgar and LaRouchie candidate Janice Hart.
Cityside: Isn`t it true that a relative of former Mayor Jane Byrne got burned by being one of those who got severed as part of the mayor`s recent cutbacks. . . . INC. hears the property tax battle the mayor had hoped was behind him has not even begun. Watch for Ald. Joe Kotlarz (35th) to lead a battalion of complainants to upcoming public hearings. . . . Some of the city employees who were laid off last week received the bad news at home. In the evening. By letter. Delivered by a private messenger service. INC. would love to see the Cannonball Express bill to the city. . . . Watch for Atty. Gen. Neil Hartigan to appear on the ”Today” show Tuesday to caution tourists on the vagaries of discount travel brokers. ”The tourist must be aware that a cheap airfare from one discount broker may require the tourist to pay an expensive hotel fee,” Hartigan claims. ”It`s a complicated formula, but the tourist can negotiate.
FIVE ON TWO . . .
INC. hears that come next month, things will be looking a lot different in Mr. (Johnathan) Rodgers` neighborhood. Watch for WBBM-TV (Channel 2) to expand its 5 p.m. newscast (featuring Walter and Don–are last names really necessary?) by half an hour, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The 6 to 7 p.m. broadcast will be the Bill and Lester (Holt–he`s the new guy, so his last name is necessary) show, and 10 p.m. remains Walter`s and Bill`s bailiwick. Somewhere in the scheme of things, Robin Robinson Brantley reportedly will be getting some sort of ”expanded role.”
A COUPLE OF COUPLES . . .
Tom Hanks has something in common with two of the characters in his
”Nothing in Common” movie. Like Jackie Gleason and Eva Marie Saint (who played his parents), Hanks and his wife have separated. . . . In reel life, Kevin Dunn plays a journalist in ”Jack and Mike.” In real life, he just married Hot Type columnist Katina Alexander. The two became Mr. and Mrs. late last month, just before he began his continuing role on Shelley Hack`s ABC-TV series based here. . . . Anthony Denison and Jennifer Evans had an agreement that they`d get married as soon as one of `em got a steady acting job. In May, he landed the role of Ray Luca in Michael Mann`s ”Crime Story” series; they were married in June. Now that`s an agreement.
CHICAGO FACES . . .
INC. hopes Harry ”Holy Cow!” Caray brings along his sense of humor Tuesday night to an art exhibition sponsored by the Cubs` Wives for Family Rescue at the Marianne Deson Gallery, 340 W. Huron St. Thirty-six Chicago artists were commissioned to portray team players, execs and announcers, and Harry is depicted by artist Michael Collyer as a (holy?) cow. . . . Joel
(”One Crazy Summer”) Murray, baby brother of Bill and Brian, is one of the members of the Harold Be Thy Name team competing in Tuesday`s Improv Olympics 1986 semifinal competition at CrossCurrents, 3206 N. Wilton Ave.
INC.LINGS . . .
Whaddaya do when two Genesis concerts sell out in two hours? Add a third, of course! Hint: Unless your phone has an automatic redialer, your best bet when the Oct. 7 show goes on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. is to wait in line at the Rosemont Horizon box office or a Ticketmaster outlet. Hundreds of fans were unable to get through tied-up phone lines Monday. . . . Tuesday birthdays:
Buck Owens, 57; Porter Waggoner, 59; George Hamilton, 47; John Derek, 60. . . . To celebrate its grand opening, the new Inn on the Park in the Outer Drive East Building at 400 E. Randolph St. is offering 50-year old prices Tuesday: 5-cent coffee, 10-cent beer, 30-cent dinners, etc.
