The drive by the new owners of the Sun-Times to establish the newspaper`s reputation as a civic do-gooder has already gotten them into trouble with a longstanding civic do-gooder: the League of Women Voters! INC. hears that the league is miffed at the paper and its publisher, Robert Page, for grabbing control of the three gubernatorial debates between the Wimp and the Windbag. League officials contend that Adlai and Big Jim ”gave away the store” and as a result they`ve pulled out of the Sun-Times series altogether. They also suspect a palsy-walsy relationship between Page and Thompson. Stay tuned.
DOUBLE HMMMMMM . . .
— Isn`t it true that the feds are probing police brutality charges in the Elmhurst Police Department. INC. hears that a number of witnesses have been pulled before a federal grand jury.
— Oops! News of the first casualty of the fraud probe of the mayoral referendum petitions was just thrown over INC.`s transom: the Xerox machine being used by Mayor Harold Washington`s minions. It was given emergency service.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT . . .
State Comptroller Roland Burris got a letter containing a $5 bill and four singles–money returned anonymously by someone who said: ”I was erroneously paid two hours worth of wages for two hours that I did not work while I was in the employ of the state government`s Department of Employment Security. Since the money was unearned, I wish to return it. However, knowing bureaucracies and their problems with accepting such money, in wishing to remain anonymous, I chose this method of returning it. Please put the money to good use.” The solution: ”We are going to deposit the money in the state treasury,” said Burris press secretary Rick Davis. ”Like Diogenes, we`ve finally found an honest person.”
THE POL MAUL . . .
Is it true that Chicago Board of Election Commissioners member Jim Nolan, the sole GOP appointee on the three-member panel, is thisclose to changing his ”yes” vote on the mayoral referendum petitions? Or is he just having fun?
Many petition circulators must be crossing their fingers and hoping that Nolan will change his mind by voting against placing the referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot. The reason! If Nolan does side with election board commissioner Corneal Davis, the referendum will be ruled off the ballot, the probe into allegations that about 98,000 names are fraudulent will be unnecessary, Mayor Washington will be delighted, Gov. Thompson will be ecstatic, and Cook County State`s Atty. Richard Daley will have to take down his father`s picture when the cameras roll and stop running for mayor.
FUNNY BUSINESS . . .
”The Best of Dan Aykroyd,” a compilation of his best bits from
”Saturday Night Live,” will be released as a home video in October. Hopefully, it`ll include his classic refrigerator repairman ”moon shot,” a deliberate slip of the trousers that had the NBC censors in an uproar. . . . INC. hears that comic Aaron Freeman just may consider becoming an active participant in Chicago`s ”Council Wars.” Freeman has been sounding out potential supporters for an aldermanic run in the 43d Ward spot being vacated by Ald. Marty Oberman. . . . Ticket holders for the Comedy Womb`s sold-out 10th anniversary show will get twice the yuks for their bucks. Emo Philips had to cancel his participation in Monday`s show because he was stuck filming scenes on the remake of ”Journey to the Center of the Earth,” but he agreed to do a special show there next week for all the ticket holders. Among the Womb ”originals” who returned from out of town for the reunion were Judy Tenuta, in from New York; Al Katz from Kansas City, Mo.; and Paul Kelly, who drove 17 1/2 hours from Florida to get to the show.
AIRWAVES . . .
WGN Radio`s move from the North Side to Tribune Tower has been pretty much without incident–except for one teensy-weensy thing. The AM station can`t be picked up on a radio inside the tower. . . . ”First Edition” will be the name of Channel 2`s new 4:30-5:30 p.m. newscast. . . . Nobody`s telling who the guest(s) for Oprah Winfrey`s first syndicated show on Sept. 8 will be. INC. guesses: Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, three homosexual farmers or the accountant for ”Hands Across America.” P.S.: Two of the puppies produced by Oprah`s golden retriever Bunky have found a home with Quincy (”The Color Purple”) Jones, who has named them Harpo and Sofia. Oh, yeah, add Quincy to the list of guesses.
INC.LINGS . . .
Sean Tucker tells INC. that his dad, Forrest, who suffered a heart attack last week, is in good spirits even though he`s still in intensive care in a Van Nuys hospital. You can send cards to him c/o 10455 Valley Spring Ln,. North Hollywood, Calif. 91602. . . . Wednesday birthdays: Tuesday Weld, 43;
Ron Magers, 42; Tommy Sands, 49; denture wearer Martha Raye, 70. . . .Elton John`s last big purchase before leaving town Monday: Takeout food for 30 from the Ananda Thai restaurant. P.S.: It was N.H. Rosenthal Furs Inc., not Stanley Korshak Inc., that sold E.J. $3,000 worth of Tibetan lamb coats Monday. . . . Al Hirt, Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck have been signed for the Rib Exchange`s Oct. 26-Nov. 2 Fall Jazz Fest.
