Actress Margot ”Lois Lane” Kidder is very vocal about her feelings that her personal candidate of choice, Jesse Jackson, should be the Democrats`
choice for vice president. Last weekend, Kidder told an audience at Operation PUSH that if the Jetster didn`t land the No. 2 spot, she expected a lot of Dems-including herself-would protest by not even voting in November. What a kidder. Margot can`t vote no matter who`s on the ticket; she`s a Canadian citizen.
DOCKET DAZE . . .
Democratic Circuit Court clerk candidate Aurelia Pucinski says much about how the office she`s seeking should reek of professionalism and not-by gosh-politics. So why was Pucinski campaigning-glad-handing and camera-mugging-with employees in the court clerk`s office in Maywood . . . while they should have been hard at work? The candidate`s explanation: She was researching ideas to decentralize the clerk`s office. Righto.
A WAY WITH WORDS . . .
You really have to be careful what you say in Chicago these days or you could get labeled as a racist. But somebody apparently forgot to remind Blues Festival committee member Manuel Arrington of that, because INC. sources who attended the Blues Festival report that he got up on stage over the weekend and said, ”Hey, look at all the white faces out in that crowd! What happened? Did the bowling alley close? Or did the bus break down?” According to Arrington, ”the white people loved it!”
THE GOING GETS TOUGH . . .
. . . and the tough go to Harvard? About 120 agencies that get city grants to provide job training for youths got word last week that because of federal cutbacks and other problems, the Mayor`s Office of Employment and Training was cutting grants 20 to 40 percent beginning July 1 to a total tune of $7 million. Bad enough, but when agency honchos phoned the city to talk with office director Arturo Vasquez, who decided how and where to make the cuts, they learned he was off on a monthlong training program at Harvard University`s Kennedy School of Government. Maybe he`s taking a course on how to deliver bad news.
STAR TRACKS . . .
Olivia Newton-John, who was Australian long before it was stylish, is in town to help kick off the opening of her new Koala Blue store in Northbrook Court. But from the way her bodyguards acted, you`d think she was a presidential candidate. Before her Wednesday appearance on ”First Edition,” her security force insisted on seeing a floor plan of the Channel 2 studios, including the locations of each entrance and exit, and they sent two representatives to check out the ”green room” where she`d be waiting. The Ambassador East Hotel, where a reception was held for her, also was required to submit floor plans of the entire hotel.
THAT`S ENTERTAINMENT . . .
Bill Harris may not be ”At the Movies” much longer. INC. hears the show`s producers feel Harris doesn`t provide a strong enough counterpoint to his scenery-chewing cohost Rex Reed, and that his contract (which runs through about 10 more shows) won`t be renewed. Two women reportedly are among those being considered for the spot. . . . Open auditions for the 20th anniversary production of ”Hair” will be held at 9 a.m. on July 9 at Clubland, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. . . . You caught us; we weren`t big fans of the ABC-TV series
”Hotel”-which explains our reporting that the late Nathan Cooke played a bellboy. We got bad information; he played head of security.
POLITICAL SHORTS . . .
– Twenty-five Hispanics are among the delegates to this weekend`s Republican state convention in Springfield. They credit their representation this year-a first-to help from Secretary of State Jim Edgar.
– Campaign Industry News did report that George Bush was receiving about $27,000 from the Bush campaign as a consultant. But that`s not George Bush the candidate; that`s George Bush, the veepster`s son. INC.`s sorry.
INC.LINGS . . .
Thursday birthdays: Erich Segal, 51; Herbie Mann, 58. . . . Wayne Newton. Auditorium. July 27. Be still, my foolish heart. . . . Batavia native Thomas Pope, 97, one of two remaining World War I Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, will be the guest of honor at Saturday`s Salute to America`s Heroes dinner here. . . . This weekend`s Printers Row Book Fair in Dearborn Station will give folks an opportunity to vote on their favorite design for the new Chicago Public Library Center.
