Park Place: Look for Rich Daley to announce Monday that Chicago cops will begin patrolling the parks as part of the new community-policing program. The Park District will pay the city for the police. And at the same time the city will help the Park District’s pocketbook with money for improved lighting.
Trade Wars: Jim Edgar will co-star with President Clinton in a pro-NAFTA town-hall TV show put on by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday. In addition to talking up the controversial trade agreement, the Guv has another important duty on the show-stall until the chronically late Prez gets there. . . . The AFL-CIO is running radio ads telling listeners to write Rep. George Sangmeister and urge him to vote against NAFTA. Since Sangmeister isn’t running again, this may not be the most efficient use of labor’s political power.
Left hand, right hand: Earlier this month, state lottery officials insisted that the 10 percent dropoff in sales of all tickets had nothing to do with riverboats. Thursday, the governor said he wasn’t in favor of more boats outside Cook County becasue “we’ve already seen the lottery suffer as a result of riverboats.”
Air Oprah: The funniest moment in Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Michael Jordan, which aired Friday, came when she started a question by saying Jordan had made more money than anyone. And Jordan, with a mischievous grin, shot back: “Except you.”
Springpatch: When someone dressed as Bozo was spotted Friday in the Capitol carrying a large briefcase, speculation was rampant that it was a legislator trying to smuggle out contributions he’d received from lobbyists. Others suggested it was Al Ronan, former rep and current lobbyist, trying to sneak contributions in.
Botti shop: County Board Chairman Aldo Botti, who’s been fighting the Du Page version of the Thirty Years’ War with county GOP Chairman Pate Philip, says he’s undecided about supporting anyone to succeed him, but you can pretty much bet he won’t endorse Gayle Franzen. Botti, who decided not to seek re-election because he was stymied by the Patesters, left open the possibility of running for office in the future. Maybe he’ll try for governor against state Treasurer Pat Quinn, his new partner in the term-limitation cause.
Polpourri: The State of Illinois building in Rockford will be named for the late Rep. Zeke Giorgi. . . . Therese McMahon will manage Aurie Pucinski’s campaign for County Board president. Anne Burke will be the campaign’s legal counsel. . . . Former Vice President Dan Quayle joked in a recent speech that he was driving his daughter to school when a truck driver rolled down his window and said, “You are a double of Dan Quayle.” Quayle said he replied: “Really? I sure hope I don’t look like that guy.” And the trucker said: “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Oil and water: Publicists for “Polluting for Pleasure,” a book about the threat posed by boaters who dump their used oil in the water, sent out copies with quarts of oil. Painted on the cans were red-circle-with-a-slash symbols. But, ask the environmental reporters who received the book, what are they supposed to do with the motor oil? The only proper disposal method is to take it to a filling station or oil recycling facility. Or give it to a boat owner.
INC.lings: Sunday’s birthdays: Barbara Bel Geddes, 71; John Candy, 43; Dale Evans, 81; Lee Grant, 64; Deidre Hall, 45; Tom Paxton, 56; Dan Rather, 62; Vanilla Ice, 25; Jim Shorts, 49. . . . and a Saturday birthday: Charles W.B. Connors, 56. . . Chicagoan Betsy Davis was a dancer in the original “Oklahoma” 51 years ago. Sunday, she’ll be in the audience when the cast of “Oklahoma” at Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre dedicates Sunday’s matinee, the closing performance, to her. . . . Local actress Cynthia Baker plays a leading role in two upcoming episodes of ABC’s “Missing Persons,” which is set in Chicago. . . . “Midnight Cowboy,” the only X-rated film to win an Oscar as best picture, will be re-released February in Los Angeles and New York. By today’s standards, it’ll be considered family entertainment.
