Our choice for Chicago’s “father of the year”? Frank the gorilla of Lincoln Park Zoo. Despite getting up there in age, the big guy just became a papa again with the birth of a yet-to-be-named son. The mother is Bahati, and, their baby, we’re told, is only the second fourth-generation gorilla to be born at the zoo.
In fact, Frank has fathered many gorillas and, despite a bad knee, remains very active in the romance department. He is not a candidate for Viagra. But the zoo’s Kelly McGrath said what separates him from the other male gorillas is he’s a foster father. “When other baby gorillas get rejected by their dads,” McGrath said, “he always takes them into his troop. He’s a classy guy.”
Slo-mo alert: For those who cruise the Eisenhower: We hear Touchstone Pictures will be busy this weekend putting up a billboard for Bruce Willis’ “Armageddon” on the south wall of the building at 1001 W. Van Buren St. It is expected to be finished by Monday a.m.’s rush hour. The image of a meteor slamming into a building has already caused traffic jams in L.A. But Chicagoans may be unperturbed–we’ve already dealt with Dennis Rodman tieups.
Wheel big deal: “Born to be wild” meets “born to be mild” is how some newsies dubbed Friday’s visit by Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson to Gov. Jim Edgar. Thompsonpulled up to the Capitol on a Harley with some 50 other bikers (“My cabinet,” he quipped) who were en route to Washington for a commemoration of Wisconsin’s 150th anniversary. The guvs exchanged gifts–a Bulls jacket for Tommy and a Brett Favre-signed football and leather Harley jacket for Jim. “When you retire, maybe you’d consider putting this on,” said Tommy. Jim did–for just a few minutes.
City places: Rev. B. Herbert Martin, known as the “mayor’s pastor” for his friendship with the late Harold Washington, invited GOP gubernatorial candidate George Ryan to speak to his Progressive Community Church congregation, which Ryan plans to do Sunday. . . . Ex-presidential adviser David Gergen, now with U.S. News & World Report, heads to Chicago in late July to keynote a Gallery 37 national seminar on art-based youth employment programs.
It’s official: After the end of the next TV season–and the end of his five-year contract–Dr. Doug Ross won’t be around to keep hearts beating in “ER.” George Clooney (a k a Ross) will leave the show, but he has a two-year development deal with CBS. He’ll be executive producer of a series and two TV movies through his Maysville Pictures company.
Passages: Sunday birthdays: Prince William, 16; Meredith Baxter, 51; Ray Davies, 54; Robyn Douglass, 46; Ron Ely, 60; Joe Flaherty, 58; Michael Gross, 51; Mariette Hartley, 58; Al Hirschfeld, 95; Bernie Kopell, 65; Juliette Lewis, 25; Nils Lofgren, 47; Robert Pastorelli, 44; Jane Russell, 77; Doug Savant, 34; Maureen Stapleton, 73.
Finally: Emmy-winning children’s entertainer Shari Lewis–known for her puppet pal Lamb Chop–will begin treatment Monday for uterine cancer diagnosed last week, a publicist for the 65-year-old ventriloquist said Friday.
