TAKING NAMES

Wisconsin: As far as the eyes can see

The national news media seem quite interested in Wisconsin lately. The New York Times had a front-page piece Tuesday on how Republican plans to end the national school lunch program were playing in La Crosse. It said "throughout La Crosse County, people are angry. They consider themselves lucky to have jobs at Heileman's Brewery and La Crosse Rubber Mills and the Trane air conditioning factory but in today's economy they are only scraping by. If one job doesn't feed their families, they get two. For 59 cents they buy the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese dinner in the blue box that serves four and add hot dogs so it will serve six." Meanwhile, Kenosha was highlighted in a front-page Washington Post story on Sunday on welfare reform programs. And Madison Rep. Scott Klug, wheezing and bronchitis-stricken, was featured prominently in a front-page Post story Tuesday on how members of Congress are getting worn out by the long hours during these first 100 days.

They had a ball

Anybody who was anybody was at the Bradley Pavilion on Saturday night. And the beauty part was: You didn't need to pay for a baby-sitter. It was a benefit for First Stage Milwaukee, the theater group for children. The gala was a make-believe ball for the children and their parents. The tots and their folks got to dress up in their finery and sumptuously sup on kiddie hors d'oeuvres. The ball was organized by Cathy and Mario Costantini and Gretchen and Chess Barbatelli. Seen mingling in the crowd: Vince Gibbens and Melodie Wilson of WITI-TV (Channel 6) fame, along with their respective spouses and children; Harry and Barb Stratton and their five children; Bruce Gettleman and family; Victor DeLorenzo (of Violent Femmes fame) and Daryl and Michaela Stuermer (He's a guitarist for Phil Collins.)

Our best friend Kato

Attention all Nicolet High School chums of Brian "Kato" Kaelin: you might want to renew your old ties with the guy soon. He could be on the verge of becoming very rich. (Come to think of it, didn't we lend him some money once?) St. Martin's Press is rumored to be prepared to offer Kaelin, O.J. Simpson's former houseboy, hundreds of thousands of dollars for his version of events. The publisher tells The Washington Post that no deal has been signed a denial that could be irrelevant. A California law prohibits active witnesses from profiting from ongoing cases and Kaelin is due to testify at the murder trial any day now.

He turned to Stone

Despite objections from some famous Jeff Stones (Portland, Ore., Mayor Jeff Stone, the Jeff Stone who works for NASA's Mission Control and Paul Petersen, who played Jeff Stone on TV's "Donna Reed Show"), a Portland judge has granted Jeff Gillooly the right to ditch his infamous moniker. Henceforth, Jeff Gillooly will be known as Jeff Stone. Gillooly, the former husband of former figure skater Tonya Harding, became a household name last year when he helped orchestrate an attack on Harding's rival, Nancy Kerrigan. He has served seven months at prison boot camp for his part in the crime and is due to be released Monday. Gillooly's name often was bandied about on "Late Night With David Letterman." Lamented Petersen, who, in simpler times, stood as a symbol of the wholesome boy next door by the name Jeff Stone: "Another sorry saga in the history of American jurisprudence. We have lost our common sense. I feel for the country."

What's the buzz

The William Morris agency is about to peddle a proposal for Aretha Franklin's memoirs, says New York magazine. Franklin's co- author, David Ritz, has written biographies of Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles. Among the possible items for inclusion: Aretha took her piano with her when she went to Los Angeles, and when the piano needed work she called in her personal piano tuner, all the way from Detroit. The symptom: A persistent hum. The problem: "After extensive probing and testing, the surprised expert finally came upon a mountain of golden flecks deep inside the piano," the magazine says. "Frito dust." . . . Basketball star Charles Barkley, quoted in The Hill, on the pitfalls of our political system these days: "I know that I'm not a Democrat, because I don't think the Democrats have done a good job helping black people or poor people. . . . I guess the only thing left for me is to be a Republican."

Today's birthdays

Actress Claire Trevor, 86. Actress-dancer Cyd Charisse, 74. Actress Sue Ane Langdon, 59. Baseball player-turned-author Jim Bouton, 56. Actress Lynn Redgrave, 52. Actress Susan Clark, 51. Monkees drummer Mickey Dolenz, 50. Lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, 48. Baseball player Jim Rice, 42.

Copyright 1995
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