By The Weekend Desk B Team
Natasha Julius is at yoga camp. She returns next week.
Diva Diary
Hours Late, Rihanna Finally Arrives At Barrington High.
vs.
Days Late, Mayor Finally Arrives In Chicago.
“The mayor was on a skiing vacation when the decisions were announced but was expected to make a public appearance in Chicago on Saturday and answer questions about the school closings,” the Tribune reports.
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Breaking! The Beachwood has obtained this exclusive photo of Rahm announcing the school closures.
Defensive Reform
Bears Quickly Replace Urlacher.
Broken-down linebacker had become underutilized, but will his replacement be a higher performer? Or is it all about the money?
The Bears also shut down Nick Roach; consolidation at the position now necessary, but risky.
Bears promise D.J. Williams a new iPad, though.
That’s Todd!
Todd Stroger, who has reportedly had a tough time finding work since being ousted as Cook County Board President, wants back in.
Stroger tells the Sun-Times that he’s interested in replacing the just-convicted Bill Beavers, who got on the board in the first place by helping to engineer Todd’s ascension from mediocre Chicago alderman to leader of the nation’s second largest county with a population larger than that of 29 states.
As part of the deal, Stroger was clouted into the presidency while his dying father’s seat on the board was given to Beavers, whose aldermanic seat then went to his daughter before she lost it to Jesse Jackson Jr.’s wife.
So there’s a certain symmetry to the madness, especially given that all of the participants are either dead or heading to prison, except, miraculously, Todd.
Meanwhile, the Tribune reports quite passively in the midst of an article about the party’s succession plans that “The name of former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, who was trounced in a Democratic primary after a controversial single term in office, also surfaced – much to the bemusement of some party officials.”
Good for the Trib for not taking this as seriously as the Sun-Times, which seems to believe it has a scoop on its hands. Maybe if the headline was “Todd Stroger Still Delusional,” but that’s really not news either. Might as well report that Ed Burke is still interested in being mayor or George Ryan would like to be governor again. I mean, I’m sure Sandi Jackson is still interested in her husband’s old congressional seat.
But absolutely typical for the Trib (as the Sun-Times does equally) to pretend that the original report doesn’t exist; Stroger’s name has just magically “surfaced.” Perhaps it was spotted by some tourists on Navy Pier, rising from the lake in capital letters.
How long, oh Lord, how long until our dailies provide links and attribution?
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The Trib does link to ads in its stories, though. Look for the green.
Beavers Field Guide
Is there really no law against gambling with campaign funds?
Being Boeing
“Chicago-based Boeing Co. will reduce its Seattle-area manufacturing work force by 2,000 to 2,300 by the end of the year, including some 800 layoffs, the company confirmed on Friday,” the Tribune reports.
Missing from the Trib report: “In a year when Boeing’s share price failed to take off, CEO James McNerney Jr.’s pay climbed 15% . . . ”
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And boy, we really do need pension reform.
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The Weekend Desk Tip Line: Interested, consolidated and risky.
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The Sound Opinions Weekend Listening Report: “Jim and Greg are back in one piece from Austin, TX, ready to share their favorite musical finds from the SXSW Music Conference. What band has Jim declaring he’s ‘seen God’? Tune in to find out. Later, Jim and Greg weigh in on Justin Timberlake’s long-awaited musical comeback, The 20/20 Experience.”
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The Flying Saucer Weekend Brunch Report: Way better than Outback, mate.
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The CAN TV Weekend Viewing Report: CAN TV brings you local, relevant issues from Chicago’s neighborhoods and communities. See what’s happening around the city in education, the arts, government, cultural events, social services and community activities.
Creative Chicago Expo
The 2013 Creative Chicago Expo connected Chicago’s creative community with resources they need to thrive, including professional development expertise from top local and national providers.
Building a Food Life
Chefs Christine Cikowski and Josh Kulp share their experience founding the Sunday Dinner Club, a business that forgoes the conventions of for-profit, brick-and-mortar restaurants to promote sustainability and community. And, of course, cooks delicious food.
Sunday at 9 a.m. on CAN TV21.
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Being All Creative Chicago-Style
Award-winning graphic designer Rick Valicenti of Thirst/3st explores ways design can be used to portray real human presence and art.
Sunday at 10 a.m. on CAN TV21.
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Overload: Cultivating a Trustworthy Brand
Chris Kaskie, the president of Pitchfork, shares how he went from being the online music magazine’s first full-time employee to leading a company that was called “the most prominent brand in online music journalism” by the New York Times.
Sunday at 11 a.m. on CAN TV21.
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Louder Than a Bomb Poetry Slam: Indy Finals
The top individual young artists in Chicago perform poetry, oral storytelling and hip-hop spoken word to compete for a spot on the 2013 Louder than A Bomb All-Star Team.
Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on CAN TV21.
Posted on March 23, 2013