By Steve Rhodes
“A Grand Rapids [Michigan] man is claiming he helped the FBI locate terrorist Osama bin Laden and should receive a $25 million reward, according to a Chicago broadcast station report,” MLive notes.
“Tom Lee, 63, has hired a Chicago law firm to pursue his interest, according to chicago.cbslocal.com.”
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The law firm? Loevy & Loevy.
Right Said Fred
“An American philanthropist and major donor to President Obama has given 20 million pounds (about $32 million) to London’s School of Oriental and African Studies to aid research in Buddhist and Hindu art in Southeast Asia,” the New York Times reports.
“The donation will help fund 80 scholarships for students from the region, add three new chairs and help expand the school campus, according to a statement from the Alphawood Foundation, presided over by the donor, Fred Eychaner. The school, part of the University of London, specializes in humanities and languages from Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Eychaner is a Chicago-based media baron who in 2009 studied for a post-graduate degree at the school.”
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“He is one of the nation’s top political financiers, yet Fred Eychaner drives a 1999 Ford Escort, flies coach, owns just three suits and sometimes stays at budget motels,” the Tribune reported in 2005.
“Worth an estimated $500 million – a fortune built from next to nothing – Eychaner could be the slender, balding man wearing wire-rim glasses seated behind you on a CTA train. And that’s exactly how he wants it.”
Digital Dungeon
Sun-Times Media honchos Michael Ferro and Jim Kirk like to talk about how they’ve remade the company into a digital wonder but really, you just have to wonder how much they know about digital. It’s frustrating enough trying to simply access suntimes.com without the site freezing your browser and sending spinning wheels into the deepest recesses of your brain; now we know that it’s still a disaster from the inside as well.
From digital editor Marcus Gilmer:
Reenactment of what it’s like sometimes trying to get a story to post using our current CMS: http://t.co/w5yKWFTFQu
— Marcus Gilmer (@marcusgilmer) November 1, 2013
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Techshank Redemption
“One of the best chess players in the country will be at Cook County jail to challenge inmates,” AP reports.
“The Cook County jail has been running an inmate chess program. Ten prisoners have won internal jail tournaments to earn the right to play chess master Timur Gareev.
“There’s one hitch – Gareev will play blindfolded and he’ll take on all ten inmates simultaneously.”
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Forget chess – does he do tech?
Exclusive! Inside HWL’s Facelift
“Chicago’s showcase Harold Washington Library is in line for a $6 million facelift – including a new roof, generators, heating and cooling systems – courtesy of tax increment financing,” the Sun-Times reports.
“TIF funding for the library equivalent of a 100,000-mile checkup for the 26-year-old central library – and the same for the 30-year-old Sulzer Regional Library – is tucked away in Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2014 budget.”
Sources tell the Beachwood the tune-up will include bringing back card catalogs to make the library compatible with the Cook County criminal justice system – and the Sun-Times.
MORE!
The Political Odds
Updated to reflect recent developments.
Beachwood Photo Booth
Irving Park Guy.
The College Football Report
Pussy tailgating and Miami muffs.
The Week In Chicago Rock
Featuring: Testament, Local H, Jeff Beck, Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, John Vanderslice, Anders Osborne, Frank Turner, and Yo Gotti.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Digitized for your protection.
Posted on November 1, 2013