Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Tuesday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

“Sneed is told senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett is dating Ahmad Rashad , the four-times-married sportscaster who was once a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings.”
And by “told,” she means – once again – that she read about it in a dozen other places.
Sneed does acknowledge near the end of the item that “Last year, the New York Post tipped that Jarrett and Rashad, who has five children and multiple stepchildren, were seeing each other,” but nonetheless cites a “Sneed source” for her observation that Rashad “began quietly ‘seeing’ Jarrett, 57, last year.”
The Post item was last November, the Beachwood is told.
Another Beachwood source who would only agree to be identifed as “Google” tells the Beachwood that Rashad is “secretly” dating Jarrett, and that Rashad converted to Islam 42 years ago, as noted by Sneed because, well, that’s what a “source” told her. It’s not like she just read it somewhere ugly.


The Dim One
When is an interview with the mayor an “exclusive?”
When you’re using him to sell your new political site.
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When is an interview with the mayor a useless exercise?
When your “ace” reporter can’t think of any good questions to ask.
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For openers: So, Mr. Mayor, whatever happened to your Children’s Fund?
Hood Winked
“Many Chicago Public Schools students found themselves Monday in the middle of a tug of war between parents and teachers calling for a boycott of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test and district officials who continue to stress the exam’s importance,” the Tribune reports.
“A coalition of anti-testing advocates said parents at more than 70 district schools have submitted letters telling administrators they don’t want their children to take the test. The action is the latest sign of nationwide dissatisfaction over the growth of standardized testing.”
Here’s the part of the story I found fascinating:
“At a news conference Monday at the Thompson Center downtown to discuss the issue, several parents said administrators were making it uncomfortable for students who, with parental permission, had opted not to take the test. They said those students are still having the test put in front of them.
“CPS officials said Monday that the Illinois State Board of Education requires them to distribute the exam to all students in grades three through eight ‘to give them an opportunity to participate.'”
In other words, even though kids have opted out, they will be required to remain at their desks with a test in front of them. Perhaps there will even be a cookie placed on the last page.
Parents of opted-out kids would rather their kids be allowed to, say, read a book during the testing time. CPS says that could cause chaos.

“The district is working with principals and teachers to ensure that students who are taking the ISAT are able to do so in a quiet environment that is free from distraction,” spokesman Joel Hood said.

That’s not even the best part. This is: Hood is a former Tribune reporter who used to tell the truth about CPS for a living.
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And This Little Piggie Went To Work In The Markets . . .


Brain Freeze
“In the first, and possibly only, debate in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, frontrunner Jim Oberweis on Monday tried to distance himself from his past praise of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy decisions amid mounting tension between the U.S. and Russia,” the Tribune reports.
“The state senator and multimillionaire from Sugar Grove told an audience of about 50 at a candidate forum in Huntley that Obama had erred in drawing lines with foreign adversaries and not following through.”
Well, that seems like a reasonable enough position.
“It was a departure from the stance Oberweis took during a meeting with the Tribune editorial board last month, in which he said that he was ‘fairly satisfied with the direction’ taken by Obama in foreign conflicts.”
Oh.
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“Oberweis says he is not available to debate on most weekdays because of legislative duties, and recently insisted he was unaware of any outstanding invitations to debate Truax on a Sunday. But Truax said he was aware of such an invitation and had repeatedly declined.

“In general, I don’t think you’re being honest with the public,” Truax said.
Oberweis countered: “Doug, you’re just 100 percent totally, completely wrong. I said I was not aware of any invitations that I had turned down. That continues to be true. I did not turn down any. I do believe that there were invitations made to some of our staff, but I was never even informed of it. So I’m sorry, but you’re wrong.”

I was never even informed of invitations that my staff turned down without asking me because we’ve already agreed to not accept any more debates but how would I know because I was never informed!

Truax pressed the issue.
“You got to go out there and debate in live – this is all good, but we’ve got to get on live radio and TV and, in my opinion, you’re ducking out on those things,” Truax said.
That was enough for moderator George Sebastian.
“Gentlemen, can we go on to the next question?” he asked.
“Please do,” said Oberweis.

You can always count on the moderator to keep a debate from devolving into a debate.
Liquor Is Quicker
“Two undisclosed figures in the bribery charge filed last week against the chief of staff for Ald. Howard Brookins were caught on undercover FBI recordings talking about the ease with which they expected to win Brookins’ approval for a liquor license in his South Side ward,” the Tribune reports.
“The associates, identified only as individuals A and B, outlined a system in which aldermen and go-betweens are purportedly paid thousands of dollars to grease the liquor license application process.”
Please be Ed Burke and Joe Moore, please be Ed Burke and Joe Moore, please be Ed Burke and Joe Moore . . .
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Of course, the individuals are identified as “associates” rather than aldermen because only idiots on the council are actually present themselves when Post-It notes with dollar amounts are passed around.
“In late October, Individual B brought the informant to a meeting with Brookins, Thompson and two other aides at Brookins’ office on South Ashland Avenue. He handed over the alleged bribe offer written on a Post-it note attached to an artistic rendering of his proposed convenience store.”
Oh.
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“Brookins’ father, former state Sen. Howard Brookins Sr., was recorded in several telephone calls, including one in which he assured Individual B he would not be cut out of the deal if he brought the informant to his son’s ward office for a meeting ‘so they can see what the deal is.'”
Oh, daddy Brookins, you not look so good.
Calling On Cawley
“CPS Chief Administrative Officer Tim Cawley is due for a $215,000 salary, up from his predecessor’s $179,167,” the Sun-Times reported in 2011.
“[B]oard members will be asked to give Cawley a two-year, rather than the traditional six-month, extension to move into the city to meet residency requirements. Cawley is a Winnetka resident and he and his wife would like their daughter, adopted a year ago from the Ukraine, to finish seventh and eighth grade in the suburbs before the family uproots and moves to Chicago.”
First, someone should ask Cawley with compassion about any friends, teachers or other associates his daughter has back in Ukraine. Then ask if he’s moved his family into the city as promised.
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Obama Breaks Pot Promise, Dude Goes To Prison
The remarkably maddening story of Robert Duncan.
From Mindless Morning TV To Marijuana
Fake chef, fake media.
From Muddy Waters To Bloody Mary
Cherry bombs.
Richie Incognito Would Never Happen In Baseball
Culture gap.
Literary Rock & Roll
Provocation and witness.
Unsatisfrying
Idaho Was Here and We Had Wood.
Like What You See?
Now would be an excellent time to show your love.
Beachwood Podcast #3
We called it.
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BeachBook
* Chicago Taxi Credit Card Breach.
* Save The Tokyo Hotel!
* Now Corey Crawford’s Pads Are Missing.
* Woodstock Streets Chief Charged With Stealing Ton Of Salt.
* Canada Doesn’t Want Accused Fraudster Of Edgewater Hospital.
* Human Rights Watch: Obama The Disappointment.
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TweetWood


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The Beachwood Tip Line: Assert your interests.

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Posted on March 4, 2014