NOTEBOOK
By KATHLEEN ADAMS, MELISSA AUGUST, CHARLOTTE FALTERMAYER, LINA LOFARO, BELINDA LUSCOMBE, JEFFERY C. RUBIN, ALAIN L. SANDERS, SIDNEY URQUHART
TOBACCO: SMOKED OUT
The focus has shifted to teen smoking. But there are other fronts. Think smoking outdoors is still legal? Municipalities are now outlawing lighting up even in outside public spaces.
Davis, California Banned within 20 ft. of any building open to the public (people may smoke if they are walking past the building, however); punishable by fines of $50 for the first violation and up to $200 for a second
Palo Alto, California Banned within 20 ft. of any building open to the public between the hours 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.; punishable by fines up to $1,000
Bellaire, Texas Banned in the city's public parks; fines of up to $500
Sharon, Massachussetts Banned in all municipal recreation areas; $25 fine
Cedar Grove, New Jersey Banned at the children's community pool; punishable by ejection
Clinton Township, New Jersey Banned at public playground; up to $500 fines
Honolulu, Hawaii Banned at Hanauma Bay Nature Park, in part because sea turtles were suffering ill effects after eating cigarette butts; $20 fine
CONVENTION '96 GUIDE
The Democrats enter Chicago without quarrels--except for some historical baggage and the usual questions about campaign financing
WHO SLEPT HERE?
So how did the Democrats get the funds for their big party? Partly from organizing one-night stands. The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, has tracked 75 individuals who have contributed to Clinton's various campaigns or, since 1992, to the Democratic Party. They have all been rewarded with a stay in the White House, most of them in either the Lincoln Bedroom, right, or the Queen's Bedroom. Among the donors are such Hollywood luminaries as Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw ($236,500, Plus $44,850 from his companies), Barbra Streisand ($81,500), Chevy Chase ($55,250), Tom Hanks ($5,250), Richard Dreyfuss ($3,850) and Mary Steenburgen ($2,000). But the top five are more than just famous:
1. Edith and Lew Wasserman, former chairman of the entertainment conglomerate MCA: $459,273, plus $133,900 from MCA and its employees
2. Barbara and Steven Grossman, president of the Massachusetts Envelope Co., a small printer of stationery and envelopes: $437,240
3. David Geffen, co-founder of Dreamworks SKG: $399,000, plus $49,000 from Dreamworks SKG and Geffen companies
4. Eileen and Peter Morton, computer entrepreneur who founded Norton Utilities: $350,750
5. Lorraine and Sidney Sheinberg, former president of MCA: $267,150
ALL POLITICS IS COMICAL
THE LATE SHOW TOP 10 LIST: THINGS OVERHEARD AT BILL CLINTON'S 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
10 "Oh, my God!--Janet Reno just popped out of the cake."
9 "Look at this cute mug Chelsea gave me: WORLDS PUFFIEST DAD."
8 "It's time to play 'Pin the Subpoena on Hillary.'"
7 "Is that his age or his pants size?"
6 "'I didn't know Hooters had gift certificates!"
5 "Check it out--Mario Cuomo is stuffing his pockets with cold cuts."
4 "I'm sorry, Mr. Stephanopoulos, but you'll have to sit at the kids' table.'"
3 "Young lady, how'd you like to come out to the limo and help me solve my midlife crisis?"
2 "Thank God there's no lampshade here big enough to fit Ted Kennedy's head."
1 "He just finished Cake No. 1--wheel out the backup!"
Source: The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 8/20/96
DELEGATE DEMOGRAPHICS
Predictably, the Democrats will have greater diversity at their convention than the Republicans did.* How they stack up:
DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS
TOTAL DELEGATES 4,320 1,990 MALE 50% 66% FEMALE 50% 34% WHITE 67% 90% BLACK 20% 3% ASIAN 3% 1% HISPANIC 9% 2.5% UNION MEMBER 28% 3% YOUNGEST DELEGATE 17** 18 OLDEST DELEGATE 92 93 AVERAGE AGE 46 yrs. 1 mo. 46 yrs. 6 mos. TOP ISSUE Jobs/economy Balanced budget (40%) (37%)
*Democratic rules require delegates to reflect the race and gender mix in the overall population. Republicans have no such rules. **18 by Election Day. Source: AP
THE PRICE OF PEDALING
Bicycles can cost as much as secondhand cars. Perhaps that's why luxury-car manufacturers now make them.
PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA INC. Porsche began turning out bikes in June. The FS has a lightweight frame and front- and rear-wheel suspension to guarantee comfort on different surfaces at all speeds. Hydraulic brakes maintain performance in all weather. Price: $4,500.
MERCEDES-BENZ OF NORTH AMERICA INC. The first all-terrain mountain bike by Mercedes in the U.S. weighs about 24 lbs. Its disk-brake system ensures a more reliable braking action in rain and mud. Adjustable springs and hydraulic shocks provide more comfort over rough terrain. Includes travel case. Price: $3,300.
TABLOID TOMBSTONES
The dead aren't litigious, which is just as well, because there has been a run of gossip about the famous departed. Here's the latest on the late:
GRANT, CARY GRANT The world's suavest man was a spy in Hollywood for the British government, according to a Cambridge University professor. His mission: to root out Nazi sympathizers.
THAT'S WALLIS AS IN WALLACE According to a new book on the Duchess of Windsor, Mrs. Simpson was a man. The author, Michael Bloch, was told this by a doctor whose colleague had examined her.
NOT SO FROSTY! Robert Frost had an affair with his married secretary, Kay Morrison, who was also sleeping with Frost's official biographer. The biography was unflattering.
FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY--AND MORE A new biography of Alexander Hamilton claims he was the illegitimate son of George Washington and Rachel Fawcett Lavine, the wife of James Hamilton.
TOKIN' FLO! Florence Nightingale attended seances and took drugs. In an 1887 letter found in the attic of an antiques dealer, Nightingale says she took bromide, which was given to soldiers to curb libido.
LOCAL HEROES
DAVID LEVITT, 14; SEMINOLE, FLORIDA; freshman in high school
At 12, Levitt decided uneaten school-cafeteria food should go to the poor rather than go to waste. He took his case to the school board, and in 1994 it agreed to donate leftovers from all 92 county schools. So far, his Operation Food for Thought has generated nearly 95 tons of food for the hungry. Levitt and his sister Jamie, 17, are lobbying the state legislature to adopt a similar program statewide. "This has made me realize how lucky I am to have food on the table," says Levitt. "There is too much waste."
MATTHEW FIELDER, 16; DUMONT, N.J.; computer consultant
High school students in Palisades Park, New Jersey, urgently needed to send their transcripts to colleges, but it was midsummer, and there were no staff members around who knew the new computer system. So the school found Fielder, an area whiz who has tinkered with technology since age nine. With a password and a prayer, he created the necessary templates and streamlined the program for next year. Says Fielder: "It was hard to stay calm under the pressure, but there's a solution to every problem."
55 YEARS AGO IN TIME
Nobody's Sweetheart
"When Harold Ickes is having a good rich, wrathful week, probably every man, woman and child in the U.S. is against him. Honest, fearless, tough and shrewd--and loyal to his boss--Harold Ickes long ago earned his post as dog robber to the New Deal. He is the Scout who goes ahead, prowling the unexplored bushes of public opinion. He is the Whipping Boy who takes the blame whenever anything goes wrong. He is the Janitor who sweeps up the floor (usually using some victim as the broom). He is the Public Executioner, the Court Poisoner and the Bouncer. In short, if there is on the docket a hard, nasty, grinding job, Ickes gets the assignment." --Sept. 15, 1941
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
THOMAS EAGLETON, 66; ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; lawyer, former Senator
In 1972 Eagleton reached a career peak. Senator George McGovern, the Democratic candidate for President, picked him as his running mate. Less than three weeks later, however, Eagleton was forced to withdraw after confirming reports that he had received electroshock treatment for depression. McGovern and Eagleton's replacement, Sargent Shriver, went on to defeat. Eagleton remained in the Senate, retiring in 1986, unwilling to undertake campaign fund raising. He serves on a presidential advisory board overseeing intelligence agencies; in 1995 he was instrumental in persuading the Los Angeles Rams to move to St. Louis. Would revelations of psychiatric treatment sink a candidacy today? Says Eagleton: "I think there is a greater understanding and awareness of depression. None of that was debated or discussed in 1972."
--By Kathleen Adams, Melissa August, Charlotte Faltermayer, Lina Lofaro, Belinda Luscombe, Jeffery C. Rubin, Alain L. Sanders, Sidney Urquhart