Sneed: Rahm ‘charging ahead’ on school plans
Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to open more selective-enrollment high schools for advanced students.
Scoopsville . . .
Sneed has learned Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has been criticized for closing schools, is planning on opening new selective-enrollment high schools for academically advanced students or expanding existing ones.
“Mayor Emanuel is quietly charging ahead on his schoolmodernization plans,” said a top Rahm source. “Although it is not clear yet how many schools that will involve.
There are about 2,500 students who qualify already for advanced curriculum high school, but there are not enough seats available — and the mayor plans to fix that,” the source added.
“His new modernization plan will include expanding old schools or building new ones,” said the source.
“The mayor is leveraging every available dollar and going through TIFs (Tax Increment Financing funds) line by line to ensure that school modernization remains a top priority for TIF investment,” the source said.
In addition, Sneed is told Emanuel also plans to solve elementary school overcrowding the same way: “By either constructing new school buildings or expanding old ones,” the source said.
According to the source, Emanuel does not plan to reopen any of the schools that closed for these projects.
The FBI file . . .
The fed bed: Sequestration is an ugly reaper and may be causing the FBI to be running with scis- sors!
To wit: In light of a report spending cuts may force the feds to close their offices (with the exception of a skeletal crew) nationwide 10 weekdays a year, Sneed called the FBI’s Chicago office to check it out.
Response: “I haven’t heard anything definitive about that,” said Joan Hyde, FBI spokesperson. “It’s hard, in the nature of the work we do, to close the office.”
Sneed’s response: Great timing, now that the threat of terrorism has never been greater . . . and a helluva way to run the Chicago agency, which has no leader since the chief stepped down in July!
The silver chalice . . .
Sneed is told the Chicago Blackhawks’ beloved Stanley Cup will end its odyssey of playful pranks in mid-October — when it returns to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“The days are ticking down,” said Mike Bolt, the Cup’s steadfast gatekeeper.
Bolt, who has witnessed nutty nonsense cup capers, claims things are not as crazy as they used to be due to social media. “The parties are fun, lots of drinking out of the Cup. The guys’ arms definitely got tired.”
But Hawk Bryan Bickell got a little extra time with the trophy: “Bickell wanted to pose with the trophy with a fish he’d just caught,” Bolt said. “So he went fishing the morning he got it, but wasn’t able to catch anything,” Bolt said. “So [the next morning] he went to another lake and was able to catch something to pose with it.”
The players have all had their individual days with the gigantic punchbowl, and only a few people on the Blackhawks management side are still waiting for their turn, said Bolt.
Where’s the beef!
Gulp! Some of the world’s most expensive beef — carved from beer-swilling Wagyu cows raised in Miyazaki, Japan — was served at a private party for a cadre of PGA golf stars at pro golfer/Northwestern grad Luke Donald’s North Shore digs last week.
“Luke wanted to share an unusual prize he collected after a tournament in Japan last year,” said a Sneed source.
Chipshot: Donald won 200 pounds of the uber-costly beef at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Miyazaki, Japan, in November 2012.
Wedge shot: It took Donald and a team of importers six months to bring the beef to the U.S. (Miyazaki cows supposedly drink beer and are massaged with sake to produce a very marbled meat.)
Green guests: Tasty tee: Donald invited a bunch of golf ’s biggest stars and their families: Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Nick Watney, Charley Hoffman, Bill Haas and Billy Horschel. Scottie Pippen was also present for the feast.
Manning the grill: Nick Kokonas, partner at elite resto Alinea, was flipping the butter-soft steaks.
Sneedlings . . .
Sunday’s birthdays: Prince Harry, 29; Tommy Lee Jones, 67, and Tom Hardy, 36.