MANSION MAVEN
Mansion expansion . . .
First lady Diana Rauner has a new title.
She is now head of the Illinois Mansion Association, which meets Tuesday to figure out how to fix up the 159- year- old pile of bricks known as her new home— the governor’s mansion in Springfield.
Diana Rauner, who famously doesn’t like shoes worn in her Winnetka home, replaces former Gov.
Jim Thompson, who now becomes Mr. Mansion Emeritus.
The first lady is making plans to renovate the moldy Georgian mansion built in 1855, also known as the state’s “ancient pile,” which is sorely in need of a new roof, an elevator, a balcony . . . and almost everything in between.
“It’s been held together by bailing wire,” Dave Bourland, the mansion’s curator, once told Sneed.
Buckshot: Although the Rauners plan to renovate the historic home with private funds— no taxpayer money— the uber- rich governor already faces criticism for using his hacksaw on state grants to the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Buckshot II: The first couple also could face criticism for spending money on rebuilding so they can live and entertain in a stately mansion.
“If they can raise and spend money on the mansion, what about doing it for those in need,” bleated a critic of the mansion renovation.
The buckshot: Previous Illinois governors did little to update the mansion— the nation’s thirdoldest— because the state was in the financial toilet.
“The Rauners are going to go about this responsibly and have created a special board to make sure it gets done right,” said a new mansion association member who asked to remain anonymous because they are all scared to death someone is going to quote them. “The Capitol Development Board and the state’s Central Management Services will all be involved.”
Members of the mansion association include new state movie maven Chris Dudley, who is now head of the Illinois Film Office, Christina Gidwitz, John Nicolay, Tim Robinson, Anne Marie Germaine and Lori Montana.
Pitch the posies . . .
Snip the snapdragon! Washington wags are whispering first lady Michelle Obama may have forced the resignation of White House chief florist Laura Dowling, who has been in the job since 2009.
Sneed confirmed via a White House source that Dowling “resigned earlier this year,” but it looks like the first lady has a wicked sense of humor.
To wit: Word is Dowling cleaned out her desk on Friday the 13th. Calls to Dowling’s shop in Alexandria, Virginia, went unreturned — and a Dowling Facebook contact wished us “Good luck” on finding out the reason why . . .
The Lewis legacy . . .
Pssst! Sneed hears there is a move afoot to get Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, who self- anointed mayoral hopeful
Chuy Garcia for a run against her nemesis, Rahm Emanuel, to cut campaign ads in the next few weeks.
Stay tuned.
Cruz control . . .
In case you forgot, conservative U. S. Sen. Rafael “Ted” Cruz, who just announced he is running for president, is the only person to read the book “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss on the Senate floor.
Royal rantings . . .
From hither and yon: Now that all the royal fuss is over, it should surely not go unnoted that Prince
Charles and his wife, Camilla, were served “baby fish and chips” by the British Embassy during their recent White House visit — but Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall— was heard to exclaim “What a title!” when introduced to the “wig mistress” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company.
Sneedlings . . .
Kudos to state Fire Marshal
Larry Matkaitis on making Danny Reyes, 24, who is battling bone cancer, an honorary firefighter. Reyes, who always wanted to be a firefighter, was honored in a ceremony organized by the Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center in Glenview. He was diagnosed with cancer just before he was to join the military in 2011 . . . Today’s birthdays: Robert
Clifford, 64; Lara Flynn Boyle, 45; Robert Carradine, 61; Bob Mackie, 75; Kelly LeBrock, 55.