Sources close to Coelho say the SEC inquiry involves “warfare” among rival ITB board members. They say there are no allegations of personal wrongdoing by Coelho. But the probe could be embarrassing. Corporate minutes show that Coelho, who had a $120,000-a-year consulting contract from ITB, presided over board meetings where transactions under review were approved. Among them: large compensation packages for DeSantis and other firm officials and corporate jet expenses to a firm owned by DeSantis’s son. DeSantis’s lawyer declined comment. An attorney for Coelho said he had limited knowledge of the transactions. “We’re comfortable that Tony is fine on these issues,” said a Gore spokesman.
THE DOLESDeep Freeze
Bob Dole hasn’t won himself any friends on his wife’s campaign staff. While he has ruminated about contributing to rival candidates, the fat-cat fund-raisers who bankrolled his three presidential runs haven’t come through for Elizabeth. “This is the boys’ club, her damn husband included,” says an adviser to Mrs. Dole. “They’re standing at the door saying, ‘We don’t want her’.” The Dole camp is turning to nontraditional ways to raise money, particularly among women. They’re buying subscriber lists from women’s mags, booking Mrs. Dole on the “Rosie O’Donnell Show” and searching for “common-sense” positions on issues like guns and abortion. Meanwhile, “there’ll be a lot of casseroles in the deep freezer for Bob,” says the adviser.
LAWSUITSA Bad Day at the Beach
The discrimination suit filed last week against the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla., is not the first charge of racism the hotel chain has faced. At last month’s Black College Reunion, a spring-break event, hotel guests were required to wear orange ID bracelets, pay in advance and provide a damage deposit. Daytona Beach has tried to clamp down on large, rowdy groups that descend on the barrier island, and Black College Reunion has had an especially testy relationship with the town since a shootout that occurred during the rite last year. The hotel says its rules apply to any large group and denies that blacks were singled out, as the Daytona Beach guests allege. But lawyers in the class-action suit cited an earlier discrimination case involving the Adam’s Mark Hotel’s parent company. After a trial, the court ordered management to attend race education programs and to submit to monitoring by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A spokesman for the chain denied knowledge of the case.
CARSA Smell That’s Right on the Nose
New-car smell, that brew of plastic, glue and rubber treasured by car buyers, is a delicate and valuable aroma. Hoping to standardize its new models’ bouquet, Ford is replacing its staff of human sniffers with a $75,000 machine that uses polymer “sponges” to detect scents. Dubbed the e Nose 4000, the device is being tested on the Focus, a European model that debuts here this fall. Volkswagen has also begun to control its factory-fresh odors, but so far it’s sticking with standard nostrils.
VATICANA Cardinal Among the Deacons
When Wake Forest’s demon deacons basketball team recruited Niki Arinze, the university got a bonus: Cardinal Francis Arinze, Niki’s Nigerian uncle, who gave last week’s commencement address. On everyone’s short list of papal candidates, Arinze, 66, makes about three U.S. visits a year–far more than John Paul II prior to his 1978 election. In his address, Arinze used terms–“solidarity,” “universal destination of created goods”–straight from the current pope’s phrasebook. The face is African, but so far Arinze’s ideas are papal deja vu all over again.
WHAT’S COOKINGThrow Another C-Note on the Barbee
Our cave-dwelling forebears would know what to do with a nice kettle grill. But there’s nothing primitive about today’s “outdoor kitchen systems”: year-round, built-in appliances that, with accessories, can run to $50,000. A Peri guide to high-end heat:
Heat and light: More than half of American grills are now year-round operations, most–surprisingly–in the Northeast. To fight midwinter dark and chill, portable hearths–this tiled firepot goes for $995–are a must. Then add halogen lamps for checking when the meat is done.
Beverage management: Mobile beer taps impress, but we suggest you keep it simple: a teak ice chest doubles as a bench and goes for only $1,495.
Side grills: The average home has more than one grill. The extra hardware increasingly comes in the form of a meat smoker or a deep fryer (right). Boiled in oil, a cracklin’ Thanksgiving turkey is ready to carve in just 45 minutes.
Bars: The migration to the backyard reflects Americans’ growing preference for casual entertaining. Sarongs optional with Frontgate’s $3,950 genuine palm-topped cabana setup.
FASHIONCoogi Cool
Time was when coogi knits were for older folks. Now the bright, expensive designs have been discovered by the hip-hop generation.
GERMANYBut Will the Stock Rise?
Sex sells. Just ask Beate Rotermund, 80, head of Beate Uhse AG, the world’s largest distributor of sex toys and lingerie. This week she’s taking her $100 million operation public on the Frankfurt stock exchange. Buttoned-up Commerzbank will run the IPO. With online revenues growing 50 percent a year, analysts are excited. Says one Frankfurt stockpicker: “This stock is an aphrodisiac for your portfolio.”
CONVENTIONAL WISDOMMASSING AT THE BORDER EDITION
CW APOLOGIZES FOR SHODDY WORK THIS WEEK–WE WERE IN LINE FOR “EPISODE 1.” BUT WE HEAR THE GROUND WAR IS COMING. MAY WE BE THE GUNGANS, SLOBO THE BATTLE DROID.
C.W.
Guns - Cheers to Senate for gutsy vote. Not even Tom Selleck can defend you now.
Barak + Does new P.M. mean new hope for Israel? CW says: give peace a chance.
Dole - May donate to McCain campaign. Can Viagra help make it up to Liddy?
Sun Vista - Malaysian cruise ship sinks, but “Titanic” song comforts survivors.
Lucci = Daytime diva wins Emmy after 19 noms. But acceptance speech soap opera of its own.
Smallpox + Last-minute reprieve saves the disease. A pox on none of your houses.
