People: Lucas, wife donate $25 million to Chicago school
Filmmaker George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, are donating $25 million to a prestigious private school on Chicago’s South Side.
The University of Chicago said Tuesday the grant from The George Lucas Family Foundation will pay for a new arts hall at the university’s Laboratory Schools.
The 86,000-square-foot building will open in 2015 and will be named after Gordon Parks, a photographer, musician and social justice advocate.
Hobson is president of the Chicago-based Ariel Investments. She married the Star Wars filmmaker in 2013.
Lucas said in a statement that art can “transform lives and communities” and said he hopes Parks’ legacy will inspire future generations.
The Hyde Park school has about 1,800 students in nursery school through 12th grade.
Ford makes appearance on ‘Today’
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he no longer uses illegal drugs, goes to the gym every day and doesn’t drink as much as he used to.
Ford told NBC’s “Today” show that while he has had a few drinks since the show’s host Matt Lauer interviewed him in November, it hasn’t been “to the point of some of the episodes before.”
The interview comes a month after a video surfaced showing Ford inebriated at a restaurant, rambling in a Jamaican accent and using profanity.
The mayor admitted he had been drinking that night, saying, “maybe you’re perfect, but I’m not.”
Ford is running for re-election this year, despite admitting last fall to smoking crack cocaine while in office.
He told Lauer that he was only experimenting with illegal drugs.
Fallon, Emanuel to do the Polar Plunge
Jimmy Fallon is getting ready to do the Polar Plunge, Chicago-style with Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The new host of “The Tonight Show” said Monday on Twitter that he would join Emanuel for the frigid swim on Sunday in Lake Michigan. His decision came after Emanuel said he would appear on “The Tonight Show” if Fallon joined him for the event benefiting Special Olympics.
The high temperature on Sunday? Between 16 and 20 degrees in Chicago. The National Weather Service also says there’s a chance of snow.
Still, Fallon tweeted that, “Lake Michigan will have a New York fish this weekend.”
Emanuel responded on Twitter, too, telling Fallon “excited to have you.”
The birthday bunch
Singer Fats Domino is 86. Singer Michael Bolton is 61. Singer Erykah Badu is 43. Olympic gold medal swimmer Jenny Thompson is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Corinne Bailey Rae is 35. Country singer Rodney Hayden is 34. Tennis player Li Na is 32. Actor Alex Heartman (TV: “Power Rangers Samurai”) is 24.