Five Things to Know: Daley's varying levels of influence, ‘Wicked' benchmark
CHICAGO - Has Chicago Mayor Richard Daley lost his edge? Not necessarily. But the City Council's non-unanimous series of votes Tuesday on the mayor's tax-laden budget are a clear sign that the boss is no longer getting rubber-stamp obedience from aldermen. The most controversial component - an $86 million property tax hike - passed on a relatively narrow 29-21 vote. Daley, who muscled the victory, derided opponents as political cowards.
Train goes off the track. The mayor has less clout with state officials. Daley showed up for a meeting Wednesday between Gov. Rod Blagojevich and House and Senate leaders in hopes of talking about the financially ailing Chicago Transit Authority. Daley became miffed when the transit issue took a back seat to a separate casino-expansion plan; he left early.
Wickedly successful. The Loop-based version of "Wicked" hit a milestone Nov. 14 when its 1,000th performance was staged. The Broadway show - a variation on the "Wizard of Oz," focusing on the witches - debuted in Chicago in June 2005, originally for a seven-week run. Now seen by more than 2 million people here, "Wicked" has grossed more than $140 million at the box office and is considered a big tourist attraction in the Windy City.
Ready for Christmas. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Loop. Daley Plaza has once again been recast as a "Cristkindlmarket," a German-style Christmas fair with retail and food booths. The atmospheric display, anchored by a towering evergreen (actually, several conifers blended together), runs from Nov. 22 to Dec. 24. See www.christkindlmarket.com <http://www.christkindlmarket.com/> for more information.
What's next. Gawking at "Sue," the famous T-Rex fossil, will cost you more beginning next year. The city's Park District approved entrance-fee hikes for the Field Museum, effective in March. Cost for adults will rise $2 - to $14 for non-Chicagoans and to $12 for residents. The steepest hikes will be for seniors and students -- $5 more for non-residents and $4 more for residents.