TRUTH OR DARE ... So, is Levi's sister Mercede Johnston, really going to let Playboy take naked pictures of her and put them in the magazine? Let's skip the issue of whether anyone actually cares. The blogosphere says yes, but the b-sphere is a well-known liar. So far Mercede is saying nothing.
Ear is torn. Mercede seems to be the only one in the family with a brain, and The Divine Appendage would hate to see her sell out. On the other hand, why shouldn't she take their money? Everyone in the neighborhood is cashing in on her 15 minutes of fame.
On the Levi front, a reasonably reliable source says it's true that Levi is doing a reality show. Which raises the question, what is "reality" for Levi?
SPORTING EVENT ... Earwigs with balls report former Mayor Rick Mystrom did a nice introduction of Mayor Dan Tuesday night at the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame event at the Anchorage Museum, followed by silence as he realized Sullivan wasn't there. Mystrom covered by making a joke about Irishmen and bars -- the mayor is one and owns the other.
The mayor's office says he had an Assembly meeting that night and ran over to press flesh briefly before returning to Loussac. The timing was just a bit off.
SEARCH? WHAT SEARCH ...The retired general running the University of Alaska didn't think he needed to look for possibly better qualified candidates before appointing another retired general to run UAA? The new chancellor is Tom Case, former dean of the business school.
POLICE BRIEF ... Readers addicted to the Alaska State Trooper incident reports note that "on 1-20-11 Lee Leschper of Anchorage pled guilty to unlawful methods of taking game." Is that the Lee Leschper who runs business for Morris newspapers in Alaska on behalf of Georgia media mogul Billy Morris? Earwigs say it is. Leschper illegally took a black bear from a boat in a 2008 hunt near Juneau, according to troopers. The sentence was a $3,000 fine, $600 restitution and no hunting for a year. But what amused Ear is the judge also sentenced him to "write a story for publication concerning the importance of following Fish and Game laws."
Does the Juneau Empire have to publish it?
HOW CAN WE MISS YOU ... if you won't go away? Failed Senate candidate Joe Miller of Fairbanks (you remember him, don't you?) ranted this week against Don Young, Congressman for All Alaskans Who Voted for Him, because Don failed to alter his position on the Sealaska Lands Bill as demanded by Miller. The press release even said relatively nice things about Lisa, which was quite amusing. Anyhow, this has given rise to massive speculation that Honor Code Joe is eyeing Don's seat in the next election. (Oh please. We just finished with 2010. Give us a break.) Honor Code may be led astray by the fact the Darling Don beat now-Gov. Sean Parnell in the 2008 Republican primary by a scant 304 votes. He should remember, however, that voters were annoyed at Don back then for getting investigated for various shenanigans Outside. We're over that now.
LA-DI-DAH ... An Anchortowner's opinion was featured on the Editorial page of the Washington Post Friday, and it wasn't Don, Lisa or Mark. Jaclyn Sallee, president of Koahnic Broadcasting (public radio station KNBA), joined with Laura Walker, president of New York Public Radio, in a bylined commentary supporting funding for public broadcasting in the face of proposed budget cuts.
Jaclyn's family is from Kotzebue.
KUDOS . . . The January Chronicle of Higher Education says Haines has the highest percent of adults with college diplomas in Alaska, beating Juneau, the expected winner, 36.22 percent to 35.76 percent. Anchorage has 32.33 percent.
Compiled by Sheila Toomey. Find Ear online at www.adn.com/ear. Message Sheila at ear@adn.com or 257-4341.
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