Sunday, March 14, 1999
Gifts say 'merci' to big-bell makers
BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
OK, we give up. What do you give to the mayor of the city that gave you the world's largest swinging bell?
The world's largest earplug?
Don't know, but Jennifer Frutkin does. She's executive director of the Greater Cincinnati 2000 Commission and the woman in charge of delivering a gift when close to 50 Tristaters head to France.
They're going for a March 20 celebration in Nantes, home of La Fonderie de l'Atlantique, the foundry that cast the World Peace Bell. The bell will be on display for the first time at the celebration.
Said bell, recall, will go up in Newport where it will swing 'n' ring for the first time Dec. 31. (It will be gonged, or maybe dinged, March 20, but won't swing.)
And Frutkin, well, she'll go bearing gifts for Jean-Marc Ayrault, mayor of Nantes.
“One thing I have is a resolution signed by the mayors of Cincinnati, Newport and Covington honoring Nantes and proclaiming March 20 Nantes Day in the Tristate.
“But I also wanted something fun — that really says Cincinnati.” So, she has a Reds jersey with the number 2000 and a bunch of other sports memorabilia. Oh, and one of the pink flying pig squeeze toys they're using to promote the Flying Pig Marathon.
RACK OF ROO: Oh, so that's what chefs do when they aren't cooking. Wear kangaroo suits and terrorize dinner parties.
It begins in Anderson when Jim Sattler and Leigh Orlov decide to throw a dinner party for Jean-Claude Vassalle, assistant maitre'd at the Maisonette, and wife, Robin. Sattler asked Vassalle if there was something he had never eaten but would like.
Kangaroo, he said. Sattler, known to be a remarkable cook, ordered same (a friend in the meat business ordered it from Australia) and whipped up rack of roo for 10 guests.
Oh, the guest list. Two guests were Donna and Dennis Speigel(he owns International Theme Park Services). Both are notorious practical jokers. But maybe this time they would behave, 'eh?
No.
What they did was get South Beach Grill chef Jimmy Gibson to dress in a kangaroo suit and crash the party.
He hopped around handing out hamburgers and fliers saying Just Say No To Kangaroast.
Only after 10 minutes did Gibson, a friend of all the guests, take the head off and reveal himself.
And the food? “Unbelievable. One of the four or five best meals I've ever had,” Speigel says.
WELCOME BACK: Well now, here's a sign you did well: The minute the run ends, they ask you back for next year.
That's what happened to Kirven Jackson. Remember him? He's the local actor who starred in Jackie Robinson: MVP at Lexington Children's Theater for most of February and part of March.
He also teaches at Mount Notre Dame High School, where he's track coach, newspaper adviser and drama coordinator. So he has been leaving home weekdays at 5:45 a.m. to be in Lexington from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., then dashing home for track practice (the school had subs cover his classes).
That's plenty of miles on his two Camaros, but “only one ticket the whole time,” he says.
Anyway, Children's Theater was so happy with his work as Jackie Robinson they've asked him back for next year.
“I don't know what the play is and I don't know how big a part I'd have, but I'll certainly consider it. Even with the driving, this has been too much fun.”
Psst! appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Have an item to re
port? Call Jim Knippenberg at 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
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