Affleck stumps for Kerry; King addresses NEC
AFFLECK TO APPEAR AT KERRY EVENT In town to MC the Red Sox Foundation's luncheon tomorrow, actor Ben Affleck is now expected to make a stop by Senator John Kerry's fund-raising event tomorrow night, which conveniently starts after the afternoon events and before the game starts at Fenway. Also, this week the presumptive Democratic nominee is beginning a campus tour called "Change Starts with U" that promises to include celebs and notables like the band Guster stumping with Kerry in New Hampshire today and rocker Jon Bon Jovi closing out the week with Kerry in Pittsburgh.
MAKING THEIR PITCH(ES) Over at the Rasky/Baerlein Group, a Boston public relations company, last Friday's home opener for the Red Sox was one in a series of opening days. In addition to doing work with the hometown team, Larry Rasky and Joe Baerlein & Co. rep the new Dodgers owners, Boston developer Frank McCourt, and his wife, Jamie, who as vice chairman of the team is baseball's highest-ranking female executive. Joining the McCourts on opening day in LA last week were Rasky and Baerlein; the United Way's Marian Heard; Richard Schmalensee, dean of MIT Sloan School; Gary Ross, the writer, producer, and director of the movie "Seabiscuit"; and director Rob Reiner. Also on hand for the Dodgers' home opener were Boston power brokers turned LA power couple Bill Bratton, LA chief of police, and his wife, lawyer and TV commentator Rikki Klieman. But Rasky/Baerlein still has one more to go -- today's home opener for the Philadelphia Phillies in the new Citizens Bank Park. President Bush is slated to attend today's game.
STOUT SALES A new book by Glenn Stout, author of the bestseller "Red Sox Century," about the massive cleanup of the World Trade Center site as seen through the eyes of two construction workers, was sold to Scribner. John Taylor "Ike" Williams of Boston's Fish & Richardson sold the book to Scribner editor in chief Nan Graham in a "preempt" deal -- which to the rest of us means they made Stout a deal he couldn't pass up.
KING TO ADDRESS CONSERVATORY The New England Conservatory has lined up one of its most distinguished grads to deliver this year's commencement address. Coretta Scott King, widow of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., will give the keynote address May 13 at Jordan Hall. A 1954 NEC grad, King gave the commencement address once before, in 1971, when she received an honorary degree. Among this year's honorary degree recipients are flutist Doriot Anthony Dwyer, drummer Roy Haynes, violinist Robert Mann, and composer Thea Musgrave. . . . Over at Boston College, it will be "Meet the Press" moderator and NBC News Washington bureau chief Tim Russert who delivers the college's 128th commencement address. Russert will receive one of five honorary degrees.
ORFALY GETS NATIONAL NOD Food & Wine magazine has dubbed Marc Orfaly, chef/co-owner of Pigalle, one of its 2004 best new chefs. Orfaly, whose Theater District restaurant is known for rustic French fare, is 33 and began his career cooking for Todd English at Olives. Two other New Englanders, Rob Evans of Hugo's in Portland and Graham Elliot Bowles of the Jackson House Inn in Woodstock, Vt., also made the magazine's list of 10 up-and-coming chefs.
TRAVAGLINI HONORED Search For A Cure, Boston's HIV treatment education and advocacy agency, honored Robert Travaglini this week with its eighth annual Peter Medoff Award. The Senate president was recognized for his "unwavering commitment to ensuring funding for Masschusetts residents' access to low cost and free HIV medications." Mayor Tom Menino was the guest speaker at the event at Jim Apteker's newly renovated Bay Tower Room, and a slew of politicos showed up, including City Council President Mike Flaherty; city councilors Maura Hennigan, Mike Ross, Chuck Turner, and Felix Arroyo; former councilor Mike McCormack; state Senator Steve Tolman; state representative Frank Smizik; City Clerk Rosaria Salerno; Cambridge mayor Michael Sullivan; and Cambridge City Councilor Ken Reeves.
Alison Arnett of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.
