Quayle Visits Samoa, Decides He’ll Give It a Break

One of the advantages of being vice president, apparently, is that you can declare holidays. At least that’s what Dan Quayle did for the people of American Samoa. “You all look like happy campers to me,” the vice president, who was decked out in sweet smelling leis for his visit, said as he spoke to about 2,000 natives gathered for his brief stopover en route to Australia. Quayle had flown from Hawaii. Leaving the plane in Pago Pago, Quayle and his wife, Marilyn, were greeted by village elders dressed in sarongs and carrying long walking sticks. Schoolchildren waved small American flags and cheered as the vice president and his wife blotted sweat from their brows in the tropical heat. After encouraging the Samoans to pursue their education, Quayle said: “I have the power to declare this a holiday--you can have the rest of the day off.”

The people of Massachusetts are being asked to contribute to a memorial to a native son. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg joined Gov. Michael S. Dukakis in launching a statewide appeal to fund a statue at the Statehouse of the late President John F. Kennedy. “Now on the grounds of this Statehouse that he loved, Jack will stand among us for the ages, forever young, reminding all who serve here and pass by here of his achievements for the nation and his commitment to excellence in public life,” Sen. Kennedy said. Schlossberg, 31, the late President’s eldest child, said the fund-raising effort “will encourage and inspire” others toward public service. The eight-foot bronze statue, which is being created by artist Isabel McIlvain, will depict the 35th President in full stride with his left hand tucked into his jacket pocket. The overall goal of $400,000 includes maintenance and scholarship money.

First Lady Barbara Bush accepted the 1989 Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award at the annual Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation dinner in New York for her work in promoting literacy. She assured the 800 guests that she was fully recovered from her recent thyroid treatment, and added: “George said I remind him of Yogi Berra, who when asked if he had seen Dr. Zhivago, replied: ‘Why should I? I feel fine.’ That goes for me too.”