Clothes Still Make the Man--Even if He’s a Big Fish

The best fish story of the summer so far comes from Pennsylvania Gov. Robert P. Casey, who discovered he hadn’t made as big a splash as he thought. In Hamlin, in Pennsylvania’s rural Wayne County, the governor entered a small bait shop near Lake Ariel and tried to buy a fishing license. Dressed in fishing togs, the governor carried no wallet--a state trooper chauffeuring him waited outside in the car. “Are you a Pennsylvania resident?” demanded the clerk. Yes. “You got a driver’s license?” No. “A voter’s card? Anything?” No. Finally the trooper came in and vouched for Casey. The clerk reluctantly issued the license, saying: “I’m going to make an exception in your case.”

--Her stage name was Zippy. She has a Clio award for commercial work and an Emmy. She has appeared in a number of rock videos and visited David Letterman on his show. But now, at age 8 (40 to 50 in human years), Jade the chimpanzee is retiring. She arrived this week at a sanctuary near San Antonio, Primarily Primates Inc., a private facility that cares for aging animals that can no longer live among humans. “I thought she would be in a period of mourning,” said Jade’s owner, Beverly Krevens of New York, “but she immediately took to it. She started running and climbing all over.”

--And a different kind of “animal house” is out, as far as one college fraternity is concerned. Zeta Beta Tau next month will be among national fraternities to eliminate hazing and ban fraternity funding for alcohol. “It’s not easy to implement, it may be painful, but nevertheless it’s an idea we felt should be followed through,” said ZBT executive director James E. Greer Jr., a Class of ’64 ZBT from Cal State Long Beach. The fraternity, with 5,000 members nationally, wants to eliminate heavy drinking, harassment of pledges and other activities reminiscent of the fraternity boys in the John Belushi film, “Animal House.” “We’ve had letters and phone calls from alumni, calling this a break with tradition, saying they don’t understand,” Greer said. “But overall it’s been more positive than negative.” He added: “We’re dealing with a smarter, more savvy freshman.”