New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who wants to limit restaurant sales of sugared drinks to 16-ounce cups as part of his anti-obesity campaign, welcomed competitors in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot-dog-eating contest to a City Hall weigh-in Tuesday.
A July 4 tradition: Going to the dogs
Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, 28, who in 2009 set a record at the Coney Island boardwalk for devouring 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, stood 6-foot-1 and weighed 210 pounds. The female record-holder, Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, 44, who has consumed 41, tipped the scales at 100 pounds on her 5-foot-5 frame.
Bloomberg, 70, who has sampled the wares of several hot dog vendors in his 10 years as mayor, emceed the weigh-in for 29 contestants at City Hall Park.
On Monday, he touted a nutrition program that would make discounts on fruit and vegetables more available to food-stamp recipients. Hot dogs -- Nathan's says they contain 297 calories each -- are acceptable once in a while, he said. "There's nothing wrong about most things in moderation," he said.
Big love for Big Walter So typical of Big Walter Smith: The day after the veteran Twin Cities bluesman, 82, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last month, he was singing with his Groove Merchants in Marine on St. Croix. "He never missed a gig in 59 years and doesn't intend to start now," said his wife of 42 years, Shirley Smith. Sadly, Walter suffered a stroke at the show, and he has since been told that his cancer is terminal. He still hopes to make it to his gigs, though, including this weekend's Thunder Bay Blues Fest, an event he helped start. He probably won't be in any shape to perform, though, so his friend Jimi "Primetime" Smith has agreed to front the Groove Merchants in his place. An all-star Aug. 19 benefit is being organized at Wilebski's Blues Saloon in St. Paul. Thus winds down a 42-year run that started when Walter relocated to Minneapolis from Kansas City in 1970 for a six-nights-a-week job at Papa Joe's Northern Supper Club. A 14-year-old Prince used to join him at the Cozy Bar , and virtually every blues musician of note in town learned something from him. Shirley said that Walter is now learning something about all those musicians: "They're our extended family. He was in the hospital for five days, and was never alone. They're all coming to see him. We feel so blessed."
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
50TH A BUMMER: Tom Cruise had made plans weeks ago to celebrate his 50th birthday Tuesday with his wife, Katie Holmes, in Iceland, where he's filming a movie. But then Holmes filed for divorce last week. People.com said Cruise apparently left Iceland Tuesday for California.