Mom is No. 1 'Nate Berkus' fan

Those "Nate Berkus Show" PR people have nothing on the indefatigable promotional work being done by Berkus' mom, Nancy Golden.

His syndicated show, which debuted last week, airs in Las Vegas, where she and her husband live when they're not in Minnesota, "at 1:30 a.m.," she said incredulously on Friday.

"Have you ever? Trust me, I've talked to the higher-up [at the local CBS station]. They are planning to put him in Oprah's spot when she's gone, but she's on air for another year."

In other PR work, Golden has shot a series of promos for FOX 9 about Berkus, who grew up in suburban Minneapolis.

Now the owner of a Chicago design firm, Berkus started early: "He would go to consignment stores and have them hold things for me. I'm talking about when he was 11 years old, he would walk in and say, Do you have any new designer things? I want to bring my Mom in. He was kind of my personal shopper."

Berkus is not open to all his mom's promotional activities. "For his first taping in New York, I brought 17 of my girlfriends. The picture of us is on his blog [thenateshow.com/blogs/?contributor=16]," said Golden, herself a former DIY show host and former Twin Cities interior designer for 32 years who now hand-makes one-of-a-kind leather jewelry.

"When all this fell into place and I said, 'Oh my God, oh my God, you're going to have your own show! I've got friends in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Minnesota, we're all going to come.' He said, Mother, if you think my first show is going to be 100 Jewish housewives, it's not going to happen."

"That's a really cute idea," said Golden. "I think it would be cute if they were people he worked at Dayton's with or he went to camp with, high school or Ski Jammers. Maybe that's kind of an anniversary idea."

Although Nancy and Marshall Golden are already ensconced in Nevada for the winter, she'll be in Minnesota more than usual in the coming months. There are three weddings; she'll be showcasing Goldenwear jewelry at the Maiden Minnesota 2010 event, and her nephew, Geordy Levin, who happens to have autism, will be playing himself in the play "Autistic License," written by his mom, Stacey Dinner-Levin.

No plans for Berkus to be around for any of these events because he's rather busy in NYC.

Bushes in Rochester

Former President George H.W. Bush was making his way through Victoria's Ristorante in Rochester when "He looked at Howard and said Howdy," Melinda Jacobs said.

Jacobs said Secret Service agents -- and she was pleased that some of them were women -- were hanging back and letting H.W. mingle.

Jacobs said she didn't see Barbara Bush, but Jeff Kiger, writing for Postbulletin.com, said the Bushes were in town for annual checkups and a private event.

Off on another adventure

"I know there are things out there that can happen if I show up," said KARE 11 reporter Scott Goldberg.

Beginning Sept. 24, Goldberg's going to see if he can find out what those things are as he leaves KARE 11 after seven and a half years.

"Awesome as that experience was, I came here as a freelancer in 2003, Tom [Lindner, the news director] took a chance on me, and look what's happened. It's been incredible. I feel it's time to try something new."

Goldberg said he's "happily married and staying married" to his wife of three years, Lindsay Hanson, a political and public affairs consultant. They have no kids, so now is the time for career thrill-seeking. I wish him well.