CLEAN SLATE: After being "stung" by a federal civil
rights lawsuit filed against the city (see THE DAILY, 8/17)
on Wednesday, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino yesterday "wiped
clean the disciplinary records of two City Hall employees
threatened with firing after wearing anti-Fenway Park
buttons to work," according to Amber Bollman of the BOSTON
GLOBE. Menino "ordered" disciplinary notices to be removed
from the two employees' files. Menino's Chief of Policy &
Planning Peter Walsh said that Menino "was shocked to learn
of the reprimands and immediately stepped in to prevent"
further sanctioning (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/18).
MORE NOTES: In San Antonio, Tom Bower reports that the
Spurs "are expected" to name today the joint venture of
Turner and Browning construction companies as general
contractor of the team's new arena (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-
NEWS, 8/18)....In Cincinnati, Dan Klepal, on Paul Brown
Stadium hosting its first football game last night, a flag
football exhibition featuring former Bengals players:
"Toilets flushed, beer taps flowed and fans cheered."
Klepal notes that "many fans came in wrong gates and walked
considerable distances to find their seats, but most were
happy once they sat down" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 8/18). Some
estimates placed the crowd at more than 130,000 yesterday
for an open house at the stadium (CINCINNATI POST,
8/18)....Philadelphia-based SMG has been selected to manage
the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, a 20,000-seat arena under
construction in San Juan. The $123M facility is scheduled
to open in 2001 (SMG). Also, SMG has been tapped to manage
the 7,100-seat Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln, NE (SMG).
