Witchery--Just for the Hex of It

The Halloween witches’ predictions from the New York Center for the Strange are worth a few cackles. In its 14th annual list, the center, which claims to be in contact with most of the nation’s real witches, says that in 1988 Lt. Col. Oliver L. North will open a franchise chain of military summer camps. If that’s not enough toil and trouble for you, the witches also predict that Michael Jackson will try to adopt Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. And the self-proclaimed seers didn’t forget that 1988 is an election year: They say the presidential bid of Vice President George Bush will stumble “when, in attempts at levity, he unintentionally insults both working mothers and used car dealers.” The nonprofit center claims to investigate and analyze prophecy and soothsaying. Lewis Scott, its associate research director, says the ranks of witches include a prominent TV newscaster, a Detroit auto executive and several members of Congress--but he kept their names under his hat. Other items included in the sweeping forecasts: A designer will introduce a line of lingerie and jeans under the “Young Bimbo” label, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher will appear in a Jane Fonda aerobic dance video.

--If the Navajo Indians and fashion designer Oleg Cassini have their way, you may find it difficult to get reservations at the reservation. In Washington they jointly announced plans to develop a luxury resort somewhere on the tribe’s 16 million acres in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Peter MacDonald, chairman of the 200,000-member Navajo nation, said of the resort: “Its architecture, furnishings and decor will have a base in authentic Navajo designs.” Cassini said he would not profit personally from the planned resort, which he believes ultimately could create thousands of reservation jobs. MacDonald said Cassini would offer his designs to Navajo manufacturers to make blue jeans, jewelry and leather goods.

--A Marine Corps colonel apologized after rain caused his band to shy away from a parade for the Constitution’s bicentennial. Col. R. C. McInteer, chief of staff at the Parris Island, S.C., Marine base, wrote the parade chairman: “The band could, and in my opinion should, have marched in the parade.” Chairman Victor W. Leger was reported on vacation and unavailable for comment. He had sent a complaint to the base commanding officer after the band refused to march in a rainy parade Sept. 20. Leger said he was told: “Marines do not march in parades if it is raining prior to the start of the parade; we do not want to get our instruments wet, and we did not take our raincoats with us.”