Magazine Articles

Two articles written by Billy's daughter for the Chicago Tribune

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Article 1

Maite's first busy, busy week
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, July 1, 1990

Our friend Maite Petersen, a 15-year-old from Boise, Idaho, is spending the summer in Chicago. We have asked her to write about her adventures. This is her first report: I've seen and done so many things this past week it's incredible. I could write for weeks. I've seen two plays and a musical, two hit movies, music in the park and sat in on some excruciatingly boring theatre meetings (Note: Her father, William L., attends such meetings.) Yet after doing all these things I walked into the office not knowing what to write about.

Now I'm not exactly culturally introverted. Granted, I never had dinner with Shakespeare, but for being 15 and from Boise, I get by. The plays I saw were "Our Country's Good," "Dear Elena Sergevna" and the musical"Gospel at Colonus." I'm sorry the first two shows are closed, but you can still see"Gospel" at the Goodman and you should. I also saw movies: "Dick Tracy" and"Pretty Woman," both great.

To top it off, on Sunday while walking through the park, I saw something totally foreign, something that would never happen Boise. A man, of his own free will, set up speakers and a stereo system, and was supplying music to at least 75 people who had cleared a spot and were dancing! He was simply asking for donations. This is the coolest thing since ice. If this was done in Boise someone would be arrested.

 

More proof of why Chicago is such a nifty city.

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Article 2

A Teenager examines Beverly Hills
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, September 24, 1989

A couple of months ago, we sent our 14-year-old friend Maite Petersen over to the Hard Rock Cafe for a looksee. Living in Boise, as she does, she had never visited a Hard Rock and so we thought her impressions would be of some value to jaded Chicagoans.

Well, she did such a fine job that we sent her to Beverly Hills to see what she thought of that. (Before the editors get apoplectic, we really didn't send her, her trip was paid for-every cent of it-by her father, though she used some baby-sitting money of her own.) After much delay-writers, even young ones, can be deadline abusers-here is her report:

"Well, Beverly Hills is a far cry from the 'City of the Broad Shoulders.' I mean, Chicago and Beverly Hills both have broad shoulders, but that's where the comparison ends. Excuse me if this sounds biased but Chicago has... What's the word! Chicago has...broader shoulders! Things are a bit thinner in Beverly Hills. Like the steaks, the sweaters, even the personalities."

She wrote that she liked the swimming pools and the BMWs and said that she really started having fun once her 14-year-old friend, Erin Roberts, arrived from Boise:"Things really began to loosen up then."

"The Rod Stewart concert we attended was definitely a good time. The music was good and it was plenty loud. I mean, how can you beat the Hollywood Bowl? I had a great time! Except, of course, for the talent agent who sat next to me and slept through the first half. Then proceeded to tell me he really didn't like any of Rod's newer music, just his old stuff. Why was he there?"

She went to a celebrity tennis tournament "anxious to see young celebs and to watch 'old' dad (the actor William L. Petersen) play tennis for the first time in 10 years. Well, dad ended up losing 7-4 to Bernie Koppel (from "The Love Boat"). As for seeing celebrity jocks, well...we were a little disappointed." She went to Disneyland. "I mean lots of people, and long lines, and broken rides. Oh, and don't forget walking, walking and more walking. Once you fight your way through the people, though, and stand in line for a while, the rides are a blast, they even make it all worthwhile. And the food..the food is one of the greatest parts except for the fact that I was trying to lose weight and probably only gained some. Oh well! Beverly Hills was an experience, and it was fun for a month, but it was definitely not Chicago."

Good to hear, and she ended her letter by writing, "here's to fall and the Chicago Bears."