AS WE SADLY WRITE THIS STORY, a beautiful brunette, 25, daughter of a Cook County Court judge, is lying brain-dead at Illinois Masonic Hospital. Family and friends are praying.

HER USE OF OVER-THE-COUNTER DIURETICS, ingested by so many young women to prevent bloating, caused her potassium levels to crash, putting her in this deadly situation. “We try to protect our children,” her shocked and mourning father cried. “We fix their cars, get safety checks … but you can’t foresee a situation like this.”

RESEARCHERS AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY issued a warning recently that poison deaths are up sharply for women — unintentional poisoning from a dramatic rise in the use of painkillers, like Percocet, which they maintain are “tremendously overprescribed.”

BUT THE RISK OF DEATH FROM USE OF DIURETICS hasn’t been explored.

EACH DAY, IT SEEMS, WE HEAR of another celeb or star overdosing and dying: Michael Jackson, Casey Johnson, Brittany Murphy. Hard drugs and prescription drugs take their toll. But over-the-counter diuretics? Warn your friends and family. This must not happen again. There is death waiting at your drugstore. Don’t let there be more victims. Consult your doctors and your pharmacists. Don’t take chances. Just because you don’t need a prescription doesn’t mean products are safe.

AND SAY A PRAYER FOR A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRL.

A BITTER, NASTY DIVORCE is in the works for Ebony Mag heiress Linda Johnson Rice, whose mother, Eunice, died just days ago. Husband Mel Farr wants more than is given in the pre-nup.

ULTIMO, SWANK OAK STREET FASHION SALON, IS CLOSING JAN. 30. OWNER SARA ALBRECHT has new plans for the site, and herself.

WHO PUT HER TOWNHOUSE ON THE MARKET and didn’t even bother to patch up bullet holes in the bedroom or take down the wall of $20 gold pieces that cover an 8-by-10-foot wall?

WHO IS THE UNPOPULAR GOLD COASTER who invited 50 to a New Year’s Eve party and had only seven guests?

SOCIALITE CINDY BARDES GALVIN has opened a swank salon offering vintage jewelry, antiques, fine linens and more, called Maze Home at 735 Elm St. in Winnetka.

CAPRICORNS, those born from Dec. 21 to Jan. 20, work hard and are aggressive, but lighten up as they get older, reports astrologist Laurie Brady. They respect traditional values and build for the future. Beware, July can be a time of disaster, as it was for President Richard Nixon. In June there can be conflict over jointly owned funds or legal problems. Under this sign are: Victor Skrebneski, Beverly Persky, Rush Windbag, Mel Gibson, Robert Duvall, Nick Cage, Katie Couric, David Caruso, R. Kelly, David Bowie, Stephen Hawking, Dave Matthews, Ryan Seacrest and Ricky Martin.

OTHER CAPRICORNS INCLUDE: Tiger Woods, Cokie Roberts, Denzel Washington, Kate Bosworth, Cuba Gooding Jr., Carla Bruni, Susan Lucci, John Legend, Sissy Spacek and Jimmy Buffett.

NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE 100 Club is Joe Balasa, who formerly with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Merchandise Mart, and worked for mayors Richard Daley and Michael Bilandic. The 100 Club, which needs a new more descriptive name, perhaps something like The Fallen Heroes Fund, supports families of fire and police personnel killed in the line of duty. Checks for $25,000 go immediately to the survivors, and school needs, mortgages and more are often paid. On the board are stalwarts: Peter Fasseas, Denis Healhy, Martin Janis, Howard G. Kaplan, Jeanne Malkin, Rich Melman, James Mills, James O’Connor, president James Riley, Ralph and Steven Scheu, and new member William J. O’Connor.

ROMANTIC MAN-ABOUT-TOWN STANLEY HILTON gifted the women in his life with extravagant, lush floral creations from gifted Carl Davenport Designs. He’s been getting raves.

DIVORCE LAWYER KURT MULLER and wife Sylvia are home from a trip to Egypt.

COMEDIENNE DEBBIE SUE GOODMAN, author of Still Single and Still Dating, will do her stand-up routine Jan. 27 at CJ Arthur’s Bar and Grill in Wilmette.

TONI PRECKWINKLE HAS FRIENDS. The candidate for Cook County board president was given a fundraiser by the Lew Manilows, Roger Simon, the Charles Bentons, Hedy Ratner, the Paul Saltzmans, Roberta Rakove and others.

GEORGE HALAS’ GRANDSON, Patrick McCaskey, has written a warm memoir with Mike Sandrolini, Bear With Me: A Family History of George Halas and the Chicago Bears. This Triumph book, available for $24.95, isn’t a nasty tell-all. It is a love letter about his legacy from a gentle bear cub.

PHOTOGRAPHERS MICHAEL WOLF AND BARBARA CRANE have an exhibit in New York City through Jan. 21 at Aperture, 547 W. 27th St. Our Chicago is their focus, its people and its buildings. Dazzling.

HOLIDAY CARDS KEEP US IN TOUCH with folks we admire, and receiving one from TV anchor Joan Esposito and her kids, Ben and Thomasino, was a delight. We miss her presence, her smarts and that gorgeous face.

CINDERELLA OF WALL STREET IS THE PROVOCATIVE TITLE of veteran financial world survivor Lydia Fisher’s new book about her three decades with major investment firms in New York City. Harry Winston on Oak Street hosted a reception for the Gold Coast author, mother of two sons and now the wife of Francois Alouf. Her book is insightful and inspiring (she reared her children as a single mom), and she published it herself. Visit www.cinderellaofwallstreet.com for more information.

Lydia grew up in Chicago, graduated from Notre Dame, received an master’s from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School, and was central to the financial world for 30 years. And she can cook.

DONALD TRUMP IS A TRUE SHOWMAN. SMART MOVE adding our ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich to his TV series Celebrity Apprentice, coming in March. Blagojevich is like a train wreck you can’t help but watch. We shall tune in.

BIG DADDY IS THE NEW TITLE for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald since he and wife Jennifer welcomed son Conor.

DIZZY. WE GOT DIZZY JUST LOOKING AT THE PHOTOGRAPH of the amazing Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai. And of course it could not have been created without its Chicago connection — the respected architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

ACTOR VINCE VAUGHN MARRIED HIS KYLA WEBER, a real estate agent, and they are happily ensconced in their Palmolive building apartment. We wish them love forever.

EUNICE JOHNSON created the best fashion shows in the world: the Ebony Fashion Fair extravaganzas, with hunky twin male models, an emcee whose commentary was in witty rhyme, and the most stunning avant-garde clothes in the universe. And Eunice gave birth to Ebony magazine with her late husband, John. “I exercise every morning in my bed before I get up,” she told me. “I do leg lifts, stretching, for at least half an hour. It keeps me supple.” Eunice has died at 93, after opening up fashion for everyone, from Lake Shore Drive to budding fashionistas all over the country with her traveling fashion show making Yves Saint Laurent and Dior household names. She loved clothes and jewelry. Eunice wore her favorite, magnificent diamond necklace to her husband’s funeral and she never left her Lake Shore condo unless she was beautifully dressed. Her daughter Linda Johnson Rice adored her mother, and they were best pals. Eunice was a great lady who set the pace for several generations.

OUR PLAYWRIGHT DAVID MAMET is taking unexpected lumps over his Broadway drama Race. Rarely was a less than flattering word written about Mamet’s strong, exciting creations. But Race, about a white man raping a black woman, is too dated, a muddle, say some critics.

SEXPERT DR. RUTH WESTHEIMER will be the celebrity guest at the Jan. 21 Planned Parenthood dinner at the Sofitel Hotel honoring Alderman Vi Daley. Debby Herbenick, author of Because it Feels Good, will emcee the event that marks 37 years of Roe v. Wade, a milestone we will fight to retain.

INTERIOR DESIGNER JANET SHIFF is still reeling from the sudden death of her mother, well-known designer Joan Blutter. Joan had dinner at her favorite eatery, Hugo’s, and was in fine spirits. She died two days later.

EX TIME/LIFE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED PHOTOGRAPHER Lee Balterman, 89, is now living at the Kenwood senior center. Lee and bleacher pal Jerry Pritikin are in a Cub documentary Keep the Faith. Jerry will have an exhibit, at the Roosevelt University’s Gage Gallery, about his 50 years in the “cheap seats” at Wrigley Field. He was known as the Bleacher Preacher.

WHAT’S IN YOUR CLOSET? Vintage designer duds will be evaluated by Leslie Hindman auctioneers and Tim Long of the Chicago History Museum’s costume collection at a Jan. 21 Casino mingle at 4 p.m. It is for the costume council of the museum. What is your Chanel worth? Come and see.

“I’M LIVING IN L.A. AND LOVING IT,” writes singer/model Laurie Marchese. GOLFER JOYCE HEITLER insists she will not go public with her Tiger Woods experience. “I never went a round with him.”

WELCOMING 2010 AS NEWLYWEDS are Simona and Dennis Garcia, who were married in ceremonies in Transylvania and New York. Simona is manager of the Oak Street Luca Luca salon.

WHO CAME HOME AFTER TWO MONTHS ABROAD slaving in his financial world to find his condo empty, not even a bed, but his clothes still hanging in the closets? Underwear, shirts, sweaters and shoes were neatly arranged on the floor. His live-in lover left a note: “Thanks for the memories ... but I married your uncle Walter.”

OOPS! THE INDENTIFICATIONS ON TWO PHOTOS in last week’s column were switched. We hearby give Herta and John Cuneo their rightful faces and Mary Kay Touhy and Jeff Silverman theirs. How does this happen? It is often difficult to tell beautiful people apart.

“TELEVISION IS THE LITERATURE OF THE ILLITERATE, the culture of the low-brow, the wealth of the poor, the privilege of the underprivileged, the exclusive club of the excluded masses.” — Lee Loevinger

Mail news and photos to 5036 Fairview Lane, Skokie, IL 60077 or call 847-677-2232.

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By Susie Chang from Lincoln Park
Posted: 01/15/2010 11:53 AM

I would love to see the Town House with the $20. Gold Pieces imbedded into the wall! why are there bullit holes?