Monopoly

AFTER A HOLE-IN-ONE, WHAT ELSE IS LEFT? Emil Kijek hit the first hole-in-one of his life. Then he dropped dead. "He was kind of happy, but he wasn't jumping with joy and all that," said one of Kijek's golfing partners, Morris Dumont. But then, at the next tee in Rehoboth, Mass., the 79-year-old Kijek approached the ball Thursday, rolled his eyes, said, "Oh, no," and collapsed. The cause of death was not immediately released. Kijek had suffered from high blood pressure.

A pattern of troubling behavior preceded jockey Chris Antley's violent death, police reports show. Antley was arrested twice on drug and alcohol charges, and his pregnant wife claimed he threatened her in the months before he was found dead, the reports said. The two-time Kentucky Derby winner suffered from depression and had problems with drugs and alcohol, which were evident in the reports that Pasadena (Calif.) police released Wednesday at the request of news organizations.

A Bensalem man yesterday admitted fatally shooting his friend with an arrow minutes after they sat down to play Monopoly one night in July. Marc Cienkowski, 25, pleaded guilty to the general charge of criminal homicide but opted for a hearing before Bucks County Judge Isaac S. Garb to determine the degree of the offense. Deputy District Attorney Lori Markle is seeking a first-degree murder conviction, which would carry a mandatory life term. The victim, Michael J. Klucznik, 31, of Plumsteadville, was found slumped in the driver's seat of his car across from Cienkowski's house in the 6500 block of Senator Lane about 1 a.m. July 19. His left chest and back had been pierced.

Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate Irwin A. Popowsky said yesterday that he will oppose legislation to deregulate the retail natural gas industry unless the measures include stronger consumer protections. "Deregulation of a monopoly industry in the absence of full and fair competition is the worst of all possible worlds for consumers," Popowsky told the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. Lawmakers are considering allowing residential and small business customers to choose their natural gas suppliers, an option now available only to large industrial and commercial users.

SIMON SAYS . . . The most terrifying drivers I have ever ridden with have been real estate agents. There is absolutely nothing wrong with George Bush touring Kuwait City. After all, Lincoln toured Richmond. Few smells are as good as a freshly sharpened pencil. The best way to break up a marriage is to play Monopoly with your spouse. It's disconcerting to hear an oldie on the radio that you've never heard before. If you thought frosty white was the "in" kitchen color, think again.

RE STU Bykofsky's column about the Democratic monopoly in the city of Philadelphia: Thanks for bringing this subject to light. But this is the city that elected a dead man and politicians under indictment. And let us not forget the politicians' call to vote early and vote often. The "nephewtism" you mention and the lack of work ethic has grown to the point of apathy and acceptance by residents. And this is in addition to use of supplies and vehicles by elected officials and city employees.

Tyana, 12, says she is going to be a model some day. The staff in her group foster home is helping her realize she is a lovely, worthy child. Though she is shy and reserved, her sunny smile and gentle nature shine through in her actions, whether she is helping the other girl she lives with or cleaning their rooms, picking out clothes or doing dishes when it's not her turn. She has made great strides in her ability to overcome the history of abuse and severe neglect she has endured.

PROTECT CONSUMERS - REGULATE CABLE TV FEES Ken Koford argues in favor of not regulating the cable television industry (Commentary Page, Dec. 17). Professor Koford feels that a heterogeneous and highly differentiated service such as cable television cannot be effectively regulated: He feels that a true monopoly exists only when there is no comparable product. He further argues that, because there are now alternatives to cable such as rented VCR tapes and broadcast stations, the industry is competitive enough and is not a monopoly.

Meet a real decoder Admit it. No matter how many slams from elite film critics it gets, you're probably going to go see The Da Vinci Code. (Unless, of course, you're in the camp that regards the Ron Howard film as actually the work of Satan.) In the film, you'll no doubt hear some of the arcane chatter about the early Christian church that author Dan Brown used to give his mega-selling potboiler a veneer of seriousness. Brown has claimed his book was "meticulously researched.

In the latest of his series of interviews with presidential candidates, freelance writer Scott Holleran talked to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah), now running for the Republican nomination, about health care, Social Security, hate crimes and monopolies. Scott Holleran: Why are you running for president? Orrin Hatch: I'm tired of the way things are going in this country. I'm in this to win. I can beat George W. Bush. I've got to raise more money, but I know darn well that I have more experience.