SNEED

Tipsville . . .

A Leak leak: Sneed hears former Cook County Jail DirectorSpencer Leak is a leading candidate to replace the chief of the stateCorrections Department, Kenneth L. McGinnis. North note...

Ollie update: Iran-contragate's Oliver North is now living on a140-acre estate near Berryville, Va. The home was recently bought byFairfax attorney David Feldman for nearly $2 million. One presumesNorth, who makes $25,000 a speech, is renting the horse farm - whichhas tons of security. Helloooo, Noah! . . .

Scofflaw maw: Noah Robinson, who is awaiting sentencing onracketeering, tax evasion and other charges related to a plot to skimcash from restaurants he owns, is on the Cook County delinquent realestate tax list for owing $58,871.36 on property at 6315 S. CottageGrove Ave. Helloooo, Jimbo! . . .

Gov. Jim Thompson is house hunting! Word is the gov wants tosell his North Side home, but stay in the city - and is looking athigh-priced condos (for security purposes) in the Lincoln Park area.(Gov.-elect Jim Edgar has agreed to provide Thompson with bodyguardprotection - but it's not known how long he will have it.) Hellooooo, Ted . . .

Sneed hears Ted Lechowicz, who has been exercising his politicalmegamuscle while occupying TWO seats of political power (newlyelected Cook County Board commissioner and state senator), is gonnahave someone try to pull the plug on his exercise machine.Translation: A suit challenging his ability to occupy both seats willbe filed within the next few weeks. Former fodder . . . Bench press: Hmmmm. Former Ald. Lou Farina (36th) claims theSafer Foundation, which helps ex-convicts find jobs, has been delugedwith calls from judges and lawyers who've been sentenced and servedtheir time and now want to find work! "It may have to do with a lotof early releases because the prisons are jammed," said Farina. Former Ald. Cliff Kelley (20th) surprised supporters Monday bydeciding at the last minute NOT to file nominating petitions for arerun for his old seat. Basinger bit . . .

The spirit of Christmas: Actress Kim Basinger spent three hoursMonday visiting with the 44 boys at the St. Joseph Carondelet ChildCenter, 739 E. 35th. The blond actress, who shunned makeup andjewelry, gave each child a gift, autographed shoe boxes and dancedwith the kids! Basinger was "extremely warm, very, very sincere, andvery comfortable and genuine - and she said the visit does more forher than it will ever do for the kids," said center Director JimMcLaughlin. Basinger's next Christmas stop will be a hospital forterminally ill children in Atlanta. The Frank file . . .

Mama miaaaaaa . . . Crooner Frank Sinatra celebrated his 75thbirthday by giving free coupons for jars of his new pasta sauces tocommuters riding the Hoboken, N.J., ferry last Wednesday. Sinatra isfrom Hoboken. Ho Ho Hoboken. The women's room . . . Carrie Fisher, who wrote the somewhat autobiographical "Postcardsfrom the Edge," about a showbiz mom and daughter, is now at workwriting a TV series for her mom, Debbie Reynolds. Actress Margot Kidder, who was injured during the filming of thefizzled Nancy Drew TV series, was spotted wearing a neck brace andneeded help to walk - but had enough strength to dine at a posheatery and move her mouth. The men's room . . .

Actor Burt Reynolds, accused of helping to kill his film careerby putting all his buddies in his films, has talked pal Kenny Rogersinto guest-starring on a segment of his "Evening Shade" series. Itwill be Rogers' first foray into episodic TV. Sneedlings . . .

A shorts short: The white officer's uniform and three pairs ofboxer shorts worn by Richard Gere in "An Officer and a Gentleman"were auctioned in New York last week for $1,200. . . . Read my lips:A consumer tax watchdog group called STOP (Stop Taxing Our People)will be sending questionnaires to aldermanic candidates asking theirstand on future tax increases for Chicagoans. . . . Tuesdaybirthdays: Ald. Fred Roti, 70; Keith Richards, 47; Roger Smith, 55;Steven Spielberg, 43; Ossie Davis, 73, and Howard Frum, timeless.