Inqlings: Lamaine heads into the sunset

Tom Lamaine

says he couldn't have scripted his retirement better. Today at noon, he'll do his final weather report on CBS3, his home of about 39 years.

The station likely will bring him on the 4 p.m. news for more goodbyes.

If some coworkers' forecasts come true, we have not seen the last of Lamaine, 68, who got a parachute as one of several CBS workers retiring during budget cuts.

Lamaine, an Atlantic City native who built a home on almost the exact spot where he grew up, says he's looking forward to more beach time: "I'll chill for a while, but if something comes along, I may take it."

Much has come along to Lamaine. Before starting with highs and lows full time in 1983 at Channel 3, he anchored sports. And more highs and lows. The 76ers' 9-73 lowlight year in 1972-73 was bookended by the team's title in 1983 - the last championship win by a major-four Philly sports team.

"Billy Penn wasn't the curse," he said yesterday. "I was."

Shortly after joining Channel 3, he joined WIP (610) as a DJ and announcer, so for about 14 years, he had two jobs. Three, if you count his Sixers and Flyers work.

Lamaine got into weather one late summer night in 1979 when management asked him to cover the 11 p.m. shift because the station had sent weatherguy

Joe Witte

to Florida to report on Hurricane David.

Rationale, he says: "You were a Navy pilot."

He gave up WIP in 1984. His last song played:

Gordon Lightfoot

's "Carefree Highway."

Lamaine's departure follows that of reporter

Dick Standish

, who left CBS3 early this month after 29 years on TV and 12 years before that on radio.

Philly's longest-serving TV newsie is NBC10's

Edie Huggins

, who joined WCAU in 1966 and on Sept. 13 will receive the Board of Governors' Award from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) during the Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards banquet.

Next in seniority is CBS3 reporter

Robin Mackintosh

, who started on camera in 1970 after three years at KYW (1060). He'll retire in July as wife

Barbara

retires as a teacher.

Next in town is NBC10 anchor

Terry Ruggles

, who started in 1974, followed by 6ABC reporter

Cathy Gandolfo

, who started at WPVI (Channel 6) in 1975, the year before anchor

Jim Gardner

and reporter

Vernon Odom

began. NBC10's

John Blunt

also started in 1976.

Meteorologist

Carol Erickson

was at Channel 3 from 1978 to 1984 and returned in 1991; reporter

Walt Hunter

is continuous from 1980.

Van Halen

stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel for most of two weeks, using it as a posh "Jump"-off point for shows in Atlantic City, East Rutherford, N.J., Baltimore and Hershey. The band left Tuesday.

Mike Missanelli

will do his WPEN (950) afternoon sports-talk show from Resorts' 25 Hours Bar in Atlantic City on Fridays starting June 6, through the summer.

Bon Jovi

will concertize at the Wachovia Center tonight after the Philadelphia Soul-Kansas City Brigade game, on the Jumbotron on tape delay from Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The first hour of the concert will be shown at 11:15 p.m.

Jennifer Aniston's

back was in view to fellow patrons at the Gables at Chadds Ford on Sunday as she dined on salad, mushroom soup, and sea bass on coconut rice pilaf with three others. She and

Owen Wilson

are shooting

Marley & Me

nearby.