Ronald McDonald waves to the crowd during the 2010 St. Patrick's Day Parade on Columbus Drive. (William DeShazer/Tribune)

From Bloomberg News | As McDonald’s Corp. morphs into a more upscale chain, there’s one person you won’t see munching salads, sipping a cappuccino and surfing the Web: Ronald McDonald, age 48.

While Ronald still plays an ambassador role, he isn’t tied to the menu, says spokeswoman Danya Proud. Even as mascots like Burger King’s King shill on TV and the Web, Ronald has ceded the limelight to budding singers and dancers who sell mochas and frappes — not Happy Meals. | Get the full story>>