Stewart's prison team loses decorating contest

Stewart's prison teamloses decorating contest
NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart, who built a billion-dollar media empire based on her holiday and home decorating tips, was unable to lead her team to victory in a prison decoration contest, a magazine reported. Stewart and a team of fellow inmates at a federal prison camp in Alderson, W.Va. crafted paper cranes to be hung from the ceiling, People magazine reported in an article posted on its Web site Wednesday. They lost out to a competing team that built a Nativity scene showing "pictures of snow-covered hills and sleds and clouds on the wall," the magazine quoted an inmate as saying. Each team was given $25 worth of glitter, ribbons, construction paper and glue to build a display based on the theme "Peace on Earth," the magazine said. Stewart was convicted along with her stockbroker of lying about why she unloaded shares of ImClone Systems Inc. stock in 2001, just before the price plunged. She is due to be released in early March from Alderson, then must spend five months confined to her home in Bedford, N.Y.
Reynolds, son face lawsuit
LOS ANGELES -- The former owner of a shopping center sued actress Debbie Reynolds and her son, Todd Fisher, for allegedly breaching their contract to display Hollywood memorabilia. TrizecHahn Hollywood said in a Superior Court lawsuit filed this week that it had signed a lease agreement with Reynolds and Fisher in June 2001 to house the merchandise at the center located in Hollywood. The company said that Reynolds announced in March that the collection -- valued between $30 million to $50 million -- would be moved to the Belle Island Village Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. She and her son also failed to make lease payments, the lawsuit said. TrizecHahn is seeking $2 million in compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages, the lawsuit said. Another company, the CIM Group, now owns the shopping and entertainment complex. The collection consists of more than 3,500 costumes and thousands of props, movie posters, photographs and other precious items, including the white dress Marilyn Monroe wore as she stood above a subway grate in the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch," the resort said in a statement. The lawsuit also names as defendants the Hollywood Motion Picture Collection and the Hollywood Motion Picture Museum, which was formed by Reynolds in 1972.
Paris Hilton's night clubopens without her
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The pink carpet was rolled out, the pink spotlights danced through the crisp night air of downtown Orlando, and everything seemed in place for the opening of Paris Hilton's first nightclub. Missing, notably: One pink-loving hotel heiress. Hilton arrived six hours behind schedule -- after many guests had left. At least she had an heiress-appropriate excuse handy. "I was in the Swiss Alps skiing and I got caught at the airport with all the holiday travel so I've been trying to travel for the past 24 hours," a smiling Hilton said after stepping out of a stretch SUV in front of the club shortly after 1 a.m. Friday. After her friends, shouting "WOOOO," ran out of the nightclub to hug and kiss her in greeting, she apologized for her tardiness. "I'm so sorry I'm late." Hilton's sister, Nicky, took her place at the pink-ribbon-cutting ceremony for Club Paris Thursday evening with hundreds of local officials, leading Orlando businessmen and guests.
Redford to serve on panel
NAPA, Calif. -- Actor Robert Redford has agreed to join the advisory committee of the Land Trust of Napa County. Redford, who owns property in Calistoga, spoke during the trust's "Feast of Eden" fund-raiser last year and helped raise more than $200,000, said Kate Merriman, development director for the trust. Executive Director John Hoffnagle said Redford was a good choice for the board because he is a well-known personality and has "outside contacts." Redford, who won a best director Oscar in 1981 for "Ordinary People," also will be invited to be the guest of honor at this year's fund-raiser. His screen credits as an actor include "Downhill Racer," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting." Other members of the committee include Kathryn Hall, a former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, and several executives in the wine industry. The nonprofit group's Web site said it protects about 33,000 acres through easements, property transfers and donations.
Today's birthdays
Author J.D. Salinger is 86. Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., is 83. Actor Ty Hardin is 75. Actor Frank Langella is 65. Rock singer-musician Country Joe McDonald is 63. Writer-comedian Don Novello is 62. Actor Rick Hurst is 59. Country singer Steve Ripley (The Tractors) is 55. Rapper Grandmaster Flash is 47. Actress Ren Woods is 47. Actress Dedee Pfeiffer is 41. Actress Embeth Davidtz is 39. Actor Morris Chestnut is 36. Actor Verne Troyer is 36. Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson is 35.
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