newsmakers

newsmakers

Snooki payment irritates lawmaker

TRENTON, N.J.

One New Jersey lawmaker doesn’t think reality-TV star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is worth the $32,000 she was paid to dish her GTL — gym, tanning, laundry — lifestyle at Rutgers University. State Sen. Joe Kyrillos said students attending public colleges shouldn’t be required to fund entertainment they find objectionable through mandatory activity fees.

Snooki last week was paid $2,000 more than the $30,000 the university is paying Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison to deliver the commencement address.

The Republican lawmaker said he plans to sponsor legislation allowing students to opt into campus events requiring a fee.

Trump buys winery at foreclosure sale

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.

Donald Trump has bought a Virginia vineyard at a foreclosure auction and wants to produce wines. Media outlets report that representatives for Trump bought the winery Thursday and Trump is in talks with former owners William Moses and Patricia Kluge about running the operation.

Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyards in Charlottesville was put up for sale by a creditor bank.

Preliminary estimates indicate the property sold for less than $7.5 million before any fees. It was estimated to be worth more than $70 million before the recession.

Royal bride’s virginity no longer an issue

LONDON

In 1981, Princess Diana’s uncle made a public statement before her royal wedding to clear up The Question: Yes, she was a virgin.

What a difference a generation makes. Today, few people seem the least bit concerned that Prince William and Kate Middleton, set to wed this month, have been living together off and on since their university days.

The modern-day tolerance of William and Middleton’s living arrangements, many say, just brings the House of Windsor in line with the times.

Part of the change may have to do with the very public infidelities that played out in the disastrous marriage of Charles and Diana, which rocked the royal family to its core.

Detroit Symphony ratifies contract

DETROIT

A contentious six-month strike effectively ended Friday after musicians who agreed to pay cuts ratified a new contract with Detroit Symphony Orchestra management.

The American Federation of Musicians finished counting votes early in the afternoon on the tentative deal reached after marathon weekend negotiations.

An orchestra musician, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement’s terms haven’t been released publicly, told The Associated Press this week the minimum starting salary in the first year of the three-year contract will be $71,080 — $33,000 less than before.

The minimum salary rises in subsequent years, ending at $74,600.

Associated Press