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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > June > 29
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Jewel-studded gala
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cartier threw a party Tuesday night to introduce customers and guests to its location in Lenox Square mall — a 2,475-square-foot space in the Neiman Marcus wing formerly occupied by the Pella shoe store and Mori Luggage & Gifts. The new shop, 50 percent larger than the previous one, is decorated in a muted palette and oak paneling with glass display cases perfect for showcasing diamonds, Love bracelets and panther-accented earrings.
“The store has such an elegant look with soothing colors,” said guest Aida Flamm. “Now, when you walk in, it’s almost like enjoying a fashion show of jewelry.” In talking with Buzz, Frédéric de Narp, president and chief executive officer of Cartier North America, joked that “I saved the best for last,” referring to Cartier’s Atlanta boutique as the final stop on his 10-month tour of stores.
About 135 guests quaffed champagne and nibbled on caviar as well as seared foie gras truffle on brioche rounds and mini truffled grilled cheese sandwiches, courtesy of A Legendary Event catering company. Among those enjoying the evening: Bridgett and Lance Weller; Cindy and Bill Voyles; Merry and Chris Carlos; Nick Gold; Kevin Knaus; Lynne Halpern; and Amanda Brown-Olmstead. A generous note: Cartier will donate 10 percent of any purchase made at its boutique through July 7 to the Michael C. Carlos Museum.
Day 2 of Star saga: View from ‘The View’
The daytime drama continued unabated when “The View” returned to the airwaves Wednesday morning, a day after co-host Star Jones Reynolds made an unscheduled on-air resignation.
Most telling? The ABC daytime chat show bore no evidence of its now ex-employee. Jones Reynolds had been removed from all of the show’s intros. As remaining co-hosts Barbara Walters, Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck sat at the familiar wooden table center stage, a solemn Walters led the show with the following announcement:
“This is truthfully a sad day for us,” Walters said, explaining Jones Reynolds’ absence. She went on to say that Jones Reynolds surprised them by resigning on-air Tuesday.
“The truth is, ABC did not want to renew her contract for a variety of reasons I won’t go into,” Walters told the hushed studio audience.
“We wanted to protect Star, and we wanted her to leave with dignity. But Star made another choice. Regrettably, Star will no longer be on ‘The View.’ … ‘The View’ helped make Star a star, and Star helped to make ‘The View.’”
After Tuesday’s show, Walters told the Associated Press she felt “betrayed” by Jones Reynolds’ on-air resignation.
All images of Jones Reynolds had been removed from the network’s media and viewer Web sites Wednesday.
The mud-slinging continued Wednesday morning when the ex-“View” host called into comic Steve Harvey’s syndicated morning radio show, heard locally on 102.5 FM.
“This is a sad day,” she told listeners to Harvey’s program, carried by more than 20 radio stations.
Jones Reynolds said she jumped the gun on the coordinated announcement of her departure because she felt it would be a “lie” to her fans if she’d held off until Thursday. And, she said, “Don’t feel sorry for Star Jones.”
Also on Wednesday, Jones Reynolds went on Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS-FM show in Los Angeles and said: “It’s a little shocking to me that Barbara feels betrayed. … My departure was orchestrated some time ago. … And while I can accept any business decision, it’s hard to make peace with the manner in which it was handled during the last two months. … If anyone should feel betrayed, it should be me. … Barbara didn’t have my back.”
The bad blood was expected to continue to flow on CNN on Wednesday night with a planned appearance by Jones Reynolds on “Larry King Live.” Highlights (?) from the broadcast will be posted on ajc.com.
Star 94 spins Dixie Chicks
Top 40 station Star 94, hardly known for courting controversy, began playing the Dixie Chicks single “Not Ready to Make Nice” Tuesday, the first station in Atlanta to do so.
Since lead singer Natalie Maines’ hostile comments about President Bush in 2003, the two Atlanta country stations, Kicks 101.5 and Eagle 106.7, have not spun a single Dixie Chicks song because listeners in research tests were so negative toward the trio. And though the act’s current CD has sold more than 1 million copies its first month, country radio has largely ignored the Chicks, with “Not Ready to Make Nice” barely making the Top 40 on the country charts.
On mainstream Top 40 and soft rock stations, the single isn’t doing any better, but Star 94 decided to give it a try.
“Star 94 is not trying to make any political statement,” Mark Kanov, Star 94’s general manager, told Buzz. “We’re not saying what they said was good or bad or right or wrong. The music they’re playing is good. People are buying their music.”
Kanov said, so far, reaction has been 75 to 80 percent positive.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Gary Busey is 62. Comedian Richard Lewis is 59. Singer Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls is 28.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Marylin Johnson, Morieka V. Johnson and news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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