Monday, July 24, 2006; C03

Puerto Rican Triumph

An 18-year-old aspiring actress from Puerto Rico is the new Miss Universe.

Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza of Puerto Rico, youngest of the five finalists in last night's pageant, shared a nervous emotional hug with first runner-up Kurara Chibana of Japan moments before the winner was announced, then clasped her hands to her mouth in amazement as she heard her name called. She beamed as the crown was placed on her head.

Miss USA Tara Conner was the contest's fourth runner-up. Also finishing in the top five were second runner-up Lauriane Gillieron of Switzerland and third runner-up Lourdes Arevalos of Paraguay.

Conner was vying to become the first U.S. winner since Brook Lee in 1997. The Kentucky native wore a red-white-and-blue jockey outfit and cracked a whip during the opening parade of nations. Several of the contestants sported costumes featuring colorful native dress, including feathers, sequins, fur, massive headpieces and, in the case of Miss Japan, a samurai sword.

Awards were given for the most photogenic contestant, as well as for congeniality and national costume.

Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned her successor at the end of the two-hour telecast with a diamond-and-pearl-studded headpiece valued at $250,000.

"Access Hollywood" host Nancy O'Delll and actor-singer Carlos Ponce were emcees of the 55th annual pageant, broadcast live on NBC from Los Angeles's Shrine Auditorium in a homecoming of sorts for the contest -- the first Miss Universe pageant was held about 25 miles away in Long Beach in 1952.

Dan Quayle and John Mellencamp don't seem likely to resolve their political differences after an incident in which the former veep got offended and walked out of Mellencamp's July 14 concert in Lake Tahoe, Nev.

Mellencamp, unaware that Quayle was in the audience for the show at Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino, introduced his song "Walk Tall" by saying, "This next one is for all the poor people who've been ignored by the current administration." Miffed at the social commentary, Quayle, who was in town for the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, made a hasty exit.

"He decided enough was enough," Quayle spokesman Craig Whitney told the Los Angeles Times late last week. "He wasn't going to sit there and listen to this."

Mellencamp said he would still have made the comments if he had known Quayle was there.

"I still feel there are many people left behind by this administration," Mellencamp told the Times. "Not talking about the problems doesn't make them go away. It's kind of telling that he chose to walk out as I was doing a song about tolerance."

Singer Ani DiFranco picked up an award and dropped some news Friday at the National Organization for Women's 40th-anniversary convention in Albany, N.Y. The 35-year-old Buffalo native said she's due in February, and that Mike Napolitano , producer of her upcoming album "Reprieve," gets a co-producer credit for the baby.

The first musician to receive the organization's Women of Courage award, DiFranco was recognized for founding her own label, Righteous Babe Records, in 1990, after becoming frustrated with other music labels.

· "Spider-Man 3" won't be out till next summer, but about 5,000 fans in San Diego got an early look at the film Saturday at Comic-Con, the country's largest comic book convention (story, Page C1). So is this the final installment of the franchise? "There will be some conclusions, though I wouldn't say it's necessarily the end," said star Tobey Maguire, whose words were nearly drowned out by applause. "We're going to leave it open-ended."

· Will Smith returned to his home town of Philadelphia on Saturday for a march against violence. The city registered 380 homicides in 2005 and appears likely to top that number this year. "We're going to take this walk, hopefully draw a little attention to the problem and get some solutions," the actor-rapper said as he walked with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, in West Philadelphia -- the area where he grew up -- with local officials and community residents.

· The bassist for Los Lonely Boys was arrested Saturday in Austin after police responded to a disturbance at the Omni Hotel and found Joey "JoJo" Garza , 26, and a woman they say had been assaulted in his room. Garza was charged with assault, causing bodily injury and possession of less than two ounces of marijuana and released.

-- Compiled by Christian Hettinger from wire reports

· "Spider-Man 3" won't be out till next summer, but about 5,000 fans in San Diego got an early look at the film Saturday at Comic-Con, the country's largest comic book convention (story, Page C1). So is this the final installment of the franchise? "There will be some conclusions, though I wouldn't say it's necessarily the end," said star Tobey Maguire, whose words were nearly drowned out by applause. "We're going to leave it open-ended."

· Will Smith returned to his home town of Philadelphia on Saturday for a march against violence. The city registered 380 homicides in 2005 and appears likely to top that number this year. "We're going to take this walk, hopefully draw a little attention to the problem and get some solutions," the actor-rapper said as he walked with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, in West Philadelphia -- the area where he grew up -- with local officials and community residents.

· The bassist for Los Lonely Boys was arrested Saturday in Austin after police responded to a disturbance at the Omni Hotel and found Joey "JoJo" Garza , 26, and a woman they say had been assaulted in his room. Garza was charged with assault, causing bodily injury and possession of less than two ounces of marijuana and released.

-- Compiled by Christian Hettinger from wire reports