John Katsilometes on Pure no longer being the place to celebrate the upcoming birthday of Miss USA, Tara Conner, who turns 21

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 | 7:08 a.m.

Staggering news from Pure (is there any other kind?) is that Miss USA Tara Conner's 21st birthday party at the club has been canceled. The event was to be held this evening, but according to a Pure spokesman, Conner's reps called off the celebration for "personal reasons."

A former Miss Kentucky, Conner's erratic behavior has been widely reported by celebrity sniffs in New York. On Monday the New York Daily News reported that Conner was spotted drinking martinis at the Algonquin Hotel's Blue Bar there, and that she was overheard discussing her birthday party at Pure. The paper also made note of Conner's eviction Saturday from her room at Trump Place (no small feat, given that Donald Trump owns the Miss USA Pageant) and recent displays of frivolity.

Given that Conner's behavior is a violation of Miss USA rules (not to mention the law), Trump is reportedly going to make an announcement regarding her future as Miss USA, which today seems about as bright as that of the Stardust. If she is stripped of her crown, she would be replaced by first runner-up Tamiko Nash, Miss California.

Pure certainly doesn't need the Conner headache. The wildly popular nightspot is still hosting Jared Leto's birthday party Dec. 29 (Grandmaster Flash is the DJ that night), Nick Lachey on Dec. 30 and Britney Spears on New Year's Eve (when she'll count to 10 - backward - to usher in lucky '07).

NoteMart

More pageantry: Sashaying in sashes at tonight's world premiere of "Rocky Balboa" at the Aladdin will be 20 Miss America Pageant contestants, including Miss Nevada Caydi Cole. On Jan. 29 the pageant returns to the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts for the second straight year and will again be broadcast by CMT ...

Steve Wynn's holiday gift to employees at Wynn Las Vegas this year was DVD players. Those were given out Monday ...

Saturday's holiday party hosted by James "Bucky" Buchanan and his wife, Gianna, drew about 300 guests (more than 400 were invited and the turnout was knocked down because of wet weather, he said Monday). The celebration was taped for the Buchanans' latest push to revive the reality series "Las Vegas Law," which has been in limbo since earlier this year when Time Warner bought Court TV, where the reality series' first season aired. Buchanan and business partner Chip Lightman have hired Goodwyn Production Group of Las Vegas to film the series, and they hope a new "jazzier" series will be picked up by Time Warner. (More salty interplay between Gianna and Bucky would be pretty "jazzy," in my opinion.) If Time Warner doesn't bite, the Buchanans plan to seek other suitors. Also, Bucky and Lightman are still on track to take over the 35-year-old Coachman's Inn restaurant on Eastern Avenue and Desert Inn Road, probably around Feb. 1 ...

Spending New Year's Eve - and performing - at Flamingo Las Vegas will be an updated version of the Bay City Rollers, Leif Garrett, Barry Williams, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods and the Cowsills. That lineup is performing in "Original Idols Live!" Tickets are $59 to $99, and the show is one ... night ... only ...

A good guy with a good act who is struggling mightily to sell tickets: Illusionist Rick Thomas, whose show "The Art of Dreaming" opened at the Orleans on Monday (which was also the hotel's 10th anniversary) ...

I am no food critic. I am a food fan, though. And I'll just go ahead and put a plug in for the new Vegas Diner. The two eateries occupy the same locations where the 5 & Diners once operated, at 6840 W. Sahara Ave. and 8820 S. Eastern Ave. Someone in town might have better homemade cheesecake, maybe ...

In time for the holidays, the coffee-table book "Frank Gehry Designs the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, Las Vegas" at Las Vegas Art Museum sells for $29.99 ...

A reader reports an SUV (didn't catch the make) with its hazard lights flashing as the driver repaired a flat tire on Summerlin Parkway and a vanity plate reading PRAY4US.