John Katsilometes on how bringing Miss America back for a second date in Vegas is proving to be a tough proposition

Friday, June 16, 2006 | 7:22 a.m.

It's not easy to get a date with Miss America.

The site of the 2007 pageant to crown Miss America remains a mystery , but we do know that Las Vegas Events has dropped its attempt to be the pageant's title sponsor, LVE President Pat Christenson confirmed Thursday. For months, Christenson had been negotiating with the Miss America Organization to bring the pageant back to Las Vegas, where it enjoyed an action-packed week of pageantry in January.

The city's final chance to host the pageant in 2007 probably rests with Aladdin/Planet Hollywood Chief Executive Mike Mecca, who is reportedly assembling a proposal to return the pageant to the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts. The Aladdin was the pageant's host hotel in January.

A spokeswoman from CMT, which broadcast the pageant for the first time this year, did not rule out a return to Las Vegas. "We are in negotiations with several venues in several cities," Lisa Chader said Thursday from Nashville, Tenn. "The door is still open in Vegas."

One big reason Las Vegas Events dropped out of the pageant sweepstakes: The Miss America Organization announced this week that it will tape all episodes of the "Finding Miss America" in Los Angeles in September - meaning that Las Vegas would not be featured in any segment of the reality series on CMT.

"Most of this, from our perspective, was to look at this as a promotion of Las Vegas and what would be the best way to get promotional value," Christenson said. "We wanted to get the biggest and best amount of exposure, and the fact that the CMT reality series, that nine-hour show, was not part of the deal was a big factor. And also, Las Vegas would not be the title sponsor, so it was difficult for us to spend that kind of money, based on the return."

That kind of money is $1 million, which is how much Miss America was asking of LVE to bring the pageant back to Las Vegas. Christenson said that's 25 percent of the entire annual budget for all of the events LVE brings to Las Vegas, including the lucrative National Finals Rodeo and Las Vegas Bowl.

NoteMart

We hope you will enjoy the show! Yes, that was Sir Paul McCartney taking in "Love" at the Mirage on Thursday night

Taking a Ribbon: The 20th annual Golden Rainbow "Ribbon of Life" fundraiser at Bally's Jubilee Theatre raised $275,000 for Golden Rainbow, event spokesman Paul Spiers reports. That's an all-time high figure, and quite a lot more than the $11,000 raised by Golden Rainbow during its first fundraiser 20 years ago.

More than 250 performers from 29 Strip production shows and Las Vegas groups volunteered for the performances Saturday and Sunday. As reported, Siegfried and Roy could not attend, but a letter expressing their regret was read to the audience before Sunday's show, and a page in the program was used for a tribute to the duo. One particular highlight was a comment made by the members of "Dragapella" (late of the Las Vegas Hilton), who congratulated Las Vegas on "supporting great musical theater like 'Dragapella,' 'Avenue Q' and 'Hairspray.' " Of course, all of those shows have left town

Yardbird: Ex-neurosurgeon, chronic collector and former Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren is holding a yard sale from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at his home on 4300 Ridgecrest Drive (near Sandhill and Flamingo roads). Hammargren's two-acre back yard is filled with assorted Nevada-themed relics (a new feature is a few cars from the High Roller roller coaster that once wound around the top of the Stratosphere). He's calling his yard sale "Pictures, Posters, Portraits and Everything in Between," with more than 1,000 items on sale - half for less than $5. Hammargren's house is to be the focus of HGTV's "Offbeat America" on June 25 (repeats Aug. 14)

Trivia time: In the original "Rocky," which was screened Wednesday at a CineVegas Film Festival tribute to Sylvester Stallone at Brenden Theatres at the Palms, what were the Vegas odds against Rocky Balboa in his challenge to heavyweight champ Apollo Creed ? Answer: Balboa walked in a 50-to-1 underdog

Bang for your buck: Tickets are on sale for the Las Vegas Philharmonic's popular July 4 concert at Hills Park in Summerlin. Scheduled to appear are impressionist Bill Acosta and guest vocalists Juline Barol-Gilmore and Tod Fitzpatrick. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the gate; $10 in advance, $15 at the gate, for children ages 6-12. Call 895-2787

IP honors itself! Available Sunday are commemorative 30th anniversary chips at the Imperial Palace, which will be available beginning at 10 a.m. A total of 500 $5 chips, 100 $25 chips and 50 $100 chips are being issued. Maybe one of the chips will depict a vehicle trying to find its way around the parking garage (we are joking, of course)

Go Chiefs? Go chefs? Plate on a KIA Sorento SUV reads, GO CHFS.