Regular readers of this column know that I have to travel far and wide across the East End to glean the latest comings and goings of our neighbors. It's not easy picking up all the tasty tidbits I lay on your gossip starved plates. It is hard work, but I do get a soul- satisfying respite in between all the galas, gallery openings and great grub I must go to as a part of chronicling life out here.

Dennis Basso. Photo by PatrickMcMullan.com

It's my secret addiction that I feel no matter where I am heading - or supposed to be – I look for books. Invite me to an opening at The Gallery in Sag Harbor and I must make a pit stop at Canio's to check out what new treasures Kathryn and Maryann have uncovered. Take me to dinner at Nick & Toni's and I'll make you miss the ultimate celeb ogle, the Spielberg clan happily ingesting Joe Realmuto's seasonal fare, while I pop into John Brancati's divine East End Books to soak up a little literary cum art appetizer.

Our office is just across the street from the Southampton outpost of BookHampton, the only chain store I, Jim Henry, and the Save Sag Harbor movement will tolerate. Once a day, I sneak off like a closet smoker to get a quick fix! So you can imagine my delight when a friend tipped me off to The Quill Awards which aired this weekend. Hosted by the very genial Al Roker and surprisingly active Hoda Kotb, just recovering from her breast cancer surgery.

The awards show, one of the best on TV, zipped along with much style, grace, and yes laughs, from the hosts, presenters and winners! And they did it all in only one jam-packed delicious hour! The creativity behind this show is over the top – imagine pairing the ultimate Goomba, Bobby Baccala (aka Steven Schirripa) of "The Sopranos" fame with diminutive - at least next to Steve - mystery queen Mary Higgins Clark! Clark glancing balefully at her co-presenter quipped "Crime doesn't pay but it sure does if you write about it." Priceless.

Toss in quick but literate appearances from such stellar lights as Steve Colbert, Joan Allen, Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York, Brooke Shields, and Mama's Meatball king Rocco Di Spirito and voila, you have a first class television event. Kudos to Quogue media honcho Gerry Byrne who created The Quill Awards and brought NBC to the table! Gerry, as you may know, is on the Board of our fave arts hangout The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center.

Since I'm getting all artsy, I also have to send congrats to a Southampton neighbor, Sean Byrnes, partner in business and life with the late Francesco Scavullo, who just returned from Greece where he curated and mounted a show of Scavullo's works. Sean worked side-by-side with the famed photographer who created the iconic Cosmo girl magazine covers when he wasn't shooting the famous and infamous. Fashion insiders have long known that it was the collaborative effort between the devoted pair that made the name Scavullo international. Word is the show, which has been extended, is the hit of the European art season.

Caught up with Furrier to the Stars Dennis Basso just back from a giddy, whirlwind trip to the Midwest where he added more honors to his wall to go with his Fur Man of the Year Award. Dennis, who has for years draped the likes of Diana Ross, Denise Rich, and Patti LaBelle in sumptuous skins, has recently launched a full line of knock 'em dead women's' wear that has got retailers smiling and planning their next vacation to St. Barth.

No kidding, his chic frocks are flying out the door soon to be seen in the best places from Monte Carlo to Bel Air. Time to break out the Cristal, Dennis!

Skipping the bubbly, at least for now, is designer Rachel Roy who is passing on the party circuit now that she and hubby Damon Dash have leaned they will soon be parents. Yep, Ms. Roy is pregnant. Soon, the couple's daughter Ava will have a little brother or sister to run around in Daddy's Roca Wear.

Unwelcome news is the recent split of social dynamos Patty and Marty Raynes after 24 years of marriage. Patty, the daughter of the late billionaire Marvin Davis and wife Barbara, has been up to her ears in the proverbial you know what and it ain't cotton since it looked as if daddy had looted her estate and left poor, poop, poor. Despite her breakup with the real estate baron Marty, she'll continue to fight her father's executors for her share.

Jerry Seinfeld, who's got every one buzzing with his new animated flick "The Bee Movie", has a new neighbor on Further Lane, Vijay Singh. The highly paid pro golfer joins Jerry and Jessica, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ron Baron as neighbors, has paid $9.5 million for a six-bedroom home on just over two acres on a private lane off the pricey East Hampton thoroughfare. The 7,000 square-foot main house on a densely wooded property backs up to the still-vacant 8.5-acre oceanfront land owned by Yahoo! Chairman Terry Semel and has a pool and pool house, but no putting green - yet.

Not doing so well in their oceanfront estates are our West Coast friends. The rich and famous of Hollywood couldn't escape Southern California's devastating fires. Production on TV series' were disrupted and stars traded their beachfront homes for shelter in five star hotels. Kelsey and Camille Grammer were among those who fled Malibu, the celebrity-favored oceanfront town that is also home to Mel Gibson, Cher, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Aniston, Mel Brooks, Ryan O'Neal, and more. Grammer made light of the evacuation for the sake of his kids thankful that they all – including the dogs - got out safely. Mogul David Geffen opened up his recently renovated Malibu Beach Inn to firefighters and rescue workers for free. Last reports were that the Grammer house was spared.

Sean "Diddy" Combs, who seems to be making a big splash on the Riviera and other European hot spots, is fast becoming a model Brit. Now hanging in London he's been checking out tony cribs in London's trendy Holland Park area and is supporting a top English soccer club. The hard partying entrepreneur is now hitting the booze as part of a partnership with British beverages firm Diageo

Diddy has agreed to take on responsibility for Diageo's Ciroc vodka brand in the United States, as part of a 50-50 joint venture with the London-based company that could net the hip-hop entrepreneur over $100 million. Ciroc is made from grapes in France, which is unusual given that vodka sources are traditionally starch-based such as potatoes or corn.

The booze 'n' beats partnership will focus on the "art of celebration," according to Diageo, a concept with which Combs is quite familiar as any of his neighbors will be quick to tell you.

Here's more from the improbable that just might happen…Heather Mills wants to be played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie of her life, but she wants an unknown to play Paul McCartney. Reese, who's been getting real cozy with Jake Gyllenhall, hasn't said yes, but hasn't said no. Stay tuned!

Here's a little book I'd like to pass along to some of my friends - without letting them know it's from me – a new book titled "Stop Dressing Your Daughter Like a Skank" by Celia Rivenbark who slaps designers and manufacturers for making and selling barely there threads for 6-10 year olds. Yeah, Celia

Seen Around the Villages

Harvey Keitel soon to be seen in the title role in "Jerry Springer: The Opera" lunched with his wife, Daphna, and son, Hudson, at Cittanuova in East Hampton. The smash hit musical and historic four-time winner of London's Best Musical prizes will play Carnegie Hall for two nights only on Tuesday, Jan. 29 and Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008.