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Updated: September 25, 2009, 2:16 pm	Share    Print    Email

Katie Couric and Barbara Walters attend the 30th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards in New York City. Photos courtesy of Wire Image

Southampton - Big congrats to Barbara Walters who was honored this week with an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 30th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards held at Lincoln Center. Katie Couric made a touching tribute introducing the pioneer broadcast journalist who broke the proverbial glass ceiling for women in TV network news.

When Barbara began her career few women could expect to get ahead in news, but she did. She first received national attention during her 15 years on NBC's "Today Show." In 1976 she joined ABC News, becoming the first woman to co-host the network news. For 25 years she served as co-host and chief correspondent of ABC News' "20/20," and has hosted numerous primetime specials, as well as the top-rated "Barbara Walters Specials."

She has interviewed every American President and First Lady since Richard Nixon, as well as world figures such as Margaret Thatcher, Premier Jiang Zemin of China, Iraq's Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro and Vladimir Putin. Her joint interview with Egypt's President Anwar Sadat and Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1977 made world headlines. Her interview have also included the greats of the entertainment world, including Michael Jackson, Lawrence Olivier, John Wayne, Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Patrick Swayze and many others.

In presenting the award, ABC News President David Westin stated "Barbara Walters is a true legend in television news," Westin said. "Even more special, she keeps on adding to that legend each and every day. It is an honor to present the Lifetime Achievement award to Barbara Walters, but it is even more of a pleasure to give it to such a good friend."

Katie seems to have weathered the storms and is really coming into her own on the "CBS Evening News." In addition to her network anchor post, she is regularly filling the pages of CBSNews.com. Now I have learned she will begin penning a monthly column for Glamour magazine. You go Katie!

Chevy Chase and Joel McHale arrive at The Paley Fest & TV Guide magazine's NBC Fall TV Preview Party in Beverly Hills, CA.

While we're on the newsbeat, I have to share with you some news about my friend Rene Syler, who you might remember was dumped last year as co-host of the "CBS Early Show." That didn't stop Rene who went on to write a best-selling book and kept her face out there. Several weeks ago, I saw her emceeing - in her inimitable style - the "On Our Toes in the Hamptons" event for Evidence, A Dance Company. Rene was showing off her new natural "do" - looking gorgeous. Now I have learned that she has just shot a pilot for Telepictures for a new show hosted by down home cooking queen Paula Deen. From what I hear Paula will have the role of the "matriarch" and the show will have a format similar to "The View" but with a focus on parenting.

Check out the new TV show "Community" starring the East End's favorite dinner guest Chevy Chase and hot newcomer Joel McHale. It's all about a smarmy lawyer whose education is deemed void by the bar and he is forced to attend a local community college with an extremely eclectic staff and student body. I'm not telling you who the smarmy legal eagle is, you'll simply have to tune in.

Here's some good celebrity news! Just as the big nations are fighting about the renewal of the Kyoto Pact regarding the effect of carbon emissions, a number of celebs have heard the warning bells and have signed on to use their not so inconsiderable fame to bring the warnings of climate change to the global community.

The darling of the catwalks from New York to Paris to Milano, Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen is putting her famous face and mouth on the line to take on some of the biggest threats facing the world - small issues like climate change and the destruction of our environment. Arguably one of the most recognizable top models of all time, Gisele has been designated Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).Though she can no longer be seen cavorting around the Hamptons with former beau Leonardo Di Caprio, you can expect her to be very visible with this new challenge.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director said: "Gisele is among a handful of talented individuals and personalities that have a truly global reach. UNEP is delighted to welcome her on board as a Goodwill Ambassador so that with her help, we can make environmental action a global brand and a life-style choice, from New York to Nairobi and from Sao Paolo to Shanghai."

At the United Nations Environment Program at Washington Square Park in New York this Sunday she was officially named Goodwill Ambassador. Looking gorgeous and barely showing her six month pregnancy (she and hubby New England Patriot Tom Brady are expecting their bundle of joy in December), she took to the microphone and accepted her new role saying," I have been working on environmental issues for a long time and agreed to become a Goodwill Ambassador to be part of a global and far-reaching organization. Mother Earth is our fundamental life-support system, and by becoming aware and responsible now, we can assist in preserving the planet."

Clearly, this is familiar territory for Gisele as she has indeed been involved with several reforestation and water preservation projects in Brazil for many years now. She also recently signed with AOL for a web cartoon series named "Gigi & the Green Team," about a supermodel who turns into a superhero protector of the environment. Art imitates life?

Designer Keanan Duffty attends the Academy Of Art University Spring 2010 Fashion Show at the Tent at Bryant Park in New York City.

I will have to introduce her to Bill Ulfelder, the newly appointed State Director of The Nature Conservancy of New York and his gorgeous Dominican wife Natalie, they have a lot in common besides their shared passion for protecting our planet. Bill's grandfather, a well-known explorer, was the first to map the Amazon River! And now Bill, wife Natalie and their five-year-old daughter are Westsiders as well having just purchased a lovely condo in Manhattan. Prior to coming to the Big Apple, Bill worked for the Conservancy, starting in Peru and Ecuador. He then spent two years as the Conservation Director for the Andes Region before being named Peru's Country Director. Later he served as Central Caribbean Director leading conservation efforts in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Hope you're reading this, Gisele!

A couple of fashion alerts for you gals who can't get enough but don't want to hock the family jewels to pay for looking au courant. None other than Jimmy Choo will soon have a line with H & M! No $400 to $500 price tags here so expect a stampede when they hit the stores. For those of you who want to emulate the hip school girl look of "Gossip Girl's" Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, you can do so without shelling out prep school prices when Anna Sui's show inspired line hits your local Target this month.

Fashion designer Keanan Duffty, last seen behind the mic for Plum TV this summer, is tapping into his inner rock star. His band with Earl Slick, guitarist in David Bowie's band, will be playing at the John Varvatos store in NYC on Oct. 1 with special guest Steve Conte of the legendary New York Dolls. The Slink Vagabonds & Friends show takes place at Varvatos' Bowery store at 9 p.m.

One last shout-out to North Sea Poetry Scene's Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan. The Long Island Writers' Guild (LIWG) will present the Suffolk County Poet Laureate with the Community Service Award at their annual shindig at Manor East in Massapequa. Mark your calendars for Sunday, Dec. 6, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tammy has worked tirelessly to present the work of Long Island, particularly the East End, poets and keeps the lyrical words alive. Congratulations Tammy.