Wedding crasher
Guests staying at the Woodstock Resort and Inn, the site of the weekend wedding of Huffington Post White House correspondent Sam Stein, got some unexpected VIP treatment Sunday, when “24” star Kiefer Sutherland held the door for about a dozen of them. The actor was dressed casually in a white V-neck T-shirt and appeared to be alone.
The inn, located in Woodstock, Vt., is known for its picture-perfect setting and golf course designed by leading architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. No word on whether Mr. Sutherland, son of actor Donald Sutherland and one-time fiance of Julia Roberts, was there to enjoy the links, but we hear that Mr. Stein’s wedding ceremony was lovely. Mr. Stein married Jessica Leinwand, a lawyer he met while pursuing his undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College.
Gered Up
On the subject of unexpected guests, we hear Hollywood hunk and Tibetan human rights activist Richard Gere made a stop at the White House yesterday. Details about his visit are scant, but we’re sure lots of “pretty women” on staff did not venture out for lunch, afraid they might lose a chance to meet the star of “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
White House rules
It’s back-to-school time for the Obama girls, and that means their mama, first lady Michelle Obama, has to impose her “school week” regimen again.
“During the school year, no TV, no computers during the school week. Only on weekends,” Mrs. Obama tells Women’s Health in its October issue, regarding the house rules at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
The first lady also makes Sasha and Malia cook, but in the White House’s cavernous kitchen, cooking is a far cry from a chore. “They do love to be involved in preparing the food, and when they have time, they work with the chefs to prepare a meal,” she says. “Dad’s office is just downstairs, and it’s rare that we don’t have dinner together. No matter what’s going on, he sets aside that time. Dinnertime is at 6:30 p.m., and he comes in, we sit down.”
We wonder whether the girls set the table and wash dishes as we used to do as kids.
Speaking of food, Mrs. Obama reveals to the mag that despite having a team of chefs and two daughters to whip up culinary delights for her, her tastes remain simple and all-American.
“I do love a good burger and fries,” she admits. “French fries are my favorite food in the whole world. If I could, I’d eat them at every meal - but I can’t. My whole thing is moderation. If I make good, healthy choices most of the time, then having what I love every once in a while won’t hurt. I have to exercise and eat in a balanced way. If I start ignoring both, I will put on weight. I am fortunate in that I’m five-eleven, so it takes a while for the weight to be seen, but it’ll come!”
Better watch your figure, Mrs. O, if you want to continue fitting into those evening gowns you carry off with such elan. You’ll be needing them now that the fall social calendar is in full swing.
We hear Mrs. Obama will be the honorary chairwoman of the Imagination Stage gala on Oct. 24 for the group’s 30th anniversary. The estimated quarter of a million dollars raised at the event will be used to support the organization’s mission of producing theater and arts education for children.
Secret fan
Melanie Oudin, the teenage tennis phenom who bested four Russian heavyweights at the U.S. Open in New York this week, has a not-so-secret admirer in former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who used to represent Marietta, Ga. — Melanie’s hometown — in Congress.
When we discovered this coincidence, we contacted Mr. Gingrich, an avid golfer, and he praised the telegenic blonde, who’s taken the tennis world by storm.
“Every Georgian is excited about Melanie’s amazing progress and looks forward to rooting for her for many years to come,” he said via e-mail.
• To contact Stephanie Green and Elizabeth Glover with a tip or to request event coverage, please e-mail undercover@washingtontimes .com.
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