Palm Beach Daily News from Palm Beach, Florida • 1

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jj II I II I -1. I I Trump backs down on Chuck and Di 'memberships' "We haven't heard any response yet, but Prince Charles has been to Mar-a-Lago and I know he likes it," Trump said. ger were among the club's new members. But Ovitz's office confirmed this week that his membership in Trump's club was honorary, an offer from Trump. Trump did not deny he had enticed Ovitz and others with a free club membership.

"There's nothing wrong with honorary memberships. We'll probably end up with 12 or 14 honorary members," Trump said. Princess Diana are members," she maintained after the palace denial. Lost amid the regal flap over Chuck and Di's membership status was whether America's own royalty had joined the club. Merlin said superagent Michael Ovitz, director Steven Spielberg, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Wagner and his Hart to Hart wife Stefanie Powers, former President Ford and his secretary of state Henry Kissin bers who had paid separate "I don't believe they are honorary members; as far as I know it was coincidence they each joined," Merlin said at the time.

Buckingham Palace denied the reports. "This story is nonsense absolutely, utterly untrue. Neither of them is a member," a palace spokesman said last week. Merlin, however, stood her ground. "Prince Charles and this month or early February.

Trump originally claimed they both purchased separate memberships, jumping in on a cut-rate pre-opening fee. Since Jan. 1, the initiation fee has increased to $75,000. The status of the royal "memberships" has been a hot subject on both sides of the Atlantic ever since the story appeared in the Shiny Sheet on Dec. 26.

Trump's membership director, Katharine Merlin, had said the pairwere full-fledged mem By CAROL WRIGHT Dally News Staff Wrlttr Hoping to put an end to the royal controversy over whether the Prince and Princess of Wales actually paid $50,000 each to join the Mar-a-Lago Club, Donald Trump on Friday said he offered the non-couple honorary memberships, but hasn't gotten a response. "I wrote to them both offering honorary membership," Trump said Friday from New York. An honorary membership means that neither Chuck nor Di would have to ante up fees to join the private social club, which is tentatively set to open later Trump THE BOYS ARE BACK Phipps planner wants Wyett out of talks By SUSAN BEACH Dally News Staff Wrlttr Phipps Estates developer Dan Swanson wants Architectural Commissioner Allen Wyett off the panel when it considers plans for the subdivision including designs for the proposed 22 homes Swanson's attorney said was leaving a council meeting Dec. 13. Wyett, who is campaigning for the Group 2 council seat, said he spoke to Swanson about the project, but denies saying he would stall the subdivision.

Wyett excused himself during discussions on the subdivision's entrance at the Architectural Commission meeting Dec. 21 and intends to do so at the Jan. 18 meeting, he said. The panel deferred a decision at the December meeting. Following Swanson's council approval to remove the subdivision's entrance arch Dec.

13, Wyett approached Swanson outside council chambers on the rear stair landing. Wyett critiqued the plan and suggested a four-lane entrance road and the removal of pedestrian entrance arches, Swanson said in a Dec. 15 letter to Building Official Bob Moore. Swanson said in the letter he was "stunned" by Wyett's remarks because his attorney had explained it was inappropriate Please see PHIPPS ESTATES, Page 5 The Town Wyett Council approved Swanson's plan in August to subdivide the forestlike, 20-acre parcel of land at 450 N. County Road, owned by Susan "Phipps and her husband Robert Eigelberger.

Swanson received approval to carve the land into 32 lots. However, Phipps plans to retain 10 lots that surround her home on the property. Swanson said Wyett identified himself as an architectural commissioner and threatened to delay the project when Swanson fij UP Restored Wyeth house sold to trust and on their boat, he said. Shields helped them acquire the Mizner tower on Worth Avenue, their new Palm Beach home, which is already being transformed by the Kanuths. Shields would not reveal the property's purchase price even though it will be a matter of public record when the deed arrives at the courthouse but sources in the real estate community say it sold "site unseen" for $5.2 million.

Shields did say that it was listed at "a take-it-or-leave-it price." "They got their full asking Please see SALE, Page 2 By CHRISTOPHER KEIDAISH Daily News Business Editor It's no secret Gay and Bob Kanuth loved their 88 Middle Road home. Their pockets and their hearts went into extensive renovations of the main house and two cottages on the 2-acre property near the Everglades Club golf course. But they sold their dream home Friday for a "lifestyle change," said Frank Shields, the Kanuth's Realtor. Now that their son is away at Harvard University, the couple plans to spend more time at their house in Norway Daily News Photo By PATRICK EGAN Mike Haynes reinstalls the statues at Mar-a-Lago's main entry gate Friday after the 500-pound figures were restored by his uncle, Richard Haynes, Mar-a-Lago's artist-in-residence. The sculptures, which represent 17th-century pages, were created by Viennese sculptor Franz Earwig for Mar-a-Lago interior designer Joseph Urban in the 1920s.

Tennis 'Legends' will net funds for Hospice Norton to double in size with expansion A-M I TH major overhaul of the Marion Sims Wyeth-designed building since it opened in 1941. We essentially made a building that resonates with the character of the original but is a building of today," said Chad Floyd of the Essex, "few 1 and Owen Davidson as the Australians seek their second straight series victory. Rounding out the American quartet will be Dennis Ralston and Marty Riessen. The United States won the first match in 1992 in a squeaker. All three players expressed pleasure over the tournament, which has a Davis Cup-type format four singles and two doubles matches.

Gorman, who is the tennis director for the eight Ritz-Carlton hotels in the United States including the one in Hawaii said the date of the Hospice event here "is the first one I pen in my new calendar." As in past years, the three-day program will put a focus on the social as well as sports motif. Opening day proceedings include a cocktail reception and dinner buffet that will follow Please see TENNIS, Page 3 By MICHAEL STRAUSS Daily News Sports Editor MANALAPAN Final plans for the season's annual glamour tennis event, the Hospice Legends Challenge, were announced Friday at a luncheon held at The Ritz-Carlton with three former international stars, tournament sponsors and other well-wishers in attendance. Roy Emerson, Stan Smith and Tom Gorman represented the eight players who will participate in the three-day Australia vs. United States event starting Feb. 24.

All three had outstanding international tennis careers in earlier years. Emerson, a "bulwark on Australian teams that dominated world tennis three decades ago, holds the most Grand Slam titles 28, including doubles play. Smith and Gorman starred for the United States. Smith won the 1971 U.S. Open and the 1972 By JAN JOSTROM Daily News Arts Editor The Norton Museum of Art unveiled its expansion plan and kicked off the fund-raising campaign to support it on Friday.

The announcement was made during a press conference at the museum attended by Norton trustees and former National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Anne-Imelda Radice, who gave the introductory speech. The existing building in West Palm Beach will be renovated and a addition appended to it. The resulting building will be more than double the size of the existing structure. The monumental building will stand in the middle of a park-like setting landscaped with palms, flowering trees and native vegetation. The expansion will be the first Daily News Photo By SANDOR W.

SKLAR From left, tennis veterans Roy Emerson, Stan Smith and Tom Gorman are among the tournament's players. Floyd firm Center-brook Architects, the architect in charge of the project. The Norton has raised $11.6 million of the $20.5 million it will take to build the new museum and secure it with a $4 million endowment, museum officials announced. About $6.5 million was raised in Palm Beach. "Long ago we said that until we had half the money raised Please see MUSEUM, Page 3 Wimbledon crowns.

Gorman, a former Davis Cup captain, was a semif inalist in the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open The get-together will be the third edition of the rivalry at The Ritz-Carlton. The great southpaw stylist, Rod Laver, will join Emerson, Fred Stolle.