Daily News from New York, New York • 310

CD A B.0E SCOHTO I L7 When a home on the range isn't Peking at our next embassador RUMOR IS ABOUT as hard to inspread as butter," quoted I ur U-l th the magazine Grit Here are some rumors, and we'll LfSw ft jr I soon know if they have any basis in fact All the talk in Washington these nights is about who will be our next ambassador to China or rather, one may say, who will be our first ambassador to the People's Republic of China? When the reopening of diplomatic ties with the People's Republic was announced the other day, everybody assumed that Leonard Woodcock, the current head of liaison, already in Peking, would become ambassador. Now haut Washington isn't so sure. At a certain dinner attended by Press Secretary Jody Powell, all the talk was that Secretary of Energy James Schlesinger will get the plum. Should Schlesinger take that slow boat to China, who will be the new energy czar? Another rumor has it that Schlesinger would be replaced by former governor of Masschusetts Michael Dukakis. Jody Powell sat there listening and didn't deny either rumor.

I 'l NE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES in racing, P.A.B. (Pete) Widener, is getting along just fine in Bal Harbour, after filing for divorce in late October from the former Jeanne Kelley of Miami, whom he married in 1975. It seems the freckle-faced redhead simply did not care at all for Pete's home on the range in the Big Horns of Wyoming, where he resides. They say there's an empty house waiting for Jeanne near the Bal Harbour marina as a peace offering but she keeps insisting she's homeless. Pete's keeping cool by fishing on his boat.

Jet Stream, and cooking everything he can lay his hands on in his apartment right next door to his good little buddy, Leslie Combs, of Spendthrift Farm, one of the most famous breeding farms in the world and certainly in Kentucky. Right, Leslie? Spendthrift Farm horses just trotted away with the Horse of the Year and Eclipse awards. Affirmed, for instance, was by a Spendthrift stallion, Exclusive Native, and will himself stand at stud there when the time comes. Champion sprinter J.O. Tobin.

owned by Bunker Hunt and George Pope, was sired at Spendthrift Ceroge Strawbridge's Cafe Prince was voted No. 1 chaser for the second year, -and we all remember that his sire. Creme de la Creme. belonged to Li'l Leslie Combs, don't we? Don't we? Hey, don't we? To get back to Pete Widener for about a second and a half: He's the grandson of Joseph Widener, "who founded Hialeah Race Course and brought in all that beautiful French Christina Onassis: where does it hurt? Lanson. In Palm Beach, major purvey ors of potables usually sell 70 to 100 bottles of Dom Perignon a week at S40 a bubbly hiccup.

Now the regulars are getting" used to doing without it, some even becoming Lanson freaks at WINDING UP: They rushed to wrap up filming on "The Amityville Horror" today quite a bit ahead of schedule. A party was laid on at the old MGM stage 26 because the movie had three children in the cast as well as their three stan-dins and Christmas is always more fun with kids around. Margot Kidder has been calling her own child, 3-year-old Maggie, every day SB per bottle. Even the rich don't mind saving a buck now and then, thereby making Lanson something like No. 1 on the Grape Parade.

What a cherry note in the face of inflation! GENE (KISS) SIMMONS gave a screening and party in honor of the Christmas re-release of the original 1940 animated feature "Pinocchio," and 400 of Beverly Hills- youngest at heart showed up at the Fiorucci's emporium, which was filled with pink Christmas trees, candles and evergreens. Cher couldn't make it, but she did send Chastity and little Elija Blue with the chauffeur. Jon Voight brought his two kids, and Karen Black and Kit Carson come with 2-year-old Hunter. Brooke Shields, Earth, Wind Fire and Sha Na Na were all there tocheer as Gene Simmons emerged from a puff of smoke in full makeup and breathing fire to introduce his latest disco hit, When You Wish Upon a Star." Just in case Walt Disney should groan in heaven over this new version. Gene made a serious speech to the kids about how "Pinocchio" is "your story and mine all our dreams can come true and Walt Disney has had a lasting impression on me." Since his nose didn't grow, the kids had to believe him.

Serena Rhinelander (Mrs. John Bruno) called Zoli to say she's ready to pick up her modeling chores right where she left off when her baby was born several months ago. Zoli said swell. When President Carter, French President Giscard d'Estaing, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Prime Minister James Callaghan meet on the French West Indies island of Guadeloupe on Jan. 5 and 6.

they will discuss political and international issues, of course, but it will be "somewhat of a social affair as well." With that in mind, the four lead- will 3fpnmnaniaH hu 4-tiAi, Margot Kidder: has her own Superman sister, Toni-ann fell out during a recent Hollywood dinner. Says mama Stallone, now Mrs. Machek: "It was much worse than you reported it. Toni-ann was smoking and blowing smoke all over Sly's fish. He's a health nut and can't stand that, so they eventually came to blows.

She gave him a karate chop and grabbed him by the hair. He can't stand that his hair is his pride and joy. So it ended in a brawl. But it isn't important We're like the Hatfields and the McCoys. In this family we fight to get our messages across to one another." Sly's mother is a brave woman.

She entertain at Yule with a houseful of her tempestuous offspring. Sly, Toni-ann and Frank Jr. as well as her two ex-husbands, Frank Stallone Sr. and the pizza king Tony FilitL and, of course, her hubby Francis. Jacquelin is giving each of her kids a case of peanut butter for Jacqueline made me laugh so much during our call, I almost forgot to ask if Sly's wife, Sasha, was going to be part of the festivities in Florida.

"I certainly hope not," said mama-in-law Jacquelin. DECKED: The Gotham Book Mart's special 12-foot Christmas tree, decorated with thousands of antique ornaments, is the number three tree for New York sightseers right after Rockefeller Center and the tree in the Metropolitan Museum. The Gotham is at 41 W. 47th Best-bet gift for those with one of America's 10 favorite names is the Tom Glazer-Demi Hiti "All About Your Name" series from Doubleday (and we 10 are Elizabeth, Anne, James, David, Susan, Mary, John, Joseph, William, and Katherine) Luchow's picked its Christinas fashion show date because Arlene Dahl advised that it was a great time to give a party. The beautiful one.

has just started taping her new "Star Scope" astrology show for Time-Life Giovanni DeSaverio, owner of the grand Gian Marino's, got his best present a baby boy named John Marino after his longtime partner who has retired to Miami Beach Anthony Quinn stopped off at Teddy's, now in a state of high revival. The star was going to spend six months in Libya for the movie "Mustapha." Manager Fran commented that Libya is an "isolated location." Tony snorted, "You with a restaurant at West B'way and Canal dare talk about isolated locations?" www on (Is that what fellows mean when they CQ a in Jody Powell: does he know? from the set of the. American International picture. Little Maggie is in Montana with Margot's ex-husband, novelist Tom McGuane. Meanwhile, Margot the Lois Lane of "Superman" is still seeing her own superman, Harrison Ford.

As for James Brolin, the other "'Amityville" star, recently I reported him separated from his wife. Brolia then graciously volunteered that he isn't "separated" but goes home every weekend to his kids on his ranch. At the same time, it was understood that the Brolin marriage is tepid. Now I get this report, that. Brolin always says when he is asking a girl for a date, "I'm separated!" Reminds me of the funny old story of the man trying to pick up a girl at the Beverly Hills Hotel pool.

"I don't go out with married men," says the girl. "But I'm separated," says the man. "I'm down here at the pool and my wife is up in the room." FIFTEEN ROUNDS for the world championship that's what'll doubtless happen during the holidays when the entire Stallone family convenes in Miami Beach at Jacquelin's house. The funny lady who is "Rocky's" own this, say-over story reported" here about how Sly Stallone and his Mme. Griscard d'Estaing: slightly social Mediterranean architecture.

Pete visited his sister Tootie Wetherill in Paris during the Arc de Triomphe this fall, but didn't fall in love. Too soon after the freckles. CHRISTINA ONASSIS broke her arm in St. Moritz, but that din keep her from flying back to Moscow and her Russian husband, Sergei Kauzov, for the holidays. Christina will be back in her St Moritz 'chalet early in January- but no word as to whether Sergei will be with her.

(Will he draw hearts on her cast?) ALONG WITH CHRISTMAS TREES and carols, that other Yuletide essential, drink, is usurping the season's news, especially in Palm Beach, where there is more entertaining minute by minute than almost any other bastion of the rich and sometimes social. Only a few weeks ago Palm Beachers were ready to put their houses on the market when that golden resort ran out of Dom Perignon champagne, a terrifying calamity reported by the nation's wire services coast to coast. The severe drought in Dom Perignon was a major crisis, but the locals, a hardy lot; rose above it. Many survived on TaittingerV- Blanc de 'Blanc while others settled or-tiie far less expensive ANYHOW, that gourmet gang that calls itself the Chevaliers du Tastevin served the inexpensive wine at their luncheon (Jim Kimberly of the Kleenex Kimberlys heads the gustatorial society), which featured such goodies prepared by the Breakers Hotel chef Roland Henin as gazpacho in ice, a whole poached salmon, a big cold tenderloin with horseradish and chutney, and rata-touille for all. The S8-a-bottle brew as also served at the dinner at the Breakers given by the Chaine de Rotisseurs along with Atlantic crab flambe, and roast beef laced with foie gras.

You've got to cut corners somwhere. Whv even th raviar Mrt BASH: Sue Mengers tossed a smart one in Hollywood where guests ogled the guests. Liv UUmann was the hono-ree. She was guesting with her guy Bob Evans before coming East to begin work on the Alex Cohen -musical. "I Remember Mama." At this particular party Pete Bogdanovkh proved heiis trying to- for- -got Cybill Shepherd Wttfr Colleen Camp.

at the Chaine de Rotisseurs dinner-, wag, I.