One affair is just a false rumor, another is postponed

HORROR STORY It's not for a lack of trying that Alexandra Polier has been unable to determine who started that nasty rumor about her and a certain Massachusetts senator. Writing in the latest issue of New York magazine, Polier, a former AP reporter, tries without success to pinpoint the source of the story alleging she had an affair with John Kerry. (There are plenty of plausible suspects, she writes in "How I Got Smeared," including former Kerry spokesman Chris Lehane, who coolly denies any involvement.) In the end, Polier can't say for sure who spread the false rumor, but she did learn a little something about the media. "It was like a horror movie where the zombies are on the other side of the door," she writes, "and then the arm comes through the window."

DANCING WITH MYSELF Ordinarily, the shindig celebrating Boston magazine's "Best of" issue isn't bad: decent food and lots of people. But with the Democratic National Convention coming to town, this is no ordinary year. So the mag is postponing the affair, which was planned for July 28. "Initially, we were going to try to be part of the festivities," said Dan Scully, the magazine's executive vice president. "We really thought we'd get to that week and it would work, but looking at the official traffic reports . . . I don't think so." (The prospect of a big empty room also was a factor.) The new date isn't set, Scully said, but keep the week of Aug. 2 open.

OH, BROTHER Showtime has given the green light to a new drama called "Southie," about two ambitious brothers from South Boston -- one who's a politician and one who's a gangster. While Bill and Whitey Bulger may be the inspiration for the show, they're not the subjects, insists the cable network. Sure.

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Even now, three weeks later, Mike O'Donnell is getting calls about the Jewel show that his New Hampshire radio station sponsored at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in New Hampshire. "This thing has taken on a life of its own," said the WERZ jock and program director known as O.D. "I have the Star and the Enquirer calling me about it." The tabs are calling because people who attended the May 15 performance say that Jewel behaved more than a bit bizarrely, insulting fans, rambling about Zoloft and Paxil, and condemning drinkers and smokers as "sinners." "It was really strange," said Gloria Dion of Hampton, who took her two daughters to the sold-out show. "She played about five songs, and at one point said she'd had more fun at a barroom brawl. . . . It was bad, the worst thing I've ever paid money to see." (The week before, the singer gigged in Lowell without incident.) Jewel's management called her comments tongue-in-cheek, but foot-in-mouth may be more accurate.

HERITAGE ARTIST IN OUR MIDST An Irish-American button accordionist from Randolph is among 12 artists chosen by the National Endowment for the Arts for a National Heritage Fellowship. Jerry Douglas will receive $20,000 and travel to Washington this fall for a series of events, including an awards presentation on Capitol Hill.

BIG RED AND A TOUCH OF GREY At 6 feet 11 inches, Bill Walton may be the tallest Deadhead in history. He's certainly one of the most committed. At Walton's request, the Grateful Dead classic "Casey Jones" was played last night as the Hall-of-Fame center strode to the podium at the Sports Museum of New England's annual "Tradition" event. (Appropriately, Walton was presenting an award to his friend and ex-coach K.C. Jones.)

ARTFUL STAY For once, there were guests at the Eliot Hotel who could leave graffiti on the walls and nobody would complain -- because their art would be worth millions, or close to it: artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen, who were in town for the School of the Museum of Fine Arts graduation. At the same time, cutting-edge artist Kiki Smith, who has exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and now has a show at the Barbara Krakow Gallery, was also staying at the Back Bay boutique hotel. Knowing that Smith had requested that the gallery on Newbury Street bring in large rose bushes for the show, the Eliot staff got a miniature rose bush for her room.

SIGHTINGS Top cop John Ashcroft went largely unnoticed at Fenway Park over the weekend, as did old friends Mark "The Bird" Fidrych and Dave Henderson, who were spied in the .406 Club. . . . Despite the fact that meze and yemista aren't on the menu, Cyprus president Tassos Papadopoulos dined Monday at Anthony's Pier 4 before giving a talk yesterday at Harvard.

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