News In Brief

THEY'RE OFF TO THE RACES

Estonia's ambassador to the US was enjoying a sightseeing trip around the Baltimore-Washington corridor aboard a Maryland Army National Guard helicopter with eight countrymen when a warning light showed a problem with the tail rotor. Wisdom dictated an emergency landing, and soon. So the pilot chose the nearest suitable space: the infield at Pimlico Race Course. And - wouldn't you know it - just before post time. The Estonians were invited to stay for a free lunch and to watch the day's program from clubhouse seats.

LETTUCE ENTERTAIN YOU

Jim and Sharon Greif of Monticello, Iowa, have one of the hottest new acts going, with fans from as far away as New Zealand. No, the Griefs aren't performers. But they did come up with the idea of training a computer-linked digital camera on their cornfield, and updating the image every 15 minutes "to photograph the growth cycle." For reasons known only to Web surfers, www.iowafarmer.com/corncam/corn.html is attracting thousands of hits a day.

Arts lovers laud Cape Cod, New York, and Santa Fe

If you were to visit the top three arts destinations in the US as ranked by readers of AmericanStyle magazine, you'd get quite a cross section of what's out there. Cape Cod, Mass., was praised for showcasing display artists at work in a rustic setting. New York was cited for its cosmopolitan, exhaustive choices. And readers loved the down-to-earth approach of Santa Fe, N.M., which is often named one of the hottest Western locales. In rating destinations, readers voted for villages as well as major cities. The top 10 in AmericanStyle's survey, as published in the summer edition:

1. Cape Cod, Mass.

2. New York

3. Santa Fe, N.M.

4. San Francisco

5. New Hope, Pa.

6. Asheville, N.C.

7. Washington

8. Saugatuck, Mich.

9. New Orleans

10. Seattle

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