SCOOP

[July 13th, 2005] HOEDOWN LOWDOWN : Oregon-raised but world-traveled Darcy Snodgrass, the ex-wife of Jean-Claude Van Damme (as well as the founders of Herbal Life and Hawaiian Tropic, Mark Hughes and Ron Rice ), celebrated her 40th birthday Friday night. Held in Wilsonville inside her very own indoor riding arena, on the Bellerive estate she shares with hubby Brian Snodgrass (of the Seven Dees nursery family), Darcy's "barn dance" came complete with a live country band, fireworks, mechanical bull, poker tables, and both a tequila and tobacco bar. Even though she was sporting an arm brace from a recent barrel-racing injury, Snodgrass was still glowing. Maybe it had to something to do with the gift her spouse had reportedly given her that day: a 10.5 carat, perfect-quality pear-shaped diamond ring. Yee-haw!

Mama Rose City: Just call her "Auntie Nita." Former local model Juanita Howard won a gig to help introduce our brand-new Trail Babies, oops, Blazers-former Seattlites Martell Webster and brand-new coach Nate McMillan -to Portland's movers and shakers. Pearl Concierge, Howard's new biz, is bringing Hollywood-style, full-service personal assistance (say, like picking up the dry cleaning of gal pal Sharon Kitzhaber) to P-town. Now if only she could help the basket-cases make it into next year's playoffs.

Out of Fashion: After three years of helping fashionistas get their business on, the warming lights of the PDX Fashion Incubator have gone out. The nonprofit fell prey to "location and...building challenges." That, and the fact that the woman behind the organization, Stella Farina, took a PR/marketing manager position at Portland Monthly. Couturiers, join us in screaming out in agony: STELLA!

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