Tribute to Barney Fife

Mount Airy, N.C. – Two fans of the “The Andy Griffith Show” have commissioned a life-sized bronze statue of Barney Fife that they plan to donate to Mount Airy, N.C., the model for the show’s fictional town of Mayberry.

Tom Hellebrand and Neal Shelton are raising money for the $35,000 project as a tribute to Don Knotts, the late actor who portrayed the bumbling Fife on the popular show. Knotts died on Feb. 24 at the age of 81 from pulmonary and respiratory complications.

“We felt something needed to be done about honoring Don Knotts,” Shelton said. “He was an original.”

Mount Airy already has a statue of Sheriff Andy Taylor and Opie – the roles played by Andy Griffith and Ron Howard – that is a copy of a statue commissioned by the TV Land network and placed in Raleigh, the state capital.

Name changes sought

Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. – Donald Trump has hit a rough spot in his quest to change the name of Ocean Trails Drive, which leads to his $250 million ocean bluff golf course.

He wants it renamed Trump National Drive.

But some residents are already teed off about the billionaire’s impact since The Donald moved in and named his luxury golf retreat Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles.

Some have suggested other names for Ocean Trails Drive, such as “Ego Aisle” or “Narcissism Lane.”

Although Trump’s bid would violate city street-naming guidelines, city officials said they were willing to grant the street change if Trump renames his golf course – substituting Rancho Palos Verdes for Los Angeles.

The 261-acre oceanfront links should be called Trump National Golf Club Rancho Palos Verdes because it’s within the city’s boundaries, some 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, city officials said.

Storm has runs its course

Mexico City – Halle Berry wants to hang up her superhero costume.

After playing Storm in three “X-Men” movies and the title role in 2004’s “Catwoman,” the 39-year-old actress says: “I think I’m done. I’m fresh out of superheroes at this point.”

Berry was in Mexico City on Monday for a screening of her new film, “X-Men: The Last Stand,” which opens May 26.

The movie is the third in a series based on the X-Men comic books about mutant superheroes and villains whose special abilities make them feared by the world’s human majority.

Storm has the ability to control the weather.