Funds spare Hollywood sign from urban sprawl

Los Angeles — The Hollywood sign, a beacon to stars and star-struck alike, has been saved from urban sprawl under a land conservation pact announced Monday after a donation by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner capped a multimillion-dollar fundraising drive.

“It’s a symbol of dreams and a symbol of opportunity and hope,” actor-turned Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a press conference below the towering letters. “The Hollywood sign will welcome dreamers, artists and Austrian bodybuilders for generations to come.”

The huge sign overlooking the city was in danger of having its distinctive setting on the flanks of the Santa Monica Mountains crowded by construction of estate homes on nearby Cahuenga Peak.

But a $900,000 donation from Hefner, who helped save the sign itself 32 years ago, and a $500,000 matching grant completed a $12.5 million fundraising drive to protect 138 acres from development that would have altered the globally recognized symbol of the world’s film and television capital.

EBay pulls listing for Kevorkian death van

Detroit — Online auction site eBay pulled a listing Monday for a van used by Dr. Jack Kevorkian to perform several assisted suicides, saying the sale of the van would violate the company’s policy against the sale of “murderabilia.”

Jack Finn, a retired used auto parts dealer, put the 1968 Volkswagen van once owned by Kevorkian up for auction on eBay last week. With three days left in the auction, the top bid placed for it was $3,400 at 11:30 p.m. CDT Monday, but the ad had been pulled an hour later.

In an e-mail message, eBay told The Associated Press it “does not allow the sale of items closely associated with notorious murderers within the last 100 years.”

Gosselin kids allowed to appear on new show

Harrisburg, Pa. — Kate’s eight are free to appear on their mom’s upcoming reality show.

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry says producers have obtained child-labor permits for Kate Gosselin’s twins and sextuplets to appear with their mother on a series of TLC specials, “Kate Plus 8.”

Troy Thompson said Monday that the permits are good for six months, then must be renewed.

Pennsylvania regulators concluded last month that permits should have been obtained for Gosselin’s old show, “Jon & Kate Plus 8.” The series ended last year when Kate split with her husband, Jon.

No legal action was taken, but the producers agreed to submit paperwork for any future taping.