No. 1 Jerk Gets No Consolation for Passing Mustard

--Kent Phillips won’t mind if you call him a jerk. The Bloomington, Ind., man beat out 1,600 other entrants in a nationwide essay contest sponsored by The Movie Channel to be named the biggest jerk in America. “I wear the title proudly,” Phillips said. As part of his prize, he will fly to New York next month to tape four episodes of the premium cable channel’s “Drive-In Theater” program. The 22-year-old photographer for the Bloomington Herald-Telephone said he entered the jerk contest hoping only for a runner-up spot. “I wanted a T-shirt,” he explained. “They were giving 100 consolation prizes that say ‘I’m a loser’ on them.” But his entry letter was too impressive for also-ran status. It began with a mock dictionary definition for jerk: “1. Oaf, cretin, ninny; 2. One who puts mustard on his Fruit Loops; 3. Kent Phillips.”

--It seemed like a typical Sunday morning at Malcolm Forbes’ estate at Bedminster, N.J., as the roar of motorcycle engines filled the air. But there was something different about this week’s gathering of the Forbes magazine publisher’s motorcycle club. “We do this every Sunday, but this is a worthy cause,” said Forbes, who sported a red vest bearing a “capitalist tool” logo. Forbes, 68, roared down the driveway, leading 45 bikes to an Eastern Harley-Davidson Dealers Assn.-sponsored rally in Elysburg, Pa., to raise funds for muscular dystrophy research. Before leaving his estate, Forbes presented a $5,000 check to Willie Davidson of Harley-Davidson. Elizabeth Taylor had planned to accompany Forbes but a recurring back problem prevented her from riding a motorcycle. The actress flew to the rally in Forbes’ helicopter.

--Denver Mayor Federico Pena, who had been considered one of that city’s most eligible bachelors, wed recent University of Colorado Law School graduate Ellen Hart on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque. The marriage is the first for Hart, 30, and the 41-year-old Pena, who is Denver’s first Latino mayor. Pena said they will honeymoon in Spain. The bride, a distance runner, met Pena four years ago at the Mayor’s Cup 10-mile race in Denver. Her father is former dean of the University of New Mexico Law School.