NEWS LITE : MELANIE LONG WAY FROM TWELVE OAKS.

Miss Melanie doesn't need to matriculate to get a degree.

Olivia de Havilland, 82, accepted an honorary doctorate Friday from the University of Hertfordshire at graduation ceremonies in the Abbey and Cathedral Church of St. Albans on Friday.

``You can't imagine how much it means to me to be here in this historic cathedral and to be receiving from the University of Hertfordshire the honorary degree of doctor of letters,'' she told 300 graduates who crowded into the church with family and friends. ``For both the cathedral and the university are of special significance to my English family, and my English family is of special significance to me.''

Her cousin, Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, founded the de Havilland aviation company, a predecessor of British Aerospace, and the university campus in nearby Hatfield was built on land formerly owned by the company.

Even though she won her Academy Awards for ``To Each His Own'' (1946) and ``The Heiress'' (1949) and starred in such other notable films as ``The Snake Pit,'' she will be forever remembered as Melanie in ``Gone With The Wind.'' (She was nominated for the supporting actress Oscar but lost to co-star Hattie McDaniel, who played Mammy.)

Rap hitmakers feed homeless in Harlem

Sean ``Puff Daddy'' Combs took time out from serving up hip-hop hits to treat more than 2,000 homeless people to Thanksgiving dinner in Harlem.

Dishing out turkey and all the trimmings in a gymnasium where he once played basketball as a child, the rapper and producer said the holiday was a time to remember those less fortunate.

``Being homeless is the worst thing in the world on a day like today,'' he said. ``Hopefully, they won't be as lonely. They've got a family, and I am part of their family.''

Fellow rapper Sister Souljah helped organize the dinner.

``We're happy that we get a good crowd,'' she said. ``But we're concerned about the state of affairs in the city.''

Shields' seduction foiled by mother

Back in the days when he was interested in girls, singer George Michael said, he came this close to seducing Brooke Shields, then America's most famous virgin. But alas, Shields' mother, queen of micromanaging stage mothers, put a big crimp in his plans, he said. George said he and Shields entered her bedroom, ``for what I thought was going to turn into the real McCoy,'' but were greeted by a stunning sight - her bed was surrounded by yellow police tape, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Michael said Shields' mom and a security guard then jumped out of hiding, yelling, ``Surprise!'' Michael didn't have a heart attack, but it did kill the romance. The next day, Michael said, he told Shields ``we wouldn't be seeing each other any more.''

Ancient residue spawns recipe for historic beer

Archeologists who scraped residue from the bottom of a broken clay jar have cooked up Bronze Age beer.

In a feat reminiscent of ``Jurassic Park'' dinosaur-breeding, University of Barcelona researchers say they have re-created a batch of Europe's oldest beer.

The result may not be for everyone - thickish, on the dark side and a bit flat. Plus it has particles floating in it, and packs a 16-proof punch.

The 3,100-year-old recipe was pieced together through microscopic examination of scrapings from the bottom of a red clay jar found at an archeological dig known as Geno, in Spain's northeast Catalonia region.

Jose Luis Maya, a history professor, said Friday that he and other researchers turned to brewers at a nearby San Miguel beer plant for help in cooking up a fresh batch of old suds.

And they insisted on brewing it by hand, like in the Bronze Age. ``We did not use any of the technology at the factory,'' he said in an interview from Barcelona.

Maya said tests done on the Geno residue showed that the brewers used barley and a kind of wheat called emmer. ``They also added herbs as preservatives,'' Maya said.

In its day, the Geno site was a settlement of about 100 people who abandoned it after a fire. For centuries it lay undiscovered, until soldiers digging a machine-gun nest in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 stumbled across it.

The site has been under continuous study since 1976.

Officials impose lid on vigil marking John Lennon's death

Strawberry Fields may be forever, but a vigil in John Lennon's memory has a curfew.

The New York city Parks Department says it has refused a request by his fans to extend a 1 a.m. Central Park curfew next month on the 18th anniversary of Lennon's murder.

``We don't allow any events to go past 1,'' said Parks Department spokesman Ed Skyler. ``If you make an exception there, you have to make an exception for everybody.''

Fans gather annually on Dec. 8 for a vigil in a section of the park called Strawberry Fields to remember the 1980 slaying of Lennon by a deranged fan outside the nearby Dakota apartment building.

Fans gather shortly before 10:50 p.m. - the time Lennon was shot - and light candles, place photographs, and sing and listen to the ex-Beatle's songs.

OVERHEARD

``Our Governor Can Beat Up Your Governor.''

The hot bumper sticker in Minnesota, where the people elected former pro-wrestler Jesse ``The Body'' Ventura as governor.

News Lite is compiled from Daily News staff and wire reports.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Tripping light fantastic

Robert Duvall dances a mean tango with host Oprah Winfrey as John Travolta watches during taping of ``The Oprah Winfrey Show.'' The program will air Monday.

Associated Press

(2) de Havilland