Feature animation designers to talk

A rare opportunity to hear from three distinguished feature animation character designers will happen tonight at Kapiolani Community College, 4303 Diamond Head Road.

Carter Goodrich, Carlos Grangel and Nicolas Marlet will present "Character Design: The Creative Process" as part of the school’s New Arts Lecture Series.

The trio will discuss development of character, prop and costume design, background sketches and sculpt supervision and provide samples of animation testing, final animations and behind-the-scenes material for their separate work on "Ratatouille," "Despicable Me," "The Corpse Bride," "Kung Fu Panda" and "How to Train Your Dragon."

A question-and-answer session will follow. The free event will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at KCC’s Ohia Building, Room 118. Call 735-3879 for information.

Rise Up Hawaii gathers for homeless

Rise Up Hawaii, a nonprofit humanitarian organization founded by University of Hawaii students, is focusing its efforts on helping the homeless in Waianae.

The group’s next production, "Rise UP!: A Benefit Concert for Hawaii’s Homeless," will feature the musical acts Pimpbot, Arkeo, Peace of Mind Crew and Frank Bressi, as well as slam poet Darron Cambra and others.

Filmmaker Henry Mochida will present his film "Blue Tarp City," and state Rep. Tom Brower will appear. Previous Rise Up concerts have raised funds for Haiti earthquake victims and animal rights. The concert is at 7 p.m. Saturday at Fresh Cafe, 831 Queen St. in Kakaako.

Submit holiday displays for guide

If you go all-out on your outdoor holiday decorations, get listed in our Holiday Lights guide. Provide a description of your display, and include your street address and phone number.

E-mail information to features@staradvertiser.com or mail it to Honolulu Star-Advertiser, c/o Holiday Lights, 7-210 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813.

Please submit Holiday Lights listings by Dec. 6. The listing will be published Dec. 13.

Send us your holiday events

Got a holiday event coming up? Get it listed in our Christmas and New Year’s calendars.

Please submit Christmas listings by Nov. 15 and New Year’s listings by Dec. 1.

E-mail information to features@staradvertiser.com or mail it to Honolulu Star-Advertiser, c/o Features, 7-210 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu, HI 96813.

Kids win cash in ornament contest

Kids, help us trim our pages with the holiday spirit. It’s time for our annual Keiki Kalikimaka drawing contest. Design an ornament and you’ll have a chance at our prizes of $100, $75 and $25 cash. We’ll select a daily finalist, to be printed on Page 1 of the section beginning Nov. 26. On Christmas we’ll run all 29 finalists and announce the randomly chosen winners.

The contest is open to kids up to age 12. All entries must be between 5 and 8 inches wide. No 3-D entries (don’t glue on any objects). We must receive your drawing in the mail — no faxes or e-mails. Ornaments cannot be returned. Attach the entry form at left. The last day to enter is Dec. 20.

PEOPLE

Sugarland settles suit by founder gone solo

ATLANTA » Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of the country duo Sugarland have avoided a nasty public trial with the group’s founding member, settling a lawsuit over claims that she was owed an estimated $14 million of the band’s profits after she left to pursue a solo career five years ago.

The trial was set to begin today on founding member Kristen Hall’s claims she was owed one-third of the band’s profits — a sum her lawyers said could exceed $14 million.

A court order issued Friday said the parties had settled. Terms were not disclosed.

The complaint said Hall, who founded the band in 2002, set the stage for the group’s success by acting as its manager, marketing officer and tour organizer in its early years. It said she used her personal credit cards to cover expenses and that she "collaborated generously" on the debut album, which sold millions of copies.

Nettles and Bush countered that they never had a profit-sharing agreement with Hall and that they were left to repay almost $100,000 in debts after she left.

Football player scores Simpson engagement

LOS ANGELES » Well, Nick, Jessica is engaged now, too.

Jessica Simpson’s representatives say the singer and sometime actress is engaged to former NFL player Eric Johnson.

The announcement comes less than two weeks after Simpson’s former husband and "Newlyweds" co-star Nick Lachey announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Vanessa Minnillo.

The 30-year-old Simpson and 31-year-old Johnson — who played for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints — have been dating since May.

Simpson says her fiance and his family will join her when she sings on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.