Shopping mall marks 50th year

Ala Moana Center marks its 50th anniversary with a free celebration beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Centerstage.

There will be a traditional Hawaiian blessing, entertainment and ceremony to recognize 11 of the original businesses that remain in the center today.

To mark the year of the opening, 1959, 1,959 candy bars will be given away, with five containing Golden Tickets that can be redeemed for $250 gift cards.

There will be sales, gift-with-purchase offers and promotions through Aug. 31.

An exhibition, “;Fifty Years of Fashion in Hawaii,”; runs from Thursday through Aug. 31 on Level 3 of the Nordstrom Wing, between Nordstrom and Express. The exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

More information will appear Thursday in the Today section.

'Dog' adds new pooch to kennel

Another “;puppy”; has been added to the family of Duane “;Dog”; Chapman.

A&E, the cable TV network that produces the popular “;Dog the Bounty Hunter”; reality series, announced yesterday that Lyssa Chapman, daughter of Duane and Beth Chapman, gave birth to baby girl Madalynn Grace Galanti, Friday at 7:40 a.m. at the Queen's Medical Center. Madalynn was 6 pounds, 15 ounces and measured 20 inches long, and is the Chapmans' 14th grandchild.

Both mother and child are reportedly doing well and are home with husband and father Brahman Galanti. The young couple were married this past winter, and their wedding celebration will be televised on A&E at 6 p.m. Hawaii time Sept. 9, as part of the new season of shows that starts airing tomorrow.

Chapman worked with her family on bounty searches right up until she gave birth.

Movie preview

Opens Friday:

”;Bandslam”;: “;High School Musical”; star Vanessa Hudgens plays the member of a group of school misfits who form a fledgling rock group to compete in the ultimate battle of the bands. (PG)

”;District 9”;: Produced by Peter Jackson and based on a short film by director Neill Blomkamp, the documentary-styled feature follows extraterrestrial who land in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the 1980s. But when the aliens get involved with petty crime, the government confines them to an isolated township. (R)

”;The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard”;: Produced by Will Ferrell's good friend and fellow filmmaker Adam McKay and directed by the “;Chappelle's Show”; co-creator Neal Brennan, Jeremy Piven stars as an egocentric used car salesman who, with his team, brings their sleazy and outlandish sales tactics to a struggling dealership during a Fourth of July holiday weekend. (R)

”;Paper Heart”;: Charlene Yi—who was memorable as the stoner girl on the sofa in “;Knocked Up”;—stars in this kind-of-documentary as she and her good friend Nick (Jake Johnson) search for answers and advice about love. In the meantime, her relationship deepens with actor Michael Cera—or does it really? (PG-13)

”;Ponyo”;: The latest film by Japanese animation giant Hayao Miyazaki is a tale that centers around a 5-year-old boy named Sosuke and his friendship with the titular goldfish princess who longs to become human. Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neesom and Tina Fey lead the English-language voice cast, which includes as well the younger siblings of Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, with sister Noah Cyrus as Ponyo and brother Frankie Jonas as Sosuke. (G)

”;Thirst”;: See feature on Page 28. (R)

”;The Time Traveler's Wife”;: Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana star in the tale of a man cursed with a genetic anomaly that causes him to skip back and forth through time, and a woman who would give anything for him to stay put. (PG-13)

STUFFS

LOOK » If you happen to be island hopping, Maui Ocean Center recently unveiled its new “;Coral Reefs”; exhibit in the Living Reef building. The showcase allows people to view live specimens and view the skeleton of a 125,000-year-old coral.

LISTEN » New albums out today: Queen Latifah, “;Persona”;; Raekwon, “;Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II”;; the Roots, “;How I Got Over”;; and George Strait, “;Twang.”;

DO >>Thursday is the last day to register for the GNC BodySearch Fitness Competition taking place at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at BayFest. If you've got the look, register at bayfesthawaii.com or call 254-7597.