Liz Smith dropped by N.Y. Post

In the new gossip world of TMZ and Page Six, Liz Smith was among the last beacons of gossip columnists who broke news and whose voice meant something to Hollywood and high society.

That voice will no longer be in print after Thursday, Feb. 26:  The Associated Press reports that in to save money, the New York Post has decided not to renew Smith's $125,000 per year contract. The 86-year-old Smith's final column for the paper will run Feb. 26.

"I'm very sorry that that has come to an end, and that I wasn't valuable enough for them to keep me on," Smith told AP.

Col Allan, the editor-in-chief of the Post, said in a statement, "The Post is grateful to have been able to publish Liz Smith's legendary column for so many years. We wish her the very best for the future."

Smith's column is featured in 70 papers around the country, although after Thursday, no New York paper will currently carry her column. Smith's work is also published in Parade and Daily Variety.

The AP story said she's not thinking about retiring: "I'm busy ... I'm OK. I'm OK for a person who's been let go."