December 20, 2000

THEATER GROUP BUYS SPACE IN 42ND ST. ARMORY

In another addition to the Times Square arts scene, the All Stars Project, a performing-arts youth organization, is inking an $8.6-million real estate deal. The not-for-profit organization will purchase 30,000...

FCC: AT&T WON'T COMMIT

Federal Communications Commission staffers were left scratching their heads yesterday over AT&T's plans to satisfy their regulatory demands. AT&T wrote the FCC on Dec. 15 detailing its strategy to divest...

LVMH'S OFFER FOR DKI DEEMED ON LOW SIDE

Some shareholders of Donna Karan International yesterday said they felt they were getting short-changed by LVMH's buyout offer while Donna herself was getting a huge payday. "There was more money...

TRUMP UNIVERSITY ; TEACHING COLUMBIA DEANS THE ART OF THE DEAL

Donald Trump is entertaining new bids for a huge plot of West Side land that Columbia University desperately wants, The Post has learned. But Trump may still cut the Ivy...

RETAILERS MEET THE GRINCH ; SALES ARE LAGGING, OUTLOOK IS BLEAK

Consumers are staying home from the malls. Holiday retail sales are running well below last year. And almost everything in the stores seems to be marked down. Suddenly the Christmas...

MP3 HEARS THE MUZAK ; DEAL COMES ON HEELS OF NEW SUIT

Michael Robertson is getting into the Muzak business - and he's also getting sued, again. In a bid for fresh revenues, his MP3.com announced a deal yesterday to supply music...

IT'S SEASON'S BEATINGS FOR PURE PLAY E-TAILERS

While brick-and-mortar retailers are suffering, things could be worse. They could be pure-play Internet retailers. This Christmas season was painted as a make-or-break season for the e-tailers, and it is...

ELEVATOR HELL ON 26TH ST. - REACHING TRENDY OFFICES IS AGONY

THE Starrett Lehigh Building on the far West Side has been billed as a haven for cutting-edge outfits such as Inside Media, Martha Stewart's empire, Hugo Boss, Concretemedia and Screamingmedia....

MONSTERS AMONG US : A&E STEPS BACK "AMERICAN JUSTICE: FAMILY SECRET: THE DEATH OF LISA STEINBERG"

"American Justice: Family Secret: The Death of Lisa Steinberg" Tonight at 9 on A&E ASIDE from the fact that colleagues have dubbed my desk everything from Commie Central to DNC...

RECEIVING THE LIFT OF A HOLIDAY GIFT

WITH just a day until Hanukkah, and Christmas close behind, it dawned on me that the last thing I gave anyone was - a cold.And while I'm not that knowledgeable...

STEVENSON'S 'GARDEN' IS OUT IN FULL BLOOM

A CHILD'S GARDENTheater 3, 311 W. 43rd St. Through Jan. 14. Ticket Central (212) 279-4200. A beloved children's author has had one of his early works adapted to the musical...

SKILLFUL 'MIND'

BUT FOREVER IN MYMIND An entertaining teenage romance, with political overtones.In Italian, with English subtitles. Running time: 88 minutes. Not rated (violence, vandalism). At the Film Forum, Houston Street, between...

FUN FOR THE MONEY

SUSHI SAMBA 7 87 SEVENTH AVE. SO. (BARROW ST.) (212) 691-7885 THE merry pranksters of Sushi Samba 7's menu are the sawagani, Japanese river crabs ($9.50). Alive until just before...

HERE'S THE HOLE TRUTH ABOUT JELLY DOUGHNUTS: WE RATE 'EM FOR HANUKKAH

LATKE overload? No problem. Not everyone celebrates Hanukkah - and the Maccabees' little oil lamp that could burn eight days - with fried potato pancakes. In Israel, in fact, it's...

PARISIAN SCENE ON WAY HERE

PARIS is coming to New York via John Malkovich and Sean Penn.The Asian-accented Man Ray restaurant on the Champs Elysees will open here next year. The eatery, created by Thierry...

THE STARR REPORT

'Judge Mills Lane' verdict due soon The gavel could be falling on "Judge Mills Lane." Tribune Entertainment is thinking of shelving "Judge Mills Lane" after this season, due to its...

FASSBINDER'S DESIGNING WOMEN

THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANTHenry Miller's Theatre, 124 W. 43rd St. Ticket Central: (212) 279-4200. MELODRAMA can make a cocktail with a tang.Take "The Bitter Tears of Petra...

ROSIE: GOODBYE - AGAIN

ROSIE O'Donnell is saying - yet again - that she's leaving "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" when her contract expires next year. "I have to let them know in January, and...

FEASTS YULE SAVOR ; CITY CHEFS BRING FOREIGN FLAVOR TO HOLIDAY MEALS

'TWAS the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring . . .Maybe they all went out to eat.All through the city, plenty is astir...

OSCAR STEVE GETS HOLLYWOOD'S OK ; FUNNYMAN STEPS INTO CRYSTAL SLIPPER

HOLLYWOOD insiders are giving the thumbs up to funnyman Steve Martin as the host of next year's Oscars. The wacky, white-haired comic accepted the job earlier this week - but...

THE GREAT PAY DAY ; NEIL SIMON'S, CHARLES BUSCH'S PLAYS AMONG THOSE MAKING MONEY FOR B'WAY INVESTORS

WE'RE midway through the 2000-2001 theater season, so let's check up on who's making money and who's not on the Great White Way.If you're rich and nutty enough to invest...

HERE COME THE BRIDES : MADONNA'S LOOK WILL INSPIRE MANY

THE wedding dress the fashion world is waiting to see could be knocked off and in stores as early as 36 hours after Madonna walks down the aisle in it....

OTB BOOTH MEANS BETTOR BURGER AT SPORTS BAR

OTB will soon be setting up shop inside The Sporting Club, a trendy TriBeCa eatery agency officials have been coveting for years. The Off-Track Betting Corp. has reached an agreement...

MOB 'HIT' ATTEMPT ON RUSSIAN POL

Two masked assassins opened fire with rifles on a Moscow deputy mayor yesterday, gravely wounding him and killing his driver, Russian authorities said. The morning rush-hour attack on Josif Ordzhonikidze...

TURK INMATES BURN SELVES TO DEATH AMID PRISON RAIDS

Turkey's attempt to crush widespread prison hunger strikes ended tragically yesterday when at least 15 inmates burned themselves alive rather than surrender, authorities said. Two paramilitary police officers also died...

2 SNOOZING EMTS FIRED

Two city emergency medical technicians were fired yesterday after being videotaped sleeping in their ambulance while on duty, fire officials announced. John Rianaldi, 20, and Todd Jimenez, 25, were caught...

SEATING GOODMAN A BAD IDEA: FOE'S AIDE

Democrat Liz Krueger's campaign yesterday slammed suggestions that state Senate Republicans will seat Roy Goodman if the ballot count in her East Side race against Goodman doesn't finish by the...

AL A HARVARD-PREZ ALSO-RAN

Al Gore is in the running for the presidency of Harvard University - but he won't make the grade because he lacks "the academic and intellectual standing," Harvard's search committee...

VETERAN COP RETIRES AFTER 37 YRS. ON JOB

NYPD Lt. Alfred Castagna retired yesterday after 37 years on the job, regretting that too many cops are quitting the force too soon, taking with them a wealth of knowledge...

PATAKI: I'D CONSIDER A CABINET JOB

ALBANY - Gov. Pataki opened the door a crack on taking a post in the new Bush administration yesterday, saying he'd give any job offer "serious thought." "If the president...

CRUEL JUDGE TRASHES FAMILY VALUES

HAPPY Father's Day, America's dads. Once again, your services to the needy little ones who bear your genetic makeup have been rendered unnecessary. I am in mourning today for a...

GOLF STAR TIGER GOES 2 ROUNDS IN COURT

Golf great Tiger Woods is as busy in court these days as he's been on the links, whacking Planet Hollywood into a legal sand trap and helping prosecutors score against...

BARAK TO PERES: I'M BETTER 'LEFT' ALONE

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak yesterday urged Shimon Peres not to challenge him from the left in February's elections - while Barak pushed a peace agenda to ward...

COURT: HUBBY LAID DIVORCE TRAP FOR WIFE

An angry state Supreme Court judge has stepped into a messy Israeli divorce battle, ruling a Brooklyn man tricked his wife into going to Israel - where she found she...

DOUBLE STANDARD ON DRUGS A REAL SNOW JOB

IF YOU were anywhere in Asia in the late '50s or early '60s, I was the guy running around with $2 in his hand. I was a complete disgrace to...

HOW TO MAKE A PLAY FOR BEST TOY PRICES IN TOWN

The Savvy Shopper offers gift-buying tips throughout the holiday season.SANTA CLAUS won't go bust buying this holiday season's hot toys - if he shops around. A city Department of Consumer...

TRAFFIC JAM OF BILLS TO RESTRICT CAR PHONES

Using a hand-held cellular phone while driving is about to be outlawed in the city - but not before politicians jostle with one another to claim credit. Three separate bills...

ETHICS GROUPS ASK BOOK-WRITER HILL: ; WHAT'S THE DEAL?

WASHINGTON - Two government watchdogs yesterday asked Sen.-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton to lay out the details of her $8 million book deal before the Senate Ethics Committee. The Congressional Accountability...

WALL ST. EXEC'S ADULTERY GROUNDS FOR FIRING: JUDGE

You want to play, you might have to pay: A Manhattan judge has ruled that committing adultery with a co-worker can be a fireable offense. In a decision released yesterday,...

DAD FOILED IN BID TO NIX ADOPTION OF 'HIDDEN' SON

An upstate judge has rebuffed a Manhattan man's bid to overturn the adoption of the son he didn't know he had because his ex-girlfriend hid the birth from him. Dutchess...

CHARGES DUE IN CEMENT DROWNING DEATH

Federal prosecutors are poised to charge the builder involved in a Brooklyn construction collapse that killed a 21-year-old Mexican day laborer by drowning him in tons of wet concrete, The...

BUSH CALLS ON BILL AT WHITE HOUSE ; THEN BRIEFLY VISITS VANQUISHED VEEP

WASHINGTON - George W. Bush went to the White House yesterday and stayed and stayed and stayed - but his kiss-and-make-up with Al Gore went quicker than a Tipper smooch....

2ND 'METER-BEAT' SUSPECT ; HAS PARALLEL TALE

Another New Yorker has stepped forward with a tale of being handcuffed and thrown into a police lockup, charged with tampering with a parking meter that was already broken. Joseph...

LOST LYMPH NODES CLOUD L.I. WOMAN'S PROGNOSIS

A 38-year-old Long Island mom says she's scared to death after learning a hospital lost crucial lymph nodes needed to determine whether her breast cancer has spread - the second...

GOV'S AIDE GOING H'WOOD ; MUCHA WILL BE 400G EXEC WITH ABC-TV

ALBANY - Gov. Pataki's controversial communications director and key political adviser, Zenia Mucha, is leaving for a senior - and high-paying - position with ABC television. Mucha, 43, a one-time...

FEDS SIMPLY TURN UP THEIR NOSES AT WHITE-COLLAR COKEHEADS

Hundreds of yuppie cokeheads snared by a sting - including doctors, lawyers and professors - are getting off because prosecutors say they're "genteel users" who can manage their habits, sources...

BAD TO WORSE FOR SCHOOLS ; 152 MORE FLUNKING, DESPITE FEDERAL AID

The Board of Education has identified 152 additional schools that aren't making the grade, despite receiving millions of dollars in federal aid, The Post has learned. These troubled schools come...

MOM: I HAD TO FEND OFF 'COOKIE MONSTER' TEACHER

A Manhattan mother says an out-of-control teacher chased her 12-year-old son through the school's hallway screaming, "He's got my cookies! He's got my cookies!" A furious Tamika Lincoln told The...

SICK 'FAN' TERRORIZED GWYNETH FOR A YEAR

LOS ANGELES - Terrified actress Gwyneth Paltrow lived in constant fear that a sadistic stalker lurked in the shadows, ready to rape her at any moment, court documents show. An...

END OF THE LINE FOR TOKEN CLERKS

The days of token-booth clerks are drawing to a close, Transit Authority officials said yesterday. Over the next two years, as the TA completes its roll-out of MetroCard vending machines,...

MADONNA HAS A PEEK-A-BOO PLAN FOR SPIES

The security force at Madonna's ultra-secret wedding is planning to get down and dirty with guests - using anti-terrorist mirrors to look up kilts and ferret out cameras and recording...

BEATEN CABBY: NOTHING TENDER ABOUT TLC GOONS

A brutal beating by four Taxi and Limousine Commission inspectors put cabby Hisham Amer in the hospital with severe head, back and arm injuries, the driver and his lawyer charged...

BUSH CALLS ON BILL AT WHITE HOUSE: THEN BRIEFLY VISITS VANQUISHED VEEP

WASHINGTON - George W. Bush went to the White House yesterday and stayed and stayed and stayed - but his kiss-and-make-up with Al Gore went quicker than a Tipper smooch....

PEDOPHILE MAY HAVE CANNIBALIZED BOY

A missing Montana boy may have been cooked and eaten by his killer - who also served portions of the child to unwitting neighbors, authorities said yesterday. Nathaniel Bar-Jonah -...

RICE AND STRICKLAND COULD BE PHILLY-BOUND IN DEAL

KNICK NOTES ATLANTA - While trade talks around the league have heated up the last three days because of the Dec. 15 landmark date, Atlanta GM Pete Babcock indicated there...

WANG DOWNLOADS MESSAGE OF HOPE

After keeping his distance through most of the season, Islander co-owner Charles Wang held a 1-hour, 15-minute support and motivational meeting with his players yesterday morning at the Coliseum. Neither...

AMAKER'S YOUNGSTERS FEEL GROWING PAINS

Seton Hall coach Tommy Amaker was looking for a model team to emulate, a tough-as-nails squad that he could point to as an example for his young players. Amaker's Pirates...

FAVORITES START TO RISE

LONDON - With most European leagues more or less halfway through their seasons and a few about to close down for a winter break, it's time to assess how the...

SNOW PLACE LIKE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

DESPITE Sunday's tropical downpour, Northeast ski resorts did not lose much terrain and with reports that even more snow is on the way, the Christmas weekend should be the best...

IT'S AL ON THE LINE FOR GROH THIS WEEK

AL GROH has five days to separate himself from maddening mediocrity that has haunted Jets fans for what seems like a lifetime of heartbreak and disappointment. Expectant and hopeful Jets...

KNOBBY SET TO THROW OUT ARM TROUBLES

If Chuck Knoblauch doesn't get rid of a horrific throwing problem by Opening Day, it won't be due to a lack of effort. In an attempt to cure the throwing...

HERNIA SURGERY FOR JUSTICE

It turns out that David Justice saved the Yankees' season while playing with a hernia that will need surgery early next month. When the Yankees acquired the veteran left-handed hitting...

FULL ROSTER TOPS SCOTT'S XMAS WISHES

If Byron Scott were to sit on Santa's lap, the first year head coach probably would ask for his Nets to finish out the month of December at .500, not...

BOBBY V - BOOMER'D BE NO PROBLEM

If GM Steve Phillips is successful in landing his No. 1 trade target, David Wells, Bobby Valentine thinks he can manage the free-spirited lefty. "A 20-game winner is not a...

FOR MESS, IT'S NOT SAME 'OLD' STORY: CAPTAIN MARVEL STILL GOIN' AT 39

When 39-year-old Mark Messier returned to the Rangers this season, most of the talk was about the intangibles he brought. But, hey, the old guy has some tangibles left, too...

LUC WHO'S STARTING ; LONGLEY'S IN LINEUP VS. KNICK WANNABE MUTOMBO

ATLANTA - Luc Longley made his first start as a Knick last night, ironically, against the player the franchise ultimately would love to be their starting pivot. Longley, who has...

FASSEL'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE ; GIANT SURGE GUARANTEES LONG-TERM EXTENSION

HE KEEPS his job, he gets the money, he establishes himself as a coaching fixture in a city where pretenders and the undeserving get ousted before the seat gets warm....

PATRICK: I WOULD MAKE KNICKS FAVORITE IN EAST

Patrick Ewing's scoring average is down but not his braggadocio. The Sonics center said last night that if he were still on the Knicks, they would be front-runners to "come...

DEVILS PUMPED FOR CUP REMATCH

The intriguing subplots become secondary to the big picture of this Big Game, one of the hockey season's highest points. The Stanley Cup champ Devils became that by dramati- cally...

NEW UTRECHT'S BACK ON TRACK

H.S. HOOPSNew Utrecht 63 Shpshd. Bay 60 Before the season started, New Utrecht was considered to be in the mix to contend for a PSAL championship, but a couple of...

YES, VIRGINIA! CAVS ARE FOR REAL

JIMMY V CLASSICVirginia 107 Tennessee 89 The opening game of the Jimmy V Classic took place inside Meadowlands Arena, but it might as well have been played on the New...

OTB ADDS SPORTS BAR TO ITS MENU

OTB will soon be setting up shop inside The Sporting Club, a trendy TriBeCa eatery agency officials have been coveting for years. The Off-Track Betting Corp. has reached an agreement...

ISLES WIN ONE FOR THE WANGER

Islanders 2 Hurricanes 1 Taking the anti-Steinbrenner approach to owning a pro team, Charles Wang has mostly kept his distance from the Islanders this season. But with his downhearted club...

SOUTHERN FRIED: HAWKS KO INEPT KNICKS

Hawks 87 Knicks 77 ATLANTA - Chris Childs threaded a delicious bounce pass to Allan Houston down the lane in the third quarter. Houston drove for a layup with a...

SPREE'S IN DUNKIN' FORM AS BACK PAIN SUBSIDES

ATLANTA - Amid the Knicks' offensive wreckage there is a glimmer of hope, according to Latrell Sprewell. For the first time since he suffered back spasms last month, Sprewell said,...

SPARTANS HIT HALL WITH GUIDED MUSCLE

JIMMY V CLASSICMichigan St. 72 Seton Hall 57 Tommy Amaker had seen all the glowing press clippings about his team, heard all the hype about how good his squad was....