March 26, 2001

830 THIRD AVE. SLATED TO GO ON THE BLOCK

The former Girl Scout headquarters at 830 Third Ave. is going on the block. Its current owners, the pension fund BIT Holdings 38, have hired Cushman & Wakefield to sell...

ON THE NEWSSTAND

THE Academy Awards are history and now the magazine world can look forward to its own version of the Oscars this spring in the National Magazine Awards. In the men's...

30 JOBS ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME

THE axings have begun inside Time Inc. - the magazine wing at the newly merged AOL Time Warner empire. Late last week, the Fortune Group officially became the first magazine...

MERRILL HONES THE AX - QUIETLY GETTING READY TO SLASH COSTS AND JOBS

Merrill Lynch is quietly planning cost-cutting measures that include layoffs. The firm joins a growing list of white-shoe investment banks seeking to trim expenses in dire times by laying off...

SEEDLESS ROCKER - NICK CAVE AT TOWN HALL

BACK in the day, Australian dark rocker Nick Cave hit joints like Danceteria, where fans risked getting cigarettes dropped into their boots or whiskey down their backs. Cave won't even...

UNCLE MICHAEL'S FLORIDA ADVENTURE

THE last time I thought about fatherhood was when I received a late-night call from a sobbing woman who, after two hours of talking, realized she had dialed the wrong...

GAVEL STARTS TO FALL ON JUDGE SHOW CRAZE

WITH the cancellation of "Curtis Court" and no new court shows scheduled for next season, the verdict is in -court shows have reached the high-water mark. "The genre has definitely...

CLOWN DEFIES GRAVITY! - RINGLING STAR BELLO NOCK HAS HIS OWN STYLE WITH HIS DARING DO & HIS DARING ACT

THANKS to Bello Nock, the circus is a hair-raising event more than ever. The 32-year-old clown and star of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which comes to...

THE STARR REPORT

Due diligenceLou Young's Ch. 2 investigative report about a heap of horse manure in Lindenwood (the Long Island town on the Queens-Brooklyn border) has triggered some action. Last week, Young...

BALI HIGH - FOUR-* RATING FOR GLENN CLOSE IN 'SOUTH PACIFIC'

"Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'South Pacific'" 8-11 tonight on ABC/Ch. 7 ( ) ------------- TO some, ABC's new version of "South Pacific" may seem as corny as Kansas in August, but...

LIGHTEN UP FOR SPRING: STRAIGHT TALK ON JACKETS

Now that Old Man Winter's on his way out, it's time to pack up those bulky overcoats and puffy down jackets. It's a relief to get that none-too-flattering winter-wear stored...

MCCALL LAGS, PATAKI GETS WARNING SIGN IN GOV POLL

ALBANY - A new poll raises some warning signs for a still-popular Gov. Pataki and holds bad news for one of his likely Democratic challengers, state Comptroller Carl McCall A...

CAMPAIGN-FINANCE THORN - 'PROTECTION' FOR UNION MEMBERS NOT DEAD YET

A push for so-called "paycheck protection," the poison pill that President Bush wants in a federal campaign-finance bill, could still sink the legislation. New York labor leaders, many calling it...

ED BIG FLUNKS CITY ON SCHOOLS

ALBANY - In an unusually sharp attack, a top state education official ripped the Giuliani administration yesterday for allegedly failing the city's public schools. Carl Hayden, chancellor of the Board...

N.J. GOV RISES TO TOP -- ONLY TO TEETER ON EDGE

IN THE world of New Jersey politics, scandal-plagued acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco, who took over from Christie Whitman two months ago, is the ultimate soldier. During a 25-year career in...

TREASURY SEC'Y TO SELL ALCOA STOCK

WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, one of President Bush's richest advisers, will sell $100 million worth of Alcoa stock - bowing to months of pressure from critics. O'Neill said...

TOP POLS PUSH FOR INSTANT TAX RELIEF

WASHINGTON - Several lawmakers said yesterday they'd like to give Americans an immediate break on their taxes, though Republicans and Democrats remain divided on how to strike a deal. Sen....

TEACHERS UNION IS HARDLY UNITED OVER HONOR FOR BILL

Bill Clinton is still the teachers' pet, according to their union leaders. The United Federation of Teachers is giving the ex-president its coveted annual John Dewey humanitarian award for advancing...

BASEBALL'S GODS TO DROP IN ON DUBYA

WASHINGTON - One major benefit to being president is the ability to invite cool people over to your house and actually have them show up. Bill Clinton had Hollywood big...

HEY, IT'S EA$Y TO JOIN THE CLUB

IS THE American Nazi Party the only organization with any integrity anymore? Don't get me wrong, I find the Nazis' political views as repulsive as unrefrigerated sauerkraut. But I do...

RESTITUTION FOR SLAVERY ISN'T SO BLACK & WHITE

DAVID HOROWITZ of the Center of Popular Culture said it simply and bluntly on Fox News yesterday: "It's racial McCarthyism." Horowitz was debating Dorothy Benton Lewis of the Coalition for...

TIMES ARE LEAN FOR N.Y. TEENS: HELP BIZ HIRE KIDS: HEVESI

"Get a job!" is easier said than done for New York City teenagers, whose unemployment rate is sky high, City Comptroller Alan Hevesi said yesterday. "Even after a very long...

GOV BOOSTS SWEATSHOP 'COPS' TO HELP MARK 1911 FACTORY FIRE

Gov. Pataki marked the 90th anniversary of the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist factory inferno yesterday by announcing plans to beef up a state inspection force that targets sweatshop conditions. "This is...

CITY TRANSPORTATION 'CRISIS' HAS NYERS GOING NOWHERE FAST

New York City's population is booming and the signs of growth are everywhere - except when it comes to roads, bridges and subways. The city is in the midst of...

SKIN IS IN AT THIS YEAR'S OSCARS

What's black and white and red all over? Academy Awards fashion. The three colors bedecked some of the biggest names at the "Grand Prix of Glamour" last night. And then...

THE NECKS BIG THING: BOBBLEHEADS

The bobblehead doll craze is set to explode on the New York sports scene. The Mets and Yankees will both be giving away limited-edition versions of the seven-inch, 1.2-pound doll...

IT SHOULD'VE BEEN 3-PEAT FOR HANKS

TOM HANKS wasn't just snubbed last night - he was robbed. By all rights, he should have made history by becoming the first-ever three-time Best Actor Oscar winner for his...

'GLADIATOR' IS WORTH CROWE-ING ABOUT - ROMAN EPIC TAKES BEST PICTURE, ACTOR

The Roman epic "Gladiator" vanquished the competition last night, winning five Oscars, including Best Picture and a Best Actor statuette for star Russell Crowe. "When you grow up in the...

HOST STEVE IS CRYSTAL LIGHT - MARTIN'S JOKES IN LACKLUSTER SHOW TYPICAL TV STUFF

IF Steve Martin proved anything last night, it's how good Billy Crystal is in the role of Oscar host. Funnyman though he is, Martin seemed little more than a caretaker...

AT LAST! SHOW LEAVES NO REASON TO BE OUTRAGED

FROM a film critic's point of view - rather than that of an industry analyst or odds maker - the 73rd Academy Awards were an unexpected pleasure. Of course, several...

HERO COPS ARE LAKE DOG'S BEST FRIENDS

It was a dog-day afternoon with a happy ending for a Queens foster family yesterday, when two Emergency Service cops saved a puppy from drowning in Flushing Meadow Park. The...

JFK AIR TRAIN A RARE SUCCESS STORY

The most striking feature of Kennedy Airport's Air Train is that the $1.9 billion project is actually being built. Concrete towers and station platforms that will ring the airport -...

MEDICAL RESEARCH COULD BECOME A TOUGH 'CELL': PRO-LIFE PREZ FACES HARD CHOICE ON FETAL-'STEM' USES

It's a cause celebre for such stars as Michael J. Fox and Christopher Reeve and a lifeline to hope for millions. But for President Bush's anti-abortion base, it's a new...

MIRACLE CURE-ALL?

Scientists say human stem cells, if they can be successfully multiplied, transformed and transplanted, could unlock medical miracles. Here are a few examples of where stem cells might be used:...

$O FAR, SENATE IS ALL TALK, NO ACTION

WASHINGTON - The Senate spent last week arguing about big money in campaigns, but did just about nothing to change things. Instead, lawmakers tinkered with existing rules - postponing until...

FERGIE SAYS: PRINCE PHILIP MADE ME FEEL 'POINTLESS'

Sarah Ferguson claims Prince Philip has attacked her over the years with comments so cruel, she plunged into depression. Fergie - who busted up with Prince Andrew five years ago...

DEFIANT SHARON BLAMES YASSER : WARNS: DON'T 'PUT ISRAEL ON TRIAL'

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon insisted he won't let his country be "put on trial," as he met yesterday with a U.S.-led commission investigating the causes of ongoing...

MARCIA GAY OVER SUPPORTING OSCAR

"Pollock" co-star Marcia Gay Harden picked up the Best Supporting Actress award at the Oscars last night for her portrayal of the tormented artist's wife. "What a thrill!" said Harden,...

'POLLOCK' CO-STAR ALSO BEST DRESSED

What's black and white and red all over? Academy Awards fashion. Those were the three basic colors seen on women at the "Grand Prix of Glamour" last night. Kicking off...

MAJOR STEP IN BATTLE VS. HUNTINGTON'S

Scientists have found how to reverse the process that kills the vital cells of people with Huntington's disease. And while the discovery only works in lab tests so far, it...

HOW THE FAB 4 NEARLY DIDN'T COME TOGETHER

If John Lennon had his way, he never would have teamed up with Paul McCartney. The famed duo wrote many of the world's most endearing pop tunes, but nearly split...

HARRISON SLASHER ALLOWED OUTSIDE HOSPITAL

The deranged Beatles fan locked up for stabbing George Harrison is being allowed out for regular strolls near the psychiatric center where he's being held. Michael Abram, a 34-year-old schizophrenic,...

ALMOST NO WAY TO SUPPORT LOSS BY GOLDIE'S GIRL

FOR Kate Hudson, it was definitely not a case of "like mother, like daughter" at last night's Oscar ceremonies. Twenty-one years after her mom, Goldie Hawn, won Best Supporting Actress...

XTRA HEAT BLAZES TO CICADA WIN

She's not Cigar, who won 16 races in a row. She's not even Hallowed Dreams, the Cajun filly whose record is 20-for-21. But Xtra Heat is something special, as she...

TIME FOR METS TO SHOW BRAVES WHO'S BOSS

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Steve Phillips has just endured his worst weekend of the spring. If it wasn't bad enough that touted baseball prospect Drew Henson signed with the...

TERPS WERE TOUGH WHEN IT COUNTED

WEST ANAHEIM - A team doesn't just show up on the doorstep of the Final Four. There is a difficult road that must be traveled. For Maryland, that time came...

SPREE'S WARRIOR MENTALITY - LATRELL STILL EXPECTS TO BE VILLAIN IN GOLDEN ST.

OAKLAND - Latrell Sprewell cursed, conquered and cut off P.J. Carlesimo in his first return to Oakland 16 months ago. It was a wild, X-rated evening, beginning during pregame warm-ups...

GLEN, OTHELLA FORSEE WEST COAST CHILL

KNICK NOTES OAKLAND - Besides Latrell Sprewell, two other Knicks likely will be in for nasty homecomings on this five-game West Coast trip that begins tonight vs. Golden State. Former...

JETER WAITS ON WORD FROM DOCTORS

TAMPA - Derek Jeter is just another car in George Steinbrenner's garage. An expensive one, yes, since The Boss filled his best player's pockets with $189 million. Still, Jeter is...

ALL BATTIER LOOKS AT IS NET RESULT

He was peppered with questions about Jason Williams, the offensively-gifted point guard, and Mike Krzyzewski, the state-of-the-art head coach who manufactures Final Four appearances as if they came gliding off...

PIAZZA PLUNKED; APPIER GETS EVEN

Mets 6 - Marlins 5 PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Standing to the right of home plate, manager Bobby Valentine looked out at the pitcher's mound and just glared with...

SOMEBODY TURN OFF THE LAMP! - LAMPLEY, FOREMAN TALK VIEWER INTO SUBMISSION

UNLESS a fighter, at the first bell, steps in his spit bucket, falls on his head and knocks himself out - Abbott-and-Costello style - you'll never witness a more self-evident,...

BROSIUS: IT'S JUST 1 YEAR AT A TIME

TAMPA - Two weeks ago, he watched the Yankees drop $4.5 million on Cuban refugee Andy Morales, a third baseman who looked lost in the field and sent to the...

'VALENTINE' ROMP GIVES ZITO HEART

Trainer Nick Zito was facing a make-or-break situation Saturday at Hialeah with his prime Kentucky Derby candidate A P Valentine, who was running in an optional claiming race at a...

LET'S HAIR IT FOR PRETTY BOY DE LA HOYA

LAS VEGAS -"Hey, can we keep the limo for the night?" Those were the words of Arturo Gatti as he was being loaded into an ambulance after being battered and...

VANCE GIVES METS CHANCE TO DEAL

MET NOTES PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - As spring training winds down, the volume of trades usually goes up. However, the way GM Steve Phillips tells it, baseball's trade market...

FLAG IS UP & SORIANO'S TAKING OFF

Twins 6 - Yankees 4TAMPA - George Steinbrenner's strut is every bit as pronounced as ever, despite his team's 8-17 record in the Grapefruit League. He still tilts from side...

DEVILS FINALLY AT A LOSS - STREAK ENDS AT 13 VS. PENGUINS

Penguins 4 - Devils 2 The Devils seem to barely realize what has slipped away from them. It wasn't just a number, their done-at-13 winning streak. They had been building...

SPARTANS & 'ZONA HEADING TO MINNY - BACKUP THOMAS DOOMS TEMPLE

SOUTH: Mich. St. 69 - Temple 62 ATLANTA - David Thomas was asked to sum up Michigan State's remarkable success over the last three seasons. "We are a team without...

DOC SITS FIRMLY ON THE BUBBLE

YANKEE NOTES TAMPA - Working on two days rest, Dwight Gooden appeared a bit short to Joe Torre yesterday against the Twins at Legends Field. "It didn't look like he...

DREAM HAS SAD ENDING FOR CHANEY

SOUTH ATLANTA - The winning coach had a sad spot in his heart for the losing coach. The losing coach was feeling low because he couldn't get his players to...

NOT-SO-SOFT WILDCATS OUTMUSCLE ILLINI

SAN ANTONIO - The chants rose from the Arizona cheering section as coach Lute Olson rose up the ladder, scissors in hand. Chants of "Final Four! Final Four!" were replaced...

WILDCATS FIND WAY TO MAKE WILLIAMS WILT

MIDWEST NOTES SAN ANTONIO - Wherever he went, there was a taller, long-armed defender waiting to strip the ball or put a hand in his face. Whenever he spun or...

SMITH'S LEGACY LINGERS

Bruins 3 - Rangers 2 There is and always will be the 1994 Stanley Cup, but the immediate legacy left behind by Neil Smith of inflated, multi-year free-agent contracts as...

HEADINT TO MINNY: NOT-SO-SOFT WILDCATS OUTMUSCLE ILLINI

MIDWEST Arizona 87 Illinois 81 SAN ANTONIO - The chants rose from the Arizona cheering section as coach Lute Olson rose up the ladder, scissors in hand. Chants of "Final...

SAD ENDING FOR CHANEY: OWLS, IZZO SHARE SYMPATHY FOR COACH

ATLANTA - The winning coach had a sad spot in his heart for the losing coach. The losing coach was feeling low because he couldn't get his players to the...

SMITH'S LEGACY LINGERS: LOW'S LEFT TO DEAL WITH RANGERS' SHORTCOMINGS

There is and always will be the 1994 Stanley Cup, but the immediate legacy left behind by Neil Smith of inflated, multi-year free agent contracts as well as undersized athletes,...