December 30, 2002

THE LEAN SEASON; WALL STREET STEELS FOR MORE CUTS IN EARLY 2003

Wall Street staffers - already suffering from waves of layoffs this year - can expect more of the same in the new year, labor pros warn. "Wall Street isn't finished"...

STARR REPORT

In the spirit of "Year End" lists, here are 10 of my hopes for 2003, in no particular order: 1.) That I won't get the following calls from publicists: "Hi...

LOT TO LOVE IN 'LIZA'

LOVE LIZA She's dead, he's not.Running time: 90 minutes. Rated R (violence, profanity, drug use). At the Angelika, at Houston and Broome streets. THE masterful Philip Seymour Hoffman, who delivers...

GREEK FAMILIES, MEXICAN DRUG LORDS, MORE REALITY

WITH so many duds last fall - remember "girls club" and "Good Morning Miami"- the networks have had to muster a large army of winter reinforcements this year. CBS, still...

$3,000 TV SET A FLAT-OUT SENSATION

THOSE high-tech, thin-screen plasma TVs were the hit of the Christmas buying season - despite costing at least $3,000. The sets, which offer large high-resolution, wide-screen pictures and can be...

BEST AND WORST OF 2002? YOU'LL BE SHOCKED

THE best show of the year was "The Osbournes." The worst was "The Sopranos." Sound crazy? Hear me out. "The Osbournes" was the most-talked-about series of 2002. Launched with little...

QUEEN OF STYLE : WE CROWN HALLE THE BERRY BEST OF THE YEAR

FASHION-WISE, 2002 was the best and worst of times - especially when it came to celebrities. Thank heaven for Halle Berry, whose impeccable sense of style earned her our nod...

THE YEAR IN TRENDS: THE LOOKS OF 2002 WE LOVED - AND ONES WE'RE GLAD TO SEE DIE

LOVED IT The return of grunge You don't have to be a millionaire to follow this trend, only fond of layers. Miniskirts All the better to wear newly trendy leg...

HARLEM BABY DEATHS UP ; FUND WOES BLAMED FOR GRIM STATS

Central Harlem's infant-mortality rate rose to 13.1 deaths per 1,000 births last year - more than double the citywide level. The news comes at a time when health officials are...

GOV SET TO BARE 'SMOKE'-&-MIRRORS BUDGET PLAN

GOV. PATAKI will provide a first-time glimpse of his plans to close the state's massive, looming budget gap when he gives his inaugural address Wednesday, insiders say. Pataki, preparing to...

'REPLACEMENT' FIRM INSTALLS WRONG EQUIPMENT

CASE STUDY 2 Roger Steves, manager of the Brooklyn plant of Laird Plastics, is among those claiming to be a victim of a fire-extinguisher scam. He said Laird, a nationwide...

HEAT'S ON COLD-CALLERS

CASE STUDY 1 A Queens company that makes boys' clothing says it was the victim of a scam by Manhattan Fire & Safety Corp., one of the firms Fire Marshal...

FREEZE? PUH-LEEZE; TYCO EXEC SPENDS $4M IN FORBIDDEN ASSETS

EXCLUSIVE Having his assets frozen hasn't stopped disgraced megamillionaire Dennis Kozlowski from being a big spender. Kozlowski, the former Tyco International CEO who's awaiting trial on charges he looted $600...

JUST CALL ME A 'POLAR' EXPLORER

IT WAS not a beautiful day for a swim. The temperature was just above freezing and the sky was gray. Yet there I was, standing on the beach at Coney...

SCHUMER SAVES GAS

New Yorkers could save a bundle on gasoline if the Bush administration released the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said yesterday. Oil prices will continue to rise...

U.S. EASES TALK ON N. KOREA

U.S. officials said they have no plans to attack North Korea over the deepening nuclear crisis but haven't ruled out using force to make the "Axis of Evil" member give...

CUFF BREAK FOR COPS ; 2 SUSPENDED AFTER LETTING QNS. SUSPECT FLEE

Two NYPD cops were suspended yesterday for allowing a handcuffed woman to run away - and take the handcuffs with her, cops said. The woman was the 36th prisoner to...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

I love you. You love me. Let's look at something raunchy. Two New Jersey youngsters could be forgiven for such thoughts after they discovered a pornographic photo inside a Barney...

HOW DYING ISRAELI SARGE SAVED OTHERS

JERUSALEM - As he lay dying - shot in the back by Palestinian gunmen - Israeli Army Sgt. Noam After saved dozens of lives at a West Bank yeshiva. When...

CULT: WE'LL SEND IN THE CLONE TO U.S.

The baby girl touted as the world's first human clone is coming to America. Clonaid, the cult-linked biotech company that announced last week it had created the child, said yesterday...

PRINCE'S ROYAL VISIT CHUCKED

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has asked Prince Charles to cancel his planned visit to the United States, in a move that may be related to the royal's anti-war views,...

BROOKLYN MOM BEATS 4-YEAR-OLD SON TO DEATH: COPS

A Brooklyn mother who police sources said became furious that her 4-year-old-son hadn't been eating was arrested yesterday and charged with beating him to death. Liliana Valera, 22, was charged...

EXTINGUISHER FIX-IT SCAM A FIRE HAZARD

The industry that services fire extinguishers at shops, offices, restaurants, manufacturing plants and many other businesses across the city is plagued by unscrupulous firms that scam customers, The Post has...

RECORD THEATER CROWDS GET IN ON THE 'ACTION'

More Americans flocked to the movies in 2002 than in any year since the invention of television. Filmgoers plunked themselves in front of the big screen with a tub of...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

BROOKLYN Two men being sought by police in connection with the shooting of a 2-year-old East New York girl who was hit near her left eye by a stray bullet...

'GANGS' VIOLENCE ERUPTS AT MIDTOWN THEATER

The violence of the movie "The Gangs of New York" was not limited to the screen at a Times Square multiplex early this morning as moviegoers cowered in panic at...

FEDS RACING TO THWART 19-MAN 'TERROR TEAM'

Up to 19 men of Islamic background have entered the United States illegally in the last few days on a possible terror mission, law-enforcement sources told The Post yesterday. Pictures...

ROYAL VISIT 'CHUCKED'

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has asked Prince Charles to cancel his planned visit to the United States, in a move that may be related to the royal's anti-war views,...

BACK FROM THE BRINK : U.S. EASES TALK ON N. KOREA, BUT FORCE STILL AN OPTION

U.S. officials said they have no plans to attack North Korea over the deepening nuclear crisis but haven't ruled out using force to make the "Axis of Evil" member give...

SUSPECT TO SURRENDER IN STRAY-BULLET SHOOTING OF TOT

A Brooklyn man is expected to surrender today in the shooting of a 2-year-old girl who was hit near the left eye by a stray bullet fired during an apparent...

SUBWAY LINK FOR AIRTRAIN GOES $LIDING OFF-TRACK

Newly discovered engineering problems could add significantly to the cost of a proposed $1.9 billion subway connection between lower Manhattan and the AirTrain commuter rail station at Jamaica, Queens, The...

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS: CELEBRITIES VOWS: GOOFY AND NOBLE PROMISES FOR '03

A constellation of the Big Apple's biggest, brightest and baddest bold-faced names are looking for love, loot and happiness in 2003. It's that time of year when New Yorkers from...

DON IRKED BY 2ND EFFORT

Don Chaney is fed up. No longer will he use fatigue as a legitimate excuse when his club loses on the second night of a back-to-back set. The Knicks coach...

NETS SEE LIGHT IN CLOUDY SKIES

Maybe if the Nets gets REAL lucky, the IRS will order a thorough audit, Tony Soprano will move next door and for all remaining home games, Bruce Springsteen will offer...

BLACKBURN'S GETTING ANTSY

TAMPA - Five weeks in, two weeks out. Sounds more like a binge-and-purge diet plan than a goaltending rotation, but then, these are the Rangers, and then again, this is...

PAUL SCHWARTZ' GIANTS REPORT CARD - NEXT STOP: PLAYOFFS

QUARTERBACKSKerry Collins (25 of 35, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) plays with a serenity that serves him well. One bad-end zone throw forced into double coverage, otherwise solid and...

SURGING BIG BLUE HAS SUPER THOUGHTS

YOU are allowed to feel like Supermen when you have come from nowhere, when they have mined your every step with Kryptonite, when they have left you dead and buried,...

MULTIPLE CHOICE WINS GRAVESEND

Under a well-timed ride by Victor Carrero, Multiple Choice roared from just off the pace yesterday at Aqueduct to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Gravesend Handicap, New York's final stakes...

DANTON DOESN'T EXPECT DEAL

BOSTON - Breaking a long silence after being kicked off the Devils, Mike Danton has lost hope that Lou Lamoriello will honor his promise to deal him. "I truly believe...

FAVRE FLOPS IN FINALE

A towel slung over his shoulder, Brett Favre stood motionless and helpless at the center of the Green Bay sideline. He had put himself there time after time yesterday, during...

CHAD MARK IS ALL-TIME CLUB HIGH

JET NOTES Jets quarterback Chad Pennington finished his magical regular season with an astounding quarterback rating of 104.2 after his virtuoso performance yesterday. Pennington completed 17 of 24 passes for...

PATS STUN FISH IN OT

OVERTIME Patriots 27 Dolphins 24 FOXBORO - All the snow in December in New England had a better shot of melting down in 4:49 before a Dolphins team that was...

NICE WIN; NOW MAKE SOME PLAYOFF NOISE

THEY were chirping a familiar melody as they sprinted off the field, away from the thunder of 78,733 grateful fans, into their safe enclave of relentless self-congratulation. The Jets hadn't...

JETS GET DIVINE IN-TERVENTION

Jets 42 Packers 17 To find a more glorious day in the Jets' otherwise tortured history you'd have to reach back a long way for a better three hours than...

CURT CARRYING ON LIKE HIS OLD SELF

Funny, remember that off-season Curtis Martin was having? Whatever happened to that, anyway? "Off-season?" guard Randy Thomas said with a chuckle. "Well, I guess one man's off-season is another man's...

DIXON MAY BE READY FOR POSTSEASON OPENER

GIANT NOTES Not only did the Giants come out of their intense 10-7 OT victory over the Eagles without any new injuries, they also may have the services of receiver...

FROM CHAD TO RICHES ; JETS QB BACKS UP PREDICTION

Once upon a time, a young quarterback, who just about no one outside of his own locker room had heard of, took over as the starter early in a season...

SETS UP WAR VS. OLD FOES

Jets versus Colts means Chad Pennington versus Peyton Manning. Shootout at the OK Corral? "You know what? I don't care if we win 3-2 or 43-42," Pennington said. "It's our...

HOLIK JOINS WHINE LIST

Lightning 5Rangers 3 TAMPA - Bobby Holik was supposed to be different. No; check that. Bobby Holik was different. That's why it was doubly disappointing listening to No. 16 resort...

GANG 'D' FINISHES FAVRE

With every unconverted third down, Packers quarterback Brett Favre looked more and more frustrated. Across the way, the Jet defense looked more and more giddy. Of all the unit's victories...

WAITING IS HARDEST PART

JET NOTES The bizarre ebb and flow of emotions throughout the afternoon was as much a story as the Jets' rout of the Packers was yesterday. The Giants Stadium parking...

BIESTY LEADS POLY, PLAYS FOR BROTHER

Liam Biesty was looking forward to his junior season. He played well on Poly Prep's varsity squad a year ago and figured to be a key player for the Blue...

PACK IMPRESSED WITH PENNINGTON POISE

The answer was unanimous, at least among the half dozen Packers who offered one after the game. The best part of one of Chad Pennington's best games as Jet starting...

JET FAITHFUL HAIL KING CHAD

WAYNE Chrebet had given Herm Edwards that icy Gatorade bath that never felt so warm inside Euphoria Stadium, and Kevin Mawae had tears rolling down his cheeks, and now Chad...

IT'S ON TO SAN FRAN ; BIG BLUE TO OPEN IN 3COM SUNDAY

Back on Sept. 5, the Giants were selected to participate in the NFL's first-ever prime-time weekday opener, and when they squandered several gift-wrapped chances and lost 16-13 to the 49ers,...

POLY PREP'S BIESTY PLAYS FOR BROTHER

Liam Biesty was looking forward to his junior season. He played well on Poly Prep's varsity squad a year ago and figured to be a key player for the Blue...

ISLES WANT TO TAKE .500 INTO NEW YEAR

If the Islanders' season were an old sitcom, last week they may have been "Three's Company," with the current three-headed traffic jam in net. The beginning of the season may...

WHO'S GOT NEXT? BIG BLUE PLAYOFF PICTURE STILL OUT OF FOCUS

Freshly showered, flush with victory after the incredible 10-7 overtime victory over the Eagles, Dan Campbell Saturday night was clueless as to what happens next. For so long, the Giants...

PATS STUN FISH IN OT: VINATIERI FG WINS IT, BUT CAN'T GET NE IN

OVERTIME Patriots 27 Dolphins 24 FOXBORO - All the snow in December in New England had a better shot of melting in 4:49 before a Dolphins' team up 11. And...

IN THE END, STILL WASN'T EASY BEING GANG GREEN

THE most glorious weekend in the history of the Meadowlands ended with laughter and chanting, with the shocking dismissal of NFL royalty and the even more stunning elevation of a...

JETS GET DIVINE IN-TERVENTION : PAT WIN HELPS GANG CLINCH VS. PACK

Jets 42 Packers 17 To find a more glorious day in the Jets' otherwise tortured history you have to reach back a long way in their annals to extricate something...