Miami police union challenges officer’s firing for fatal shooting

The Fraternal Order of Police filed a lawsuit against the city of Miami on Friday, asserting that an officer who fatally shot an unarmed motorist in 2011 was improperly fired from the police department.

Officer Reynaldo Goyos shot and killed Travis McNeil as he sat in a car at a Little Haiti intersection. It was one of a string of seven deadly shootings of black men in the inner city by Miami police officers in 2010 and 2011.

Goyos was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by prosecutors in 2012. But he was terminated last month after the department’s Firearms Review Board concluded that the shooting was unjustified.

The police union lawsuit claims that the board violated state open-government laws by failing to open its meetings to the public.

Goyos “was improperly terminated by the city of Miami Police Department by a review board that violates the law,” union President Javier Ortiz wrote in a statement.

The lawsuit contends that Goyos should be reinstated.

City Attorney Julie O. Bru declined to discuss the specifics of the case. “We reviewed the allegations, and the city maintains that the board has operated consistent with the requirements of law,” she said.

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Buzzmakers: Prince Michael Reports for ET and Mindy McCready Dies

What had ETOnline readers buzzing this week?

1. Prince Michael Jackson is New ET Correspondent

Having grown up in show business, Prince Michael proved to be a gifted interviewer as he conducted his first sit-down as an ET correspondent.

Michael Jackson's 16-year-old son impressed Oz the Great and Powerful stars James Franco and Zach Braff as well as director Sam Raimi with his confidence and competence on his first assignment.

"You're doing awesome," Braff gushed. "You're a natural."

Prince Michael returned the compliment, praising their work in the fantasy flick and getting Franco to shed some light on how he approached playing the lead role of Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics.

"I saw that his particular transformation would allow for comedy," Franco explained. "Because he's a conman -- that would get him into a lot of awkward situations that could be played for comedy."

The movie imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum's beloved character from The Wizard of Oz. After Oscar Diggs (Franco) is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he first thinks he's hit the jackpot -- until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting.

2. Country Music Stars Mourn Mindy McCready's Death

The country music community is mourning the loss of one of their own. Country crooner Mindy McCready was found dead of apparent suicide on Sunday, Feb. 17, at her Arkansas home. She was 37. Needless to say, this has caused an outpouring of sympathetic tweets from McCready's musician peers.

Here are some of the stars' reactions to the tragic news:

LeAnn Rimes: "Mindy and I both started our careers around the same time. We worked with a lot of the same people, so we ended up spending lots of time around one another. She was always so kind and very protective of me, like a big sis. My heart is broken that she's gone."

Carrie Underwood: "I grew up listening to Mindy McCready...so sad for her family tonight. Many prayers are going out to them..."

Clay Aiken: "I listened admiringly to Mindy McCready growing up. May she finally be at peace and lend her beautiful voice to heaven's."

Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott: "My heart is breaking hearing of the loss of Mindy McCready. Pray for her 2 precious little boys...may God's peace & protection be on them!"

Jason Aldean: "Just heard about Mindy McCready. My thoughts and prayers are with her 2 boys and her family."

Big and Rich's John Rich: "Very sad to hear about Mindy McCready. When I was in Lonestar she was our label mate and we were friends. A tragic end to a talented life."

Wynona Judd: "Oh my! Mindy. Dear sweet girl. This is so sad. It just breaks my heart what addiction continues to take from this life. Addiction is a dis EASE and not a character flaw. When the pain becomes too much, it causes people to want that pain to stop. This is just so Unbelievable and so sad. God be with the family and those babies. Surround them with your grace & mercy. Sleep in Heavenly peace Mindy."

Martina McBride: "So sad."

Chely Wright: "Really really sad to learn the news about Mindy McCready. I will pray for her children and I hope that people are gentle with her memory."

Gretchen Peters: "So sad to hear about Mindy McCready. I met her in the first flush of her early career. This is a hard business. Sometimes success is poison."

3. Mark Hamill Reveals He's in Talks to Appear in New 'Star Wars'

Mark Hamill's new movie Sushi Girl hits DVD and Blu-ray this week, and while talking about the project, the Star Wars legend was more than happy to provide ETonline with an update on his involvement with the in-development Star Wars VII – and what he thinks of those planned spinoff movies…

"It's all very, very exciting and so unexpected," says Hamill. "I think that's the quality I like about it most – it's like getting a pair of pants out of the closet you haven't worn in three years and finding a $20 bill in the pocket. It's just so unexpected."

First off, will he appear in Star Wars VII? "They're talking to us," he reveals. "George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts – they would write us out. … I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts. We're in the stage where they want us to go in and meet with Michael Arndt, who is the writer, and Kathleen Kennedy, who is going to run Lucasfilm. Both have had meetings set that were postponed -- on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am."

Hamill, 61, says he's intrigued about where the new trilogy could go but says he knows nothing about the storyline: "I probably learn more from Entertainment Tonight than I do directly from Lucasfilm – like for instance, when George told us he wanted to do the next trilogy, he didn't tell us it was going to be done for Disney. He saved that little nugget, and I read it online like anybody else."

As for his thoughts about the next trilogy's tone, "I said to George that I wanted to go back to the way it was, in the sense that ours was much more carefree and lighthearted and humorous – in my opinion, anyway. And another thing I'd want to make sure of is are we going to have the whole gang back? Is Carrie and Harrison and Billy Dee and Tony Daniels, everybody that's around from the original [returning]? I want to make sure that everybody's on board here, rather than just one. I guess I'll have to tune into your show to figure out who's on board."

In terms of where we'll pick up with Luke Skywalker in Star Wars VII, "I'm assuming, because I haven't talked to the writers, that these movies would be about our offspring -- like my character would be sort of in the Obi-Wan range [as] an influential character. … When I found out [while making the original trilogy] that ultimate good news/bad news joke – the good news is there's a real attractive, hot girl in the universe; the bad news is she's your sister – I thought, 'Well, I'm going to wind up like Sir Alec [Guinness]. I'm going to be a lonely old hermit living out in some kind of desert igloo with a couple of robots.'"

Hamill concludes of the next movie, "I hope they find the right balance of CGI with practical effects. I love props, I love models, miniatures, matte paintings -- I'm sort of old school. I think if you go too far in the direction of CGI it winds up looking like just a giant a video game, and that's unfortunate. … If they listen to me at all, it'll be, 'Lighten up and go retro with the way it looks.'"

As for those confirmed stand-alone Star Wars films, which may follow the adventures of a young Han Solo, Boba Fett and Yoda, Hamill observes, "That's really smart. Then you're more like James Bond pictures, where they come out and it's not an investment of a three-movie arc. … It's so rich, that [Star Wars] universe, in terms of quirkiness and oddball [nature]. We would talk about that [on the original film's set]. We'd go like, 'That little band that's playing in the Cantina, what's their story?! I mean, are they a traveling band? Are they the house band? Who's their manager?' They didn't have names when we first were talking about them. Now they're called, like, Sy Snootles – they come up with names down the road when they have to name toys."

So what spinoff movie would Mark Hamill like to see? "Oh, I don't know, set it on the Wookiee planet -- although that might be prohibitively expensive with that many Wookiees," he says with some resignation. After a little more thought, he muses, "That's what I would love. You pick the most insignificant little [character] – there's this little hawk-beaked character that's somewhere in Jabba's palace, I can't even remember what function he served -- but that's what I would think. You pick something that almost nobody remembers or knows about -- and then have a movie about him! You could probably put about 500 different character's names on a big, giant dart board, throw a dart, and say, 'Okay, wherever it lands we've got to make him the central character.'"
After a hearty laugh, Hamill adds, "I hope we don't overstay our welcome."

4. Nina Dobrev Reflects on Shocking 'Vampire Diaries' Death

Death has loomed large over Elena Gilbert since The Vampire Diaries pilot, but absolutely nothing will compare with the pain she's forced to endure now that her brother, Jeremy, has fallen victim to vampires.

The shocking death not only devastated fans, but the actors -- Steven McQueen included -- as well. And anyone assuming TVD finds a way to make the best of a bad situation is wrong. Dead wrong. According to Nina Dobrev things are about to get real dark for Elena, whose grief will make her unrecognizable to fans in the coming weeks.

ETonline: This season has been a thrill from the start. What's your feeling about season four?

Nina Dobrev: It's been really cool, especially because you always hear actors say doing a TV show for X amount of years can be boring and repetitive, but over the last four years, Elena has been changing and evolving and growing so much. Julie [Plec, executive producer] has done such an incredible job of keeping it fresh and exciting and making me excited to come to work every day. Especially this season -- and especially with the death of Jeremy. Between last week's episode and this week's, it's been very challenging for me as an actress, but very fulfilling. It's an emotional rollercoaster and I had to go to some dark places.

ETonline: What was your reaction to finding out Jeremy would be killed?

Dobrev: I think we were all shocked and surprised, but that's the show -- it's a vampire show, people have to die all the time. And for Elena, it was very important that she lose Jeremy for what she's about to go through. It becomes a big part of her journey. I know Steven was very bummed, but also excited because he had a lot to do leading up to it -- his character grew and became so strong. It's bittersweet but made for some amazing television.

ETonline: In many ways, Jeremy was the person who really kept Elena tethered to her humanity. Will this loss threaten to make Elena embrace the less desirable sides of vampirism?

Dobrev: Jeremy was the last person she had left, so it's very likely that Elena could go off the deep end now that she doesn't have the one thing that kept her human. Elena wants to protect the people she loves and saw this new-found strength as a way to protect everyone. But, in this case, she couldn't protect Jeremy and lost the only family member she had left. She won't take it lightly. It's going to destroy her.

ETonline: Jeremy was also one of the only remaining characters who touched everyone in Mystic Falls. Will his death, in some ways, reinforce the group?

Dobrev: They do come together, but everyone is sort of walking on pins and needles around Elena so they don't trigger something and send her into a psychotic break. They live in a mystical world, so just because Jeremy's dead, it doesn't mean he's really dead in her mind. So she's looking for any solution she can to bring him back -- Elena is basically mentally unstable, going a little crazy and everyone is trying to help.

ETonline: Obviously Elena still misses Jenna and Alaric, but I would imagine losing Jeremy has a much more profound and prolonged effect on her. True?

Dobrev: Losing Jeremy really, really, really changes Elena. Sometimes people recover from tragedy and sometimes they don't -- but it's a long journey for her. Elena's mourning peroid is much different than any I've ever seen depicted on TV before. She goes off the deep end and spirals downwards into a black hole of death and sadness and misery. I mean, your instinct is right when you asked if we'll see an Elena who embraces her vampire side to a different degree. It's an Elena we haven't seen before, and you'll be shocked, quite frankly. I was very surprised where the episodes take her because it's almost like she's a completely different person that you won't recognize to some degree.

5. Fergie Reveals: I'm Pregnant!

Congratulations are in order for Fergie and Josh Duhamel, as the couple announced this week that they're expecting their first child!

"Josh & Me & BABY makes three," she Tweeted, along with the hashtag #MyLovelyBabyBump

Fergie and Duhamel married on January 10, 2009, after five years of dating.

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Gerard Depardieu gets Russian home address

REUTERS

Gerard Depardieu shows off his passport with residency permit today.

MOSCOW — French actor Gerard Depardieu has a new permanent address in Russia.

Depardieu had sought Russian citizenship as part of his battle against a proposed super tax on millionaires in France. President Vladimir Putin granted him a Russian passport last month, and on Saturday he got it stamped with his address in the provincial city of Saransk.

Saransk is a city of 300,000 about 400 miles east of Moscow, known for its 18th-century churches. Depardieu was registered in an apartment belonging to his friend's relatives.

Showing his knowledge of Russian history, Depardieu likened himself to Yemelyan Pugachev, the chief of a peasant rebellion of the 18th century, saying: "I am like Pugachev: I am a peasant, and I want to be tsar of Saransk," according to Russia Today television.

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South Florida hospitals could lose $368 million from sequestration

A detailed survey shows that South Florida hospitals could lose $368 million over 10 years in federal budget cuts starting next Friday, if the sequestration program kicks in as scheduled.

The Florida Hospital Association, using data from the American Hospital Association, estimates that over the next decade, sequestration would cause Miami-Dade hospitals to lose $223.9 million and Broward facilities $144.4 million under the Congress-mandated budget cuts that hit virtually all federal programs unless Republicans and Democrats can work out a compromise.

The New York Times and other national news organizations are reporting that sequestration, unlike the New Year’s fiscal cliff, seems virtually certain to take place.

The law requires across-the-board spending cuts in domestic and defense programs, with certain exceptions. Because healthcare represents more than one in five dollars of the federal budget, it will be a huge target for cuts.

For hospitals and doctors, the major impact will be felt in Medicare cuts, which according to the budget law are limited to 2 percent of Medicare payments. Medicaid, food stamps and Social Security are exempted from cuts, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

The FHA study calculates that over 10 years, Jackson Memorial Hospital stands to lose $30.6 million, Mount Sinai Medical Center on Miami Beach $27.3 million, Holy Cross in Fort Lauderdale $23.8 million and Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood $21.4 million.

“The problem with sequestration is that it just makes broad cuts across the board,” said Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association. “The Affordable Care Act is looking at all sorts of intelligent ways to reduce costs,” including coordinated care that will stop duplicated tests and reduce hospital readmissions. “But sequestration takes an ax, and that doesn’t make any sense.”

FierceHealthcare, which produces trade publications, says sequestration cuts over the next decade will include $591 million from prescription drug benefits for seniors, $318 million from the Food and Drug Administration, $2.5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, $490 million from the Centers for Disease Control and $365 million from Indian Health Services.

The National Association of Community Health Centers estimates that 900,000 of its patients nationwide could lose care because of the cuts. The group said the cuts were “penny wise and pound foolish” because they would mean less preventive care while more and sicker patients would end up in emergency rooms.

Like the fiscal cliff, Republicans and Democrats agreed on a sequestration strategy, with the idea that the drastic measure would force the two sides to reach agreement on more deliberative budget adjustments. That hasn’t happened.

The White House reports that the law will mean that nondefense programs will be cut by 5 percent, defense programs by 8 percent. But since the first year’s cuts must be done over seven months, that means in 2013, nondefense programs need to be cut by 9 percent, defense programs by 13 percent.

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‘Pain & Gain,’ a movie based on South Florida murders, is a painful reminder to victims’ families

Their dark schemes, hatched amid steroids and dumbbells, strip clubs and exotic women, ended in spasms of shocking violence.

A millionaire businessman stripped of his fortune, tortured for weeks and left for dead in a burning car wreck. And a wealthy Hungarian couple murdered, their bodies hacked up and scattered in drums and buckets across South Florida.

The bizarre and bloody saga of the Miami Lakes Sun Gym crew was always stuff of Hollywood drama — and 15 years after Daniel Lugo and Adrian Noel Doorbal were sent to Death Row, their story will be rekindled in the upcoming film Pain & Gain.

Prosecutors, former detectives and the sister of one of the victims, however, are concerned that the movie — the tagline: “Their American Dream is Bigger than Yours” — will portray the killers in a sympathetic light, and play down the brutality of Griga murders.

“I think its ridiculous. It’s horrible what happened to them,” said Zsuzsanna Griga, the sister of Frank Griga, murdered along with his wife, Krisztina Furton. “I don’t want the American public to be sympathetic to the killers.”

Said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle: “What Hollywood is going to do Hollywood is doing do. My thoughts are with the victims. To trivialize this horrible tale of torture and death makes a mockery out of their lives and the justice system.”

Billed as an action comedy, Pain & Gain opens in April and stars Mark Wahlberg as Lugo, Anthony Mackie as Doorbal and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Paul Doyle, an apparent fictional composite character based on several members of the murderous crew. The director: Michael Bay, of Transformers and Armageddon fame.

The “true story” trailer certainly strikes a dark comedic tone. It features a fiery explosion, barreling cars, SWAT police jumping out of an armored vehicle and Wahlberg’s Lugo character agonizing about his dead-end life as a fitness trainer.

There was nothing light-hearted about the crimes they committed.

Over a series of meetings in 1994, Lugo, Doorbal and Jorge Delgado, who pounded weights together at the Sun Gym and frequented strip clubs, hatched a plan to kidnap and extort Marc Schiller, owner of West Miami-Dade Schlotzsky’s deli.

Schiller had once employed Delgado as a business assistant. Also in on the plan: John Carl Mese, the gym’s owner, a former body builder and Miami Shores accountant.

Their attempts to kidnap Schiller were certainly bumbling — once, they laid across blankets on Schiller’s lawn, waiting to whisk him away, but got spooked by a barking dog.

Finally, they kidnapped Schiller outside his deli.

Over a month in captivity at a warehouse, they tortured him, sometimes with lighters, until he signed over his posh South Miami house, a $2 million life insurance policy and $1.2 million in investments.

Forced by his kidnappers, Schiller also ordered his wife and children to go to Colombia.

The gang moved into Schiller’s house, drained his bank accounts and finally plied him with liquor and staged a 3 a.m. crash into a tree, also running him over.

But Schiller survived.

He did not notify police right away, however. He called his lawyer, who recommended private investigator Ed Du Bois III (played by Ed Harris in the movie). They went to work trying to negotiate the return of $1.26 million.

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Spring Breakers Threesome Scene

Vanessa Hudgens' new role in Spring Breakers is a far (very far) cry from her squeaky clean breakout role in High School Musical. In the latest, NSFW red-band trailer for the film, we get a sneak peek into the threesome that occurs between Hudgens, Pretty Little Liars star Ashley Benson and James Franco's characters -- and it rivals that infamous pool scene in the 1998 flick Wild Things.

A little over a minute into the trailer we see the stars triple kiss in a hotel pool as Franco's Kevin Federline-like character Alien calls the ladies his "soul mates."

RELATED PICS: Bikini-Clad Spring Breakers posters

But don't expect Hudgens, 24, in a role like this again. She told Glow magazine of the threesome, "It was very nerve-racking for me. I told my agent that I never want to do it ever again.”

So, how does this pool rendezvous come about? Spring Breakers, in theaters March 22, follows four college girls (Hudgens, Benson, Selena Gomez and Rachel Korine) who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation. Bailed out by a drug and arms dealer (Franco), the girls end up doing his dirty work in exchange for their freedom ...from jail at least.

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Boeing proposes revamping 787's lithium ion batteries so short-circuiting that could lead to fire won't spread

WASHINGTON — Boeing is proposing a long-term fix for the 787 Dreamliner's troubled batteries that will keep them grounded until April at the earliest, congressional officials said Friday.

A Boeing Commercial Airplanes team led by CEO Ray Conner was scheduled to present the plan in a meeting Friday with Michael Huerta, head of the Federal Aviation Administration. The airliners, Boeing's newest and most technologically advanced, have not been allowed to fly since mid-January following a battery fire in one plane and a smoking battery in another.

The plan calls for revamping the aircraft's two kinds of lithium ion batteries to ensure that any short-circuiting that could lead to a fire won't spread from one battery cell to the others, officials said. That would be achieved by placing more robust ceramic insulation between each of the battery's eight cells. The aim is to contain not only the short-circuiting, but any thermal runaway, a chemical reaction that leads to progressively hotter temperatures.

REUTERS

Damaged batteries displayed during a news conference on an investigation into the January 7 fire that occurred on a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 at Logan International Airport in Boston.

The additional spacers will enlarge the battery, requiring a bigger battery box to hold the eight cells. That new box would also be more robust, with greater insulation along its sides to prevent any fire from escaping, officials said.

The plan will require testing and partially recertifying the safety of the plane's batteries, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.

The testing and recertification will take time, with engineers currently estimating completion sometime in April, they said.

It's up to Huerta to decide whether to approve the plan. But Boeing's plan is not a surprise, since the company has kept regulators closely informed, the officials said.

Boeing, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board still have not identified the root cause of a Jan. 7 fire that erupted in an auxiliary power unit battery of a Japan Airlines 787 about a half hour after the plane landed at Boston's Logan International Airport. The safety board is investigating that incident.

Engineers and battery experts gathered by Boeing developed a list of possible causes for the fire and a plan to modify the batteries to address the spread of a fire created by any of those causes, officials said.

After the Jan. 7 fire and an emergency landing by an All Nippon Airways 787 in Japan, the FAA and aviation authorities overseas ordered the planes grounded. There are a total of 50 of the planes in the fleets of seven airlines in six countries.

On Thursday, United Airlines cut its six 787s from its flying plans at least until June and postponed its new Denver-to-Tokyo flights as airlines continued to tear up their schedules while the plane is out of service. United is the only US carrier with 787s in its fleet.

Among the many unanswered questions is how the 787 battery problems will affect Boeing's effort to win FAA permission for the planes to make flights that venture further from the nearest airport, such as those that travel over wide expanses of ocean. The FAA has tighter requirements for such flights in twin-engine planes because it wants to make sure the plane can keep flying if it loses an engine or encounters other problems far away from a safe landing.

Until it was grounded, the 787 could fly up to three hours away from the nearest airport. That's far enough for flights between the US and Europe and some flights over the Arctic, for instance. But Boeing wants permission for flights up to 5.5 hours from the nearest airport. Its 777 is already certified for such flights.

Boeing said last month that it was close to submitting a plan for those longer flights.

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National Hotel nears end of long renovation

A panel of frosted glass puts everything in perspective for Delphine Dray as she oversees a years-long, multi-million dollar renovation project at the National Hotel on Miami Beach.

“Chez Claude and Simone,” says the piece of glass stationed between the lobby and restaurant, a reference to Dray’s parents, who bought the hotel in 2007.

“Every time I am exhausted and I pass that glass, I remember why,” said Delphine Dray, who joined her father — a billionaire hotel developer and well-known art collector in France — to restore the hotel after the purchase.

After working with him for years, she is finishing the project alone. Claude Dray, 76, was killed in his Paris home in October of 2011, a shooting that remains under investigation.

In a recent interview and tour of the hotel’s renovations, which are nearly finished, Dray did not discuss her father’s death, which drew extensive media coverage in Europe. But she spoke about the evolution of the father-daughter working relationship, the family’s Art Deco obsession and the inspiration for the hotel’s new old-fashioned touches.

The National is hosting a cocktail party Friday night to give attendees a peek at the progress.

Dray grew up in a home surrounded by Art Deco detail; her parents constantly brought home finds from the flea market. By 2006, they had amassed a fortune in art and furniture, which they sold for $75 million at a Paris auction in 2006.

That sale funded the purchase of the National Hotel at 1677 Collins Ave., which the Drays discovered during a visit to Miami Beach.

After having lunch at the Delano next door, Dray said, “My dad came inside the hotel and fell in love.” The owner was not interested in selling, but Claude Dray persisted, closing the deal in early 2007. Her family also owns the Hôtel de Paris in Saint-Tropez, which reopened Thursday after a complete overhaul overseen by Dray’s mother and older sister.

Delphine Dray said she thought it would be exciting to work on the 1939 hotel with her father, so she moved with her family to South Florida. She quickly discovered challenges, including stringent historic preservation rules and frequent disagreements with her father.

“We did not have at all the same vision,” she said.

For example, she said: “I was preparing mojitos for the Winter Music Conference.” Her father, on the other hand, famously once unplugged a speaker during a party at the hotel because the loud music was disturbing his work.

“We were fighting because that is the way it is supposed to be,” she said. “Now, I understand that he was totally right.”

She described a vision, now her own, of a classic, cozy property that brings guests back to the 1940s.

Joined by her 10-year-old twin girls, Pearl and Swan, and 13-year-old son Chad, Dray pointed out a new telephone meant to look antique mounted on the wall near the elevators on a guest floor. She showed off the entertainment units she designed to resemble furniture that her parents collected. And she highlighted Art Deco flourishes around doorknobs and handles.

“It’s very important for us to have the details,” she said.

With those priorities in mind, she is overseeing the final phase of the renovation, an investment that general manager Jacques Roy said will top $10 million. In addition to the small details, the renovation includes heavier, less obvious work: new drywall in guest rooms, for example, and new windows to replace leaky ones.

Painting of the building’s exterior should be finished in the next two to three weeks, Roy said. Dray compared its earlier unfinished state to resembling “a horror movie — the family Addams.”

And the final couple of guest room floors, as well as the restoration of the original Martini Room, should be done by the end of April.

“At the end, I will be very proud,” Dray said.

The National’s renovation wraps up as nearby properties such as the SLS Hotel South Beach and Gale South Beach & Regent Hotel have been given new life. Jeff Lehman, general manager of The Betsy Hotel and chair of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, said the National has always been true to its roots. He managed the hotel for 10 years, including for a few months after Dray bought the property.

“I think historic preservation and the restoration of the hotels as they were built 70, 80 years ago is such a huge piece of our DNA,” he said. “It’s a lot of what sets us apart from any other destination on the planet.”

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11-year-old dead, 2 others wounded in father’s shooting rampage

An 11-year-old boy died Thursday after his father opened fire on his family and then took his own life.

The tragedy played out Wednesday night at Southwest 27th Avenue and 24th Street. Stefan Zuniga was mortally wounded and died, according to medical examiner records. His mother, Michelle Zuniga, 43, and 14-year-old sister, Lauren, are in critical condition at Jackson memorial Hospital.

The shooter, identified as Carlos Zuniga, 45, killed himself Wednesday night.

The Zunigas were married in 1998, according to state records. Neighbors said Carlos Zuniga also had two adult children from a previous marriage.

The Zunigas opened a hot air balloon company in 2005, according to state records, under the name Winds Aloft Aviation Inc. It was commonly known as Miami Balloon Rides.

In an interview with The Miami Herald in 2011, Michelle Zuniga said they began the company so she could spend more time with her family. The company has taken thousands of people on hot air balloon rides in South Florida.

Officers arrived at a home at 2610 SW 24th St. shortly after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday after a neighbor called 911. Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told The Miami Herald that he had heard four “pops.”

Neighbor Xavier Cal, who lives next to the Zuniga family, said he saw a woman collapse on the patio in front of her home Wednesday night.

“She was lying on the lawn,” he said. “Later I heard the last shot inside the house.”

"As officers arrived, screaming and possible gunshots were heard from inside the home," Miami police spokesman William Moreno said Thursday morning. "Officers quickly assembled a small team and made entry into the home to protect those in danger."

Moreno said the man was found dead on the scene but would not confirm that he was the shooter. He said police were not looking for a gunman.

Thursday morning, a team from the cleaning company Aftermath Services, LLC, arrived on the scene.

“We’ve never heard them fight. The police have never come to the house,” Cal said of the Zunigas. “I’m in shock.”

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Exclusive Clip Donnie Wahlberg Behind the Scenes Boston's Finest

Donnie Wahlberg is an executive producer of the new unscripted show Boston's Finest, which follows the lives of the Boston Police Department on and off the job, and in this exclusive behind-the-scenes video of the highly anticipated show, he details his older brother's life-changing run-in with a Boston police officer which forever changed the course of his life.

Wahlberg rides through his hometown of Boston, and though he doesn't name which of his older brothers he describes in the clip (rule out the most famous Wahlberg, Mark, who is two years younger than him), he does share an intense incident in which his big brother attempted to rob a police officer's house.

Pics: Busted! Hollywood's Most Memorable Mug Shots

"My older brother, he was a tough kid, he got into a lot of scrapes and stuff with the police. He spent most of his life in prison," he explains. "One of the things he attributes to saving his life is a Boston police officer who arrested him."

Check out the video to hear the intimate family story and for a sneak peek of the action-packed show.

Video: Donnie Wahlberg on NKOTB and 'Blue Bloods' -- 'I Worked My Whole Career' to Be Here

Tune-in to the premiere of Boston's Finest February 27 at 9/8c on TNT.

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Passenger traffic at NY metro area's airports neared all-time high in 2012

NEWARK — Passenger traffic at the New York area's four commercial airports increased in 2012 despite closures caused by Superstorm Sandy.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says traffic at Newark Liberty, La Guardia, John F. Kennedy and Stewart airports rose by 3.3 percent last year compared to 2011.

More than 109 million travelers used the four airports. That's just below the pre-recession record of 110 million set in 2007.

Traffic at JFK Airport reached an all-time high with 49.3 million passengers.

La Guardia experienced a 6.6 percent increase in passengers over 2011, partly due to expanded service offered by Delta and JetBlue Airways. Passenger traffic at Newark increased by about one percent.

Superstorm Sandy cancelled thousands of flights and forced the airports to close. All reopened within days.

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Broward’s existing home sales, prices rose again in January

The median price of an existing single-family home in Broward County jumped 24.5 percent to $224,088 in January from a year earlier, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors.

The median price of a condominium or townhouse in Broward increased 26.5 percent to $94,900 in January from a year earlier.

Sales of single-family-home in Broward increased 15.3 percent in January to 1,033 from a year earlier, while closings on townhouses and condos increased 10.7 percent year over year, the Realtors group said.

Extremely tight inventory continues to shape the market. The number of single family homes available for sale on the multi-listings service plunged 26.5 percent in January to 4,510 from a year earlier. The number of available listings of condos and townhouses on the market was down 11.2 percent year over year to 6,407 units in Broward in January, the group said.

The months of supply of existing single-family homes fell to 3.8 months, while the inventory of condos and townhouses shrank to 4.7 months. A six-month to nine-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers, while a lower level favors sellers, helping fuel price increases, Realtors say.

Broward homes are selling more quickly and for levels closer to their asking prices in Broward. In January, existing single-family homes fetched 93.4 percent of their listing price, up from 90.9 percent a year earlier. Condos and townhouses went for 93.8 perenct of their asking price, an increase of 1.4 percent from a year earlier.

The median days on the market was 48 for a single-family home, down from 53 a year earlier, and 42 days for a condo or townhouse, down from 43 in January 2012.

“I’m seeing strength right across the board,’’ said Charles Bonfiglio, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors and head of AAA Realty Group. Many Broward residences are fetching multiple offers, frequently above the asking price, he said.

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Election reform, bridge repairs top Miami-Dade Commission agenda

Miami-Dade commissioners are expected Wednesday to urge the state legislature to allow Election Day voters to drop off their absentee ballots at their local precincts, and ask the mayor to identify funding to repair and upgrade the county’s 203 bridges.

Returning absentee ballots to local precincts was one of 13 recommendations in a report by an Election Advisory Group that needs local and state approval to become law. Now, absentee ballots can only be returned to election headquarters in Doral.

The advisory group, created after the embarrassing November presidential election saw people waiting in lines for up to six hours, also wants to change the name of absentee ballots to “Vote by Mail.”

Other recommended voting changes include expanding early voting days from eight to 14, including the last Sunday before an election; expanding the number of permissible voting sites; limiting ballot language on constitutional amendments to 75 words; and expanding the number of days elections supervisors are allowed to total and check votes from 15 to 20.

Commissioners are also expected Wednesday to urge Mayor Carlos Gimenez to identify funding sources to repair the county’s bridges. The county estimates that over the next two decades it will need as much as $450 million for repairs. The issue came to light in early January when the county was forced to close down the west-bound half of Bear Cut Bridge leading to Key Biscayne, after structural flaws were found.

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Vanity Fair Party: Freida Pinto, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jessica Lowndes on Oscars

With the Academy Awards just a few days away, this Sunday's anticipated ceremony is all the buzz this week. At an event benefiting the global education campaign 10x10, the night's host, Freida Pinto, revealed her Oscar favorite.

"One of the films that I was truly surprised with...[and] truly entertained was 'Argo,'" the actress said of her favorite film of the year. "It was an all-around entertaining film for me. ...I was on the edge of my seat throughout the film. Good luck to the film."

PICS: Look Who's Presenting at The Oscars!

The Immortals actress was host of the D.J. Night event hosted by Vanity Fair and L'Oréal Paris and also narrated part of 10x10's film Girl Rising, which highlights the organization's main motif that education can change someone's life.

Also, a narrator of the film was 16-year-old actress Chloë Grace Moretz, who divulged an actress that she'll be rooting for at the Oscars.

"I really, really hope Anne Hathaway wins because I love her and she's the sweetest girl you'll ever meet," Moretz said of the Les Misérables actress nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

VIDEO: Olivia Munn & More Reveal Oscar Favorites

With many great films and performances nominated for the same awards, it's difficult not only for the Academy but fans as well to pinpoint one film or performance that exceeds the others.

"I'm rooting for them all," 90210 actress Jessica Lowndes said. "I know it's generic and kind of what everyone says, but as an actress I just get so excited for everybody. It's such an accomplishment. ...I just get happy for everybody, so I'm excited for everything."

Select your favorites for this Sunday's Academy Awards with ETonline's interactive Oscars ballot.

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Developer says American Airlines using 'act of war' claim to fend off 9/11 negligence suit

Developer Larry Silverstein is accusing American Airlines of trying to have it both ways over whether or not the Sept. 11 terror attacks were an "act of war."

In court papers filed this morning, Silverstein says the airline and its insurers "repeatedly and explicitly promised Congress, regulators and the American people that they would not use act of war to avoid paying claims" over the deadly hijackings by al Qaeda terrorists.

But after using those assurances to pocket "billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded benefits from a massive federal bailout," Silverstein says American has "reversed course" and is "engaged in a shameful display of cynicism" by invoking an "'act of war' defense" to his negligence suit over the attack on the Twin Towers, which he leased just two months earlier.

Getty Images

The 9/11 Memorial Pool

The Manhattan federal court filing says American is "asserting with breathtaking cynicism a supposed distinction -- but one without a difference -- between an act of war exclusion and an act of war defense."

"This court can and should put an end to this charade," Silverstein lawyer Richard Williamson wrote.

Silverstein claims more than $13 billion in damages, but Judge Alvin Hellerstein has capped his potential recovery at $2.8 billion, representing the "fair market value" of his 99-year lease.

American maintains that Silverstein should't even be able to sue because he collected more than $4 billion in insurance coverage, but Hellerstein rejected that argument last year.

American didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

bruce.golding@nypost.com

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Remote employees require care to feel like part of the team

Working from home, hundreds of miles away from your boss, may sound like a perk, but that’s not always the case.

Ken Condren remembers the moment when he experienced the frustration his remote employees face. He was working from home, participating in a conference call and heard a side conversation going on, but had no idea what was being said. “I felt so out of the loop,” Condren recalls.

Today, businesses want the talent they want – and are more willing to hire or retain someone to fill a job even if they live or move thousands of miles away. Yet even with a great number of employees working remotely, nobody wants to be that guy who doesn’t get the inside joke during a conference call.

When the success of a team depends on the people, and all the people are scattered, it’s the manager who must make sure relationships stay vital and productivity high. Getting the most out of remote workers takes a manager who knows how to motivate and communicate from a distance. “Virtual workers still need a personal connection,” says strategic business futurist Joyce Goia, president of The Herman Group. “They want camaraderie and to feel like they are part of a team.”

More managers are using technologies such as videoconferencing, instant messenger and other collaborative software to help make remote workers feel like they are “there” in the office. Not being able to speak face-to-face can quickly be solved with Skype, Face Time or simple VoIP systems.

Condren, vice president of technology at C3/CustomerContactChan-

nels in Plantation, uses Microsoft Lync to connect virtually with a team spread across geographies and time zones. Employees see a green light on their screen when a colleague is available, signaling it’s a good time to video chat or instant message. Instead of meeting in physical conference rooms, team members get together in a virtual work room where they can hold side conversations during conference calls or meet in advance to prepare for the call. “You lose the visibility of waving hands during an in person meeting, but we can build that with virtual workspaces.”

Beyond that, Condren says he holds weekly video conference calls with his staff to help his remote workers become better team players. He also sets aside 45 minutes to an hour each week to check in with his remote workers. “It’s a little extra effort to make sure they are giving me the updates that happen casually in the office.”

Condren says adapting to a virtual workforce has allowed him to hire talent in any geographic market with the skill set he wants. And he has been able to hire them at competitive salaries.

In the current economy, such flexibility can be critical for a company looking to attract top talent. CareerBuilder’s Jennifer Grasz says the recession has created a less transient workforce, making it difficult for workers to sell their homes and relocate. “Employers are turning to remote work opportunities to navigate the skills deficit.”

Even from a distance, managers say there are ways to hone in on remote workers who are having problems. Billie Williamson managed virtual teams as a partner for Ernst & Young and would focus on the tone of someone’s voice during a group conference call. She would even listen for silences. “Silence can mean consent, or it can mean the person you’re not hearing disagrees or is disengaged.” If she sensed a team member was lacking engagement, she would follow up immediately.

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Scholastic Writing Awards recognizes four students’ creative writing skills

Hallee Meltzer, Andrea Villa, and Haley Zilberberg of School for Advanced Studies and Christopher Leesang of the Academy of Advanced Academics were recognized for Silver Key Awards in the 2013 Scholastic Writing Awards for their creative writing skills.

Hallee became a regional finalist in humor, persuasive writing, and poetry categories. Andrea is being honored for her entry in the short story category. Haley’s work in personal essay and memoir, short story, and poetry earned her recognition as a regional finalist. Christopher is being recognized for his poem, Where the Sky Touches the Sea.

IMMACULATA-LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL

Immaculata-La Salle High School, in Miami, was named an Apple Distinguished Program for its iLearn@ILS iPad program. The iLearn implements technology to help develop the student and teacher experience in the classroom by allowing students to respond quickly and teachers to support and create engaging lessons.

The Apple honor is reserved for programs that meet visionary leadership, innovative learning and teaching, professional learning, evidence of success, and a flexible learning environment.

MATER ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL

Mater Academy High School’s business and marketing club, in Hialeah, will compete in the 48th annual Florida Collegiate Distributive Education Clubs of America competition in Orlando on Feb. 28 through March 3.

Students across the state will compete in various categories including marketing, management, merchandising, hospitality, and more. Participants are taking business courses and participating in afterschool activities to prepare for the conference.

CORAL REEF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Tanarut Chaisuesomboon, Prudhvi Lokireddy, Carly Misztal, Nicolas Reed, and Jialin Zhang of Coral Reef Senior High School were announced as National Merit Scholarship Program finalists.

These four students will be considered for a National Merit Scholarship and the Merit Scholar title.

MIAMI KILLIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Miami Killian Senior High School students Kathryn Lopez, Jaclyn Cruz-Alvarez, and Eduardo Fuentes-Moran were selected to represent their school in the Miami Dade County Public School’s 2013 Superintendent’s High School Honor Band at the Lehman Theater.

Kathryn plays flute, Jaclyn bassoonand Eduardo is on the euphonium, a brass instrument.

NORTH BEACH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

North Beach Elementary School student’s David Tamen and Zavian Schwartz are both visual arts winners and were recognized in the Reflections Arts competition. David also earned an honorable mention for literature.

—  Compiled by Adrianne Richardson

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Alona Tal Cult Interview

We all have pop culture obsessions (lord knows I've talked about mine, ad nauseum, on this website) but you'd be hard-pressed to find fans who take their love of a show as seriously as the characters on Cult.

RELATED - TV's Most Devastating Death Scenes

In a nutshell, The CW's newest drama revolves around the mysterious disappearance of Nate Sefton, a fan of the show within Cult (also called Cult), and the investigation his brother, Matt Davis' Jeff, launches along with Skye Yarrow, a research assistant on the TV show that is seemingly at the center of it all.

RELATED - What's Next on The Vampire Diaries?

If that sounds confusing, fret not -- star Alona Tal tells me that as long as you pay attention, everything will make sense. I recently caught up with the actress at The Carlton Hotel in NYC where we talked all about Cult, and I found out her biggest pop culture obsessions.

Cult premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on The CW.

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CBS anchor Morrison denies choking wife, apologizes for yelling at Conn. cops

Douglas Healey

WCBS morning anchor Rob Morrison, of Darien Conn., enters Stamford Superior Court today.

Longtime New York anchorman Rob Morrison appeared at Connecticut courthouse today to begin facing charges that he choked his fellow-journalist wife, Ashley, at their tony Darien home — then threatened her in front of cops.

Morrison, 44, adamantly denied the charge of choking his wife Ashley -- but the WCBS-TV anchor said he regretted his conduct to the cops who showed up at their home, which they share with their 7-year-old son.

"I did not choke my wife. I have never laid my hands on my wife," told reporters outside Stamford [Conn.] Superior Court before his arraignment. "I was just as surprised by that particular charge as probably was everyone else whose heard about this story."

"I regret deeply how I acted toward the Darien Police department Saturday night," Morrison said. "I did not show them the respect they deserved. They were there to do a job, they're a fine department, they do a good job protecting the town in which I live and I sincerely apologize to them.

But Morrison — still sporting marks on his nose and upper lip from the fracas with his wife — would not answer questions about where he got his bruises, why his wife had marks on her throat or why cops have been called to his house. He walked off when reporters asked those questions.

Before that, he said, "My wife and I are humbled and overwhelmed by the support we have received from family, friends and colleagues and viewers. I've been on the other side of this and I've heard it before, it's heartening."

Patrick McMullan (right)

Local news anchorman Rob Morrison is bloodied (left) after he allegedly choked his wife, Ashley (right) and she fought back.

"I love my wife more than anything. The past ten years she has been the most important person in my life. She's helped me through some really difficult times personally...it goes without saying more than anything in this world," Morrison said.

"A great man who is no longer with us, at one point in my life told me, tell the truth and fear nothing and that's exactly what I'm going to do when I go in there."

Morrison was arrested Sunday morning, several weeks after Darien police responded to a domestic incident at their home that did not end in charges, sources told The Post.

The newsman was also arrested in 2009 for allegedly assaulting Ashley — an anchor for “CBS MoneyWatch” — at their Upper West Side apartment, a source said.

And New York police said that between 2003 and 2009, cops were called there for seven verbal disputes — none of which led to an arrest.

That sordid track record is worlds away from the handsome Morrison’s public image as a top-notch journalist with two decades of experience.

The ex-Marine spent 10 years at WNBC/Channel 4, hosting the morning show “Today in New York” before joining WCBS in 2009 to anchor the CBS 2 “News This Morning,” as well as “At Noon” with Mary Calvi.

Ashley and Rob Morrison

Sources said Morrison left WNBC in 2008 because his wife suspected him of having an affair with an intern.

For more than a year, he stayed at home, taking care of the couple’s now-7-year-old son and writing a blog for the Huffington Post titled “Daddy Diaries: Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Anchorman.”

Ashley Morrison’s mother, Martha Risk, told The Post she was the one who had called the cops on Morrison in the latest incident.

“I’m angry, so angry,” Risk said.

The Indiana woman accused Rob Morrison of repeatedly abusing her daughter.

“This doesn’t shock me. This has gone on for 10 years,” she said.

Asked why Ashley, 40, hadn’t left him, Risk said, “She’s in fear.”

Early Sunday morning, Risk said, she was sleeping at home when her phone rang with “Rob Morrison” on caller ID.

“I’ve gotten many calls from him” over the years, Risk said. “I’m sure he was drunk.”

She phoned Darien cops to report Morrison was choking Ashley, police said.

A source said Morrison told his mother-in-law Ashley was “making bad decisions” and had clocked him in the face, leaving him with a bleeding nose and mouth.

“She struck him in self-defense,” the source said.

Cops arrived at the Morrison residence at 1:30 a.m.

“While being processed [by cops, Rob Morrison] made verbal threats to do his wife additional harm, which was overheard by the arresting officers,” police said.

Morrison was charged with strangulation, threatening and disorderly conduct. Cops released his mug shot, which showed Morrison with a cut nose and bruised lip.

He was released after posting $100,000 bond and is being arraigned today in Stamford court.

Morrison’s lawyer, Robert Skovgaard, said the incident had been overblown.

“The Morrisons are confident that a full review of this matter will show that the allegations have been greatly exaggerated,” he said.

Additional reporting by Daniel Prendergast, Larry Celona, Michael Shain, Beth DeFalco and Kevin Sheehan

dan.mangan@nypost.com

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Sign up for Feb. 21 Miami Herald Small Business Forum featuring Zumba’s CEO, 4 interactive panels

Prepare your best pitch for the Miami Herald’s Small Business Forum on Thursday, Feb. 21, at the south campus of our sponsor, Florida International University.

In addition to how-to panels and inspirational stories from successful entrepreneurs, our annual small business forum will include interactive opportunities with experts to learn about financing options and polish your personal and business brands.

During our finance panel, audience volunteers will be invited to explain their financing needs to the group. During our box-lunch session, they will be invited to pitch their business or personal brand to our coaches.

Those who prefer just to listen will be treated to a keynote address by Alberto Perlman, co-founder of the global fitness craze Zumba (see bio below). Panels include success stories from the local entrepreneurs who founded Sedano’s, Jennifer’s Homemade and ReStockIt.com; finance tips from experts in small business loans, venture capital, angel investments and traditional bank loans; and insiders in the burgeoning South Florida tech start-up scene. Scroll down to see the panelists’ bios

Plus, it’s a real bargain. $25 includes the half-day seminar, continental breakfast and a box lunch.

Register here.

Program

8 a.m.

Registration and continental breakfast, provided by Bill Hansen Catering

8:30 a.m. Welcome

Host: David Suarez, president and CEO, Interactive Training Solutions, LLC

•  Jerry Haar, PhD, associate dean & director, FIU Eugenio Pino and Family Global

Entrepreneurship Center

•  Alice Horn, executive director, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE South Florida)

•  Jane Wooldridge, Business editor, The Miami Herald

Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge Overview:

•  Nancy Dahlberg, Business Plan Challenge coordinator, The Miami Herald

8:45 a.m. Session I – Success Stories

Moderator: Jerry Haar, PhD, associate dean & director, FIU Eugenio Pino and Family Global

Entrepreneurship Center

Speakers:

•  Jennifer Behar, founder, Jennifer’s Homemade

•  Matt Kuttler, co-president of ReStockIt.com

•  Javier Herrán, chief marketing officer, Sedano’s Supermarkets

10 a.m. Session II – All about Tech

Moderator: Jane Wooldridge, Business editor, The Miami Herald

Speakers

•  Susan Amat, founder, Launch Pad Tech

•  Nancy Borkowski, executive director, Health Management Programs, Chapman Graduate School of

Business, Florida International University

•  Chris Fleck, vice president of mobility solutions at Citrix and a director of the South Florida Tech Alliance

•  Charles Irizarry, co-founder and director of product architecture, Rokk3r Labs

11:15 a.m. Keynote

Speaker: Alberto Perlman, CEO and co-founder of Zumba® Fitness

Introduction: Jane Wooldridge, business editor, The Miami Herald

11:45 a.m. Session III – Show me the money: Financing your small business

An interactive session featuring audience volunteers who will be invited to make a short investment pitch before a panel, including experts in microlending, SBA loans, traditional bank loans, venture capital and angel investing. Audience volunteers should come prepared with a two-minute presentation that includes details about current backing, how much money they are seeking and a brief synosis of ow that money would be used.

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Hawkins withdraws his name from Jackson Health System board post

In a kerfuffle with echoes from political battles almost two decades ago, former Miami-Dade commissioner and state legislator Larry Hawkins announced Monday he was withdrawing his name from nomination to the Jackson Health System board.

Hawkins, 68, who had been nominated to be the unions’ representative on the seven-member board, sent a letter to the clerk of courts saying, “Though deeply honored by this nomination, after considering the time commitment and the physical demands associated with fulfilling the responsibilities of this position, I have decided to decline this opportunity to serve.”

In a telephone interview, Hawkins said his decision “had nothing to do with Katy Sorenson,” who defeated him in the 1994 election for his commission seat and had been calling journalists and union leaders objecting to his nomination.

Sorenson, now president the Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami, gave The Herald a statement on Friday, “It’s disturbing that the union, which represents so many hard-working women, would appoint a person with such disdain for women and a record of ethics violations.”

In 1995, the state ethics commission fined Hawkins $5,000 after finding that he had sexually harassed three aides while county commissioner. Hawkins, a disabled Vietnam vet who uses a wheelchair, said he had never made lewd comments and his actions had been misunderstood.

Hawkins also has strong supporters. On Monday, before Hawkins withdrew, Phillis Oeters, a South Florida civic leader, praised him as a “brilliant choice” for Jackson’s board because he knows a lot about healthcare and had a long reputation of government service.

Oeters decried dredging up charges from two decades ago. “As a society, can’t we forgive and forget, if forgiveness is even necessary in this case? ... We need the best and the brightest in the county to serve.”

Oeters is chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and a vice president of Baptist Health South Florida, but she said her remarks reflected her personal views, not those of the organizations.

In his letter to the clerk’s office, Hawkins said he decided to withdraw because “over the past few days, I have had numerous conversations with current board members ... and have spoken with CEO Carlos Migoya regarding the meeting schedules and operations,” which include monthly committee days that start about 7 a.m. and end sometimes past 5 p.m.

Hawkins said his mother is in hospice care and he had too much going on his life at present to add Jackson to his schedule. He said Sorenson, when on the commission, had approved him for volunteer board posts and he was mystified why she would object now to long-gone allegations. Jackson board members get no salary for their service.

County bylaws allow the unions to name one person to Jackson’s board. Last week, Andy Madtes, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, announced Hawkins’ selection, which was scheduled to go to the county commission on Wednesday for formal approval.

On Monday, union leaders issued a statement accepting Hawkins’ decision.

In a formal statement, Martha Baker, president of SEIU Local 1991, said: “Providing our patients and community with cutting edge, fully accessible patient care is our primary goal. We will be putting forward a new appointee as soon as possible so we can stay focused on working together to achieve long-term sustainability for JHS. We plan to select a new appointee prior to the next Commission meeting, March 5.”

The SEIU local represents nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals at Jackson.

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Worn Out? Stars Step Out in Same Style

Dakota Fanning vs. Miley Cyrus

Dakota Fanning raised eyebrows with her dramatic dolled-up look on the cover of Glamour Magazine's March 2013 issue, sporting a memorable cropped Marc Jacobs Mickey Mouse sweater. Miley Cyrus also showed off her toned stomach in the exact same figure-flaunting top backstage at the designer's Fall 2013 fashion show.

Who looks best in the Lolita-like sweater, Dakota or Miley?

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MTA, workers' union contract negotiations stalled for past 3 months

The MTA and its largest workers’ union haven’t been to the bargaining table in over three months, with each side blaming the other for the breakdown in talks.

The 35,000-member strong Transport Workers Union Local 100 — which has been without a contract for over a year — claims the MTA has refused to negotiate since ex-chairman Joseph Lhota quit to run for mayor.

“We have informed the MTA that we are fully prepared to continue bargaining,” the TWU said in a contract update to its members.

“They responded that they won’t be ready to come back to the table until after Gov. Cuomo appoints, and the State Senate confirms, a new chair of the agency.”

Robert Kalfus

Members of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100

It’s unclear when that will be. Cuomo has not named a successor to Lhota.

But MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz called the TWU’s claims “pure fiction.”

An agency official blamed said the TWU refused to schedule time to come to the table.

The MTA has continued contract talks with other workers unions, the official said.

The two sides are at odds over the TWU’s demands for cost-of-living raises.

Meanwhile, the MetroNorth conductors union recently rejected a five year contract that guaranteed raises in the fourth year, according to the TWU’s update to members.

The TWU claims that rejection bolsters its hardline position on raises.

In October, TWU president John Samuelsen told members the MTA was offering 4 percent raises over 5 years, but he rejected it.

jennifer.fermino@nypost.com

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Small business lending rebounds in South Florida

For years, Pablo Oliveira dreamed of buying a property to house his high-end linen and furniture rental company, Nuage Designs, which has created settings for such glamorous events as the weddings of Carrie Underwood and Chelsea Clinton.

A few months ago, that dream came true, when Oliveira purchased a warehouse across the street from his current Miami location. He is now renovating the loft-like space with the help of a $2.1 million, 25-year small business loan.

“It allows me to own my own space as opposed to renting, and that will decrease my costs for infrastructure and allow me to build equity with time,” said Oliveira, who secured a U.S. Small Business Administration-guaranteed loan from Wells Fargo.

For small businesses like Oliveira’s, a loan can be the critical key to growing a business, as well as the kindling to ignite an operation.

Take Harold Scott’s fledgling Great Scott Security, which manufactures window guards in Hollywood that can open quickly in case of need.

When he was 13, Scott’s stepfather perished in a Georgia house fire because he couldn’t escape through heavy window bars. Scott made it his mission to fix the problem.

“I promised myself I would dedicate all my time to working on a solution,” said Scott, 60.

Now retired from a 23-year career in the U.S. Justice Department, Scott recently secured a $7,500 microloan from Partners for Self Employment. He used it to buy a computer and pay for marketing and other business expenses for his quick-release window guards, which have met national, state and Miami-Dade County fire safety codes.

During the depths of the recession, business owners often griped that gaining access to capital was their biggest hurdle. Saddled with bad loans, many banks were wary of making new ones. At the same time, both the value of collateral and the creditworthiness of many borrowers tumbled.

Now, at last, banks are starting to open their pocketbooks again, experts say, though lending is still not on par with pre-recession levels.

“There is no question that small business borrowing declined as a result of the recession and has yet to recover to pre-crisis levels,” said Richard Brown, chief economist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., via email. “According to the Federal Reserve, total loans to noncorporate businesses and farms stood at just under $3.8 trillion in September, which remains below the peak of about $4.1 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2008.”

Signs of Growth

In South Florida, more businesses are applying for loans and getting approvals from banks, according to lenders, officials at government agencies and leaders of organizations that help small business owners secure loans.

“Lenders are expressing a greater interest than they have in the past few years in terms of meeting the needs of the small business community,” said Marjorie Weber, Miami-Dade Chapter Chair of SCORE, which helps business owners put loan packages together and refers them to bankers.

Loan figures are indeed rising. During the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2012, SBA-guaranteed loans were up in both Miami-Dade and Broward counties, according to the SBA. In fiscal 2012, 449 loans were approved in Miami-Dade, totaling $213.3 million, up from 426 loans for $154.4 million in 2011. In Broward, 262 loans for $91.4 million were approved in fiscal 2012, compared to 257 loans for $102.4 million in 2011.

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What’s your Academy Awards IQ?

From the Pakistani military complex that once housed the elusive Osama bin Laden depicted in Zero Dark Thirty to the fiercely divided halls of Congress brought to life in Lincoln to the poverty-stricken streets of 19th century France captured in Les Miserables, the big screen in 2012 took audiences on a wide-ranging and captivating journey through history and across genres. Now, with the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards behind us and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars drawing ever-closer, film aficionados and casual viewers alike are beginning to reflect on the cinematic grandeur of the year just completed. Test your memory of the film cornucopia that was reeled out in 2012 with this quiz.

1.Nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis is the youngest nominee for Best Actress in Oscar history for her leading role in which film?

A. Beasts of the Southern Wild

B. Life of Pi

C. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

D. Les Miserables

2.Which of the following films has received the most Academy Awards nominations?

A. Les Miserables

B. Lincoln

C. Zero Dark Thirty

D. Argo

3. One of the nominations for the James Bond flick “Skyfall” is for Best Original Song — in this case, “ Skyfall,” performed by Adele. Which of the Bond movies was the last to receive an Academy Award nomination for its theme music?

A. The Spy Who Loved Me

B. Tomorrow Never Dies

C. For Your Eyes Only

D. Live and Let Die

4. Amour snagged five Oscar nominations, including one for Best Actress for Emmanuelle Riva. It’s also up for Best Foreign Language Film. Which country is its writer and director from?

A. France

B. Austria

C. Canada

D. Switzerland

5. Which of these films is not nominated in the category of Best Animated Feature Film?

A. Frankenweenie

B. ParaNorman

C. Hotel Transylvania

D. Wreck-It Ralph

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Hugh Grant is a Dad Again

Hugh Grant confirmed Saturday that he is a dad again.

PICS: Celebs and Their Cute Kids

The 52-year-old British actor tweeted, "In answer to some journos. Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother. Adore them both to an uncool degree. They have a fab mum."

Hugh and actress Tinglan Hong welcomed a daughter named Tabitha in 2011. No word yet on what Tabitha's little brother is named.

Related: Hugh Grant Responds to Jon Stewart Diss

Hugh told The Guardian in 2012 of being a dad, "I like my daughter very much. Fantastic. Has she changed my life? I'm not sure. Not yet. Not massively, no. But I'm absolutely thrilled to have had her, I really am. And I feel a better person."

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Latest 'Die Hard' takes top spot at weekend box office

LOS ANGELES — Bruce Willis remains a die-hard at the box office.

Willis' action sequel "A Good Day to Die Hard" debuted as the weekend's top draw with a $25 million debut from Friday to Sunday. The 20th Century Fox release raised its domestic total to $33.2 million since opening Thursday for Valentine's Day to get a jump on the long President's Day weekend.

The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Universal's comedy "Identity Thief," ran a close second with $23.4 million to lift its haul to $70.7 million.

Debuting at No. 3 with $21.4 million was Relativity Media's romance "Safe Haven," starring Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel in an adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel.

AP

Bruce Willis and Jai Courtney in "A Good Day to Die Hard"

The Weinstein Co. animated adventure "Escape from Planet Earth" opened at No. 4 with $16.1 million.

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NBA’s best player (LeBron James) isn’t best-paid

HOUSTON --
When LeBron James walks onto the court for Houston’s NBA All-Star Game Sunday, he’ll do so as the undisputed king of his sport.

Named the league’s most valuable player three times in the past four years, James is once again dominating the NBA and most likely headed for his fourth MVP award — two fewer than Michael Jordan — with presumably a long career still ahead.

But while James is the most valuable player in the NBA, he’s nowhere close to being the league’s highest paid. Of the 10 players voted into the starting lineup of Sunday’s All-Star Game, five earn more than James, whose salary for this season ranks 13th in the NBA.

James’ decision a while back to “take my talents to South Beach” was a case of trading dollars for victories. The league caps what teams can spend on salaries.

The bimonthly checks cut by team owner Micky Arison this year will equal a bargain come season’s end: $17,545,000.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, the league’s highest-paid player, will earn about $10 million more than that this season.

James understands he’s underpaid in the purest sense, but he also understands reality: He makes obscene amounts of money playing a game. Super-rich athletes who gripe about money seldom get much sympathy — witness the outpouring of scorn when golfer Phil Mickelson recently complained that increased taxes on high earners, coupled with California’s high tax rates, might force him to make “drastic changes” in his playing schedule.

James also makes a fortune in endorsements, from companies ranging from Nike to Sprite to Samsung to Dunkin’ Donuts.

Still, the obvious question remains: Considering not only James’ impact on the Heat, but also his overall contribution to the entire NBA, how much money could James command on the open market if there were no league-imposed economic constraints?

“Per year, if there were no salary-cap restrictions, I think he’s worth well over $100 million, easy,” said Shane Battier, the Heat’s heady forward and former Duke University schoolmate of Heat CEO Nick Arison.

That’s $100 million per year.

It’s an audacious and historic number, but considering James’ recent run of play, it’s not complete fantasy. James is performing at a historic level of excellence. After thoroughly wiping the court in Oklahoma City on Thursday, scoring 39 points, pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out seven assists, James has scored at least 30 points in seven straight games.

The last player to accomplish that feat going into the All-Star break was Wilt Chamberlain back in 1963.

“This guy, LeBron James, he’s doing stuff that I’ve never seen,” said Hall of Famer Charles Barkley on Thursday night during TNT’s Inside the NBA. “He’s on another planet.”

Considering Barkley’s sharp criticism of James in the past, not to mention his history of going head-to-head with Michael Jordan during both men’s prime, that’s high praise.

But a market value of $100 million?

“Really, it boils down to the ego of an owner,” Battier said. “A lot of owners would pay just to have LeBron James on their team. I can think of a couple that would pay him, easily, nine figures per year.”

According to one numbers cruncher — John Vrooman, an economics professor at Vanderbilt University — Battier’s figure is an overestimation of James’ worth by about $60 million. Here is how his math works: Vrooman used an advanced metric known in the sports world as “win-share,” which assigns a number to each player on a team based on his contributions, both offensively and defensively, for a season. Last season, when James led the Heat to the championship, he had a win-share value of 14.5, which translates to 31.5 percent of the 2011-12 Heat’s 46 regular-season wins.

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