Judge rules Coney Island wooden boardwalk to be replaced with plastic planks








REUTERS


The boardwalk at Coney Island before the arrival of Sandy.



Plastic is the new wood, a Brooklyn judge has decided — at least when it comes to Coney island’s famous boardwalk.

Judge Martin Solomon ruled that the city may move forward with its plan to replace five blocks of the iconic – and rickety — wooden boardwalk with plastic and concrete planks, according to court documents revealed today.

Solomon ruled in favor of the city Parks Department and against the Coney-Brighton Boardwalk Alliance, which had filed to force the Bloomberg administration to conduct an environmental review before replacing any wooden planks.




"We are pleased the judge found that the Parks Department complied with the law, thus allowing this project to proceed,” Katie Kendall, of the New York City Law Department, said in a statement.

"We are disappointed in the decision … A moratorium on construction of concrete and plastic boardwalk sections is urgently needed for the safety of the community,” the Coney-Brighton Boardwalk Alliance said in a statement.

jsaul@nypost.com










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Ryder CEO Greg Swienton retiring, COO getting promoted




















Trucking giant Ryder will get a new CEO in two weeks, as the Miami-Dade company announces the retirement of Gregory Swienton and the promotion of current COO Robert Sanchez to the top job.

Ryder, which leases commercial trucks and manages supply operations for companies around the world, saw revenues and profits increase this year, but has also been cutting costs and selling part of its fleet to combat slowing sales. Swienton, 63, joined Ryder as president in 1999 and was promoted to CEO a year later. Sanchez, 47, will become the company’s fifth CEO since its founding in 1933 by a Miami Beach construction worker named Jim Ryder. One of three Fortune 500 companies south of Palm Beach County, Ryder employs about 700 people at its headquarters in western Miami-Dade.

Sanchez becomes CEO on January 1, and Swienton will retain the title of chairman of the board until Ryder’s annual meeting in May, when that title will pass to Sanchez, too, the company said in a press release issued Monday morning.





E. Follin Smith, an independent director on the board, said in a statement in the company press release: “We sincerely thank Greg Swienton for leading Ryder to an improved sustainable business model, significantly enhanced financial performance, and an organization-wide commitment to business integrity.”

Swienton said Monday he was ready to end his career and begin enjoying a retirement with family, particularly grandchildren living in Texas, where he and his wife own a home.

“I had my seventh grandchild on Nov. 28th. There are many things pulling you in life,’’ Swienton said in a joint telephone call with his successor, Sanchez. “I’ve been working for 41 years straight.”

A 19-year veteran at Ryder, Sanchez has served as head of the company’s largest division, global fleet management solutions, and as chief financial officer. He was born in Miami, a graduate of Christopher Columbus High School and the University of Miami.

Sanchez said his main goal would be “to continue the good work Greg has done here at Ryder.” He noted that Ryder’s primary business is as an out-sourcer — with companies turning over their supply operations to Ryder as a cost saver. That leaves Ryder plenty of room to grow, since “there is still a very large part of the market that is not outsourced.”

Following the news Ryder stock dropped almost 2 percent by midday Monday, to $48.75 a share, on a day when most stock indices were posting gains.





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Child dies from injuries after being hit by car




















A 7-year-old struck by a vehicle in a Lauderhill neighborhood street Saturday night has died, police said on Sunday.

The child was struck at around 7 p.m. on the 5700 block of Northwest 27th Court.

No names have been released.





The driver has been identified only as a 20-year-old female.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, said police spokesman Capt. Rick Rocco.

The child was transported to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition immediately after the incident, police said.





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Riveting Details Emerge from CT School Rampage

As morning turned to afternoon on Friday, further details continued to emerge from Newtown, CT, a tight-knit community shaken by a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that took the lives of innocent students and teachers, in addition to the gunman, reportedly identified as Adam Lanza.

RELATED: President Fights Tears as He Addresses Nation

As President Barack Obama touched on in his tear-jerking press conference, this is not the first time the nation has witnessed a tragedy of this kind. The recent mass shooting at an Aurora, CO movie theater is just one instance of such violence. Columbine High School and Virginia Tech also resonate as prime examples.

Hollywood's biggest stars were quick to react to the news on Twitter and made an outcry for stricter gun control regulations.

Watch the video for ET's complete coverage of today's biggest headline.

RELATED: Celebs Tweet Reactions to CT School Shooting

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Fuel spill in Staten Island waters confined: Coast Guard








The US Coast Guard says a fuel spill from a cargo tank on a barge has been "pretty much confined" to the Staten Island waters where it originally occurred.

Spokesman Charles Rowe says cleanup of the spill is continuing, with thousands of gallons of oil-tainted water removed.

The spill from a leaking tank occurred Friday at about 11:20 p.m. It's unclear how much of the 112,000-gallon tank's oil had spilled.

The leak has stopped.

Rowe said booms had been deployed to contain the spill, with the majority of the oil concentrated around the barge. He said some had gone into the harbor and isolated patches had been seen on the Staten Island and New Jersey shorelines.



Rowe said booms had been placed to protect a bird sanctuary in the area.










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Miami in spotlight at AVCC, other entrepreneurship events




















Entrepreneurs from around the world took the stage during this packed week of entrepreneurship events in Miami: Florida International University’s Americas Venture Capital Conference (known as AVCC), HackDay, Wayra’s Global DemoDay and Endeavor’s International Selection Panel.

The events, all part of the first Innovate MIA week, also put the spotlight on Miami as it continues to try to develop into a technology hub for the Americas.

“While I like art, I absolutely love what is happening today... The time has come to become a tech hub in Miami,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, who kicked off the venture capital conference on Thursday. He told the audience of 450 investors and entrepreneurs about the county’s $1 million investment in the Launch Pad Tech Accelerator in downtown Miami.





“I have no doubt that this gathering today will produce new ideas and new business ventures that will put our community on a fast track to becoming a center for innovative, tech-driven entrepreneurship,” Gimenez said.

Brad Feld, an early-stage investor and a founder of TechStars, cautioned that won’t happen overnight. Building a startup community can take five, 10, even 15 years, and those leading the effort, who should be entrepreneurs themselves, need to take the long-term view, he told the audience via video. “You can create very powerful entrepreneurial ecosystems in any city... I’ve spent some time in Miami, I think you are off to a great start.”

Throughout the two-day AVCC at the JW Brickell Marriott, as well as the Endeavor and Wayra events, entrepreneurs from around the world pitched their companies, hoping to persuade investors to part with some of their green.

And in some cases, the entrepreneurs could win money, too. During the venture capital conference, 29 companies —including eight from South Florida such as itMD, which connects doctors, patients and imaging facilities to facilitate easy access of records — competed for more than $50,000 in cash and prizes through short “elevator’’ pitches. Each took questions from the judges, then demoed their products or services in the conference “Hot Zone,” a room adjoining the ballroom. Some companies like oLyfe, a platform to organize what people share online, are hoping to raise funds for expansion into Latin America. Others like Ideame, a trilingual crowdfunding platform, were laser focused on pan-Latin American opportunities.

Winning the grand prize of $15,000 in cash and art was Trapezoid Digital Security of Miami, which provides hardware-based security solutions for enterprise and cloud environments. Fotopigeon of Tampa, a photo-sharing and printing service targeting the military and prison niches, scored two prizes.

The conference offered opportunities to hear formal presentations on current trends — among them the surge of start-ups in Brazil; the importance of mobile apps and overheated company valuations — and informal opportunities to connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

Speakers included Gaston Legorburu of SapientNitro, Albert Santalo of CareCloud and Juan Diego Calle of .Co Internet, all South Florida entrepreneurs. Jerry Haar, executive director of FIU’s Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center, which produced the conference with a host of sponsors, said the organizers worked hard to make the conference relevant to both the local and Latin American audience, with panels on funding and recruiting for startups, for instance.





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Two die in unrelated crashes in Broward




















Two people died in separate Broward traffic accidents on Saturday morning, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Shortly after 4 a.m., Andre Caesar, 41, crashed a 2012 Velocity motor scooter into the driver’s side of a tow truck backed into a driveway at 3370 NW 39th St. in Lauderdale Lakes. The tow truck, which was unloading a vehicle at a residence, had its headlights and taillights on, BSO detectives said.

Caesar, of Fort Lauderdale, was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died at around 5 a.m.





In an unrelated incident shortly after 6 a.m., Tiago Rodriguez, 28, apparently lost control of a 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck he was driving and crashed into a concrete utility pole. He had been heading eastbound on McNab Road and trying to exit on the off ramp to Southwest 17th Street in North Lauderdale. Detectives do not know why Rodriguez lost control of the truck.

Rodriguez, of Margate, was also taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died at about 7:15 a.m.





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App of the Week: Manilla






App Name: Manilla


Price: Free






Available Platforms: Apple’s iOS ( iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone), Android


What does this app do? Manilla provides a secure way for you manage and organize your bills on your mobile device, tablet or desktop. This finance app, of which an updated version for the iPhone 5 was released this week, allows you to link to your accounts, set up reminders to pay your bills, and keep track of household finances such as utilities and services.


From your mobile device, select the “Accounts” tab to see a queue of accounts you linked to within the app. On the bottom right, tap the settings button to add an account.The new release also lets you manage your accounts with local businesses or individuals who do not have an online payment system – the landscaper or babysitter, for example.


Press the “Reminders” tab to select a business you use, such as your wireless carrier. The app will display a screen with your account and bill information as well as let you set up reminders to pay your bill, which will be delivered through email or text message. Select, “View Bill,” to see details, such as when you made your last payment, or select “Documents” and the app’s built in PDF viewer will display your bill within the application.


You cannot pay your bill directly from the app. However, select “Go to Site” and the app will direct you to a business’s website where you can pay your bill.


Is it easy to set up? Yes. Once you download Manilla, the app requires you to register with an email and password.


Should I try it? Manilla takes all of your bill information and puts into an easy-to-use interface, and with over 3,500 businesses the app makes it easy to link to a variety of accounts. If you’re interested in building and monitoring a budget, too, you will find a better solution with Mint.com’s app. Still, Manilla makes keeping track of all of your bills simple – a sure way to stay on top of your finances.


Also Read
Wireless News Headlines – Yahoo! News


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Riveting Details Emerge from CT School Rampage

As morning turned to afternoon on Friday, further details continued to emerge from Newtown, CT, a tight-knit community shaken by a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that took the lives of innocent students and teachers, in addition to the gunman, reportedly identified as Adam Lanza.

RELATED: President Fights Tears as He Addresses Nation

As President Barack Obama touched on in his tear-jerking press conference, this is not the first time the nation has witnessed a tragedy of this kind. The recent mass shooting at an Aurora, CO movie theater is just one instance of such violence. Columbine High School and Virginia Tech also resonate as prime examples.

Hollywood's biggest stars were quick to react to the news on Twitter and made an outcry for stricter gun control regulations.

Watch the video for ET's complete coverage of today's biggest headline.

RELATED: Celebs Tweet Reactions to CT School Shooting

Read More..

Hillary Clinton faints, sustains concussion








WASHINGTON — The State Department says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who skipped an overseas trip this past week because of a stomach virus, sustained a concussion after fainting.

She's now recovering at home and being monitored by doctors.

An aide, Philippe Reines, says Clinton will work from home next week, at the recommendation of doctors.

Congressional aides do not expect her to testify as scheduled at congressional hearings on Thursday into the Sept. 11 attack against a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador.





AFP/Getty Images



Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week.





The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss Clinton's status.

The department says Clinton was dehydrated because of the virus and that she fainted, causing the concussion. No further details were immediately available.










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