Boat Show may block Miami’s 2016 Super Bowl bid

This winter, the biggest NFL match-up in South Florida might be Super Bowl versus Boat Show.

As South Florida readies a bid for the 2016 Super Bowl, it must contend with a major potential conflict on the tourism calendar. The National Football League may move the Super Bowl to Presidents’ Day weekend, already home to the five-day Miami International Boat Show since the 1940s.

It’s a significant enough conflict that, in the past, local tourism officials have declined to pursue a Super Bowl if it fell on boat show weekend. But this time around they may have no choice. For the first time, the NFL is requiring that potential host cities agree to a Presidents’ Day weekend Super Bowl if they want to pursue the big game at all, said two people who have seen the NFL request for Super Bowl bids.

The NFL “invited South Florida [to bid] knowing there was going to be an issue with Presidents’ Day weekend and the boat show,” said Nicki Grossman, Broward’s tourism director. “In the past, South Florida has not responded to a Super Bowl date that included Presidents’ Day weekend. This package is different.”

South Florida vies with New Orleans as the top Super Bowl host, with government and tourism leaders touting the game as both a boon to the economy and a publicity bonanza. But the notion of accommodating both Super Bowl and boat show — not to mention a major arts festival in Coconut Grove — strikes some top tourism officials as a bad idea.

“There is not sufficient hotel inventory available in Miami that weekend to host a Super Bowl,” said William Talbert, president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We have taken a close look at that weekend, and it’s not physically possible in Miami to host Super Bowl during the Presidents’ Day weekend because of the boat show and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. The hotel inventory is all being used for these two great events.”

His comments are at odds with the region’s top Super Bowl organizer and reflect the burden that the boat show may be to South Florida’s Super Bowl hopes for 2016 and 2017. The NFL invited Miami and San Francisco to bid for the 2016 Super Bowl by April 1, with the loser vying with Houston for the 2017 game. Talbert said the bid package states both decisions will be made in May.

For now, South Florida’s Super Bowl organizers face a largely hypothetical challenge, because the current NFL schedule has the Super Bowl occurring two weeks before Presidents’ Day weekend. The bid requirements for the ’16 and ’17 Super Bowls include three consecutive weekends as possibilities for the game, with the latest falling on the Presidents’ Day holiday.

Still, possible logistical hurdles may combine with political obstacles if the Miami Dolphins resume their push for a tax-funded renovation of Sun Life Stadium, the Super Bowl’s South Florida home.

Last year, the Dolphins proposed that Broward and Miami-Dade counties subsidize a $225 million renovation at Sun Life as a way to keep the region competitive for Super Bowls and other large events. The renovation includes a partial roof that would prevent the kind of drenching Super Bowl spectators suffered in 2007 when a rare February downpour hit Miami Gardens.

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Scott’s ALF panel let industry off hook, critics say

TALLAHASSEE --
Gov. Rick Scott used tough language in the summer of 2011 when he created a panel to help fix the deadly abuse and neglect in Florida assisted living facilities.

He pledged to provide protections for elderly and disabled ALF residents, who in recent years saw sweeping breakdowns of care as lawmakers stripped regulations and failed to protect the state’s most vulnerable people from burns, beatings and death.

Then politics happened.

In a change of tide, Scott’s panel issued its final report this week, calling for diminished transparency, fewer regulations and more money for ALF operators. The panel calls for the state to better enforce existing rules rather than create new ones. And to reward ALFs when they do right rather than punish them when they do wrong.

Although some hailed the recommendations as a step forward, not everyone was cheering.

“[Providers] are probably doing cartwheels right now,” said Brian Lee, a resident advocate and director of Families for Better Care.

The recommendations are a product of more than a year of contentious meetings and a panel on which advocates for the powerful ALF industry had the lion’s share of seats. Scott appointed the group after The Miami Herald reviewed thousands of documents and published a sweeping series on the squalid conditions for many of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Some advocates for the elderly have blasted the panel since its formation, accusing Scott of stacking the committee with business-oriented ALF operators. Scott promised a second round of meetings would include more ALF residents and advocates. Critics contend the reverse was true.

On Friday, Scott insisted the work group is just one step, and that he’ll work with lawmakers to pass meaningful reform. He made similar promises last year.

“We need to act this session to make sure that existing regulations are being enforced to protect our seniors from abuse and to make necessary changes to stop facility operators from breaking the law,” he said this time around.

The furor from the Herald series prompted Scott’s panel to offer a variety of solutions in 2011, from stricter educational requirements for ALF caretakers to more government oversight for facilities that cause patient harm. Those emerged shortly after the series was published and served as a foundation for sweeping legislation that lawmakers softened and then defeated in 2012, under pressure from powerful industry lobbyists.

The new round of proposals offer bits and pieces of that original package.

Larry Polivka, chairman of the panel and head of the Claude Pepper Foundation, touted the group’s more resident-friendly proposals. Those include an appeals process to give evicted residents recourse and the creation of an independent nonprofit organization to train and credential providers.

“I think the workgroup struck a good balance,” he said, adding that the first round of proposals are not moot. “It has to be a carrot-and-stick approach. You can’t live by punitive measures alone.”

But Pat Lange, lobbyist and director of the Florida Assisted Living Association, said the final report appears to stand on its own. And she hopes it stays that way.

“The more recent conversations have been much more productive. This agrees with what we’ve felt from the beginning, which is that the regulations that exist are adequate,” she said. “I think [the panel] realized they need to make some differences in some of the ways they were handling recommendations.”

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Jelly Bean update for DROID RAZR HD and MAXX HD set to roll out next week

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Barbara Hershey Talks Once Upon A Time Season Two Winter Finale

In 2010, Barbara Hershey presented a tragic portrait of a stage mother in the Academy Award winning thriller Black Swan. And, believe it or not, many of the emotions that drove Erica Sayers to demand Swan Queen perfection from Nina (played by Natalie Portman) are once again bubbling to the surface on ABC's Once Upon A Time.

As Cora, former Queen of fairytale land and mother to Regina, Hershey revealed to ETonline that she believes a mother's love is what has fueled all of Cora's less-than-lovely behavior. With Once Upon A Time's winter finale unfolding this Sunday, we caught up with the Oscar-nominated actress to find out what fans can expect from the 2012 swan song!

ETonline: What attracted you to Once Upon A Time?

Barbara Hershey: I've always loved fables and fairytales. I've always thought the reason they endure is because they fill a need that we have as human animals. There is something so satisfying about them because at the root of fairytales is a story about the human condition -- of course it's magnified and fantasized, but it really is about us and I enjoy it on that level. Any TV series is a grab bag for an actor, but particularly with this one because you never know what world you're going to be in next week!

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ETonline: Actors can never view their characters as "the villain" of a show, so where does her perceived evil come from in your mind?

Barbara: Her love for her daughter. Even though how she loves and what she's doing in the name of it seems a little insane, it comes from a soft place inside of her. It's the one softness inside her. She's just very twisted and warped and unhealthy about it. There are a lot of parents who think they're doing well for their kids, but are really pushing them in a direction they want. Cora is doing that. She thinks everything she's done is in her daughter's best interest, but it's not. She's quite amazing to play.

ETonline: Given that, how much of Cora's motivation in getting to Storybrooke is revenge-based?

Barbara: None of it. I think she truly is a mother trying to reconnect with her daughter. Again, she's just so warped in her emotions and in a bubble of her own making, that her own version of love is so different from what mine would be. But Cora just wants to reconnect with her daughter and live their lives together.

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ETonline: Should Cora get to Storybrooke, which character would you like to work with?

Barbara: I've had a lot of scenes with Hook, which has been fun. Colin [O'Donoghue] is just wonderful. Of course I'm looking forward to a Rumpelstiltskin confrontation, but I'm wide open. I'm fond of all the characters; it's such a grab bag of amazing options.

ETonline: Looking ahead, what are you excited for the fans to see as the season wears on?

Hershey: What's fun for me is that there are a lot of surprises with Cora in the winter finale. I was blown away on almost every page. I'm excited for the audience to feel that too. You'll see as we go into the future episodes, it gets really, really interesting.

Once Upon A Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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'Macho' Camacho gets big sendoff in East Harlem

Bolivar Arellano

Christian Camacho, 20, with his 14 year old brother Stanley Camacho both sons of deceased boxing Champion Hector 'Macho' Camacho. Here they were riding through the streets of East Harlem where their father was born and raised.

It was a goodbye fit for a king of the ring.

Boxing legend Hector “Macho” Camacho was given a royal sendoff today as his casket was paraded through the streets of East Harlem in a horse-drawn carriage as thousands of mourners wished him farewell.

The procession began at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church on East 106th Street, went up First Avenue, cut across East 116th Street, traveled down Fifth Avenue and returned along East 106th Street, winding back to the church.

Revelers joined in along the way, marching behind the carriage and procession of vehicles carrying grieving family members and friends.

People were spotted hanging out car windows and sunroofs while wildly waving Puerto Rican flags and clutching pictures of Camacho in his fighting prime.

When the casket, draped in a Puerto Rican flag, arrived at St. Cecilia’s, a mob of people standing behind police barricades chanted, “Macho. Macho.”

“I love you guys,” Camacho’s mother, Maria Matias, shouted back while pumping her fist in the air. The line of people waiting to get inside and pay thier respects was several blocks long.

“I fought hard to bring my son here, where he belongs,” she told The Post.

“He fought here, he was raised here and now he is being buried here. Look at all these supporters here, it is amazing.

“They are telling me that Camacho is alive today. His spirit is not dead. He is a champion. I will always carry him in my heart.”

She recalled how Camacho started learning to box at the age of 7 and bought her a home with his career winnings.

“My son had a good heart... and took care of me.”

Camacho was shot Nov. 20 while sitting in a parked car in his hometown, Bavamon. He was 50.

Matias lashed out at her son’s killers.

“He did not deserve to die. They killed an innocent man for no reason. One bullet took my son’s life.”

She said that police have three men in custody and are tring to peice together a motive behind the slaying.

“They don’t have all the evidence yet, but soon they will.”

A farewell for Camacho in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday was marred by violence after Cynthia Castillo, 28, who claims to have been the pugilist’s girlfriend, angered his sisters by kissing him inside the open casket and walking to a VIP area designated for family and close friends.

She then fought with his former girlfriend Gloria Fernandez outside the chapel, according to the newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

Police were called in to pull the ladies apart.

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A marriage of financial convenience?

Dilemma: I’m in my early 70s, tight in my budget and worried about down the road. My husband and I had 23 years of a great marriage. We had no children but worked in our business together and I was devastated when he died so young. But that was many years ago.

My house has a small mortgage and needs work. My income is mostly Social Security with a little bit of extra income from what savings are left. I’m quite alone, and no one knows how tight I really am, as I’ve been able to keep up appearances.

I haven’t fallen in love with anyone in all these years, but now I’m starting to think financially. There’s a very nice, older single gentleman at my club who is always flirting with me. (I don’t look my age.) We’ve had a few dates and it’s been pleasant.

He’s very wealthy and all the girls are chasing after him, but he seems to have eyes for me and is looking for some kind of commitment. Do you have any advice for someone who is thinking of making a match for money? I know women who have done that, but it seems they’re miserable in spite of the big houses, cars and jewelry. It looks like a hard way to “make a living”. On the other hand, being alone and broke is not my idea of heaven either. I have little family and am fearful of being lonely, too.

It sure seems like a solution, but … Any advice?

Meg’s advice: That’s a really difficult question, and it’s oh so personal. Many people play the money card when choosing their partner, but there needs to be some clarity first. Take off the money goggles for a second and ask yourself this: Do you like him a lot? Admire him? Do you share values? Can you laugh together? Can you crawl under the covers with him easily? These days of Viagra can put another spin on an old story. Can you be good friends? Start there, and see how it scores.

Sometimes, a relationship like this can work like a charm. Other times, it’s a nightmare that’s hard to wake up from, and yet you may not know that until you actually make a life together. Please proceed with caution.

Here are some sobering thoughts:

Are you sure he’s wealthy? He may be looking for the same thing you are … financial security and his cash flow may be weak. Do some serious checking, since money is your incentive.

How old is old? If he’s got one foot in the grave, and you don’t mind caretaking, there may be an arrangement to be had. But it may not be as secure as you think, unless he sets you up financially in the beginning, and that’s a difficult negotiation, to say the least.

Does he have children? If so, your presumed financial security may very well be compromised, as most people are going to favor their kids financially. You can’t blame him, either. What would happen to you if he goes first? Are the kids nice and welcoming? Problem children can totally rain on any parade you’re considering. Consider this a big deal … and possibly a deal breaker.

Is he cheap or generous? You can usually tell that while dating. Listen up to what he says and how he behaves. Generosity is either in him or not. Leopards don’t change their spots, especially elderly, cheap leopards. That would take any bloom off the rose for me.

Don’t let romance (his) lure you into false promises. You need to understand his full intentions up front. It’s a business decision, after all, and he wasn’t born yesterday, obviously. Although your financial worries may turn him off, it’s better to know what you’re looking at up front then to get into a situation worse than you’ve got. I’d rather be captain of my own ship, even a modest one, than a captive on someone else’s.

Got a dilemma? Email askmeg@meggreen.com. Meg Green, CFP, is a wealth manager with offices in Aventura. Her Money Dilemmas column runs monthly in The Miami Herald.

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Shining a light on those who have died too soon

On the second Sunday every December candles are lit around the world to honor the memories of children and grandchildren who have died too soon.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting, presented by The Compassionate Friends, brings together tens of thousands of bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, relatives and friends around the globe. They gather to bring light to those who will never be forgotten.

The mass candle lighting, which starts at 7 p.m. in New Zealand, creates a 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. It is believed to be the largest event of its kind in the world.

The Miami Chapter of The Compassionate Friends will host its 10th annual local event starting at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Miami Dade County Fair and Expo Center in the Grand Ballroom of the Goode Building, 10901 Coral Way. Candles will be lit at 7 p.m.

Organizers have planned a program of special readings and poems. Soloist Karen Strolis Lewe will be the musical guest and a reception and slide show will follow the ceremony.

Members of the Miami Chapter invite all those wishing to participate to join them in remembrance. This event is open to the community and there is no charge to attend. You can bring a framed photo of a loved one to place on the group’s Memorial Table and take the photo home after the ceremony. Guests also will have the opportunity to speak with others who are dealing with the death of a child of any age.

Last year there were over 500 known services held in the United States including every state as well as Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. It is expected that ceremonies will be held in 19 countries. The national website is www.compassionatefriends.org and there will be extended chat room hours online. There is also a message board for families to post tributes. Call 877-969-0010. To contact the Miami Chapter about support, involvement and the Candle Lighting call 305-460-5762.

Helping Sick Children

Jai Alai players in Miami recently stepped up to help children with extreme medical conditions at the PATCHES nursing center in Florida City. PATCHES stands for Pediatric Alternative Treatment, Care, Housing & Evaluation Services. The generous donation made by the IJAPA Players Association will go toward programs at the center.

Jai Alai player Jose Oyarbide came to PATCHES earlier this year for a tour and was responsible for telling the Players Association about the nursing center.

PATCHES also has a center in Fort Pierce. Almost 100 very sick children, birth to age 21, are cared for five days a week, 12 hours a day at both centers which are staffed by RNs, LPNs, CNAs, EMTs, teachers, and respiratory, physical, speech and occupational therapists every day. The service facility relies on help from the community. For more visit www.patchesppec.org.

New Neighbors

Ring in the holidays at the next luncheon gathering of The New Neighbors Club of South Dade starting at 11 a.m., Dec. 12 at the Coral Gables Country Club, 997 N. Greenway Dr. The group will host the talented new choral group The Children’s Voice Chorus. The singers will share Christmas carols and holiday songs.

The children’s chorus was developed to answer the community’s growing need for music education enrichment programs. All voice students are invited to get involved regardless of their ability to pay.

The New Neighbors Club luncheon and program is $25. Reservations are required and the deadline is 6 p.m., Dec. 6. Contact Rita Casagrande at 305-595-0213 or ritafosse@yahoo.com.

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Sony sells over half a million PlayStation 3 consoles over Black Friday week

Both Microsoft (MSFT) and Nintendo (NTDOY) had a big week of console sales during Black Friday’s week of shopping madness in the U.S. So how did Sony (SNE) do in comparison? Sony Computer Entertainment of America president and CEO Jack Tretton announced on Thursday that the company sold 525,000 PlayStation 3 consoles and 160,000 PS Vita handhelds during the Black Friday week. Overall PlayStation sales of hardware, software and accessories are up 9% over the same period last year. Tretton was also happy to reveal that subscriptions to its PlayStation Plus grew 259% since last year with customer satisfaction flying high at 95% after Sony added the Instant Game Collection to the service earlier this year.

Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PS Vita sales were largely bolstered by $ 199.99 bundles packaged with free games that the company pushed to retails on Black Friday. The sell-out of the bundles within minutes at retailers such as Amazon (AMZN) is a good indicator that there is huge demand for a sub-$ 200 PlayStation 3. Currently, the lowest-priced PS3 is a second-gen 160GB slim model with an MSRP of $ 249.99. The redesigned third-gen PS3s start at $ 269.99 with a 250GB hard drive.

In terms of which home console did the best over Black Friday, it looks like the Xbox 360′s 750,000 consoles took first place, while Sony came in second with 525,000 PS3s and Nintendo came in third with 400,000 Wii U systems.

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UN recognizes state of Palestine

The U.N. General Assembly has voted by a more than two-thirds majority to recognize the state of Palestine.

The resolution upgrading the Palestinians' status to a nonmember observer state at the United Nations was approved by the 193-member world body late Thursday by a vote of 138-9 with 41 abstentions.

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State CFO to car insurers: lower premiums

ORLANDO --
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said Thursday that it’s time for insurance companies to stop complaining and to lower premiums to reflect changes to the no-fault car insurance laws.

“I am comfortable that if assaults on the courts are unsuccessful and the bill can stand there will be more than 25 percent savings,” Atwater said. “We don’t have to gnash about it, argue about it, whine about it or cry about it.”

Under the old system, the average personal injury protection insurance claim is $12,900, Atwater said during a presentation at the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Insurance Summit. That included $4,400 in acupuncture, $3,700 for massage therapy, $3,200 to chiropractors and $1,600 for emergency room costs.

The new law, HB 119, restricts acupuncturists and massage therapists from participating in PIP and requires people injured in a car accident to be diagnosed with an emergency medical condition before they are eligible for the full $10,000 benefit.

“We just eliminated 68 percent of that cost,” Atwater told the group.

In order to get a bill passed on the last day of session, legislators agreed to insert some cost protections.

Insurance companies were required to submit new rate filings by Oct. 1 that either reduced PIP premiums by 10 percent or explain why they cannot. They are also expected to lower PIP by 25 percent by 2014.

So far, the actual numbers from insurance companies are falling short of that initial goal.

Off the 44 rate filings that have been approved by the state’s Office of Insurance Regulation by mid-month, the average PIP savings is 2.5 percent. That reflects about a fourth of the 141 filings from companies selling all types of car insurances, with the rest still under review.

The numbers that insurers submitted vary wildly, said Sandra Starnes, the OIR’s director of property and casualty product review, during a separate presentation at the Insurance Summit. Some companies said they will reduce PIP by as much as 25 percent while the biggest requested increase is 41 percent. Although the 2.5 percent average is less than the Legislature’s target, it should be applauded, Starnes said.

“The straight average was provided to show that while the range of rate changes being approved varies significantly from company to company, the majority of the filings are resulting in overall statewide decreases in PIP premiums and all of the companies are recognizing the significant decreases in losses that are expected due to HB 119,” she later added via email.

Atwater told conference attendees that they shouldn’t have been taken by surprise that lawmakers built some cost-saving guarantees into the PIP law.

“After all the failures in the past, I think somebody would have to really be just a little naive to not think that the Legislature would want to put some aspirational numbers out there,” he said.

Contact Tia Mitchell at tmitchell@tampabay.com or (850) 224-7263.

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