Johnson’s big pay day

J.C. Penney says its new CEO Ron Johnson, who is re-inventing the mid-brow department store retailer, received compensation worth $53.2 million in 2011.

Johnson, a former Apple executive, joined the Penney board last August and became the company’s CEO in November.

He received a base salary of $375,000, but the largest share of his pay came from stock awards valued at $52.6 million, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Wednesday. Johnson also got a performance-based cash bonus of $236,302, which was pro-rated on his actual period of service.

AP

Ron Johnson

Johnson succeeded Myron Ullman III, who had been at Penney’s helm since December 2004. store layout and merchandise assortment.

Ron Johnson, J.C. Penney, department store ebook download

Nypost.com

Apple’s black eye

An audit of Foxconn Technology Group found “serious and pressing” violations of Chinese labor laws, prompting the biggest maker of Apple devices to pledge to cut working hours and give employees more oversight.

Inspectors found at least 50 breaches of Chinese regulations as well as the code of conduct Apple signed when it joined the Fair Labor Association in January after deaths of workers at suppliers, the monitoring group said yesterday. Foxconn will bring hours in line with legal limits by July 2013 and compensate its more than 1.2 million employees for overtime lost due to the shorter work week, it said.

Getty Images

Tim Cook

“The eyes of the world are on them and there’s just no way they can’t deliver,” said FLA President Auret van Heerden. “It’s a real showstopper.”

Assessors found cases of employees working longer hours and more days in a row than allowed by FLA standards and Chinese law. They uncovered inconsistent health and safety policies and instances of unfair pay for overtime work. To meet its commitments, Foxconn must hire, train and house tens of thousands of workers to assemble products for Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and other customers, the FLA said.

“We appreciate the work the FLA has done to assess conditions at Foxconn and we fully support their recommendations,” Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple said in an e-mailed statement. “Empowering workers and helping them understand their rights is essential.”

Apple, led by CEO Tim Cook, fell after the report was released, dropping 1.3 percent to $609.86. Apple, the world’s most valuable company, will have to cut profit margins or pass resulting costs on to consumers, said Alberto Moel, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in Hong Kong.

“The benefit we, the consumers, and Apple extract from these products at the expense of Foxconn and its workforce is completely unequal,” Moel said in an interview earlier this week.

“Foxconn will also have to meet these requirements for all its customers — Apple, Dell, HP — because it is at risk of being audited at any production line.”

Foxconn’s pledges will leave more money in the pocketbooks of workers and give them more time to spend it, dovetailing with government aims to rebalance the economy away from exports and toward domestic consumption.

Apple, Foxconn, Fair Labor Association, An audit of Foxconn Technology Group, FLA, Sanford C. Bernstein , employees

Nypost.com

Yahoo Plans for 'Do Not Track'

Yahoo Inc. said it would implement a "Do Not Track" mechanism across its global network by early summer amid growing concerns about online privacy.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the Federal Trade Commission issued a strong call for commercial-data collectors to adopt better privacy practices and called for Congress to pass comprehensive privacy legislation. The agency also called on U.S. commercial data collectors to implement a "Do Not Track" button in Web browsers by the end of the year or to face legislation from Congress forcing the issue.

Earlier

Digital-Privacy Rules Taking Shape

Yahoo on Thursday said its "Do Not Track" system has been in development since last year and is in accordance with the Digital Advertising Alliance's principles.

The Internet company said the site wide mechanism will provide a simple step for consumers to express their ad targeting preferences.

Yahoo reported in January its fourth-quarter earnings fell 5.3% on a bigger tax provision, while the operating income improved thanks to lower operating and revenue costs despite a 13% drop in total revenue.

Write to Melodie Warner at melodie.warner@dowjones.com

Wall Street Journal, Federal Trade Commission, Congress, global network, Digital Advertising Alliance, privacy practices, comprehensive privacy legislation, Track mechanism, Yahoo

Online.wsj.com

Debbie Little at Monticello

Post Time: 12:50 p.m.

Best Bet: Farewell Sky (5th)

Races 1, 3, 10,12, 13 are cancelled due to strangles outbreak.

SECOND: mile; pace; $2000; cond

7 In The Mix

(WParkerJr)

4-7-5

8-1

1 Mattnipulator

(KSwitzerJr)

8-7-7

4-1

8 Life of Ease

(RPetitto)

2-7-8

5-2

2 Sweetys Finale

(MForte)

9-df-7

12-1

3 Song of theSouth

(CStratton)

5-7-6

10-1

4 You Slay Me

(KDIBenedetto)

3-6-6

3-1

5 South Park Kid

(RVinci)

7-7-4

7-2

6 Ohm Wild In Red

(JMarohn)

4-4-7

9-2

FOURTH: mile; pace; $3400; cond

2 Mighty River A

(JMarohnJr)

5-1-1

3-1

6 RooRooRusty

(KDIBendetto)

2-2-4

5-2

1 Enemy At TheGate

(GMrton)

6-7-3

9-2

3 Five Star Stud

(JTaggartJr)

6-4-8

6-1

4 Tigers Destiny

(JMarohn)

8-5-4

5-1

5 My Edward

(TGale)

2-4-2

4-1

7 Arts Mattjesty

(JPrimeau)

2-1-7

10-1

8 Paulimony

(WParkerJr)

4-5-6

12-1

FIFTH: mile; pace; $5100; cond

2 Farewell Sky

(JMarohnJr)

1-1-1

5-2

4 B Blissfull

(JTaggartJr)

7-1-5

8-1

7 PictoniansSouwest

(CStrttn)

7-7-8

4-1

1 Hot Pistol

(JMarohn)

6-1-1

3-1

3 Dartagnan

(GMerton)

8-6-7

9-2

5 Wantasmile

(KDIBenedetto)

3-2-3

14-1

6 CamcrackerDynasty

(MFrte)

8-5-6

10-1

8 DuncansWestern

(WPrkerJr)

5-1-6

7-2

SIXTH: mile; pace; $10000; cl($4000)

6 Rare Display

(JTaggartJr)

1-4-1

3-1

2 Our Connor MacN

(JStratton)

2-5-5

5-2

1 BehindEnmyLines

(JDevaux)

3-2-2

7-2

3 Million Dollar Bay

(MMerton)

2-4-2

4-1

4 Jezal Theory A

(JMarohnJr)

4-6-3

9-2

5 Delco Tross

(RHarp)

3-4-6

8-1

7 Four Star Tommy

(MForte)

1-3-1

10-1

8 Twin B Passion

(WMann)

8-8-3

12-1

SEVENTH:mile; pace; $2700; cond

7 Mr Socks

(GMerton)

1-4-1

3-1

4 CivilizedHanover

(JTaggrtJr)

5-3-4

5-2

8 Dougs Boy

(ASchwartz)

6-1-1

4-1

1 Five Somewhere

(JMarohn)

4-5-5

6-1

2 Expensive Art

(MMerton)

7-4-5

12-1

3 Joshuas Jet

(KDIBenedetto)

3-7-4

9-2

5 Hi Hopes Cruiser

(TGale)

5-1-8

10-1

6 Michaels Jewel

(WParkerJr)

3-4-8

7-2

EIGHTH: mile; pace; $3400; cond

1 Four Brass Starz

(WParkerJr)

2-2-1

5-2

3 Art Glass

(KSwitzerJr)

1-5-5

7-2

2 Prince Aidid

(JMarohnJr)

1-5-4

10-1

4 Ooby Dooby

(JDevaux)

4-8-4

9-2

5 Gota Go Bullville

(AButtitta)

7-1-8

12-1

6 Triple The Money

(MForte)

5-6-1

4-1

7 Gone Baby Gone

(JTaggartJr)

7-4-5

3-1

8 Bay Street

(MMerton)

4-5-1

6-1

NINTH: mile; pace; $2700; cond

5 FoxValleyRper

(KDIBendett)

1-1-7

5-2

1 Roan Shark

(WParkerJr)

7-2-7

4-1

2 Four Starz Pop Pop

(JDvaux)

1-7-3

9-2

3 Betting Molin

(TGale)

6-7-6

10-1

4 Halsey Hanover

(MMerton)

2-3-5

6-1

6 Imposter A

(MForte)

5-2-1

3-1

7 GlasscuttersAtom

(JTggrtJr)

5-7-5

7-2

8 S F Exposed

(JMarohnJr)

7-7-7

12-1

ELEVENTH: mile; pace; $2000; cond

1 Star Power

(JTaggartJr)

5-3-5

5-2

7 Savvy Hawk

(KSwitzerJr)

4-3-3

7-2

2 Richess King

(JMarohnJr)

3-6-7

3-1

3 Tree Light

(MMerton)

7-2-4

10-1

4 Crossroadoflife

(TGale)

6-8-8

6-1

5 Jk Hooty

(JMarohn)

3-7-5

4-1

6 LookSharpJck

(KDIBenedett)

6-5-5

9-2

8 Hana Bluegrass

(WParkerJr)

8-4-6

12-1

pace, mile

Nypost.com

Vic Cangialosi’s Parx Grade

FIRST-5 1/2 fur; $23,000; clm; 4up

6-Bibblesman

5-2

4-Now I'm Mad

8-1

1-Brahman

4-1

5-KnockotPnchKd

7-2

2-QuiteanHonor

12-1

7-MasterMarner

15-1

3-Wing Glider

8-1

8-KeytotheEmpre

9-2

SECOND-6 fur; $17,000; clm; 3,4&5YO

7-Gusto DiLimone

5-2

6-AwesomeKsses

6-1

1-Just a Miracle

20-1

8-He'sRghNRedy

20-1

2-Truancy

15-1

9-Apianus

20-1

3-MagicalDremer

4-1

10-Whtdheckeee

10-1

4-Pink Casper

12-1

11-Lead Me Lord

5-1

5-Cheetah'sPurr

15-1

12-Kissin Bobbi

15-1

THIRD-6 fur; $23,000; clm; 4up

2-GodnessGreycs

5-2

5-Even Frisky

10-1

1-Unwritten

4-1

6-Anew

6-1

3-CafeConLeche

12-1

7-D' Wild Affair

7-2

4-Cat Loves This

9-2

8-FearlessCwby

10-1

FOURTH-6 1/2 fur; $28,000; clm; 3YO

7-Color Cam

9-2

6-JonnyBoyConn

15-1

1-AJPrincemmb

20-1

8-Pander

5-2

2-Italian Guy

10-1

9-Belle's Big Boy

10-1

3-Bravaccio

12-1

10-DecrtedAdmrl

12-1

4-It's All Over

15-1

11-PwersOftheCrt

4-1

5-Genius Cat

6-1

FIFTH-1 mile; $47,000; alw; 3up

7-Surprise Storm

9-2

4-My Nicky

5-1

1-Crushing

5-2

5-Avenida Paseo

6-1

2-Juke Box Joe

8-1

6-Next May

5-1

3-Dan's My Man

7-2

SIXTH-1 mile; $28,000; clm; 4up

7-Smart Tori

5-2

5-StrngerThngs

10-1

1-Sweet as a Kiss

8-1

6-NnseeynHeve

15-1

2-Chickatari

12-1

8-Amazon Holly

12-1

3-L. A. Girl

6-1

9-Lucky Be Me

15-1

4-Ms. N. Tarsia

9-2

10-Turning South

4-1

SEVENTH-1 mile; $25,000; alw; 4up

10-Blown Save

5-2

5-El Pichon

12-1

1-Son of Posse

15-1

6-Lewahdizaniwh

5-1

2-Lost Fortune

10-1

7-Deputy Notice

9-2

3-Indian Eddie

3-1

8-Kaledoskop

20-1

4-I'm Broke

10-1

9-Dollar Bill

20-1

EIGHTH-6 fur; $47,000; alw; 3YO

8-Cuvee Rules

4-1

4-Indian Rules

9-2

1-MajorityDecsn

15-1

5-Captain Spitler

8-1

2-Dilatory

5-2

6-Runnin Bull

10-1

3-Tapps

7-2

7-Quotable

6-1

NINTH-5 1/2 fur; $17,000; clm; 3,4&5YO

10-SunshineDsire

3-1

6-Averelic

12-1

1-Sally'sCntender

6-1

7-WaveofEnergy

30-1

2-Lady Latona

20-1

8-Golden Gams

15-1

3-Alyphillie

10-1

9-BrshCreekHney

4-1

4-Blue Reef

6-1

11-Aristorello

20-1

5-Ivy Girl

9-2

12-Ate

20-1
Nypost.com

Rangers need some forward thinking down stretch

Larry Brooks
Follow Larry on Twitter
Blog: Slap Shots

Let’s get this out of the way right up top.

If the Rangers are as careless with the puck and then in getting back on defense after they turn it over as they were through last night’s 4-1 defeat to the Sabres at Madison Square Garden, it won’t matter one whit where they finish in the standings or who they meet in the first round, because that kind of hockey is guaranteed to result in early playoff elimination.

At the same time, let us also acknowledge that while last night may have marked an extreme departure from the baseline the Rangers established through the guts of the year, the team has been treading water for more than a month in winning only eight of the last 17 games (8-7-2), beginning with the 2-0 defeat to the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Feb. 21 that has become the season’s fulcrum for both clubs.

A combination of goaltending and guts has formed the foundation of the Rangers’ success and while there are still plenty of both to go around, they enter tonight’s match in Toronto in a state of disarray up front after scoring 10 goals in the last five games and their line combinations a mystery.

It will fall to John Tortorella over the final eight games to identify his top six forwards and then divide them into productive units. The coach took the first step in the third period by constructing lines of Derek Stepan-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik and Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov-Ryan Callahan while dropping Carl Hagelin out of the rotation.

Except for the odd shift, this marked the first time since the seventh game of the season, Oct. 24 in Winnipeg, that Stepan moved out of his natural pivot position onto the wing.

The final period of the final game of this seven-game homestand also marked the first time since that final game of the season-opening road trip that Tortorella reunited the Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan unit that was a 2010-11 staple.

The Rangers enjoyed their greatest success this season when Stepan centered Gaborik and Anisimov through nearly all of November and December while Richards played with myriad combinations, but almost always with Callahan on his right.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the lines,” Tortorella said. “We’re just not getting a big offensive play right now.”

The Rangers got a plethora of big plays from the Richards-Gaborik-Hagelin line early in the homestand; the three forwards recording all six of the team’s goals in consecutive games against the Hurricanes and Penguins.

But they failed to produce a goal the next four games before Tortorella shuffled things after the 40-minute mark, and also after Mats Zuccarello sustained a fractured left wrist blocking a shot midway through the first period.

“I don’t think all three of us have been going at the same time,” Richards said. “I think it’s been a one on, two off kind of thing where we were playing more as individuals.

“I think there were some shifts where we did have good jump and create chances but we got away a little bit from the fundamentals that are necessary to succeed. I think we need to recognize as a team that we can’t get away from our structure.”

The third period’s top six forwards are almost certain to remain in place for the foreseeable future. The question is in what order.

“I don’t know what to expect,” said Richards. “It’s all about results.”

larry.brooks@nypost.com

Rangers, Larry BrooksFollow Larry, John Tortorella, Tortorella, Derek Stepan-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik, Madison Square Garden, Brandon Dubinsky-Artem Anisimov-Ryan Callahan, Mats Zuccarello

Nypost.com

Marshall's likely absence could help Ohio upset North Carolina

ST. LOUIS — A fractured wrist seems likely to keep North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall out of tonight’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game against Ohio, and give the 13th-seeded Bobcats just that much more hope in pulling off another upset.

“Every day it’s getting better,” Marshall said as he prepared for the top-seeded Tar Heels’ Midwest Regional semifinal against Ohio Thursday night (7:47, TBS). “But it’s a day-to-day basis, whether I’m going to play. If we had to jump ball right now, I wouldn’t be playing.

“I don’t want to put my hand in danger of getting hurt,” he added. “Another big thing is I want to be able to help my team while I’m out there; if I can’t help my team while I’m out there, I’m not going to play.’’

AP

OUCH! North Carolina star point guard Kendall Marshall, who had right wrist surgery on Monday, is unlikely to play against Ohio in tonight’s Sweet 16 matchup.

The left-handed Marshall fractured his right wrist Sunday against Creighton and had surgery Monday to put a screw in it. He had his cast removed Wednesday and was wearing a removable splint yesterday. His status is up in the air.

“I really don’t know. I have a strong, strong inclination that he is not going to play,’’ North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “If he comes in to my room tomorrow and says ‘My wrist feels great’, and he drops down to the floor and does 10 righthanded pushups on his right hand, then I’ll say I’ll probably play his rear end. But I don’t expect that to happen. I mean, the guy can’t brush his teeth right now.’’

If Marshall can’t play, North Carolina (31-5) has limited options at point guard in freshman Stilman White and senior Justin Watts. Watts is primarily a wing man, but he can play every position but center. White is a freshman reserve who has averaged 4.3 minutes and is bound for a Mormon mission after the school year is over. Either would be a matchup Ohio hopes to exploit.

Ohio (29-7) came into this tournament as a 300-to-1 long shot to win it all, But because Marshall is unlikely to play, its upset chances get better by the minute.

“We’re not offended because we are the 13 seed,” said D.J. Cooper, Ohio’s best player and the man who would be matched up with Marshall — or replacements White or Watts. “But nobody in our locker room feels like we’re a Cinderella team. We feel like we can compete with anybody on the national stage.

“[It’s] no different,” he added. “We’re just going to prepare regardless. We’re going to prepare as if he’s playing. We don’t know if he’s playing for sure or not, but we’re going to compete regardless and play our best.’’

It remains to be seen if that will be good enough against North Carolina. The Bobcats have gotten to this point because of a frenetic defense that’s fourth in the nation in steals and sixth in turnover margin. But an up-tempo game may play into the hands of the talented Tar Heels.

Though North Carolina got back 6-foot-11 John Henson last Sunday to pair with 7-footer Tyler Zeller, Cooper could give it a backcourt edge. Last year, Cooper joined Jason Kidd and Eddie Gill as the only players since 1993-94 to average 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals.

“Our guys don’t see themselves as a 13 seed or a Cinderella story,’’ said Ohio coach John Croce, a former North Carolina State assistant. “Our guys really believe in our system, in one another, in themselves. They believe in their ability to win games and they believe in our staff’s ability to prepare them to win games.’’

brian.lewis@nypost.com

North Carolina, North Carolina, Kendall Marshall, Ohio, Bobcats online, Bobcats, Marshall, Justin Watts

Nypost.com

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen donates $300 million to brain research

The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced Wednesday that Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul G. Allen has donated $300 million to launch an effort to map the brain's basic circuitry of perception.

Doubling its staff of scientists and technicians to more than 350, the Seattle-based nonprofit institute plans to build over the coming decade a series of "brain observatories" -- computational tools designed to map all aspects of neural behavior.

The aim is to systematically explore the roots of vision and decision-making by analyzing the billions of cells and synapses in the brain's cerebral cortex, which plays a critical role in vision, memory, language and awareness.

"They want to really characterize the parts list of the brain and map all its circuits to see how they connect and communicate," said neurobiologist Ed Boyden at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "It is impossible for an ordinary lab group to bring all these pieces together."

The Allen Institute operates more like a product-driven start-up than a traditional academic lab whose students are focused on research suitable for peer-reviewed publications.

Since Allen founded it with a $100 million grant in 2003, the institute has made a name for itself by developing new technology for basic brain research, then making it freely available to scientists around the world.

By laying bare the basic mechanisms of thought, the institute's work could eventually yield clues to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, autism and mental disorders like depression.

"It has always been our goal to understand how the human brain works," said Allan Jones, the institute's chief executive.

To read more, go to The Wall Street Journal

Microsoft Corp. ebook download, Paul G. Allen, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, brain research, nonprofit institute, Alzheimer's disease

Nypost.com

Mets owners settle with Madoff trustee for $162 million

The owners of the Mets may be losers on the field, but they just scored a major victory in their epic battle against the trustee tasked with cleaning up Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.

Today, the Mets averted a two-week trial that could have cost them more than $300 million — not to mention a season’s worth of embarrassment as minute details of their personal investing history were laid bare before the public — after coming to a $162 million settlement with Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee.

The settlement doesn’t require cash-strapped Mets owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz to put up any cash for three years — and potentially none at all.

AP

New York Mets' owners Fred Wilpon, right, and Saul Katz talk to the media in front of federal court in New York, Monday, March 19, 2012. The New York Mets owners and a trustee for Bernard Madoff's fraud victims have settled for $162 million.

That greatly enhances their chances of maintain control over the Mets.

SEE THE DOCUMENTS (PDF)

Also, as a condition of the settlement, Picard, who up until now has been going hard after the Mets’ owners for “turning a blind eye” to Madoff’s massive scheme, said he is dropping those damning allegations.

With that key allegation dropped, Wilpon and Katz feel that they can begin to repair their reputations.

“We were not willfully blind, and we are very pleased that the settlement bears that out,” Wilpon told reporters while leaving Manhattan federal court after the stunning turn of events.

“So I can smile and maybe I can take a day off,” he added.

Wilpon also had a message for Mets fans.

“Stick with us. We’ll be there. We have done it before twice.”

Certainly, the settlement is a blow to the reputation of the trustee, who initially sought $1 billion from the Mets owners and their investment arm, Sterling Equities.

Picard’s $1 billion suit was whittled down to $386 million. The judge recently granted him up to $83 million for phantom profits the Mets’ owners collected in the two years leading up to Madoff’s arrest, but Picard had to prove willful blindness to get the rest of the money.

The $162 million will be paid for by claims Sterling Equities made against the Madoff estate. Had Picard won his willful-blindness lawsuit against them, those claims would have been out of reach.

The Mets’ owners have claims worth $178 million. As the trustee makes payments to victims of Madoff’s fraud, their $162 million settlement bill will be paid down by their portion of the claim money.

If Picard is successful in collecting monies due the Madoff estate and pays out anything more than 91 cents on the dollar, then Wilpon and Katz will not have to pay back a dime of the settlement cash — they may even make money.

Ironically, Wilpon is now hoping Picard is 100 percent successful in future court cases.

If the settlement bill isn’t paid off after three years, the Mets’ owners will be required to make two annual payments for the difference. If the settlement is paid off and there is claim money left over, it goes to the Mets’ owners.

Judge Jed Rakoff, who was overseeing the contentious case, applauded the resolution, which was reached late Friday.

“Although this is something of an anti-climax … I am grateful to all concerned,” he said.

Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, who acted as arbitrator, said Picard wins by avoiding “a long trial. A long and expensive trial. A long, expensive and bitter trial.”

kwhitehouse@nypost.com

Fred Wilpon, Mets, Bernie Madoff, Bernard Madoff, Irving Picard, New York Mets, Saul Katz, all.APNew York Mets, the Mets, Mets, the settlement

Nypost.com

Warriors way: United Curtis blasts Goldstein for PSAL Class A crown

Bob Daggett made it known early that he and his six former St. Peter’s players were no longer Eagles. The players, who followed the legendary coach to Curtis after the school closed in June, walked into their first practice wearing their blue and yellow St. Peter’s practice gear.

“I made them leave and go change it,” Daggett said. … “What we accomplished at St. Peter’s is nice, but it’s over.”

The players said in their first weeks at school they were identified by the Curtis students and faculty as the St. Peter’s girls and felt the pressure to win coming from the JV program of a school that had won 16 straight CHSAA Staten Island titles. The assimilation was quick and the players have become part of the school’s fabric.

Robert Cole

Curtis players pile on one another, while celebrating their victory,

Photos: Curtis-Goldstein

Robert Cole

Curtis players hug after winning.

Photos: Curtis-Goldstein

“They kept saying we were Peter’s girls when there is no more Peter’s,” sophomore Danielle Leguillou said. “We are all Warriors now.”

They are all champions as well.

No. 2 Curtis handled top-seeded Goldstein, 61-30, in the PSAL Class A girls basketball title game at CCNY yesterday. The Warriors, who lost in last year’s final with a much different roster, led 20-3 after the first quarter. Jessica Rosalbo banked in a 25-foot line drive 3-pointer to cap it. She, Olsen, Leguillou, Geena Rosalbo, Brittany Carroll and Gabriella Daddario all played at St. Peter’s last year.

Curtis (21-8) has outscored teams by a margin of 351-183 points in the playoffs and makes its first trip to the New York State Federation tournament since 2008.

“Everyone was telling us we were going to win it all,” said Kristen Olsen, who played with the St. Peter’s varsity last postseason. “We felt pressure that we had to get it accomplished, so we did.”

Leguillou, the game MVP, led all scorers with 15 points and helped hold Goldstein’s Brittany McDonough, who is headed to Chestnut Hill, to just two. Olsen tallied 10 points, Notre Dame Academy transfer Shannon McGill had nine and Jessica Rosalbo and Zuliette Adeniji both added eight. Danielle Natoli paced Goldstein (23-4) with eight points. Danielle Bonsignore and Nora Elbassiony each added seven.

“I didn’t expect it to be that easy,” Daggett said. “They are a pretty good team. We probably played as well as we can for awhile.”

The loss ends a special year for Goldstein that finished a win short of its goal. The Dolphins seniors won a Class B crown as sophomores and wanted to complete their careers with another crown. The first quarter was deflating along with the turnovers and Curtis answered a quick run to open the second quarter.

“They were playing quicker than us,” Elbassiony said. “We haven’t played teams that were that quick. Every time we would go for a rebound they would be right under us.”

Daggett believes his team’s run and McKee/Staten Island Tech playing in the city final Saturday at Madison Square Garden shows Staten Island A deserves two or three teams in the highest classification playoffs instead of just the division’s winner. Curtis lost both meetings to the MSIT this season.

“We will definitely be in ‘AA’ next year,” Leguillou said. “[If not] we are just going to have to win the ‘A’ again.”

jstaszewski@nypost.com

Danielle Leguillou, Bob Daggett, Kristen Olsen, Curtis, Jessica Rosalbo, Goldstein, Daggett, Leguillou

Nypost.com

Motivation Academy: Scholars wins second 'B' title in third varsity season

The pursuit of a second straight title was just one of many things that motivated Scholars Academy.

The second-seeded Seawolves had a lot to play for in their 51-43 victory over top-seed Bedford Academy in the PSAL Class B girls basketball championship game Saturday at CCNY in Harlem. The victory notched Scholars its second title in its three-year history as a varsity program, its first coming in a blowout victory over Bedford Academy last season.

“I’m enormously proud of these girls,” coach Janet Kleiner said. “Different things have motivated them this season.”

An Rong Xu

Scholars Academy celebrates its second straight 'B' championship.

Photos: Scholars-Bedford

An Rong Xu

Scholars coach Janet Kleiner holding up the championship trophy

Photos: Scholars-Bedford

Scholars Academy was led by sophomore Jessica Glaz, who contributed a game-high 21 points and had 13 rebounds while playing with a broken knuckle on her shooting hand suffered in a second-round playoff game. Meanwhile, junior Taylor Gallagher put up 14 points and freshman Emma Michaels added nine points before a third quarter injury kept her on the sidelines.

“Jessica and Taylor, that’s the backbone,” Kleiner said. “I’ve coached 33 years, thousands of kids in different sports and by far [Glaz] is the most competitive student athlete I’ve ever coached.”

The Seawolves (17-2) marched out to an early 6-0 lead and took a commanding 32-11 lead into halftime, only allowing the Panthers to put up four points in the second quarter. Bedford (17-1) began to climb back into the game in the second half, having a fourth-quarter surge scoring 22 points before time ran out on them.

“We just came together as a group,” Glaz said. “We talked about keeping up the pressure because they were motivated in the second half to come out and beat us so we came together as a group and stayed strong and stayed aggressive.”

Bedford was paced by Eleasha Wiggins, who put up a team-high 11 points in the loss while Briana Perlmutter and Alexis Foster each added 10.

Glaz, Gallagher and Michaels led Scholar Academy for most of the game before Michaels hit her head on the floor while going after a loose ball and caught an elbow to the cheek sidelining her for the rest of the game. Glaz and Gallagher continued to dominate the scoreboard after the loss of Michaels.

Even though Scholars Academy lost four of five starters from last season, it was able to put together a solid hard-working team to bring the school its second title in three years, handing Bedford its first loss of the year.

“Four out of the five starters [from last season] are gone so now it’s a new group of girls winning the championship,” Glaz said. “We all have skill so we put those skills together to win a championship and that’s what we did.”

One of the greatest motivators behind the Seawolves championship run came from former assistant coach Claire Droesch who is battling stage 4 breast cancer and was in the stands for Scholars Academy, inspiring them to victory.

“She brings a lot of motivation to us,” Glaz said. “She’s great and very supportive and always there for us especially with what she’s going through it gave us the motivation to win for her.”

Scholars Academy will now travel to Albany to play in the New York State Federation tournament semifinals Friday against Long Island Lutheran. Droesch will be in attendance for that game as she was Sunday.

“They’ve been supportive of me,” Droesch said. “So I felt I had to be here to support them.”

Bedford Academy, Scholars Academy, Seawolves, Janet Kleiner, basketball championship game, Jessica Glaz, Rong XuScholars Academy, Emma Michaels, championship, championship, PSAL Class B girls, blowout victory, Scholars-BedfordScholars Academy, Glaz, Michaels

Nypost.com

Devils next to see Penguins with Crosby

Beat Sid and the Penguins twice, Martin Brodeur says, and there still may be faint hope for the Devils to open the playoffs on home ice.

the Devils get their first chance Saturday afternoon in Newark, when the Penguins continue a road trip on which Sidney Crosby returned to action victoriously Thursday night at the Garden.

“The fact that we play them twice, once Saturday, well, we just have to win our games and beat them. That’s the way we have to look at it,” Brodeur said.

The Devils, who beat the Avalanche 1-0 in a shootout Thursday night, also visit Pittsburgh on March 25. The Penguins have won 10 straight and stand four points behind the Rangers. The Flyers are fifth in the East two behind Pitt, and the Devils sixth, two more back.

Getty Images

BREAKING IT DOWN: Martin Brodeur says the Devils still have a shot at home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“We’re not looking at moving much. It’s not a question of us being at a certain spot,” Brodeur said. “It’s just wanting to be playing well. We can’t worry about the three [Florida) and two [Boston] spots, teams ahead of us with fewer points.”

The late-season standings jockeying has the Penguins charging, the Senators challenging the Bruins and Washington closing on Florida.

“It’s one of those years when teams you thought were pretty comfortable, not just for a playoff berth, now are battling for division titles and home-ice,” Brodeur said.

The NHL’s record holder with 1,182 games, 651 victories and 118 shutouts made note of the Atlantic Division race.

“Our division is so strong, we may have four of the eight teams in it, and that’s a lot,” Brodeur said. “The Rangers still have their fate in their hands, but Pittsburgh is going to be a hard team to shake off, especially with their comeback [Crosby and Kris Letang] guys, and the excitement level that will bring.”

The Rangers could suffer a letdown if they drop out of the division lead.

“It’s also how you manage yourself going on to the playoffs,” Brodeur said. “Do you leave it all out there trying to make it? They’re in the position it could go one way or the other.”

The Senators’ closing of the gap on the Bruins is another race in the East.

“Boston’s in the same position. They have to try to pick it up somehow,” Brodeur said. “They’ve been struggling a little bit, still picking up points, but they’re such a good team that it won’t take much for them to get right back where they need to be.

“Still, that home-ice advantage could get lost because of our division.”

Brodeur said that going into the playoffs hot isn’t always a recipe for success, nor does a slump mean ouster.

“It’s gone both ways for us,” Brodeur said. “You want to come in with some momentum, as much as you can.

“You don’t want to get into the ‘Don’t remember how to win,’ situations because in hockey, confidence is really fragile.”

Brodeur essentially admitted the obvious, that the eight-point lead the Rangers have on the Devils is probably insurmountable.

“It’s going to get pretty hard,” Brodeur said. “We have three teams to go through, and that’s not easy to do. They’re going to get points and play each other.

“For us, it’s just to go out and get that momentum, win most of our games, and find things to do in the last 12 games to feel good about ourselves and get as many points as possible, because you want to secure that spot as soon as possible.”

mark.everson@nypost.com

Martin Brodeur, the Penguins, the Devils, the Devils, Sidney Crosby, Devils, Rangers, Rangers ebook download

Nypost.com

Yonkers Results

FIRST-1-mile pace; $8,500; clm

8

DlghtfulSyd(BHollnd)

27.40

23.00

11.60

5

LttleMssHenry(MMcDonld)

12.60

7.70

2

Britash Redcoat (J Gregory)

7.10

* Exacta (8-5) $236.00 * Triple (8-5-2) $1,232.00

SECOND-1-mile trot; $12,000; clm

3

SwggrBgn(MMcDnld)

20.40

8.00

5.10

6

Perfect Scam (J Bartlett)

3.40

3.10

4

Martoddi (L Stalbaum)

7.00

* Exacta (3-6) $110.00 * Triple (3-6-4) $1,104.00 * Daily double (8/3) $324.00Scr: Big Sky Domino.

THIRD-1-mile pace; $8,500; clm

2

M DBeeBee(JBartlett)

23.20

9.60

4.30

5

Dj Wonder (J Stratton)

3.50

3.10

1

Wildmotion (P Lachance)

2.30

* Exacta (2-5) $81.00 * Triple (2-5-1) $229.50 * Superfecta (2-5-1-4) $754.00

FOURTH-1-mile pace; $8,500; clm

1

BgTmRocks(EGoodll)

2.90

2.20

2.10

2

Artic Stretch (B Holland)

3.20

2.70

5

Pcspecial (J Stratton)

4.10

* Exacta (1-2) $8.60 * Triple (1-2-5) $30.20 * Pick 3 (3/2/1) $450.00
Triple picked by Smith

FIFTH-1-mile pace; $14,000; cond

8

FromThStrt(JStrtton)

35.80

18.00

6.70

3

Lizzie's Dream (J Bartlett)

29.00

11.60

4

Jimmy The Terror (G Brennan)

2.80

* Exacta (8-3) $635.00 * Triple (8-3-4) $7,752.00 * Superfecta (8-3-4-7) $21,712.00

SIXTH-1-mile trot; $14,000; cond

1

Gotbgdtblucky(CMnz)

3.40

2.30

2.10

5

Lord Darby (G Brennan)

4.50

2.80

4

Roadshow Vic (J Stratton)

2.50

* Exacta (1-5) $16.80 * Triple (1-5-4) $57.50 * Pick 4 (2/1/8/1) $2,439.00
Winner picked by Smith

SEVENTH-1-mile pace; $12,000; clm

1

VryUpstRch(GBrnnn)

4.90

3.00

2.30

4

R C Cruiser (J Stratton)

3.70

2.60

2

Stevie Ray's Dream (D Dube)

3.00

* Exacta (1-4) $18.40 * Triple (1-4-2) $63.00 * Pick 3 (8/1/1) $429.50
Exacta picked by Smith

EIGHTH-1-mile pace; $12,000; clm

6

Yes Hanover (SSmith)

42.40

13.20

3.70

5

Spencer B (G Brennan)

3.60

2.30

3

Mattjestic Art (J Pantaleano)

2.40

* Exacta (6-5) $129.00 * Triple (6-5-3) $518.00 * Superfecta (6-5-3-2) $1,654.00

NINTH-mile; trot; $16,000; claim

1

CommnderK(JStrtton)

19.40

7.00

3.00

5

Marion Miss Julie (T Buter)

7.00

3.00

4

Twin B Caviar (G Brennan)

2.10

* Exacta (1-5) $114.00 * Triple (1-5-4) $302.50

TENTH-mile; pace; $14,000; claim

5

Smllthcolrnn(GBrnnn)

4.00

3.20

2.90

3

Dan Chaz (C Manzi)

7.60

6.00

2

Kandi Chip (D Dube)

4.10

* Exacta (5-3) $30.20 * Triple (5-3-2) $130.50 * Superfecta (5-3-2-4) $507.00 * Pick 3 (6/1/5) $1,086.00 * Pick 4 (1/6/1/5) $4,108.00

ELEVENTH-mile; pace; $14,000; cond

4

Let'sGoHgher(JBrtltt)

10.40

6.00

3.50

1

My Miss Bliss(MKimelman)

6.80

5.10

6

Collage (P Lachance)

3.50

* Exacta (4-1) $58.00 * Triple (4-1-6) $214.50 * Superfecta (4-1-6-8) $999.00 * Late double (5/4) $31.00Scr: Missplacedart.

Attendance: N/A; Total Handle: $879,750

J Stratton, J Bartlett, J Gregory, P Lachance, G Brennan

Nypost.com

Kozlowski in NYC work release

The new home of felon and ex-Tyco International Chief Executive Dennis Kozlowski, while not furnished with the $6,000 shower curtain and paintings by Monet and Renoir that decorated his previous Manhattan abode, has a stunning view of Central Park and the New York skyline.

Convicted in 2005 of looting his company, Kozlowski was transferred from an upstate prison to the Lincoln Correctional Facility, a minimum-security site on Manhattan’s 110th Street near Fifth Avenue, on the north border of the park. He leaves every weekday morning to participate in a work-release program, said Peter Cutler, a spokesman for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Kozlowski is still serving a prison sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years,

International Chief Executive Dennis Kozlowski, Lincoln Correctional Facility, Kozlowski, shower curtain, stunning view, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Peter Cutler, ebook download

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PSAL Queens baseball preview: Talented Adams eyes spring success

Glenn Beyer won’t make a prediction about the regular season for one simple reason: The longtime John Adams baseball coach isn’t concerned about it. His only focus – the focus he’s always had in 18 years at the Ozone Park school – is on late May.

The playoffs are the real season; everything else is merely a warm-up. When it comes to the postseason, his goal is always the same.

“There’s only one hope I have every year: to win a championship,” he said. “That’s the only reason to go out and play. It’s not arrogant or cocky. Our goal is to win a championship because that’s all we know. Is it realistic? We have a puncher’s chance because of our talent and our two pitchers.”

Christina Santucci

John Adams and coach Glenn Beyer have high hopes this spring.

Beyer has high hopes because of how much he returns. It starts with power-hitting middle infielder Jeffrey Valera, who is hearing from a host of top junior colleges, a player he says compares favorably at this age to New York Mets farmhand Carlos Guzman.

“Jeffrey was a better player than Carlos at this age,” Beyer said of the 6-foot, 190-pound Valera, who hit four home runs, batted .474, drove in 36 runs and scored 21 times a year ago. “It’s very hard to get your number retired by me, but he’ll get his number retired at the end of the year. He’s one of my all-time players.”

Fellow infielder Jorge Barahona, who had 29 RBIs and hit .490 last season, returns and so is catcher Adonis Castillo. Beyer thinks he has a solid pitching half. Right-hander Braylin Abreu, the staff ace, is back after going 7-1 last season, and will be followed in the rotation by junior varsity call-up Anderson Deleon and Tames Varga .

Vargas can hardly break a pane of glass with his fastball, but the soft-tossing left-hander mixes up his pitches well and hits the corners. Deleon is hard to get a read on because he’s only 5-foot-5 and throws harder than many might expect.

“The ball comes on you quickly,” Beyer said. “He has tremendous command, a good changeup.”

Tom Lehman is thrilled star center fielder Josh Almonte has emerged as a pro prospect. The Long Island City coach always saw such potential in Almonte, but he’s pleased not just for Almonte, but the affect it’s having on his entire team.

“Sometimes we have Division II, Division III schools come down, but this is a first for our program,” Lehman said after three Major League scouts attended his team’s scrimmage against Grand Street Campus earlier in the week. “I always tell my guys you have to play like someone’s watching you. They see who’s watching and they’re like, ‘You’re right.’”

Next >

1

2

Glenn Beyer, John Adams, Jeffrey Valera, coach Glenn Beyer, Anderson Deleon, Ozone Park school

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Anthony didn’t want Smith on Knicks: source

One thing you can’t blame Carmelo Anthony for is the J.R. Smith signing, The Post has learned.

Contrary to popular belief, Anthony was leery of the Knicks bringing in his former Denver teammate three weeks ago and gave a thumbs down to upper management, according to a person close to the Knicks superstar.

Publicly, Anthony said all the right things about Smith, who was fined $25,000 by the NBA Saturday for tweeting a photo of a partially naked woman in his Milwaukee hotel room.

A couple of weeks before the signing, Anthony was asked if the Knicks should sign his former teammate who has a thuggish reputation. Anthony and Smith share the same agent, Leon Rose.

“If it happens, it happens and I’ll be happy,” Anthony said publicly before the signing.

But, according to the source, Anthony was not gung-ho and was “hurt’’ Knicks upper management tossed his advice out the window.

Yesterday, Smith, who entered the game shooting 38.2 percent, was 4-of-13. Asked about the NBA’s punishment, Smith said, “I’m not really worried about that. We got to get it right as a team. We can’t worry about off-the-court stuff. Our issue right now is on the basketball court. Until we start winning games, that’s all I’m going to worry about.’’

Interim GM Glen Grunwald, when he spoke to the media for the only time this season, said Knicks personnel director Mark Warkentien, who was the Nuggets GM when Denver traded for Smith in 2006, was the most “instrumental’’ in signing Smith, who didn’t join a huddle in the second half in Milwaukee Friday.

* In his return from a hamstring strain and wrist issues, Tyson Chandler, who shaved his long beard, played 39 minutes and scored eight points with 12 rebounds.

“I’m not myself right now,’’ Chandler said. “I”ve got to help my team and battle through injuries.’’

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks, J.R. Smith signing, Smith, upper management, NBA

Nypost.com

Santa Anita Results

FIRST-1 1/16m; $23,000; clm($30,000); 3YO

2

Fluxx (Flores)

2.80

2.10

2.10

1

Freckles Galore (Bejrno)

4.20

2.40

6

Singmeasong (Flores)

2.40

* $1 Exacta (2-1) $4.00 * $1 Superfecta (2-1-6-5) $53.10 * $1 Trifecta (2-1-6) $13.50

Winner picked by Vic C

SECOND-5 1/2 fur; $19,000; clm($20,000) 4up

5

Goux Wuld D (Flrs)

3.20

2.40

2.10

1

Cut n' Deal (Stra)

11.20

5.20

8

Our Last Monte (Garcia)

2.10

* Daily Double (2-5) $5.40 * $1 Exacta (5-1) $16.70 * $1 Superfecta (5-1-8-4) $480.30 * $1 Trifecta (5-1-8) $35.30

Double picked by Vic C

THIRD-6 fur; $60,000; alw; 3YO(f)

5

Vck Vctor (Bejrno)

10.20

4.00

2.40

1

Briteness (Rosario)

2.80

2.40

4

Twelve Folds (Pedroza)

2.60

* $1 Pick 3 (2-5-5) 3 Correct $19.20 * Daily Double (5-5) $20.60 * $1 Exacta (5-1) $14.00 * $1 Trifecta (5-1-4) $23.80

Pick Three picked by Vic C

FOURTH-6 fur; $23,000; clm($30,000); 3YO

5

Lemon Hro (Krggr)

5.60

3.80

2.80

1

Wrrens Vndlucy (Pdroz)

10.80

4.60

3

Nifty Dream (SantiagoReyes)

3.20

* $1 Pick 3 (5-5-5) 3 Correct $31.90 * Daily Double (5-5) $41.80 * $1 Exacta (5-1) $31.70 * $1 Superfecta (5-1-3-7) $539.50 * $1 Trifecta (5-1-3) $170.40

FIFTH-6 1/2 fur(T); $35,000; clm($32,0); 3YO

6

Tasty Treat (Tlmo)

21.20

7.00

4.00

5

Love My Way (Bejarano)

3.40

2.60

1

Belle Gallantey (Maldonado)

3.80

Scr: Candy and Thunder.

* $0.5 Pick 5 (2-5-5-5-6) 5 Correct $355.90 * $0.5 Pick 4 (5-5-5-6) 4 Correct $257.15 * $1 Pick 3 (5-5-6) 3 Correct $145.50 * $1 Trifecta (6-5-1) $144.70 * $1 Superfecta (6-5-1-7) $371.70 * Daily Double (5-6) $71.80 * $1 Exacta (6-5) $26.00

SIXTH-1 1/16m; $19,000; clm($10,000); 4up

4

Blu Tmburn (Tlm)

14.00

6.80

3.40

3

R Vicarious Girl (Flores)

5.60

3.20

7

Lauren C (Krigger)

3.00

* $1 Pick 3 (5-6-4) 3 Correct $179.40 * Daily Double (6-4) $114.80 * $1 Exacta (4-3) $31.90 * $1 Superfecta (4-3-7-6) $645.70 * $1 Trifecta (4-3-7) $130.80

SEVENTH-mile; $58,000; alw; 4up

6

Gm of Sul (Espnz)

18.00

9.00

6.40

5

Caelis (Krigger)

5.60

3.60

8

Let's Go Cheyenne (Talamo)

4.40

* $1 Pick 3 (6-4-6) 3 Correct $609.10 * Daily Double (4-6) $121.60 * $1 Exacta (6-5) $50.20 * $1 Superfecta (6-5-8-2) $844.50 * $1 Trifecta (6-5-8) $248.90

EIGHTH-$56,000, mdn spl wt, 3YO, 6f, clear.

4

Lov Tht Actn (Tlm)

38.60

12.60

8.60

5

Derby Gold (Garcia)

2.60

2.40

1

Bringon the Wain (Krigger)

4.40

Scr: Pork Chop.

* Pick 6 (5-5-6-4-6-4) 6 Correct $65,896.40, 5 Correct $2,353.40 * $0.5 Pick 4 (6-4-6-4) 4 Correct $2,169.65 * $1 Pick 3 (4-6-4) 3 Correct $1,000.00 * Daily Double (6-4) $258.40 * $1 Exacta (4-5) $51.50 * $1 Superfecta (4-5-1-2) $2,062.60 * $1 Trifecta (4-5-1) $296.40

Attendance 3,492.

Handle $759,871.

Total Handle $5,634,331.

Trifecta, Daily Double

Nypost.com

8,000 more people filed for state unemployment benefits last week

WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose by 8,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, the Labor Department said Thursday, hitting the highest level in five weeks.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected claims in the week ended March 3 to climb to 355,000. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 354,000 from 351,000.

The four-week average of claims, meanwhile, rose by a scant 250 to 355,000. The monthly average smooths out seasonal quirks and provides a more accurate view of labor-market trends.

Continuing claims -- payments to people already approved for jobless benefits -- increased by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 3.42 million in the week ended Feb. 25. Continuing claims are reported with a one-week lag.

About 7.39 million people received some kind of state or federal benefit in the week ended Feb. 18, down 111,222 from the prior week. Total claims are reported with a two-week lag and are not seasonally adjusted.

To read more, go to MarketWatch

MarketWatch, initial claims, unemployment benefits, Labor Department ebook download

Nypost.com

Pact ends Greek debt crisis

Europe awoke last night from a two-year debt nightmare that has held its economies hostage at a cost of hundreds of billions, and thousands of job losses.

The marathon crisis surrounding the looming collapse of Greece’s government — and likely undermining the continent’s euro currency — ended with just 11 days remaining before Athens tumbled into a domino default on its bloated $270 billion in government bonds.

A vast majority of debt holders — haplessly boxed into a corner and facing the loss of everything if Greece were to go bust — reluctantly agreed to accept about half of what they were owed, or around $140 billion. It greenlighted a rescue deal to give Greece a fresh start with less debt at a cheaper interest rate.

The complex bailout, the largest of its kind involving sovereign debt, took months of diplomacy and strong-arming to get bondholders and ministers alike on board the get-half-or-nothing bandwagon.

Officials said last night that about 85 percent of the debt holders had agreed to accept the deal, enabling Greek authorities to roll up the holdouts to complete the debt swap. Details were set to be disclosed today.

The swap deal unlocks about $171 billion in bailout cash already approved from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

However, it’s no guarantee of Greece’s solvency. Its debt equals 160 percent of its GDP, while the jobless rate is 21 percent, with 51 percent of people under 24 unemployed.

Officials said 32 private firms holding $111 billion in bonds accepted the swap as of last night, including banks in Germany, France, Greece and Cyprus. Reinsurance giant Munich Re holds $2.1 billion.

debt holders, sovereign debt

Nypost.com

Samsung files fresh patent lawsuit against Apple

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it widened its patent litigation against Apple in its home country, accusing the US company of violating three more patents.

The new allegations cover so-called "utility" patents that relate to the specific functions of mobile computing devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs. In April last year, Samsung accused Apple of violating five of its patents related to technical standards in the way data is transmitted by such devices.

Samsung filed that suit in response to a case brought by Apple in the US in which it accused Samsung of copying the look and feel of its products. In the time since, their legal battle has spread to more than two dozen cases in nine countries.

The latest suit was filed Tuesday in Seoul Central District Court and announced by Samsung on Wednesday, the same day Apple scheduled an event in San Francisco to introduce a new version of its iPad.

Samsung said the suit covers Apple's iPhone 4S and iPad 2 and alleges that Apple violated patents Samsung holds in South Korea covering the way data is displayed on a mobile phone, on a "mobile terminal" and a "method for outputting a short message on a mobile communication terminal."

Apple's Korea spokesman Steve Park repeated the company's previous statements that it will protect its intellectual property.

Apple has been engaged in multiple legal fights with phone makers since 2010 who use Google's Android operating system, which Apple believes copies key functions of its products.

On Tuesday, Dow Jones Newswires reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Apple has issued proposals to Motorola Mobility Holdings, a phone maker being acquired by Google, and Samsung to settle some pending litigation in exchange for royalty payments to license its patents, among other terms.

Samsung declined to comment on the report.

Apple, Samsung Electronics, Samsung, utility patents, Seoul Central District Court, mobile phone

Nypost.com

Battery up!

Battery Park City had always been one half positive, one half negative.

BPC was nice, certainly. It was quiet. It came with a stunning view of the water. The buildings were eco-friendly. (One-fifth of Manhattan’s LEED-certified residences are in the nabe.) And it came with greenery and good landscaping.

But it was also dismissed by some as too isolated, too antiseptic and too suburban to compete in this gritty metropolis.

In recent months, though, there’s been a surge of restaurants and gourmet markets into Battery Park city — establishing it, finally, as a real neighborhood.

Maggie Allen gave up on the Village and moved to a rental in Battery Park City’s Verdesian (below left)." title="Salvatore Rasa and wife Maggie Allen gave up on the Village and moved to a rental in Battery Park City’s Verdesian (below left)." width="300" height="300" src="/rw/nypost/2012/03/08/home/web_photos/08R.cover1.c.ta--300x300.jpg" />

Christian Johnston(2)

Salvatore Rasa and wife Maggie Allen gave up on the Village and moved to a rental in Battery Park City’s Verdesian (below left).

“We didn’t expect what’s here,” says Salvatore Rasa, who moved to the Verdesian, an eco-friendly rental building at the north end of the neighborhood, three years ago with his wife, Maggie Allen, after spending roughly 30 years in Greenwich Village. “We expected a corporate environment; dull and uninteresting. What we found is really diverse. There are more kids than we thought, more pets than we thought.”

It was always a tall order, getting the necessary commercial venues to make this neighborhood work. For one thing, there wasn’t a tremendous amount of available space. (“There are no remaining sites” available for development, says Lydia Rapillo, vice president of residential leasing at Albanese Organization, one of the pioneer developers in the neighborhood.)

Plus, all the new buildings erected have to be eco-friendly, according to guidelines set by the Battery Park City Authority, which made them slightly more expensive.

But now Danny Meyer has set up shop with not one but three eateries: a Shake Shack (a big hit with the Goldman Sachs crowd, with offices in the adjoining building), a Blue Smoke barbecue joint at 255 Vesey St. and North End Grill, Floyd Cardoz’s high-end restaurant serving up hamachi sashimi and seared diver scallops, at 104 North End Ave.

“It’s fantastic,” says Steve Katz, a resident at another rental in the neighborhood, the Solaire, about North End Grill. “The food is outrageously good.”

Meyer is not alone; pastry whiz Francois Payard is hawking pistachio and passion-fruit macarons at his new bakery across from Shake Shack. Doughnuts from Brooklyn’s Dough and fancy gourmet coffee from Maine’s Coffee by Design are sold at Battery Place Market, the gourmet market that opened last year and did well enough that it opened a second outpost in “Goldman Alley” — the Goldman Sachs complex at 200 West St. Harry’s Italian Pizza Bar is opening a branch, and the Conrad Hotel is also being readied for a launch in Battery Park City.

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Battery Park City, Salvatore Rasa, Battery Park City Authority, Maggie Allen, Goldman Sachs, Battery Park, North End Grill, Danny Meyer

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Apple looks to stay ahead of tablet race with new iPad

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Apple is expected to take the wraps off its latest iPad on Wednesday, which analysts widely expect will help the company maintain its dominant position in the fast-growing tablet market.

But how the company chooses to respond to the latest competitors -- most notably the Kindle Fire from Amazon.com -- could become an indicator as to how closely it plans to hew to the vision of the late Steve Jobs, or whether the company's existing managers are willing to break off onto new paths.

Apple slated an event in San Francisco for Wednesday at 10:00am Pacific Time. As usual, the company gave no details ahead of time, though the invite sent to the media shows a picture of an iPad, and the company last updated the device at the same time last year.

This would be the third update to the tablet since its initial launch in April 2010. Since then, the iPad has become Apple's second largest business line, next to the iPhone.

The company sold about 40.5 million iPads in calendar year 2011, driving revenue of nearly $25 billion. That surpassed Apple's legacy Mac business, which sold about $23 billion in revenue for the period. IPad sales now make up nearly 20 percent of the company's overall revenue base.

The most common rumors surrounding the launch -- which line up generally with most analysts' expectations -- have the new iPad 3 featuring a faster, possibly quad-core processor and a high-resolution display similar to the "Retina display" currently used in the company's iPhone and iPod Touch products.

Another common rumor has the device able to connect to 4G LTE networks -- possibly a lead-in to the iPhone 5, which is also expected to be a LTE device when it comes out sometime later this year.

"We expect improvements to be incremental and the form factor to be largely similar to the current iPad 2,"  Maynard Um of UBS wrote in a note to clients.

Some believe a higher resolution display and LTE connection will require Apple to put a larger battery in the device, limiting its ability to shrink the overall size.

Another possibility -- though not one modeled by most analysts covering Apple -- is for the company to release a smaller iPad, mostly as a response to the Kindle Fire, which Amazon.com launched in mid-November.

The Kindle Fire has a 7-inch diagonal screen compared to the nearly 10-inch screen on the iPad. It also starts at $200 -- about 60 percent cheaper than the lowest-priced iPad.

Apple, iPad, company

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St. John's vows to win Big East after pep talk from Lavin

Steve Lavin made an impact yesterday when he spoke to his St. John’s players. He must have channeled his inner Vince Lombardi because he created a monster.

Whether St. John’s turns out to be the monster that stomps through the Garden in the Big East Tournament, which begins today, like Godzilla trashing Tokyo, or the Cookie Monster remains to be seen.

All that is certain is that by the time the Red Storm players met with media yesterday, they had taken hubris to a level never before seen by such a young a team — maybe any team.

Asked how they thought they would fare this week, a team, mind you, comprised of five freshmen and a JUCO transfer, none of whom have ever played in this tournament, the players' answers were mind-blowing.

Pittsburgh less than a week ago, Moe Harkless and St. John’s believe they can beat the Panthers in today’s opening round of the Big East tournament." title="GAINING CONFIDENCE: Despite being pulverized by Pittsburgh less than a week ago, Moe Harkless and St. John’s believe they can beat the Panthers in today’s opening round of the Big East tournament." width="300" height="300" src="/rw/nypost/2012/03/06/sports/web_photos/06.1s057.SJU1c--300x300.jpg" />

Anthony J. Causi

GAINING CONFIDENCE: Despite being pulverized by Pittsburgh less than a week ago, Moe Harkless and St. John’s believe they can beat the Panthers in today’s opening round of the Big East tournament.

“I expect to win,’’ said forward Sir’Dom Pointer.

The whole thing?

“The whole thing,’’ said Pointer.

Did we mention this team is comprised of five freshmen and one JUCO transfer? Did we mention the Red Storm open today against Pittsburgh, a veteran team that pulverized them 89-69 less than a week ago?

“It’s going to be a different story and a different game,’’ said point guard Phil Greene.

Good lord, Pittsburgh is going to need a Dumpster for all this trash talking. Who are these Red Storm to announce themselves as the team to beat in this tournament? Their conference record, 6-10, seemingly contradicts their bravado.

But hey, since when did New Yorkers not wrap their hearts around an underdog who believes. We give you Joe Namath. We give you the 1969 Mets. We give you 1980 USA hockey team.

We give you the 2012 Red Storm? Really?

“Wait and watch,’’ said Greene. “We’re ready to surprise a lot of people.’’

The Red Storm (13-18), the No. 12 seed, have some reason to think it won’t get bludgeoned by Pittsburgh (16-15) as was the case the last time. The game is in Madison Square Garden, the Red Storm’s homecourt.

And power forward Moe Harkless, who Post sources said will be awarded with Big East Rookie of the Year honors today, hopefully won’t be limited to a season-low 22 minutes and four points as was the case last Wednesday.

Harkless rolled his right ankle in that game and sat the final 11:37. He showed no ill effects Saturday night against Rutgers when he scored eight points and grabbed 11 rebounds, just missing his 12th double-double in a 61-58 loss at Rutgers.

Surely the presence of Harkless, the team’s leading rebounder (8.6 rebounds per game) will aid the Red Storm, which got Windexed on the boards, 31-17. But is home court and a healthy Harkless enough to turn a 20-point defeat?

Even if it is, does this team really think it can win five straight, its only chance of making it to the NCAA tournament? Does it really see itself climbing a ladder and cutting down the nets on Saturday night?

“We’ve talked about it,’’ said Greene. “We’re going to come out and we’re going to surprise a lot of people.’’

What on earth did Lavin say? Even the usually straight-laced assistant coach Mike Dunlap has thrown caution to the wind. When asked if he thought the Red Storm could win it all he responded:

“Why not?”

lenn.robbins@nypost.com

Red Storm, Moe Harkless, Moe Harkless, Pittsburgh, the Red Storm players, Harkless, Vince Lombardi

Nypost.com

Home, sweat home

For some people, do-it-yourself barely applies to making coffee, much less home repair. If you’re a bit more ambitious around the house than that, try these fix-it magazines.

This Old House magazine offers a host of suggestions on how to revamp your first, or (should you be so lucky) second home’s “curb appeal.” Readers may want to skip magazine editor Scott Omelianuk’s grousing, in his monthly editorial, about becoming his in-laws’ indentured home repair handyman after they’ve purchased a new country abode. Elsewhere, the publication — a supplement to the popular PBS TV show of the same name — offers up eight houses in various stages of exterior disrepair and shows before-and-after photos.

Better Homes and Gardens is more about home-making than home repairs, so best pick it up when you need a break from all that spackling. The March issue focuses on prepping the home and body for spring with tips on choosing the right plants for the garden, decorating your sun room and cooking freshly picked asparagus. Yum. We especially like the recipe for asparagus fritters, which are basically just deep-fried veggies. The mag will jump genres and turn from gardening and decorating to tips on dressing and putting on makeup. Somehow it works.

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys reading reviews about paint thinner, Fine Homebuilding is for you. The title is as dry as drywall for most of us, but for the home repair enthusiast it will come in handy. The mag is genuinely enthusiastic about Lowe’s entry into the drill market, with its new Kobalt brand, and the editors give it a rigorous going over. Overall the tone is serious and, like the contractor you dream of , the mag doesn’t cut any corners.

The Family Handyman is for the home-owning family that might want to learn how to build a waterfall (seems doable) or treehouse (a bit intimidating). Articles are written by handymen like you and me who tried these methods and are not necessarily professionals. What needs some fixin’ are the first 20 pages, where readers, who seem like advertisers, explain why they loved certain tools.

After cataloguing the 2012 ills of the Republican Party, which include Mitt Romney’s “unreliable conservatism” and rich benefactors who fund Super PACs that can keep candidates alive, the New Yorker concocts a corny cure: “maybe a deliberative convention, where all factions of the GOP have a voice.” It might be refreshing if this mag — not to mention its liberal establishment counterpart, the New York Times — dared to be honest and a little less hypocritical without, for example, feeling compelled to proffer folk remedies for ailing enemies.

In its annual “Best of New York” guide, New York appears to have been so overwhelmed by all the sushi bars, SoHo boutiques and beauty spas it was reviewing that it fell behind on everything else. That’s why a feature on 80-year-old Mike Nichols directing “Death of a Salesman” feels like the most current story in the issue. Elsewhere, we get a rehash of John Liu’s campaign-finance scandal, and what must be the 108th magazine feature this year about law school grads who are suing their alma maters over poor job prospects.

Time has a cover story on “10 Ideas That Are Changing Your Life,” and not all of them sound particularly good. Take “Your Head Is in the Cloud,” by which we no longer bother to remember facts because we can Google them. So “the experience of losing our Internet connection becomes more and more like losing a friend.” The bright side? Younger folks have grown accustomed to be on call 24/7 from the start, making it “less stressful, less disruptive and less problematic,” a sociologist says.

Newsweek editor Tina Brown hires Amy Chua, the Yale law professor and “Tiger Mom” who has been slamming US mothers for being too lax, to write a cover story on “The Rise of China’s Billionaire Tiger Women.” The feature reads like an infomercial, with its breathless prose and fixation on money. But elsewhere, this female-focused issue is energized by profiles of women ranging from Burmese political activist Aung San Suu Kyi to Asma Al-Assad, the once-fashionable wife of Syria’s brutal dictator.
Nypost.com

St. John's loses to Pittsburgh by 20

PITTSBURGH — They have held together through more distraction and adversity than most first-year players should be asked to handle.

They have had each other’s back when the numbers dwindled and the team got younger and less experienced and the minutes increased.

They have grown up before our very eyes, never stepping out of line or complaining or using their youth or lack of depth as excuse.

But last night, in the 30th game of the season, in a building in which it has never won, the St. John’s basketball team finally showed its youth. After an 89-69 blowout loss to Pitt, record-setting freshman D’Angelo Harrison and injured star forward Moe Harkless declined to be interviewed postgame for the first time this season.

Red Storm’s freshman scoring leader." title="THE BAD AND THE GOOD: Freshman D’Angelo Harrison shoots over Malcolm Gilbert during St. John’s 89-69 loss to Pittsburgh last night. Despite the loss, Harrison passed Erick Barkley as the Red Storm’s freshman scoring leader." width="300" height="300" src="/rw/nypost/2012/03/01/sports/web_photos/dangelo_harrison--300x300.jpg" />

AP

THE BAD AND THE GOOD: Freshman D’Angelo Harrison shoots over Malcolm Gilbert during St. John’s 89-69 loss to Pittsburgh last night. Despite the loss, Harrison passed Erick Barkley as the Red Storm’s freshman scoring leader.

Harrison was upset by a story in The Post that chronicled his close relationship with his brother, Dre, who is incarcerated in Texas. Harkless, who suffered a mild sprain of his right ankle in the first half, also was upset by the story.

The Red Storm (13-17, 6-11 in the Big East), who saw their three-game win streak shattered by a Pitt team (16-14, 5-12) that had lost five straight, have three days to rally for Saturday night’s regular-season finale at Rutgers, in another building that has been problematic.

Harrison scored a game-high 21 points to move past Erick Barkley as the Red Storm’s freshman scoring leader. He now has 515 points, easily breaking Barkley’s mark of 500 set in 1989-90.

“It’s a tremendous accomplishment to set a new freshman scoring record, but I’d rather get a win for our team every night,’’ Harrison said in a statement. “Any guy on our team is capable of getting a record like that.

“We’re young, but we know our job is far from over and our journey is just beginning,’’ Harrison added . “So I hope this leads to more wins for St. John’s and a sophomore scoring record next year.’’

This St. John’s team, if it remains intact, could be a national force next season. The only player who faces a decision on whether to return to college or turn pro is Harkless. How last night’s injury might affect the decision is anyone’s guess.

He rolled his right ankle with 14:36 left and limped to the bench. He returned with 10:07 left and started the second half but sat the final 11:37. He played a season-low 22 minutes, scoring a season-low four points. He was not favoring the leg as he walked from the locker room to the team bus.

Harrison and Harkless have been a remarkable pair.

Questions about Harkless’s toughness and ability to consistently play hard have been answered. So have questions about Harrison’s volatile persona. He has just one technical foul this season.

They hung tough when Nurideen Lindsey transferred and Malik Stith quit. They adjusted when coach Steve Lavin was unable to return to the bench as he recovers from prostate cancer surgery. They have played more than 35 minutes per game.

But now they’re hurting emotionally and physically. That’s how fleeting a season can be.

lenn.robbins@nypost.com

Erick Barkley, D’Angelo Harrison, Moe Harkless, Red Storm, Harrison, Harkless

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Former Red Sox manager gets hugs from Yankees

TAMPA -- Mariano Rivera was the first Yankees player Terry Francona hugged Wednesday morning in the Steinbrenner Field clubhouse. He wasn’t the last.

Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Tony Pena and Bill Hall all shared an embrace with the former Red Sox manager and current ESPN announcer.

“I can say this now, I hope you do really well,’’ Francona told Rivera after a long embrace. “I couldn’t always feel that way.’’

Francona, who left the Red Sox after their epic collapse last season and was replaced by Bobby Valentine, moved freely among what used to be the enemy.

Francona said the unbalanced schedule has taken some of the jazz out of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry that includes 18-19 games a year.

“There were so many great games, ’04 and ’03, you can’t make it happen,’’ Francona said. “You try and invent it and it doesn’t work.’’

Manager Joe Girardi was glad Francona’s job brought him to GMS Field.

“It was nice to see Terry; he looks good and is happy with what he is doing,’’ Girardi said of Francona, who will be the first name mentioned as a replacement whenever a manager is fired this season.

***

First baseman Russell Branyan missed the workout with a lower-back problem.

***

Robinson Cano is due back from his grandmother’s funeral Thursday when the Yankees hold a short workout before participating in a team function that Girardi refused to divulge.

“I think it’s nice to get the group together off the field,’’ Girardi said. “They can let their guard down and mingle.’’

***

Catcher Austin Romine’s inflamed back still hasn’t allowed him to rejoin drills.

“We are making sure it is very stable,’’ Girardi said. “He had an episode last year. Once we leave here we don’t want it to come back.’’

Girardi said the plan is to have Romine catch in exhibition games at some point, but his chances of unseating Francisco Cervelli as the No. 2 catcher were long when camp opened and getting longer.

“It’s a little bit of a setback, no doubt about it,’’ Girardi said. “We look at him as a guy who possibly can be an every-day catcher in the future. Whether he is with us or not with us, I want him healthy when camp breaks.’’

***

Dan Burawa, a St. John’s product and Rocky Point, L.I., native, caught Girardi’s eye in batting practice.

“He threw hard today,’’ Girardi said of the right-hander who appeared in 20 games last year for Tampa when he was 2-2 with a 3.66 ERA.

***

The Yankees play host to the University of South Florida tomorrow when Girardi said his regulars will get one or two at-bats. The exhibition schedule starts Saturday against the Phillies in Clearwater.

Terry Francona, Joe Girardi, Red Sox, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Francona, Austin Romine, Tony Pena

Nypost.com