What’s open and closed for Thanksgiving




















Thursday is Thanksgiving. Here is a list of what’s open and closed for the holiday on Thursday and Friday.

Federal offices: Closed Thursday

State offices: Closed Thursday and Friday





Miami-Dade and Broward county offices: Closed Thursday and Friday

Miami-Dade and Broward courts: Closed Thursday and Friday

Public schools: Closed Thursday and Friday

Post offices: Closed Thursday

Stock markets: Closed Thursday, closing early Friday

Banks: Closed Thursday

Tri-Rail: Will run a weekend schedule Thursday

Miami-Dade and Broward transit: Will run a Sunday schedule on Thursday

Garbage collection: Normal schedule in most cities

Malls: Closed Thursday, many opening very early Friday





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Just sold!








Manhattan

GRAMERCY $815,000

44 Gramercy Park North

One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 850 square feet, with foyer, windowed kitchen, dining area and two walk-in closets; building features elevator operator, laundry and live-in super. Maintenance $1,545, 43 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $850,000, on market four weeks. Brokers: Lucy Kuhn, Douglas Elliman and Roseann Barber, The Corcoran Group

MURRAY HILL $1,195,000

80 Park Ave.

One-bedroom, one-bath condo, 900 square feet, with home office and 425-square-foot terrace; building features parking, roof deck with Empire State Building view and laundry. Common charges $ 1,180, taxes $986. Asking price $1,195,000, on market 19 weeks. Brokers: Rory Nichols and John Carapella, Town Residential and Constance Southwick, The Corcoran Group




UPPER WEST SIDE $515,000

235 W. 102nd St.

One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 650 square feet, with beamed ceilings, dishwasher, new windows and window AC; building features doorman, courtyard, roof deck, bike room and live-in super. Maintenance $1,206, 50 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $525,000, on market five weeks. Brokers: Scott Stewart and Kristina Ojdanic, The Corcoran Group

Queens

FOREST HILLS $875,000

67-80 Selfridge St.

Three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath Tudor townhouse, 2,460 square feet, with foyer, living room with original fireplace, renovated kitchen, breakfast room, formal dining room, master suite with renovated bath, basement and slate patio with barbecue grill. Taxes $5,599. Asking price $888,000, on market eight weeks. Broker: Susana Hof, Terrace Sotheby’s International Realty










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Small Business Saturday: the anti-Black Friday




















Don’t want to brave the Black Friday craziness? You can get a head start on your holiday shopping, snag some deals and support local merchants by participating in Small Business Saturday.

Nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is focused on promoting small business owners nationwide. Since it was started in 2010 by American Express, the promotional effort has grown into a national movement involving thousands of businesses, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations. According to American Express, last year more than 100 million people nationwide participated.

“The one thing businesses have told us over and over again is that they need more customers. So we thought it would be great to create a day in the holiday weekend that focuses just on the small business and shopping locally in communities around the country,” said Mary Ann Fitzmaurice Reilly, senior vice president at American Express Open.. “That’s how Small Business Saturday got its start.”





Organizations such as the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and Coral Gables Chamber have turned Small Business Saturday into a communitywide event.

“We decided to participate because in Coral Gables we support our small businesses,” said Mark Trowbridge, president and CEO of the chamber that is participating for the second year. “Coral Gables is an economic engine and our small businesses help to drive that engine.”

American Express cardholders who sign up at shopsmall.com will get a $25 credit on their bill if they make a purchase from a participating business on Small Business Saturday. Participating businesses get free marketing support from American Express via a toolkit on its website.

On Saturday, the Coral Gables Chamber, along with American Express, the Village of Merrick Park and Books & Books will host a day of activities, including a $100 Startup Competition, inspired by the best-selling book by Chris Guillebeau. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to bring their most innovative ideas for a business that can be launched with just $100 (register at http://100dollarstartup.co). Finalists will pitch their startup ideas to the public at the 4 p.m. event, held at Books & Books in Coral Gables; a panel of judges will select the winners.

More than 30 Coral Gables merchants will take part in the day; many will feature discounts. At Klara Chavarria Contemporary Art, for instance, patrons can take advantage of free delivery and installation of any artwork purchased Saturday.

The free toolkit has proven an invaluable resource to business people like Michael Nucci, the marketing associate for Fort Lauderdale-based Bluewater Books and Charts, which sells nautical books to recreational cruisers. “We decided to participate last year and again this year because we thought it would give us an advantage on the sale season,” said Nucci, who will be offering a 15 percent discount on most items he sells on Small Business Saturday. “We got started and used the toolkit to get free posters made and to send out e-mail and social media promotions to attract customers. It’s a great thing for small businesses in this economy.”

In Kendall, the Recycled Closet, a consignment shop for teens, is offering 20 percent off its already discounted clothing. “I’m so glad to see American Express and communities around the nation working to help by dedicating a day to the small business owner,” said owner Jennifer Kaloti.

In Miami Beach, small businesses are embracing Small Business Saturday, said Ana Cecilia Velasco, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. “As we are a tourist destination and get heavy traffic specifically for shopping during this time, it is a natural for us to highlight the event. Small Business Saturday makes sense to us as well because Miami Beach is known for its boutique shops.”

To survive the craziness of the season, consumers may want to treat themselves, too. At Pure Therapy, in the W Hotel on South Beach, customers get a $25 gift card with purchases of $100 or more and items from local designers will be 10 percent off on Saturday. In Bal Harbour, Gee Beauty, one of the only independently owned small businesses in the Bal Harbour Shops, will treat customers to a complimentary Gee Beauty Brow shaping with a purchase of $100 or more.





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Former foster children give thanks for Casa Valentina




















Every holiday season for the last six years, Lynn Hausmann hosts a Thanksgiving gathering for Casa Valentina, the residential and life skills program for youth aging out of foster care.

It’s what you do, she says, for the people you love.

“It’s simple — we are family,” says Hausmann, a member of the organization’s board of directors. “This is about opening your heart and home.”





So on Tuesday, more than two dozen current and former Casa residents and staff gathered around a U-shaped table by the pool of Hausmann’s Coconut Grove condo for the annual celebration.

They started the meal by giving thanks.

For health. And knowledge. And life. And, for Casa Valentina, the program designed to help youth transition from foster care to independence starting at age 18 by providing affordable housing and support and teaching meaningful everyday lessons such as how to balance a checkbook or navigate college admissions, even basic parenting skills.

“Casa Valentina took a chance on me,” says Cliff Innocent, 21, who joined the program last year. Now a student at Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, Innocent is studying to become a chef. “I always knew I wanted to go to school, but it is Casa that has encouraged me to stay in school and do my best in school.”

The program started in 2006 as a way to help young women leaving Miami-Dade County’s foster care system, so many of them woefully unprepared for the next chapter. The program helped them earn high school diplomas and GEDS, enroll in college and find employment. About 60 young women have participated.

Last year, the organization partnered with other social agencies to create two more tracks for young men and mothers with young children.

This year, there are 22 residents, including 11 young women, seven young men and four mothers.

Participants receive a fully-furnished apartment near public transportation, case management, academic and career counseling and help with accessing healthcare. The program is financed through funding from The Children’s Trust, The Miami Foundation and private donations.

Participants must be in school, which qualifies them for the Florida’s Road to Independence Scholarships, a $1,000 monthly stipend open to former foster children who are passing their classes. The money is used for rent and other expenses.

The celebration started out as a potluck with the staff and some of the clients bringing a dish. It was held on the balcony of Hausmann’s fourth-floor condo. Last year, with the addition of the young men and mothers, they outgrew the space. This year, they moved it poolside.

“I got very involved with the young ladies, checking on them, helping them move into their places, helping them with school, taking them to Big Lots,” Hausmann said. “And then the holiday season came around and I started thinking, where would they go? Some of them don’t have family.”

During this year’s dinner, the residents were also introduced to the new executive director, Deborah Korge, who begins next month.

Katlin Brown joined the program two years ago with dreams of becoming a chef. Now, she is a student at Miami-Dade College graduating in May with a degree in culinary arts. She has plans to eventually open a soul food restaurant, “with an international twist.” She thanks Casa Valentina for much of her success.

“They helped me with so many things that I would not have been able to do myself,” says Brown, 21, who lives in a studio apartment in the Roads section of Miami. “They helped me with school and tutoring. They helped me get my driver’s license. They were a shoulder to cry on too. They taught me how to be a grown-up.”





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Eric Stonestreet Wasn’t Drunk, He Swears
















We realize there’s only so much time one can spend in a day watching new trailers, viral video clips, and shaky cell phone footage of people arguing on live television. This is why every day The Atlantic Wire highlights the videos that truly earn your five minutes (or less) of attention. Today:


RELATED: What Happens When You Sing ‘All Night Long’ All Night Long













So if you were one of the few people watching the American Music Awards, (which no one watched) you may have seen Eric Stonestreet be a little tipsy. But that isn’t half as enjoyable as watching Eric Stonestreet watching himself be a little tipsy that night. (Also, wow, he’s sort of a bro.)


RELATED: Modern Family Is Scary


RELATED: ‘Seven Psychocats’ and the 50 Best Bond Moments in 007 Minutes


A few days ago we found out that Paul Rudd was in play called Grace on Broadway because … (wait for it) someone in the balcony puked on the audience members during the play. Four days late we can laugh at the whole thing. Mostly because we weren’t barfed on: 


RELATED: A ‘Mad Men’ Rickroll and the Man That Destroys Carnival Games


RELATED: A Video to Restore Our Faith in Humanity and a Glacier Tsunami


Here’s how to make some magic. What you’ll need: 


(1) Canadian newscaster with chubby fingers


(1) Technology


(1) Drunk piece of technology


Voila: 


And finally. Thanksgiving is upon us!  Today we’re thankful for squirrels who like to eat plastic: 


Wireless News Headlines – Yahoo! News



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Bargain bin








The discount on Best Buy’s stock keeps getting deeper.

Shares of the struggling electronics chain tumbled 13 percent yesterday, hitting their lowest levels in a decade as the retailer swung to a loss on a steeper-than-expected sales decline.

The stock drop, which left Best Buy shares down 49 percent on the year at $11.96, likely cut the price for a leveraged buyout by founder Richard Schulze, according to sources.

As reported by The Post, Best Buy’s board lately has adopted a friendlier tone toward Schulze, who in August offered to buy the company for $24 to $26 a share, or more than $8 billion.





BETTER DAYS: On this Black Friday a few years ago in Staten Island, it was all systems go for the once red-hot national electronics chain.


BETTER DAYS: On this Black Friday a few years ago in Staten Island, it was all systems go for the once red-hot national electronics chain.





With Best Buy’s sales and margins dropping, sources said CEO Hubert Joly last week signaled that the company would be open to going private for $20 a share, valuing it at $6.7 billion.

After yesterday’s dismal news, however, some investors speculated that a deal could get done at an even lower price.

Likewise, speculation is rising that a revised offer from Schulze might come this month, well before an extended due diligence period is set to expire in mid- to late December.

“The bad news they were waiting for has come,” said one Best Buy investor, referring to yesterday’s dismal earnings report and stock decline.

A spokesman for Schulze didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Schulze is seeking support for his bid from private-equity firms including Cerberus Capital Management, TPG and Leonard Green Partners, with the latter two seen likely to bid together, sources said.

Despite reports that Schulze is struggling to find backers, a bigger problem may be structuring a deal in which he retains control of the company, said one source.

Best Buy swung to a fiscal third-quarter loss of $13 million as sales tumbled 3.6 percent to $10.75 billion, hit by cutthroat competition with Amazon and sluggish demand for TVs, laptops and digital cameras.

On a call with analysts yesterday, Joly admitted it will be a “hard road” to turn around the retailer’s operations.

Weakening cash flow could also complicate a leveraged buyout. The company cut its forecast for annual cash flow to at least $850 million, down sharply from its August forecast for at least $1.25 billion.

Last week, Joly outlined a plan that includes matching prices at Amazon and other rivals to curb “showrooming,” in which shoppers check out products at Best Buy before purchasing them at lower prices online.

jcovert@nypost.com










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Dear daughter, let me give you some career advice ...




















My daughter, a high school junior, wants to be a teacher. That doesn’t sit well with my husband, who worries about the state of education and the job outlook. He and I regularly debate whether we should encourage her to pursue this interest, or strongly steer her in another direction.

Today, coaching our kids about career paths is complicated. Many of my reporter and editor friends who witnessed an overhaul of the media world are highly opposed to their kids becoming journalists. Where parents of the past pushed their kids to follow in their footsteps, we want the generation of college-bound kids we raise to go where the jobs will be.

American workers’ experiences during the recession and the uncertainty of the global economy have made many of us more opinionated about what careers our kids pursue. We have witnessed job loss and burnout. We have seen highly educated professionals such as lawyers and bankers lose their jobs. And worse, we have seen college graduating classes face an overwhelmingly tough employment arena. While it’s true that a college degree usually guarantees better wages, the mantra of parents clearly has become: Can you land a decent-paying job with that degree?





As parents, we’re just beginning to understand that the next generation will have to navigate the workplace differently. Experts forecast that workers starting out now will switch careers — that’s careers, not jobs — an average of more than three times during their lives. Should parents, then, worry less about guiding our kids into careers and focus more on helping our kids identify skills to succeed in the new economy?

Whether my daughter becomes a teacher or an engineer, her success likely will come from a mastery of technology, languages and communications skills. Most importantly, she will need the mindset to be a problem solver, innovator, risk taker and self marketer. She will need to be prepared to continuously acquire new skills, a lesson my generation has learned the hard way.

“We are fooling ourselves to think young people will get a degree and spend the next 20 years at a single company or in a single industry,” says John Swartz, regional director of career services at Everest College, which has campuses in 30 cities including Miami. “They will have to be more focused on dealing with change. In this new world order, they have to follow the jobs in demand, acquire the right skills or at least transferable skills, and know that the skill set needed might change.”

For example, Swartz says, he has seen young people get training to become medical assistants because they have a passion to help others. They later were able to apply those skills to other jobs in healthcare. “Parents need to help their kids soul search, then support their decision whatever they choose, understanding that every good high-wage job requires more skill,” Swartz says.

Cesar Alvarez, executive chairman of Greenberg Traurig law firm, factors this concept into how he advises his four children, 28, 27, 22 and 21. For centuries, the law profession has attracted smart, principled men and women. Yet, in the last few years, we’ve seen lawyers underemployed, law partners burned out and law grads without jobs. I asked Alvarez whether he has encouraged any of his children to enter the legal profession.





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In humbler times for state House Republicans, Will Weatherford sets a more moderate tone




















Few state institutions bear a more distinct imprint of recent Republican hegemony than the Florida House of Representatives.

It launched the political career of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who served as its speaker four years ago. Its members have passed some of the most conservative bills in the nation. And since 2006, it has nurtured the career of Will Weatherford of Wesley Chapel.

On Tuesday, Weatherford will be sworn in as, at 33, the youngest speaker of the House in recent Florida history and the first speaker from the Tampa Bay area since 2004. He’ll preside over a chamber where Republicans have an overwhelming 76-44 majority. The son-in-law of former House Speaker Allan Bense, Weatherford looks like the latest model in a long, unbroken line of GOP speakers.





But these are also somewhat humbling times for House Republicans. On Nov. 6, they lost five seats and their veto-proof majority, punctuated by the shocking defeat of the person who had been picked to succeed Weatherford as speaker in 2014, Chris Dorworth.

"There’s no question that the state moved more toward the center," said incoming Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Plantation. "This will change things, make it more bipartisan than it has been for quite a while."

The moment may be tailor-made for Weatherford, a block of a man and former defensive end at Jacksonville University who has developed a reputation for playing nice with both parties.

"If there’s one thing I’d like to achieve it is to be an inclusive reformer for the Florida House," Weatherford told reporters last week. "To make sure we’re working with our friends across the aisle, that we’re allowing for everyone’s voice to be heard and to participate, but at the same time, don’t let that stifle us from moving forward with real reforms and dealing with the challenges that Florida has before us."

Make no mistake: Weatherford, a businessman himself, will continue to push a conservative, pro-business agenda that could have been written by the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

He wants new state employees to enroll in 401(k)-style retirement plans rather than the current pension system, which provides guaranteed payments from the state. While it’s sure to alienate unions and spark a legal battle, Weatherford can’t say how much it would save the state. He says pensions are a "ticking time bomb" in state finances — despite no evidence of the sort.

He’ll push hard for a bigger commitment to online education and easing corporate taxes on small businesses. He toes the Republican Party line on the Affordable Care Act, is closely aligned with incoming Senate President Don Gaetz and publicly supports Gov. Rick Scott, albeit with measured language.

"His focus is on the right thing, which is getting unemployment down, making sure we have a fully funded education system," Weatherford said. "He’s talking about the right things."

But he disagrees with Scott on tuition. While Scott opposes tuition increases, Weatherford sides with universities, saying they are necessary to cover costs. "We have universities that if given more flexibility with tuition, they can go to great heights," he said.

His biggest break is one of style. His predecessor, Dean Cannon, ran the House with strict efficiency that bruised the feelings of marginalized Democrats while allowing Republicans to run roughshod with legislation that, during the tea party ascendency, opposed the Affordable Care Act, the federal economic stimulus and early voting. Since the spring, Weatherford has signaled he will run the House differently.





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Rob Schneider Welcomes Baby Girl

Rob Schneider and wife Patricia welcomed a baby girl last week.

RELATED: Rob Schneider Gets Married

Miranda Scarlett Schneider was born at 5 lbs., 13 oz. and 18-inches long, according to People.

"Mommy and Baby [are] happy and healthy!" Rob, 49, tweeted on Friday. According to the comedian's timeline, Miranda was born after 19 hours of labor.

Rob and Patricia, a TV producer, tied the knot last year. This marks the couple's first child together.

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Dead co. talking








You thought you could kill a Twinkie that easy?

Bankrupt Hostess Brands and its striking bakers stopped the death clock attached to the 82-year-old company by agreeing to a mediation session today.

The one-day chatfest between the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread and its 6,000-strong bakers union comes at the urging of Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain.

Drain rejected a Hostess request yesterday to wind down the business immediately.

The White Plains, NY, judge will now try to broker a peace between two very hostile sides.

Hostess shut down operations this weekend — citing the cost of the strike — and if the session is not successful, will quickly seek liquidation.





LAST HAUL: Hostess Teamsters drivers, from left, Richie Cestaro, Denis Fenton and Steve Galluzzo stock up on snack favorites at a company thrift store as their jobs hang in the balance.

Josh Kosman





LAST HAUL: Hostess Teamsters drivers, from left, Richie Cestaro, Denis Fenton and Steve Galluzzo stock up on snack favorites at a company thrift store as their jobs hang in the balance.





Richie Cestaro, who has driven a Hostess truck in Queens and Long Island for 24 years, thanked the judge for not immediately flushing his job down the drain.

“I think the judge is doing the only thing possible,” Cestaro said. “There is definitely a glimmer of hope. I would think that the bakery has to explain this strike to him.”

Hostess, in the weeks leading up to the strike, reached out unsuccessfully to the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union to engage in talks, several sources said.

A Hostess executive said people in the corporate office believe the mediation effort is a very unfunny joke.

“This is all being done so the judge doesn’t have to be guilty” when the company liquidates, the executive said.

An executive at a Hostess rival speculated the leaders at the bakers union knew all along their strike would lead to liquidation.

The union leadership cannot accept the company’s demands for an 8 percent pay cut and a 17 percent boost in health costs, the rival sniffed, or members at other bakeries would eventually have to make similar concessions.

Hostess, the executive said, lost about $7 million during the week-long bakers strike and does not have the money to re-start without new investment.

The bakery union did not return calls.

Sun Capital Partners co-founder Marc Leder yesterday said his firm is interested in buying Hostess — but several sources scoffed at the public outreach.

Several months ago, Sun Capital inquired about Hostess and made an informal bid that the Teamsters union, Hostess’ largest, quickly rejected, a source said.

As the judge yesterday was giving Hostess a 48-hour reprieve, driver Denis Fenton and a few of his colleagues milled around in front of the Hostess depot in Hicksville, NY, the area’s largest.

Inside, managers were cleaning about 45 trucks and getting them ready for sale.

A nearby Hostess thrift store was jam-packed.

Fenton, along with Steve Galluzzo and Cestaro, each in their early 50s and with more than 20 years behind the wheel, cannot tap their pension for years — until they are 55.

“I’m 51,” said Fenton, who earns $55,000 a year. “With the economy the way it is, it won’t be easy for us.”

Galluzzo said he had put his Hostess uniform in a box that morning and stored it away so he would not have to look at it every day.

Cestaro said he instinctively woke up at 1 a.m. as if he were going to work, and stopped by a Dunkin’ Donuts to pass the time.

“I feel depressed and angry,” he said.

jkosman@nypost.com










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