Miami Marlins hold ballpark organist tryouts

For the first time since the team's inception in 1993, the Miami Marlins held open auditions for an organist Monday night at their new stadium.

Several local musicians showed up to vie for the special gig.

The chosen organist will be responsible for performing songs such as Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Let's Go Fish and Clap and Stomp at all 81 home games next season.

Among the requirements for the job were a good knowledge of all genres of music, knowledge of the Miami Marlins and creativity for all types of situations and spontaneous moments during a Major League Game.

Organs have been a standard feature at most baseball parks ever since the Chicago Cubs introduced them at Wrigley Field in 1941. The Marlins have had only two organists — Lowery Ballew and Dick Jans — but had never held an open tryout for the position.

It’s unknown how much the job pays.

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NCIS Star Pauley Perrette Visits Drew Carey on The Price is Right

NCIS star Pauley Perrette enjoys a small break from her gothic Abby Sciuto persona to take a swing at being a model for The Price is Right in tomorrow's episode.

PICS: Candid Celeb Sightings

Pauley is well-acquainted with the show's host Drew Carey, as they worked together before the popular actress became one of TV's biggest stars. In 1998, Pauley played one of the comedian's girlfriends on The Drew Carey Show.

Considering her profession, Pauley presents the perfect prize towards the top of the show -- a 55-inch 3D television and NCIS DVD box set.

Later on in the program, Pauley makes one contestant's dreams come true with a trip to the NCIS set.

Watch Pauley on an all-new Price is Right Tuesday. Check your local listings. NCIS also airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS.

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Cops 'n' robbers gunfight and car chase was a real life action movie

Testimony in a Queens trial sounded like it came from an action movie script today as witnesses described a wild police chase complete with guns blazing.

Cops described the terrifying moments when they heard gunfire ring out during a high-speed chase along Sutphin Boulevard.

“We were in a shooting together we could have died together,” said Officer Shawn Phillips who was the passenger in a patrol car chasing alleged robbery suspects, Urban Fermin and Darius Lowery on Feb 2, 2010.

The mayhem began at 7:40 a.m. when the men stole a car near 150th Avenue after a driver left it running while he went into a store, cops said.

About 40 minutes later, they pushed their way into a home on 133rd Avenue and stole a TV set, police sources said.

They then allegedly robbed a woman at gunpoint near a bus stop before cops gave chase.

Phillips’ partner Steven Betts said the cops were on their routine shift when they received a call for a robbery in progress on 150th Avenue where a white Ford Focus was stolen.

The cops were on their way to the location when they saw a vehicle that matched the description of the stolen car.

The officers turned on their lights and siren and gave chase.

“I saw a black handgun waving out the passenger’s window,” Betts said . The chase ended on a residential block on 153rd Street, where the officers were face to face with the alleged suspects and opened fire -- after Lowery allegedly “reached for his waistband,” they said.

Both suspects ran away in the hail of bullets from the officers who continued the hunt within a four block radius.

Lowery was apprehended at the scene by other officers moments later and Fermin was arrested within the same day.

ccarega@nypost.com

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Miami medicine goes digital

About 10 years ago, Dr. Fleur Sack quit her practice as a family physician to become a hospital department head. Spurring her decision was the need to switch from paper records to electronic ones to keep her private practice profitable. “At that time, it would have cost about $50,000,” Dr. Sack recalled. “It was too expensive and it was too overwhelming.”

But times and technologies changed, and last year, Dr. Sack left her hospital job to restart her medical practice with an affordable system for managing electronic patient records. She agreed to a $5,000 setup fee and a subscription fee of $500 per month for the system. Her investment also qualified her for subsidy money, which the federal government pays in installments, and to date, her subsidy income has paid for the setup fee and about two years of monthly fees. “So far, I’ve got my check for $18,000,” she said. “There’s a total of $44,000 that I can get.”

That kind of cash flow is one reason why so-called EHR software systems for electronic health records have been among the hottest-selling commercial products in the world of information technology. EHR system development is a growth industry in South Florida, too. Life sciences and biotechnology are among the high growth-potential sectors identified by the Beacon Council-led One Community One Goal economic development initiative unveiled in 2012; already, the University of Miami has opened a Health Science Technology Park while Florida International University has launched a healthcare informatics and management systems program in its graduate school of business.

For many young businesses in the area’s IT industry, government incentives are paving the way. The federal government is pushing doctors and hospitals to use electronic health records to cut wasteful spending and improve patient care while protecting patient privacy — sending digital information via encrypted systems, for example, rather than regular email.

Under a 2009 federal law known as the HITECH Act, maximum incentive payments for buying such systems range up to $44,000 for doctors with Medicare patients and up to $63,750 for doctors with Medicaid patients. Hospitals are eligible for larger incentive payments for becoming more paperless. The subsidy program isn’t permanent; eligible professionals must begin receiving payments by 2016. But by then, the federal government will be penalizing doctors and hospitals that take Medicare or Medicaid money without making meaningful use of electronic health records.

“What the government did is, they incentivized, and now they’re going to penalize,” said Andrew Carricarte, president and CEO of IOS Health Systems in Miami, one of the largest South Florida-based vendors of online software service for physician practices. He said insurance companies also may start penalizing physicians for failing to adopt electronic health records because “the commercial payers always follow Medicare and Medicaid.”

It’s all part of the growth story at IOS Health Systems, which has more than 2,000 physicians across the nation using its online EHR system. Carricarte said many of the company’s customers buy their second EHR system from IOS after their first one flopped. “Almost 40 percent of our sales come from customers who had systems and are now switching over to something else,” he said.

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Miami group lauds immigration reform efforts

Each year, the Miami-based Americans for Immigrant Justice generally honors immigrants who succeed in winning asylum or a green card against all odds.

Things will be a little different this time.

The organization will be celebrating bipartisanship at its 17th annual gala on March 7, as Republicans and Democrats begin working toward immigration reform.

“Fixing our broken immigration system ought to be a national priority,” said San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who will be the event’s keynote speaker at the Hotel Intercontinental in downtown Miami. He’ll be introduced by Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and current chairman of the American Conservative Union.

“For the first time in a long time we have a chance to get this right,” said Cardenas, referring to Congress’ fledgling efforts on immigration reform. “It’s a narrow window of opportunity and all of us need to do our part to see comprehensive immigration reform succeed.”

South Florida’s push comes as the White House and Congress step up efforts to offer some form of immigration reform legislation later this year that would legalize undocumented immigrants, officially estimated at 11.5 million.

Last week, the White House acknowledged it has prepared its own immigration reform bill that would grant undocumented immigrants – without any criminal convictions – temporary legal status.

In eight years, they would receive a green card after paying fines, fees and back taxes.

Last month, eight senators announced a bipartisan immigration reform proposal that would allow undocumented immigrants to get temporary status, but would receive green cards only after immigration controls are further tightened, and they learn English.

SIMILARITIES

While the two proposals appear similar, some Republican lawmakers have criticized the White House proposal, without offering specifics. Some lawmakers indicated that President Barack Obama’s plan interferes with efforts by the eight senators to draft their own plan.

Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press recently, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Obama’s proposal would fail if the White House persisted in going forward. He encouraged the White House to give senators a chance to continue their bipartisan work.

It is that effort that Americans for Immigrant Justice plans to celebrate at its dinner next week.

The bipartisan push makes immigration reform more possible than before, said Cheryl Little, the group’s executive director. That makes it more likely that Congress will pass a bill to legalize undocumented immigrants – long a key goal of immigration activists.

“We opened our doors to see this day,” Little said. “We have been fighting for comprehensive immigration reform since we started our organization.”

Americans for Immigrant Justice was founded in 1996 under the name Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. The group changed its name two years ago.

Since its inception, the group has helped thousands of immigrants – Cubans, Central Americans, Haitians, Mexicans and many others – secure asylum, green cards, temporary legal status or refugee benefits.

Its mission is to protect and promote the basic human rights of immigrants through free legal services, policy reform and public education.

Reform more likely

Little said immigration reform seems more likely this year because of the last presidential election in which Hispanic voters overwhelmingly voted for Obama, even though he did not fulfill his first-term promise of enacting immigration reform. Since Obama’s reelection, many Republicans have softened their opposition to immigration reform.

“The Democrats have a debt to pay, and the Republicans a party to save,” Little said. “That gives me hope.”

The group also will honor Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, for her longtime support for immigration reform.

“I’m humbled to be recognized for any small contribution I might have made toward the noble goal of helping so many freedom and opportunity-seeking individuals,” she said. “Americans for Immigrant Justice has been working nonstop on comprehensive immigration reform, and the hard work of the members of this important organization is bearing fruit.”

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Oscars 2013 Winner's List

Tonight, Hollywood's biggest stars are at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 2013 Oscar Awards, and ET is bringing you all of the winners as they are announced! (Winners underlined).

Click here for full Oscar coverage.

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook

Alan Arkin, Argo

Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Best Original Song

Before My Time, Chasing Ice

Pi's Lullaby, Life of Pi

Suddenly, Les Miserables

Everybody Needs a Best Friend, Ted

Skyfall, Skyfall

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Field, Lincoln

Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Amy Adams, The Master

Best Animated Film

Frankenweenie

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Wreck-It Ralph

ParaNorman

Brave

Best Foreign Language Film

Amour

No

War Witch

A Royal Affair

Kon-Tiki

Best Adapted Screenplay

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Argo

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Life of Pi

Best Original Screenplay

Flight

Zero Dark Thirty

Django Unchained

Amour

Moonrise Kingdom

Best Director

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Ang Lee, Life of Pi

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

Michael Haneke, Amour

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Actor

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Denzel Washington, Flight

Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

Best Actress

Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Picture

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

Lincoln

Les Miserables
Life of Pi

Amour

Django Unchained

Argo

Best Cinematography

Seamus McGarvey, Anna Karenina

Robert Richardson, Django Unchained

Claudio Miranda, Life of Pi

Janusz Kaminski, Lincoln

Roger Deakins, Skyfall

Best Costume Design

Jacqueline Durran, Anna Karenina

Paco Delgado, Les Miserables

Joanna Johnston, Lincoln

Eiko Ishioka, Mirror Mirror

Colleen Atwood, Snow White and the Huntsman

Best Documentary Feature

5 Broken Cameras, Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi

The Gatekeepers

How to Survive a Plague

The Invisible War

Searching for Sugar Man

Best Documentary Short Subject

Inocente, Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine

Kings Point, Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider

Mondays at Racine, Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan

Open Heart, Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern

Redemption, Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill

Best Film Editing

William Goldenberg, Argo

Tim Squyres, Life of Pi

Michael Kahn, Lincoln

Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers, Silver Linings Playbook

Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel, Hitchcock

Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell, Les Miserables

Best Original Score

Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina

Alexandre Desplat, Argo

Mychael Danna, Life of Pi

John Williams, Lincoln

Thomas Newman, Skyfall

Best Production Design

Anna Karenina, Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
Les Miserables, Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Anna Lynch-Robinson
Life of Pi, Production Design: David Gropman; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Lincoln, Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Best Animated Short Film

Adam and Dog, Minkyu Lee
Fresh Guacamole, PES
Head over Heels, Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare," David Silverman
Paperman, John Kahrs

Best Live Action Short Film

Asad, Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
Buzkashi Boys, Sam French and Ariel Nasr
Curfew, Shawn Christensen
Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw), Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
Henry, Yan England

Best Sound Editing

Argo, Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
Django Unchained, Wylie Stateman
Life of Pi, Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
Skyfall, Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
Zero Dark Thirty, Paul N.J. Ottosson

Best Sound Mixing

Argo, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
Les Miserables, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
Life of Pi, Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
Lincoln, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
Skyfall, Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson

Best Visual Effects

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
Life of Pi, Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
Marvel's The Avengers, Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
Prometheus, Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
Snow White and the Huntsman, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

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Christoph Waltz takes best supporting actor Oscar for 'Django'

WireImage

Actor Christoph Waltz accepts the best supporting actor award at the Oscars.

LOS ANGELES — Christoph Waltz really owes Quentin Tarantino. Waltz won his second supporting-actor Academy Award on Sunday for a Tarantino film, this time as a genteel bounty hunter in the slave-revenge saga "Django Unchained."

In a choked voice, Waltz offered thanks to his character and "to his creator and the creator of his awe-inspiring world, Quentin Tarantino."

Waltz also offered gracious thanks to his supporting-actor competitors, who included two-time Oscar winner Robert De Niro and Oscar recipient Tommy Lee Jones, who had been considered a slim favorite over Waltz for the prize.

WireImage

Jennifer Lawrence

A veteran performer in Germany and his native Austria, Waltz had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood when Tarantino cast him as a gleefully evil Nazi in 2009's "Inglourious Basterds," which won him his first Oscar.

Waltz has since done a handful of other Hollywood movies, but it's Tarantino who has given him his two choicest roles. Backstage, Waltz had a simple explanation for why the collaboration works.

"Quentin writes poetry, and I like poetry," Waltz said.

The Scottish adventure "Brave," from Disney's Pixar Animation unit, was named best animated feature. Pixar films have won seven of the 12 Oscars since the category was added.

The story of an dauntless princess (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who balks at her parents' attempts to marry her off, "Brave" won out over a strong field that included Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Frankenweenie."

"I just happen to be wearing the kilt," said "Brave" co-director Mark Andrews, who took the stage in his trademark Scottish garment.

Oscar host Seth MacFarlane opened with a mildly edgy monologue that offered the usual polite jabs at the academy, the stars and the industry. He took a poke at academy voters over the snub of Ben Affleck, who missed out on a directing nomination for best-picture favorite "Argo," a thriller about the CIA's plot to rescue six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis.

"The story was so top secret that the film's director is unknown to the academy," MacFarlane said. "They know they screwed up. Ben, it's not your fault."

William Shatner made a guest appearance as his "Star Trek" character Capt. James Kirk, appearing on a giant screen above the stage during MacFarlane's monologue, saying he came back in time to stop the host from ruining the Oscars.

"Your jokes are tasteless and inappropriate, and everyone ends up hating you," said Shatner, who revealed a headline supposedly from the next day's newspaper that read, "Seth MacFarlane worst Oscar host ever."

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South Beach Wine & Food Festival changes Miami's culinary scene, impacts economy

For Miami restaurateurs, this is Showtime.

With dozens of top chefs — Bobby Flay, Todd English, Daniel Boloud and Masaharu Morimoto among the list — in town for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the pressure is on everywhere, from Michy’s to the new Catch Miami. The goal: Show everyone from around the country that Miami’s food scene has arrived on the national stage.

Chef Michelle Bernstein’s staff whipped up dishes designed to impress guests at Michy’s — like foie gras, oxtail and apple tarte tatin — while she juggled menus for multiple events. Bernstein kept her cellphone handy to make sure any chef friends could get a table, even though her namesake restaurant was sold out.

As always, Joe’s Stone Crab was a must-do stop for many, including Paula Deen and New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. Aussie Chef Curtis Stone attracted a string of admirers as he ate his way around town, with stops at Prime 112, Pubbelly Sushi and Puerto Sagua. Khong River House and Yardbird Southern Table & Bar hosted Meyer, The Food Network’s Anne Burrell and Chef Anita Lo.

Michael’s Genuine was another hot spot.

“This is kind of our coming out party for Khong and it’s our chance to knock it out of the park and wow people,” said John Kunkel, owner of Khong and Yardbird.

Prime 112 owner Myles Chefetz admits he’s a fanatic about checking plates when they come back from a chef’s table. And he’s always on the lookout for the table ordering 20 different items, because that’s usually a restaurateur doing research.

“If you have Jean-Gorges or Bobby Flay eating at your restaurant, you want to make sure he has a great experience,” Chefetz said. “You want to put your best foot forward because you know you’re going to get scrutinized.”

The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival is not just a forum for impressing the culinary elite. It’s among the top three tourist draws for Miami restaurants and hotels. In its 12th year, the festival draws more than 60,000 people to Miami Beach for a weekend of decadence, featuring more than 50 events spread over four days.

It is neck and neck with two of the area’s other most prominent weekends: Art Basel and Presidents’ Day (which coincides with the Miami International Boat Show).

There’s the immediate economic impact, of course, but the festival has made its mark in other ways: helping transform Miami’s food scene from a cultural wasteland to one of the country’s hot spots, one where top chefs all want to set up shop.

“Twelve years ago I don’t know if you could even name five really good restaurants. Now, you can’t think of where you want to eat because there are so many good restaurants,” said Lee Brian Schrager, festival founder and vice president of communications for Southern Wine & Spirits, its host. “What the festival can take credit for is introducing the culinary world to the great talent down here, and really highlighting South Florida as a great dining destination.”

There has been plenty of indulgence to go around. Flay finally broke his losing streak and took home top honors at the Burger Bash with his award-winning crunchified green chili burger. At the Q, barbecue lovers had their choice of Al Roker’s lamb ribs with baked beans or Geoffrey Zakarian’s smoked tagarashi crusted tuna, among other offerings.

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Miami Dolphins hopeful on stadium referendum date

The Miami Dolphins are hopeful the Miami-Dade County Commission will approve a May 14 date for a referendum on the $400 rehabilitation of their stadium, time enough to get South Florida in play for Super Bowl 50, a Dolphins spokesman said Saturday.

Spokesman Ric Katz said the language of the proposed referendum has yet to be decided, and ultimately the commission decides the date.

But, he said, “we’d be very happy with” May 14 because “that gives us a week to communicate to the NFL before they make the important decision of Super Bowl 50.”

NFL owners are slated to meet on May 22 to pick the site of the 2016 Super Bowl — seen as a tourist revenue prize for whichever host city gets the 50th anniversary contest.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez met Friday with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and CEO Mike Dee to discuss the proposed stadium rehabilitation.

From the mayor’s side, there has been no agreement on a date and Gimenez does not plan to bring the proposed May 14 referendum to the commission at this time, said spokeswoman Suzy Trutie.

Friday’s was a “first meeting” at which “many things were discussed,” including the Dolphin’s preference for May 14.

But, “We continue negotiating with the Dolphins with regards to finances.”

One proposed financing plan would increase the bed tax in mainland Miami-Dade by 1 percent and increase the sales tax rebate the team already gets at the stadium in Miami Gardens. Ross had initially offered to pay at least $201 million in his financing plan. But Katz, a Miami publicist representing the team in the stadium campaign, said the two sides were still in negotiation on what the mayor would ask the commission to put to taxpayers in a referendum.

Trutie said the proposed referendum would gauge public opinion on increasing hotel taxes from 6 to 7 percent to fund the stadium renovations.

Of the commission, Katz said, “We do not take them for granted. They have the prerogative.”

Attorney Kendall Coffey did not return calls asking whether the Dolphins had hired him to write the ballot language.

Dolphins lobbyist Marcelo Llorente had said in recent weeks that the team was considering May 7 and 14 as possible referendum dates.

Any activity by the Florida Legislature would likely have to be undertaken before then. The regular session is slated to end May 3.

Miami Herald staff writers Patricia Mazzei and Doug Hanks contributed to this report.

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Independent Spirit Award Winners 2013

The 2013 Film Independent Spirits Awards were handed out in Santa Monica, CA today and lots of Oscar frontrunners cemented their status by dominating in their categories once more.

Check out all the winners below:

Best Feature

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Bernie

Keep the Lights On

Moonrise Kingdom

Silver Linings Playbook

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Linda Cardellini, Return

Emayatzy Corinealdi, Middle of Nowhere

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Smashed

BEST MALE LEAD

Jack Black, Bernie

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

John Hawkes, The Sessions

Thure Lindhardt, Keep the Lights On

Matthew McConaughey, Killer Joe

Wendell Pierce, Four

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Rosemarie DeWitt, Your Sister's Sister

Ann Dowd, Compliance

Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice

Lorraine Toussaint, Middle of Nowhere

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike

David Oyelowo, Middle of Nowhere

Michael Pena, End of Watch

Sam Rockwell, Seven Psychopaths

Bruce Willis, Moonrise Kingdom

BEST DIRECTOR

Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom

Julia Loktev, The Loneliest Planet

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SCREENPLAY

Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom

Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks

Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Ira Sachs, Keep the Lights On

For the full list of winners, click here.

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