CITYWIDE

COUNCIL VOTES TO APPROVE ‘NO-WAKE AREAS’

The City Council’s transportation committee unanimously voted yesterday to approve a bill that would implement “no-wake areas” on the Harlem River. The transportation committee chairman, John Liu, said the legislation was prompted by the proliferation of boats on the city’s rivers and the fatal crash of a boater, Jim Runsdorf, on October 24, after whom the legislation is named. The committee expects the bill to be passed by the full council. Runsdorf was killed when his racing shell crashed into a motorboat on the Harlem River. The no-wake zones the bill would establish are Swindler Cove from High Bridge to University Heights Bridge and the area between the Spuyten Duyvil trestle and the Broadway Bridge on the Harlem River.

– Special to the Sun

STATEWIDE

SUNY MAKES RYAN CHANCELLOR

The State University of New York Board of Trustees yesterday appointed the acting chancellor, John Ryan, as the $340,000-a-year permanent chancellor. Mr. Ryan was unanimously approved by trustees present at a meeting, which was announced Friday. Three trustees, however, abstained over the secretiveness of the selection process or the haste of the vote. The board chairman, Thomas Egan, gave trustees no reason why the vote was called yesterday. The 11-0 vote was made after three finalists were interviewed by the trustees, most of whom hadn’t been able to see candidates’ resumes until Thursday. “I can’t understand the rush here,” a trustee, Patricia Stevens, who abstained, said. “Up until this point I was satisfied with the process.”

– Associated Press

STEWART AIRPORT TO UNDERGO NAME CHANGE

NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Stewart International Airport will renamed the New York Hudson Valley International Airport in May. Officials hope the new name will highlight the airport’s location 55 miles north of New York City and attract more international and domestic travelers. “Many visitors from outside the valley will see this new name and realize they can fly into our airport to reach tourist attractions and business locations in the Hudson Valley,” David MacFarland, chairman of the Stewart Regional Alliance, said in a prepared release. The airport, which began passenger service in 1989, has seen dwindling boardings in the past year, largely because they lost their biggest carrier, Southeast Air, at the end of last year. November passenger volume fell 62% from levels a year-earlier to 20,107, the general manager of marketing, Tanya Vanasse, said. Ms. Vanasse said that volume is starting to climb again, though, because another carrier, Allegiant Air, joined the airport about two months ago.

– Associated Press

MANHATTAN

FORMER STERN ACCOUNTANT PLEADS GUILTY TO INSIDER TRADING CHARGES

The former president of an accounting firm used by Howard Stern pleaded guilty yesterday to insider trading charges accusing him of buying thousands of shares of Sirius Satellite Radio Incorporated before the announcement of the shock jock’s move to the network. Gary Herwitz, 50, formerly of Mahoney Cohen & Company, faces up to 16 months in prison at his sentencing on March 17. “My trading in Sirius was wrong,” Herwitz told a judge during a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn. Afterward, Herwitz ducked out of court through a side door without speaking to reporters. His attorney, Marjorie Peerce, said her client “deeply regrets what happened, and he looks forward to getting on with his life.” The scheme unfolded after Mr. Stern sought financial advice from the Manhattan firm’s chief executive – his personal accountant for the previous 19 years – about making a move to Sirius once his contract with Infinity Broadcasting Corporation expired, court papers said.

– Associated Press

SMALL FIRE EMPTIES RADIO CITY DURING CHRISTMAS SHOW

A small fire emptied Radio City Music Hall during a performance of the Christmas Spectacular yesterday, sending thousands of audience members plus the Rockettes, camels, and Santa Claus out onto the street. The audience was allowed back in after 45 minutes and the show went on, Jonathan Tisch, chairman of NYC & Co., the city tourism bureau, who was in attendance, said. “Everybody left very quickly, very calmly,” Mr. Tisch said. “The Radio City people did a great job.” A Fire Department spokesman said the fire was reported shortly after 11 a.m. in a third-floor storage closet and was under control within 20 minutes.

– Associated Press