Strategies for stretching your holiday shopping dollars

Want to save some cash on your holiday shopping? Four money-saving experts, all South Florida moms who run websites about frugal living and smart shopping, have plenty of advice for you.

Their first tip: Start now.

“Retailers have been starting their sales earlier every year, so planning ahead is very important,” said Melissa Cid, who runs www.savingmomsmoney.com. “Making a list is the best way to stay on track and keeps you from splurging on unnecessary items.”

Know everyday store prices of items on your list so you can spot a good deal when the sale ads show up at your door, said Cid, a Miami Lakes mom of two.

“Some retailers try to trick consumers by marking up prices and then advertising a discount,” she said. “Knowing the everyday price of an item will make you a smarter consumer.”

Save in stores

Check out Black Friday ads early at sites like www.bfads.net, Cid said. “Use these sites to your advantage to plan early and compare prices,” she said.

Look for sales that offer bonuses with purchase, said Mary Pat Pankoke, of www.couponclasses.com. Stores like Target and Best Buy frequently offer a gift card bonus when you purchase a particular item, she said. Search online for printable coupons you can use in-store, Pankoke said. “Use layaway plans offered by stores like Walmart and Kmart to buy items on sale, then pay for them over time with no interest, picking them up in time for holiday gift giving,” she said.

Familiarize yourself with a store’s couponing and price matching policy, which allows you to bring in a competitor’s ad and have a lower price matched, Cid said. Pay attention to stores that alter their price-matching policies during the holidays, Pankoke said. For example, Walmart will match the prices found in competitor’s print ads, but not online pricing — including pricing on their own website, she said. Target offers price matching, but has exclusions on Black Friday through Cyber Monday deals.

“Sign up for store reward programs. Certain stores will let you redeem those loyalty points or dollars for future purchases,” said Whitney Zimet of www.iamthemaven.com. “This is especially nice at toy stores where you can easily spend major bucks, and where you know you’ll need to return again and again for future purchases.”

Some retailers offer store credit cards with a percentage off a first purchase, or all purchases discounted, said Zimet, a Coral Gables mom of two. One example is Target’s store card, which offers five percent off all purchases.

“Just be careful with these,” Zimet said. “Pay off those cards each month because the interest rates are huge.” Also ask the store when they have customer appreciation days — usually a percentage off storewide — or if they offer free gift wrapping.

Stick to your list and don’t buy items you don’t need, said Leanette Fernandez of www.teachme2save.com. “Check the clearance aisles for really good deals and pricing,” she said.

Don’t forget to use your smart phone for on-the-spot price checking, Cid said. “And hold on to your receipt in case you come across a better deal at another store,” she said.

Clip coupons

Look for extra holiday coupons in the Sunday newspaper and on sites like www.coupons.com, Cid said, “but also keep your eyes peeled for in-store holiday coupon books at grocery stores, drug stores and retailers like Target. Know the store’s coupon policies before you shop to prevent problems at the register, because lines can be very long this time of year.”

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Weather alert: Cool temperatures will stay into the weekend

Mild temperatures will continue into the weekend, with highs in the low-80s and lows in the mid-60s.

The weekend will remain partly cloudy, with a low chance of showers at 20 percent.

No advisories have been announced and wind will be low at 10 to 15 miles per hour each day.

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Samsung goes after HTC deal to undercut Apple-filing

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – When Apple Inc and HTC Corp last week ended their worldwide legal battles with a 10-year patent licensing agreement, they declined to answer a critical question: whether all of Apple‘s patents were covered by the deal.

It’s an enormously important issue for the broader smartphone patent wars. If all the Apple patents are included -including the “user experience” patents that the company has previously insisted it would not license – it could undermine the iPhone makers efforts to permanently ban the sale of products that copy its technology.

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, which could face such a sales ban following a crushing jury verdict against it in August, now plans to ask a U.S. judge to force Apple to turn over a copy of the HTC agreement, according to a court filing on Friday.

Representatives for Apple and Samsung could not immediately be reached for comment.

Judges are reluctant to block the sale of products if the dispute can be resolved via a licensing agreement. To secure an injunction against Samsung, Apple must show the copying of its technology caused irreparable harm and that money, by itself, is an inadequate remedy.

Ron Laurie, managing director of Inflexion Point Strategy and a veteran IP lawyer, said he found it very unlikely that HTC would agree to a settlement that did not include all the patents.

If the deal did in fact include everything, Laurie and other legal experts said that would represent a very clear signal that Apple under CEO Tim Cook was taking a much different approach to patent issues than his predecessor, Steve Jobs.

Apple first sued HTC in March 2010, and has been litigating for more than two years against handset manufacturers who use Google’s Android operating system.

Apple co-founder Jobs promised to go “thermonuclear” on Android, and that threat has manifested in Apple’s repeated bids for court-imposed bans on the sale of its rivals’ phones.

Cook, on the other hand, has said he prefers to settle rather than litigate, if the terms are reasonable. But prior to this month, Apple showed little willingness to license its patents to an Android maker.

HOLY PATENTS

In August, a Northern California jury handed Apple a $ 1.05 billion verdict, finding that Samsung’s phones violated a series of Apple’s software and design patents.

Apple quickly asked U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh to impose a permanent sales ban on those Samsung phones, and a hearing is scheduled for next month in San Jose, California.

In a surprise announcement on Saturday, however, Apple and HTC announced a license agreement covering “current and future patents” at both companies. Specific terms are unknown, though analysts have speculated that HTC will pay Apple somewhere between $ 5 and $ 10 per phone.

During the Samsung trial, Apple IP chief Boris Teksler said the company is generally willing to license many of its patents – except for those that cover what he called Apple’s “unique user experience” like touchscreen functionality and design.

However, Teksler acknowledged that Apple has, on a few occasions, licensed those holy patents – most notably to Microsoft, which signed an anti-cloning agreement as part of the deal.

In opposing Apple’s injunction request last month, Samsung said Apple’s willingness to license at all shows money should be sufficient compensation, court documents show.

Apple has already licensed at least one of the prized patents in the Samsung case to both Nokia and IBM. That fact was confidential until late last year, when the court mistakenly released a ruling with details that should have been hidden from public view.

In a court filing last week, Apple argued that its Nokia, IBM and Microsoft deals shouldn’t stand in the way of an injunction. Microsoft’s license only covers Apple patents filed before 2002, and IBM signed several years before the iPhone launched, according to Apple.

“IBM’s agreement is a cross license with a party that does not market smartphones,” Apple wrote.

Apple’s seeming shift away from Jobs-style war, and toward licensing, may also reflect a realization that injunctions have become harder to obtain for a variety of reasons.

Colleen Chien, a professor at Santa Clara Law in Silicon Valley, said an appellate ruling last month that tossed Apple’s pretrial injunction against the Samsung Nexus phone raised the legal standard for everyone.

“The ability of technology companies to get injunctions on big products based on small inventions, unless the inventions drive consumer’s demand, has been whittled away significantly,” Chien said.

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846.

(Reporting By Dan Levine and Poornima Gupta; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2 Berlin Premiere

End of An Era

Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson brought The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn: Part 2 finale express to Berlin, Germany today, where the cast walked the red carpet and mingled with their fans.

PHOTOS - Twilight Stars Hit The LA Red Carpet

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Upstate DA comes clean, admits porn past

A district attorney in upstate New York admits that he acted in pornographic movies in the 1970s.

Mark Suben, the DA in Cortland County near Syracuse since 2008, held a news conference Friday to say he had lied about his past in the days before this year's election.

He is apologizing for his actions and says he used "bad judgment" by acting in porn and by recently denying it. He wouldn't take questions, including whether he should resign.

WSTM-TV in Syracuse published a story Friday that said Suben had acted under his name and the pseudonym Gus Thomas. That news story followed a posting on YouTube that compared images of Suben with Thomas.

Suben previously acknowledged he was an actor in New York City in the 1970s but denied acting in adult

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Jolly holiday shopping season already underway

Lilian Stoppa and Renata Rosa stepped out of Target in Midtown Miami with a cart piled high with holiday gifts.

Landing in Miami on Thursday morning for a five-day shopping spree, they already had spent $800 by mid-afternoon on presents for family members: toys for Rosa’s daughter, beauty items for Stoppa’s mother, plus lots of other stuff.

“This is just the start,” giggled Stoppa, 30, who works with Rosa, also 30, at a Sao Paulo telecom company. Their next stops: Sawgrass Mills, Aventura Mall and Bal Harbour Shops, if their money holds out. “We came to Miami to shop because it’s very much cheaper than in Brazil.”

Tourists like Stoppa and Rosa are exactly the reason retail experts predict Florida’s holiday shopping season will see its highest increase since the recession.

Across South Florida, stores are getting a head start on the holidays in hopes of cashing in. Sales are already underway everywhere from Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, to Macy’s, Toys“R”Us and Anthropologie.

The Florida Retail Federation forecasts that Florida will see a 5.2 percent jump in holiday spending from $55 billion in 2011 to $58 billion this year, marking the highest percentage growth predicted since the economic slump began. Pre-recession, retail sales peaked at $54.3 billion in 2006.

“All of the indicators point to what we believe will be a very robust holiday shopping season,” said Florida Retail Federation President and Chief Executive Rick McAllister.

That also translates into more than 42,000 new retail jobs, he said.

Buoyed in large part by tourists and snowbirds, Florida is expected to outpace the nation in spending for the holiday season, as it did before the recession.

This year, the National Retail Federation is predicting holiday spending nationwide to rise 4.1 percent. On average, consumers are expected to spend about $750 each.

Economists point to strong consumer confidence as a major factor contributing to a stronger shopping season.

“By and large the consumer is very confident right now, and that usually leads to spending,” McAllister said.

Other indicators also point to a healthy season. ICSC, a trade association for the shopping center industry, this week released its ICSC-Goldman Sachs 2012 Holiday Spending Intentions Survey, which found that 19 percent of consumers plan to spend more, and 5 percent substantially more, on holiday gifts this year versus last year. It was the highest percentage of consumers reporting they intend to increase spending over the previous holiday season since ICSC began asking the question in 2004.

Retailers like West Elm are ready, beckoning gift givers. Stores are decked out with sparkly, eye-catching displays of items like candlesticks, ornaments and crystal paperweights.

“We’ve had lots of people shopping early, for several weeks,” said Ana Meza, an assistant manager at West Elm in Midtown Miami.

Without question, the holiday season is critical for retailers, a period when they typically generate 20 percent to 40 percent of the full year’s revenue.

This year brings an added bonus. With Thanksgiving falling early, the shopping season is stretched to 32 days, giving retailers more valuable time to rack up sales.

Shoppers like Jose Hernandez aren’t waiting for the last minute. Hernandez, who works as a civilian supervisor at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss., and spends every other three months home in Miami, started his holiday shopping this week. He figures he spent $2,000 at Carter’s, GUESS, Marshalls and Target in Midtown, and plans to spend a total of $5,000 — up 40 percent from last year — before Christmas Day.

“The economy is going up,” said Hernandez, 44.

Yet experts say that many holiday revelers will avoid the stores all together, opting instead for online purchases.

Retail experts expect e-commerce to continue to post a dramatic increase this holiday season, up 15 percent. Though it still represents only about 5 percent of all shopping, online buying is the fastest-growing segment of the retail industry, McAllister said.

Many online sites are offering percentage discounts starting this weekend. Disney Store will offer a selection of “Magical Friday” deals on sale beginning Monday, at DisneyStore.com. Kohl’s is letting customers shop more than 500 “Early Bird specials” on Kohls.com starting Wednesday.

While apparel is expected to be the top category for purchases, gift cards are again projected to outsell any single article of merchandise. The National Retail Federation’s 2012 holiday consumer spending survey showed that 81.1 percent of shoppers will purchase at least one gift card, spending an average of $156.86 on them.

“Gift cards are the best invention ever,” said Jennifer Mayer, 44, a drug representative who has three daughters and lives in Miami Beach. “It’s not for everyone, but it’s great for those you don’t intimately know.”

This year, Mayer plans to buy gift cards at places like Starbucks, H&M, Forever 21 and Barnes & Noble.

“They’re great for bosses. They’re great for teenagers,” she said. “They’re a lifesaver.”

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Miami City Commission slams administration over surprise $45 million budget surplus

Union leaders asked the city of Miami to reopen contract negotiations Thursday, one day after the city’s budget team announced it had discovered a surprise $45 million surplus.

“You told us to dig into our pockets and we did — for four consecutive years,” Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Javier Ortiz told the city commission, noting that the unions had agreed to millions in employee concessions because the city was projecting a $40 million budget shortfall.

“Now that apparently times are good and we have $45 million, direct the manager to meet with us and reopen our contracts,” Ortiz said.

Mayor Tomás Regalado said he wants City Manager Johnny Martinez to sit down with the unions after Thanksgiving.

“Maybe we can use a little of the money to buy new uniforms or police cars or fire trucks,” Regalado said. “But to say that we are going to restore every concession, to me, that would be irresponsible.”

City administrators are recommending that the bulk of the surplus be stashed in reserves, which remain below the $93 million balance required by a city ordinance.

“Most of this [surplus] money is not recurring,” Regalado said. “If we were to use that money for raises and benefit, we will fall into the same downward spiral that the city was in many years ago.”

While commissioners said they were pleased to have more money than was projected, they did not give the administration a pass for dramatically underestimating the final balance for the past fiscal year. Budget Director Danny Alfonso had initially forecast a budget surplus of $8.5 million.

“I feel like I’ve been played,” Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones said. “How do you all of a sudden find $45 million?”

Spence-Jones said budget and finance officials should have said something over the summer when city leaders were negotiating employee concessions to balance the budget. She stormed off the dais after making her comments.

Alfonso took responsibility for the change in numbers, saying he had been too conservative with his revenue and expense projections.

“In my heart, there was no attempt to deceive anyone,” he told the commission.

Alfonso said the budget surplus was more likely to be around $37 million after several final transactions posted.

Martinez, the city manager, conceded that the administration “could have managed expectations a little better.”

“There was no plot,” he said. “Maybe we were not at our best with our projections, but there was no attempt to defraud or mislead anybody.”

Regalado said he did not expect anyone to be fired for the mistake.

“I stand 100 percent behind Danny Alfonso and the way that he runs his department,” he said. “I stand behind the manager. He is doing the right thing.”

The surplus will likely come up again later in the meeting, when the commission discusses a proposed $45 million bond issue. The money is needed to pay off a short-term loan that financed Miami’s share of the PortMiami tunnel dig.

Commissioner Frank Carollo said he wants to know how the surplus will affect the bond offering.

In other business, the commission extended the agreement that allows Scotty’s Landing restaurant and Grove Key Marina to operate on city-owned property in Coconut Grove.

The 35-year lease for the eatery and marina expired earlier this year, and the city sought proposals from businesses interested in taking over. But administrators halted the bid process in July, citing procedural irregularities.

“The reason why we’re here is because there was a disastrous process that ensued,” Commission Chairman Francis Suarez said.

Director of Public Facilities Henry Torre said he plans to get started on a new bid process later this month. Because the property sits on the waterfront, any new contract must be approved by public referendum.

Until then, Scotty’s Landing and Grove Key Marina will be able to operate under an agreement that can be revoked for any reason with 30 days notice.

The commission approved the agreement 4-1, with Carollo voting in opposition.

Vice Chairman Marc Sarnoff, whose district includes the Grove, urged city administrators to move forward with the new bid process as quickly as possible.

“I can foresee no set of circumstances, unless it is Hurricane Sandy reemerging, for me to kick this can down the road, and I am going to hold this administration responsible,” Sarnoff said. “Now it’s time to get this done.”

The deal has been particularly controversial because $2.5 million in back property taxes are owed on the site. Both Scotty’s Landing and the city of Miami have refused to pay. The business owner says his lease exempts him from property taxes.

The Miami-Dade tax collector had initially planned to go after the restaurant and marina. But the collector is now asking a judge to decide if the city or the restaurant is responsible.

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'Survivor' Artis: 'Abi Was Abusive'

In another edge-of-your-seat episode of this roller coaster season of Survivor, a critical member of the Tandang tribe flipped, causing Louisiana native Artis Silvester to be sent packing. ETonline gets the scoop from the 53-year-old computer engineer on what he really thought of his alliance-mate Abi, his take on Lisa's big move, and how having survived cancer affected his approach to the game.

ETonline: So, were you surprised when your name was called last night?

Artis: No, not at all. Actually, it's the only thing, the smartest move that they could have made. And I knew that. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to keep a particular person in my corner. But as far as the votes, see the way that the votes came out, they came out exactly like I thought they did. Except for that [swing] vote. Once I saw that vote, I thought, "Oh, I couldn't do a good enough job to convince that person to stay with me." And that's when you saw me put my head down 'cause I knew I was going home.

ETonline: I thought it was very magnanimous of you in the closing credits when you were saying that you thought it was great the way that it ended. And that said a lot about your respect for the game, I think.

Artis: Yes! It is a game. I have no problems with anybody's game. ... You know 'cause it is a game. You can't control people, [they] are gonna do what they're gonna do, what they feel is best for them. And even if it's not, in their mind if they feel that it is the best move that they can make, then they're gonna do it. And the other situation is you have some people that play for the million dollars. And you have some people that take Survivor, and they actually believe that it's their stepping stone to fame and fortune and stardom. I wasn't like that. I came there for the money. The game is great, and if you play the game like that. Jeff's job is to edit; the host's job is to edit the game. He can give them the material. You can't go out there trying to help him with his material, because you have this ulterior motive. But, like I said, you can only do so much. And I had a blast.

Related: Lisa Whelchel Snuffs Blair's Torch on 'Survivor'

ETonline: Great. So when you went into that vote, did you know Skupin was going to go the other way?

Artis: Absolutely. Absolutely. There was no doubt in my mind. That was the one time that Mike had any power whatsoever. Mike could do what he wanted to do and not suffer any consequences. And that's what he was looking for. He was looking for an avenue where he could do something, and not suffer any consequences. That was the one time he could do it. 'Cause he had the immunity idol. You take that idol away, and I guarantee you he doesn't do what he does.

ETonline: I noticed in the episode last night, Skupin talked about how he and Lisa were going to be going together 'til the end, and always voted the same way. But Lisa ended up voting with Tandang last night. So I was wondering if you think that she, knowing that Skupin was gonna vote for you, that she felt like she could still vote with Tandang and appear to be loyal, even though she knew you were going home.

Artis: I think Lisa is loyal to Tandang, because Lisa is genuinely loyal to Tandang. She did things that people didn't agree with, myself included. But in her mind's eye, she did things for the betterment of the tribe. Again, she's also one, where she falls into that thing where you gotta make a big move, "Well, this is my big move. And my big move will also help my tribe." I can't fault her for that. Can't get mad at her for that. You know? For people to jump on her like that-- like, why? I mean, there was no need to jump on her like that. I mean, I was disappointed at her move. I told her I was disappointed at it. ... I said "I'm not disappointed in your game play, I know you're gonna make moves. I just wish you had told me you were gonna do it before you did it. Because your move directly affects, impacts, what happens to me in the rest of the game. Or anybody else as well. You know, I'm not mad at what you did, I'm just mad at how you did it." And I told her, "We're still good. We're still good. I have no bias, you're still my girl! Don't worry about it."

Related: Survivor's Jeff Kent: Lisa Burned Bridges

ETonline: And going along those lines. Abi was very direct with everyone in the game. And kind of maybe was a little too honest. Do you think that her outbursts ended up putting a target on your back, because you were in an alliance with her?

Artis: First of all, let's call it what it is. Abi was not honest. Abi was abusive. There's a big difference. There's a huge difference between being honest, and being abusive. Abi was abusive. Alright? Again, I don't know if after getting cast, that she decided that was the character she was gonna portray. ... If so, I would like to say well done, but I'm not. On the other side of the coin, if that is who she is, then there's a lot to be said there as well.

ETonline: Yeah.

Artis: So I guess she figured that you know, "If nobody likes me, they'll take me to the end." And for the most part, that's right. But I'm just not a fan of that philosophy. Because, you don't know what goes in the minds of other people, alright. And at that point in time, you are actually really competing for the million dollars. And you're probably sitting there with your chest stuck out, all big and proud, thinking that because you brought Abi to the end, and nobody likes her, that you're automatically gonna get that gold. But you don't know what goes on in the psyche of a human being's mind. They could flip around and say nobody likes her, but they refuse to get rid of her, and she's still there. Now they give her the million dollars, and then you're gonna feel like an ass. Now if you pressed me, I would never take Abi to the end. I wouldn't even give her the opportunity to have a shot at the million dollars in a situation like that. I believe you need to earn that shot.

ETonline: If you could go back, and do anything over again, would you do anything differently?

Artis: Yes. Probably two things. One of two things, depending on how they played out. First is I would've went to Jeff, before Jeff got voted out, and let him know that he was on the block. And see if he could get his people together, and we get rid of Mike. Alright. Tandang still would've been up in the numbers. I like Jeff. Jeff would've still been in the game. Jeff's own tribe [member], Penner, got rid of Jeff. He did, Penner literally got rid of Jeff. I would've went to Jeff. Other than that, I might-- you know, looking back at it now, I'm thinking that I might have sided with Penner. But I really don't think that I would take that route. I think that the move I would've made would've been to go with Jeff and get Jeff to get rid of Mike. Penner's an excellent player. But he better be. You play this game this game three times, and you still haven't learned nothing? You should stay your ass at home. You know? Again, you play it three times-- you play it two times you're supposed to win. The third time, if you don't get that check, you really do need to stop playing. Regardless of what everybody thinks about you.

ETonline: Why do you think that Penner was able to break the Tandang alliance ultimately? And do you think it was him that was ultimately responsible for swaying Skupin?

Artis: No, Mike was gonna leave regardless. He didn't even have to say anything. All Penner would have to do is say [was], "Hello, Mike?" and Mike would've been like, "I'm there." He was gone. He was gone so fast. All he needed was somebody just to say hello to him.

ETonline: So I saw in your profile, I don't think this really came out much in the show, but you have beaten cancer in the past. Congratulations on that.

Artis: Thank you.

ETonline: How did that affect how you approached playing Survivor?

Artis: Before I got cancer, as I would watch the show, I thought I would play one way. 'Cause before cancer I was this monster of a man. I mean I literally was huge. I'm not even half the size of what I was before I got cancer. I was literally a rock solid monster. So I'm just thinking of all these things that I would've done. But after going through it, and being given a whole new outlook on life, you know -- before playing the game I didn't care. I wouldn't have cared about hurting your feelings. Nothing like that, I wouldn't have cared anything. I just would've squashed you on my way to the end. But now, when I play this time, understanding that it is a game, I'm gonna play hard. I don't care if you like me. Liking me is irrelevant. But I never want to see anyone hurt. You know, because it is a game. And you should not be hurt by a game. So, a softer side of me played this game. Until we started competing, because I always compete hard and heavy.

Related: Exclusive First Look: 'Survivor' Reaches the Merge

ETonline: Cool. So one last question. Who do you think is going to be victorious in the end?

Artis: I don't know. Because who I thought was gonna be victorious is not there. I thought it was gonna be me! Without a doubt, I hands down was like, "I got this!" But now, it's just a wild card, I just have to look. I have to watch and see what I wanna do. You know, where I want to give my vote. Who I want to give the money to. I have to watch and see who's left. And then evaluate, of the people left, who I wanna give this money to. I have no frontrunner. My frontrunner was me. And if anybody who plays the game says anything other than that, they shouldn't have played the game.

ETonline: Great. This season to me, having watched many seasons of Survivor, seems to be one of the most up-in-the-air that I've ever seen. So it's really anyone's guess.

Artis: It sure is. I'm interested to see who's still left and who comes home next.

Survivor: Philippines airs on CBS on Wednesday nights at 8/7 c.

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Family of Gilgo Beach serial killer victim Shannan Gilbert files lawsuit against physician

The family of Shannan Gilbert, whose death has been linked to the Gilgo Beach serial killer, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit today against a physician who once lived near where her remains were found.

Mom Mari Gilbert believes Dr. Peter Hackett was among the last people to see Shannan Gilbert alive and could have prevented her death, according to the civil complaint filed in Riverhead, LI.

The heartbroken mom claims she got a call from Hackett, a day after Shannan went missing, who said he was a doctor and was caring for Shannan.

Remains of the Craigslist prostitute Shannan Gilbert were found in a nearby marsh in December.

VICTOR ALCORN

Attorney John Ra and Shannan Gilbert's mother Mary Gilbert address the media.

AP

Shannan Gilbert.

Suffolk County cops have cleared Hackett as a suspect in the string of murders along the Long Island coast.

"I do believe in my heart that Dr. Hackett played a major role in my daughter's death," Mari Gilbert said. "It’s time that we stand up for our rights.”

Hackett, who has since moved to Florida, insists never he’s never met Shannan.

But he has admitted to calling Mari Gilbert once -- at the request of Shannan’s boyfriend Alex Diaz, who met Hacket while searching for his girlfriend.

Hacket said his May 2010 chat with the mom was brief and he offered his help as a board member of the Oak Beach homeowners association.

"Dr. Hackett has told many bizarre stories about his role in this case," lawyer John Ray said.

"There's no direct evidence as to who killed this lady," Ray added. "But circumstantial evidence can be very strong and the circumstantial evidence right now is very strong to support what we're doing with this lawsuit. I don't care what the police believe."

The lawsuit does not have a figure for damages, but plaintiffs said they’ll ask for millions of dollars.

Dr. Hackett could not be immediately reached for comment today.

Additional reporting by David K. Li

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Florida tourist numbers keep going up

Summer brought more tourists to Florida this year than last, according to preliminary numbers from Visit Florida.

The state’s official tourism marketing corporation said 21.9 million people visited the state in the third quarter of the year, 3.5 percent more than last summer.

The number of domestic travelers, which make up the vast majority of visitors, increased 3.2 percent. Overseas visitors jumped 5.5 percent and Canadians increased 4 percent.

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