New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 03/22/1983

New Jersey nightly news is made possible in point by a grant from first jersey securities. Good evening. I'm can't Manahan coming up. It was a good day to be a duck or a dog and Wayne. Stay tuned. Uncle Sam has a deal for New Jersey grain farmers and we'll have a special report on divorce mediation programs in New Jersey. The rain may have stopped but floodwaters are still high in Wayne and other parts of Passaic County. Bob Shapiro has more. Wayne is at the cross points of several major rivers and streams and it's not until a day after the rain stopped that the waters reached their height for flood control manager Bill Williams. The most important marker to watch is at the intersection of the Passaic and Pompton Rivers. And today he found the waters roaring following their traditional

patterns. We don't know what to say. The upper and the town has gone down almost two feet but yet the lower end here just seems to keep rising. Apparently the Passaic River over here which is flowing greater than the part that is causing the pumping the back up a little bit. There have only been a handful of evacuations since the weekend. Most people remain in their houses and they cope. Commuting by boat by homemade raft. Or by just muddling through. I do it. What's it like living out here. When. I do you get food so you walk out with waiters. It's up in the boat. Coming up why it's not the first. Officials here tell us that unless there's more rain the rivers have already reached their crest. But the people who live in this neighborhood tell us that they don't expect to get home without a boat for at least another week. A lot of the homes on Fayette Avenue seem to be built like little waterfronts with very few windows below what turned out to be the flood line. Floods here are far from

unexpected and the aftermath is never pretty. With the rivers sweeping up garbage and depositing it in people's homes it's a mess. It's a lot of garbage and a lot of mud and silt and it's and stinks all washes into your house a lot of it washed in the house yes. Was that did your furniture your room. It ruins everything. Yet this is a stable neighborhood. People like to live here. I wouldn't trade it for the Patersons or any place else really. We have one for boys. We have beautiful building. They have so many leagues and everything else there's a lot of things that kids who grow up do but not everyone agrees. How is the rocket never called back. Have a furnace and oil burner that has that hat that was destroyed and my floors you know to warp and everything go floor that all know what you buy out you in here and I say why don't you move you know now would you buy my own house.

Would you buy my house. In Wayne. I'm Bob Shapiro. And while some parts of New Jersey are swamped with floodwaters others remain near drought conditions. Rhonda Flanagan reports that unless the rain keeps falling at above average levels certain parts of the state may not have enough water this summer. This month has been the wettest March in New Jersey history with a record breaking nine point four five inches of rain as a result. Reservoirs in the northeast part of the state are almost completely full and the aura Del reservoir is actually spilling over. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to worry about in the 1980. We were also at this level at this time of the year and we all recall what happened at the end of 1980 in the beginning of 81 when we had our reservoir levels dropped to such a carer's low levels. Right now the southern part of the state and the Central Jersey portions served by two state reservoirs can expect to have enough water this summer. However the northeast portion will require continued above average rainfall for its reservoirs to serve the two and a half million people

which depend on them. It's important to recognize also in that area that our demand exceeds the safety of the systems. And we really need additional water supply in that area to make up for that deficit. So we have to depend on above average rainfall to meet that demand. Hoffman says the water supply to the northeast could be improved by either building new reservoirs there or by tapping the spruce Round and Round Valley reservoirs. Those could provide an extra 80 million gallons per day. But the state's biggest water supply problem right now is in this area shown in yellow one point six million people draw from the water table of the Delaware River Basin which remains under a drought warning declared last fall. Runoff from the recent rainfall has temporarily doubled the amount of water flowing through the Delaware River. But most of that simply goes out to sea. Most of the basins water supply actually comes from three New York reservoirs. And while the rain has boosted water levels there the reservoirs remain at below normal capacity.

At this point in time those reservoirs should be well above 90 percent. And they're only in the 60 percent level. So therefore we still have some concern. True or the situation in the Delaware Basin if the situation doesn't improve by next month the drought warning along the Delaware will probably be extended in Trenton. I'm Brenda Flanagan. New Jersey's budget problems could be back despite the passage three months ago of major sales and income tax increases. State Treasurer Kenneth Biederman says the new taxes will not be enough to keep up with growing expenses in the future. Peterman told the joint Appropriations Committee today that he's projecting a one hundred twenty million dollar deficit in fiscal 84 and as much as three to four hundred million a fiscal 85 even though the state's current budget is balanced. Putting the blame on mandatory increases in state spending programs such as employee pensions and debt service be among warned that those appropriations must be reformed in

order to prevent a future budget crisis. New Jersey rail commuters must continue to grant in bare more delays and efforts to settle the three wheel week old transit strike. New Jersey Transit officials sat down with the state mediator today but the agency's position according to a spokesman remains unchanged. Meanwhile a scheduled bargaining session tomorrow between NJT and the United Transportation Union has been called off and no new talks are scheduled. State mediator Charles Cereno said today both sides are far apart on economic issues. And there's a long way to go before the strike is settled. Another political corruption indictment in Hudson County today. This time the target is the former mayor away Hawken Lindsley who faces federal charges of conspiracy attempted extortion and obstruction of justice. SANDRA KING has the details. While the Linz Lay was Weehawken as mayor for three and a half years until last June when he did not seek re-election. And according to the U.S. attorney during most of that time

Linda Lee plotted to line his own pockets by exploiting his town's most important asset its waterfront. Winslow who was charged in a six count indictment today with having conspired we were extort cash and hidden ownership interests from waterfront development projects in the town of Weehawken. But at the heart of the Lindsley case is Hudson's former State Senator David Friedland. He reportedly turned federal informant after his own conviction on unrelated kickback charges three years ago Friedland in the Lindley matter is an unindicted coconspirator and the government's prime witness according to government papers. The two had sought to control and profit by development of the waterfront specifically the indictment states was to have received a sizable interest to the tune of about a half million dollars annually in a chicken processing plant that was slated for the old C train property. In return he was to sell his own boat and bribe others on both the township Committee and the way Hawken Port Authority. The entire Hudson poetry deal

was to have been financed by the public sale of nearly 18 million dollars in tax exempt local bombs. Since Lee is further charged with conspiring to extort $100000 from a New York investment firm in connection with the proposed coal port and with obstructing justice by plotting the murder of a Hudson poultry principal who has also turned government witness. We don't have a statute on attempted murder. The only statute we have is where someone threatens a witness or obviously tries to locate them for purposes of getting rid of them or attempts as alleged here to have a false statement submitted. This all comes under the obstruction of justice statute. Lindsay has 10 days to turn himself in today. He could not be reached for comment but he is reportedly just one of many politicians to be snared in Friedland's undercover work for the government. More indictments are expected. As for the former state senator he's already asked the court to drop his seven year jail term

in view of his cooperation. The federal building in Newark times entre gave the former president of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Donald Conway was sentenced today for his conviction on witness tampering and conspiracy charges. The Bergen County lawyer received a four year suspended prison term and a 20 $500 fine for trying to bribe a state trooper. Conway was one of five men including former Bergen County Democratic chairman Vincent Rick Alosi who were charged who was charged rather last April with offering bribes to a state trooper and an alleged plot to get assault charges dropped against the son of an alleged member of the Genovese crime family. Riegel OSI was acquitted of the charges. Convicted sex offender Joseph Jo-Jo George Ianni tried again today to win release from prison. At a hearing before the appellate division of state Superior Court the obese man's lawyer argued that his client's constitutional rights were violated when his 15 year prison sentence was

reduced for health reasons last summer and then reinstated because of public outcry. The lawyer former University of Florida professor Fletcher Baldwin raised the question of whether a judge can reduce a sentence and then reinstate it. He told the court the Georgiana's case presents a very novel question of constitutional law. The huge 33 year old Trenton sandwich shop owner was originally sentenced to 15 years last July on his conviction of carnal abuse of a teenage girl in the back room of his establishment in 1978. At the time George Yani weighed five hundred sixty five pounds and his sentence was reduced to probation because he suffered breathing problems following national publicity he was ordered back to prison to complete the original 15 year term. The appeals panel is expected to rule within a few weeks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture today made New Jersey farmers and offer few could refuse. It's part of a nationwide plan to boost farm income and reduce the nation's grain surplus. Ari has the story.

New Jersey grain farmers like others around the country are too successful for their own good. Last year one hundred twelve thousand acres of corn and thirty eight thousand acres of wheat were harvested in the Garden State and that has added to a national problem. We've got far more corn in this country right now than we can use up feed or sell abroad. Myers is participating in a new US Agriculture Department program to reduce the glut of grain the government has in storage. This year he will plant half of his normal corn crop but his yield will stay nearly the same. But in return the government is going to give me a part of the corn that I would have normally grown on that acreage. And this corn is going to come from their stocks of surplus corn. They're going to give me that corn and let me market it or feed it to animals as I see fit. The government calls it payment in kind. It will pay farmers in surplus crops not to plant crops. The Agriculture Department hopes to save millions of dollars in storage fees. Well farmers say reduce surpluses will eventually increase their income as supply comes in line with demand. Some farmers may be happy with the pick

program but with fewer acres of land being planted the people who make a living selling to farmers will be receiving less money. Everyone from equipment suppliers to seed salesmen will feel the pinch. The eventual goal of the plan is to increase the price a farmer receives for his crop. But agricultural economists say this does not necessarily mean food prices will go up. If you want to talk about bread. A very small percentage less than 5 percent of the cost to the consumer of a loaf of bread goes for the cost of the wheat that was used to make the bread and corn products the percentage would be very nearly the same. Late this afternoon the Agriculture Department announced one third of the state's corn and a quarter of the wheat crop will be taken out of production. Garden State Farmers will begin reaping their surplus harvest in October in Lawrenceville. I'm Larry stupid. Nine hundred families are homeless and two firemen are hospitalized tonight following a morning blaze in a Lizabeth apartment complex. Several other firemen a police officer and

two arson investigators were also injured. The three alarm fire began in a second floor apartment it was brought under control two hours later with the help of firemen from four neighboring towns according to one resident. Children left unattended in their apartment started the blaze but officials say the case the cause is still being investigated. It was the third fire at the apartment complex in the last 18 months. And there's late word of a tragic fire in Jersey City this afternoon authorities say two children died in an apartment fire on Ninth Street shortly after 4:00 p.m.. The fire is reportedly now under control and there's no further word of the identities of the children. One of the highlights of Governor Kaine's eight day tour of Israel was a meeting today with the country's prime minister. The governor and Menachem Begin spent an hour discussing a broad range of Middle East issues including the state of U.S. Israeli relations. Cain said he would be talking about the trip informally with the Reagan administration officials after he

comes home on Friday. The governor is visiting Israel to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the speech his father former Representative Robert Kane made before Congress warning of the Holocaust. And now here's a look at the weather forecast tonight. Clear and breezy but very cold. Lows will be in the mid 20s with winds blowing up to 30 miles an hour. Tomorrow should be like today but a good bit more more we'll see mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low to mid 40s and the outlook for Thursday. Fair. And cool. More than 2 million Americans got divorces in 1982 and some of them

accomplish that through the controversy a new method called divorce mediation. But the plan again reports the innovative technique has provoked some argument here in New Jersey where both lawyers and the courts are trying to decide whether to approve the concept. When Judy Luger and her husband Sandy decided to end their 21 year marriage they first considered the conventional route. Judy describes her first meeting with her attorney there of media at least seem to be an adversary situation set up. You know we'll do this and we'll get through this and this will happen and that will happen. And I was very uncomfortable. With having any more. Emotional feelings engendered it was difficult enough both my wife and her. Have been fairly adventurous and willing to try. New approaches to solving problems. Which is kind of ironic when you think that we couldn't solve the problem of staying together in a marriage. Decided to. Look into the idea of mediation service in that process.

Couples meet with a mediator who may or may not be a lawyer to hammer out their own agreement about property distribution support and child custody. The couple may have their settlement reviewed by lawyers and then take it to court for final legal action. I personally felt. That I had a fair shake. It was a very equitable and that was one of the things I liked about it. If I got off the track. Or got into an emotional issue and got a little nasty or frustrated the mediator said to me hey we're not dealing with the issue. Let's get back on task. At first I was tense. And there were problems. We had a couple of very very heated discussions. And I found that the mediator was very expert at defusing. The situation. The mediator is acts as a safety valve. And I thought it was a very effective process. Do you think that you that you've been equitable. Yes. Lawyers who support mediation say it would replace a drawn out court battles with informal discussions more likely to produce a lasting agreement. If two

people. Are involved in making their own decisions not through intermediaries attorneys not through the court systems and they have to give and take in the negotiation between themselves. They are more likely to stick with that agreement than I thought some posed upon them either through second parties attorneys or impose upon them by the court. A recent Denver Colorado study showed almost 80 percent of the couples who settle their divorce through mediation have abided by the agreement while only 33 percent of the cases handled by the courts went unchallenged. If those statistics hold true mediation could save the courts money. Proponents argue it will also save time for both the judicial system and the couples. To the extent that you're sitting down out of court and arranging on your own schedule how this is going to go you're not sitting around waiting to be heard along with a hundred other cases that may have been called that week. So to that extent it's a terrific time saver. As of last August there were almost seventeen thousand five hundred divorce cases pending

in the New Jersey court and 3000 of those were more than nine months old. Statewide figures on divorce mediation aren't available. The state Supreme Court however has authorized experiments in custody mediation in four counties. Mercer Morris ocean and Burlington in the Burlington County project 72 contested custody cases went to mediation over an eight month test period last year 58 of those were settled. But opponents of divorce mediation contend it's not really a timesaver that 90 percent of all divorce cases are already settled out of court without ever going to trial. And they warn mediation participants risk much by not having their lawyers present during the sessions. There's a much better chance that somebody is going to get screwed in the process. Somebody is going to take the loss generally that person who has less knowledge about the finances. Less able to stand up to the other spouse school often argues that even if the mediator is a lawyer he or she can fairly

represent both sides and if the mediator isn't a lawyer I think for non Warriors It is extremely simply because all settlements or career would be based upon what would happen in a courtroom. I really want to know what I'm talking about custody or visitation as well as economic issues or really return the ultimate mediation expert critics say is the judge and they advise New Jersey could clear the divorce case backlog simply by appointing more matrimonial judges because the idea of divorce mediation is so new and controversial. The state supreme court hasn't yet taken a formal position on the concept. The court does support something called an early settlement program now under way in 14 counties. There are divorce cases which have already gone to trial can be referred back to a two lawyer panel for review and a non-binding recommendation. But that's not true mediation. So the court has asked a special subcommittee to study that issue. Judge Eugene serpent chairs the subcommittee

and we haven't finalized but you are leaning towards accepting custody mediation. I think it's an area that is taking certain telly says the subcommittee must take the opponent's viewpoint into account. There are attorneys judges feel that the concept of mediation. That injure the litigant in the process. The subcommittee may also eventually tackle the problem of regulating groups like this one which teaches people to be divorced mediators Bassman in most negotiations where the woman is stronger the negotiations go on with. The New Jersey council on divorce mediation operates the only such school in the state and it currently sets its own standards because the Supreme Court hasn't yet provided any guidelines. I'm Brenda

Flanagan. Sports coming right up. OK I can't thank you you try and figure those devils out since beating Montreal Montreal 73 10 days ago New Jersey was two straight by a combined 16 to 5 shock but last night those Devils beat the Rangers four to two clubs have now split their six meetings this season. Now good passing a change first period devils John Ludwick to Mary Brown and Steve Templeton got the goal

937 in less than three minutes later to all mery grown Well Glen Hanlon and Chico wrestlers begin girl from New Jersey 34 saves Rangers finally broke through 141 of the second shot save Chico but buried back four boys picked it up and fired to want them one minute later second period rangers score again devils playing two men down. Anders Hedberg chipped in the line and shot at it 131 of the Third this is the game are coming up. Aaron brought in from Jeff Lorimer makes it three to two. Then you will see three minutes later four to tap 11 Broughton Broughton with both third period goals sellout crowd of nineteen thousand twenty three and late in the game devils had four became 18 years old playing his first game saying hello crunch to Dave Maloney. All right. The college basketball season as you well know is over in our state now Rutgers and Princeton losing in the NCW Sunday and today I caught up with both schools coaches Tom Young back in his office at are you all done at 23 and 8 Meanwhile St. John's and we caught a second exploit George after beating Rutgers 66 55 still a good season for are you.

You know it was I think an outstanding season in the sense that back in October you know the goal the players they want to get the NCAA. They reach that and they want to have a good basketball game being I think a very good southwestern Louisiana team played well against St. John's. We still haven't gotten over the loss because I think the break here or there we could have beat them but the bottom line is and Tom Young knows this. Rutgers didn't you know if you were to play St. John's 10 times what with the outcomes being I think we would win four and six. Not many people believe that we can play with St. Johns and Pete Carroll feels his team which was the Boston College 51 42 to finish its season at 8:40 has a lot to be proud of. I think that the boys. To the door and I stop. And as time goes on. And. You know. For them. They'll. Realize. You know. The depth of their accomplishments which is

you know which is considerable. We just came from an interview with Tom young and I asked him if writers want to play St. John's 10 times what would the outcomes be if Princeton were to play Boston College 10 times with a result. I would say that that be the percentage that would be pretty good. Pretty similar to the way Tom feels about St. John's because we had them playing our game you know but. I think that we have a chance to beat them yes. And next for Boston College Virginia now who was it who said Better late than never. Yes a lot of people have said that but originally it must have been some great philosopher So with that in mind. Yes we have New Jersey high school state championship basketball highlights and we will have them for the rest of the week. Better late than never this is group to Boise state title game Red Bank beat park 61 50 coaches the red bank box for Red Bank dance steps had nine points in the championship game Derek dare led Elmwood Park with 15 but Reade banks George Hall was the game's MVP. He scored 19

points read banking control throughout and chipped in with four it was a balanced attack for the winners Barry Phoenix had 10 points indeed Redbank number one in group to show us that you're number one winning the state title one more time to swim for Phoenix to victory ride for presumably Redbank finished third you want to know the only undefeated team in the state. Finally the University of Alabama has given Ray Perkins the former Giant coach additional responsibilities pro taking over for Bear Bryant as football coach Bear Bryant was Athletic Director of course Bear Bryant passed away Ray Perkins now not only football coach bathetic director at Bama. I've got to make this quick. From all of us here in New Jersey Nightly News have a good evening. New Jersey lately news has made possible a board like Branch for Beijing.