New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 02/22/1979 7:30 pm

Do you Jersey nightly. Oh I was with Rebecca suable in Trenton and Clayton Vaughn in Newark. If they are in the news tonight five men officials and former officials of Teamsters Local 560 in Jersey City are indicted on labor racketeering charges. The lawyers have finished in Resorts International is now waiting for a decision from the Casino Control Commission. And several towns are making plans to stop ocean sludge dumping following federal threats to take them to court. Getting a record. In sports the Giants name a new coach and Seton Hall takes on Cincinnati tonight at the Madison Square Garden.

All bloodline to have details. And on a closer look we'll take a look at the first hundred days of a new office on a new office holder. Essex County executive Peter Shapiro. 5 New Jersey Teamsters officials including the imprisoned Anthony Tony Pro Provenzano were charged today with shaking down trucking companies to ensure labor peace. The federal indictments allege that the racketeering stretch from 1969 to 1977 Provenzano whose home is in Clifton is now doing a life term in New York State for the murder of a Teamsters rival. But even behind bars he may still control Teamsters Local 560 in Union City. Through family and associates the others charged today are present or former 560 officials. They are Stephen and out of Fort Lee his brother Thomas of Paramus Gabriel Julio of East Rutherford and Ralph Alexia of union and all except were questioned in the disappearance of former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa Rebecca. The future of resorts International's Casino in Atlantic City is now in the hands of the Casino

Control Commission. The State which opposes a permanent casino license for the company concluded its case before the commission today as did resorts. A decision on the license could come Monday. My colleague reports. It took less than a day for the lawyers to summarize almost six weeks of hearings and they returned to some of the most dramatic testimony. Michael Brown the deputy attorney general who argued the case against resort's returned to David probe in ski the former resorts consultant whose silence resorts once bought in a formal contract. KOBILINSKY listened as Michael Brown summarized. Do you believe that they were prevented He was awarded a contract. Well in excess of a million dollars because of petty bickering between he and the other officers of the corporation. And if you possibly believe that story is that the kind of company that engender is the public confidence and trust required of a casino licensee.

Resorts lawyer Raymond Brown the little testimony that resorts has ties to organized crime. Testimony that came from a witness who is now in jail. I think it's very significant that the Ron the Ryman witness produced by the state of New Jersey other than those fine investigators when they produced turned out to be an unmitigated caught on and on mitigated a liar and a pervert a hair out of their lives at the Las Vegas Sun. Had to retract the commission will review all the testimony starting tomorrow. This is Mike Power reporting the federal government is now threatening to sue several New Jersey towns to make them stop dumping sludge in the ocean. Congress has ruled that all towns in the U.S. have to stop the practice by 1981. But so far 22 New Jersey municipalities are still doing it and some still haven't started planning alternatives. Jeffrey Hall reports. This film was shot nearly two years ago off the coast of Sandy Hook. That brown stain you see coming out

of this barge is sludge sewage residue even from our helicopter the stench was overpowering so much sludge just dumped off Sandy Hook each year that scientists say it's killed all underwater life in the immediate area turning the area into a veritable Dead Sea. Each summer depending on tide the sludge also threatens the health of bathers. Most New Jersey towns have already stopped dumping their sewage residue here. Now they burn or get rid of it some other way. But some are still dumping in the ocean and haven't come up with any alternatives to stop by 1981. Carney is one of those towns. Today we asked the mayor why it's hard to actually answer that but I would say probably because of the finances across a heck of a lot of money to the town of Carney to get out of the ocean and now have a plan. I mean we've appropriated $50000 for a study to construct the facility to be out of the ocean by this April April 1979.

And what what are you going to do with all that sludge in the meantime we have been granted permission for the next year from April 79 on while this facility is being built to store the sludge at our stores from the plant. For those of you who have never seen raw sludge close up this is what it looks like sort of like great Kate. This is the sewage treatment plant in Carney where that sludge will be stored for a year. And now the pressure is really on Carty and other towns like it to make sure that the sludge isn't stored any longer in Connie. I'm Jeffrey Hall. Two young boys were killed this afternoon when they were hit by a Conrail train approaching the Kings Lynn station and Linda nursed their identities have not been established but police said that they appeared to be doing 13 and 15 years old. Well you said reports from the scene where the boys were throwing snowballs at an eastbound train when they were hit by the westbound train about 300 yards from the station. We're back in the state Senate passed a bill today that would allow mortgage rates to go up to as much as 12 percent.

The banking industry has been saying that the current nine and a half percent ceiling is too low and mortgages have been hard to come by for homebuyers. The Senate bill would allow the mortgage rate to flow based on the federal bond interest rates. He is expected to vote on the bill Monday. A crowded state supreme court room was the scene of a public hearing today on the proposed pine lands Protection Act. The bill is co-sponsored by State Senator Joseph R. Leno. And it would protect more than a million acres of the pine lands from unsupervised development. Leno said that developers and local politicians are not interested in conservation but he claims that the majority of the state is in favor of the bill. On the other side there was strong opposition from officials in the affected areas in Burlington and Ocean Counties freeholder Hazel Gluck says the Pinelands bill might push property values down in Ocean County increasing the unemployment rate and playing havoc with the local economy. Under the bill plans for construction projects would have to be approved by upon Lyon's review committee and according to Glock that would take too long.

Senator Leno says the Protection Act wouldn't prevent Pinelands development but would simply make it orderly. Clayton a Legislative Ethics Committee cleared states honor Martin Greenburg of any conflict in connection with the state loan sought by the Intercontinental life insurance company. Greenberg has helped found the company and is still the secretary. You committed a certain Intercontinental official made a mistake when you wrote the name of Greenberg law firm on the application. West Caldwell service station operator is suing his oil company Chevron for 5 million dollars. He says Chevron cut his gasoline allocation first and then stopped supplying him altogether. And as Jack on it he will report that cut off lead to scenes like this. All right. Write it up right. Let me know that the result is this. The article yesterday didn't you know it was like this most of the morning here at this Chevron gas station was called Well there's no more gas. An owner an advocate is furious about that.

He says his gas allocation was cut by two thirds dropping cars over three hundred fifty thousand gallons a month to about one hundred twenty thousand. Why Applegate says it's a price squeeze. Chevron wants to sell less gas at a higher price. Applegate liason think of themselves as kind of a rigger at his words and he is a bit unusual as far as gas station owners go because you see Ed Applegate is a law school graduate and he's going to take the company to court. He doesn't want to raise his prices. And he says the so-called voluntary allocation procedures by Chevron violate his service contract leaving him with disgruntled customers and empty gas tanks. So he's suing Chevron for five million dollars for breach of contract and for the damages resulting from lost business. It's not a matter of money for him but it is a matter of principle. So I don't want to profiteer in the in a market such as this I want to make a reasonable profit. I've raised my price to indicate a reasonable profit and I want to stay low in my gasoline prices whereas the company wants me to increase my

prices. What's going to happen if you lose if I lose I'm going to be looking for a job for manager Bob Ritter. It is a matter of money. He just got married and his wife is pregnant. This whole thing has disillusioned him. It turned around after I did I turned out a good job of it. So I like traveling in business to business really started down and I get told that there would be no gas. So. I don't understand why you missed So Ed Applegate will get his day in federal court at the end of the month but win lose or draw that may not be his last appearance. U.S. attorneys are investigating the situation for possible price fixing violations and Applegate would be their key witness. It was called well I'm Jack Carter and I'm specified number of Camden city employees will be laid off as of April 9th a sketchy report from City Hall says the workers will be let go for economic reasons but the report does not say which workers and how many of them will get

pink slips. A city hall employee said only the mayor can give out that kind of information. And Mayor Angelo Eric he was out of town today. The Newark City Council last night went ahead with its plan to give a $1000 cash reward to anyone who turns in an arsonist. The council appropriated $50000 to establish the reward fund although it won't go into effect until next month. The plan has been opposed by Essex County prosecutor Donald Coburn who claims it will encourage private citizens to become bounty hunters. But the council members claim the important thing is to get the arsonist off the street. The council also acted on another hot issue last night whether television cameras would be permitted into the council's public sessions. The measure was voted down and once again our cameras were barred as Saundra King reports. It was the third time in one month that camera crews were barred from the council chamber. This time there was no rough stuff just a stern warning from police officers who'd been stationed at the doors for the purpose of keeping the cameras out. Before the meeting

cameras were allowed an occasional shot through the door. Once the session began. Not even that. But reporters without cameras or crews were allowed inside where a vote was taken. On this ordinance it would have permitted cameras and tape recorders into the council chamber but only under severely restricted conditions and electronic equipment could still be barred at the council's pleasure by a true thirds vote. But the measure failed. And later one council woman explained her to support it. We. Have a tendency to maybe ham it up a little bit because television is covering it. Are you saying that council members ham it up because television cameras are there. I'm saying ham it up. But the author of the ordinance says political pressure was really behind the negative vote believe that it's political and it relates to council president our own Harris and his wish not to have the electronic media in there. Are you saying that Councilman Harris did some arm twisting. That's exactly what I'm saying.

I don't have to twist. I'm respected as a gentleman. Had you made your wishes known that this measure would be voted on. It's not necessary for me to make my wishes known because all the members of the council have the ability to think for themselves. The council members will get another chance to demonstrate that thinking when the measure comes up for a second vote at the next council meeting. But even if it passes then cameras will continue to be barred from here. The pre-meeting conference room where the real discussion is held and the real decisions made in Newark. I'm Sandra King taking a brief look back at our winter we've had enough snow more than our share of rain and near zero temperatures strung together for what seemed an eternity and all it takes is a day like today to help us forget the skies were brilliant blue the temperatures in most areas into the 50s it was an absolutely gorgeous Thursday. But the forecast for tonight calls for increasing cloudiness with the overnight low temperatures from the mid to upper

30s tomorrow should be cloudy foggy and mild with a chance of occasional rain throughout the day. High should range again from the upper 40s to the low 50s and Saturday the good news it's going to be unseasonably mild. The Bad knows it might rain. Am I an exciting basketball season featuring 21 games. Everyone declared this a New Jersey public television sports is once again happy to bring you college basketball at its best. From now through February we have scheduled Princeton Rutgers basketball and we hope you'll join us. Check your TV listings for time and you. Watch the Championship Saturday at 8:00. Giants fans have been waiting for the news has it right now.

Thank you Rebecca The search is over. Today the Giants named Ray Perkins as their new head coach. A former all-American receiver at the University of Alabama Perkins played five years with the Baltimore Colts before getting into coaching. This past season he was an assistant with the San Diego Chargers. At a news conference this morning at Giants Stadium general manager George Young formally introduced Ray Perkins to the ready and waiting to burst. For my family that we were able to get him and he was available. Perkins. Ray Perkins is obviously the personal choice of George Young. It's only been since Young took over as general manager a week ago that Perkins was even considered a possibility for the job. Today Coach Perkins got lesson number one in mass media. Perkins is considered an often specialist as offensive coordinator he was given credit for making the San Diego Chargers a scoring machine last year. The Giants have no such reputation so at 37 years of age takes

command of what is called the most important franchise in the National Football League. He says it's been a lifelong dream. Being a head football coach in the NFL. Well I feel I feel very flattered very honored. Then. You know I'm very appreciative of the opportunity. It is something like you said oh I've been working for for a long time. And the second video the reason. Why assistant coach would want to be in coaching if you don't want to coach. You know I just I just look forward to the challenge. And what a challenge it is terms of Perkins contract were not released. Also today running back to Larry Zucker released by the Giants earlier this year was picked up by the man Miami Dolphins it was in Miami of course the famous one of the top runners in pro football. Last night the New Jersey Nets had one of their better outings of the season. The nets set a new club record shooting 62 percent from the floor and beating the Phoenix Suns one twenty three to one 12 number 23 John Williamson shared

scoring honors last night throwing in 26 points also with 26 was number 22 Bernard King scoring here King of an 11 of 16 from the field in fact. Every net except one George Johnson hit on at least half of the shots. The Phoenix Suns are one of the better teams in the league but this season and that's what their three game series and it's are now back above five hundred twenty nine and twenty eight. Our next game is again home that's where the Portland Trailblazers tomorrow night. Last night's final again that's 123 Phoenix 100 and 12 and college ball tonight Seton Hall is in Madison Square Garden for a very important matchup with the University of Cincinnati. A win tonight would just about guarantee Bill Raftery of a spot in the playoffs. Well I'm not on the selection committee but it would be very helpful. We have to win but I think our strength of schedule was pretty good and we've had some excellent. I think that maybe the best Saturday we played we'll be so that's going to help us look for City of beats and so that it

makes everything very easy for everybody of. Our kids to not play well as regarding their work or the going to hopefully. Eliminate this form but also it was announced today that a major new track meet is coming this way on June 23rd the first New Jersey Olympic Track Classic will be run on the all weather track at Rutgers. The meet is sanctioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee conceivably it will attract some major international stars already hurdler Renaldo Nehemiah high jumper Franklin Jacobs and indoor model record holder. Eamon Coghlan have all expressed interest in attending that meet again that's June 23rd more on it as it approaches. And. Thanks. Researchers at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in East Orange say they've discovered evidence that today's cleaner cigarettes compared to those of 20 years ago may result in a declining number of deaths from lung cancer. The evidence these researchers cite is the number the lessening number of precancerous abnormalities in the lungs of smokers. And one of the richest searcher said investigators were

astounded by the findings of. Match. I'm going to be the strongest. In episode 7 of The Secret Garden colony Dickon and Mary celebrate Collins health matched and. I believe they can. Join me for the Secret Garden here on PBS. Watch it Saturday at 6:30. New Jersey Public Television. Essex County executive Peter Shapiro today urged the legislature to include County urban governments as well as cities in the state plan to help offset the loss of federal anti recession money. Shapiro has just completed his first hundred days in office tonight on a closer look.

We're going to examine how Shapiro and his administration are shaping up for Peter Shapiro in 1978 was a year dominated by politics and political campaigns. It was only after a brutal primary and equally hard fought general election that the youthful Shapiro could celebrate I don't know if the transition from candidate to office holder was swift. Six days after his victory at the polls leadership Carol. Became Essex County executive. Essex County government is a multimillion dollar business. The county owns and operates numerous facilities. Peter Shapiro was elected because voters believed he would reorganize Essex county's inefficient chaotic bureaucracy. Now that he has had a chance to settle into his new office we wondered what kinds of problems. Shapiro has encountered just you know giving illustration coming in here trying to find out where things are. You know one of the first things I had to do for example is try to find out where all the county cars were. Nobody had a complete list of even where the county cars what we had to put together a list of what we had to try to try to put together a

uniform personnel system for the county to make it so that people weren't hiring according to different means to make it so that people weren't applying different standards when it came to evaluating personnel would start putting in things like that to make it so that we can demand productivity of our workforce something which is really in a lot of ways not just a new concept Essex County government. In many ways a new concept to every government. Peter Shapiro as problems go beyond just identifying and cataloguing county property last month. SHAPIRO announced that a major cutback in federal aid. You know strict austerity program for Essex County. I had originally hoped that these stringent measures would obviate the need for layoffs which are choice or a traumatic experience for any family and any organization to have to undergo. Unfortunately it has become necessary to take this difficult and painful step. The 160 layoffs are to be made from nearly every department. I'm requesting all employees are earning more than $20000 a year to accept no paid overtime no salary and for much no longevity payments

and no raises whatsoever this year even though they may be fully entitled to them. Moves like these. Plus a sweeping review of county management practices have put your peril at odds with a number of special interest groups as well as the county board of freeholders. BT is chairperson of the nine member freeholder board which under the new Essex county charter acts as a county legislature. You know when you have 50 agencies or 60 to the area the freeholders want a lot of information pertaining to those departments and we write the proper memo seek this information but to no avail. He saw as a whole. He sort of holds back on a lot of information which is pertinent right now to the board for you. James Caro is the lone Republican on the board of holders. He also sees problems developing in the Shapiro administration. Substantively it is probably nothing that has been accomplished and who expects

something to be accomplished in a day substantively procedurally I think that. Some of the things that people thought were going to be problems with Peter should be Shapiro's in the situation have come to pass that there's a lack of experience in the administration and some technical problems that develop because of that last minute resolutions or transfers that perhaps were not thought through. Any question if I had to say what was my number one criticism. SHAPIRO administration would be. Who tended to buy this with your distribution I mean for pros ministration to isolate itself from the rest of the county one of the very. Very central purposes behind the charter change is the idea of creating a strong central government under this under this county one of the perceptions of the county study commission. The state actually is called municipal county study commission was that our county governments lack a central focus and they need to have that center focus that's the

idea beyond the county executive government that doesn't have to be in isolation and there's no reason there has to be isolation there has to be a staff. But there is that risk isn't there. Well there's always a risk in any executive position where there is so much demand placed upon one person's time as there is in any strong executive government that you have to spend so much of your time working on one of the government that you think you can fail to reach out to all the people that there are. Most of the people we spoke with seem to feel that Peter Shapiro was doing a pretty good job as good as could be expected given the major problems facing Essex County with a declining tax base soaring social service costs. I disagree of bureaucratic inertia Essex county's future is cloudy at best. And it is the future of the concerns Peter Shapiro's critics. They believe that your peril has his eye on some higher political position but he views the job of county executive as simply one more step on the road to the governor's office of the United States Senate. Or

maybe even both. You were elected as a reform candidate defeated and trenched political machine and now your name is mentioned from time to time as a possible candidate for higher office Senate perhaps Governor of New Jersey. The last New Jersey politician that people were talking about that way was Paul Jordan used to be mayor of Jersey City or as his political career came to an abrupt and seemingly permanent halt two years ago. Are you afraid really that you might suffer the same type of fate as Jordan. I'm committed really to doing this job on my future depends. It's as simple as that. Anybody who comes to me and says Well would you like to be this or would you like to be what I like to say to him is that my ability to do that will depend on what I can do here in Essex County I think. You know Miss SHAPIRO I don't believe that. I don't believe that it's. Impossible that it hasn't crossed your mind. Sometimes all it crosses your mind of course everybody makes it cross your mind everybody you know every

reporter like you must think about. You've got to you've got to think about well tell you how you think about it you think about well people say to me why don't you want to be governor. And I say OK well if I wanted to be governor I could run anywhere because of my age until 1985. So I'd rather do my current job well. And I believe in the job I think it's a very exciting interesting job it's full of opportunity. You got an opportunity to work from bands you want to stablish you know government and why spoil it in a sense by spending all your time saying how can I conspire to take over the governorship of the state of New Jersey. Doesn't make any sense in my mind. The middle of this year Essex County House to adopt a new administrative go to plan that will require sweeping changes in the way county government is organized and operated and will be following the development of that plan. Once again our top story officials from New Jersey were indicted today on charges of shaking down trucking companies. And in Atlantic City it's now up to the Casino Control Commission to decide on resorts International's permanent casino license.

Six weeks of hearings are over. They ended today. And that's the news. Good night. And good night for the. New Jersey Nightly News has a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television and 13 and is broadcast weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 13 and at 7:30 on New Jersey Public Television an updated edition is broadcast at 10:00 p.m.. New Jersey Public Television. And at 7:00 the following morning on Channel 13 portions of pre recorded.