New Jersey Nightly News; 03/22/1982

New Jersey Nightly News with Don Torrance and can't get ahead. Good evening Don Torrance is on vacation. In the news tonight the Casino Control Commission gets the go ahead to begin hearings on the alleged organized crime connection and one casino labor union. Plenty of basketball and boxing and sports with Bill Perry. And we'll take a closer look at a proposed Morris County garbage dump which has sparked local opposition. The state Casino Control Commission has received a major boost in its effort to regulate labor unions. A federal judge in Camden today refused to prevent the state from beginning hearings on a union locals alleged ties to organized crime. Dan Hodson has the story. The request for an injunction had come from Atlantic City Local 54 representing some 12000 casino hotel employees bartenders waiters and waitresses. It's Atlantic City's largest union and six months ago the Casino Control Commission was preparing to hold hearings on charges that Local 54 and its president Frank juries had ties to organized crime and shouldn't be allowed to represent casino employees. Local 54 denies

the charges and asked a federal judge to prevent the hearings on grounds of labor unions come under the jurisdiction of federal law and are exempt from state control. Today a federal judge Stanly Brotman said there must be evidence of irreparable harm to the plaintiff before an injunction can be granted in this case he said there is no irreparable harm in requiring the union to be the subject of a hearing. But a union spokesman said today that being forced to participate in hearings on subjects the state has no right to regulate constitutes irreparable harm. We do not have to wait until some day 20 years down the road where after participating year after year after year somebody in a state agency then issues an order. Which is in conflict with our Taft-Hartley rights the state has no right getting involved in this at all and forcing us to participate with the state is per se the irreparable harm. State officials called today's decision a victory but say they haven't decided whether to immediately move ahead with the union hearings. Immediate impact is not known at this time because we have not yet had the opportunity to

read and digest the opinion. However probably within the next several days after we evaluate the opinion we will be ready to make a public statement. Local 54 is appealing the decision and says it hopes the state will wait until the matter is resolved before taking any action. The union says it will do whatever is necessary to maintain the status quo but would not say if that means they might refuse to participate in any future hearings. I'm Dan Hartson. A federal court judge in Newark has delayed any action until August on attempts by the U.S. attorney's office to get court control of elections there. At a Union City Teamsters Local after a hearing today a U.S. District Court Judge H Curtis minor said a full trial will be held in August on the U.S. attorney's plan. U.S. Attorney 800 Dumont announced earlier this month that his office was taking Teamsters Local 560 to court to get a court appointed trustee to supervise new elections at the local Dumont charge the union had been ruled by intimidation and fear under the prover Donnel family. The judge was asked to

grant a preliminary injunction today to begin the court takeover but Judge Mina refused to take any temporary action saying the decision would be appealed and the 9000 member union would be disrupted in the meantime. Union attorneys had charged chaos would result from such a temporary action. There are ongoing negotiations there are arbitrations continual disputes. And to think that someone could come in and you know replace a life time of experience in this particular union is just totally insane. We see nothing but total chaos that would have resulted to the detriment of the union members who the government purports to be attempting to help. US Attorney Dumont said he was not disappointed by Judge Mainers decision Dumont said a victory for his office in the August trial will give the government more legal strength against an appeal. The State Division of Motor Vehicles has unveiled a 6 million dollar computer master plan to

replace the outdated manual system of file keeping which hasn't changed since the division began in the early 1900s. The Master Plan aims at giving prompter responses to the more than 1 million telephone calls for license and registration problems received annually by the division while saving an estimated 11 million dollars over the next five years. The principal source of savings will be the elimination of three hundred jobs through normal attrition. At the same time a comprehensive effort will be undertaken to reduce reliance on hard copy files which number some 25 million while increasing the use of computer equipment. But there is still no guarantee that the plan will be implemented. The legislature must first approve the funding then the governor's newly appointed director Clifford Snedeker a Trenton real estate agent who will be confirmed by the Senate at the end of the month. Must OK the master plan. The present DMV director Joan was Koski says Mr Snedeker seems responsive to the ideas set forth in the plan.

From our discussions he clearly wants to continue the efforts that we have established to improve services to the public. It also will bring about a very significant improvement in services. So I I think that he will be supportive of those aspects of the plan which will improve upon the delivery of services to the public. Last year the state attorney general's office called for a complete revamping of the division. The effort was begun after wide areas of inefficiency were identified a management consulting firm was then commissioned to draw up a modernization plan to improve the efficiency of the agency. Governor Kaine has not seen the plan yet but he has said the state can save a tremendous amount of money if agencies can fund the upfront costs of computer improvements. The United Auto Workers Union and General Motors have reached a tentative agreement on a national contract. That agreement which came late last night means GM Fischer body plant and Mercer County will not close. Steve Katz has a report. Over 2000 workers make body parts for General Motors cars at the Union Township plant. But

there are about a thousand workers who have been laid off here recently. Last month GM said it would close the plant because productivity wasn't high enough. The contract agreement calls for a moratorium on plant closings for two years. Local Union officials say that will be long enough to show the nation's largest automaker. The Ewing plant can be productive I think for what we've done already is going to make it more competitive and I don't think two years from now I don't think we'll have that problem. The UAW agreement with GM is similar to the agreement reached with Ford earlier this year. The union agreed to give up some holidays and delay cost of living pay hikes. They also agreed to a two and a half year wage freeze and other concessions. General Motors agreed to many of the same things four did in its agreement including job security measures and less outsourcing sub contracting of some work to outside firms. But to the workers at the Ewing plant the moratorium on closings is the most important provision of the deal. The employees we talked to reporting for the second ship today agreed almost unanimously any concessions that were made were worth it.

I don't know if those words or not but we do have to go. I'm glad they settled and it's very good for our younger people and it's very good that they're going to keep our plant open. And I think now is the time I think. People are going to start helping the company and appreciate what they have received in the past. Now I think they're going to. Show it can be productive again. The true test of those sentiments will come after union leaders meet in Chicago later this week and then bring the package home for a ratification vote. That vote will probably come April 3rd and local union officials say the workers at Fisher Body Works and GM workers around the country almost surely vote to ratify the new contract. In Ewing Township Mercer County I'm Steve Katz. Apparently not all union leaders in New Jersey feel positive about the UAW agreement with General Motors. The president of Local 595 and Linden says he's voting against the pack. Tony Fernandez says that he thinks the rank and file will vote against the deal too when details of the concessions made by the union are known. Five thousand auto workers are employed in the General Motors plant in London. In

Newark the jury in the racketeering trial of State Senator William Mosto has been sequestered for the night following their first day of deliberations. Diane doctor reports. You are the sole judges of the issues affect said U.S. District Court Judge Sarah can. As he began instructing the jury the nine woman three man panel has been hearing this case since November. It has been the longest federal corruption trial in New Jersey history. They will decide the fate of New Jersey's ranking state legislator. State Senator William Musto and his seven co-defendants Musto also union city's mayor is charged with using his political influence to aid the complicated schemes of corrupt contractors. The target public construction projects primarily in Union City. The prosecution charges Musto and others like former Union City Deputy Police Chief Frank scare a feel received a half million dollars in bribes that for granting lucrative construction contracts loans and tax abatements to the Orlando construction company attorney today was

expressing optimism hopeful that the jury will win the case. What we believe to be. Very arduous. And very. Choice a heart rendering type of trial for a man who has run a gauntlet. Prosecutorial. Vindictiveness as the jury deliberates they will have with them transcripts of taped conversations between an FBI informant and Mustoe as well as other defendants. The government's hopes rest on the tapes and the testimony of that informant. Rudolph Orland Dini formerly part owner of Orlando construction detail bribes paid to Musto and others and provided the court with a taped discussion with Musto during which he informed the state senator of the pay off plots on the stand. Musto denied knowledge of the bribes and said he didn't know what Orlando he was talking about during the conversation must Joe's attorney has charged Orlin Dini framed his client and the other union city officials to save

himself during instructions judge serach and cautioned jurors to carefully consider each count of the forty six count indictment separately against each defendant. The judge urged the panel to use their common sense and base their decisions not on the words of attorneys but on the testimony of witnesses and the evidence the jury has seen thousands of pieces of evidence and heard for months of testimony as a result. Nobody expects a quick decision in this complex case. At the federal courthouse in Newark. I'm dyin doctor. And a case involving New Jersey's casino industry the state Supreme Court today Reserve decision on whether casino on whether Caesar's world co-founders Clifford and Stuart Perlman were unconstitutionally dinar New Jersey gaming licenses by the state Casino Control Commission. But at the same time the parliament's attorney is now contending the case is moot. Brenda Flanagan reports. The Casino Control Commission denied the Perlman's license finding they failed to prove good character

honesty and integrity. The Commission cited Clifford Perlman's real estate dealings with Florida associates of reputed organized crime figure before it granted Atlantic City's Caesars boardwalk Regency an operating license. The commission ordered the Perlman's to step down as the parent company's chairman and cochairman and to sell all their Caesars stock. The appeal the ruling. Today their attorney Irving younger asked the state Supreme Court to remember a case back to the Casino Control Commission. His argument that neither Perlman remains on the Caesars world board although Clifford Perlman heads desert palace incorporated the company's largest subsidiary and that the problem share of stock needs only one final approval before it will be sold to other companies stockholders for ninety two million dollars said younger. The promos are no longer because you know key employees whether or not there is you know he employee has not been briefed in this court. We are going to see the division today. Want to be no controversy in the division. And of course we do not have the benefit of the commission's views on whether Clifford is

presently a licensed. Employee required to be licensed but Assistant Attorney General Michael Cole argued that the case should be heard. The fact is that. What has happened. Has satisfied part of the conditions imposed by the commission. There's some other stuff the glitter brewing remain in employment relationship younger also stated Stuart Perlman has severed all connections with Caesar's world. And so no longer has any real standing in the case. But Cole insisted Stewart remains linked by his brother Clifford. The court decided to hear the arguments but requested papers be submitted within a week on Stuart Perlman status and the possible mootness of the case in Trenton. I'm Brenda funny. Newark Fire officials say that a box of railroad spikes may have caused Friday's Darrelle meant of a Conrail freight train carrying hazardous chemicals. The officials say the box was dragged onto the tracks when three chemical cars were being moved 1000 gallons of hazardous chemicals were spilled in the accident causing state police to close off some

local roads and a nearby exit on the turnpike. Democratic Senate candidate Frank Lautenberg has begun his TV media blitz the first of more than 100 commercial spots hit the air in New York and Philadelphia this weekend. Lautenberg a businessman from Montclair plans to spend up to $300000 on TV advertising alone over the next three weeks. The first wave of commercials focused on New Jersey's economy the issue Lautenberg pollsters found to be foremost in the minds of New Jersey voters. I'm Frank Lautenberg. I built a company that created 15000 jobs and never had a single layoff. I know the economy I know we can make it work again for New Jersey and for the country. That's why I'm running for the United States Senate. Lautenberg for US Senate Lautenberg campaign aides say the Clifton business executive might spend one million dollars on media advertising by the June primary. The director of New Jersey's offices in Washington has resigned Marilyn Berry Thompson who has run the state's offices in the nation's capitol since 1974 will leave her post

April 7th. Thompson plans to open a consulting firm to help New Jersey businesses and state agencies deal with federal regulations. Governor Kaine has not yet named a replacement. And now here's a look at the weather forecast tonight will be clear and cold with temperatures dropping into the low 30s partly sunny skies tomorrow and mild with daytime highs in the upper 40s. And the outlook for Wednesday fair and mild. Getting rid of garbage is a problem facing the whole state. Existing senatorial

landfills are filling up and new sites must be found. But no one wants a garbage dump built in their community or so it seems in Morris County where a proposed landfill has sparked local opposition. We cook up the story in tonight's closer look. Why. This was the scene last December when 600 angry Rockaway Township residents arrived by car and bus loads in the county seat of Morris town. They wanted to complain to county officials that if a proposed sanitary landfill were located in their area it would destroy their local community and possibly cause a recurrence of the kinds of water contamination problems the township has had to deal with recently. Morris County has been ordered by the State Department of Environmental Protection to find a new landfill site. The county's other garbage dumps are closed local and county officials agree that a new senatorial landfill is needed in Morris County. The question is where to put it.

The Marist County freeholders have selected four sites for further study from an original list of almost 100 possibilities. Two of those sites still in the running are located right here in Rockaway Township one proposed site is on twelve hundred acres of the Mount Hope mine property an abandoned iron mine that's now used for road building materials. The other proposed Rockaway site is just over this hill. Four hundred acres on Richard mined road both locations are on top of a major aquifer from which the township gets its drinking water. Adele clits Noor has lived in Rockaway Township for 15 years. She's a member of a recently formed local environmental group called react that doesn't want the landfill built here. Where would I like to see it placed. I think in reality no one wants it. The realities of the situation are however that there will be one someplace and it is our hope that a more ecologically sound site will be found that does not.

In its in destroy a township and a long established community and all its residents. About half of the townships 20000 residents live near white metal lake. People are worried the traffic problems could result from hundreds of garbage trucks passing through this residential area every day and there's concern that homes directly abutting the site wouldn't be adequately protected by a buffer zone. The Beaverbrook aquifer empties into the Rockaway river and eventually into the buton reservoir from which Jersey City residents get their drinking water. Officials there say they'll sue Morris County if it builds a landfill in the township. Mayor William Bishop says his town has had its share of drinking water pollution and he and the residents don't want any more problems that a landfill might bring very early and earlier than our sister communities. We hired the best if among the best if not the best. Consultant in the field in the United States to do a

re study of our sites to prove that we were more fragile and that you can't put it here. Our object there was to give the cavity a door to give them the reason to give them the door to walk away out of our way from Rockaway Township or looks somewhere else for a site. In 1959 a chemical called TCE showed up in Rockaways wells to remove it. The township spent about $200000 for a carbon filtration system. Then in late 1980 gasoline ethers seeped into municipal wells and were traced to this Shell station nearby. Shell agreed to pay over a quarter of a million dollars for this brand new stripper filtration system. Finally after much aggravation the water in the township tastes fine again and the mayor wants to keep it that way. Besides the two Rockaway Township sites two other sites one in Mt. Olive township and another in Roxbury township are also being tested as possible locations for the landfill. The director of Maurice County freeholders Fred Knox says the county is spending one hundred

fourteen thousand dollars to find the best site for the dump. People are very much concerned with these four sites that we're going to pick one of them is a landfill at the present time or not as I mentioned before we have testing and testing sometimes can prove to be. The problem in other words testing may say that none of these sites will fly well then we'll have to go to the next four. Officials acknowledge that no one wants a garbage dump in their back yard despite assurances that environmental safeguards will protect them and officials agree that without proper monitoring a dump site could be an environmental hazard. That was the case with Maurice county's last two landfills call him Phil north and south which were closed down last year. The private owner filed for bankruptcy. I don't think any county official. Could be satisfied with the way those landfills were closed. I feel for those people out there because I think that the total operation the overseeing of that system. By the DPD was totally inadequate. They didn't have the people they've never had the people. And consequently you have

reaching into their their water supplies. You're going to have this for years to come. Knox thinks the county could do a better job than the state even though he would prefer the burden to be on the state. Six years ago local officials in Rockaway Township were put to the test when a small municipal dump caught fire. But there's no pollution coming from it because no one in it no one in it because we had control over it. Rockaway Township would have absolutely no control over a landfill the size that the county proposes. The engineering studies will be ready in a few months but county officials say it could be 1984 before a new landfill is operating because of the political review process. For now Mars County garbage is being sent to landfills in Sussex Warren and Middlesex Counties. The long term solution may lie in resource recovery plants which recycle waste but because they are expensive and experimental many observers believe there will always be a need for senatorial landfills. But where in Morris County many people are afraid of the answer to that

question. Rockaway Township residents aren't the only ones trying to keep the county dump out of their community. Citizens groups in Mount Olive township are also organizing to fight the dump. Tonight at 8 o'clock at a public hearing will be held in the mount all of high school in Mara's County solid waste Advisory Council which is sponsoring the hearing has already come under attack for suggesting that all of township as a possible site. Bill Perry talks basketball and tonight sports baseball is almost here though and if we go over the last

couple of high school basketball week is the state tournament is played this weekend get it going with Camden which defeated Montclair 88 82 to capture the group's four state title Saturday night led by high school American Billy Thompson who was named parade high school's Parade magazine's top high school player in America the Panthers won their first championship in three years Thompson had 33 points and 17 rebounds for Campbell. Montclair got 20 points from their number 21 Curtis Richwood you'll see him in a moment but it was simply too much Thompson for Camden. And then by 6:30 8:30 two. At the half guard Kevin walls number 15 had 19 for the winners month and then was number 11 Robert Osborne he had 21. In the end however Thompson was the key man for Camden Camden stayed undefeated against New Jersey competition this season 24 No they were 27 4 overall they beat Montclair 88 to 82. In the group 3 championship game sentiments in overland in 76 69 for its first state title and then jumped out to a seven to two lead when Number 44 and Luke Kenda hit and the Tigers number 11

Dennis may increase the lead to 21 9 137 in the first quarter sentiments and then settled down and moved within four on 12 first half points by number 44 John Souter Souter had 22 for the game landed at the half thirty seven thirty three early third quarter the pirates number 15 mark Keppra Kolo got hot from outside and finished with 17 sentiments and Greg sailor put his club ahead for the first time forty six forty five late third But Linden regained the lead forty seven forty six as Don Franco hit but sentiments and pulled away and the peat Bill Pollack right there at twenty six points that made it 65 54 with 3 0 5 left sentiments and went on to win it 76 69 for the group three state title. Tonight on sports insight at 8 o'clock on the New Jersey network my guest will be where are we guys over there OK Can this Billy Thompson St. Josephs Jim Dolan on that camera will have more high school basketball NBA the nets fell back to 500. Losing to Milwaukee 1 0 to 86 yesterday and to Indiana one for one on one Saturday night a IAW tournament play the Rutgers women beat Georgia Southern 89 79 yesterday the lady knights now face Minnesota tomorrow at the barn at Rutgers at

7:30 the Wonder if their answers to the AI A.W. final for boxing yesterday Camden stright Braxton stop Jerry Martin to defend his WBC light heavyweight title in Las Vegas. Braxton sent Morton to the campus twice in the second round and completed his first title defense at 230 of the sixth round when the referee stepped in and stopped it. The Camden buzz saw is expected to give former champ Matthew Syed Muhammad a rematch next. Now in Atlantic City WBA welterweight champ Aaron Pryor took 12 rounds before defeating the Elmont in a title defense Pryor dominated but lasted longer than any previous prior opponent heavyweights Scott Frank of Oakland New Jersey fought to a draw with Rinaldo Snipes What a joke this was Frank slipped to the canvas twice in the tenth round this fight was a brawl. Snipes seemed ahead but the majority decision was a draw. Scott Frank did the best rumba of the night after it was Snipes turn to fall and miss. Or was it Miss and fall from the sky. Missed the rumba. OK cosmos meanwhile won their second straight exhibition over an NASL four with a 3 0 win over San Jose yesterday. Giorgio scored twice in the new ones tonight 10:30

cosmos close up right here on the New Jersey network. Thank you Bill. And repeating our top story tonight a federal judge has decided not to stop the Casino Control Commission from holding hearings on an alleged organized crime connection with the hotel and restaurant employees and bartenders International Union Local 50 for the division of Gaming Enforcement has asked the casino commission to stop the union from representing casino industry employees because of alleged ties with reputed mobsters. And that's our news for tonight for Bill Perry and the rest of the nightly news team. I'm Kat Monaghan Wishing you a good night. New Jersey is a joke. Presentation of the New Jersey network and WMD 213. The program is broadcast on weeknights at 6:30 on Channel 13 and 7:30 on the New Jersey network. There is a repeat broadcast at 10:00 p.m. on the New Jersey network and at 8:00 the following

morning on Channel 13 A. Portion is reporting. Going on right now. A. Complete redo. Oh my God. News headlines. And. Put up the headline. And fold out the fold out the sports headline. You know what I mean just sort of fold it over. Thing goal. You. Tell them it's going to be a short headline tonight. I mean a short you know. You know what I mean. You. Know.

What. Would you tell them it's just a short headline just a short. Abbreviated version. Thank you Claire. Coming up in the news tonight the Casino Control Commission gets the go ahead to

begin hearings on the alleged organized crime connection and one casino labor union. We'll have details. And we'll also take a closer look at a proposed Morris County garbage dump which has sparked local opposition. Those stories and more at 7:30 on New Jersey nightly news. But first let's join consumer line. I.

Was trying to qualify the people at the high interest rates that we have in the industry right now. There seems to be a little bit break in the market right now but just how long that break will last. Well your guess is almost as good as mine and as of today the interest rate is 16 in three quarters. That was as of 6:00 p.m. this evening that's right. OK Jack how do you see it from your realtors point of view. Things are a little bit slow aren't they or am I wrong in saying that. And if they are what's going to make them move again. You know Susan I think education is the big thing with the public today. Education education yes.