New Jersey Nightly News; 05/12/1979

A. New Jersey nightly news. With some rookie trying time. Good evening. In the news tonight New Jersey gasoline dealers say they're cooperating with energy officials in advance of next week's planned protest. Those protesting against electric rate increases made their case in Jersey City. And the Tony Pro trial goes into an extra session. In sports the inevitable happened. The Cosmos lost Milbury. We'll have highlights and all the sports of the day. And then a closer look the story of the happy couple at the Holland Tunnel. Now the news gasoline dealers associations are calling for a nationwide shutdown of gas stations next week but the protest isn't likely to hit New Jersey. The executive director of the jersey retailers told reporter Ridge wells today that local dealers are being asked to cooperate. We're asking our dealers in New Jersey to have the patience until we finish

exploring with the Department of Energy in Washington what the Corps is. What course we have and we think that's forthcoming. You think you can explore it thoroughly enough by the 17th of May to prevent a kind of shutdown in New Jersey. We were already met with the Department of Energy over a week ago. I don't know if the answer will come through by the 17th but we were asking the dealers in New Jersey not to go along with it and we believe most of the East Coast will follow suit. The retailers are complaining that their profits have been kept low because of government price controls. As for the immediate future the Association reports that at least 60 percent of the state's gas stations will be closed tomorrow. Meanwhile striking Texaco refinery workers today seemed close at a settlement. Employees of Texaco's Eagle Point refinery in South Jersey have been off the job since mid-January. But today union leaders told federal mediators that a contract ratification vote could come next week. The company's latest offer was accepted by

workers last night as the basis on which an agreement could now be negotiated. A group of angry protesters turned out at Public Service Electric and Gas headquarters in Jersey City today. CNG is proposing a 14 percent rate hike. Brad Wells heard the complaints. The CNG headquarters in Jersey City is adjacent to the Journal Square Business section and the protesters were trying to attract the attention and support of Saturday shoppers. The group known as citizens against great increases said spiraling utility costs were forcing some inner city poor people to make a painful choice food or heat. PFC Energy has requested a 17 percent increase in electric rates and an 11 percent hike for gas. The rate increase still has to be approved by the Board of Public Utilities. And these people say senior citizens and low income families cannot withstand a hike like this.

People are having a very difficult time making the money go around the people whose homes are bare and people have lost their homes and are kind of saplings and dignity that people are subjected to leading right back to the Public Service Electric and Gas exorbitant public service electric and gas bill. He has the energy says utility companies are victims of inflation just as much as consumers. But the organizers of today's protests say one of the things they're upset about is the construction of this 26 storey office complex being built in downtown Newark by PNC injury. This 400 foot skyscraper with mirrored glass is expected to be occupied by the end of next year. PFC Energy claims the structure is more modern than their existing office building and therefore more fuel efficient. The utility will also be renting office space to outside tenants which will help offset costs. But some of the protesters in Jersey City say the building is a waste of consumers money. They are using the public's money by raising the rates and causing what we have been

as a catastrophe here in US in county in Jersey City. So they want to spend money they have to start spending some of their own money and not the public's money. We can't pay to rebuild and build public so I was with them. He could not make a spokesman available to speak to us on camera today but they admitted that their rates to customers were among the highest in the country. In explaining the request for a rate hike says their biggest expenses are the cost of fuel and what they pay out in gross receipts taxes. The state's largest utility also reported that their earnings were up 18 percent for the first quarter of 1979. The protesters say they want to share in the profits by having their rates lowered as it has to account to both customers and stockholders. So it looks like the State Board of Public Utilities will be settling this one. In Jersey City. Well. Some other energy protesters spent the day in court yesterday in mountain lakes anti-nuclear activists were found guilty in connection with a demonstration outside the

general public utilities offices last month. The 12 had staged a die in a municipal judge found them guilty of trespassing and fined them each fifty dollars. In New York the racketeering trial of Anthony Tony Pro Bono went into overtime today an apparent attempt to speed up the long court process with 60 witnesses to be heard and the jury sequestered. Federal Judge Curtis meanor ordered the rare Saturday sessions to be held in today's testimony. The jury heard from two men who said they'd worked for the car. But Carteaux the prosecution's key witness in the Tony Pro case has already testified that he was the go between in Provenzano those alleged conspiracy to shakedown trucking companies in exchange for labor peace. Defense attorneys for former Teamsters boss Provenzano contend the cargo's offering false testimony and an attempt to escape his own problems with the law. In today's proceedings one Picardo associate testified his boss had carried paper bags to Teamster local 560 in Union City. The witness said the

Cardo always referred to the bag's contents as tuna fish sandwiches and always with a smile. Despite the Saturday sessions the Tony Pro trial is expected to continue as long as four weeks. 30 New Jersey alcohol wholesalers will be allowed to keep their licenses but only if they come up with a total of more than one hundred eighty five thousand dollars in fines. The penalties are the largest ever levied by the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Division. The wholesalers which charge with illegal trade practices including illicit rebates and discounts. Governor Burns proposed 18 month building moratorium for the Pinelands has won the backing of a state senate committee but the bill is getting opposition from agricultural interests who say the moratorium ignores the private property rights of farmers. Oh and the government controls heavy handed. The president of the New Jersey Farm Bureau says the moratorium has already hurt property values. Small towns being shortchanged out by the big cities when it comes to getting federal

funds and a group of 30 New Jerseyans wants to do something about it. They held their first meeting this week in Borden town. Mary hammer also tells us more about their complaints and their lifestyle. A white steeple the town hall and Americans have always romanticized about small towns as the best way of life. But a group called rural New Jersey charges that the federal government is killing off small towns by funneling most of its financial aid programs into the big cities. Most of them being centered on the large population areas the urban metropolitan areas and a lot of farm country in our small towns lay out in the country are being completely ignored. Rural New Jersey says for example that half of the elderly poor live in rural areas but four fifths of the aid for the elderly goes to the cities. More than half of all educationally deprived children live in small towns but they get only one third of the federal aid. The group says it's the same

story with aid for housing health and mass transit. Rural areas get roped. In rural New Jersey is part of the 15 state organization called rural America. The national group says that small towns have to band together to make their case to the big city boys in Washington in Allentown. I Mariama Rosso. Despite today's weather there was a street festival in Montclair today with all the trappings area residents celebrated the opening of the Church Street Promenade with a series of events. The day long festivities included a gymnastic exhibition by the Montclair YMCA tumbling teen and later in the afternoon there were sidewalk sales of food and clothing. The opening of the church beat Brahman out as part of the month long May in Montclair celebration. It's sponsored by local merchants. The weekend has effectively thrown cold water on those early signs of summer. The skies turned gray for much of today and the rains dampened many other outdoor

activities. And don't expect it to get too much better. Tonight will be cloudy foggy and cool as a 50 percent chance of rain in North Jersey and a 90 percent chance in the south. Temperatures tonight will range from the mid 50s to around 60. Tomorrow we can expect a lazy rainy Sunday with a few thunder showers possible in the north. Temperatures in the mid 60s to mid 70s in South Jersey. A bit warmer with a high in the mid 70s. The outlook for Monday. Partly cloudy with once again. A chance of showers. Well rain or no rain several thousand handicapped people of all ages enjoyed a wet festival today on the grounds of Middlesex County College. And as Phelps Hawkins reports the participants from around the state were committed to having a good time. The rain's coming down harder and harder out here at Middlesex community college. But that's not affecting the foundations of handicapped kids and adults who are having a good

time out here despite it all. It was the sixth annual hand-to-hand festival and it was a masterpiece of volunteerism and organization for every handicapped person there were three volunteers including an escort called simply a friend who stayed with the party or all day. An estimated 12000 people showed up today looting about 3000 handicapped with better whether organizers had expected as many as 25000 people. About as many as attended the festival last year. That president organized the first hand to hand Festival back in 1974. This year he's just helping out which keeps him plenty busy. Markham You know I'm not coming out of comedy but I don't know I need an agent you want to be my navigator and I'd be a game. You want my jacket. That's what we know. This is you know this is going out in a day to marriage. You're not going on a date on Sunday where you cannot go to dances. Yeah why would I want to date my Muslim

in one state. Thank you ladies all of you know it might be all over between right and looking. Like. We were even waiting. Most of the participants are retarded. Some are blind and many have several handicaps. So a variety of activities over two hundred and sixty of them were available depending on the person's ability. Organizing the volunteers was a mammoth job because of the demands of the guests. For example volunteers with orange vests were called panic people and are trained in special education. We're able to deal with an upset or disoriented participant. And as each bus load arrived this morning the occupants were given color coded tags to identify how severely they were handicapped. They haven't. Got it right. By just afternoon the rain was getting worse. Bestival organizers reluctantly canceled the rest of the day's activity. The participants were not happy. One

veteran volunteer said even if it had been warm and sunny there would have been plenty of tears at departure time. I'm felt lucky. Jersey City Did you ever say you don't miss New Jersey locals Sunday at 8:00 on New Jersey Public Television. The Cosmos played at Tampa Bay today and the cosmos are no longer undefeated.

What's the story. You're right. Very correct Sandy. Good cosmos seven game winning streak stopped today at Tampa Bay rowdies 3 cosmos 2 it was a real good one Kosmo made it once and I think 32 minutes and 45 seconds into the first half George Okinawa with his eighth goal of the season assist to Terry Garbutt and bogey for both. Now he has at least one assist in each game the first first half goal against Tampa Bay all year. Ten minutes later 43 0 to the time Tampa Bay Times a 1 1 fourth goal of the season for you to follow what's number 15. He's in front simply didn't hold it and it was there to knock it in and you'll see it one more time. Watch number 15 he's in front doesn't hold it. The result the goal. One minute 16 seconds later just forty two seconds left in the first half rowdies make it 2 to 1. Oscar Fabiani gets the goal and the rowdies go in an intermission up to 1 in the second half the cosmos tie it again. It's Georgio with it to get 10 minutes into the second half.

Number nine for the season for now yes. As he shows you here his second of the day. The game are here Rodney Marsh with a cross left footed to power he gets his second goal of the day three to two Tampa Bay wins it the Cosmo's are now seven and one already six into the senior weightlifting championships are being held at ICE world in total this weekend it serves as a trial for the U.S. squad to the Pan American Games the lower weight classes were in competition today. New Jersey's Bellville barbell club is well represented. Eighteen year old Rich Siebert who hoped to compete at 114 pounds didn't make weight he had to lift one hundred thirty two. Rich vanished among very experienced lifters. Well this is the largest and most important nationals It's the highest you can go before reaching international. So I'd say most of the guys here have at least five or four years living and some of them have as much as 20 before. This made this year and the season ahead the teenage nationals

which I counted to me as being more important because I didn't think that I have a fantastic shot at winning this need today. And unfortunately now that I look at the school when I say I think I could have won so I missed making weight. But now that's over after deciding I took the decision and made it to the next heavy division. But before this meet I had the National which was in April and one and I decided to go to the junior world championships later on this year in June in Hungary. This is executing the clean and jerk the lifters also compete in the one motion snatch rich you have to 242 pounds in the Queen and Jurgen 198 in the snatch another jersey and Kenny right back of Woodbridge was second at 114 pounds he snatched 170 injured to 0 9 tomorrow starting at noon and running until about 7 o'clock the heavier weights will compete. Bill Graham called the A three time Pan-Am champ will compete at 198 pounds fills from that Bell Bell Club. Others from the Bellville club to be in action are Lou McArdle at 198 at 2:20 rich with

242 and super heavyweights Gerry Hannan and Terry Manton again. It's all ice world in toto. Tomorrow. In baseball today Giants beat the Phillies 4 to 1 the Yankees got a run in the bottom of the ninth and beat the Angels 6 5. The Yankees said hello to Jim Kaat today yesterday the Yankees acquired from the Phillies say hello to Columbus and goodbye to Paul Mirabelle of the Yankees sent Mirabelle of the former Montclair State star to Columbus of the internationally to make room on the roster for a cot. Tonight the Mets played San Diego the women's softball team at Rutgers won the Eastern Regional Tournament today. Rutgers beat Glassboro state six to nothing in Salisbury Maryland Rutgers is now 24 and today's winning pitcher Howley Cohen is 16 you know next for Rutgers the Nationals later this month in Omaha Nebraska. A few weeks ago we ran a story on Steve. A five foot four inch second baseman out of fairly Dickinson since then Steve's been a Sports Illustrated face in the crowd. Jerry Eisenberg did a column on him in the New York Times did a piece on the big little man today NBC featured Denbeaux on their national baseball telecasts pre-game show.

This then courtesy of NBC Sports. In my four years of college baseball I've been hit by the pitch a hundred seven times by 20 or more different pitchers you have to hit him. There's no way you don't go behind on to a no win you got first faceoff and why waste the pitches just out of. It your home plate if you hit him in the ribs hard enough maybe you won't credit so much stands about an inch away. And I've always been told it's my home plate now I'm going to get him off it so I'm going to pitch him inside right away while he's on base 70 percent of the time. So that's really advantage there and I get steadily gets a longer gets a base hit steals a base so now you've got a runner in scoring position. I feel like a suitable better from being the Krauts position and I think I excel on the ball when the ball is coming near me I get more power. I'm more concerned getting on base mainly by hitting the ball you know easily by ball but you don't bag a little restless you comply. You know the boffins

any hits that you get on base so I bet they're going to give the shot. Definitely. When I was a youngster I always emulated Pete Rose. But I like the style they play they're always hustling they're always diving for the ball they're always taking the extra base and that's what I pride myself on when I play the game. I'm. OK in Texas in the intercollegiate Tennessee nationals Princeton's Jay Lapidus unseeded beat fourth seeded Jay de Louis from SMU today 6 3 4 6 6 1 Jay Lapidus of Princeton in the finals of that tournament tomorrow Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals Rangers Montreal will not be played tonight that game is tomorrow at 4 o'clock. That's sports Sam. Well Bill assuming that you can get gasoline these days you know what kind of best. Kind of goes in my tank as well the government and consumer experts recommend checking octane ratings before you buy. The problem is most people don't know why they're checking them. Charles Bennett in Boston tries to explain.

We used to use words not numbers to describe the world around us. You remember for example regular or premium gasoline how uncomplicated the world was then along came unleaded but even that was fairly simple. But now the government is urging that we stop buying gas by a label like regular and instead try to go buy the octane ratings the Federal Trade Commission is starting to require be posted on every pump. The FTC has started a PR campaign about octane ratings because apparently many people are buying more expensive gas than they need to. There is no advantage for your car at all to buying more octane than you need. That's what octane rating. Well it tells you how well the gasoline will help your engine resists knocking out the numbers all by themselves don't mean a whole lot. For example regular unleaded gas is 87 octane regular unleaded gas well I could be 89 or eighty nine point five octane depending on the oil company involved. Or super unleaded Well that could be ninety two point six or 93 octane again depending on the manufacturer. Pretty memorable bunch of numbers I'd

say. In fact I suspect the only people who will be able to remember all these numbers are that same crowd that know all their FM radio stations down to the last decimal point. More consumer information can't hurt of course. So no harm done in posting the government's numbers except watch out because the car companies have always used a different system of measuring octane. So your owner's manual won't correspond to the new pump numbers. Actually the regional head of the FTC Lois Pyne says all you really need to remember is if your car knocks better gas if it doesn't knock experiment with cheaper gas. That's all there is to it. Of course the way things are going these days this all could soon be moved. We could easily be a long long gasoline lines again in a few months. At that point we may be happy to be able to buy any gasoline at all. Whatever the octane rating this is in Boston. Rent a wife that's what two New Jersey women are calling their new business. Both women

are mothers of three and divorced. I don't assortment of odd jobs for those men or women who have trouble organizing their own lives. The women are charging 20 dollars an hour for their choice. When they were married they say they did the same things. They just didn't get paid. Whether it be right to preach. To. The New Jersey Public Television. You may have seen I'm on your way into New York or if you haven't you might wish that you had

the Port Authority police just retired and his badge on the Jersey side of the Holland Tunnel just before he left. New Jersey Public Television last closer look at the happy cop couldn't help make life a little bit more bearable. Passing commuters. When. I heard that. When I first took over there was a section I feel that I get that my wife goes through I'm sort of a I guess the word

is a real discipline. I. I I come out here and I wanted certain things done my way. And I found by going out there with a strong hand. I was doing it but it didn't seem to be the way I wanted and I Saudis all these people every day and I I started to say to myself well maybe there's a different way of doing this job. So what happened was one fellow had his window open it was gone by and I said good morning to him. He was so shocked when he turned and looked at me. He hit the car in front of them. So I you know I says Dr. G I'm sorry I didn't want to cause an accident. I says All I want to do is say good morning. My friends. Know wrongly that come back with a lotta luck and thank you for making my day.

You know a lot of people ask why why am i always smiling and why I am happy and that in order to do that you gotta have a you have a great family and I have I have a wife or drake I have. My mom passed away but my mom is Mother's got to be. Boys Clifford and a beautiful daughter Cathy who is just a new member of my family they're married only here half and let me tell you I have a problem but the biggest thing was retiring. Like I told you it took me two years to make the decision because that's how much I love the job goes into letting this is the second time that I I've made an attempt to retire. And the first time. For three days and was so upset about it that I just called the home that I. I'm not going to push I'm not ready. I'm going to miss the uniform because when I have this uniform I'm out here. I am somebody when I think it all up and go home. I take out the garbage. I do the

dishes. I cut the lawn and nobody knows who I am. But like I just I like yes I love the job. I tried to do it as best I could. I try to give it 100 and maybe that's there are reasons why I'm going I don't I don't get there 1 years old and you know what. I can't. Get the hundred. That I've Been Trying To all of these years I mean I that's that's my I thought. I try to give as much as I can. You know. Morning. It's unfortunate that you know we have seven lanes going to. How much can you do. When I go. Seriously want to even go up to talk to my bosses. But there should be some sort of a loudspeaker system. From. My corner down to where the Jersey turnpike into one and I ran. Is that what happens if we have a problem in that tunnel that the desk officer would do a command that will tell these books that we have a

problem and that it will only take maybe five minutes to the south so that they know what's going on but most of the time we get lights in a tunnel. They don't know what's going on. They don't know how bad the stop and sometimes it is so what happens is they can change them I go to the Lincoln tunnel running. By kill. I know it was a couple of times when I see certain people and I started to think that this is the last time that I may see him. I started to feel like that redness in that fleshy feeling. And there I I guess I know it's going to bother me. I just hope that it doesn't bother me where I'd be sort of barriers you know where the old man cried. But I don't care if I had to die right now I live the great life to be able to have people that feel that way about. Their. High paid home. Life. That originally aired on New Jersey Public Television's program New Jersey local.

And that's Nightly News the Saturday edition. And I wish you a good night and Happy Mother's Day.