New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 12/16/1980

Like Ronald Reagan nominates New Jerseyan for labor secretary. In sports some reflections on Garden State Bowl three. And we'll have a report on toxic waste hearings in Washington. New Jersey likely knew. What evening a North Jersey construction executive has been named secretary of labor by Ronald Reagan. Fifty year old Ray Donovan has never held an elected or appointed office in government or the Republican Party but he's worked hard during the last two years managing Reagan's New Jersey campaign. Our political reporter Mariam Rosso has more about Reagan's labor nominee Mary Catherine Donovan was in Washington today and he wasn't talking to us or to anyone else. He's something of a dark horse. Not too well known in New Jersey but his total devotion to Ronald Reagan has brought him into the limelight in the past year.

Donovan is a partner in the Secaucus construction firm that specializes in big projects like bridges and highway ramps and it employs fifteen hundred workers. He's a relative newcomer to politics although he did do some work in Jim Buckley's unsuccessful New York senatorial campaign and in re Bateman's unsuccessful gubernatorial run. But he got involved in Ronald Reagan's campaign in a big way because he believes in Reagan and his conservative principles. Donovan's prime role initially was as a fundraiser he said to have raised more than a half million dollars for Reagan bashers like this one at a New Jersey country club with Frank Sinatra as one of the leading Reagan fund raisers in the nation he was appointed as Reagan's coordinator in New Jersey at the Republican National Convention in Detroit. He and state committee chairman Dave Norcross shared the managing of the New Jersey delegation. Saying that. Donovan comes from the blue collar neighborhoods of Bayonne in Hudson County and he used to

be a Democrat. In fact he worked on Democrat Stas KY father's unsuccessful run for the presidency in 1052 although he has little political experience and no experience in public office his rapid rise apparently turned his head to thoughts of running for governor next year. His nomination probably means they'll be one less Republican in an already overcrowded primary field. But even when we talk to him in July his own political ambitions were clearly secondary to dedication to Ronald Reagan. Please believe me when I say that all of my time and effort through involved in Reagan's candidacy I haven't given him 20 minutes worth of consideration to my race. So a good year away some New Jersey Union people are puzzled others not quite thrilled about Donovan's nomination. Now were the director of daffs me I suppose the best I could hope for is that he came from New Jersey will be concerned about New

Jersey and that's a problem because I would rather have a like the commission a cabinet member who's a Democrat than a Republican. And the Teamsters in New Jersey say they would have preferred Reagan nominate Betty Murphy of Atlantic City former head of the National Labor Relations Board. But they say they're willing to work with Donovan Donovan handle labor relations in his job with a construction company and the union local president who negotiated with him for 20 years. Start of in his full endorsement saying he understands the problems of the working man. Carol. Thank you Mary. Chemical control and when a Marine to toxic dumps which had disastrous fires earlier this year were both controlled by organized crime. At least that was the testimony today from an ex convict now living under government protection. Harold Kaufman spoke before a congressional subcommittee in Washington. And Steve Taylor was there. Common was hidden behind a screen when he told the congressman that when New Jersey's manifest system for

tracking hazardous waste took effect in 1988 it was a bonanza for organized crime because many chemical companies turn to garbage haulers to take their chemicals and the garbage companies were controlled by the mob. Kaufman said it was easy for them to get temporary state disposal licenses and then just let the chemical drums pile up one example according to Kaufmann was the way marine garbage company in Perth Amboy work on wood work but to a Marine was a fraud. Wayne was a complete fraud. He had no facility at all he had not known way to all of this posing and when was it licensed by the state for his day to manifest system when I received a temporary facility license and what year was that. 78 and it was and is a flam of it is anymore because he had a big fire in the brain all the time I mean it burned all the drums that way often added that chemical control Corp Elizabeth site have an even bigger fire was also owned by the mob but later the man accused of running chemical control called

Kaufman a liar and worse. This man is a whore in plain English. You people think what you want. This man was an officer that company this man was part of the fraud. It was a fraud. And Albert denied having any financial interest in chemical control but said he wasn't even in the toxic waste business. The subcommittee also had questions about how well New Jersey enforces its dumping laws. Kaufman the hidden witness said enforcement has been ineffective. State Attorney General John Degnan admitted that New Jersey has had problems but he cited dozens of indictments secured by a federally financed investigative team. Degen urged that funding for this strike for speaking to new Washington Steve Taylor. And I know it has come under heavy fire that agency under federal investigation today the toxic waste strike force claims it has a good track record in their droves that reports.

Since the toxic waste strike force was formed in October of 1979. Officials claim hundreds of investigations into illegal dumping have been conducted in the state. And more than a dozen corporations and individuals have been indicted or convicted. The list includes reputed organized crime figure John Alpert former head of Elizabeth chemical control corporation who was sent to jail among others and seven firms including chemical control corporation of Elizabeth Brunswick and chemical resorts of New Brunswick chemical control storage site was the scene of a major fire last April that burned thousands of rounds of highly toxic substances. The strike force which includes some 20 members of the Criminal Justice Division who investigate leads on potentially illegal dump sites. A team of technical people from the State Department of Environmental Protection the Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. attorney's office. We have about 300 illegal dump sites in the state. Focus there is to clean those up. Focus with the strike force is to stop the dumping the current day task force

designed to bring indictments against those people and hopefully set a precedent whereby others might think about doing illegal dumping stuff because they know there's an effort out there to catch them and. They're. Following legislation passed earlier this year. Illegal toxic dumping in New Jersey now carries heavy penalties. A $25000 fine for each day a violation and three years imprisonment. The Strikeforce claims credit for helping to create that legislation in addition to an amendment to the state's bill fund which provides money for clean up potentially hazardous toxic sites. Prior to the amendment state money could only be spent on cleaning up toxic drums which were not leaking. The $600000 funding for the strike force comes from the federal EPA and the federal law enforcement assistance and ministration in addition to the state. Members are still awaiting approval of the $500000 federal share of their budget to stay in operation through next year. In addition to the Strikeforce money the state is also seeking a large share of federal super funds recently signed into law by President

Carter. Super funds will help the strike force by providing additional money for future dumpsite cleanups in the state. I'm Kent not a hand. The state health department will formally release its report on birth defects in lower Cape May County tomorrow. It's expected the report will recommend environmental studies to try to determine if a common element is operating in the large number of birth defects in a small area of that county. Our South Jersey correspondent Don Torrance spoke with Michelle Dooley a member of Cape May concerned citizens. I can't say that we're happy that there's a problem that makes us all of this very sad we would have rather been crazy and you know what Michel Dooley is one of the 11 members of the concerned citizens group who is glad to hear the state say yes the number of defects in lower Cape May County is significant but he's also sad it's true. I'm concerned but not very much more concerned than I was back in April before I was pregnant. Every mother firewood

and her baby you know it's ready to go because it's not something you can think about. Constantly back but worrying can affect the man. Dooley is glad to share the chicken little image and find the state listening to her group's message. But two weeks after the state's admission there's still no testing going on the county needs grant money in the state wants full medical background checks on lower Cape May babies. Still everyone seems to have faith the state will do its part. I think finally they recognize that that needs further investigation and I've been very concerned for some months now. I'm I'm satisfied with the weather moving along now. So the suspect list remains essentially the same air pollution ground water pollution pesticides agricultural fertilizing even chemical dumping. They'll all be investigated as possible causes of what the state now admits his and you know ordered number of birth defects especially here in lower Township. This landfill in lower township is closed now but tests will be taken here to see what was dumped or may still be getting dumped illegally. The same will be done at public

and private dump sites all over the area. And this is Cape May County Airport another site that will come under investigation. During World War Two the U.S. Navy used this as a depo and investigators want to find out what might have been stored here or dumped here that could have gotten into the groundwater as far as Michelle Dooley is concerned this isn't a search for a culprit that has struck and moved on. She fears it is a present danger that has to be found. In Cape May County. I'm Don Tarrant. A federal prosecutor in New York said today he will drop all remaining Abscam charges against Camden mayor and state senator Angelo Eric Kennedy and attorney Howard private. That is if their Abscam convictions are upheld on appeal. U.S. Attorney Edward Corman's announcement comes a day after the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia said he too will drop Abscam charges against Criden and a Philadelphia city councilman Eric Katty and Criden were convicted August 30th with former Pennsylvania Congressman Michael Meyers of accepting a $50000 bribe from FBI agents

posing as friends of an Arab Shaykh. Post thanksgiving rains have helped avert a drought emergency in Central and South Jersey at least through January. The Delaware River Basin Commission met in Philadelphia today and said that recent rainfalls of improved water levels in the three reservoirs that serve the region supplies however are still 40 percent below normal but not low enough to declare such an emergency such a declaration would result in mandatory restrictions. A warning is in effect however because of long range weather forecasts hold little promise of precipitation. The commission will meet again at the end of January. And now that winter has officially arrived Essex County is helping homeowners keep the cold out and the heat in. Phelps Hawkins has the story. Essex County executive Peter Shapiro was out inspecting homes this morning. Homes involved in the new winterization program like Pat had a friend's house in Bloomfield. The program offers low and moderate income households up to $500 for storm windows

weather stripping and insulation. I don't want to you know I'm here. Well as far as I know very efficient. Yeah and everybody's very nice helpful and polite when they turn up your home. Well they seem to be yeah you know what they're doing pretty good. In addition to the materials the county supplies the manpower a crew of about six workers were swarming over the head of an house today even insulating the basement water heaters so that it retains its heat and saves energy. Homeowners can apply for the program at any neighborhood development office. About 200 of them throughout the county and Shapiro says the intent of the program is to make it all easy for a little house like this with a program like this where it's not not any money out of the pocket of the homeowner. It's worth it every single time the only cost is putting up with the hassle and that hassle we try to make a small as possible. There are three crews operating in the county each one led by a crew chief and experienced carpenter program director Ken Garrett says This allows important training for the sea to crew members.

All these weather ization procedures that they perform on our carpentry lated tasks. And it's and we're hopeful that at the end of their tenure would see to it that they can go on to meaningful employment in the private sector and working in carpentry related skills. Garrett says the three crews are now doing about 25 homes a month but they'll do more as they learn more. Of course today Pat Hannifin was able to take advantage of some unexpected expertise. I was going to hire a private but it's not especially with or without Yeah right then I need to know what you know and that you know you can do they can put a wood stove you know in the heart and back into the you know and today into the you know my place. But it takes away from the look of the replacement. The program operates in all Essex County communities except Newark in Bloomfield I felt talk. And now here is the weather forecast for the state tonight we will have cloudy skies and snow mixing with rain. Temperatures will be in the mid 20s. Tomorrow it will be a little warmer with partly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 30s. And the outlook for Thursday partly cloudy and cold.

The housing boom sparked by casino gambling in Atlantic City has developers thinking big but none has reached the scope of plans on Vale today. The tiny historic village of Smithville north of Atlantic City will be the site of a huge housing complex If final plans are approved. Details from South Jersey correspondent Don tones.

But a planned unit development that's what will surround the tourist attraction called the town of historic Smithville. If Capra in the township of Galloway approved specific building plans and it's a big pod the biggest in the state. Six thousand eight hundred fifty housing units over 2000 acres 700 room hotel spa a golf course shopping area health center all built in three phases. It's not just the size of this development that makes it unique it's something of a builders cooperative. The Toronto based firm called Cadillac Fairview and two local men are the developers but they are not doing any of the actual building six construction companies have agreed to come in here and slice up the housing market. One for example will build high income single family homes and other townhouses. Still another will build a middle income co-ops but none of the construction companies is taking much of the initial risk free on their models and we lease them back to them so they did not have to lay out the several million dollars that's in the model of homes complex and then were. We're seeking to rob banks sources to provide the least cost construction money that we can find.

Everyone from coastal management officials to Galloway Township Zoners have approved the concept of this massive development after the first of the year developers will be seeking specific building approval. They face opposition from some environmental groups and from local climbers who fear the heavy development will ruin wetlands and then bait clam beds. But Tatum says this is a development with its own science staff and a strong concern for the environment. You have attempted to save the trees special areas as medics and then medics run. There is a small green tree frog that we have carefully researched for a year. We staked them out and were staying out of the area. Builders hope to have the first units ready for occupancy this spring and I hope that with the help of Cadillac Fairview funds they can offer a variety of financing plans to allow their targeted young singles and families market to buy those middle income units. But they say they're not ready to announce any financing plans yet. The cheapest home would be the $45000 range. The most expensive $300000 estate home in space village lad a

county Don Torrance. Nearly a year ago drug experts began warning of an impending influx of high quality heroin. Today Essex County officials announced that the predictions have become reality and they say the heroin problem is still growing. Sandra Cantu reports. The new street heroin is white in color high in quality and readily available. Experts say it comes from the so-called Golden Triangle around Afghanistan and Pakistan but its effects are seen right here at treatment centers like integrity house in Newark. Therapists say they're seeing more junkies than at any time since the early 70s. Cases like that of Sharon Johnson are said not to be unusual. She's an addict who switched to methadone for years but returned to heroin when it returned to the streets. Now she's that integrity House where it's all over to everyone. In a newsroom vailable. It. May take any kind of short. Or. You know income insurance

for it. And. It's good. It's even better now than it was 10 years ago. At today's news conference officials underscore the problem and its proportions are really arrests are up. Seizures are up. So all of these factors in combination lead me to unfortunately state that I believe that it's the worst it has been in 10 years and it's unfortunately it's getting worse. The obvious result has been a tremendous increase in use here and is likely to be one of the things which is such a factor behind a big increase in crime that we've seen. This is something which is not just urban but it's also suburban in terms of its effects. And we're seeing it everywhere. Joe Emery is from Perth Amboy 22 he's been a junkie for eight years. Now he too is that integrity. Sometimes you. Can go out on a corner. I have. Come to. The Southern. Part of Yemen because there is a Roman town you can find.

Now it. Is all over. But the experts say that while the problem is growing the solutions are not the call today was for more federal support. In an all out war against terror when in Newark I'm Sandra King. Police SWAT teams in Monmouth County are being held at bay by a man who says he killed his wife this morning. Forty one year old Robert Fox is holed up inside as Howell Township home and his 13 year old son is missing. But police say they don't think that he is in the house. Fox has been holding police off for about five hours now. Gun control public interest in the issue always picks up after a highly publicized shooting. It works the same way on a local level at least at Holy Cross School in Trenton when an eighth grader there accidently shot and killed himself after watching a movie on television last month. His classmates went to work for tighter gun laws. Tom Stewart reports. A few days after watching The Deer Hunter on WOR TV Freddy Sega Nowitzki

got his dad's 38 caliber pistol out of the closet. Police say the 13 year old may have been imitating the movie's famous Russian roulette scene when he accidentally pulled the trigger. He died three days later and Freddie's classmates formed a group called Save sex and violence exterminated. We've come up with. However you don't. Want to encourage them to call out the eighth graders plan to work for a stricter handgun laws and fight violence on television. Freddy Sagan our best friend president of Save says they'll solicit help from other schools along with governments and television officials. It was a little bit of everybody's for you. In the movie scare here Freddy for do it in the show. It's kind of hard because you know the dead boy's mother is all for the class's efforts. She blames herself for not supervising waters son watched on television and for having the gun in the house.

I still. I think I still have it. It was. Beautiful the way. It was. Done you know that base thing I'm gonna say is this convince you to get rid of the handgun or is this change your mind about everyone around. I would like you know something that something could be done. So hop in a van. I don't want it to happen to any other kid. Researchers have been trying to prove the effect of TV violence on kids for a long time. These eighth graders have no doubt about that connection at all. Now they just want something good to come from the death of Freddie Segun else. As one of them put it it's too bad something like this has to happen before we do something about it. In Trenton I'm Tom Stewart. And it's time now for sports here's Bill Perry bill. Thank you Karen first off another signing today

in baseball the Mets made it official and rusty stabbed its a three year million dollar contract for the 36 year old the Garden State for all is now history. Now as it turns out it was not an artistic success 35 Nothing used in over Navy nor was it a financial success. But the picture really isn't all that bleak. That scandal has more. To go on just a paltry bench of accused in the Navy was not a battle for the national championship. Then it wasn't billed that way. It wasn't but only for the Meadowlands college football mind now even over 61000 people bought tickets to see the nearly 20000 customers chose to pass up. Both figures were records as well as the attendance figure of forty one thousand four hundred seventy. Three game and the one of their left something to be desired. But that's the unpredictable nature of college football. As for the more controllable arrangements like accommodations and pageantry just as used in coach Bill Yeoman the Cotton Bowl represents the Southwest Conference championship that whatever it was. The kids don't like now is for entertainment and everything like that. This is

certainly the protocol and I think I've had occasion to at least one on me in the official party at the Sugar Bowl. This is equal or better in the Sugar Bowl this is a very good both financially speaking the ballgame was one hundred fifty thousand dollars. But in year three of the garden Staples existed. That's an investment in the future. We look at it as part of our college football program here at the complex of the college football program this year did eight times better in the black but it did last year so I think we're pretty pleased with. The gun staple Stapel review of this year's event in January. Value a ways to continue the ball's progress in years to come. At Giants Stadium I'm Pat Scammell. Now the Garden State Bowl may grow into a big deal but I have an idea which would be a natural for the New Meadowlands Arena. No doubt about it. It would be Big I've sent a letter to Meadowlands officials and the respective athletic directors and coaches of the big four division one basketball schools in the state bring Princeton rector Seton Hall and St. Peter's together with a round robin format. Each school would play one another doubleheaders each night hopefully over the holidays wouldn't that be

a Garden State Classical that you know about any reaction to the idea. The Nets play in Atlanta tonight New Jersey has 11 and 21 and fading fast they watch three in a row remember at the start of the season Kevin locker he was talking about the playoffs. Injuries no doubt about it have hurt the nets the latest is to guard flits Walker footsie went down with a growing point in the Sunday night loss to Philadelphia hoping last for about two weeks and now the nets are left without a true point guard and with only three guards on the roster All those more will start with Mike Nolan tonight true Michael Korn and Jan Van Brett a cop can fill in in an emergency and that's the situation now also Cliff Robinson will miss tonight's game with an ankle sprain looked for the Nets they put Walker on the injured list and sign a guard within a day or two maybe Rory spiral from Patterson New Jersey and Villanova cut by the nets during the preseason and that's our sports care. OK Bill thank you. And once again our top story is Ronald Reagan has selected a New Jersey businessman. Ray Donovan as a secretary of labor and a mobster turned informant has told a congressional committee that organized crime has been taking over New

Jersey's hazardous waste industry and that's the news for Bill Perry. I'm here in St.. Good night for the New Jersey like. New Jersey Nightly News with joy Brizendine New Jersey Public Television and w ne t 13. 14 record.