New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 03/04/1981 7:30 pm

Here's Karen Stone. Good evening as worker unrest continues at the hawker chemical plant in Burlington County Va. The problem of Environmental Protection is analyzing the weight taken from the nearby landfill. For Bill Perry We'll have details on the fifth in the Eastern 8 Tournament and we'll see how the New Jersey farmers may fare in President Reagan's proposed budget. The Department of Environmental Protection is analyzing waste taken from a chemical company dumped at a Florence township landfill. That word today is union workers on strike at the Burlington. Asked federal inspectors to look into alleged health hazards there. Stewart has more. We have no people who have respiratory infections 351 union workers walked out on a wildcat strike last week when they learned a hooker brought nitric oxide of highly toxic gas into the plant without telling them. Today a national union official meant was just the latest in a series of alleged safety infractions that warrant federal attention.

Until. Conditions are straight now. Such as the oxide they put in there. And the readings are taken correctly. And foreign. Members are exposed to. They're going to stay with. The current state with its position to denying any job related health problems and indefinitely suspending four workers for malicious slander for suggesting it. The Federal Health Administration workers at Burlington divine. But in January the same federal agency said the problem had been corrected. The strategy gets into the part in The New Yorker and calling attention to the waste we have they have been bringing in a way that was based on reports from telling us that it was a driver for the company that

never seen chemicals on his truck. Plastic cups was still just the same. No more of the plastic waste will be dumped here until results of the tests come through. Perhaps this Friday. Workers expect to stay on the picket line longer than they won't go back until management talks about health conditions on the job and management refuses to talk until they go back to work in Burlington. Stuart. Thousands of New Jersey farmers may get fewer federal loans as President Reagan's proposed spending cuts are approved. The Farmers Home Administration which oversees 30 different kinds of loans and assistance programs is expected to have its budget cut by 25 percent in the Garden State. But here. The drought really hurt me really bad. We had a 50 percent loss. On soybean production I was really counting on that to pull me through this year.

We didn't get other New Jersey farmers without an emergency loan from the Farmers Home Administration. Fifteen million dollars. They have been declared disaster areas. Normally only around 10 percent of the state 70 700 farmers rely on supplemental federal assistance. From operating loans ownership loans and emergency loans make up a big chunk of New Jersey's M.H. a budget Reagan's plan would increase operating slightly and reduce the other two. But thanks to a nationwide crop insurance program New Jersey several counties will become eligible for disaster coverage reducing the need for emergency credit. And program director say farmers will not be seriously hurt by reduced ownership loans. We would be between 500000 and a million dollars in farm ownership which would reduce the number of loans we could make for the purpose of improving or anywhere from 8 to 10 throughout the state. And we normally but maybe

60 years. So it really. Is not too significant altogether for me. Paul Graham from HK covering federal assistance to a variety of farm related industries including cuts in all areas. 1982 it would be around forty five billion dollars from this year 62 million. As surprising as it may sound some SNH a spokesman say a few of Reagan's proposed budget cuts may actually prove to be beneficial to the farmers in the long run. In the words of one official if there's less money available for rural development building sewers for example that means there's less farmland taken over by developers in Columbus. The federal government has agreed to turn over a half million dollars in assets to a company that has its warehousing operation here in New Jersey. The U.S. Treasury Department has decided to release money baring international incorporated of

Texas funds that were frozen after the Americans at the U.S. embassy in Tehran were taken hostage. The Baronne company has its warehousing operation in Addison around the money to the Texas based firm for freight service the company rendered for the Iranian Air Force. Another New Jersey congressman is trying to rescue plans for a veteran's hospital in Camden. Freshman Congressman Chris Smith of Old Bridge has delivered a letter to President Reagan asking that funding for the Camden V.A. hospital be included in the president's federal budget proposal. Reagan has deleted money for the project as part of his massive budget trimming. Congressman Smith and other members of New Jersey's congressional delegation are working to get funding for the 75 million dollar hospital restored to state investigations are underway to see if these seven counties in the protected pine lands are trying to destroy the Pine Land Management Plan. None is being accused of doing anything illegal but they are being accused of destroying tax basis and then blaming the management plan. The counties

deny it. South Jersey correspondent Don Torrance reports. There have been also reductions of tax assessments on open undeveloped properties in the pine lands like this one in Bass River township the county tax assessor say that's simply the effect of the Pinelands plan they say this property just isn't worth as much because of restrictions on development. But people like Bass River township mayor Floyd West who's also a member of the pine lands commission say opponents of the pine lands plan have come upon the perfect ploy to scuttle that plan. The county tax boards have the power to transfer the tax from the open land to individual property owner the homeowner in the Pine Barrens by reducing assessments on the open land. And that's exactly what they're doing. We can look forward to bankruptcy in this in the municipalities in the Pine Barrens if the county boards continue with the work that they're doing now lowering the assessments arbitrarily lowering lowering the assessments from 50 to in some cases 90 percent of the value is rubbed out and then that amount would

be transferred to homeowners. West has reported what he feels is a plot to the state attorney general of the state Senate Committee on Energy and the environment investigations by both are underway. County Tax boards in the region say they will cooperate and deny any conspiracy to county tax administrator John doesn't see any at least in his county. County workers is an independent judicial body that is under no pressure from anybody. The actions of this board are done strictly. On merit. So you don't see a conspiracy. There's one coming west and others think the whole system of appointing people to county to explore should be studied to keep people with vested real estate interests off those boards and prevent land values from being manipulated. Highland supporters see this battle as the biggest the management plan will face in Bass River township Burlington County Don Torrance.

It's going to be tougher for college students in New Jersey to get to wish an aide next year the State Higher Education Department today began mailing out new rules for eligibility for the 150000 students it expects to apply a department spokesman said 25000 students should be affected either in aid reduction or loss of eligibility all together this year 54000 students receive some form of tuition aid and the state anticipates an extra 3000 students will apply for aid next year. Government assistance to welfare recipients and the elderly is continuing to push them below a minimal standard of living. That's the conclusion of a study released today by a federally funded organization based in New Brunswick. Jim acquitting has the story. The study by Legal Services of New Jersey claimed a family of four needs $12000 a year to maintain a minimally adequate existence. Yet a needy family of four in New Jersey receiving state and federal assistance got less than half that. The study found and this compares to the $22000 year median income for a working family in New Jersey according to the study

representatives of several government assistance programs and two state wide church groups expressed fear that inflation and projected cuts in social programs will widen the gap between working families which are well-off and non working families and the elderly relying on government aid. And behind the statistics of every study like this there's often a personal story. And there's one inside this house in Lawrence Harbor. Mrs. Alice Morehead has lived here 40 years. Her only monthly income is a two hundred eighty three dollars Social Security check. She sets aside one hundred dollars a day that the property taxes insurance and water bills $60 goes for heating oil and that's after she had to seal up the upstairs to cut costs. At 67 Mrs. Morin must spend forty five dollars for medication and the phone gas and electric bills take up all but 13 dollars or three dollars and 25 cents a week. She does receive seventeen dollars a week in food stamps. One of the federal programs facing some cutbacks but it's not enough to let her eat as often as her doctor says is necessary to control their diabetes. So more often than not dinner is cheap ravioli and an occasional him burger. It's a daily battle to stretch your budget

and you have to make up beer. To live a strict strict budget because you had your duck and nobody on staff and as did a study also pointed out the elderly often fear losing what they've gained over the years in Mrs. Martins case she's constantly worried about losing the house her mother will to her hearers did have and get it from my dead mother. I won't know in Lawrence Harbor I'm Jim a queen. Companies pay the fee charged tenets to collect. Water companies started mailing the surcharges to customers in November December

landlords began passing the excess charges along to tenants. In most high rise apartments. There's usually only one master meter for the entire building and even if an individual tenant conserves anyway. The New Jersey tenants organization is now advising apartment dwellers not to pay the fine. And don't get upset it's happening to others and landlords cannot any right you know. Can pass along a surcharge to a tenant the landlord has to submit to the state a list of water conservation measures being used in that building if the state approves of those conservation measures the landlord can then pass along the surcharge but without state approval the landlord has to absorb the surcharge. Before February 7th building owners had to absorb all fines and surcharges regardless of whether conservation measures were being implemented. Now if serious attempts were made at making a

building more water efficient The fines can be passed along to tenants and most building owners think that is fair. Now that things have been changed if the owner can pass on the fine. I do agree that it is responsible for owners to do these conservation measures and then pass on the fines. Some observers point out however that both sides in this issue may be involved in an effort in futility at the moment water companies do not have the power to cut off service to building owners who refuse to pay the surcharge and tenants cannot be evicted for failure to pay those fines. In Palisades Park. Now here is the weather forecast a winter storm watches in effect for North Jersey tonight. Rain may change to snow around midnight with accumulations raining ranging from four to 10 inches in North Jersey and two inches in South Jersey. Temperatures will be in the high 20s to low 30s. There will be more rain or snow tomorrow. Temperatures will be in the upper 20s to low 30s.

People crowded into Newark Symphony Hall last night for a special one time only concert by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the reports last night's musical treat carried over to today. Look up Pasadena crowd jam Symphony Hall last night to see the century old Boston Symphony Orchestra and its dynamic conductor Seiji Ozawa.

This tape is from an earlier concert in Boston but the sold out hold last night was testimony both to the stature of the Boston Symphony and its conductor and also the culture void left by the turmoil of the New Jersey Symphony for the Boston Symphony. This is the first transcontinental tour in 17 years. It's sponsored by Bill telephone as part of its American orchestras on tour. Last night work's often forgotten symphony hall was filled with both music and people something that hasn't happened a lot lately and in last night's audience were some young musicians for whom the Boston Symphony was especially important.

That Susan Vogt a junior at Mountain High School in West Orange. She's one of 10 students lucky enough to join in on today's master's classes. This one being led by Boston Pops clarinetist Williams he shot. Down the Newark campus of Trumpet master class played to an audience of about 50 people. The master here is James who plays for trumpet with the Boston Symphony. The master's classes are also a regular part of the tour. Today's activities were sponsored by New Jersey bell and the New Jersey State Arts program. The idea of the program is to attract talented young musicians like Tracy Ferrara a sophomore at Rheims and Fairhaven a Regional High School.

Tracy's been playing the clarinet for six years. She also took up the piano two years ago and then the saxophone. Last year this was a big day for her. Somebody you can trust to tell you from just from the next on the agenda at the ropes in student center. Some time jazz. Special attraction on clarinet. Former New Jersey attorney general William Highland he joined former and current members of the Boston Symphony an impromptu group calling itself jazz works. From jazz to masters classes to Beethoven and Stravinsky

last night a Symphony Orchestra's one night stand in Newark. This is Phelps. President Reagan has called for a new and stronger naval strategy and is asking Congress for billions of dollars to achieve it. One of the battleships that could come out of mothballs is the USS New Jersey. We have a report tonight from Andy Russell of station in Seattle. The Battleship New Jersey would be the first to be reactivated if Congress appropriates the money. The ship again is in chains after activation for Vietnam duty. This workhorse also served in World War 2 and the Korean conflict. The Navy estimates it would take two and a half years and two hundred fifty four million dollars to get it back online. Also contained in the Navy's proposed budget money to study the feasibility of returning the New Jersey slip made the Missouri to service the Missouri as a national shrine visited by thousands each year. But Japanese surrender was taken on it. In addition the Navy will ask for money to reactivate the aircraft carrier or a scan.

Navy security prevented taking pictures of it here but it's similar to this carrier. Sixth District Congressman Norm Dicks whose district includes Ramadan has been less than enthusiastic about reactivating these old warships modern technology would make them sitting ducks in a war and more modern ships could be built for the rehabilitation price tag. But even if the Navy gets the money and the ships it will face a major problem. So efficient crews to operate the ships each requires a complement of sixteen hundred to eighteen hundred people. And the Navy already assured 20000 petty officers a critical group of people who make everything on board run. The New Jersey battleship commission once proposed that the USS New Jersey be acquired from the Navy Department and operated as a memorial museum. But the chairman of that commission Joseph as Alina says the needs of the country should take precedence. Cable television in New Jersey is just starting to become a familiar sight in most areas.

But one resident in New Jersey might be described as a little spaced out. He says the next advancement will be global television. Jim McQueen has the story. At noon today most TV watchers had limited pickings like Family Feud. The card shark or soap opera. Jim Potts however had better selections with each turn of the dial. Like a soap opera in Mexico. An athletic event in England. A French speaking Canadian gameshow. A Latin American Johnny Carson show more local programming from around the United States. Because of this variety his TV Guide is a lot thicker. And while most people fiddle with their antennas for better reception Potts goes out to his backyard satellite receiver

with a few adjustments here and there. You can get scores of TV channels from orbiting satellites. How does all this work. Well works quite simply. There's a satellite out of 22000 miles. The signal comes into this reflector bounces into the receiver the receiver takes it and puts it down through this cable. And so the house where the control box is. That's a simple as hard as it is POTS is going to start selling his do it yourself earth station as they're called for around $4000. He says there are about 500 various home satellite stations operating nationwide. But sales are expected to reach 15000 by next year. The FCC doesn't require licensing for the units but it's illegal to pirate pay TV signals. Yet they acknowledge that's almost impossible to enforce. Industry officials say home satellite receivers may soon become a part of the landscape in much the same way as windmills once were in Ellisville.

I'm Jim acquainted and we'll be right back with Bill Perry in sports. And now here is Bill Perry and Sports Bill. Thank you Karen before we get to the basketball promise the 15 year old figure skater is in trouble of the World Championships in Hartford Connecticut Elaine is in 11th place after two of the three compulsory figures held today. The compulsories are not strong standing in the free skate where she does her noted acrobatics but even if she wins that

a climb to first may not be possible now the basketball in the Eastern a tournament last night opening round to beat record 67 62 the Scarlet Knights just finished. 16 and 14 early on it was all Rutgers night at 7:40 Roy Hansen coming up in the lane led the way with 17 points but Pitt climbed right back in after falling 12 down nine straight points brought them back to the baby coming up with the 10. Off the Mashad. Now watch off the good wide open jumper before the end of the half and let it at intermission. Thirty seven thirty three out sworn workers twenty nine to 13 since the night's about a 20 to 8 sand pit with 16 points. The Panthers held the lead and right shipments club ended their seven game losing streak to Rutgers winning the big one. Play hard and we just did what we had to do the first half we fell behind but we got after and after the second half. So it's all for Rutgers. You don't think the Knights are going to get it right. Pittsburgh Rutgers coach Tom Young told me that the most frustrating you have ever had because

we've lost I think 12 basketball games that is somewhere around there and 10 in the last minute. So we could have a fantastic season and yet we had a very frustrating season. But the only way you can look at it is from the positive side say we have most of all back next year and those close games should go our way. Rector's was only a graduation tomorrow night. St. Peters begins when an employee to haul in the Big East meeting Georgetown St. Peters faces Iona and the ECAC Metro tournament at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island the Nets lost their sixth in a row s night 1 28 1 to 2 2 Chicago Bulls never trailed Artest Gilmore gets the game's first bucket on the off chance of boards look how easy 21 against Bob McKinnon is outmanned that's the cannon started his 20 different starting line up last night. The newest injury a sore need for Michael Korn he missed last night's game behind Gilmore. It was twenty nine thousand nine hundred Chicago after one of the highlights for the Nets in the first half. Other teams break rooms or back towards the nets break nets off the gem broke the net. Well what do you expect from a 20

and 50 team 63 47 both at the half second half James whelks off the Bulls bench at 21. Again it's so easy inside and Cliff Robinson had 30 to lead the nets one twenty eight to one of two Chicago ones. And a field of 11 3 year olds will run in Friday's Florida Derby at Gulfstream the favorite is Jersey only five on this morning's online. This year's Florida Derby is the richest ever a purse of one to $26000. Thanks Bill. And that's the news for Bill Perry. I'm going tonight for the night on. The nightly news is a presentation of New Jersey Public Television and 13 questions reporter.