New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 01/21/1982

New Jersey major news with Don tarns and Ken Monaghan. Good evening Kent Manahan is on vacation. Governor Tom Kean nominates four more people to his cabinet and take some instant criticism for one of them wins for Rutgers in St. Peters but a loss for the Nets Bill Perry will have basketball highlights tonight in sports. And in tonight's closer look a talk without going public advocate Stanley Van Ness about his accomplishments and the very future of that office. Governor Kaine today nominated for more people to his cabinet leaving only nine of the 20 post still to be filled for a state environmental commissioner Kane nominated Robert Hughey a planning consultant from Atlanta county as energy commissioner. He named the first black to his cabinet. Leonard Coleman who is executive director of the greater Newark urban coalition they named as public advocate a candidate attorney and Democrat Joseph Rodriguez and a state civil service head cane nominated Eugene McCaffrey The Gloucester County surrogate during his campaign candidate criticized two of the departments he had nominations for today and another nomination came under heavy criticism almost as soon as it was announced. Jim

McWhinnie has the story. Cain's choice as environmental commissioner Robert EWI a 38 year old former professor at Stockton State College now heading his own planning firm has already been opposed by the New Jersey Sierra Club. That environmental group claims Cain is reneging on a campaign pledge to name to the post a strong environmental advocate Hughey they said is not that person. Two years ago the Sierra Club successfully went to court to block Harrah's casinos plan to dredge a salt water Cove in Atlantic City. A plan for which Huey was a consultant. The Sierra Club also noted that you last year proposed a large scale planned unit development for Pine Land far as district in mullock Township. A proposal in regulatory limbo at the moment. There are probably 3000 planners in the state of New Jersey maybe three of those planners work strictly for conservation groups. The rest of them work for municipalities and on projects. So by virtue of being a planner I plan development or have planned development. I think the real test of whether you have a bias or not is what kind of projects youve worked on how

sound they are environmentally and how well they are received by the communities where you propose those projects. If confirmed by the state Senate we would be taking over an 11 year old department which has had its share of criticism for red tape and a lack of strong leadership in particular the new governor said the state's toxic waste disposal problem remains serious and must be addressed in the next few years. Though the state will be hard pressed to provide more money for that job. The nomination of Leonard Coleman his energy commissioner comes at a time that department's basic role is being questioned. Cain himself during the campaign wondered if the department functions couldn't be done more efficiently within other agencies and Colin will preside over an intra Department feud between departmental energy officials and the Board of Public Utilities over who is responsible for setting the state's energy policies and addressing its needs. And Joseph Rodriguez is set to take over the job as public advocate department. Cain has also criticized in the past for overstepping its role. Rodriguez former chairman of the state commission of investigation will replace Stanley vinous who has held a job since it was

created nearly a decade ago. Jim McSweeney we will have a talk with Stanley Vanesa a little later in the broadcast and as we reported Eugene McCaffrey the Gloucester County surrogate since 1972 will be taking over his state civil service commissioner but today said that the present commissioner Howard Woodson agreed to his request to stay on the job until March 1st when McCaffrey is expected to be confirmed by the state Senate. Several of Cain's nominees are awaiting Senate confirmation at this time. And Cain also said he is awaiting a legal opinion as to whether he could name those unconfirmed Cabinet nominees as acting commissioners. While New Jerseyans awoke to a familiar sight today snow the fourth snowstorm in just over a week moved north across the state today slowing down rush hour traffic before tapering off around noon time. Some parts of the state reported up to three inches of snow fell but road crews had most of the state's highways cleared by afternoon and no major transportation delays were reported. More snow is expected for tomorrow but the National Weather Service says it could turn to rain by evening as our

temperatures finally rise above the freezing mark freezing rain and snow are not only bad news for commuters as Rolonda Watts explains there are bad news for city and county budget planners who have to find money to keep those roads clear cleaning up snow costs cities and counties across the state. Hundreds of thousands of dollars most of that money goes toward overtime and contracts. But with those costs soaring many city and county officials are now trying to figure out how to clean up their budgets. If it. Does run the track that it has been going in we were anticipating a couple of more storms within the next three or four days. All things being equal we will probably run out of money. Gloucester County was perhaps the hardest hit by snow cleanup costs. Like many other municipalities Gloucester's budget was based on last year's clean up spending but it was a mild winter last year and this year's winter just doesn't compare. Glocester County

spent more than sixty two thousand dollars in snow removal and cleanup costs during last week's two snowstorms. About 60 percent of that in just one day. The county's total snow removal budget is $250000. Laporta says that budget runs short they'll have to ask for emergency appropriations from their freeholders officials of other municipalities say although they have had little or no problem paying for equipment and chemicals to clean up the snow is overtime and contractual costs. That's threatening balance budgets. For instance Mercer County has spent over a hundred thousand dollars so far in snow removal and that's 30 percent more than this time last year. Budgets in other cities like Paterson and here in New York have not yet been approved. City officials say they plan to avoid using emergency appropriations by adjusting this year's budget to match what they'll spend to clean up the snow. However more than anything those officials like many of us say they're hoping for mercy from Mother Nature. In New York City Hall. I'm

Rolonda Watts. For the last seven years the state's consumer affairs department has set a special program to monitor fuel oil deliveries. Well part of that program has been an annual roadblock for spot inspections of fuel trucks by Endako reports. They were waving down fuel oil trucks today at four roadblocks across the state inspectors checking for anything that might be in violation of the Law. Registration. For. The. Last. Delivery. The state wants to make sure fuel meters on trucks are accurate and the seal on the meters hasn't been tampered with. But most violations today were minor and many of the truckers knew of the inspection ahead of time. Now we never heard in anything and we've had good cooperation and morale. They never really know when exactly and by the time they know when it's too late. This is the only part of the state crackdown that cameras usually record but state inspectors also make routine inspections of deliveries like this in the state's inner

cities. They say this is where the biggest violators are caught. That's because meters and billings are usually unsupervised. Consumers aren't home inspections are so common that our news vehicle. A state car had one fuel truck driver fooled. Cars like you got right there. Right up behind you. Did you think we were inspectors. Consumer Affairs says the program has brought 98 percent of the state's fuel merchants in compliance with the law. That's the best record they say in the entire country. In Newark. I'm dying doctor. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has taken the next step and plans to build that coal port in Hudson County. The Port Authority at us today has purchased 220 acres of land in Port Jersey for four point eight million dollars. The land could become part of the port 200 million dollar coal port project which would service the northeast United States. But many Hudson County residents are opposed to the project and Port Authority officials insist they will not make a

final decision on the plan until they reach agreement with local officials. The state shore protection master plan was officially released this week. It least the repair of beaches in Ocean City as the number one priority. Today BP officials were in Ocean City with some good news and some bad news for those interested in protecting the Jersey Shore. Dan Hopson explains Ocean City officials have been told a few weeks ago that an environmental impact statement would be necessary before they're seriously depleted. Beach could be replenished. State and federal permission is needed before sand can be taken from its natural ocean sites. But just under the surface of this bay just north of Ocean City is a state disposal area for sand dredged from the nearby inland coastal waterway. It seems that we can probably get. Sand out of this area. Initial round of each year you give them the ability and the likelihood. Of. Our. Firm approvals. This is we could be here in late spring

early summer. Of this year. This all means that these ocean city beaches should be built out from 150 to 200 feet by the time most of the tourists get here this summer. But according to the state's master plan 81 percent of the Jersey shore line is in critical condition due to erosion. And based on hardships that's placing on local economies agriculture and personal property almost none of these areas have sand disposal sites next door. That includes Seattle city. It's number six on the priority list. Even though it has 10 more homes like this one that would almost certainly be severely damaged in a heavy storm. The EPA says this area will get some attention this year before the $20 billion in bond money runs out. City officials are hopeful but not optimistic. There is kind of a credibility gap. We've had world commitments since 1975 that the state is going to. Work on this beach maintenance program and management program. So we're kind of taking a wait and see attitude. Now the EPA says it will do as much as it can on the six top priorities. It admits it does

not have enough to begin to provide sufficient protection for areas now listed as critical but long term beach protection and complete replenishment of just the critical areas of need will still require another $70 billion according to the EPA. If that money is not available and available quickly. Those critical problems can only become worse. In Ocean City I'm Dan hearts. The former owners of chemical control corporation are on trial now. And Elizabeth the Union County community where their chemical dump exploded in April of 1980. The three men John Albert Eugene Conlin and Michael Collison are charged with building a hidden underground pipeline to move hazardous wastes into the Elizabeth River. If convicted the trio could face up to four years in prison and fines of $25000. The trial is expected to last about eight weeks. Clerical and laboratory employees at Rutgers New Brunswick campus ratified a two year contract with the university. New agreement covers some 300 workers and provides a salary increase of six percent retroactive to July of last year.

In addition to raises of 4 percent this month and 7 percent in July. In addition to that employees not at the top of their salary range will receive 5 percent step increases. Hope you got all that. The economic problems of cities like Camden are usually rendered in statistics or reported in the pronouncements of politicians but sometimes something happens which tells the tale in human terms. With a case in point from Camden here Steve Taylor. There's been a cop the cops department store on this corner in East Camden since 1993. Lewis Kotlikoff and his wife who everybody called Mother ran their store and raised three sons next door. The sons took over during the Great Depression and kept the place alive when others failed. But now the brothers say they're tired. We put in many years into the retail business. I think the time has come for us to step aside. But the brothers know it's unlikely anybody else would try to keep a department store in Camden with so many newer stores in the suburbs so they're not selling out. They're closing down.

You could say Kotlikoff is dying from the same economic change which gave it life in 1993. This was in the suburbs and people with better incomes were moving here from downtown Camden. Now that wave has passed the suburbs have moved farther out leaving Kotlikoff with the same people who have always stayed behind in our cities. People who live within the city or force her lower income. And many of them find that they're unable to purchase from. The has gotten by mainly because of the loyalty of the customers from the old days. Ironically there were plenty of new customers today with going out of business prices posted when Kadlec office closes in two or three months. About 30 people will lose their jobs. Many of them were old but not all. Their boss said they were too busy to talk to us today about the old customers had time including one whose memory went back 60 years and we used to come in when could have had a little to pay for story. Hearing she used to go up and climb the ladder and go up and pull everything out of

cardboard boxes. She just knew where everything was in the store and you don't find service like that these days. I resent them for that reason. You don't get any personal service at all. Where are you going to shop now. I don't know. It's going to be difficult in Camden I'm Steve Taylor. Engineers at the Naval Air Engineering Center in Lakehurst Ocean County are busy turning an old idea and some surplus parts. It is something the government hopes will increase America's timber harvest. Steve Katz explains. Lakehurst has been at the forefront of modern aviation technology but the latest thing to be developed here is a throwback to an earlier time in one of these massive hangars. Workers have assembled a blimp well not just a blimp. This Navy surplus airship will be combined with four old navy surplus helicopters to become the heel estat the last blimp operated by the U.S. government went out of service in 1961 and the blimp. Most people know about these days is run by Goodyear but the man behind the wheel is dad says this

blimp his idea whose time has come. Frank Sec'y is no newcomer to helicopter technology. The first one he built back in 1943 now sits in the Smithsonian Museum. Some thought his new invention wouldn't work. But he says he has made a career out of proving people wrong. Do you still get laughter or chuckle when the new idea that hasn't been tried and looks a little. Unique are different people are not always ready to grasp a new idea. Peace is heatless dad is a $10 billion project aimed at proving Timberg can be economically removed from deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The helicopter today does this but it does it for only about a mile from the rovers. What we're looking for is to demonstrate this up to six miles from the road and therefore enable a lot more timber to be taken out of the National far as for purposes of harvesting our natural resources. Using the helium filled balloon he explains will provide more lift at less cost.

The government hopes private industry will pick up on the idea and agree to harvest the otherwise unreachable timber land with their own stats. The final tests on this demonstrate the model will be made this summer. After that it's up to the private sector to decide on the future but Frank PSEG has future plans of his own for the blimp and helicopter combination in the works is one model he says that will be capable of lifting to 60 ton army tanks in Lakehurst Ocean County. I'm Steve Katz. Let's take a look at the weather forecast tonight will be cloudy with some snow expected the temperature in the upper teens to low 20s. More snow mixed with rain. All the high in the low 30s. And the outlook for Saturday rain possibly mixed with snow. As we mentioned earlier in the broadcast Tom Kaine has decided he wants his own public advocate and that

means the man who is sitting next to me Stanley Van Ness who has held that position since its inception. We'll be out of that job anyway and he's here to talk with us and our closer look segment tonight. Please be with it. Thank you for coming down. Now one thing a lot of people are clear about you you've also been still holding the title of public defender to use that will I lose that at the conclusion of my term which is the end of June. I spoke to the governor yesterday and he indicated he wished me to stay on to the end of the term and that he would then appoint his new a new public defender as well as let's say at the outset. I fully respect the governor's prerogatives in this matter. I bear no personal rancor we've been friends for a long time and continue to be so. He's entitled to have his people in his cabinet and whom he has total confidence. And it appears he will. I'm sure he will. A little retrospective I guess is in order here you have as I mentioned have held a position since 1974 when it when it was first conceived. What do you think was your office's most lasting contribution to the state of New Jersey. Well I think we proved that you can have an agency that works within the inside of government that is not beholden to people in government that you can look

independently at the bureaucracy that you can make judgments about their performance that you can demonstrate to the public that indeed you can throw rocks at city hall and then sometimes get away with it. You got all of that. What do you think your next to the next advocate our next advocate should be doing other programs that are in the hopper in our upcoming that will demand immediate attention. Well there are cases that have been commenced and the next public advocate we'll have to review those cases. Some have been started in my name and he will be free to discontinue those cases if he chooses. Others have been started. The names of named plaintiffs and it's a more difficult task for him to extricate himself from those cases. One of those is the Morris County suit that has caused so much controversy. I know Joe Rodriguez. I respect him. He's a fine attorney and I'm confident that he will proceed. He's in session. You're talking in Morris County I assume about the Mount Laurels like all those canaries in case you continue to raise your hand loses a lot of the hackles of a lot of people that will not go away with my

departure. You if you got any criticism mounted in any great numbers it was probably from a lot of people including politicians from Orange County who say that it is crazy to have one branch of the government that has the capability of suing another branch. And isn't it realistic to expect that if they want to cut a department that this might be one they'll cut. Will the office survive after you. No I think the office will survive. I think the fact that Tom Kean appointed a man like Joe Rodriguez suggests to me that he is in intent upon continuing the concept there's no doubt that the governor has had questions about my stewardship. And judgment in some of these matters. And obviously he's free to do so as that at the panel. I think though that the the concept is proven to be a successful one and that. People in my country may be unhappy about that particular situation. But if I look at the record overall I think we've demonstrated that we can help the people of the state in ways that have not been built before. I'm a little surprised that when we talked about accomplishments you didn't talk about utilities. That's certainly going to be an area that's going to

get a lot of attention. Well they certainly have abandonment of nuclear power plant plans. We're proud of our performance. We think we save the people of the state about three billion dollars over the last eight years and is going to be an awfully overwhelming problem for your predecessor successor. Well I don't think so I think we have I don't know what his intentions are about the existing staff but we have on board some outstanding young turned some not so young but people who bring a lot of training with economic training. One fellow's a physicist and a lawyer. I think they've demonstrated they can do the job they can compete with the utilities. And do better than the utility lawyers can. I think they've Chelsy utilities in areas they've never been challenged before. To raise questions about management. You're the real judgment. I think. If they're allowed to continue they'll do a pretty good job as of course and if at this point when the Supreme Court upheld you're rolling them out or a zoning decision one of the justices called you a voice for the poor and the politically impotent and they are likely to be people who are going to have even less of a voice does that make your the

role of your office more important today. I think it does. I have been talking to our people over the last year. In view of what's happened in Washington. And suggested that we think about our priorities again some of the things we've done as I said before are very important. But there are growing numbers of people who are going to be in sore needed in this country and I think the next public advocate is going to have to deal with that problem. Vanessa thank you very much for joining us. We do expect a lot more time. But thank you very much. And when we come back Bill Perry will have sports. Jumpers and jams upcoming with Bill Parian sports Bill.

OK. Thank you Don. Lots of roundball tonight lots of hoops pro ball first and Nets lost 132 113 last night in L.A. the start of a lengthy West Coast trip Buck Williams celebrated his being named to the east squad for the NBA all star game and are all the jam for buck However magic Johnson who had just 10 points but six deals and 12 assists he's got Kareem head of the field 20 for Abdul-Jabbar Lakers by 15:33 18 after one by 20. 66 46 at the half Jamaal Wilkes lead L.A. with 30 years Wilks Norm Nixon chipped in with 28 long jump easy for the Lakers 132 113 that's playing Phoenix tomorrow night in college basketball Rutgers continued undefeated in the Eastern 8 this girl. Knight's 11 and 3 overall beat UMass 62 52 last night. Rutgers is foreign owned league records led by as many as nine in the first half but it was a four point difference really in the second half but here's Brian out of you to make it 31 25 15 for Ellerby off the steal David Russell went 19 for UMass with the easy way up the minute. We're hanging in but a big play coming up for Rutgers. Nice out with you. I will be. So Roy

Henson and then shortly thereafter Clarence Tillman got hot for Rutgers. He led the way with 18 points. Rutgers went up by as many as 15 and coasted to win at 62 52. Here comes Clarence Rutgers has now defeated UMass nine straight times and for a third straight time. Tillman has been the high score. This is of course it is really you know just sort of go out and play the heart of this new team. You are used to a means to mean get in your mind good night to your games. I just had to keep myself in the news. Because I assume that it's hard to say for guys like this. You know they're not telling me this UCLA or sing or good. So you really have to really you just go for it. All right. Rectors next meets Pitt 03:00 starts Saturday at the Rutgers athletic center will have the TV for a delayed basis Saturday night at a great game at St. Peter's last night. Peacocks beat Iona 87 85 Tyrone Holloway had eight points in the first four minutes picaxe up 12 too early. But Iona Romney right back Steve Bird a 62 sophomore guard who had 14 first half points with numerous fastbreak buckets he jammed right there. Bert also did it outside and I don't know.

After trailing by 10 lead by as many as seven in the first half but it was only a three point lead for the game at halftime. As St. Peters Jim Murray hit at the buzzer right here from 40 feet nothing but net in the second half. Iona stretch the lead to seven again and again it was Bert on the fast break. But once I took that seven point lead 46 39 with 16 45 left St. Peter's court 10 unanswered points. William Brown skies for two of his 27 St. Peters went onto lead by 10 again. But a freshman from Atlantic City Bob Coleman who at 21 Frye owner brought his team back and it was Coleman at both ends with 130 left it was St. Peters by 9. 82 73. I only scored eight straight points in 40 seconds to get within one four point play right here instead of the jam for Shelton Gibbs. Coleman drew the offensive foul on Phil Jamison Coleman then hit two free throws to make it 82 81 but in the final 50 seconds Gibbs and William Brown it crucial free throws it was a foul shooting contest down the stretch. St. Peters hung on to win 87 85. GIBBS had all 18 of his points in the second half. It was truly a great basketball game. That's our Sports Don.

Thank you very much Bill and that's the news for Bill Perry and the rest of the nightly news team. I'm Don Tarrance. Good night. New Jersey Nightly News has a joint presentation of the New Jersey network and w any 213 portions. By