NJN News; Thursday, August 17, 2000

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We'll explain NJN News for Thursday, August 17th. From NJN Public Television, New Jersey's only statewide television newscast. NJN News with Kent Manahan. President Clinton today declared Sussex and Morris County's disaster areas those were the county's hardest hit by flooding, causing evacuations, and damage estimated to exceed $100 million. The declaration means flood victims are eligible for federal aid. Meanwhile as people try to get their lives back in order, there are new concerns for flood victims, Zachary Fink reports getting fresh water, dealing with mold and controlling mosquitoes are the latest challenges. Heather Mulcaren, her husband, are trying to dig their house out of the mud. On Saturday, heavy rains caused part of the mountain next to their home to collapse. They're worried about insurance claims and whether or not personal belongings can be salvaged. The Red Cross has put them up in a hotel for the last few days, but today they returned home, and the couple is unsure if that's safe.

The mold and the smell that's in the house right now is very musty and muddy, you know, very muddy. And I guess that is mother is living with us, and she's 82 years old, she's unoxygenized it is. Yes, you need to do so. Just a few miles away, the American Red Cross has set up a service center, flood victims have been coming by for clean water and other necessities, including disinfectants. In flooding situation, there is the propensity for mold to grow, and as mold develops, it can present health problems. So the American Red Cross is very diligent about getting cleanup kits out as soon as possible. Sussex County Health officials say their primary concern is clean drinking water. Newton's water supply has been down since Saturday, but officials say now they're testing it, and it's expected to be cleaned up by the weekend. However, they're also concerned about mosquitoes with the threat of West Nile virus. All the stagnant water that's been left behind is an ideal breeding ground for mosquito larvae. Basically, right now, we're going to we're larva siding. If we can prevent the emergence of adult mosquitoes, then we've done our job. Obviously, numbers will escape, and then we'll have to do some adult siding.

But we will try to keep those efforts to a minimum. Seneca Lake and Tomahawk Lake were drained after two dams broke over the weekend. The lake beds now have pools of standing water, which health officials say could breed mosquitoes in 10 to 14 days. But the county has stepped up its efforts, and Murlock says they will try and keep the mosquitoes at bay. Zachary Fink and JN News, Jefferson Township. In other news, it's the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Tonight, Vice President Al Gore takes the spotlight as he formally accepts his party's nomination for president. His speech before the convention is considered to be the most important one of his political career. Michael Aaron is in Los Angeles now with the latest. Good evening, Michael. Hello, Rich. Al Gore is promising specifics tonight. But just when he's trying to get out from Bill Clinton's shadow, the president is back in the news. Mr. Clinton is facing another grand jury investigation in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Kenneth Starr's successor, Robert Ray, and paneled this new grand jury a month ago. At issue, whether Clinton lied or obstructed justice, when he denied in sworn testimony

and affair with Paula Jones. Now, the White House is reacting angrily, saying the timing of this new leak, of this news leak, quote, wreaks to high heaven. What effect all this may have here remains to be seen. Meanwhile, as we await Gore's speech, we have an in-depth look tonight at the New Jersey Democratic Party still reverberating from the shock of last month's dramatic showdown between Jimmy Grievey and Bob Torres-Cellie over next year's gubernatorial nomination. The Democrats say they're united. Indeed, at this convention, they've looked united. Jimmy Grievey and Bob Torres-Cellie have reestablished a public cordiality. Even Archrival's Ray Lesniak, a key McGreevey backer, and George Norcross, the chief Torres-Cellie backer, mugged for the cameras, despite bitter feelings toward each other. But beneath the veneer, there are intense rivalries and some hard feelings from the recent conflagration.

Well, I think the party is in a schizophrenic state in this sense. I think we're very united with respect to 2,000. I think people are very much behind John Corson. I'm very optimistic about his chances. I think Al Gore is going to carry the state. There are divisions with respect to 2001. We have a long time to heal him, and I'm optimistic that in time we will. We did hit that bump. We survived the bump. There were no derailments of the train. In Hudson County, party chairman Bob Januszowski supported Torres-Cellie while Congressman Bob Menendez sided with McGreevey. McGreevey camp says that makes Menendez now the go-to guy in Hudson. If they want to treat Bob Menendez as the leader, quote-unquote, of Hudson County in its political community, I think they're making a mistake because the Congressman in Hudson County, well for that matter virtually, anywhere else, is not the person who operates the political switch. It's the mayors of those communities who hold the county committees, who produce the

workers, who have the faith of the public in their neighborhoods, and that's where the rubber meets the road. In South Jersey, a group of Democrats who refuse to follow Norcross's lead, instead held out for McGreevey, feel like they've finally proved the Camden County leader no longer speaks for all South Jersey Democrats. Certainly Mr. Norcross is a very important person. He's very powerful. He's a very bright individual, but the reality is the interests of people in Camden County and Burlington County of Democrats may very well be different than the interest of Democrats in Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland, and Salem, and there could be no really one voice from any area of the South. Camden State Senator Wayne Bryant is a Norcross ally. Understand Camden County in its own right, outvotes all the rest of South Jersey, Pluton and Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem County. You can't win without Camden County. Even before McGreevey tore a selly, the Porzine Floreo Senate primary had the party split along North South lines, Assembly Democratic leader Joe Doria of the North, and South Jersey

Assembly Caucus leader Joe Roberts have barely spoken in a year, despite efforts here in Los Angeles at peacemaking. We've had some conversations at the convention, hoping that we can pull it together. I've talked to both sides. I have close ties with Joe Roberts and a number of other individuals from the South. And I think people are moving in the direction of working something out, but we're not there yet. Meanwhile, despite McGreevey's apparent hold on next year's gubernatorial nomination, two Democratic congressmen would like to replace Tora Selly as the alternative to McGreevey. Am I thinking about it? Absolutely. There's an opportunity. A lot of people encourage me, certainly going around the room here and talking to a lot of the Democratic leaders in the state that are at the convention. A lot of people have been encouraging me. State party chairman Tom Giblin struggles gamely to keep things together and hold his position. I think that we're stronger than we were a month ago.

I mean, I think that a lot of things have settled down. I say to Jim McGreevey in a lot of ways that he had a primer without spending any money. But clearly, the internal party landscape has been rearranged. Obviously, anytime there's a party squabble, some people move forward and some people don't move forward as fast. There's always factionalism within political parties, but New Jersey's Democratic party seems to have been specializing in it lately. And no one offers a hard prediction that it will go away. To ask anybody to foresee anything in New Jersey politics after the month we've had is really tough. I think what we've learned is there are always unforeseen twists in the room. Joining me now to people who know the truth of that last statement, the Democratic analyst Rick Thigpen here with me in Los Angeles, and in our Trenton studios, Republican analyst Roger Bodman, Rick is this party more fractured than most? I don't think so, Michael.

I think Democrats are on their way to unity, and it's odd way Jim McGreevey has emerged stronger as a result of the contest. He now has the opportunity to provide leadership that can unify the party. If he does it successfully, we're going to move forward together. If people carry grudges forward and have enemies list and get people back, that's going to create fractures and disunity. Some of those enemies lists and fractures are there now and pretty strong right now, right? There's no question some people have those things in mind. Jim will have to rise to the challenge of leadership now. He's going to have to put those differences aside. He's going to have to provide leadership that everybody has confidence in. That's going to be the basis of unifying the party. He's now the titular head of the party. People have confidence in his leadership, the party will come together. Roger is the New Jersey Democratic party more fractured than the Republican New Jersey party? Oh, absolutely, Michael. I mean, the great divide continues, it seems to me. Not only did we have this bizarre incident with Senator Torres-Cellia a couple of weeks back, which is as bizarre as they come, but perhaps more importantly, the fact that the Democratic Assembly is split.

I mean, you've never seen that in the Republican party. I mean, you literally have two Democratic assemblies down there and they already are in the minority. So, you know, that speaks volumes as far as I'm concerned as to the splits and the deep splits in that Democratic party. And yet they can say that they have 16 of 21 county chairs already committed to Jim McGreeby's gubernatorial candidacy. And the Republicans have three candidates who are about to engage in a tough primary. Can they make the argument that, therefore, they're more unified than you are? I think not. You know, I listen primaries for primaries. They happy each and every year for almost each and every office. And it seems to me that once these primaries are over some 10 months from now, both parties are going to be relatively unified. The issue is what happens between now and then. Again, the Assembly is essentially rendered to the totally ineffectual in terms of its minority status because they're literally split down the middle. Rick, can you respond to Roger by saying who says that the Assembly Democrats are ineffectual? I agree with one thing, Roger, said, there's no question what happens between now and then

is very key. Confidence in the leaders, ability to lead to represent the interest of all the constituents in the party is very significant. The Assembly Democratic caucus is split now. That's something that hopefully will fade away and Democrats will return to the politics that makes Democratic parties strong and not on the politics of power and who's in charge. Ten second rebuttal, Roger? Well, it remains to be seen. You know, I'm no expert in the Democratic Party, Michael, but I got to tell you, in my many years in Trenton, I have never seen a split this deep for this law. Got to end it there, Roger Bodman, Rick Thigpen, thank you all very much. It may not be their convention, but top Republican elected officials from around the country are in Los Angeles this week to put their spin on what the Democrats are up to here. Here with more on that is my colleague Jim Hooker, Jim. Michael New Jersey's Republican governor, Christie Whitman, is among that contingent informally called the Truth Squad by Republicans. And the governor had plenty to say here this morning on what she and the other Republicans believe are wrong-headed policies and tall tales being told here by the Democrats.

Governor Whitman and the other Republican leaders gathered to talk about strategy in a downtown office building directly across the street from the Staples Center. After their private meeting, they emerged to meet the press and put their spin on the Democratic Convention. And I welcome you today for of the Re-Invention Convention. And it just gets curiouser and curiouser, I guess. Whitman was the first to be called to the podium. Among other things, she took shots at the Democrats on health care. How after eight years, as Bill Bradley said on the first night, there are 44 million Americans without health insurance coverage. That's up 20 percent. That's 8 million more than before this administration started. Whitman also chimed in when a reporter asked about Lieberman's defense of America's military as being tops in the world. Part of our mission involves the use of black hole helicopters and in the past has involved the use of F-16s.

We have a real problem in getting enough money for our National Guard as well of enough parts for them to be able to fly enough training missions to be ready when called upon. And she was eager to counter perhaps the leading theme here this week that Democrats are the true party of inclusion, reflected by the large number of minorities and women in the Democratic delegation. Jim, we didn't have to set up quotas. The Democrats have quotas for their delegation. They have a percentage of how many minorities you have to have, how many women you have to have. You looked at the New Jersey delegation to that convention. We had an extraordinarily diverse delegation and I didn't have to put a quota on anybody. Those are the people, the Republican Party. I think it's hypocritical for the Democrats to be given a free ride on this issue of diversity when they have quotas, down to sexual preference quotas. I mean, that's outrageous. If we've done that in the Republican convention, we would be, I believe, severely attacked rightfully so. A spokesman for the Republican National Campaign effort told me Whitman was asked to come out

here this week because she's quote, a capable, articulate spokesperson who knows the issues, has a record of her form and has national stature. With my colleague Michael Aaron here in Los Angeles, I'm Jim Hooker, Rich, back to you in the Trenton Studios. Okay, Jim. Thank you and thank Michael as well. And we'll be back with more news in a moment. Acquited on most charges, that's the verdict in the New York trial that put boxing under a legal microscope.

International Boxing Federation found a robberly escaped conviction today. And most of the charges in his bribery and racketeering trial. After deliberating for 15 days, the panel found guilty of just six of the 33 counts, including money laundering and tax evasion, he could, however, be sent to prison on the lesser charges. A memorial today to remember those who died last week in the collision of two planes over Burlington County. Civilian employees at the Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Center remembered the seven co-workers and the two pilots who were killed. The collision of their Piper Navajo and the Piper Seminole killed 11 people in all. General investigators may never figure out what caused the accident. Neither plane had a flight data recorder. Today's service was closed to the media. Atlantic City may soon be resembling the beaches of the Caribbean. Two casinos have won approval to serve alcohol on the city's beaches. Ken St. John has details. Gaming officials in Atlantic City have voted to allow the Atlantic City Hilton and Trent Plaza Hotel Casino to serve alcohol on the beaches at so-called special events. The Casino Control Commission voted for to nothing to allow drinks and fenced off areas,

but only to invited patrons and their guests. The mission head James Hurley says it's about time. We've always very much taken our lead from the city of Atlantic City. If they said they could have a permit to have a party on the beach and serve alcoholic beverages, then we never had a problem with it. So we're glad to see it happen. City Council last month finally signed off on the idea. The officials say it's good for the city as well as the casino industry. People come to Atlantic City and they want to have fun and enjoy and relax themselves and let their head down. And this is another way of saying to the visitors of Atlantic City, come to Atlantic City and enjoy yourself. It's more than just a casino but lay out on the beach and have a cocktail. Trent Plaza Hotel and Casino is wasting no time. They plan to sponsor a beach barbecue later this month. This beach is the biggest part of our resort. There is not, you know, this beautiful ocean and beach and boardwalk, you know, anywhere else in the east coast like this. And we just want to give everybody every chance they can to enjoy it.

Especially events will be monitored by city police and the city's beach patrol. However, they aren't forecasting any problem. You know, there's alcoholic beverage being served. So the same principle. We have a responsibility there like the ABC does and any other liquor establishment. We have the, you know, beautiful amenities here to attract more people down here. Destination Atlantic City. Destination Atlantic City. Can't say John and JN News Atlantic City. More and more charter school applications are being sent to Trenton. The State Education Department announced today it's received 27 new applications. State officials, local school boards and superintendents will review and provide input on the request. The State Education Commissioner will announce which charters are approved early next year, 56 charter schools will be operating this fall in New Jersey. And tonight's health watch, a breakthrough approach to treating cancer patients. It's the nation's first real-time radiation therapy system. Health and medical correspondent Sarah Lee Kessler tells us it was designed and manufactured right here in New Jersey.

This is the prostate tumor, the prostate right here. Dr. James Wong of Maristown Memorial Hospital is looking at a tumor scan. It's provided by a unique piece of equipment called a C-T-On Rails linach or linear accelerator. Wong invented it and Siemens and islin-based medical technology company built it. What this allows us to do is to see the tumor inside the body and to treat at the same time. One-stop shopping, not the usual week-long delay between initial diagnosis and actual radiation therapy. Therefore, there's no time for the tumor to shift. And if you rely on outside skin marks, you might be missing the tumor and that is dangerous and you cannot cure the patient. This equipment combines a CT scan to pinpoint the tumor with a linear accelerator to deliver precise radiation to the affected area. Doctors say it's much more accurate.

So we're going to move the field forward for about a centimeter and therefore we will treat the prostate and avoid the rectum. It was better because during the treatment they had to readjust the direction of the beam so we know that it worked. It allows the physician to accurately deliver the dose to the tumor and as a result, have less complications. At the moment, Maristown Memorial is the only hospital in the country that has this combo equipment but Simon says it will be installed in other cancer centers in the near future. Sarah Lee Kessler, NJN News, Maristown. Coming up, business news, a looming deadline in the Verizon communications strike will have the latest. At Atlantic City's Cassinius report a profitable second quarter will have the results coming up next. In tonight's business, day 12, the Verizon communications strike can still no sign of

a settlement. One of the two unions involved is threatening to walk out of negotiations at midnight unless the company presents an acceptable offer. A couple dozen directors brought their children to a strike rally today in union. They say the strike is starting to affect their families and urging the company to reach an agreement. And on Long Island today, two Verizon workers are in critical condition after they allegedly cut through an electric cable. They thought it was a phone cable. Both workers are now facing criminal charges. In Atlantic City, the Cassino industry reported an 8.3% increase in profits for the second quarter.

The 12 Cassino's jointly reported gross operating profits of $294 million last quarter, up from $272 million in the same period a year ago. Valley's Park Place, Seasers and Harris were the three most profitable Cassinos. Hotel occupancy rates also rose to more than 94% of 2.5% jump for the past six months. And the price of gasoline is falling a bit in New Jersey, AAA of Central West Jersey reports. Regular and let it is now averaging $1.55 a gallon here, down 2 cents over the past month. The nationwide average is now $1.49 a gallon in 8 cent decrease over the past month. It means gasoline in New Jersey is now higher than the nationwide average. On Wall Street stocks rose across the board, a bit lessening concern that the Fed will not raise interest rates at its policy meeting next week. Researchers were searching for companies that are expected to escape and expected slowdown during the second half of this year. At the close, the Dow industrial's added 47 and a quarter points to $11,055 among the broad markets, the MX-Rose 6, the NASDAQ jumped nearly 80 points, the S&P 500 gained 16. In the treasury market, the 10-year notice up to 3.30 seconds it's yield at 5.80%.

And still ahead, on NJN News, a check of the forecast, stay with us. No complaints about the weather, a beautiful day with sunny skies and pleasant conditions with low humidity, temperatures were mainly in the lower 80s. And it was a great day to take a lunchtime stroll as these folks were doing today, at the Liberty Hall Center Park in Union, after spending an hour outside, I'm sure it was tough to go back inside, but like most people, they probably need the job.

As far as our ozone watch for tomorrow, I expect good levels across the state, and here's the New Jersey forecast, not as great as today, and North Jersey tonight cloudy with lows in the mid-60s, tomorrow periods of rain with a possible thunderstorm highs in the mid-70s, in South Jersey tonight cloudy with a chance of a shower, lows in the upper 50s, tomorrow showers and thunderstorms with highs in the mid-70s. And that's the news from all of us here at NJN News. I'm Rich Young, have a good night, and we'll see you tomorrow.