New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 02/06/1980 7:30 pm

A. A legislative committee may conduct its own probe of the Abscam scandal. We'll take a closer look at the methods one town is using to combat crime. The excitement and the drama from last night's record Princeton game tonight. In sports. New Jersey Nightly News with Karen Stone. Correspondent Gus Hemingway and Bill Perry with sports. Good evening. A Joint Legislative Ethics Committee will meet in the State House Monday to decide whether to conduct its own investigation of federal bribery charges. State Senator Charles Yates of Burlington County said today legislators will decide whether to

launch their own investigation into the activities of two state senators named in reports of the so-called Abscam scandal or whether to leave the whole matter to Attorney General John Degnan and in Washington the Senate Ethics Committee has voted to conduct a preliminary inquiry into reports that Senator Harrison Williams accepted bribes. Meanwhile Casino Control Chief Joseph Florida again denied allegations today that he is in any way involved in the scandal. In a taping of The New Jersey public television program at issue Lord I was asked by host Dick Minton what effect the week's developments would have on the commission. Impacts. To a certain extent on the commission as I said yesterday at the press conference it's not. And as far as I'm concerned that time we. Control Commission the public will be restored. Do you approve of the masts that were used by the FBI and the Department of Justice in not only gathering the evidence but then apparently using selective leaks to get

it to the public before indictments could be obtained from a grand jury. I think it's reprehensible. I think it's embarrassing to all of us to believe in the principle of due process. It seems to me the place to air. Charges is before a grand jury and there and if an indictment is returned before a target Yury that's the place. And that's the only way in which we can ensure that. Justice. The entire ad issue interview can be seen tomorrow night at 8:00 on the for New Jersey public television stations. And another member of the commission Albert Merck agrees with Laura die about the way the investigation has been handled because of the leaks Merck says he doubts anyone will be named and named will be able to get a fair trial. In normal cases of an investigation as I understand it such information as may be deemed to be worthy of being presented to a

grand jury is presented to a grand jury. If the grand jury rejects it. No one says anything and there is no publicity. The innocent person thereby being protected if there is evidence for an indictment of course the indictment comes out and that's the first time any publicity comes out. Here we've had reports about various wrongdoings or alleged wrongdoings without those protections. Apparently from leaks from inside of the Justice Department. And to me I think it's a very unusual and understandable series of procedures work a schedule to speak with FBI investigators tomorrow he says he doesn't know if he is a target of the investigation. Governor Byrd also faces questions on the Abscam issue everywhere he goes today at a bill signing ceremony and trying to burn was asked whether he would push for a suspension of casino license hearings until talk of the scandal blows

over. Mother's going to blow and we're going to we're going to meet her. Then we have to meet. When pressed further the governor said it was an issue someone else would have to decide. New Jersey's three legal casinos grossed almost 39 million dollars during January are an average of one point three million dollars every day. It was the industry's second best month ever. Normally January and February are the casinos slowest months. And Assemblyman Richard Cooley Kodi of the Essex County says he's preparing legislation that would lower the number of Casino Control Commission members needed to approve new casinos present law requires four of the five commission members approve a casino license Codys bill would require just three commissioners approval Commission Chairman Joseph Lord I said he requested the legislation well before Commission vice chairman kind of McDonald resigned on Monday. But Governor Burns said today he opposes the idea. Mayors of the towns of South Jersey pine lands

are passing up a chance to influence the future of that area at a state senate committee meeting in Burlington County today it was revealed that a panel of pine lands area mayors has never been organized because not enough of the mayors have come to the meetings. Steve Taylor reports. Today's hearing was the latest of a series at which residents of the pines come to praise or condemn the actions of the state pine lands commission as usual real estate and construction interests complained that the governor's moratorium on development was costing them money. And some mayors of the 52 municipalities in the pines made similar complaints. But Mayor John Barnett of township said two meetings of a council of pine lands municipalities broke up without results because there weren't enough mayors for a vote majority which is twenty seven representatives are going to meetings and organize. How many showed up at the first meeting ten minutes a representative will ask the senators at today's meeting said they couldn't understand why mayors would pass up a chance to influence

plane lands planning. I'm shocked and disappointed in their lack of interest because it's not the mayor himself that has to be there but his designate which would be a full time employee. Theoretically of the municipality that municipalities are boycotting. The police commission and why we refused to participate. I don't know why they wouldn't. Mayor John Henderson of eagles Wood had one explanation. He called the Council of municipalities an exercise in futility saying the state didn't want to listen to the towns none of the input that we police people but we needed in the messages we sent to the legislature were due to the senators pointed out that strong action by the council would be this about a days could force the state to listen. But still the mayors don't attend the meetings. Leaving state officials wondering if maybe what has seemed to be large opposition to the violence moratorium is coming mainly from a handful of real estate people in Pemberton. I'm Steve Taylor. A group of black legislator says New Jersey's blacks are being ignored by the

governor and the legislature. And if things don't get better there could be more race riots in the 80s. Mary Amor also is at the State House today when the Black Caucus called for a change. Today's news conference was the first official meeting of the Black Caucus which include Senator would known the Lipman and Assemblyman Willie Brown. Charles may Eugene Thompson and Mildred Barry Garvin. They say blacks are getting a bad deal in education in jobs in health care and especially in the state's handling of cities where the majority of poor blacks live. One example of that the new Mount Olive foreign trade zone in Morris County the Black Caucus says that state assisted projects are going to take away jobs and industry from the logical choice. Newark and it's another example the proposed shopping mall at the Hackensack Meadowlands if we had an urban policy today. The Hackensack mountain lions Development Commission a state agency would not be permitted to facilitate a project that could siphon off a large

share of the jobs of business remain in the north northern New Jersey large cities. But again we do not have an urban policy. The legislature has not risen to the challenge of revitalizing the state's caucus also says the state's affirmative action plans aren't very affirmative and there should be more blacks in the legislature. The Black Caucus says New Jersey needs a clear urban policy with housing transportation and other economic aid funneled into the cities and black legislators say the state income tax needs to be changed so that more money is earmarked for essential city services. Plus they've got to be special tax incentives for corporations to locate in cities in Trenton. I'm Mariama Rosso. The State Board of Education is backing a plan to require every school board to teach a sex education in every grade. The plan has been long opposed by most school administrators and teachers but the board voted 10 to one today to give it preliminary approval. The final vote is expected in May. And if it

is approved then it would take effect in September of 1981. Now here is the weather forecast for the state it will be cloudy with a good chance of some light snow tonight and early tomorrow morning. The temperatures will be in the upper teens tomorrow should be partly sunny but windy and cold. The highs will be in the low to mid 20s. And Friday windy and cold. It was down to the wire for Rutgers and Princeton last night Bill Perry has the details Bill.

Thank you Karen last night's Rutger's Princeton game was a beauty a 10 no bow but just about everything anyone would want for excitement and drama Princeton wanted 65 63 on two free throws by Dave Platt with three seconds of that but getting to that point was the fascinating part. Early on it was all tigers Rutgers got the game's first two but only two more points in the next 13 minutes it was 3:43 Princeton with six minutes and 40 seconds to play in the first half just dismal for the Scarlet Knights the 10 minutes where they only had four points. That's incredible. We used to play well first and by halftime it was twenty nine twenty one as rockers did fight back in the second half the Knights made a couple of runs each time for instance built it back up just when it appeared Rutgers was ready to catch them. For instance they poised. They stayed deliberate on our fence and they got the easy buckets off the pattern often getting back door lay ups time after time I suggested to Pete Karylle that he did the superior coaching job and rectors didn't just comes

knocking about from the minute I'm you know he's young. But he's a damn good coach. You've got some easy back over here are you in regard to the follow ups and that's after that ability the easy fall off right they can now jump you for sure but you've got the U.S. hoops off to deliberate off and you want to compliment you here in your argument. That I would say thank you. We gave way back even though it's a back door played so the defense got the job done even though we gave up some of the easy shots right. Rutgers did get even Calvin Troy was the show for the Knights down the stretch but at 63 all 13 seconds left that gets fouled with three seconds left. Rutgers takes a timeout. Their final timeout before it goes to the line. As much as we took the play and that's what we did and we set up our last three second play. There's no doubt that our time out was much better off when we took it than if we had waited to see what he did to take it. Were you satisfied with the 40 foot shot that you got at

the buzzer. You can't get much better do it unless you're going to force a pass into the end of the fouling area and have them intercepted. So with three seconds you're obviously not in a very good position. Really a great on last night college ball tonight should be a good one Georgetown and Seton Hall and the Nets play in Houston tonight last night the Mets won in San Antonio New Jersey 123 Spurs 115 the cosmos introduced their new coach to the media today. Bill mowen attended the coming out party in New York at the Kosmos executive offices. It was the biggest announcement for the Cosmos organization since the signing of Pele and the new soccer coach arrived in New York today to meet the press. I met Erdogan president of the cosmos at Hennis Weiss willer of Germany will be one of the greatest additions to American soccer in its young history I think it's a great day for the cosmos because Weiss Wyler Mr. WEISS Well as it is recognized generally as the outstanding coach in the world they call him the teacher's teacher the coaches coach Hennis Weiss Wheeler is the modern strategist of soccer

today. And one thing's for sure cosmos fans can look forward to a much more exciting game in the years ahead. I hope that I can see why swiller will be joining the cosmos shortly after completing his obligations in West Germany in New York. I'm Bill mowing and it's rhymes with tennis and he's coaching soccer that's sports. Thanks Bill. Illegal dumpers of chemical waste beware. There are new tough penalties for that crime. The governor signed a law that allows judges to order jail terms and fines up to $25000 for the first offense. The state's Department of Environmental Protection can also add another $25000 for each day of the offense. The governor is hoping the new law will give the state the muscle to deal with 2 million tons of chemical waste generated each year in New Jersey. Meanwhile the Department of Environmental protection plans to complete the removal of nearly 200

barrels of toxic chemicals from an Elizabeth parking lot by tomorrow morning. The EPA has been working since Monday to get rid of potentially dangerous chemicals that have been in the plot for nearly two years. Raj Wells has more. The DP began a cleanup effort Monday morning and by late yesterday they had tested the contents of enough of the drums to know what they were dealing with. The lab tests show that the chemicals that have been in rotting drums in the two trailers parked in this Elizabeth lot contain traces of cyanide along with other industrial chemicals that could be dangerous if inhaled over long periods of time. The state also has determined that the drums containing the chemicals came from the Diamond Shamrock corporation of Mars Township. Diamond Shamrock makes various herbicides fungicides and resin is used in paper products. We called Diamond Shamrock today and spoke with the company's general manager Kenneth Mitchell. Mitchell declined to appear on camera but said his company admits responsibility for the two trailer loads of chemicals now being removed from the parking lot.

Mitchell said the Diamond Shamrock had the drums shipped to the chemical control corporation more than two years ago. He said chemical control then transferred the drums to the floor a trucking company yard where they are now. Mitchell also said the Diamond Shamrock out of what he called corporate responsibility would continue to negotiate with the state and assume some of the cost of having the drums removed. The state now has additional power and funding for removing chemicals and charging the offending company for the cost of the cleanup plus damages which could wind up costing an offending dump or three times what it actually costs to clean up a site. The DP also suspects the Diamond Shamrock may be responsible for some of the abandoned trucks loaded with drums of toxic chemicals that have been spotted on city streets in Elizabeth Diamond Shamrock However flatly denies this. In any event it will still take years to clean up the toxic chemicals that have been deposited in this state. But the EPA officials hope their new undercover Strikeforce will put a stop to any new dumping in the future in Elizabeth. I'm Reggie wells.

John Anderson was in the Garden State last night. Now you may not know who John Anderson is which is a big problem since he's running for president. He's a Republican and he's been getting some powerful support lately a lot of it from Democrats fell Sawkins has a report. They were both Republicans and Democrats waiting for John Anderson last night. The candidate got right down to the business of shaking hands and dealing with this week's big news the FBI investigation on Capitol Hill. Clearly it's the kind of story I think that is very painful and it does a great deal to destroy public confidence in the integrity of the governmental process. And to that extent to the extent that it might turn people off so they wouldn't even think that it was worthwhile to vote anymore. That I think would be a tragic result. It would be especially tragic for Anderson who is still not well known and does not have a lot of money for advertising. But last night helping other aides reported the response was good at the Englewood fundraiser where Anderson's mix of prophecy Auriol

bearing and down home honesty seemed to work out so much I never got the bright lights on as now we better say something intelligent when I'm on the record so. How always I'm the worst person in the world when it comes to making small talk. I don't know how I ever got into the business. Anderson's been in this business politics for 20 years as a congressman from Illinois so he knows how to field a question coming from a specific viewpoint. I know you have made up your mind. How do you feel OK. I have been the staunchest supporter of the IRA of all the candidates I voted for it in 71 and 75 I voted for the extension of legislation on the last Congress. And that obviously would implode registering with. More and more people are agreeing with him. He's a fiscal conservative but on most everything else he tends toward liberal he thinks Afghanistan is being hyped by the president in the military. He wants strict controls on the nuclear industry and he has even taken his message on to the popular Saturday Night Live TV show area and

then today he was scheduled to be interviewed for CBS's 60 Minutes. His face may yet be instantly recognized in Englewood. I'm felt awful. Guzzling burgers in New York with tonight's closer look Gus. Crime has always been a major concern of people living in urban areas that fear is

one of the reasons why many families have chosen to move out of New Jersey cities and into the suburbs. But now crime has become a serious problem in suburbia and in rural areas as well. One way of attacking this problem is crime prevention. Taking steps that will frustrate would be criminals before they get a chance to break the law. 1979 was not a good year for law enforcement. Nationwide the crime rate rose 9 percent in the first nine months of the year. Things were even worse and New Jersey where the rate went up 13 percent during the first nine months of 1979. Union Township might be called a typical suburban community with its tree lined streets and quiet neighborhoods. It's the kind of town that lots of people would love to live in but a few years ago community leaders became concerned. They were worried that the rising crime rate might alter the character of this community and they decided that something had to be done about it.

Their example and what Robinson or members of the Union police department's crime protection unit. Ted is a civilian 12 to 12 year veteran on the force. It's their job to teach families how they can protect their own home. Today they're visiting Kathy you know well skeet right before making specific suggestions. A security survey is made of the entire house. OK. First they check door locks right in many. Of those some of. These I would recommend adults have a lot of hassles class. Person. Who are. Doing. A lot. So really. When you have when. You want to do it myself. We're probably going to do it. With just a dozen. Different types. Next they inspect the windows. We were placing ourselves. My partner Walter or myself looking at the play says being an actual burglar what how would we get into this particular house. What would be the easiest point or means of breaking into the home and then from there we would tell the

person. Maybe you should change this law or do this with the window way trim your shrubbery. There are many simple things you can do to protect your own home. Using a timer to turn the light in your living room on and off when you're out of the house is one way. Installing the right kinds of locks is another. This year I'm. Sorry. This is the type of lock that you were using the software that has no glass on it. This saves some and it was last year so you'll be able to reach in and turn the lock when you're working to you spend your money for nothing. And enjoy the song. You can use this. There's an old saying that there are security in numbers. There's no place where this is more true than in crime prevention. And union as in other communities there is a limited number of police officers. They can't be everywhere all the time. That's why the union police department has established a program called Neighborhood Watch under the supervision of the Union police department. Homeowners keep an eye out for suspicious

cars or strangers. OK neighborhood watch. Very simply is a particular neighborhood would turn around and say sure when you want occasion when you're not home I keep an eye out for your house. I give them the key note that you have to do that but that you know they're not whole. It's called the Union police department any suspicious X homeowner Peter ochreous helps to coordinate unions a neighborhood watch program or neighborhood watch program. You know our community here is basically the eyes and ears of the police force. We have neighbors who have gotten together to regularize meetings sanctioned by the police department. To basically fight the juvenile problem in and around the Washington school area. We're protecting our property. We're protecting the town's property. Again we can't expect the policeman on duty 24 hours in every neighborhood. Crime prevention programs like the Neighborhood Watch have made a real difference in union in the two year period in 1977 to 1978.

We had a 73 percent reduction in the burglaries most in the home where it was like they just about 98 percent or more action on words we dropped from I think it was somewhere around 50 to 60 in the house but it was down around 250 and it was a few years. Crime prevention programs aren't cheap. Unions anti-crime efforts have cost both the township police department and individual homeowners money. But the net effect has been to make you know a safer place in which to live. Can you put a price tag on safety and peace of mind. Union Township is one example of how a crime prevention program should be run in an era of tight budgets and police layoffs. It's one approach that more and more communities should be exploring. Karen. Gus union seems to have a pretty sophisticated program how many towns in New Jersey have similar programs. The best information we have would indicate only about 25 percent of the state's municipalities have

these kinds of programs a very low figure unfortunately. Earlier this year Attorney General John Degnan asked I'm sorry Governor Byrd asked Attorney General Dayton to develop a comprehensive anti-crime package. Where do we stand on that. That package has not yet been developed and report it out. Karen I'm afraid the attorney general got diverted off to other problems. OK but there we do know a few things that might be in that package. We expect some very sophisticated computer technology to be in there that would track and give a history of every criminal involved and we also expect a much more complicated system of tracking through the criminal justice system but that's only speculation at the moment. OK. Everyone of course wants to to prevent crime as much as possible but this kind of prevention plan as you saw in Union Township really doesn't get at the root causes does it. Not at all the root causes care housing problems racism problems unemployment problems and these kinds of programs while useful will never address the

basic causes. Another difficult problem is a resistance within law enforcement agencies to adopt these kinds of problems and that that issue has got to be addressed much more directly in the future. Why is there's a certain amount of resistance. Well a lot of the cops apparently don't want anybody interfering and they resists new ideas not unlike other professions I suppose but they're not as cooperative as they ought to be. OK thank you very much Gus. Once again our top stories tonight a joint Ethics Committee meets in Trenton Monday to begin its own investigation of so-called Abscam scandal. Meanwhile Casino Control Commission Chairman Joseph Florida has repeated his statements of innocence of any wrongdoing in the situation at a pine lands advisory group is having a tough time finding enough advisors. That's the news for about Sandy Berger Newark and Bill Perry here in Trenton. I'm Karen Stone goodnight for the New Jersey nightly news. New Jersey Nightly News was a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television

and 13 program is broadcast weeknights at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 13 and at 7:30 PM on New Jersey Public Television. News it will be broadcast at 10:00 p.m. on New Jersey Public Television. And at 7:00 the following morning I'm Channel 13 right. And now live from the New Jersey Public Television Studios in Trenton. It's time for the drawing of the picket number for February 6. 0 0 0 0

9 0. 5 The one I'm telling young you dry noses than it a good time and helping me tonight's drawing is Margaret of the New Jersey State Lottery. As you can see each of these three machines contains 10 balls number 0 0 9. Margaret will you please release the miniatures on the machine. The winning number of will be made up from one of all three machines in the order that they're automatically drawn. Thank you Margaret. I think. That maybe let. Me go. To. Them now. Are. Many a good number is eight. Or. Seven.

I'd like to let you all know that the New Jersey. Lottery newest game the lottery bingo will begin on Wednesday February 20th right to picket so please tell all your friends. Till then I'm hella. Thanks for watching cricket. Good night.