New Jersey Nightly News; Episode from 02/26/1981

20 years. Karen St.. Good evening Governor Barnes has signed the election funding bill. And sports Rutgers and the Nats lose but Seton Hall wins. Bill Perry will have details. And tonight we'll take a closer look at the vices that can make the daily lives of disabled people easier. Governor Byrne today signed a bill which permits public matching funds to be used in the primary and general gubernatorial elections. Byrd signed the bill after legislative leaders agreed they would act on to other election reforms the governor suggested Jim McWhinnie has a live report from the State House. The governor backed off his earlier threat that he would not sign any one of the election reforms until the legislature approved all of them. A little while ago the governor signed a bill appropriating six and a half million dollars in matching public campaign funds for the gubernatorial primary this June. Plus another two and a half million dollars for the election in November. Now however he says he's selling for a verbal commitment from legislative leaders that they'll put the other reforms up for a vote as soon as possible. The governor wants to limit the number of candidates getting the public funds by raising the qualifying threshold from fifty

thousand to one hundred fifty thousand dollars. That's the money each candidate has to raise privately first in small donations. But the centerpiece of the reforms he requested a few weeks ago too much criticism is 11th hour political meddling in a runoff election if no one candidate gets at least 40 percent of the vote. Legislative Leaders here said privately they don't see much support for a runoff in either the Senate or the assembly. But they said a vote on that and the high threshold may be scheduled for Monday when both houses are due to reconvene. Meanwhile before adjourning around 6:00 the Senate was busy with other legislation. Final approval was given to a bill to provide up to 19 million dollars in its state welfare funds to seven mostly urban counties which are above the statewide average in welfare cost per resident. Senate also passed the bill giving local governments some financial relief as they prepare for their new budget. One of which would exclude state urban aid from counting toward their spending ceilings. Another one would officially allow them to anticipate a 20 percent increase in state utility tax receipts that return back to local government said it also passed the bill sent to the assembly

probably 10 million dollars from state bond money to refurbish more than 300 state owned buses. Karen. Thanks Jim. Clean up the nation's hazardous waste dumps will not be halted by the Reagan administration. That's what members of a congressional subcommittee learn today. New Jersey's commissioner of environmental protection Jerry English traveled to Washington to testify at that hearing dealing with the new so-called Superfund Bill. Mark trank has the story. One of the most controversial pieces of legislation in the 96 Congress was the chemical Superfund bill. And as public law it is quickly becoming one of the major environmental test grounds in the 1970s Congress a house subcommittee chaired by first district Congressman Jim Florio began its hearings on oversight of the Superfund New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Jerry English testified at the hearing as did Representatives from Pennsylvania and New York commissioner English says it's important that the federal government give to New Jersey the

responsibility for the actual clean up operations in this state. The technical assistance is in fact required and much appreciated. But when it comes right down to it New Jersey is probably one of the pioneers in this activity. We've been in the business since 1977. We know where the contractors are. We know the sites. We know what techniques have to be used. And. That does not mean there might not be exotic circumstances that we would ask for particular help commissioner English told the subcommittee that several sites need immediate assistance in the form of emergency allocations of federal funds. One is chemical control in Elizabeth where there is PCB contamination. Another site is Ken book in Edison where the federal EPA has been assisting the state chairman Florio agreed with the commissioner but said that there isn't enough money available now to finance cleanup operations in the state. Florio is pushing for a supplemental appropriation to do just that.

Up to this point there's really been no authority to do anything. That was the purpose for enacting the superfund law. There was a giant void that caused great problems. We have to fill that void with the statute. Now we have to continue and go forward with the funding to implement the statute Superfund is really a nonpartisan issue. This is something that everyone is concerned about. So I am cautiously optimistic. Congressman Florian's prognosis may be a bit too optimistic. Lobbyists for chemical manufacturers succeeded in reducing the size of the Superfund in the last days of the 96 Congress and come March 10th when the Reagan administration announces its next set of budget reductions. The Superfund may be targeted for even further cuts. Reporting from Washington. Mark trank for the New Jersey Nightly News the Associated Press news service today released what it says are the U.S. Census Bureau's official 1980 population count and compared to preliminary census figures already released the numbers are up. Almost all counties gained in the official tally over the preliminary

count and compared to 1970 consensus figures. Three counties that gained the most population in New Jersey are Ocean Monmouth and Burlington. Most workers at hooker chemical's Burlington plant stayed on strike today protesting exposure to chemicals they claim has caused death and disease to their fellow employees. Officials at the plastics manufacturing firm deny any kind of connection between working conditions and workers health problems but the employees say they'll continue the strike until management at hooker does something about their complaints. Tom steward reports. More than 350 workers have walked off their job at Hooker's Burlington chemical plant because they're afraid of what could happen to their health if they worked here any longer. Today police stood by just in case something went wrong while workers picketed at the plant's front gate and company guards videotaped the whole performance. The wildcat strike has all but shut down the plant which manufactures PVC polyvinyl chloride. A process workers blame for disabling 11 of their

colleagues killing five of them. You know we don't know what this stuff is going to. We're live through. The records. When guys have accidents it's covered up. They don't do any more than they have to do hookers. Top man in Burlington flatly denies the union's allegations. I and my management are totally astounded at the claim that we're unsafe. He says company doctors found no link between on the job exposure and employee deaths of 11 people that a union has been concerned about. Three are dead not five as they said and the three that are deceased died of heart attacks not cancer. Two other people who are on the list still work for the plant and six are no longer employed by the companies. No doubt some of the unions distrust goes back to hooker chemicals record at Love Canal. Niagara Falls where toxic waste forced evacuation of residents Burlington workers claim dozens of union grievances over alleged safety infractions went

uncorrected. Hooker refutes those charges. So the tug of war between the two sides continues. I have no idea what prompted this this curly illegal wildcat strike. And it's unacceptable for us. We're going to hurt. We're going to work together. And if we don't stick together we're done. Hooker maintains negotiations over safety issues can commence once workers get back on the job. Workers countered by saying they won't go back until things change because present conditions place their lives in danger. At the Hooker Chemical Plant in Burlington. I'm Tom steward. In an angry dispute over landfill policy in the Meadowlands Hackensack Meadowlands Commissioner Michael Breslin announced his resignation yesterday. Rasslin has been a leading force in efforts to find new waste disposal procedures. There is frustration though was that those new procedures have been found. But now everybody's arguing about who should control them self Hawkins has to report.

Prominent Hackensack lawyer Michael J. Breslin who's been a member of the Meadowlands Commission since 1974. Under his direction the commission's solid waste master plan has called for landfilling in the short term. While new technology is invented to recycle waste called resource recovery. It is a mental condition. Maybe even naively assuming that we were going to build this up to this present time and our staff felt this way that we had the obligation to go public and say we were not going to pollute because we can. Able to build some water that personal claims they're going to go look but it was the fine and build now and not ten years. Now what has Commissioner Breslin most upset is that this should be a success story. After seven years of hard work and exhaustive studies the Meadowlands Commission believes it can make New Jersey a national leader in dealing with the problems of solid waste. The technology is now available. The commission is willing but Breslin fears it may all have been for nothing.

Our staff probably has observed this scene every facility United States of America that deals with solid waste. In fact the staff now has in hand a new study done by an international engineering consultant showing how sewer sludge can easily be dried chopped up and burned producing steam and electricity maybe even better the chopped up treated sludge has no odor but with recent demands placed on the Meadowlands by state environmental officials and more important claims by Essex and Bergen counties that they will take care of any resource recovery plants. Breslin figures the whole process will return to square one. Each authority will make its own studies with little coordination and taking years. I think it's going to require an act of legislation defining when a little ways we'll know what it is. But until I first got to see this. It's an exercise in a little pie in the sky top

commissioner Breslin believes the best answer would be a single authority leading the way. Because he knows that garbage can be an emotional issue. People saying I'm totally committed to dealing with the garbage problem just not here where I live. I'm Phil talking. It's no surprise that the cost of food just like everything else keeps going up. Last year alone food prices jumped nearly 14 and a half percent. And figures like that are forcing many shoppers to change their buying habits dramatically. Tonight in part two of our consumer series we take a look at the growing popularity of food cooperatives. One way some new Jerseyans are trying to cope. Susan these last reports. New Jersey has more than 50 food co-ops all of them serve as a way for people to be assured of getting low cost quality food co-ops are owned and operated by and for its members. There are three different types of co-ops. Bon cruds which usually involves no more than a dozen families. Who collectively agree on what they want to purchase. They pull their money and

buy in bulk from a wholesaler. And there's no overhead because food is distributed in members homes or garages. There's also the storefront co-op the George Street co-op in New Brunswick is one of the largest in the state specializing in health foods. Well George Street has a paid staff the co-op still operates on a non-profit basis. This co-op though requires members to share in the work. We're working members where there is a man and they do things like baking raisins begging flour was stocking the shelves raising the cash register cleaning the store up. And this keeps our overhead down because we don't have to hire people to do this and that keeps our prices down. That's why prices can be so low. New Jersey also has two storefront co-op supermarkets Kilgore's and valley cooperatives both work under what's called the rebate system the rebate system we uses the saving of the cash register slips the end of the year the stockholder transit slips and based on the purchases she has made during the year and our savings we repay to them aka our saving.

In addition to stocking all items usually sold in regular grocery stores. Northern valley also carries the co-op label besides the national brand labels. We carry our own label. There are some 400 some odd labels on items we carry in under the co-op label. We feel that the co-op label is a better buy for the consumer and we go more towards the quality aspect rather than the. Dollar savings of it. But in many cases the dollar savings is still there. Recently the Association of New Jersey cooperatives was formed to help new co-ops get started and to keep old ones going. One of the important purposes also is to bring together the qualities that have been around since the depression here in New Jersey with the new cooperatives which came out of the 60s and early 70s to bring them together so that they can learn from one another. Kim who's are buying power together and begin to make cooperation a much much greater consumer alternative than it already is.

For more information you can write to the Association of New Jersey cooperatives 140 North Avenue Plainfield New Jersey 0 7 0 6 0 0 0. I'm Susan nice loss. The rain in recent days is dampening the prospects for getting federal drought relief funds. Governor Burns says he's afraid the recent rainfall his state may have given President Reagan the impression that the New Jersey drought crisis is easing but Bert easing but Bern and other state officials say although the rain is adding a few more days supply to area reservoirs a crisis does remain. Now the weather forecast for the state fair skies and windy tonight except for some cloudiness in North Jersey. Temperatures should be in the low 30s. It will be partly sunny and less windy tomorrow. Temperatures should be in the low to mid 40s. And the outlook for Saturday a chance of rain but mild. 1981 is the International Year of disabled persons some

600000 new Jerseyans are currently struggling with a lifelong disability. Surprisingly many disabled people are unaware of the dozens of clever and often inexpensive devices that can help overcome physical limitations. Tonight Phelps Hawkins and producer Donna Conley take a closer look at what therapists call AIDS for daily living. And we all see that even an ordinary place like a kitchen can be full of frustrations. Say you want to turn on the water the faucets. One thing you can't see the controls work at a camp. No way. Every way you can but not in this kitchen. Removing obstacles is what physical and occupational therapy is all about. And it is perhaps what the therapist at the Kessler Institute of rehabilitation in West Orange do best. Meet Minetta O'Bryan. She suffered a stroke nearly two years ago which partially paralyzed her left side for Moneda. Cooking could be a

clumsy chore. How for example can the wheelchair chef see into the pots and pans on the stove to check the food. Well one solution Moneda learned that Kessler was to angle a mirror over the range of philosophies of occupational therapy is to help people to work towards independence with the function that they have left after a stroke or with arthritis for a variety of disabilities. Therapists agree it's the simple things that help people with disabilities out with their physical limitations like this strainer which was purchased at the supermarket. It has a clip that fastens to the side of the pot. So Moneda an empty boiling water safely with one hand a specially designed creature like the ones you see shop clerks use to grab out of the way merchandise takes the seasonings out of the cabinet for long john BBQ tongs from the hardware store work just as well. This cutting board is equipped with two stainless steel nails. The nails prevent small food items from rolling around. So the one handed chef can chop peel or slice with greater

control. Also dough blenders can make short work of mincing and mashing arthritic who have difficulty grasping the slender handle of a cutting knife might find it useful too. Ronnie Como has a few favorite adaptations of his own I like Rubbermaid holders from the supermarket stacking dishes vertically he says eliminates the tugging that often causes the tumbling. Ronnie has had a stroke. And for him a quart of milk can be pretty heavy. A carton Holder makes gripping and pouring less cumbersome. And instead of making several trips from the kitchen to the dining room a rolling cart can be pushed to the table carrying everything needed for an entire meal. The round edge attached to the side of Ronni's plate is a food guard although he's now eating egg salad. Imagine a one handed person eating peas without that extra edge. Ronnie has also learned a number of tricks to simplify personal grooming tasks such as how to not try using one hand Alastor I-Max head of occupational therapy at Kessler explains.

When a man has had a stroke and goes back to work wearing a white shirt a tie a tie is difficult. And when we think about it or not the second hand only holds the towel of that. Well first hand does most of the work. In using a closed hand to hold the tail. He is again able to tie a necktie managing the small switch on a lamp used to be a problem for partially paralyzed Foster Ryker. He conquered his disability by inventing this switch Lisse lamp was used mainly for people who had trouble turning on switches turning off switches. I know when I first started he kept knocking lamps off the bureau because I made the switch so all you have to do is touch the recording and it was never my delight. By attaching an extension rod the switch can be activated by touching it with your hand. Your wheelchair or even your nose for faster is not only an inventor

He's also an accomplished Archer. He doesn't have the use of his fingers but he does have enough strength in his arms to pull back the bowstring. A special hook attached to his hand enables him to draw back the string using the strength left in his arms. Virtually every sport enjoyed by able bodied people is available to the handicapped. Swimming. Fly. Horseback riding. Kayaking. Fencing. Sledding. Even wheelchair marathons you name it whether or not a person was athletic before his or her injury. It seems that where there's a will there's a way. But rehabilitation unfortunately doesn't always reach the very people who might need it. Producer Donna Connelly asked Alice I-Max why. That's true. Rehab is a new field and it is spreading but it's very slow and spreading throughout the country. Many people who work in rural hospitals are not aware that rehabilitation is available and patients are sent directly home

and the families struggle to do what they can at home. As most of us did years ago Alice IMX strongly suggest that disabled people who never receive special training schedule an outpatient appointment at the nearest rehabilitation center to learn about adaptations that can help them live more comfortable and independent lives. Although learning special techniques can increase mobility and independence society is less than benevolent view of the disabled can deal a crushing blow to even the most courageous. We have to deal with the fact that society devalues. Disabled people. They are in effect not given the same worth opportunity and value that able bodied people I give them. One of the greatest things is don't start try to treat anybody else. I think that's so often because a person is in a wheelchair. And the body is not functional. People assume that their minds are not functioning properly as well.

For all of us a crippling disability could dramatically change our lives at any time. But it shouldn't mean the end of a fulfilling and productive life. A diving accident left Steve Janick almost completely paralyzed. Nevertheless he's just as busy and dedicated to his work and growing family than ever before. If you lay back cab you just won't get out. But if you get up and at your jounced around a bit you soon learn you're not just as healthy as anyone else. While I wouldn't recommend emacs for everyone. It's not the end of the world really it's another start another beginning. There are hundreds of cleverly designed and often inexpensive items that can make life much easier for the disabled.

If you're interested in finding out about them you should contact your nearest rehabilitation center or contact your local visiting nurse Association and we'll be right back with Bill Perry and sports in just a moment. It's that time again. Here's Bill Parian sports. Karen thank you very much. Seton Hall is hot last night. The pirates beating St. John's 70 to 63 That's three wins in a row for Seton Hall. But at the other end of the spectrum

we have Rutgers what can I tell you about the Scarlet Knights. They lost another heartbreaker last night. Duquesne's 69 Rutgers 68 is now six and six in the Eastern 8 15 and 13 overall with the loss. Rutgers will be on the road next Tuesday in the opening round of the Eastern H20. There's no way the Knights get home court you need to finish in the top four of the league to host a game. Rutgers is with two games behind fourth place. Pitt Rutgers and Pitt play in Piscataway Saturday to close out the regular season. This is first half action Rutgers behind Roy Hinson's 13 points and the dukes who got 12 points from Ronnie Dixon who wears number 20 and 11 points from number 44 Bruce Atkins XANA was close throughout the Duke's by 1 34 to 33 at the half. Now we take you down the stretch. King was up by 5 61 56 matching the largest lead of the game 5 0 5 left Henson hit two free throws in a turn around here with 259 to play and it was 61 60. Then Darrius Griffin came up with a steal and way up Rutgers by 162 62 61 with 236 to go after both teams scored two field goals. Rutgers still had a 1 point lead at 66

65 Duquesne. As you watch the team's exchange buckets then committed a turnover. Rutgers took advantage to go up by three on two Calvin Troy free throws. So it's 68 to 65. Now right here you can't cut it to one Atkins inside 29 seconds left and a time out. Then Rutgers with a critical error on the inbounds Kevin Black overthrows a wide open Matt Madelin Gur Dooks now with the ball down by 1. Troy foules Dixon and he hit him both from the line with 13 seconds left 27 for Dixon. I. Hope. It's OK. So Rutgers got the final chance. Couple of upsets in the jersey athletic conference semi's last night Montclair be top seeded William Patterson 84 79 and Glasper Jersey City State's 68 to 57. So tomorrow night Glassborow hosts Montclair State for the conference championship. We're going to have it for you live in NJ PTV starting at 8. The Nets lost their third in a row last night the Adrian Dantley showing Utah Dantley the NBA leading scorer had 40 17 in the first quarter jazz win at

132 1 0 6 the nets were never in it. Utah 39 28 after one 71 52 at the half in the second half. Rookie Darrell Griffith who had only four in the first half took over for Utah. He added 21 for a total of 25 19 in the third quarter and look at this move. Sensational Utah beats the nets 132 2 1 0 6 Carol. Thank you Bill. And that's the news for Bill Perry. I'm Carol Costello. Good night for the New Jersey ain't nothing. New Jersey major news is a presentation of New Jersey Public Television w in 1913 was recorded