NJN News; Friday March 13, 1998

In a week, her one-time boyfriend, Brian Peterson, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against her. You can bank on it. Emotions run high over the planned first union core states bank merger. Teachers salvage items at the burned out community high school. What's next for students? A call for peace, unity and justice. Jerry Adams speaks out at Seaton Hall. Farmers say the hard freeze spared their food crops. And a far east visit from these students exchanging cultures.

And JN News for this Friday the 13th. Major funding for NJN News is made possible by Grants Truff. The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, which believes that an informed citizen, relates to a healthy democracy, the SENG, committed to serving customers, strengthening the business community, and investing in New Jersey's future. First union serves the financial needs of individuals and businesses from Connecticut to Florida, HIP Health Plan of New Jersey, dedicated to providing quality health care to employees of large and small businesses, as well as individuals for two decades. And by Bell Atlantic, in partnership with public television, serving to form, Brighton, and educate the citizens of New Jersey.

From NJN, the New Jersey Channel, the Emmy Award-winning NJN News with Kent Manahan, Dick Forney with Business, and Jerry Henry with Sports. Good evening. It would be the biggest bank merger in U.S. history, one with huge implications for New Jersey, but it's not going to happen without a fight. There was emotion, anger, and support today during a public hearing in Philadelphia on the near $17 billion merger of First Union and core states. Our business correspondent Dick Forney joins us now from Philadelphia with more on today's hearing. Dick? I have to tell you, it's been kind of a wild day here, what was normally the very sedate and gray Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Since First Union first announced his plan to acquire core states last fall, controversy has dogged that proposed merger every step of the way. First Union plans to slice jobs in New Jersey and Philadelphia and close 172 overlapping

branches, has stirred a hornet's nest of protests from community groups and politicians who have called the proposed merger everything from anti-competitive to racist. So much controversy, in fact, that the Philadelphia, the Federal Reserve, that is, took the unusual step of holding this public hearing. My name is Ed Bayney, and I'm the president of the Federal Reserve Bank, and I'm pleased to host this public meeting. The meeting got off to a rocky start when the leader of a Philadelphia activist group shouted down the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank during his opening statement. I don't understand why you would answer a simple question. One's order was restored a panel, which included the influential Alice Rivalen, vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and representatives of the office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which must sign off on the First Union core states merger, heard from nearly 85 witnesses. What we hope to do is have a full day of participation of public members you and many others.

This union's president presented the panel with a newly revised plan designed to placate consumer groups, and the city of Philadelphia, where the merger's effects will be felt the most. The commitments that we are making to make this merger work are the largest that first unions ever made in over 10 years of fairly constant merger activity. In the world of mergers, this one, as I think at this point, there's good shape as it can get. And Dell was one of several people to testify who were inclined to accept First Union's merger strategy, but not everyone was on the same page. But I do say that on this state of the record, I am opposed, and I am enormously concerned about what is happening to America with the gigantic acquisitions which we have had. If you allow this merger, you are approving First Union's anti-competitive predatory practices.

You will be allowing them to purposely buy out their competition so they can raise their prices. No amount of public relations can make this illegal act legal. Stop the merger. Follow the law. Well, a couple of interesting things to note, Kent, and everyone, that only two people from New Jersey were on the list of more than 85 witnesses that were here today. And no one from New Jersey really raised serious questions about the merger. Now that's probably because First Union has made an effort to make separate deals with many of the community groups, promising them low-cost loans, et cetera, in return for not protesting the merger. Another thing to notice is that the bank itself, the bank president left here right after lunch. And my sources are telling me that while this hearing, what's a result from this hearing probably, is that while the merger may not be scuttled, it certainly will not take place by April 30th, which was the bank's plans, announced back last fall when they announced the merger. And that's it live from Philadelphia, Kent.

Dick, thank you for following the story for us today. And following up on our story of yesterday, the 17-year-old student accused of setting fire to his school in Westwood has pleaded innocent. Meanwhile, community high school students wait for word on where their new school will be relocated, as officials scramble to find a building. Linda Morton has the latest on efforts to help. The painful task of going through the charred remains of community high school continued, as faculty and staff returned to claim their belongings. It's unbelievable, unbelievable, walking upstairs, the site is on breath-taking, you can't believe the structure, it's really, really sad just walking through and seeing all the classrooms, the chairs still, you know, in their spot for just everything she's destroyed. It's terrible. It was really shocking being up in the school building, knowing what it's supposed to look like, and then just seeing it covered in charcoal with no roof walking on the ceiling tiles that used to be overhead.

The private school for the learning disabled was destroyed by fire yesterday. As we watched it happen, I don't think we realized what was happening, and now coming back and really seeing that it did happen. People residents are also grieving the loss of this landmark building that's been part of the Westwood community for more than 60 years. We have a lot of residents that went to that school and they were children when it was St. Andrews Catholic School, so there's a lot of sentiment. It's a loss of our place where we meet, where we do our religious education programs, our youth ministry. Miraculously, the school's records and several rooms in the new wing of the building survived the blaze. And now the job is to keep us all together, and we've been getting a tremendous response from the community, from the state. Braunstein says a half dozen offers for a building have already come in. However, students remain home until a new location can be found. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old Manhattan teen accused of setting the fire is scheduled to return

to court for a probable cause hearing on Monday. Belinda Morton and JN News, Westwood. They're expected to admit to their crimes and cooperate with the federal government. Sources tell the New York star ledger that former West New York police chief Alexander Oriente and other officers will plead guilty to corruption charges. The ex-chief and the other officers indicted are accused of taking $600,000 in bribes and kickbacks. Authorities say the department ignored a prostitution ring. Elicit liquor sales and gambling operations in the town. A blow tonight to Amy Grossberg's defense, a Delaware judge, has cited with prosecutors ruling the Bergen County teen won't be able to use the results of lie detector tests in her upcoming trial. According to Grossberg's attorneys, those test results show she never saw the baby in a Delaware motel and believe she had a miscarriage. The ruling comes the same week. Her one-time boyfriend, Brian Peterson, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify

against her. The founder of an order of Episcopal clerics is behind bars tonight, unable to post a quarter of a million dollars bail. Sixty-year-old Abbott Charles Midzeneas was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and criminal sexual contact involving several young boys and a man studying for the religious order. Midzeneas founded the Holy Reading More Order in Mammoth County in 1992. In other news tonight, the Garden States' fruit farmers have escaped the loss of millions of dollars in lost crops due to the recent cold snap. But as Ken St. John reports, some farmers say they're not out of the woods yet. It was a close call for Sound Jersey fruit farmers over the past several days as temperatures dropped to below freezing, threatening to destroy blueberry and peach crops. Farmers were worried that buds that bloomed early would freeze in the cold temperatures, but Mother Nature was merciful. I don't see too much damage as far as peaches and blueberries go. I don't think we're going to see any damage at this early stage of the game.

Farmers were out today surveying their crops as temperatures were rising. They're all nice, bright and green. See that? If they had turned yellow or darker or they wouldn't take them and chilled, but they thought out now. They're all looking good. Peach farmers like Dominic Xeno also were contemplating their good fortune. We had 23 here this morning. So now, right for a few more days, I think we're out of the woods because it's going to warm up. Today's supposed to go to 43, and it's supposed to be in the 40s tomorrow. Southern farmers caught the worst of the freeze, something that could help Jersey growers. Well, after wait, it's a little early for us to see exactly what's going to come out of them. I think that there may be some shortages that may help our farmers. We don't want to see it happen to anybody, but there'll be less peaches. And less peaches means a higher price. However, farmers say we're not out of the woods yet.

Full moon last night. Months from now have another full moon. This is when we have another frost. So when we back to this thing, we won't be down to 10. We'll probably be in the 20s. Ken St John, NJN News, Hamilton, Ad Lentek County. Still ahead tonight on NJN News, a lot of unlucky tales to tell in Atlantic City. That story's coming up. Why should I, as an early citizen, be compelled to live under British rule of my own country? Jerry Adams calls for a United Ireland during his visit to New Jersey, and a student far in invasion, how this Japanese exchange program is working at one school. Irish Republican leader, Jerry Adams, told a crowd at Seton Hall University last night

that peace is possible and trouble plagued Northern Ireland. But first, it means an end to discrimination against Catholics and eventually an end to British rule. Michael Aaron has the story. Jerry Adams got several standing ovation last night. The president of the Sinn Fein party told the crowd the island of Ireland was partitioned by the British in 1921, and Catholics in the North won't rest until the two parts are reunited. We the Irish and our own country have yet to make our own history. We're called in a cul-de-sac of British policy. We're called in a cul-de-sac which all the time bounces the situation back to grief and

detragility and the killings. Adams says to him, peace means justice, an end to discrimination against the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. It's a feeling shared by many in this audience. I think Jerry Adams is an icon, and he is struggling for peace. We're hoping for a United Ireland, we're hoping for peace in Ireland. He has to walk a delicate line, but he's doing a very fine job of it because he's trying to keep everything to be at peace. I believe Irish Americans and citizens of conscience recognize that the Catholic minority in the north of Ireland, Michael, is subjected to discrimination on employment issues, on housing issues. Adams says Catholics in the north are two and a half times more likely to be unemployed than Protestants. Some Protestants say Sinn Fein, and especially its ally, the Irish Republican army, are a bunch of terrorists. How do you respond to the people who call you a terrorist and murderer in attempt to devalue your work and the work of Sinn Fein?

I just think of George Washington. Sinn Fein was expelled from the Irish peace talks last month after two killings of Protestants. Our expulsion came against the background of the shooting of 25 Catholics in January by Loyola's death squad from the end of the USA date. Now Tony Blair wants Sinn Fein back in the talks. Some people think if peace in Northern Ireland doesn't come now with a popular British Prime Minister pressing for it, it may never come. We have phoned a frankness and an ability to discuss matters which is an Irish Republican. I feigned very intriguing. Clearly he can't be the British Prime Minister who will, if he has the will, bring peace between Britain and Ireland. Michael Aaron, NJN News, South Orange. And Ocean County High School has adopted some teen visitors into the school family for the next few weeks.

Southern Regional High School is hosting 10 students and a teacher from Sosa High School near Tokyo, Japan. As Jim Hooker reports, the relationship between the sister schools has fostered a better understanding between two cultures. The Japanese greeting you'd come across in classrooms half a world away is transformed into a feature of everyday life for many students in Southern Regional High School's Japanese language program. But here, the Manahawk and school and its students take East meets West to another level, an exchange program and its fifth year. Seventeen-year-old junior Mickey Katau, Gus, as she sees differences in the two teen cultures. Here's a very different from my country, and they look very freedom, free, and they enjoy their life. And she's enjoying her stay. I like playing basketball with my host brother, Jim, and I enjoy watching TV.

The school principal accompanied 11 Southern Regional students to Japan Sosa High two years ago. The students pay their own way. So we're very open to understanding other cultures, making friendships and extending ourselves. So not only do we let others learn about us, but we learn as well from them. Carrie Spoda-Fora was on the trip, and she's hosting a Japanese student this year. She says Japanese teens are more disciplined than their American counterparts. They can have vending machines in Japan with alcohol, and teenagers don't take it. They can leave you alone without a substitute teacher, and they know you'll do your work. The two cultures' teens have plenty in common, though. And what's the name of your book? On this book, it's main rock. Men in black? Yeah. And the exchange program continues this June when four Southern Regional students make the trip over to Japan to experience life there. Jim Hooker, NJN News, Manahawken.

Dick Forney is in Philadelphia. Tonight he joins us now with a preview of his business report. Dick? Alright, Kent. It looks like Fuji film is developing a rosier job picture for Middlesex County. And the feds give the green light to create the world's largest accounting firm. Well, those stories coming up next, stay with us. Dick? Dick joins us tonight from Philadelphia with his business report, a change of location

for Fuji. Dick? Oh, Kent. You know, this is the old business saying, let's bat it around, see what develops, or something like that. It looks like Edison had made an offer to Fuji film, they just couldn't refuse. In January, we reported to you that Fuji film was looking to move its northeast distribution and training center out of Carl's tab, saying it had outgrown the Bergen County location. Edison officials were offering Fuji about $500,000 in tax incentives to move to that Middlesex County town. Well, it seems to have worked. Fuji announced it'll move operations and 200 employees to Rarerton Center in Edison Township. That's the state's largest business park, 280 construction jobs will also be created, they say. Fuji expects to move in January of 1999. Allegheny ran Cocus hospital in Willingborough is getting a new owner. Allegheny health system plans to sell off six of its nine hospitals to help pay down massive debts it incurred since it entered the Philadelphia health care market less than a year ago. Buyer is Vanguard health systems for profit hospital corporation.

Vanguard says it'll retrain all of the workers and Allegheny ran Cocus and but it may diversify the facilities into more profitable lines such as elderly assisted living services. The Justice Department has given the go ahead to a deal which could create which will create that is the world's largest accounting firm. Last September, Cooper's live brand and price waterhouse announced plans to merge following that announced with the federal government began an antitrust investigation which it says is now closed. Both firms have considerable presences in New Jersey, Cooper's and live brand with about 2,300 employees and six offices. Price waterhouse has nearly 400 professionals on their payroll and two offices in the garden state. Well, last for Wall Street today it was a mixed day. There was some profit taking in blue chips but technology issued so it showed some strength today. Here's the numbers, Dow Jones industrial average fell 57 points to close at the 8602 level for the week the Dow gained 32 points. However, the MX composite jumped one and a third.

The NASDAQ composite was up seven and two thirds and the standard of poorest 500 fell one and a third points. In the bond market, the 30 year treasury, the long bond was off less than a half a point in price at yield at 5.89 percent. That should be Dow and I believe 18, 13, 30 seconds, but we'll check it out, let you know. You bet a busy day. That's the business tonight. Guys, we'll fill it out. Thank you, Dick. Still to come tonight on NJN News, a look at our weekend forecast is just ahead. Jerry, how about sports? That's right. The Princeton weaves its way to another big win sports is next. Jerry, just back from Hartford, you saw one heck of a game.

I sure did. There's a lot of fun too out there. A really exciting. Princeton Tigers didn't disappoint the fans. A few hundred showed up at Hartford yesterday. Now they are trying to get tickets for a tomorrow's game with Michigan State as the Tigers beat UNLV 6957. Princeton played just the way I thought they would, tough defense, scored when they had two great backdoors, team effort all the way. For those who watched Princeton Basketball closely, that description sounds like typical Tiger Basketball and it was, it's Princeton used a 22-1 in the first half to finish off UNLV. We really tried. We want to force teams to play us for 25 seconds if possible. And after 20 seconds, 25 seconds, we get an easy way up. It's got to be tough to take and, you know, that's something that we try to do. We try to, you know, be precise on offense and make the defense work. You know, tonight Mitch made some big shots and, and Gain Bryan made their shots again.

And, you know, we got guys who, if you shut down one guy, the guy step up and make, you know, big plays and that happened tonight. The win extended the Tigers winning streak to 20 games, the longest in the nation. It also earned them a second round date with Michigan State tomorrow, but some fans would like to see a rematch with North Carolina. They would love to play North Carolina again. They would really love to do that. And I hope they have the opportunity. Do you think they'll lead them? I think it would be a super game as was the last one, and it'll be a brand new game, and either team could win. It would be a great game. In Washington, FDU made it interesting, but didn't have enough guns to hold off Yukon who beat them 93-85 despite a career night for senior guard, Elijah Allen. We scored a career high 43 points, Allen had 22. In the first half, it matched the third best performance in the East Regional Game. He also had eight rebounds and three assists. After the game, Yukon players and coaches had nothing but praise for the senior. It was definitely one of the quickest point guards that I ever faced, or who I faced

this year. Like Riggie said, he just had it gotten his own, and when the players in the zone, he's going to be just hard to keep in check. So I think the zone really helped him out, but he is a fairly quick point guard. I don't remember any young guy having that kind of game, and I think when you get in this tournament, you need to pay yourself for all kinds of things happening, and I knew Allen was good, and we had 12 tapes of him. I never saw him do what he did tonight, and he really was a special player. Can't you talk about making the best of your last college game? I'm sure he's got some pro scouts looking at him really hard. That game I got to see the whole game, but I was home by then, and that was almost as good as Princeton. They'll keep you up all night. That's how we do it. That's terrific. And best to them. Thank you, Jerry. Here's a look at our weekend forecast in the northern part of the state tonight, Cloudy with the chance of some snow overnight, a low of 30 degrees. Tomorrow, snow likely, then it should change over to a partly cloudy day highs in the

mid 40s. In South Jersey tonight, Cloudy with the chance of some snow, lows in the upper 20s. Tomorrow, a chance of light snow, then it turns over to clouds with highs in the 40s. Well, this Friday, the 13th brought some good luck to a paraded South Jersey. Yes, a parrot. After spending a month in a veterinary hospital, Rupert is going home. You see, Rupert was involved in a house fire last month. When she smelled smoke in her owner's Pennsylvania apartment, she started squawking. Yes, she is a she. Our owner escaped the fire. Thanks to Rupert. Rupert did not, though. She had to go into the hospital. She was found alive, but injured in a pile of debris. After several weeks of recuperating, Rupert is feeling a lot better and is now back home, squawking again. And finally tonight on this Friday, the 13th, there's a full moon and a lunar eclipse. So what's missing? A whole bunch of black cats. Well, they were all in Atlantic City today, strutting their stuff with a few felines of other colors, as well thrown in for good measure.

Harris, Casino Hotel held a black cat beauty contest this afternoon in all 14 vied for the grand prize. But it was Panther that impressed the judges and earned the coveted award, a 9-foot tall climbing pole. Panther's owner walked away with $130 in cash, too, for good measure, put this pocket. That's our news for tonight for Jerry and Dick and all of us. Thank you for being with us, everyone. I'm Kat Mountahead. Have a good weekend. You Will

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