New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 10/23/1979 7:30 pm

A cross-burning interrupts teacher talks in the upper freehold district. In sports the U.S. Boxing Association has been formed and New Jersey fighters are ranked and Tom Paine and Dick Leone face off the subject of transportation bonds in. New Jersey. Nightly News with Karen Stone and Bill Perry with sports. Good evening. Someone burned a cross in the Monmouth County community of Allentown last night. The incident happened at the home of the superintendent of schools and it came in the middle of a teacher's strike. Steve Tayloe reports. The remains of the Cross have been removed from Dr. Steven Sokolove front yard today but fragments of the oily rags used to let him lay on the sidewalk. Teachers in the local school district of freehold have been on strike here since last Friday and superintendent Sokolow was conducting contract talks just after midnight when he heard about the burning cross at his home. I've asked the state police and the local police to investigate the matter and I think that beyond that I'd

prefer not to comment. There was anyone hurt was there. I prefer not to comment. Sokolow did say his family has not left town in spite of the incident. It was an ugly thing to happen in such a pretty town and it made the labor troubles here more difficult. Teachers I talked to said they were afraid someone would blame them but the police chief said he's satisfied that the teachers association had nothing to do with the cross-burning. We can understand maybe some irate parents or citizens or even students but we would hope that nobody would really stoop that low to do such a thing but someone did do it. And as of today had gotten away with it. Chief Harris says he has no suspect. Superintendent Sokolow and the teachers will resume contract negotiations tonight. At Allentown. I'm Steve Taylor. Meanwhile 230 teachers walked off their jobs this morning at the Essex County Vo-Tech school in East Orange. More than 2500 students are affected by the strike. Classes were cut back to half days schedules. The teachers are protesting stalled contract talks but the walkout

hasn't changed that yet. Talks are still not scheduled. Navy officials say they've broken up a recruiting scandal in the Newark district. The scheme involves 20 people who allegedly tried to beef up recruitment quotas by training in phony documents. The recruitment personnel are charged with falsifying prospective recruits educational and achievement records in order to get ineligible recruits accepted. The Navy says it will Court-Martial eight recruiting officials and disciplined 12 others. President Carter is paying New Jersey a visit Thursday for what the White House calls a major address on energy and transportation. The president is scheduled to arrive in New Brunswick by helicopter mid-afternoon to deliver a speech for the Middlesex County courthouse. Mr. Carter is expected to announce a half million dollar grant to establish a carpooling program for four counties in the state reportedly just one of a series of federal grants he will unveil for New Jersey. New Brunswick Mayor John Lindsay Jr. says he's closing all city offices so employees can welcome the president Thursday night Mr. Carter will attend a five hundred

dollar a plate dinner for Democratic assembly candidates at the Meadowlands sports complex. After two days of hearings the national alcohol fueled Commission concluded that New Jersey could easily reduce its oil consumption if the federal government would stop dragging its feet on the major oil companies would stop interfering. But the today's session focused primarily on the use of solid waste in producing alcohol which could then be used to produce gasohol Ridgewell has more on the story. Gasohol is made by mixing nine parts gasoline with one part ethanol or grain alcohol in addition to grain or corn ethyl alcohol can also be produced from garbage. And there's a lot more garbage in New Jersey than there is corn in Iowa. Nearly 18 million tons of refugees dumped in New Jersey annually causing a lot of environmental problems. The national alcohol fuels Commission plans to ask the federal Department of Energy for 30 million dollars to construct an alcohol production plant in the Hackensack Meadowlands. Although testimony during the last two days stressed the need for alternate energy

sources. Some witnesses at this hearing claimed the gasohol movement is quietly being sabotaged by the major oil companies because they don't produce the alcohol. Well we've heard things relative to the fact that so I guess overall we're going to cut off your allocations if you want to use our credit cards we don't want you using our pumps using arctan. Now mind you this sounds like a really ridiculous argument because you are probably the one here calling us a fuel shortage here and the other here we have a way of putting if you extend it for another 10 percent I would think that they would be supporting some of the people testifying in these hearings say that Congress has done nothing to solve the energy crisis despite the fact that most citizens have displayed a desire to conserve and use the alternate sources of energy that are being produced. And they point out that if an alcohol plant were built in the Meadowlands it would be capable of producing nearly 50 million gallons of alcohol a year and for every gallon of alcohol used in gasohol It's a gallon of gasoline not used at all. In the caucus.

I'm Redwald. State economists are predicting a significant jump in the unemployment rate. The Department of Labor and Industries October report says layoffs can be expected in the manufacturing industry as consumers continue to buy fewer products. The report also says the tight mortgage situation could have an impact on the housing industry. And if that impact is strong enough the jobless rate could jump as much as 2 percent. That would mean 9 percent of the state's workforce could be out of work and just as that report comes out of Trenton word of layoffs comes from the Cumberland County city of Melville. The crest container corporation which manufactures paper cops says it will lay off 140 of its employees by the end of the month. That represents $60000 in monthly payroll revenues. PASSEY N-G sallam nuclear plant has had another slight delay in getting operations back on line. A delay that had nothing to do with the nuclear refueling process that's been going on at the plant since April. Workers checking out some diesel engines accidentally set

off a fire alarm system. Carbon monoxide was released and seven employees were sent to the hospital. All were released after treatment. There was no actual fire. The company officials say there was no danger of any radiation being released. For the last two months. Public Service Electric and Gas customers have been paying for two hundred thousand dollars worth of advertising. Advocating nuclear power the various billboard television and radio messages have gotten the state's public advocate upset. He thinks PFC stockholders not its ratepayers should be footing the bill. Kathy Manahan reports. SEE. Those tankers down there are loaded with oil. My job at PSEG is to buy you the lowest possible cost. Nuclear energy is a reliable source of power. That's the message behind TV ads like this one broadcast on five New York and Philadelphia stations the same message is carried on billboards all over New Jersey and in 16 daily newspapers and we're using coal and nuclear energy to make electricity.

We don't think America should be so dependent on foreign oil. The ads were put together by public service electric and gas to educate the public about the future of nuclear power and who pays for all of this PFC Energy customers whether they like it or not. It's that issue of who pays it has prompted the state public Advocate's Office to look into the matter. I think that it's a propaganda scheme that the rate payers should not be saddled with. I think an appropriate charge for advertising for example when they promote advertising for conservation of energy that kind of thing we would not object to. The. Rate payers pay for that kind of course. PSEG claims the Energy Information Program is fact not propaganda. Every business has. The right to. Tell a story. That's all we're doing. The for this involved is quite minimal. In terms of damage as it might sound very large but the nuclear aspects of this current campaign comes

down to about. Oh seven tenths of one cent per month. So the average customer. And that's not a lot of money. I don't think too many people get very excited about that kind of a charge. I don't even think I should be on. I don't think it's necessary. My first impulse would be that it would be a necessary cost of doing business. Public service really should be paying for it themselves. If you're going to. Look into it I mean we're paying enough as it is. PFC and G officials acknowledge that the credibility of the company is decreasing all the time because of rising costs and the amount of public influence of anti-nuclear advocates like Jane Fonda. They claim that there is a necessity for fair representation of the issue and their recent ad campaigns meet that public need. I'm Kent Manahan Plainfield Mayor Paul O'Keefe announced today he's taking a number of steps to prevent a recurrence of last month's racial violence in the city. O'Keefe said the city will hire 11 more police officers select more city residents as police officers and hire

a community relations specialist. Last month the city's progress in race relations was marred by a series of violent exchanges between blacks and whites. Climaxed by incident September 21st when a group of whites fired shots at a black family's home. Plainfield the scene of riots in 1966 has since won an award from the National Municipal League for its efforts in reducing racial tension. But O'Keefe said today that the city's action isn't the answer to the problem. He said The solution lies with voluntary controls and standards among the people themselves. City of Clifton is charged because that county's Board of freeholders with illegally appropriating more than one million dollars. Officials contend the emergency appropriations use to cover payroll shortfalls illegally circumvented state spending limits. There's a county budget was the only one rejected by the state because it exceeded cap law standards. Then the freeholders board chopped off more than one million. Despite warnings by some of the cuts would create payroll shortfalls later board director James Rowe claims the county was forced by court orders to spend the extra money

under the law. County residents have to pay for emergency appropriations and Clifton residents have to foot 25 percent of the bill. Last week we explored the Democratic campaign and this November state assembly elections. Tonight we look at the Republicans. The state GOP is spending $350000 on the race. Three and a half times the Democratic price tag. The Republicans hope to take at least 10 Assembly seats away from the Democratic majority. More on the campaign from Mary Amoroso. The Republican assembly campaign logo says energy for the 80s and the Republicans are looking ahead to congressional redistricting after the 1980 century. That's why the Republican National Committee is spending $100000 of its money and services here. And that's why the National Committee sent one of its own staffers. Ed go to direct the New Jersey campaigns that whichever legislator legislature is elected here where the assembly is where they're in control the Democrats or Republicans will draw the lines or congressional audience in

1981 after the census was taken. We feel that it's very important that we at least be. On an equal footing with the Democrats to keep them from gerrymandering is completely out of existence here in New Jersey. The National Committee is spending $80000 for television commercials on spots like the Johnny Carson show the Today show and Phil Donahue the Republicans wouldn't let us see the commercials until they premier Thursday but they're supposed to attract independents. One of the things the TV commercials are supposed to do is give the Republicans a new image. The state national people want to steer clear of the traditional upper crust country club image. Instead they want to focus on the fact that they were a working class Hispanic and female Republican assembly candidates campaigning with the common touch extends to the Republicans biggest tool direct mail. The Republicans blocked their own printing press to churn out these sacks of mail. Their goal is two million

letters to state voters. Folksy forward personal letters. It's much more personal to send someone a letter from you from your campaign talking about who you are going to put just a blatant political piece in a newspaper or to put up a billboard which is very long and personal. It's a big push but the Republicans say it's worth it. At stake is not only the assembly but also the shapes of the new congressional districts in Trenton Marium or Rosso. Two weeks ago records were broken for cold temperatures and early snowfall. Yesterday it was just the opposite. Summerlike weather pushed the Mercury to a record 86 degrees in Newark at a record 83 in Pomona. But forecasters say Indian summer is over and we can expect more seasonable temperatures. Now here's the weather forecast for the state tonight. We'll turn breezy and much cooler and there's a chance of showers lows will be in the upper 40s to low 50s tomorrow will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain. Highs in the low to mid

60s. And Thursday's outlook partly sunny and cool. And. Now here's Bill Perry with tonight's Sports Bill. Thank you Karen. Boxing returns to Toto as ice world next Tuesday night. New Jersey's welterweight champion Gonzales will headline the card. Nino will meet Tommy Socko of Pittsburgh originally it was to be Gonzales against sains of Baltimore. But today it was announced that

Saens had suffered a training injury so it's Nino and Socko. Also today at a press conference at ICE world Bavli of the New Jersey Athletic Commission announced that he has been named ratings chairman for the newly formed United States Boxing Association according to the WBA and WBC governing bodies work against the U.S. fighters so the USGA has been formed they will rank fighters and hold title fights have long been said not to favor the United States but I just came back from a convention in Miami Florida of the WNBA and I can bear witness to the fact that United States boxers do not receive a fair shake. And as I see on the top of the Empire State Building to say it is factually true. Three New Jersey state champions were at today's press conference. Heavyweight Scott Frank welterweight Nido Gonzales and featherweight Raqi Lockridge. The U.S. will rank all three that will move up to probably in the neighborhood of number 10 or 11 or maybe even number nine and rocky like rivers and neither of them is by virtue of their win at the

Meadowlands on September 8. They will be moved into the ratings substantially in the official ratings will be announced after the first of November. Frank you'll recall broke his jaw on the September 18th Meadowlands card in his win over Bill Connell. Scott has the draw. It's very good. What have you been doing to be able to work at it or what. Yeah I've been running around you know you know throwing a football around my friends and I was doing some road work in the gym a couple times. You know my trainer said no you know relax relax so you start training again. Wednesday tomorrow. You look pretty good I don't think you've lost too much weight. No not at all. You know drink a lot of malt and things like that. And I just got it off a couple of days ago so I've put on all that weight and maybe a pound or two a little more. You're talking about the wires go all right the wires came off. Frank will fight again on December 11th that ice rolled the opponent to be named next Tuesday also on November 24th it will be Scott will do and Mike Weaver in Minnesota for the U.S. heavyweight title and Frank told me he wants the winner early next year. The one in three nights play in Chicago tonight and as of this moment Phil Jackson has not been activated. The Nets by the way have decided to drop their protest from West Friday night's

game against the Knicks the situation 14 seconds without nets down by two. Eddie Jordan called for traveling on the inbounds. He's only allowed one step. Why have the nets dropped the protest as you can see. Good call as he's traveling. That's coach Kevin Lockerby not only protested the call Friday night but he got ejected from the game. Tough going for Kevin but he's not down despite the next slow start and will get to be a pretty good basketball team and prove that team of last year but only a brain and so many people some real young players some older players and you've got a missing unit. We need to know you don't want to criticize any of your ballplayers but rich Keli's point and you seem to be pretty even in the early going to it. Again it's a very of adjustment that's the key. They thought very going against play even if they were next in a period of adjustment not only for rich for certain players some of our veterans are really struggling because they have to get adjusted to the new players so. We have a situation where a period of adjustment is going to be made for players. Resorts International when Atlantic City is holding the inaugural U.S. Olympic gold medal winners gala

celebration this weekend close to one hundred eighty gold medal winners have already accepted invitations to a five hundred dollar a plate black tie dinner on Saturday. The objective of the dinner is to raise New Jersey's 1980 Olympic quota of two hundred and twenty five thousand dollars in one night. Later this week and talk about your file footage we'll look back at two New Jersey gold medal winners Milt Campbell who won the decathlon in 1956 and John Woodroffe the 1936 800 metres champion. Me. And we have learned just a few moments ago that the New Jersey Gems have acquired draft rights to and Myers gems of the women's pro basketball league. They have 10 days to Sarner that sports car. Thanks Bill. A superior court judge has been asked to decide whether an insurance company must pay benefits for lateral treatments of cancer. The Committee for Freedom of choice which supports the treatments has filed suit against Prudential Insurance. The company has refused to

pay for lateral care. The committee is seeking $40000 and benefit costs on behalf of five Prudential insured patients. But the company claims lateral is not reasonably necessary for cancer treatment. The use of lateral was legalised in New Jersey in 1977 obsolete roads caused nearly a quarter of New Jersey traffic accidents last year. That was the conclusion of a study released today at the State House. The New Jersey Safety Council and other groups charge that sixty four thousand accidents were caused by sharp curves narrow lanes and blind hill Hillcrest in 1978 only driver errors caused more accidents according to the study. A spokesman for the groups urged passage of the 475 million dollar transportation bond issue in next month's election. They said passage passage of the bonds would do a lot to upgrade the state's outdated roadways a Norks Anthony Imperioli who is political activism and gun toting neighborhood patrols have won him a measure of notoriety may soon become even more well known. Columbia Pictures says it's making a movie based on Perry Alley's life.

Columbia says filming will begin early next year and all outdoor scenes will be shot in Newark. In next month's election. Voters will be asked to approve a state bond this year to pay for transportation projects. That's the subject of tonight's at issue. Here are commentators Tom Kane and Dick LAYON.

Tom you know it's been 11 years since the state of New Jersey passed a transportation bond issue. That was 1968. Nearly all of that money is gone except for some of the dollars which are still tied up on electrification of the rail lines. Since that time we've allowed our highways and mass transit facilities to deteriorate. But this November a 475 million dollar bond issues on the ballot. It includes two hundred forty five million to upgrade roads and bring about safety improvements. Eighty million for local road aid and $150 million which goes into the public transit hub for rail and bus and things of that type. The company tickly interested in mass transit part as I know the road. This is something with the gas crisis coming on again and everything else we've simply got to move on to some of the lines we've been on. I've been on recently the old area like a one on called Tomorrow's Essex line. That's got to have something where you get some new cars out of it. Some of the track beds going to be redone. The North Jersey coastline we're going to get not only new cars but some new engines. We're going to have some tracks replaced. We're going to get some bridges redone

as buses goes. We're going to get a new buses but 15 to 20. Park and ride facilities and five thousand new bus shelters around the state. Well you know the state has got a bigger and more ambitious package of that which is and then the bond issue is related to what it's called trans PAC. And it takes 120 million dollars of Port Authority money. Matches it for a total of six hundred million dollars with federal money and they're going to buy 11 hundred buses the biggest bus order in history. They're going to do a whole slew of things for the public transit area. So I think this represents quite a change from what we were doing in the past. There's a tremendous change particularly in the area of the roads. We're talking now about maintenance. We're talking about safety we're talking about putting in things like dividers and curb things and completing gaps and fixing traffic circles not building new roads. We're working on some of the worst frankly safety hazards in the roads in the state if you if you if you've traveled

recently and things like Route 17 46 113 2 0 6 or Route 30 they have to have some potholes in those roads and you have to and they haven't even been resurfaced a long time. And this is what this bond issue would do symbolically. You've got a bond issue without any money to match interstate dollars. There's a lot of federal matching for what is in there. But the interstates is going to come out of existing money because we're not doing as much as we used to do. Now that's a major change in philosophy and new commissioner a Basili we have somebody who said Our priorities are a little off. We're going to go in a different direction and make what we've got better. I think that's a that's an improvement. It is an improvement. I've only got one real criticism deck of this bond issue that a lot of money in here we've said just plain maintenance. Now basically if you're going to have a bond issue it shouldn't be for maintenance it should be for new construction because it's twice as expensive if you use bond issues for maintenance. And so I'm not happy about that but because of the neglect you talked about because it's been 11 years since we've passed the bond issue we have to do it

this time otherwise our roads and bridges are just going to fall apart. But I certainly hope that in our future planning that we pay for maintenance out of our running expenses out of the general state fund and this is the last bond issue that Macon's is going to come out of that makes sense all over the country what happens is pressure on state and local budget budget squeezes out maintenance and capital. One of the things that got hurt in New Jersey was the local road aid that 80 million dollars was really a catch up some for almost five years. Local governments haven't had any money from the state to do their job any money to speak of. So they've either put more on local taxpayers or they had to not do anything at all which has been the case most of the time. So while it might not be the ideal way to finance that improvement it's the only way we can catch up with the past. I think the real lesson of this bond issue is that it's a good one. It ought to be passed. And we ought to remember in the future that something is important to us is transportation something we all live on and are going to live on something as important as conserving energy is not something we can put off and do once every 10 or

11 years. Once again our top stories in the midst of the upper freehold teachers strike a burning cross was placed on a school superintendents lawn. Police say there are still no suspects yet in last night's incident. Meanwhile contract negotiations are to continue tonight. And President Carter will visit New Jersey Thursday to deliver a major address on energy and transportation. The president will speak at the Middlesex County Courthouse mid-afternoon and will attend a Democratic fund raiser at the Meadowlands Thursday night and that's the news for Bill Perry. I'm Carol Costello. Good night for the New Jersey nightly news. New Jersey Nightly News is a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television and W. went through it. The. Program is broadcast weeknights at 6:30 p.m. on Channel 13 and it's 7:30 p.m. on New Jersey public

television. There was a repeat broadcast at 10 p.m. on New Jersey Public Television. And at 7:00 the following morning on Channel 13. Portions rerecordings