New Jersey Nightly News; New Jersey Nightly News Episode from 12/09/1980 7:30 pm

New Jerseyans react with shock to the death of John Lennon. In sports a full lineup of college basketball and an interview with Seton Hall coach Bill Raftery. And I will take a closer look at an author who has brought Jersey City to life through his writing. New Jersey Nightly News with Howard Stern. And Bill Perry. Mark David Chapman was arraigned today for the murder of John Lennon in a New York City last night. Chapman who allegedly was waiting for Lennon outside the musician's apartment house is charged with firing five bullets into Lennon's chest and back. Meanwhile Lennon fans the world over were reacting to his death in the same way today. They were turning to his music. We have two reports the first from Steve Taylor. One New York official said today that Mark Chapman used borrowed money to come to New York for the expressed purpose of killing John Lennon. Tonight Chapman is charged with doing just that

but no one has said why. RA It was the question being asked by millions of Lennon fans Beatles fans especially those who remember Beatle mania in the 1960s with dozens of hit records and countless sold out concerts. Lennon was the intellectual Beatle the one who wrote books along with the songs he composed with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney. Lennon also was the zaniest of a zany bunch. But there was an incisive quality to his humor and his songwriting which offset McCartney's more saccharin tendencies and produced songs which revolutionized rock n roll. Whenever the Beatles went anywhere in this country radio announcers took notice usually whipping up huge crowds of fans. But once when John Lennon and the others were driving across New Jersey Philadelphia destruct he came up with a plan to fool the fans. It was high lit who now works for a Trenton station and he told us about the Beatles 1964 visit to Atlantic City. There was a restaurant in Atlantic City called Hackney's and we took him in to have these fish truck where we had a whole big quiet bus as police escorts and long limousines taking the so-called

Beatles into Philadelphia and people were chasing the caravan. And in fact they crossed everybody they crossed New Jersey in a in a hackney fish truck today Highland station like many others was playing only Lennon and Beatle music in tribute to the dead singer called Lennon a great man whose music always had a message. The message was peace love. Warmth. Intelligence with everything that I would like my friends to be. And somehow the music made it easier to mourn. Gun. In transit. I'm Steve Taylor. This is Fox Hawkins reporting that news of John Lennon's death hit quickly at the heart of the music

business. The record stores at Sam Goody's Garden State Plaza store first thing this morning the rush was on. God had to be at least a hundred people outside the doors this morning. OK some about 9:30 do is open 10 o'clock and they rushed in they wanted his records anything that they could that was available. The store had about one hundred thirty five copies of Lennon's just released Double Fantasy on hand this morning all gone by noon time. Emergency shipments are due in tomorrow. Meanwhile major record distributors are reporting entire stocks wiped out by the frantic ordering in the 12 hours following the tragic news at Garden State Plaza this afternoon. New Yorker Diane Marotta was in Goody's because the New York stores were already out of stock. Well I grew up with the Beatles and my son is enjoying the Beatles now and since this tragedy. I thought I'd surprise him for Christmas with but whether a devoted fan or just somebody who realizes the social and musical impact of John Lennon searching

for a record album is one of the few forms of personal statement available devastated. They don't understand why. You ask why. I don't know if you know if I should be going great. Great conductors who played his music. So he was well known by a lot of different people. This is Phelps Hawkins. Union employees in New Jersey's mental hospitals are threatening a strike if substantial numbers of their members are laid off. The layoffs could come of supplemental funding for the state's Division of mental health is not passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Burke a bill setting aside five point seven million dollars for the division was introduced in the legislature yesterday. Union officials say fifteen hundred service employees professionals and managers would be let go if funding is not approved. A state spokesman said however so far no layoffs have been planned. But without additional funding the situation would have to be re-evaluated. In other legislative

action the assembly has sent several bills to the Senate for consideration the Lower House approved a bill to help state officials fight organized crime takeovers of businesses. It also okayed a plaza set aside three minutes in New Jersey public schools for meditation every day. But Senate members and Governor Brown are expected to reject that plan. The assembly also called upon Governor Byrne and members of the pine lands commission to help keep the development plans in that region of the state within the bounds of the legislature's intent. The Raritan Valley Hospital in Somerset County is being forced to close soon. The reason to make way for a mental retardation center out of Susan is Los reports hospital officials and nearby residents are very upset. Rounded Valley Hospital has been serving the Somerset County area for 14 years since it only has 131 beds there are no wings for specialties like obstetrics and pediatrics. The focus is on general medicine and outpatient care. Belly has been used as a teaching facility for medical school through the College of

Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey which means it's state own. But now CND NJ says it can get its teaching needs better met at Middlesex General Hospital. So the state health care facilities Financing Authority has voted to turn mountain valley into a center for the mentally retarded. Spokesman say the decision was made because the hospital has been underutilized and that there aren't enough centers for the retarded as could be expected hospital administrators are not happy with the decision saying the community will suffer most from the loss of emergency room service. Twenty minutes. Drive to Somerset Hospital in Somerville. And 20 minutes also to remember hospital. In Plainfield where. Emergency services. Might be. Secured. Many people this could be a hardship. Staff members and residents are very upset I'm upset about it because I've been employed here for 12 and a half years.

But it's a good community hospital with a great facility here and I'm really going to miss it. There's no concern with having mentally retarded people here. But our concern is the local hospital community that we have here it's an efficient fast service that we can come to. It's still unknown exactly when Valley will become a mental retardation facility. But administrators here say the changeover is very likely to occur by early next spring pending final planning approval by the state and the financial from the federal government. Hospital. The leading developer of Atlantic City Housing is reportedly the central figure and a large casino credit investigation. David Zoran The 62 year old president of the sense that company and Elizabeth allegedly received about 3.4 million dollars in credit at Resorts International this year. And the story printed in The Philadelphia Inquirer today also reported that a Montreal real

estate agent a business associate and companion of Zara's got about one point two million dollars worth of credit from resorts resort officials claimed they followed state credit procedures. But today's errant charge was resort's with knowingly extending him illegal credit zero and filed suit in federal court against resorts and charges resorts encouraged him to place larger bets than allowed in an effort to get control of his interests in eight. That logic city housing developments. It's a commission of investigation today opened hearings on mob infiltration of prepaid dental plans but little more than an hour into today's hearing. The CIA had to call it quits at least until tomorrow because of a stay issued by state supreme court justice Allen handler. Mariam also has the story. Marty Steinberg the chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Investigations was detailing just how the mob gets a piece of the health plan action when he was interrupted by a chairman Arthur lane. Lane had just gotten the word that the hearing would have to be put off until

tomorrow. Justice hammer offered no reason for issuing the 1 day stay but it will apparently give the court a chance to rule on whether the hearing should be held at all. The stay was requested by Dr. Joe dentist from Overton who was apparently subpoenaed to testify. We tried unsuccessfully to reach Dr. another the CIA nor a spokesman for the Supreme Court could say why the dentist opposes the hearing. The Sci. hopes to show is that the mob is moving into prepaid dental plans. Those health insurance programs where you contract with a particular group of dentists for the care of employees said the mob members may act as consultants persuading him to accept a certain group. The mobsters may get a controlling interest in the dental group. A spokesman for the New Jersey Dental Association said New Jersey has a new law to curb abuses the dental plan organization Act which requires these plans to account for who is in charge and to keep a certain amount of money in reserve to prevent the collapse of the plan. But the spokesman said he

doesn't know whether all dental groups even know about the law and its requirements. I'm Mariama Rosso. New Jersey's higher education chancellor said today he will ask for scholarship cutbacks in the spring semester. Chancellor t headword Hollander said the cutbacks are necessary because a record fifty two thousand three hundred students are qualified for state aid. Hollander said grants to low income students could be $50 below for all levels and assistance reductions for other students could fall as much as $100 below last semesters. Hollander said he will ask next year's tuition program to accommodate full awards for all qualified students. Tolls on bridges between New Jersey and Philadelphia may go off along with fares on the Lindenwold high speed rail line. The higher rates are expected to be voted on next month by members of the Delaware River Port Authority bridge fares could go up by 10 or 20 cents and tickets for the Linden water line into central Philadelphia are likely to increase by about

25 percent. Commission member said more operating capital is needed for the bridges and deficits are projected. The high speed line. Abnormal radiation levels have been reported at the site of an old chemical company in Bergen County. That man I had wanted to Maywood in Rochelle Park today where federal state and local officials are looking into the problem. The radiation level discovered at the site of the old chemical company just off Route 17 is reportedly not dangerous but is higher than what officials expected. Nuclear Regulatory scientists conducting tests on the property say the level sometimes reaches three milligrams per hour. Normal radiation in the area is about 1 milligram per hour. They want to manufacture gas lanterns the chemical company was dumping their waste here for many years. The radioactivity problem was discovered in a recent test done as part of the plans to build a new manufacturing plant and warehouse on the site.

The affected property by the step and chemical company borders portions of the park which are not directly exposed to people. But local officials say they still don't know the full extent of the problem. There's nothing to worry about. The levels that they have of knowing that they measured is not high enough. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the State Department of Environmental Protection are monitoring the site around the clock to determine how to handle the problem. The extent of the pollution determined by the quality of the material was distributed where it's distributed and any number of factors that determine whether it's going to injure somebody in the. Case of the surface are low enough so that we're not concerned about a danger but we are concerned that the material is there in the first place.

Federal and state officials will meet with local residents next Monday and Tuesday to answer their questions about radiation in Maywood I'm can't Monahan. A check for two hundred ninety nine thousand dollars is now on its way to victims of the Italian earthquakes. The money raised by the Newark archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church has been presented to the head of Catholic Relief Services. Church officials hope it will be just the first in a series of checks which will help buy supplies for the earthquake survivors. Now here is the weather forecast for This Day Tonight will have cloudy skies with a chance of rain turning to snow. Temperatures will be in the upper 20s to low 30s. It will be partly cloudy on Wednesday with temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s and the outlook for Thursday partly sunny but very cold. Tonight contributing reporter Michael Aron Rocklin takes a closer look at New Jersey

fictions answer to Bruce Springsteen. Look my work is never going to change. Now how come. Because my look is a jersey lot which is the same thing as no luck at all. That's how one of the main characters of a new novel feels about luck and chance but how about the novel's author behave in a jersey in himself. How does he feel about Jersey law. I recently visited the haven in this home in Jersey City to find out if he shares his character's view on New Jersey and its luck. Not just like as we understand just winning some money or something but just taking a chance in life changing it is your life. You can make your life different make it over and if you want to behave in this life

are urban homesteading in Jersey City living on the same block as Jackie character in Jersey Lock Haven. Like most good writes about what he knows his case it is New Jersey where he was born and raised in Jersey City where he now lives. Sometimes I feel that way. Well I write because I live here one. Number two because it's fresh territory is really not to make people writing about fiction behaving in a way that Bruce Springsteen of New Jersey fiction. He celebrates precisely those elements from the battle of the bizarre which turn off other people. He has a love hate relationship with New Jersey which

ultimately is a love relationship. His earlier book freaks are more in the future. It's a piece of pop science fiction that begins with a small explosion in Jersey City which creates a race of New Jersey mutants. Luck is about a down and out after a life of petty crime until one day when his luck runs out. I consider to be humorous. I consider myself a comic novelist I'm not in this to put down Jersey City or New Jersey. I consider myself a jersey novelist through and through covers. You know what I don't think I have any obligation because I live here to paint a rosy picture that's silly. He's been criticized for actually slowing down but behaving just as other people who have some unusual ideas about New Jersey New York editor for example once asked him to

specify which New Jersey and when he just didn't believe them. I've heard some from some friends that are going to have a bestseller till I look out of my books from Jersey to someplace like California or New York because of the reading public is not interested in reading. That's baloney. I think I think they are being written being published about rich people because they soon that readers want to be just about people who are rich in the fur trade or this business or that business glamorous people and they think that other people are interested in reading books in California or New York. I think the wrong thing for both is different has something different in it. Different kinds of characters. It doesn't matter where it's fashionable across the US. Although there

are radical Shaker I think there already is. I think there already is and I think it started out with Springsteen and bands who became hip became called me from Jersey and the rock n roll world which is one of the primary if not the primary cultural centers of interest. And I think it's just going out from there you have a better rep and did a few years ago because of music. And there's no reason why the other parts of this is just what. You know I mean I got a party a month ago when they meet me since he wrote for example and when he met me he was a little disappointed because I was so ordinary. He said if I have to ring Freesat certainly drink drain or for Breakfast breakfast in

life. Really a fairly ordinary. He teaches English at his own writing at the same high school he attended. Teaching writing both novels and magazine articles keeps him busy. Yet he still finds time to read aloud the Morro Jersey luck to his one and a half year old daughter Jessie. And time to work on his next project a book on call to dust and comic book artist in Jersey City and Michael Owen Rockland. Gambler's reporters politicians and can see you know executives mingled among construction workers is Atlantic City's sixth casino hotel open for business today. The Golden Nugget is conducting its gambling with play money right now while state officials check out casino control procedures. The man missing from today's opening ceremony was Golden Nugget company president Stephen when Wynn has taken a leave of absence while of Nevada grand jury investigates allegations of improper stock transfers within the company.

Time now for SPORTS TONIGHT with Pat Scanlon Pat. Care and our look at championship high school football action continues tonight with the matchup between group 3 Section 1 powers. Ramsey in Hoboken. Ramsey was unbeaten in 10 games entering Saturday's contest at Giants Stadium in the first quarter of Hoboken with the first in 10 from the

12 number 34 Frank Castillo gallops nine yards to the two where he stacked up. And then a few plays later Joe Tercel goes over from the one yard line power right. What else could you ask of the six nothing lead for Hoboken from Tercel. Well how about an extra point. There's a kick that through the uprights along with a 19 yard field goal in the fourth quarter scoring every point of a 10 nothing Hoboken victory to give Hoboken a group or a section 1 title. Later on Saturday night some of the Rahway battle for the group 3 section 2 title in the first quarter some of them are 40 Duff Badgley caps a 93 yard drive with a nine yard run the put the Hilltoppers up 7 nothing returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown to tie the game at 7. And while I was driving late in the fourth quarter when an interception by number twenty six more acutely hit some of the ball at midfield fairly high steps and hold that ball out like a loaf of bread. Some adro for a winning field goal by Rob bridle a 23 yard boot with 2 0 6 left in the fourth quarter giving summit a 10 7 win over Roy to capture the group 3 section 2.

New Jersey state title last night the New Jersey Gems won their home opener at the South Mountain arena with a 110 and 93 win over the Dallas diamonds the blaze led to gems with 28 28 points. The gems are now one and two in women's pro basketball league play. Meanwhile tonight Prince and St. Joseph of Pennsylvania and its home opener the Tigers are coming off an upset win against St. John Saturday night and they play begins for Rutgers an eastern conference tonight against St. Bonaventure. Rocker takes an undefeated record on the road. The bunnies are two and one and Seton Hall opens its home schedule against Villanova tonight in the Big East conference a short while ago Bill Perry talked with Seton Hall coach Bill Rafferty about coming back after losing to Fordham love to bounce back. Unfortunately it's against a great team like Villanova I see they're number one in the wider ratings. They've got Jersey kids is as we alluded to. On the air and they've got some kids they weren't interested in us so maybe it's a chance for us to get even with some of the kids who didn't like us.

OK. Well we'll be carrying that game tonight. OK Pat. Thank you. And once again our top story today more in the death of former Beatle John Lennon who was murdered last night outside his Manhattan apartment building. And that's the news for the nightly news. Thank. You with.

A threat. New Jersey has a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television and 13. 14 is prerecorded. With three.