October 4, 1995

Plenty of fish were biting close to shore this summer, but business for New Jersey's 400 charter and party fishing boats was off by 15 to 20 percent, said a lawyer who represents the United Boatmen of New Jersey and New York. The lawyer, Raymond Bogan, said potential customers were scared off by news of rough surf, riptides and a high number of drownings. TERRY PRISTIN

The former neighbor of a 4-year-old girl who was found dead in a ditch in 1974 pleaded guilty yesterday in Gloucester County Superior Court to her murder, the A.P. reported. "I took an innocent person's life," said the ex-neighbor, Edwin C. Blood, who was taken to New Jersey from New Hampshire, where he is serving a prison sentence for sexual assault.

After months of withering attacks against the Board of Education, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani outlined his first specific proposal for City Hall to gain control over the school system yesterday. He called for the abolition of the central Board of Education and the post of schools chancellor. In its place would be a commissioner of education who would answer to him and, indirectly, to the City Council. All this would be done on a three-year trial basis.

In a strong personal attack, the chairman of the Chrysler Corporation denounced Kirk Kerkorian yesterday as an uninformed troublemaker whose pursuit of profit was harming other stockholders. The unusually strong criticism by Robert J. Eaton, the chairman and chief executive of the No. 3 auto maker, was the first time that he had formally -- and publicly -- attacked Mr. Kerkorian by name as well as the motives and impact of his long-running attempt to assert greater control over the direction of the company.

For four years, the movement to build a casino in Bridgeport has grown steadily, winning support from an unlikely coalition of city officials, state lawmakers, unions -- even the state's parimutuel operators, who as part of any deal expected to have slot machines. But on Monday, even as Gov. John G. Rowland brought the dream of a casino closer to fruition, he dealt the coalition a serious blow. News analysis, page B4.