February 15, 1996

This is Jim Davis, running for Congress, a Vietnam vet." It is Taco Tuesday at South Omaha's V.F.W. Post 2704, and before the polka band, the Jolly Yanks, gets started, the post commander, Ed Reyes, is introducing the new Democratic candidate for Congress to some of the regulars. James Martin Davis, a political rookie who opened his campaign office a week ago, is still new enough to the game to work the room with real enthusiasm, reaching for hands, listening for names, trying out a few of his campaign themes. "You're going to be seeing a lot of me," he cheerfully predicts, but he is smart enough to keep moving, knowing that polka takes precedence over politics for this crowd, on this night.

Charles Riley weaves his pickup through snow-coated hills spotted with the small farms and scattered homes of his fellow coal miners. He points to the mountainous gob heap of castaway shale and rock, to the tall concrete portals in the flanks of hills, to the five-story superstructure of the new, 320-foot elevator shaft.

Three years ago, Steven Hoffenberg stepped into the spotlight by proposing to rescue a failing New York City tabloid with money from his Towers Financial Corporation, which turned out to be a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $450 million. This week, awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to criminal fraud charges in the Towers case, Mr. Hoffenberg was in Little Rock, Ark., preparing to sue a key figure in the Whitewater scandal and telling associates he planned to run for the United States Senate -- after he somehow withdraws his guilty plea, is acquitted at some future trial and pays off his big debts.

The State Commissioner of Education will step into the fray over whether an eighth grader in Basking Ridge should be required to leave her backpack in her locker, an Education Department spokeswoman said yesterday. The Commissioner, Leo F. Klagholz, will decide by tomorrow whether to enforce a policy at the William Annin Middle School that bans backpacks from classrooms and corridors, pending a March 12 hearing. Earlier, an administrative law judge denied an emergency request by the Bernards Township Board of Education to force the student, Elyse Meredith, to comply.

Helene Curtis Industries agreed yesterday to be acquired by the British-Dutch consumer-products giant Unilever P.L.C. for $70 a share, or $770 million in cash, marking yet another big consolidation in the highly competitive global personal- and beauty-care products industry. Unilever will also assume $145 million of Helene Curtis debt, bringing the total value of the deal to $915 million. The merger will give Unilever a powerful new presence in the United States shampoo and deodorant market.

Colombia's Leader Charged

Accusing United States Representative Bill Martini, Republican of Clifton, of taking orders from Newt Gingrich, the Speaker of the House, and "sitting on his hands," Mayor William J. Pascrell Jr. of Paterson said yesterday that he would try to replace the first-term incumbent, The A.P. reported. Mr. Pascrell, who is also an Assemblyman, will face Mary Lee Fitzgerald, a former State Education Commissioner, in the June 4 primary.

A year after Phil Gramm began assembling a $21 million offensive to become President, the Texas Senator quit the race, and the debate over what went wrong began. Campaigning in New Hampshire, Senator Bob Dole was endorsed by Governors William F. Weld of Massachusetts and George F. Allen of Virginia, while William J. Bennett, the former Education Secretary, backed Lamar Alexander.

Gas guzzling is back. Americans are driving bigger cars and trucks longer distances and at higher speeds -- ignoring warnings about increased pollution or another oil shock.

New Jersey's delegation to the House of Representatives has the nation's eighth-best voting record in the eyes of the League of Conservation Voters. Democratic Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. of Long Branch, Robert G. Torricelli of Englewood and Donald Payne of Elizabeth all scored a perfect 100. Leading the Republicans was Richard A. Zimmer of Delaware Township, Mr. Torricelli's rival to fill the United States Senate seat being vacated by Bill Bradley. Mr. Zimmer got a score of 85. The league graded the lawmakers on 14 important votes last year on the environment.

The Regional Plan Association, an old and respected urban planning organization that usually draws little attention to itself, has declared open war on some treasured ideas about the New York metropolitan region. The group, after five years of study, issued a report on Tuesday concluding that the 31-county three-state region around New York City is at risk of a long-term decline in its economy and its quality of life unless dramatic steps are taken and billions of dollars are invested now in transportation, education and housing. The report was couched in language of darkest gloom, hinting that a centuries-long pattern of self-sustaining growth had perhaps come to an end.

A state appeals court yesterday rejected a class-action lawsuit by prison inmates convicted of sex offenses who do not want to register with prison officials under "Megan's Law," The Associated Press reported. State and Federal judges have disagreed as to the constitutionality of the statute -- which requires community notification of the whereabouts of released sex offenders -- but the registration requirement has not been in dispute. Released inmates face penalties if they do not inform authorities where they intend to live.