November 8, 1996

Bill designed to crack down on people who sell guns to minors is approved by State Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

When researchers looked into how 10 schools had worked their way off a list of the state's most chronically low-performing, they came up with a common thread: an all-out focus on what is taught in classrooms. The schools tried everything from math laboratories to standardized tests. Article, page B2.

Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani says he is allocating extra $70 million for new books in city's public schools; announcement comes after he has repeatedly cut school system's budget and has criticized way Board of Education has spent its money; Giuliani says he and Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew have agreed that new funds will be spent only on books; says money will come mostly from unexpected infusion of tax revenues, as well as some cuts in other parts of city's $33 billion budget; says his willingness to turn money over to Board of Education is sign of his strong support for Crew; says $70 million is in addition to $69 million already in budget for school books (M)

Middle Collegiate Church in East Village uses dancers and gospel choir to reverse declining church attendance; growing number of churches are breaking with their denominational heritage in interests of more ecumenical appeal, tailoring themselves to tastes and needs of communities around them; Middle Collegiate proves that such stategies work and that increased number of Christians are less concerned with affiliation of church they join than with general experience and particular amenities it offers; Rev Gordon R Dragt is pastor of Middle Collegiate Church; photos (M)

Education Comr Richard P Mills proposes overhaul of special education in New York State that would eliminate financial incentives that encourage schools to transfer children with mild learning or behavioral problems into segregated classrooms; plan would give each school district a fixed sum, based on statewide average of children with disabilities, currently about 12 percent; would penalize districts with more than 12 percent of students in segregated classes and reward those with fewer (M)

Bergen County voters approved nonbinding referendum calling for municipalities to share five different types of services (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Holland Cotter reviews exhibit The Arts of China: Returns to the Past at Chinese galleries of Brooklyn Museum; photos (L)

Ben Brantley reviews Signature Theater Company's productions of Sam Shepard plays When the World Was Green and Chicago; photo (L)

Mercer County Board of Freeholders defeats controversial proposal to build $260 million incinerator on Duck Island in Delaware River (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Plan to breathe new life into Hoboken's waterfront moves closer to reality when city officials and Port Authority announce that 14-story office building will be constructed on First Street (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Eastman Kodak Co, which had 60 percent of film market when it left South Africa in 1987 in observance of anti-apartheid sanctions, has returned and is trying to reclaim its business; it is vigorously pursuing black consumer market, but it is South Africa's whites who buy most of film, and many of them resent Kodak for leaving and have switched to companies that stayed, like Fuji Photo Film Co, Agfa and Konica; Kodak's experience reflects painful lesson many American corporations that left during sanctions have learned; Mandela Government gives no special breaks to companies that honored sanctions; whites, who still have most of disposable income, are loyal to companies that stayed; blacks, only now getting a piece of economic pie, do not know the brands that left; photos; charts (L)

Article in the series, A Political Life, examines Bob Dole's failed quest for Presidency; Dole sacrificed seat as Senate majority leader not merely to lose Presidency, but to run one of most ineffectual Presidential campaigns in recent memory; close associates say, as legislative tactician, he approached race much as he did Congressional negotiating session, believing key to victory was clever endgame strategy but realizing sooner than most losing candidates that endgame would probably not be enough; photos (M)