December 25, 1996

Article in series An American Place profiles Canton, Ohio, at Christmas; elections now seem far away in this middle American city known as bellwether of presidential politics; the year 1996 is remembered by many residents as a prosperous one, which was the biggest reason for Pres Clinton's victory here, but others see less reason for optimism; photos (L)

Delay in workers' wages, which the Government estimates to have reached $9.3 billion, is perhaps the most wrenching economic problem in Russia today; it is a chronic ailment that has been going on for years in some sectors, and unpaid workers are being forced to raid their parents' and grandparents' pensions funds in order to make ends meet, since World War II veterans are one of the few groups whose pensions are paid regularly; problem is seen as particularly painful in Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, where offspring feel they should be supporting, rather than living off, survivors of the wartime siege of the city; map (M)

The new high-occupancy vehicle lane that opened on the New Jersey Turnpike earlier this month was supposed to ease congestion over a 26-mile route and shave up to 10 minutes off rush-hour commuting for buses and car poolers. But because the Turnpike Authority took one of the regular lanes along a 1.3-mile stretch of road to create the restricted lane, traffic there has actually grown worse, turnpike officials said yesterday.

John Loring, design director at Tiffany's, discusses his cooking meals for his friends as Christmas gifts; his hosting annual Christmas Eve supper party discussed; recipes; photo (M)

Joseph C. Parlavecchio, an Essex County freeholder since 1981, resigned yesterday after admitting that he violated the Newark school district's conflict-of-interest rules by concealing his ownership of a school building that the district leased while he was a school principal.