February 2, 1997

Destruction from floods may allow implementation of controversial plan to rebuild Yosemite National Park with fewer intrusions by people; National Park Service officials say preliminary estimates indicate that damage to buildings, roads, sewers, power lines and bridges in park could reach more than $178 million; say roads may be redesigned when park recovers from winter flooding; graph; map; photos (M)

New York Jets president Steve Gutman and owner Leon Hess reportedly will not yield top draft pick to get coach Bill Parcells from New England Patriots; Jets are taking their time in seeking deal on Parcells, who remains their only candidate; photo (M)

Gaza Strip and its nearly one million people have been governed by Palestinians since May 1994 in longest and largest test of Palestinian self-rule; in many quarters, spirit of liberation that followed Israeli withdrawal has given way to sense that oppression continues; much of Gaza's fury remains directed at Israel, whose strict control of borders and trade has amounted to choke hold on an economy where unemployment has doubled since Palestinians came to power; almost as often, although less openly, Palestinian Authority has become target, accused by detractors of punishing critics and enriching its supporters through pattern of arbitrary rule; map; photo (M)

Steep decline in welfare caseloads that began nearly three years ago has accelerated in recent months, offering states larger-than-expected financial windfall and head start in carrying out nation's newly restrictive welfare law; after reaching record high in March 1994, caseloads have dropped nearly 18 percent nationwide, and they have dropped in every state but Hawaii; declines have reached some of nation's largest cities, where concentrations of poor and single-parent families have made rolls hard to reduce; much of decline seems driven by country's economic expansion, but some of it also seems to stem from efforts of many states to place welfare recipients in jobs; many governors are crediting their programs for reduction in welfare caseloads; researchers are uncertain which force is dominant: good times or tough laws; graph; map (M)

Donna Hanover and Deputy Mayor Fran Reiter will participate in all-day conference and convention sponsored by Real Estate Board of New York's Residential Brokerage Division on Feb 7 (S)