New Jersey Joint Legislative Committee on Public Schools holds hearing on Paterson's troubled school district; Sen Gordon A MacInnes says Education Dept has had no more success running district than Paterson, which lost control of it six years ago; state-appointed Schools Supt Laval S Wilson testifies (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Success Not Seen in Schools

Interview at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with artists Susan Rothenberg and Bruce Nauman; photos (M)

Two Who Define Today Amble In the Past

Plight of 154 Chinese men in county jail in York, Pa, has united people of all political persuasions there; Chinese men were brought to county jail after smuggler's ship, Golden Venture, ran aground off New York in 1993; volunteers in community, struck by what they considered an injustice, overcame their differences and filed lawsuits, attended vigils and lobbied Congress, in name of principle they felt transcended other beliefs that divide them and the nation; Clinton Administration announced last week that it would release remaining 53 illegal immigrants from Golden Venture by Mar 1; release will allow men to work as their appeals for political asylum go through legal system; people of York raised money and bought house in downtown York that will serve as permanent halfway house for other immigrants released from prison; photos (M)

A Town's Strange Bedfellows Unite Behind Chinese Refugees

 Attack on Hospital Plan       Hospital executives and powerful members of Congress are angry about the Government's unusual plan to award payments to hospitals in New York State that agree to train fewer doctors. Page B1.    Witnesses Will Testify

INSIDE

Musician and mysterious videotape, via Lynch. Eerie confusion.

Eerie Visions With a Mood Of Menace

Article on how New York Times Neediest Cases Fund has helped Sharon Fields, former New York City police officer who was first woman to receive department's Medal of Honor; Fields retired on disability after she witnessed fatal shooting of colleague in South Bronx; photos (M)

Shattered by the Shooting That Made Her a Hero

Federal District Judge John W Bissell sentences Sea Bright, NJ, firefighter Kenneth Johnson Jr to three years in prison for setting fire 20 years ago, when he was 14 years old, that killed four emotionally disturbed men in boarding house (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Sentence in Arson Long Ago

Ben Brantley reviews Pam Gems play Stanley, at Circle in the Square; photos (M)

In Desire, A Glimpse Of Heaven

New Jersey Environmental Protection Asst Comr James Hall says officials plan to fill undeveloped 106-acre stretch of Liberty State Park with nature trails, picnic areas and wildflower meadow, thanks to Green Acres bond referendum approved by voters last year (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Nature Near Waterfront

United States refuses to take part in World Trade Organization's (WTO) legal proceedings involving European challenge to Washington's embargo of Cuba; US position is that WTO 'has no competence to proceed' in issue of American national security; American action follows six months of negotiations with Europe over Helms-Burton Act, which is intended to punish companies that trade with Cuba; central issue is Europe's claim that US has violated international law by imposing penalties on foreign companies that conduct business in Cuba using properties or assets that once belonged to American companies; these properties were expropriated by Havana four decades ago; penalties are intended to force foreign governments to support American effort to isolate Fidel Castro; some of Pres Clinton's advisers oppose Helms-Burton Act, and Pres Clinton has twice suspended crucial element of law, which would allow Americans to sue foreign companies in American courts for use of expropriated American property in Cuba (M)

U.S. WON'T OFFER TRADE TESTIMONY ON CUBA EMBARGO

Gov George E Pataki plans to seek waiver from new Federal welfare rules requiring adults to work in exchange for food stamps, sparing tens of thousands of neediest New Yorkers from the prospect of losing their benefits; decision by Pataki, whose administration has been reluctant to pursue waiver, comes as he faces growing criticism from Democratic legislators and advocates for poor who argue that recipients living in areas where jobs are scarce will otherwise lose their food stamp benefits (M)

Pataki to Seek Waiver on Requiring Work for Food Stamps

Assembly unanimously approves measure that would make it criminal offense punishable by 18 months in jail to flee automobile accident in which someone is seriously injured or killed (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Harsher Hit-and-Run Penalty

Secretary of State Madeleine K Albright presents Kremlin with new arms control proposal that would freeze military forces near Russia's European periphery, in West's first detailed response to Russian anxieties about NATO expansion; new plan would not require reductions in NATO forces or dramatically alter military balance on European continent; main aim is to ease Moscow's fear that NATO is trying to take advantage of Russia at time of weakness; to address Russian concerns, new proposal would update 1990 treaty slashing conventional forces with Europe, which was hammered out between NATO alliance and old Soviet-led bloc (M)

Albright Offers Russia Plan To Ease Concerns on NATO

People in Beijing show few signs of tension or public concern regarding Deng's death; most people go about their business, with no public display of emotion for one of century's most important leaders; China that Deng left behind has leaders who do not trust the people and people who care little about their leaders because they are far too busy making money; depth of change in China's urban society in recent years--from rising living standards and more access to information--means that many city dwellers do not concern themselves with political leaders as they once did (M)

Beijing After Deng: Paramount Indifference

World Bank's president, James D Wolfensohn, has proposed sweeping reorganization costing up to $400 million that is intended to shake up institution's vast bureaucracy and improve its performance in promoting economic development for poor nations; Wolfensohn has been goading bank's staff to become more nimble and aggressive since he took over 20 months ago (L)

World Bank Chief Asks Slimmer Staffs and Better Lending

New Jersey General Assembly approves legislation to overhaul state's welfare program, imposing time limits and work requirements on welfare recipients, but also offering incentives to help ease their transition into workplace (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Welfare Overhaul Approved

New state-appointed board of Adelphi University dismisses Pres Peter Diamandopoulos, strong-willed academician whose high salary was criticized by faculty members and State Board of Regents; board's vote is 14 to 0, with 5 members absent; trustees name committee to immediately seek new temporary president and to plan search for permanent replacement; until then, in accordance with university's bylaws, acting president will be Igor Webb, acting provost and a Diamandopoulos appointee; board declines to answer questions about circumstances of Diamandopoulos's departure, including what benefits he might receive (M)

New Trustees of Adelphi U. Dismiss Embattled President

 MORE RIDERS, MORE BUSES Expecting an influx of new bus riders with the elimination of two-fare zones, city transit officials are hiring 250 bus drivers and adding 205 extra buses. B3.    STUDENT DIES IN FIRE A student at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan died in a fire apparently caused by smoking in bed. B3.  DRIVING AT THE PORT AUTHORITY A Denver company wants to open a driving range on top of the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Metro Business, B5.    NEW TODAY: AUTOS ON FRIDAY The first column of a weekly series looks at consumer access to safety data. B17.

INSIDE METRO

New Jersey General Assembly approves legislation to overhaul state's welfare program, imposing time limits and work requirements on welfare recipients, but also offering incentives to help ease their transition into workplace; bill was proposed by Gov Christine Todd Whitman; it closely resembles new Federal welfare law, but softens some of strictest provisions; New Jersey plan would allow welfare recipients to keep more of their benefits once they begin working, and to continue to be eligible for Medicaid coverage two years after moving into workplace; photo (M)

TRENTON APPROVES BILL OVERHAULING WELFARE SYSTEM

National Transportation Safety Board says that Boeing 737, most popular airliner in history, is less safe than other airliners because failure of valve that controls rudder can cause it to crash; investigators note that failure of valve is rare, and suggest that recent changes in operating procedures by airlines could compensate for problem; board stops short of grounding the planes, or even declaring them unsafe; airlines, under orders from Federal Aviation Administration, make changes in their emergency manuals and instruct their pilots about how to react to valve problem should it occur; Boeing calls 737 'absolutely' safe and with a 'very good' safety record compared with other airliners; safety board's conclusions make it clear it believes it solved mystery of two 737 crashes, in Pittsburgh in 1994 and in Colorado Springs in 1991; drawing (M)

Federal Board Sees Valve Flaw In Boeing 737's

NBC's presentation on Feb 23 of film Schindler's List will be unusual far beyond the fact that broadcast television network will devote three and a half hours during crucial ratings period to a black-and-white film about the Holocaust; film will run without commercial interruptions from advertisers, NBC or local stations; adless program was made possible by decision of Ford Motor Co, in consultation with longtime Ford agency, the J Walter Thompson Co, to become exclusive sponsor of the film (L)

Ford Will Travel High Road With Adless 'Schindler's List'

 Dow Loses 92.75 Points, Falling Below 7,000   Stocks tumbled in what some analysts saw as a natural retreat for an increasingly expensive market. The Dow industrials fell 92.75 points, to 6,927.38, after being down by 114 points at one point late in the session.  

BUSINESS DIGEST

Theory, based on data compiled by Frank J Sulloway, science historian and research scholar at MIT, suggest management actions undertaken by a chief executive officer are linked to order of birth in the family; believes first-born children are authoritarian, conformists, assiduously interested in preserving the status quo; adds later-borns are more adventurous and receptive to innovation; Sulloway ignited something of his own revolution last fall when he published Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives; birth order of chief executives Gerald M Levin (Time Warner), Louis V Gerstner (IBM), Albert J Dunlap (Sunbeam), Michael D Eisner (Disney), Linda J Wachner (Warnaco), John F Smith (General Motors), George M C Fisher (Eastman Kodak), John R Walter (AT&T) and Roger B Smith, former chief executive of GM discussed; photos (L)

Researcher Says How C.E.O.'s Act Is Linked To Order in the Family

New Jersey Assembly approves package of bills that would tighten security and protect patients at state's seven psychiatric hospitals (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Safeguards at Hospitals

Clyde Haberman, in NYC column, contends that rarely has love been so suspect in New York City as in last few days; notes that at marriage bureaus across town, there are suddenly crushing lines of couples looking to sprint down aisle; suggests that illegal immigrants by thousands are racing to marry American citizens in hope--misguided hope, some experts caution--that they can stave off deportation after toughened immigration law goes into effect on April 1 (M)

February 21, 1997

Headlines from February 21, 1997

Success Not Seen in Schools

Two Who Define Today Amble In the Past

A Town's Strange Bedfellows Unite Behind Chinese Refugees

INSIDE

Eerie Visions With a Mood Of Menace

Billboard 200

Tragic Kingdom

Gridlock'd

Secrets

Evita

Falling Into You

Historical Context for February 21, 1997