Douglas Elliman, Manhattan-based real estate brokerage firm, opens its third branch office on Long Island's North Shore (S)

Douglas Elliman Opens 3d North Shore Branch

Summary of major news stories on inside pages

INSIDE

Documents turned over to Congress by former Presidential aide Harold Ickes show that White House kept close tabs on how much money was anticipated from Pres Clinton's coffees, and how much was actually raised; coffees that Clinton held in 1996 had systematic fund-raising targets, often $400,000 per gathering; document also shows plan for Clinton and Vice Pres Gore to make number of fund-raising calls, although it is not clear if they did so; White House has insisted that particular dollar targets were not set, but monthly schedules show figures for each event; photo of spreadsheet (M)

WHITE HOUSE KEPT CLOSE TAB ON CASH RAISED AT COFFEES

Automobiles column describes driving, or driving in, some of year's most exciting show cars from Chrysler Corp and Ford Motor Co, including Chrysler Phaeton, Dodge Copperhead, Jeep Dakar/Jeep Icon, Ford Tremor, Mercury MC4 and Plymouth Pronto; photos (M)

Driving the Dream Machines

Managed-care companies and health plans are increasingly requiring that nursing homes, already subjected to scrutiny by regulatory agencies, insurers, public and media, be accredited by outside agencies like Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; industry representative Carl Young calls commission's survey expensive redundancy; photo (L)

Nursing Homes Face Stricter Standards

New York's drastic reorganization of major utilities noted

Jobs Fueling a Push For Cheaper Energy

Harvey Araton Sports of The Times column criticizes Indiana coach Bob Knight for blaming his players after team was routed by Colorado in first round of NCAA basketball tournament; notes that point guard Neil Reed left university, claiming he was sick of Knight's 'verbal and physical abuses'; Reed photo (M)

Knight's Time To Look In the Mirror

Boeing Co and Airbus Industrie are locked in high-stakes marketing battle for lion's share of estimated $1 tillion or more in orders for passenger planes over next 20 years; industry forecasts suggest more than 13,500 planes will be built to replace aging fleets and accommodate growing demand for air travel; photos; chart (L)

The $1 Trillion Dogfight

Tens of thousands of people nationwide will complete their conversion to Roman Catholicism this Easter, through once-obscure process of group classes and ceremonies known as Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults; Ron Lacey discusses his conversion through church in Croton-on-Hudson, New York; photos; estimated thirty percent of Americans now switch denominations; Roman Catholic Church has traditionally passed most converts through personal instruction with individual priest, but communal approach is effective recruiting tool as church markets itself more aggressively to Americans who shop around for religion; initiation rite was primary conversion tool for expanding Catholicism in early years of church, but fell into disuse for centuries (M)

Old Catholic Ritual Serves as New Tool To Recruit Converts

IN the spy-versus-spy atmosphere of the cold war, countless millions of readers everywhere followed the modern world's Great Game, both the reality of it and the fiction of it. The espionage business was -- is -- a culture, the culture of spying and spies, their codes, their honor or lack thereof, their secret victories, their spectacular failures, their wonderful gadgets and even their sexual dalliances out there on the edge.    From the pants-wetting pseudo-spy in the movie ''True Lies,'' whose come-on line to girls was, ''Fear is not an option,'' to the soulful, midlife meandering of George Smiley in John LeCarre's novels, to the real-life drama of the Bay of Pigs and Aldrich Ames's betrayal of his country, this culture of espionage has enthralled and entertained as much as it has wreaked havoc on its participants and plenty of innocent bystanders.  

There Is No Chinese James Bond. So Far.

Tara Lipinski, 14, wins world figure skating title; she is youngest woman to win title; photo (M)

Lipinski, 14, Is Youngest World Champion

 F.Y.I.   4    MAKING IT WORK   2  Educational breakthrough in the high schools: Not switching teachers at midyear.

ALSO INSIDE

Clashes erupt in Hebron as Palestinian youths throw rocks and Israeli soldiers respond with tear gas, rubber bullets and, reportedly, some live ammunition; photos; map; scores of people are reported injured; violence follows Palestinian suicide bombing of Tel Aviv cafe, which killed three Israeli women; anonymous call says Hamas carried out attack; Hamas statement threatens more violence over Israeli plan to build housing in southeastern Jerusalem; Yasir Arafat's police reportedly re-arrest Hamas leader Ibrahim Maqadmeh, who told rally that only 'holy warriors carrying explosives' will stop Israeli bulldozers; Maqadmeh, said by Israel to lead secret Hamas terror group, was also detained after suicide bombings last year; Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu charges release of such radicals is green light to renew terror attacks (M)

SCORES ARE HURT IN MIDEAST CLASH

Michael Wines article discusses White House scandals throughout American history in view of Pres Clinton's alleged ethical abuses; photos (M)

Supreme Leader, Pigeon in Chief

Special report, The Emerald Tiger, describes return of the Irish to Ireland, after centuries of sometimes desperate emigration; end of dominant feature of Irish life reflects profound changes in society, as young people attuned to Continent redefine their Celtic nature in exuberant new ways, throwing over inhibiting influence of Roman Catholic Church; economy, aided by European Union subsidies, is fastest growing in Europe, drawing in investments and luring back people who have pursued careers in England and America; architect Joe O'Brien, who has returned after years of working in London, notes that his graduating class has mostly returned; photo with 32-year-old Jeff Robinson, back to head new Cork office of consulting engineers; graph showing Irish GNP edging ahead of Britain's; annual growth rate is 7 percent, inflation is under two percent, deficit is declining and consumer confidence is surging; officials cite campaign to improve education, so that 80 percent of population now attends high school and 46 percent attends college, close to European norm; pockets of generational poverty persist, as in Dublin neighborhoods with high unemployment (L)

Irish Eyes Turning Homeward As a Country's Moment Comes

Kentucky defeats Utah, 72-59, in NCAA West Regional basketball final; photo (M)

Final Four's First Two: Kentucky and Minnesota

Speaker Newt Gingrich, perhaps the most visible member of Republican party, is also its most potent fund-raiser, raising more than $100 million for House candidates in 1996 election; Gingrich also gave away more from his own war chest and PAC to other House candidates than he spent on his own direct electioneering; he raised more than $6 million for himself, waging most expensive House race of year and also covering $1 million in legal bills related to House ethics charges; Edward Rothschild of Citizen Action notes that while Gingrich's political star may have fallen, he is stil 'godfather' of new Republican party; tireless efforts also contribute to reservoir of loyalty in House; his political spending detailed (M)

Gingrich, Politically Weakened, Remains Top G.O.P. Fund-Raiser

Coping column by Robert Lipsyte pays tribute to two colorful New Yorkers: Constance D Gibson, known as Queen of Gramercy Park, whose stewardship of private park was legendary, who recently died, and Rob Walsh, known as Mayor of Union Square, who helped turn Union Square Park into urban oasis for everyone after years of decay and neglect, who is relocating; drawing (M)

A Farewell to Two Nobles Who Never Met

Article by Ben Brantley on emotions of frustration, anxiety, aggression and anger, implicit or explicit, in nearly every great American musical; says those emotions are almost always worked out in form, if not in content, whether the ending is happy or sad; drawing; photos (L)

That Singable Psychodrama, the Musical

New York metropolitan region's residential real estate market had one of its best years in quarter of century; all counties in suburban ring around New York City enjoyed increased sales in 1996; 364 of the 426 ZIP-code areas in those counties showed price appreciation; city's robust housing market and nation's healthy economy were important factors; maps; charts (L)

For Region's Housing, a Solid '96

TODAY'S SECTIONS

Novelist Patricia Cornwell describes her personal and financial travails and her efforts to handle her fortune, which now amounts to about $10 million; photos; charts (L)

New Chapter for a Serial Spender

Comment on outlook for Denny's, financially ailing restaurant chain (Market Watch); graph (M)

Buyout Kings Flee Disaster At Denny's

Cyclists in New York City may be facing better times; bike thefts are down and 350 miles of new bike paths are planned for five boroughs by year 2020; paths are known as Greenway projects and can be used by joggers, pedestrians and in-line skaters as well; city's Department of Tranportation counted record 14,890 cyclists in Manhattan on average day in 1995, up 36 percent from 1990; maps; charts (L)

Tour de New York

New one-story South Jamaica Library to be completed in two years has been designed to use natural light in ways that will please library users as well as environmentalists and city's accountants; drawing (M)

A Library Mindful of Light's Uses

Benjamin Andrew Davey Manenti is an Italian-Australian cricketer. He is a right-arm off spin bowler who bats right-handed. He has played for Tasmania, South Australia, the Sydney Sixers, and the Adelaide Strikers. He has also represented the Italy national cricket team, qualifying as a citizen by descent.

March 23, 1997

Headlines from March 23, 1997

Douglas Elliman Opens 3d North Shore Branch

INSIDE

WHITE HOUSE KEPT CLOSE TAB ON CASH RAISED AT COFFEES

Driving the Dream Machines

Nursing Homes Face Stricter Standards

Billboard 200

Pop

Unchained Melody/The Early Years

Falling Into You

Pieces Of You

Tragic Kingdom

Notable Births

Historical Context for March 23, 1997