June 11, 1997

Interview with Robert B Parker, popular writer of detective novels; photos (M)

Poll by Newark Star-Ledger and Eagleton Institute of Politics puts Democratic gubernatorial nominee James E McGreevey only six percentage points behind Gov Christine Todd Whitman (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Farro, ancient grain that is Italian rustic staple, is being served in fashionable restaurants, not only in Tuscany and northern Italy, but also in US, particularly on West and East Coasts; looks and tastes like lighter brown rice, with complex, nutty taste and undertones of oats and barley; photos; recipes (M)

Energy Group PLC, British utility company, is in merger talks with Pacificorp, a West Coast power company; Energy Group says that should Pacificorp make an offer it expects bid will be for nearly $5.9 billion in cash; map (L)

Article in series on NATO expansion; focuses on view in Central Europe that joining alliance will provide long-term economic edge by bringing nations closer to Western Europe; three likeliest new members, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary, have pressed for membership, but are nervous about costs of military upgrading; popular support is particularly strong in Poland, where fear of Russia persists and military enjoys high esteem; is weaker in Czech Republic and Hungary (L)

Bergen County grand jury indicts Dr Manjit Singh on 82 counts of fraud for borrowing over $1 million from more than 80 elderly patients to repay gambling debts (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Dow Continues Its Surge, But Technology Stocks Fall Stock prices generally continued to climb, allowing the Dow Jones industrial average to again rewrite the record books. Despite some weakness in the broader market, particularly in technology stocks, investors' appetite for blue-chip issues was unabated. The Dow industrials gained 60.77 points to close at a record 7,539.27. But the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 10.35 points, to 1,401.69. $(Page D8.$)

Medical practioners have quietly begun grappling with whether, or how, to set standards for assisted suicide; network of medical ethics committees in San Francisco, city scarred by AIDS epidemic, has issued formal protocol for 'hastened death,' to be published by Western Journal of Medicine; consensus is first by any medical community; photo (M)

Diners try most anything to obtain hard-to-get prime-time reservations at high-end Manhattan restaurants, such as Le Cirque 2000, Balthazar, Jean Georges, Aureole and Union Square Cafe; their tactics include reserving in name of famous person, name-dropping, claiming friendship with owner or chef, gate-crashing or offering money or gifts to restaurant staffs; drawing; photos (M)

Balanced budget accord would actually let deficit rise to some $90 billion next year, from $67 billion this year, allowing Congress luxury of cutting taxes and increasing spending on popular program for first time in 15 years; many tax breaks being considered are structured so that revenue loss would be small in next few years and mushroom later; some fiscal experts are skeptical that future President and Congress will show fiscal restraint needed to wipe out deficit as planned in 2001 and 2002 (M)

Superior Court Judge Philip S Carchman rules that new law allowing New Jersey to sell $2.75 billion in pension bonds is constitutional (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

In fast-growing hardware business, retailing cooperatives like Ace Hardware and Servistar are locked in battle for market share with retail giants like Home Depot; co-op structure has let local hardware stores compete, though their growth has lagged behind big chains; big co-ops include Ace; Cotter & Co, whose members operate under True Value name; Servistar Coast to Coast Corp, and Hardware Wholesalers Inc; hardware dealer Kyle Buikema, who runs five Ace Hardware stores in Chicago area, comments; charts; tables; photos (L)