June 19, 1997

Airlines are pressing to improve on-time performance by putting new stress on taking off on time; are getting tough on late-arriving passengers; adhering closely to schedules gives airlines competitive edge and saves high cost of aiding passengers who miss connections because of delays; table; graphs; photo (L)

Little drama is expected as New Jersey State Senate and Assembly committees consider new budget, thanks to unanticipated tax revenue and $590 million foreseen from sale of pension bonds (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Medical Society of New Jersey announces its opposition to bill that would ban procedure that abortion opponents describe as partial-birth abortion (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

The Southern Baptist Convention has called upon its 15.7 million members to boycott the Walt Disney Company, saying that Disney has moved away from wholesome entertainment and toward themes of sex, violence and homosexuality.

Federal jury acquits James T Jennings, owner of defunct valet-parking business in Wall Township, of charges that he cheated investors of more than $1 million (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

Leona Helmsley, after turbulent decade at head of New York City's largest real estate empire, says that she intends to sell most or perhaps all of properties, valued at close to $5 billion; her decision comes amid bitter failing out with business associates of her late husband Harry B Helmsley (M)

New study finds that hormone replacement after menopause can significantly reduce woman's risk of death as long as she continues it; in first decade of hormone use, chance of dying was 37 percent lower among women who were using hormones than among women who did not, primarily because of fewer deaths from heart disease among users; mortality benefit dropped to 20 percent after 10 or more years of hormone use when women's risk of death from breast cancer rose; 16-year study of 60,000 postmenopausal women suggests that even women with breast cancer might benefit as group, if they took hormones; Dr Francine Grodstein of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston is director of study; findings are published in June 19 issue of New England Journal of Medicine (M)

Penalty phase of trial for convicted murderer Jesse K Timmendequas continues in Trenton; Richard Kanka, father of murder victim Megan Kanka, discusses his daughter's life and family's life since her murder; photo (M)

Technology Stocks Fall, Dragging Market Lower Technology stocks plunged after Seagate Technology and Gateway 2000 again said they expected earnings growth to slow and because of news that Intel planned to cut prices on its Pentium computer chips. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 10.68 points, to 1,432.43. The Dow industrials were also pulled lower, losing 42.07 points to close at 7,718.71. $(Page D8.$)

Many New Yorkers of baby-boom generation who delayed parenthood into 30's and 40's are moving through social life with children in tow, increasingly including them in city's grown-up night life; phenomenon reflects limited free time of many who work, as well as high degree of involvement of baby-boomers in children's lives that borders on obsession; photos (M)

Theft of garden ornaments is soaring across US as prices for everything, from birdbaths to life-size nudes, have doubled and tripled in US and Europe in last five years; even graveyards, which contain masterpieces of outdoor statuary, are among primary targets; recent arrests of Randy and Jennifer Ireland, described by Lake Placid, NY, authorities as voracious but discerning garden thieves, noted; 61 garden ornaments found in their loaded trailer has been traced to estates and graveyards from Missouri to Maine; photos (M)

Status of nine-point plan to gird Hudson County's $300-million-a-year embroidery industry against cheaper overseas competitors (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)