May 1, 1998

Profiles of four young dancers at New York City Ballet--Alexandra Ansanelli, Aesha Ash, Edward Liang and Benjamin Millepied--who seem likely candidates for distinction in company's just-opened spring season at New York State Theater; photos (L)

Giuliani Administration says Housing Preservation and Development Dept will take direct control over hundreds of city-owned vacant lots that have been used for years as community gardens; says agency hopes to speed up efforts to find developers for low- and moderate-income housing on sites; gardeners and environnmental groups express outrage over move; photo (M)

Govt reports that United States economy grew at surprisingly strong pace this winter, and inflation remained unexpectedly subdued; instead of slowing down as Asian recession hit American manufacturers, economy picked up speed, growing at 4.2 percent annual rate in first quarter, compared with 3.7 percent in previous quarter; and instead of drifting higher as Washington and Wall Street feared, broadest measure of inflation dipped below 1 percent to its lowest rate since 1964; charts (L)

Geraldine A Ferraro, who is running for Democratic nomination to oppose Sen Alfonse M D'Amato, makes her 1997 tax returns available for public inspection, but imposes extraordinary restrictions on what has become routine event for most politicians; reporters are provided two sets of returns to examine for precisely three hours before aide who monitors inspection retrieves documents; any reporter who wants to examine documents beyond three-hour limit would have had to pay her accountant's standard fee of $429 an hour (M)

United States is preparing to back $1 billion payment in international emergency aid to Indonesia, despite evidence that Pres Suharto's family and friends are continuing to undermine efforts to break up multibillion-dollar monopolies they control; Treasury officials acknowledge that Indonesia has failed to meet some of most important conditions that were imposed by International Monetary Fund in return for $40 billion bailout package; say, nevertheless, that United States expects to vote in favor of gradual resumption of aid when monetary fund's board meets next week; Clinton Adm says it is satisfied that Indonesia is making 'adequate progress' toward meeting IMF demands (M)