July 14, 1998

Special report, A Family Portrait, traces Sante Kimes' long career in fraud, swindling, arson and theft as New York police investigate disappearance of Edith Silverman, 82-year-old wealthy eccentric and apparent latest victim of Kimes and her 23-year-old son, Kenneth; Kimes was born Sandra Walker in Oklahoma in 1935, married wealthy motel and property owner and lived with him and their son in Honolulu and Las Vegas, serving prison sentence along the way for enslaving Mexican servants; Kenneth Kimes hated and feared domineering mother, and led more normal life as high school and college student while she was in jail, but joined her fraud schemes after father died in 1994; they are suspected in 1996 disappearance of Syed Bilal Ahmed in Bahamas and in murder of David J Kazdin in Los Angeles last March; photos; two were arrested in New York on bad-check complaint by Utah car dealer, and are being held as police seek clues to Silverman's fate (L)

Eye doctors tell New York Mets left fielder Bernard Gilkey that he should try wearing glasses or contact lenses, but he opposes idea; question of Gilkey's vision is just one of possible explanations organization has considered as it searches for clues to his decline at plate over last year and half (M)

Analysis of face-off at General Motors, which began 39 days ago as simple strike at one factory and has led to virtual shutdown of North American operations; dispute has laid bare emotional issues about job security, and GM's steely resolve to improve productivity to compete; both sides have escalated struggle, abetted by huge cash reserves on union side, and GM executives' desire to stand fast; UAW has $725 million strike fund and is using only $3 million a week for 9,200 striking workers and a few laid-off workers not covered by unemployment compensation; record profits at Ford and Chrysler put pressure on GM to eliminate factory-level agreements that have allowed some workers to collect full day's pay for few hours work, and left GM with highest labor costs in industry; biggest productivity problems are in parts plants, which have least flexible work rules and most antiquated machinery; GM also wants to sell inefficient Delphi subsidiary, which makes small low-tech parts, but union objects; list showing dwindling GM inventory (M)

Article on upcoming British Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club; photo (M)

Tens of thousands of Protestants paraded peacefully in Northern Ireland. The marches followed a week of Protestant upheaval over the issue of patriotic marches in Roman Catholic neighborhoods and the death of three young Catholic brothers in an arson attack.