June 24, 2002

Dinner party is held for families of 9/11 victims from Middletown, NJ; dinner, held in Sea Bright, is opportunity for 34 households that suffered loss of life on Sept 11 to thank neighbors and strangers who had showered them with material and emotional support over past nine months; photo (M)

Specialist computer makers are thriving while sales lag at big companies; among niche companies are Alienware Corp, whose souped-up computers are favored by gamers, Ace Computers, which provides level of technical support unheard-of at bigger manufacturers, and Falcon Northwest Computers Systems, which custom-builds all its computers; their strength shows that industry, with 15,000 manufactuers, is not consolidating inevitably into handful of companies; photos; graph (M)

Stephen LaValle, one of first men sentenced to be executed under New York's 1995 death penalty law, is in bitter battle with his lawyers as they prepare appeal to state's highest court; court documents show he has deluged court with complaints about lawyers' efforts to win life sentence rather than freedom; Court of Appeals has authorized him to file his own brief, which will argue against brief filed by lawyers; he says he would rather be executed than spend life in jail; he was convicted of 1997 rape and murder on strength of DNA and other evidence after confessing to police; battle is first in New York between death row inmate and lawyers since 1995 law passed, but death penalty lawyers say such struggles are frequent across country as inmates try to exert control (M)

Imperial chief executive, hailed not long ago as savior of entire companies and driving force behind turnaround of US economy, is suddenly under siege across business landscape; executives face most significant challenge in decade or more, with recent indictments of two prominent executives, accounting problems and stock market stuck near lowest level in three years; have begun delicate efforts intended to answer critics and still defeat efforts at systematic change; have become more solicitous of investors, more open about financial dealings and more responsive to detailed questions from board members, while proclaiming their companies to be fully healthy and recent disclosures about problems elsewhere to be exceptions; few are willing to sacrifice even sliver of many privileges and huge pay packages awarded in recent years; photos; graphs (M)

New York Mets defeat Kansas City Royals, 5-4; photos (M)

Richard Leibner, whose N S Bienstock talent agency represents about 600 television news anchors, correspondents and producers, is central figure in much of wheeling and dealing that is going on as broadcast news divisions begin handing reins to new generation and as cable news networks engage in race for big-name anchors; his concentration of talent has prompted some to ask whether his firm can fairly represent interests of all its clients; others wonder whether he has too much sway within networks themselves; photos (M)

Syracuse, NY, weighs construction of DestiNY USA, behemoth shopping, tourism and entertainment complex bigger in square footage than two Empire State Buildings and even bigger than Minnesota's Mall of America; $2.2 billion facility will include 400 stores, 4,000 hotel rooms, more than 30 acres of restaurants and other amusement-park features; is brainchild of Robert J Congel, developer who is confidfent of getting needed investment from Wall Street; groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for July 2003; maps; photo (M)

South Korea, once under Japan's colonial rule, views its national team's success in World Cup and Japan's earlier defeat as symbolic payback for years of oppression; photo (M)

Anna Kisselgoff Critic's Notebook column profiles ballerina Susan Jaffe, who is retiring from American Ballet Theater on June 24 after her performance in Giselle; photo (M)

Ben Brantley reviews Williamstown Theater Festival revival of Frank Loesser and George Abbott musical Where's Charley?; Christopher Fitzgerald, Jessica Stone and Paxton Whitehead star; photo (M)

Seven members of family, including five young girls, die in fire in Dyker Heights section of Brooklyn that started in neighbor's kitchen and swept through their third-floor apartment; officials say fire broke out as Muzamal Khawaja, resident of second-floor apartment, was heating cooking oil on stove; she reportedly tried in vain to put fire out but fled building, leaving apartment door open and allowing flames to spread; reportedly cried out to warn neighbors, but heard no response; Mayor Michael R Bloomberg says fire could have been prevented if 911 was called immediately; victims identified as Yasmine Nadeen, husband Mohamed and five children; were immigrants from Pakistan; map; photo (M)

US seeks to enlist Morocco in war on terrorism; cooperation in unraveling of alleged plot by three Saudis and four Moroccans to use explosive-packed boats to attack American and British ships in Strait of Gibraltar discussed; efforts underscore painstaking way US and allies are trying to counter continued threats from splintered Al Qaeda terrorist organization; photo (M)