February 16, 2005

Peter Applebome comments on Fred Kanter's conflicts with Mountain Lakes, NJ, officials ovr his bizarre contributions to town's culture, such as installing 17 1/2-foot-long boat a third of way up oak tree in front of his house; photo (Our Towns column) (M)

Association for Computing Machinery plans to announce that Drs Vinton G Cerf and Robert E Kahn will receive A M Turing Award, widely considered to be computing field's equivalent of Nobel Prize, for developing language in 1873 that enables computer networks to talk to each other; Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP. set standard for how computers communicate over Internet, like sending e-mail or browsing Web; diagram; photos (M)

The Bloomberg administration's longstanding plans for a West Side stadium that could be used by the Jets, the Olympics and conventions were jolted yesterday when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that it would use open bidding to determine who wins the rights to the West Side railyards. The authority's decision spelled an end to its exclusive yearlong negotiation with the Jets and was essentially an invitation for any developer to outbid the team for the rights to the 13-acre yards, just as Cablevision, the parent of Madison Square Garden, has done with its recent $600 million offer to obtain development rights and cover the construction of a platform over the tracks. To stay in the bidding game, the Jets will probably have to offer more than the $100 million they had planned to pay for the area.

The New York Times poll finds 41 percent of registered voters in New York City look favorably on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's stewardship, up from 31 percent last summer, and most have yet to form opinions about those challenging him for second term; poll suggests Bloomberg has long way to go as he gears up campaign, since nearly half of voters are unable to name single good thing he has done in office, and, as Republican, he would lose in theoretical matchup against unnamed Democrat, 52-20 percent; photo; graphs (M)

Summary of major news stories on inside pages; photo

Archdiocese of New York will close six struggling Roman Catholic elementary schools at end of year, one in Greenwich Village, one in Rockland County and four in Westchester; move comes days after Brooklyn diocese officials say they will shutter 22 schools in biggest round of Catholic school closings in city's history; Catholic school finances in New York have been battered by declining enrollment, rising costs and competition from other schools (M)

Carol Call, patient with emphysema at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, receives life-saving transplant of lungs taken from Maxine Watson after her death from stroke at Bellevue Hospital; case offers rare glimpse into often misunderstood world, where confidentiality agreements usually keep donor families from learning names of those they have saved and keep recipients from learning names of their saviors; 48 hours after receiving her new lungs, Call sends message thanking Watson's family; photos (L)

Bush administration recalls ambassador to Syria to protest what US sees as Syria's link to bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Min Rafik Hariri and 13 other people in downtown Beirut; violent anti-Syrian protests erupt in Lebanon; US also demands Syria withdraw troops from Lebanon and UN Security Council calls for urgent investigation of attack; Lebanese opposition leaders also point to Syria in murder of billionaire developer who was central figure in rebuilding of Lebanon after 15-year civil war that ended in 1990; photos; map; chronology; suicide attacker may have managed to drive in between cars of Hariri's motorcade; Syria strongly denies role but Lebanese analysts note that Hariri tried to block new term for pro-Syrian Pres Emile Lahoud and sought Syrian troop withdrawal; Sec Condoleezza Rice cites other hostile Syrian activities but also says, at meeting with Egyptian minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, that bombers are yet unknown; withdrawal of Amb Margaret Scobey is tantamount to downgrading of diplomatic ties (M)

Kelefa Sanneh Critic's Choice column reviews new album by Lee Ann Womack; photo (M)

German shorthaired pointer Autumn Roses is named Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show's Best in Show, giving handler Michelle Ostermiller her second consecutive blue ribbon; photo (M)

NHL rejects players union's final proposal for $49 million salary cap per team and union responds by saying it will make no further offers, signaling what will likely be cancelled 2004-5 hockey season; photos (M)

F.D.A. Forms Safety Board To Assess Drug Dangers The Food and Drug Administration is creating a safety board to advise it on drug complications and warn patients about unsafe drugs. The move comes as Congressional committees are investigating the F.D.A.'s ability to uncover drug dangers. [Page A1.] Robot Soldiers Are on the Way The Pentagon predicts robots will be a major fighting force in less than a decade. [A1.] Insurance Executives Plead Guilty A senior executive at Marsh & McLennan and two employees of A.I.G. pleaded guilty to criminal charges of bid-rigging. [C2.] Buffett and Soros Place Bets Berkshire Hathaway, controlled by Warren E. Buffett, increased its stake in Comcast by about $150 million, doubling its holding. In a separate move, the Quantum Fund, the $8.7 billion hedge fund overseen by the financier George Soros, said in regulatory filings that it had bought $50 million of Time Warner stock. [C8.] U.S. Investigating Lexus Brakes Regulators are looking into the safety of the brakes on the Lexus RX330 S.U.V. [C5.] McDonald's Libel Ruling Faulted Two anti-McDonald's activists convicted of libel in Britain did not get a fair trial, a European human rights court said. [C5.] CBS Employees Refuse to Leave Three CBS journalists who helped oversee a flawed report on the National Guard service of President Bush are refusing to resign. [C3.] Plans for an Overhaul at Lowe Tony Wright, left, the new leader of Lowe Worldwide, is seeking to revive its fortunes with a major reorganization plan. The agency is struggling to recover from account losses, management turmoil and failed mergers. A revival of Lowe is crucial to the turnaround efforts of its parent, the Interpublic Group. Stuart Elliott: Advertising. [C8.] Report on Retail Sales Helps Stocks Stocks rose after a report on growth in retail sales. The Dow rose 46.19 points, to 10,837.32, a 2005 high, and the Nasdaq composite gained 6.30 points, to 2,089.21. [C9.] More Security for Internet Explorer Microsoft plans to introduce a version of its Web browser with stronger security. [C15.] Jury Rejects Zoloft Defense A teenager who blamed the Pfizer drug Zoloft for his violent behavior was convicted of killing his grandparents when he was 12. [A17.] Foreigners Steer Clear of Treasuries Foreigners' purchases of Treasury securities plunged 75 percent in December from the previous month. [C9.]