NORTHEAST

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR DEFENDS RESIGNATION DELAY TRENTON, N.J. – In a newspaper opinion piece published yesterday, New Jersey’s embattled governor says his decision not to leave office immediately because of a sex scandal was “difficult” to make but one he will not change.

Governor McGreevey, a Democrat, used The New York Times piece to defend his November 15 resignation date, which has been criticized roundly by both Republicans and members of his own party. Mr. McGreevey announced August 12 he is leaving his post because he had an extramarital affair with a man.

“While I see the merits of both sides of the debate, I stand firm with my decision,” Mr. McGreevey wrote in the Times. “My obligation is to complete the important work already started and to achieve an effective transition of state government.”

Meanwhile, an attorney for Golan Cipel – who has been identified as the man with whom Mr. McGreevey had an extramarital affair – said the governor’s associates told Mr. Cipel not to go public about his relationship with the governor or face deportation.

Rachel Yosevitz told The Philadelphia Inquirer that associates of the governor visited Mr. Cipel at his home, the newspaper reported Saturday. “They made it clear that the governor would do as he pleased and that if he wanted to have him deported, he would have him deported,” Ms. Yosevitz told the newspaper.

Mr. McGreevey’s lawyer, William Lawler, denied the new allegations: “That is not true,” he said.

– Associated Press

SOUTH

GEORGIA CREMATORY OPERATOR SET TO FACE TRIAL ROME, Ga. – Nearly 1,700 relatives of people whose bodies were found scattered across a crematory’s property are suing the owner for all he’s worth – but that may not be much.

The lawsuit against Brent Marsh and the estate of his father, former owner Ray Brent Marsh, goes to trial today, 2 1 /2 years after the remains of 334 people were discovered at the Tri-State Crematory in Noble, near the Tennessee line.

Investigators found heaps of decaying bodies from Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee that were supposed to have been cremated. Complete and partial human remains were found in storage buildings, in burial vaults, and in pits and the surrounding forest.

Tests revealed the crematory gave some families cement dust instead of their loved one’s ashes.

One of the plaintiffs, Anthony Schuchman, said he’s seeking about $1,500 for the cost of cremating his son and the cost of digging up his son’s grave in an unsuccessful attempt to find a body part large enough to be identified. The son, Gilbert Schuchman, died December 29, 1992, and was supposedly cremated at Tri-State. Attorneys for the 1,671 plaintiffs say it will be more difficult to collect money from Mr. Marsh than to convince a jury of his guilt. A judge ruled Brent Marsh was too poor to afford his own lawyer in the criminal case, but he’s being represented in the civil case by attorneys paid for by his insurance company.

– Associated Press

FLORIDA UTILITIES WORK TO RESTORE POWER PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Every morning on the outskirts of this storm-wrecked city, hundreds of utility workers from across eastern America get their daily marching orders: Get the juice flowing, now. Nearly a million customers lost electricity on August 13, when Hurricane Charley snapped poles, downed lines, and tangled an orderly electric grid. A week and a half later, only about 90,000 are still without power, but their patience is running low as temperatures climb.

“When the power comes back on, I’ll probably jump for joy. And drink a cold beer,” said Paula Parker, a resident of rural Charlotte County.

Still, Ms. Parker and others can take solace knowing some victims of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 had to wait 34 days. Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest electric utility, expects to finish by August 29.

“There’s restoring service, and there’s rebuilding service,” said a company spokesman, Bill Swank. “This is rebuilding.”

– Associated Press