The Herald-News from Passaic, New Jersey • 12

ESSEX EDITION Today in fflCE The Herald News. Thursday, February 27, 1975 27 Mars9 death linked to train's extra stop TT fe A' tfr 'ij i if I By STEPHEN STROFF Herald-News Staff Writer Police are investigating the possibility that John DeMars, the Nut-ley banker whose body was discovered Saturday, may have fallen to his death from a railway trestle over the Passaic River. That was revealed yesterday by John Farley, supervisor of the Hudson County homicide squad, who is investigating the case. Farley said that he has "ruled out" the possibility of murder, but that he "was looking into" the claim of a commuter that the train he was riding, the 5:20 out of Hoboken, made an unscheduled stop over the river. The 5:20 was the same train DeMars usually took.

"So far, nothing definite can be said until the autopsy report is in," said Farley, "but we are aware of the commuter's story and are checking it out." THE COMMUTER in question is John Miller of 18 Stockton Nut-ley. Miller, an editor for the Dow Jones News Service, did not see recycling may not have been so lucky. Miller, -recalling from photographs- the thick glasses he wore, speculated: that he might not have been able to catch himself in time when alight- -ing. "He could have stepped out into thin air, and not even have known what was happening," said Miller. And' right under that particular; bridge is a heavy wooden float that he rilight have struck his head on.

i Miller cited as evidence a discussion he had with Detective Kenneth Rhein of Kearny, one of those who discovered the body in at the rear of the Two Guys store at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. According to Miller, Rhein had told him that he noticed a wound in the back of DeMars head which he at first took to be a bullet hole, but then ruled that pos- sibility out. REGARDING THE man who had noticed the river, however, Miller said he reassured him and promised to drive him back to 1 Lyndhurst where his car was. In the course of the casual conversa-tion, Miller learned that he was "a I bond broker at 25 Broad but somehow forgot to ask him his name.

"He told me the name of the company he worked for," said Miller, "but I've forgotten it. It had one of those long, hyphenated names like Merrill-Lynch, but it wasn't as famous." As soon as news of DeMars' disappearance hit the papers, he said, he knew that the man who had asked that the train be stopped was not DeMars, but the young man he had driven back to Lyndhurst. In his attempts to find him, however, he has been unsuccessful. "I WENT TO 25 Broad St. in the city," he said, "but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I'm surprised that he hasn't come forward yet, or identified himself for the sake of the investigators." DeMars but distinctly remembers the unusual stop on the railroad bridge. "We had made the scheduled stops at Kingsland and Lynd-hurst," he said, "when we suddenly made a third stop, and the doors opened. I and a few other people automatically assumed it was the Dela wanna station; in fact, I even went to the door and started to get off. Suddenly, I found myself looking into total blackness, and I said to mayself, 'Wait a minute; this isn't After my eyes got adjusted, I saw that I was staring straight at the Passaic River." Miller places the stop as being the river bridge between Lynd-hurst and Delawanna. The time, he said, was approximately 5:40 p.m.

There are no outside lights on the bridge, he said, less than two feet between the train and the river and no railing to hold onto. DeMARS, AS was his wont, was probably in the fourth and last car of the train the smoking car. Miller was in the second car. The link between the two, indeed the man who has become the missing link in the entire episode, is the nameless bond broker who had requested the conductor to make the unscheduled stop. It was he who was originally mistaken for DeMars a story the conductor later changed once he saw the missing man's picture in the newspaper.

Miller, however, remembers him vividly. "As I was getting back in -my seat," he said, "I saw a young man, possibly in his late 20s, coming down the aisle in a very agitated state. I wasn't sure if he was coming from the back of my car, or the front of the third car, but I do remember that he said he had been napping when the train stopped at Lyndhurst, and asked the conductor to stop the train, that he had to get off. When he saw it was the river, of course, he refused to budge and stayed on." UNFORTUNATELY, DeMars GOOD STORY Pre-schoolers attending the story hour at the Hasbrouck Heights Library are obviously caught up in the tale of the day, being spun by Mrs. Dorothy Horuld-Ncws Pholue by Jim Hunnugun Blum, the children's librarian.

But the youngsters aren't the only beneficiaries at Heights library because Newspaper pill v' ...1 -1 Ramblin' Around Some handy numbers for bugging pofc' SOMETHING FOR MOM Mrs. Miriam Optekar, home economist with the Bergen County Extension Service, has a story for mom. While the youngsters attend their program. Mrs. Optekar provides a course in money management.

Nursing homes probed by many groups a victim of By ALBERT M. SKEA Herald-News Staff Writer LYNDHURST The Hacken-sack Meadowlands Development Commission has temporarily suspended its program to encourage municipalities to collect newspapers in separate bundles. William D. McDowell, executive director, said the action has been taken because the price of used paper has dropped so low that any new collection program would have to operate at a loss. He said the 25 municipalities now picking up bundles of paper have protection in contracts which stipulate a minimum purchase price by the Garden State Paper Co.

in Garfield. PATRICIA Q. Shechan, commission chairman, said resources recovery is still very much of the agency's plan for a refuse handling plant that would replace open dumping in the meadowlands. In addition to salvaging aluminum and steel cans the refuse would be converted into solid fuel suitable for power generating station utilization. Michael J.

Breslin Jr. who was recently appointed to the commission, writing in the commission's newsletter, said he strongly recom They were supported by charity or people paid. They were primarily health-care facilities. But then the government instituted Medicare and Medicaid pro- grams which reimbursed homes for the care. So many of the old "homes for the closed and skilled nursing services took over.

Officials feel this is where the problem began. "Because of Medicare and Medicaid programs the nursing home industry can sometimes cut back on services in order to make a profit," explained a state health department official. "You really don't know what they're "There are some places that get away with giving people $1 worth of food each day," he continued. "There are other places that might give the patients less nursing services. In this way they save money and make money and the patient suffers." SOME OFFICIALS claim that nursing homes often put down names of people not working at the home and claim them as fulltime employes.

They meet with state requirements and are reimbursed by Medicaid for the salaries of fictitious staffers. "Obviously there are too many areas of abuse." said Fay. "I was getting calls from people whose parents were in homes. They complained they weren't happy or pleased with general living conditions. They said that the homes didn't show enough compassion.

"They said diets were poor, there were urine odors, bedding wasn't proper, things like that. To me, these places need to be investigated. There has to be something done for our elderly," said Fay. economy mends recycling as part of the answer to refuse dumping. "A SOLID WASTE management program featuring the most technologically advanced resource recovery system must be conceived and executed under commission auspices," Breslin wrote.

In the article Breslin advocates that the commission utilize its authority to sell bonds to finance a reprocessing plant. "It is my contention," he wrote, "tnat the disposal facilities should be owned, built and controlled by the commission to assure the public of the greatest protection and flexibility for future generations." The commission a year ago received eight technical proposals from private industry for systems handling of refuse and for recycling. TWO INVESTMENT firms are studying the likely economics of the systems. The commission also is preparing to engage an outside engineering consultant to evaluate the technical aspects. In response to a question, Mrs.

Sheehan, the chairman, said the commission is ready to move fast once reports have been received from the financial and engineering consultants. FAY SAID HE has a list of homes he will investigate first. He said these are the places people have complained about. Many local nursing home administrators claim that in light of the New York probes they welcome investigations here. They believe few abuses will be found and it will clear the air for the industry: "I think the investigations are good," said a spokesman for the Passaic-Clifton nursing home, the Columbia Nursing Home in Passaic, and the Pompton Lakes Nursing Home.

"We run all our homes properly and we don't expect to run into any trouble." Since the investigations began nursing homes have reported no drop in business. All investigators are keeping silent about their probes and expect to issue statements on their findings at certain intervals. The state commission, in addition, plans to hold public hearings from time to time. i THE SCI WILL also refer all -findings to the attorney "We do not approach the investigation looking for a criminal. We are only studying the system.

What we find we will expose and deter," said an SCI spokesman. Fay and Goldstein express the feeling that they know what they're looking for and expect to find it. Then they plan to follow through and make sure the system stays clean. "The whole society must be aware of the senior citizen," said Fay. "With prolonged life and medical advances people have to start taking concern about them.

We have to be responsible to our elderly. We owe it to them to conduct these Investigations." remember, are paid for by you and me out of tax money and they are to afford you and me easy access to our legislators. That, at least, is the theory. One of the people mentioned in the letter was Bate and in case you are interested, he has not opened a district office but he has done-something just as really, because it saves some dough. He has installed the tele-' phone that would normally go in his district office in the home of his full-time legislative assistant.

To get an appointment with the senator, just call 779-2283. In case you care about these things, that works' out to 779-BATE. Also on the list was Sen. James Vreeland who has opened a district office. It is located at 1180 Route 46 in Parsippany.

The telephone number is 334-8077. The senator-himself is not. often in the office, but, he says, someone is there during working hours to make appoint-, ments for him. The Bloomingdale writer also wondered about Assemblyman (or Assemblywoman, if you prefer) Barbara Curran and Mrs. Curran has opened an office in the Mer-, chants Building on Speedwell Avenue in Morris Plains.

Her telephone number is 267-2512 and there, is always someone there to set up an appointment. NOT ON THE list but the posses-' sor of probably the best-located district office is Assemblyman Paul J. Contillo of Bergen County. I never met Contillo so I don't know if he's weird or what, but he has set up his office on the food floor of the Paramts Park Mall, right between Nathan's and the Greek place. Now there may be something deeply symbolic here or maybe Contillo just figures if you drop into-his office with a full stomach, you won't feel like yelling so much.

ANYWAY, NOW you know a few more legislators who can be found locally or who at least have someone sitting in an office waiting for you to call. Now what you've got to do is call. Got a problem? Bug a pol. Who knows, you might actually get something done. I know that's a lot to hope for but I'M MAKING a list of all the politicians who never call me back and someday when I'm really fed up, I'm going to start dialing at about 3 a.m.

Passaic County Sheriff Frank Davenport who, by the way, is also a state senator, is on the list. So is By MIKE Bergen County, Prosecutor Joseph Woodcock. Picture 3 a.m.: HELLO, SHERIFF Davenport, this is Cleve. Listen, I know you're too busy during the day to return my calls so I figured I'd catch you at home. You weren't asleep, were you? I get into some weird things with politicians, like a couple of weeks ago when I called Assemblyman William Bate to ask him if he had opened a district office yet.

He wasn't in so I left a message and unlike some pols I know, he returned the call. My phone rings and I pick it up: Mike Cleveland, please. Speaking. This is Bill Bate. Who? Bill Bate.

Sorry, I. I'M RETURNING your call. Ah, listen, I can't This is Assemblyman Bate. Gotcha. I apologized, of course, and Bate said it was all right because he wasn't very well known anyway.

Speaking of Bate, that reminds me of something I wanted to tell you. I got a letter from someone in Bloomingdale who wanted to know if any of his state representatives had yet opened a district office. DISTRICT OFFICES, you may "THE NURSING home industry is an Industry where you can make a lot of money fast," said Sen. Fay. "Everything that New York is finding points to that.

We have the responsibility to our elderly to make sure it doesn't exist here." The N.J. Legislature recently gave Fay the okay to set up a bipartisan committee to investigate the care and treatment given to nursing home patients. Fay had introduced a bill to investigate the business for almost three years. The SCI is studying Medicaid abuse to determine if nursing home operators, physicians, and pharmacists are cheating the system. AND GOLDSTEIN is conducting a similar investigation to Fay.

Meanwhile, the state's attorney general is concentrating on Bernard Bergman homes. Bergman is the king of the New York nursing home industry and has been linked with many abuses in homes. The SCI is only investigating the Medicaid system and will issue reports on the findings. Goldstein and Fay are seeking to place indictments against anyone they find abusing the system. "Yes, it's important to put those in jail who are responsible for any wrongdoing but it's also important to insure that proper care will always go to the elderly," said Fay.

Fay has expressed a desire to continue investigating homes after the initial probe. "I don't want it to be something that finds abuses, makes recommendations, and have it end there. I want it to continue," he said. PRIOR TO 1967 there were many "homes for the aged" where old people could live out their days. By ROBERT NIHEN Herald-News Staff Writer The news is everywhere now.

You hear it on almost every radio and television report. You read about it, almost daily in the newspapers. It can be heard in conversations on street corners, hi bars, at shopping centers. Officials in New York and New Jersey are investigating the Nursing home business. In New York, they have already uncovered evidence pointing at poor living conditions, excess charges and questionable administration in some homes.

i Only time will tell if the same exists in New Jersey "If there's fire where there's smoke there'll be plenty of material for you to sink your teeth into for a good news story," a spokesman for U.S. Atty. Jonathan Goldstein told a reporter a few weeks back. GOLDSTEIN'S CAMP, the Sate Commission of Investigation, and Sen. John J.

Fay of Middlesex County have the three main investigations under way in New Jersey. The Fay and SCI probes began after the news of New York probes hit the public. Goldstein's began at least three months before that. "We were getting a wide variety of complaints about nursing homes," said Goldstein spokesman. "People were complaining about poor care and poor living conditions in them.

And calls kept coming in. They were enough to warrant activity So the Goldstein people got hopping. They and other investigators will keep a watchful eye on the state's flat-rate Medicaid reimbursement. Many people feel it. allows the homes to cheat patients of the proper care.

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