Nation IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Cuomo Inaugurated in Simple Ceremony

Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, scrapping the pageantry of past inaugurations for a simple ceremony befitting New York state’s economic hard times, took the oath of office in Albany for a third four-year term. Cuomo, widely viewed as one of the Democratic Party’s most eloquent orators, gave no inaugural address. The afternoon ceremony at the Court of Appeals building also featured the swearing in of Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine. The inauguration was closed to the public. Cuomo hopes the $70,000 savings on inauguration festivities is symbolic of his commitment to meet what he called the greatest challenge faced by a New York governor since the Great Depression. For three straight years, the state has run a deficit.