The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • Page 10

ii i A-10 i Obituaries A-1 1 LifeStyle A-1 3 Entertainment A-1 5 Saturday, August 16, 1986 TheGouner-News Plenty of animals on fair's last day Dim dteaftGn I Vi I Officials: Grandmother was beaten, didn't fall Ii By JAMES FERRARO Courier-News Writer I- BRIDGEWATER A veritable Noah's Ark filled the Somerset County Fairgrounds yesterday as a full day of animal competitions brought the three-day county 4-H fair to a close. Rabbits, goats, sheep, cows, poultry, dogs and horses, plus a myriad of exotic animals and their owners competed in various competitions of skill, obedience and appearance. Competitor Besty Brown, 16, said she has been working with Suffolk sheep for the past three years at her Branchburg home. "It started out as a hobby of my father's and she said, "And by this spring we had 36 sheep on our property." Besty said her 4-H club meets once a month to discuss feeding and showing the animals. "We ask questions and trade success stories." "I have gained a lot in self-confidence and gained a sense of respon-siblity from working with the sheep," Besty explained.

Betsy's efforts were rewarded yesterday as she took first prize in the purebred ewe lamb competition. "When they join, most kids don't know anything about the responsi-bilty of raising sheep," said Laurie Pryor, leader of the Sheep Fold Club. See FAIR on Page A-ll head. Bissell said it was Rula who told police that he pushed his grandmother down the stairs after a heated argument. The indictment against Rula does not seek the death penalty, Bissell said.

If he is found guilty of the charge, Rula could be sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 30 years before he would be eligible for parole. Police said they were called to the Beck Avenue home shared by Rula and Tinsley on June 22. When they arrived, police reported that Rula told them that his grandmother had fallen down the stairs. But when police asked Tinsley what happened, she pointed a finger at Rula. Rula, who is unemployed, stayed home most of the day to care for his grandmother, neighbors said.

Both of Rula's parents are deceased. Neighbors had previously expressed concern about Tinsley's welfare, and some had reported hearing arguments on several occasions at the home. I i if By STEVEN COLEMAN Courier-News Staff Writer SOMERVILLE A South Bound Brook man was indicted on murder charges yesterday in connection with the beating death of his 87-year-old grandmother as authorities revealed a different version of how the woman was killed. The indictment charges Joseph Rula, 30, with the murder of Anna Tinsley. The elderly woman died 29 days after she was injured in a fight with the defendant.

Police initially said Rula had pushed Tinsley down a flight of stairs and that she struck her head on a chest of drawers. But Somerset County Prosecutor Nicholas L. Bissell Jr. said yesterday the victim was hit by the defendant numerous times and may not have fallen at all. "There is some question whether she was upstairs at all," Bissell said.

The autopsy on Tinsley revealed that she died from 15 blows to the they believe ate through the pipe inside the sewer line. Georgia Gulf located directly in front of the affected house, produces acetone and connects to the same sewer system. The plant discharges acetone into the system but the levels are within the range permitted by the township, Georgia Gulf plant manager Norman Gutzait said Thursday. Township officials yesterday could .1 Courier-New Photo By Thomas P. Costeuo gets ready to apply the works 4-H Fair.

Investigations launched in Piscataway gas blast By ROBIN SIDEL Courier-News Staff Writer PISCATAWAY Township and utility company officials have launched separate investigations of Thursday's gas explosion that seriously injured an Elizabeth plumber. Alexander Foti of Elizabeth was taken to St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, where he is listed in critical but stable condition in the 5- "7 i. Policemen's Benevolent Association the last day of the Somerset County away from the sewer line, said Rich Romano, of Joseph Romano Construction Co. of South Bound Brook.

The leaking gas burned for more than an hour as Public Service Electric Gas Co. employees tried to locate the main and turn off the gas valve. The gas company is investigating the contractor's contention that the main was improperly marked, said spokeswoman Priscilla Sub-er. lis i I. fa Infant in need of transplant clings to life in Pa.

hospital History unraveled lor city yearbook k. Rick Straszewski of the Manville to a steak sandwich yesterday at intensive care burn unit. The explosion occurred when workers were digging at the intersection of Raven Avenue and Hancock Road to correct a sewer problem. They ruptured a natural gas line causing the explosion and fire: A report on the cause of the pipe collapse should be released next week, said Township Administrator Paul Abati. The contractors claim the natural gas line was supposed to be 15 feet put down the history of Plainfield," Haness said.

"We wanted a more permanent celebration and decided that a hard-cover book was the way to do it." Since coming up with the idea after the celebrations ended, the 35-member committee has been using everything they could find to trace the city's roots through to the dawn of the 21st century. Haness said the committee began its work with a commemorative book published by The Courier-News in 1926, when thenewspaper was based in Plainfield. The book is filled with pictures of a number of residences in the city. When the group finishes its work later this year, members intend to have a book that chronicles the general history of the city, along with detailing such things as sports and the arts. In the recently completed section on sports and recreation, the committee has documented popular trends including swimming, boating and skating and has also tracked down several prominent sportsmen who called Plainfield their home.

One noted athlete was Fred See PLAINFIELD on Page A-ll The fine followed negotiations between the state attorney general's office and Henry B. Rabin's attorney, Richard Barry, before state Superior Court Judge William M. D'Annunzio in Somerville. George Danco, a spokesman for the state Department of Consumer Affairs, said Rabin did not admit or deny allegations made against him by the Bureau of Securities in its Kimberly Izzo, the 2-year-old Woodbridge girl dying because she has a weak liver, remains in a semi-comatose state, with only days to live unless a donor is found for her. Kimberly, the daughter of Alfred and Lois Izzo, is in the intensive care unit of Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Doctors say a transplant is her only hope. "They are trying to maintain her as best they can," Mr. Izzo said. "They have tubes in and out of her like you wouldn't believe. But they can only do so much." "Anything is possible, but I can't comment without knowing the details," she said.

"We always investigate when there is an accident of this kind." Workers were back at the scene yesterday, installing cast iron pipe to replace the plastic pipe which had been used in the hook-up. While repairing the pipe earlier in the week, workers said they detected a strong smell of acetone which Courier-News Photo By Steve Klaver from the public, Danco said. "This is an excellent example of how an alert public and quick action by an administrative agency have prevented the possible loss of a substantial amount of investors' money," Edwards said. Danco said this is the first time that the Bureau of Securities has imposed the $10,000 penalty allowed by law. not specify the amount of permitted discharge.

The type of pipe that deteriorated is no longer used in sewer systems, Township Engineer Robert Dass said. Instead, municipalities now use another plastic pipe which is much stronger, he said. Chemical fumes could have caused See EXPLOSION on Page A-ll Family and friends have been working around the clock for the past two days seeking a donor by contacting newspapers and television stations across the nation. "I can't believe the support we're getting here," Mr. Izzo said.

"I don't know how we're doing it." Kimberly can only take a liver from a child of her size, from 23 to 26 pounds, making the chances of finding a donor slim. Anyone with information on possible donors should call the Transplant Foundation Hotline at 761-1122. deal with his legal problems" after receiving help from the rehabilitation center. He said he did not think admission to a drug rehabilitation center would hurt Markowitch's defense. "I look at this as separate and distinct," he said.

Councilman Andrew D. Kelco, the other official arrested July 25 and charged with running a drug trafficking operation, could not be reached for comment Somerville attorney Raymond Trombadore, representing Kelco, declined comment Both councilmen have said they do not intend to resign from the Borough Council. Kelco has attended both council meetings since his arrest; Markowitch has attended neither. However, Markowitch has resigned from bis job as assistant supervisor of operations at the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority in Princeton. By SEAN DUFFY Courier-News Writer PLAINFIELD When the Plain-field Cultural Heritage Commission publishes its Tercentennial Yearbook next year, it might have a few surprises for those who think they know the city pretty well.

In spending months combing through old records and hundreds of photos, the yearbook's editorial committee has been exploding myths about the city, such as the location of its first mills. "I always thought that the first mills were in Cedar Brook, but we found that they were in Green Brook," said Dorothe M. Pollard, a member of the yearbook's editorial committee. "We've been tracking things down and coming up with the right an-swer," she said. "That has been the fun part of the project." Although the 300th anniversary of the city's settlement occurred in 1984, editorial committee Chairwoman Rosemary Haness said the group's goal is to accurately relate the city's history rather than mark a specific date.

"We thought it would be great to Manville councilman enters drug center Rosemary Haness of Plainfield holds an old photo of the northeast corner of Park Avenue and Seventh Street, where the Masonic building now stands, across from Scott's Drugs. Hillsboro pharmacist fined in securities case By PATRICIA VOWLNKEL Courier-News Staff Writer MANVILLE j- A borough councilman one of two arrested last month and charged with selling cocaine and marijuana has entered a drug rehabilitation center, an attorney said yesterday. Robert Markowitch entered a drug rehabilitation center in western Pennsylvania at the beginning of the month, Somerville attorney Francis X. Hermes said; Markowitch called him from the center and said he realized "he had a drug addiction) problem and was going to do something about it," Hermes said. Hermes said the center was near Altoona, Pa.

3 The in-house program at the privately operated, center runs for at least 30 days, he said. Hermes said Markowitch "would certainly be in a better position to ii court complaint Rabin could not be reached for comment yesterday. The bureau alleged that Rabin, president of Anmardan sold securities without a license, failed to have initial offerings approved by the bureau and published misleading statements in his sales brochures, Danco said. The violations came to the bureau's attention following inquiries By STEVEN COLEMAN Courier-News Staff Writer TRENTON A Hillsborough pharmacist was fined 10,000 yesterday for selling securities in violation of state security laws, ordered to stop selling securities and return $58,000 he received from investors, state Attorney General W. Cary Edwards said.

Coming up next week TO CALL THE EDITOR: Metro Editor Leslie Snyder can be reached by calling 722-8800, ext. 41 0. A MATTER OF PRINCIPAL: South Plainfield officials to pick new high school principal. WINE TASTING: Hunterdon vineyards welcome Central Jerseyans to tjpeir annual wine-tasting tour. 7.