Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 12

ist ED. THE HARTFORD COURANT: Thursday, September 22, 1977 Task Force Will Study Demolition By GARY WEISS MIDDLETOWN Mayor Anthony S. Marino said Wednesday he intends today to set up a "Metro South Task Force" to develop an approach to demolition of the controversial Mansion block on Main Street. The block of 19th century buildings is on a tract of land proposed for the $6-million Metro Square commercial complex. Its razing has been insisted upon by Metro Square developer Richard Bronson, but a complex federal process first must be followed before it can be torn down.

The task force, Marino said, would seek to find a way to develop as a preservation project the stretch of buildings across the street from the Mansion block. By doing this, he hopes to end the opposition of local preservationists to the Mansion block's demolition, and even gain their support. The Greater Middletown Preservation Turst Aug. 31 outlined the conditions under which it would support the demolition of the Mansion block. The primary condition was that one of the block's buildings be moved to the west side of the street to a row of buildings that would be developed exclusively as a preservation project.

Marino said he was gratified by the Redevelopment Agency's informal consensus Tuesday night endorsing the principal of preserving those buildings. He was at the agency meeting to argue for this. He previously had been critical of the Redevelopment Agency for not acting on the conditions outlined by the trust. The task force was proposed Tuesday by Common Middletown Cromwell Portland East Hampton Middletown East Haddam Durham Haddam Council member Michael Cubeta. The group will be composed of members of the Common Council, the public trust officials, City Planner vation issue appeared to move closer to an agreement Wednesday, as trust President William Howard submitted to the agency a proposal designed to end a court injunction that has prevented work on a $1-million road improvement project at the South Green.

The trust and a group called The Committee to Save The South Green Grid Tourney Organized MIDDLETOWN The punt, pass and kick competition will be staged Monday at 6 p.m. at Palmer Field. Registration for the event will start at 5:30 p.m. Contestants are reminded that their applications must be signed by a parent. Guards Rejected for Mather House MIDDLETOWN The Redevelopment Agency Tuesday night rejected security guards for the DouglasMather-Santangelo House.

The vacant, decrepit house was used as a construction headquarters by workers at an adjacent housing-for-theelderly project until evicted by the agency earlier this month. After the agency's action, an agency subcommittee recommended placing security guards at the building 14 hours a day. This recommendation which would have cost about $12,000 a week was rejected as too costly by the agency. Security guards for the house were proposed by agency Member Carl Passanisi, chairman of the sub- New Facility To Open in Pelton's George Reif, Redevelopment Agency Director Joseph Haze, Development Coordinator William M. Kuehn Jr.

Another contested preser- committee that insisted on guards to be hired from the hiring of security person- the ranks of unemployed nel. Passanisi had wanted construction workers. Internship Program Approved at Hospital MIDDLETOWN The American Psychological Association has given full approval to the predoctoral internship training program in psychology at Connecticut Valley Hospital, Dr. Mehadin K. Arafeh, CVH superintendent, said.

The committee on accreditation, in granting this approval, sited CVH for its support of quality education, Arafeh said. Dr. Julius Laffal is the director of CVH's Postal Substation Closing Nov. 15 By SUSAN HOWARD MIDDLETOWN The Post Office substation at the corner of Main and Court streets is expected to close Nov. 15 when a new substation opens in the new Pelton's Drug Store.

Postmaster Francis White said Wednesday that the new substation will provide the same limited services now provided in the Main StreetCourt Street substation at less Gerard Weitzman, developer of the Pelton's Drug Store in the Metro South project, said Wednesday that he expects to open the new store by Nov. 15. If it doesn't open on that target date, it will be shortly thereafter, Weitzman said. The Post Office move will mark the end of service at the Main StreetCourt Street facility which operated psychology department. Four research interns are enrolled in the program and affiliated with Wesleyan University.

Five clinical interns are receiving their training at CVH and their affiliations include the University of Arkansas, the University of Colorado, Auburn University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Maine, Indiana University, the University of Hawaii and Helsinki University in Finland. as a full facility until last year when White said the service, which will the new Post Office opened on Silver be operated privately by Pelton's Street. Drug Store, will the U.S. Postal Since the closing, the postal service service, $9,400 a year. Pelton's subkept the Main Street office open only mitted the low bid for the service, he for limited service.

Services offered said. there are the sale of stamps, parcel The Post Office expects between post package mailing, insured parcel 200 and 250 customers a day at the mailing, registered and certified let- new facility, White said, adding that ters and regular the arrangement also will be benefiWhite said he the new fa- cial to Pelton's Drug Store because of cilities at Pelton's will be more con- additional customers coming in. venient for postal service customers The sale of the old Post Office because of ample parking space building still remains unfinished. available. White said he recently heard that the Costs Eliminated U.S.

General Services Administration The postal service also no longer was ready to offer the building to the will have to employ a person at the city. Post Office authorities in New substation, and will not have to pay York City, however, have said the for the maintenance of the old build- state and a private individual also are ing, he said. interested in the purchase. Programs Offered on Women's Issues East Hampton EAST HAMPTON The East Hampton Youth Services will present a series of programs entitled "Born Female" at the East Hampton High School cafeteria Monday through Thursday. Although directed primarily towards the teen-aged female, the issues addressed during the program will be of interest to women of all ages, a youth services statement said.

The goal of the sessions is to increase self awareness and to provide a more positive self image. Youth Counselor Nancy Gordon, with volunteers and representatives from community agencies, has scheduled the nightly programs around issues confronting women of all ages. Topics will include: Monday, beginning at 6 p.m., "A Personal Survival Guide," including birth control, venereal disease, self defense and assertiveness training, a closed group with registration conducted at the junior high school; Tuesday, beginning at 7 p.m. "Sound BodySound Mind" including nutrition, dieting, exercises, transcendental meditation, yoga, cancer, hygiene, drugs and alcohol; Wednesday, 7 p.m. "Images," hair care, natural cosmetics, and fashion; Thursday, 7.

p.m. "A Woman's Place," politics, employment and the equal rights amendment. The programs will include lectures, demonstrations, rap sessions and audience participation. Further information may be obtained from Miss Gor- 12 Country Music Stars To Perform brought the suit that halted the project in August 1976., Now the trust says it would agree to the project if a planned 18-car parking lot isn't constructed on The Green, and if Pleasant Street isn't widened more than 48 feet. The agency wants it to be wider than that.

A meeting has been scheduled for Friday morning at which the agency will give its response. Atty. Charles Snow, the agency's counsel, declined comment on the trust's proposal. Durham DURHAM Two country music stars will be performing this weekend at the Durham Agricultural Fair on the fairgrounds. The Sonny James Show, with Sonny and the Country Gentlemen, will begin at 8 p.m.

Friday at the horse on the lower level of the grounds. Kitty Wells, her husband Johnny Wright and son Bobby Wright will be performing on the same stage at 8 p.m. Saturday. Sonny consistently has Deaths Dale Lash Dies at 78; Former Coach, Educator MIDDLETOWN Dale W. Lash, 78, of 25 Glendale Easthampton, and Wolfeboro, N.H., a former coach and assistant profes- Mrs.

Sophie Rutka COLCHESTER Mrs. Sophie Rutka, 94, of 45 Wall widow of Anthony Rutka, died Wednesday at her home. Born in Poland, she lived here the last 73 years. She was a member of St. Andrew's Church.

She leaves three sons, Edward Rutka, Joseph Rutka and Leo Rutka, all of Colchester; three daughters, Mrs. Anna Mansfield of New London Mrs. Mary Trouton and Mrs. Doyle, both of Colchester; a brother, Henry Tarnowski of Colchester; a sister, Mrs. Lee Joyce of Manchester; 18 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

The funeral: Saturday, 9:30 a.m., 1 Belmont Funeral Home, 19 S. Main Mass of Christian Burial, 10 a.m., St. Andrew's Church. Burial: St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Calling hours: Friday, 3 to 5, 7 to 9 p.m. LeMontagne Funeral CLINTON The funeral of Mrs. Ruth Ashman LeMontagne, 52, of 13 Chapman Mill Pond Road, who died Tuesday night when car she was driving hit the rear of a parked tractortrailer rig in a test area off I-95 in Madison, is Friday at 11 a.m. in Swan Funeral Home, 80 E. Main with the Rev.

Wilson Busick, pastor of First Church of Christ, officiating. Burial will be in Alderbrook Cemetery, Guilford. Calling hours: none. She was the wife of Lewis LeMontagne. Born in Branford, she lived in Clinton several vears.

Besides her husband, she leaves a son, Jeffrey LeMontagne of Clinton; four daughters, June LeMontagne, Laura LeMontagne, and Suzanne LeMontagne, all of Clinton, and Mary Farnham of East Haven; her father, Frederick Ashman of Branford; two brothers, William Ashman of Branford and Frederick Ashman Jr. of New Jersey; two sisters, Mrs. Florence Thody of Durham and Mrs. Isabel Epps of Branford. Board To Discuss Reading Queries East Hampton don at the Old Town Hall.

Music Meeting A lecture and demonstration for parents of Center School students who are interested in beginning to study musical instruments will be conducted today at 7:30 p.m. in the school gym- By RONALD WINTER EAST HAMPTON Questions concerning changes to the reading program at the junior high school will be answered Monday as a result of discussion at a special Board of Education meeting. The meeting was called to review questions raised last week by Jodi Lanzi, a reading teacher at the who said last week that the changes make the program inadequate and are a detriment to the learning process. Miss Lanzi's statement was rebutted a day later by Principal Richard Huelsmann, who said the new schedule centers on development of the whole child not just one area, and that reading content is being taught in other areas such as science, mathematics and social studies. Huelsmann read basically the same statement to the school board Monday and expanded on some areas such as whether a "skills period" is a special instruction period or a study hall.

Although a poll by Miss Lanzi and two consultants who appeared with her ranked as one of the top stars in country music. Starting with the multimillion seller "Young Love," he has had a string of hits. He had 27 No. 1-ranked records in a row, the longest run in country music history. Miss Wells was a regular with the Grand Ole Opry for 15 years.

She ranked as the No. 1 female vocalist on the country music charts for 11 years and was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976. Johnny Wright formerly performed with Jack Anglin as Johnny and Jack. Sunday, ventriloquist Vicky Taylor and barber- Mrs. Morse Dies at 83, Civic Activist NEW BRITAIN Mrs.

Mildred Ketcham Morse, 83, formerly of 96 Forest widow of Walter Ronald Morse, and active in civic affairs, died Tuesday at the Plainville Convalescent Home. Her husband was a former executive vice president of the Stanley Works. A native of New York City, Mrs. Morse lived in New Britain for 48 years. She served on the boards of the New Britain Day Nursery, the Girl Scouts, the New Britain General Hospital Auxiliary, the Visiting Nurses Association, and as a treasurer of the Women's Society of the First Church of Christ, where she was a member.

She was a member of New Britain Garden Club and Shuttle Meadow Country Club. She leaves a son, Richard K. Morse of St. Louis, two daughters, Mrs. John C.

Pritchard of New Britain and Mrs. John W. Cooper of Corpus Christi, Texas; a sister, Mrs. Edmund D. Janes of Clinton; and 10 grandchildren.

Memorial services are Friday at 2 p.m. in the chap; el of the First Church of Christ, Congregational, after a private burial in the Prospect Cemetery, Prospect. There are no calling hours. Memorial donations may be made to the First Church of Christ Memorial Fund. The Porter Funeral Home, 19 Court is in charge of arrangements.

shop quartet, The Credit Chords, will perform at 2 and 4 p.m. A pony pull will take place at 5 p.m. Friday in the pull ring. Saturday, an ox draw contest is scheduled for 11 a.m.; a ladies free-for-all horse draft at 7 p.m.; and a threehorse pull at 9 p.m. in the ring.

Horse Draft A horse draft for animals under 3,100 pounds is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday and the free-for-all horse draft begins at 3 p.m. The Coginchaug Ancients Fife and Drum Corps will perform on the grounds at 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday and the Chester Fife and Drum Corps will perform at 3 p.m.

Sunday. A square dance demonstration will be given by the Cogin-Chuggers at 7:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The judging of cattle will take place Friday and Saturday mornings and the sheep, goats and swine will be judged Saturday morning. A day-long horse show begins at 9 a.m.

Saturday, The fair gates open Friday at 9 a.m. and close at 10:30 p.m. They open Saturday at 8 a.m. and close at 10:30 p.m. and Sunday the gates open at 9 a.m.

and close at 7 p.m. sor of physical education at Wesleyan University, Middietown, died Monday in Huggins Hospital, Wolfeboro. He was born in Oil City, and was a graduate of Grove City College, Grove, City, and Springfield College where he was a member of Kappa Beta Phi Honor Society and captain of the New England championship basketball team. He was coach and assistant professor of physical education at Wesleyan from 1923 to 1941 and was a life member of the Connecticut Basketball Association. He belonged to several national sports organizations and was an athletic director at Williston Academy in East Hampton, for 26 years.

He leaves his wife, Mrs. Helen F. Creese Lash; two sons, Robert D. Lash of Wilbraham, and Richard C. Lash of East Hampton, a daughter, Marilyn Lash of Arlington, a sister, Mrs.

Hazel Cole of Oil City, and two grandchildren. The funeral is Friday at 3 p.m. in the Philip Stevens Chapel, Williston North Hampton School, East Hampton. Peterson Funeral Home, 167 Maple Danvers, is in charge of arrangements. In Training Airman Lisa A.

Spence, daughter of Mrs. Iris V. Spence of 46 Hawthrone Drive, New London, has been assigned to Chanute Air Force Base, for specialized training in the aircraft equipment maintenance field. Holed Coins Once Considered Lucky SHANGHAI Early in the history of minting, coins with holes punched in them were considered lucky. And when they were strung on a leather thong the effect was thought not only attractive but effective in Mrs.

Oscar Casper MIDDLETOWN Mrs. Jane Maureen Casper, 49, of 8 Yellow Orange Circle, wife of Oscar Casper, died Wednesday in Middlesex Memorial Hospital. She was born in Syracuse, N.Y. She was a member of St. Coleman Church in Middlefield and was past president of the Wesleyan Hills Garden Club.

Besides her husband, she leaves four sons, Thomas Casper, John Casper and Mark Casper, all of Middletown, and Michael Casper of San Diego, her mother, Mrs. Mary Norton O'Neil; and a sister, Mrs. Mary Bruce of San Diego. The funeral: Friday, 9 a.m., St. Coleman Church, Middlefield.

Burial: Calvary Cemetery, in Forest Hills, Jamaica Plains section, Boston. Calling hours: none. Memorial donations: American Cancer Society. Arrangements: Roberts Funeral Home, 16 Broad St. Series Tickets Offered DURHAM Tickets to the Junior Matinee series will be sold at Brewster and Korn schools today at $4 for four performances.

The productions, which include Cinderella, Mystic Paper Beasts, StretchGrow-Here We Go and an opera carnival, are geared for children from Kindergarten through Grade 5. They will be Oct. 8, Nov, 12, March 4 and April 1 in' Wilson Middle School, Mid- Lions To Finish Bridge Middlefield MIDDLEFIELD The Lions Club plans to complete work this fall on the footbridge which spans Ellen Doyle Brook, President Peter Dontigney said Wednesday. The bridge, which crosses to Peckham Field, is the brook from Main Street signed to provide easy access to the field for pedestrians and cyclists. The town crew has installed footings, piers and steel floor beams for the 2 20- foot-long bridge and the Lions will construct wooden sides and a roof.

Plans for. the rustic-style covering have been drawn by Lions Club member Russell Fowler, who is in charge of the project. A second undertaking will be what Dontigney called the "fences and benches" project. In conjunction with the Conservation Commission, the Lions will install two eight-foot sections of rusticstyle fences and two eightfoot benches on the grounds warding off disease and evil spirits. nasium.

During the past week, children in grades 4 through 6 have been given an opportunity to get to know the instruments that may be studied in the instrumental program, taught by Edward Friedman. showed that most teachers are overseeing skills periods and weren't aware of teaching duties pertaining to them, Huelsmann said if he had wanted to call them study halls he would have. "They're called skills he said. Miss Lanzi, accompanied by teachers Thomas Callinan and Sally Mulligan, reiterated her stand that reductions in formal reading classes don't fit the needs of the students. She also attempted to read supportive correspondence from parents.

Although all parties to the controversy maintained that it was a professional disagreement, the meeting took on a personal tone when board Chairwoman Winifred Flannery twice during the meeting accused Miss Lanzi of opening board mail without authorization. The first instance occured. when Miss Lanzi attempted to read a letter from Donald H. Hope, a copy of which had been sent to Mrs. Flannery.

Mrs. Flannery objected to the letter stating that it wasn't fair for Miss Lanzi to have a copy when the letter was addressed to Mrs. Flannery and she (Mrs. Flannery) didn't have one. Miss Lanzi, however, said that the copy in her posses- Interested parents may meet Friedman at this meeting.

He will explain the program and answer questions. A representative also will be present to provide information about the rental and purchase of instruments. sion had been sent to her with her name on the envelope. School Supt. William Mullin then disclosed that Mrs.

Flannery's copy had been in his possession since Friday. In the second instance, Miss Lanzi read a supportive letter from Mrs. Barbara Feldgate, which board member William Dillon objected to because it had "Board of Education" written on the envelope. Miss Lanzi said the letter had been given to her by a student earlier Monday and she had assumed it was for her when she opened it. Mrs.

Flannery again accused her of opening board mail without authorization, and continued the accusations after the meeting. However, Mrs. Feldgate said Tuesday that the letter was intended for Miss Lanzi to read to the board that it said "Board of Education" on the envelope because she had addressed it in a hurry Monday morning, unaware that it would cause problems, and if it had been intended only for the school board she would have put a stamp on it and mailed it. Mrs. Flannery said Tuesday night that the letter had been turned over to her after Durham at Center School.

Located near the garden recently planned by the Conservation Commission, the fences and benches be placed to protect the plantings while children are at play in the Center School WHUS Radio To Go Stereo Next Month UConn STORRS Student-run radio station WHUS-FM at the University of Connecticut will go stereo Oct. 1. Station Manager Ron Williams said this has been in the works for about five years and it finally is being achieved because the station has a bigger budget due to increased student fees. WHUS also plans to revive its now defunct 100-watt AM operation, which Williams said would be used to train announcers before they go on to the FM signal. dietown.

'Slides Only' A "slides only" photo competition of pictures taken at this year's Durham Fair has been announced. There is no entry fee and the closing date for the contest is Nov. 2. A $50 prize will be awarded for the winning slide which will become the property of the Durham Fair. Details and entry forms will be available in the photography tent this weekend or persons may contact William Moore who heads the fair photo department.

the meeting, apparently against Miss Lanzi's will. The letter was the property of the school board, she said, and it was "my prerogative to read it at the board, not hers." The public isn't aware that both the letter and the envelope said "Board of she said, "and she (Miss Lanzi) read it right out there in public." There is "no doubt" who the letter was intended for, she said. Mrs. Feldgate said she is sending a letter of explanation to Mrs. Flannery.

She said she gave the letter to her son "for his teacher" to represent her point of view at the meeting which she was unable to attend. One other matter of correspondence, a petition supporting additional formal reading classes signed by 181 students at the school, was objected to by Huelsmann who said it hadn't been brought to him. The public portion of the meeting ended with the promise that questions would be answered at the regular board meeting next week. -0- Quality diamonds by Keepsake. See Henry C.

Muller. -Advt. playground. In addition to these projects, the Lions Club recently installed a five-foot projection screen at library hail for use during the planned series of movies at Levi E. Coe Library.

To raise funds for their work, club members will staff a food booth at the Durham Fair this coming weekend. Their specialty, as in past years, will be clam chowder. Today's dinner meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. rather than 6:45 p.m. for the convenience of those Lions who wish to attend the special town meeting scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

in Memorial School. The meeting has been called to consider a $47,327 appropriation for development of a road for the industrial park. Earth's Water The earth holds more than 2 million cubic miles of water underground or about 37 times the amount stored at surface in lakes and rivers..