Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 1

Weather Forecast PARTLY SUNNY, BREEZY Temp. Range: Fahrenheit 40 to 55 Celsius 4 to 13 Complete Weather, Tides On Page 2 Start Every Day Right Final Edition ESTABLISHED 1764, VOL. HARTFORD, SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1977- 64 PAGES 15c cow cAHia yUC ai Ala! Perjury Case Count Dismissed. j) Major Quake Jolts Eastern Europe Judge Assails Press, Officiials By TOM CONDON Assailing state officials and the press for creating the "soap opera" Bridgeport jai alai scandal, Superior Court Judge Simon S. Cohen Friday dismissed a perjury charge against the case's leading figure, Florida jai alai promoter David 11-1 I 1 Hardest Hit Is Romania The Associated Press A strong earthquake jolted Romania and shook buildings from Rome to Moscow Friday night.

Reports from Bucharest said hundreds of persons were dead and the center of the Romanian capital was nearly destroyed. "We don't have any official figures, but in the talk around here, the es- at the UA" Embassy fa L- 4 JrCI rMnl WU4 1 1 -1 Friend. Cohen said state officials used the press to create so much hostility against Friend to preserve the reputation of late Democratic party Chairman John M. Baileythat Friend cannot get a fair trial in Connecticut. JUDGE COHEN PROFILE ON PAGE 41 Friend was charged with perjury for saying under oath that he gave Bailey more than $200,000 for his help in obtaining a gaming license for the Bridgeport jai alai fronton which Friend's firm built Friend still faces another perjury charge and three counts of larceny in Bridgeport Superior Court for other 1975-76 fronton-related activities.

The Bridgeport charges involve false financial statements submitted to get bank loans and an oral statement by Friend about an environmental None of these involves Bailey. State's Atty. George Stoughton said Friday he was not even sure the decision could be appealed and had no decision on whether he would try. Stoughton said he was "surprised" by the decision, which was filed with the court clerk Friday. Friend's lawyer, Atty.

Jacob Zeldes of Bridgeport, was delighted. "Wow, are you sure?" said the normally deadpan Zeldes when told of the decision. Moments later, more composed, he said he would have no comment on the case. Friend could not be reached. Zeldes had argued at hearings last spring that Friend was the victim of a torrent of prejudicial publicity, and Cohen agreed.

His 25-page opinion portrays the 40-year-old Friend as a lone individual pitted against the combined forces of officialdom and media. Friend was president of Connecticut Sport Enterprises Inc. (CSE), which had obtained a conditional state gaming license and nearly Fireman Killed, 28 Hurt One fire fighter was killed and 28 other persons were injured when fire and an explosion destroyed a four-story tenement in Fitchburg, Friday morning. Fire fight- ers were entering the building to check for trapped tenants when an explosion toppled tons of brick and steel onto the street, crushing one fire fighter and trapping six others (UPI). iiddleto wn Track Granted uuiaw is in uic Hundreds of dead, if not more," a Marine guard President Lends an Ear Today By BILL GRAY A Today's the day to call the President about what's on your mind.

But chances are slim of getting through on President Carter's historic radio talk-back show, to be broadcast from 2 to 4 p.m. today on local CBS radio affiliates WINF in Manchester (1230 on the AM dial) and WNLC in New London (1510 on the AM dial). To Call Carter, Dial 1-900242-1611 White House spokesmen predicted Friday Carter will be able to field from 30 to 100 calls on the special line 1-900-242-1611. A tape of the event will be broadcast on public television including CPTV stations in Connecticut from 5 to 7 p.m. today.

The switchboard in the White House will open for callers at 1 p.m. CBS operators will take the names and phone numbers of successful callers, then ask them to hang up. After verifying the name and phone number through standard directory assistance to eliminate crank calls, the operators will return the call and say, "Hold for the President." Moderating the show will be CBS' Walter Cronkite, who will cut off callers who ramble on or become abusive. To avoid abusive or obscene language on the air, CBS has programmed a seven-second delay between the caller's actual words and their broadcast The national telephone network created a special communication line using a toll-free 900" prefix. The new line was described as being a parallel See Americans, Page 8 Inside Permit; Obstacle Remains Bucharest said by telephone.

"The situation is terrible here," an operator of the Bucharest telephone exchange reported. "We know nothing for sure but" we have heard that there are many dead." Bucharest has a population of about 1.5 million. President Nicolae Ceau-cescu issued a decree mobilizing all state resources for rescue operations, including the dispatch of water, bread and basic foods to the affected area, the British Broadcasting Corp. reported. The U.S.

Embassy guard said the center of Bucharest, the city's old section, was almost destroyed. "You can hear sirens running around, the people are aU in the streets and the rescue teams are trying to do what they can in the darkness with all the lights out," he said. He said the U.S. Embassy had been damaged, but none of its personnel was hurt and no American casualties had been reported. The guard said the quake lasted about five minutes.

"It shook the whole city of Bucharest. Since then there have been no new shocks but everybody is living in fear of a new tremor any moment and the buildings are empty." The guard and the telephone operator who spoke in broken English in a quivering, emotional voice were reached in the Romanian capital by The Associated Press from Rome. The operator said she could not connect a call to any telephone in Bucharest because the lines had been cut by the earth tremor. Radio Bucharest was quoted in Yugoslavia as saying the Romanian army was providing water and electric power. The night clerk of the In- See Earthquake, Page 8 Jobless Rise Unemployment rose to 7.5 per cent in February as the nation's workforce struggled to recover from layoffs caused by the severe winter.

This represents an increase of 0.2 per cent over the January figure. Story on Page 2. Story Page Legals 41 Legislative News 16 Lifestyle 25,27,29 Newington Obituaries Religion Saturday's Child Sketches Social Security Sports Sydney Omarr 22 4 17 32 31 30 33-37 31 39 21,24,26 24 Television Towns West Hartford By NANCY PAPPAS The proposed Middletown horse racetrack Friday got a long-sought air quality permit from state Environmental Protection Commissioner Stanley J.Pac. But the track now faces a new hurdle a decision last month by the Cromwell Zoning Commission to require zoning permits for a new set of 1-91 access ramps the track developer plans to build in Cromwell near the track site. Until recently, the air permit was the only major clearance remaining before construction could begin on the Sawmill Brook Race Course at its 360-acre site in Middletown just south of the Cromwell border.

DAVID FRIEND finished building the Bridgeport fronton by September 1975. Then a state police report hinted at improprieties by CSE. The state Commission on Special Revenue (gaming commission) announced it. would conduct hearings oh the possible revocation of CSE's license. When it was learned one reason for the hearing was that Friend said he paid Bailey $200,000, "it shook the very foundation of the state's political structure," Cohen's opinion said.

Cohen said the allegations were "anathema" to "the legions of admirers of the recently deceased Bailey." He said public ire was increased by Friend's being an outsider and because Bailey "could not defend his name from the grave." "As a result, the rights of David Friend were discarded in an effort to cleanse the good name of John Bailey," the opinion said. Cohen called the story "a natural for the press." He called it a "soap opera plot" with "all the ingredients: big money, alleged corruption on the part of public officials and well known public figures, and a reputed show of political muscle by organized crime." Public interest was heightened because the incident "came on the heels of Watergate." Cohen said the scandal was fed by state officials and that it was not the prod-See U.S., Page 8 since Myles Hubbard and Frederick T. Bashour had said they support her. The resolution called for "a mutual termination" of the superintendent's contract July 1 and a paid leave for Mrs. Gaines starting April 1.

Mrs. Gaines declined comment on the resolution Friday. She has consistently re-, fused to talk about her relationship with the board. The charges in the tion carried few details. The allegations listed against Mrs.

Gaines included charges that she: Violated board policies. Bottlenecked the flow of: information from staff to board to a virtual standstill Allocated staff and staff time for personal aggrandizement and self-interest Used subterfuge to avoid the requirements of protective labor legislation. Compromised key ad-See Petition, Page 8 Opticians see Warner Op- tical Classified ad Advt i Petition Sought Gaines' Removal Lawyers for track developer Ronald Mooney have appealed the commission's action in Middlesex Superior Court, describing it as arbitrary and unjust. MAP ON PAGE 8 But Pac's decision to grant the air permit still put the Middletown track far out in front in the race to become Connecticut's first thoroughbred horse racing facility. A second proposed track, in Wolcott, has been sidetracked by severe environmental problems.

Both pro-osals have won provisional icenses from the state gaming commission. It wasn't immediately clear whether ground would broadcast the telephone numbers of local authorities. Between lambastings by Scott, city officials got dozens of telephone calls from supporters of Christian Television" including, Tax Collector Thomas Sataro said, a warning that "we'd be sorry" if the city persists in its collection efforts. The county sheriffs office also started getting calls after Deputy Sheriff Anthony Zacchio was turned away from the locked doors at Channel 18 when he tried to serve what he said were eviction papers. The firm which manages the building, M.J.

Neiditz denied WHCT was being Channel 18 TV Executives Bar Taxman, Rally Faithful be broken for the Middle-town portion of the $55-mil-lion track complex before the Cromwell zoning question is resolved. "With this air permit, we feel our feet are finally coming down on solid ground," said one of Mooney's law- Sers, Mark A. Asmar of artford. "I believe it's possible to start construction without affecting Cromwell It's just a question of whether we're going to wait until we finish the appeal." Other clearances remaining to be granted, with none expected to pose problems, are a permanent racetrack license and final site plan approval from the Middle-town Planning and Zoning Commission. evicted and declined further comment.

Scott also blasted newspaper, radio and television reports on the tax controversy as inaccurate. Efforts to speak with him or his attorney, Bruce Henderson, both in person and by telephone, were unsuccessful "I think the best thing anyone in the media can do is read the Constitution and the laws under exemptions," a man who identified himself as a Faith Center employe said over the phone. "That's I'm authorized to say." Scott claims WHCT's facilities are exempt from taxes as a religious organization, and that the city's attempts to collect taxes be- See Station, Page 8 What Is Coming On Sunday? See Page 2 The air quality plan granted Friday was placed in jeopardy earlier this year when engineers from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) See Middletown, Page 8 2 Charged With Drug Case Bribe By THOMAS D. WILLIAMS A juror and a defendant were charged with bribery Friday in connection with the defendant's narcotics trial last December. The charges involved Angel "Papo Quijas" Rosa-do, 31, formerly of 31 Weth-ersfield police said.

Rosado was acquitted "of a sale of cocaine charge by a six-member superior court jury, but he was convicted of possession of 30 bags of the drug. He is now serving a five-to-ten-year prison term for that conviction. Almost two months after his conviction, Rosado sent a statement to The Courant implicating himself and the juror in what could be a bribery plot. The statement was turned over to State's Atty. George D.

Stoughton and led to Friday's charges. Both Rosado and the juror, Louise Cyr Waters, 21, of Hudson Street pleaded innocent to bribery charges, which carry a maximum of 10 years in prison. Mrs. Waters, who was accompanied by her husband to court, was released on a $7,500 bond. Rosado, in his statement to The Courant, said he arranged a bribe about Nov.

27 at Mrs. Waters' sister-in-law's home on Seyms Street Rosado charged Mrs. Waters wanted $400 for find- Vez.PageS Struggle simmers in Lutheran synod. Page 17. Connecticut News Briefs.

Page 7. Nun cleared in death of her baby. Page 5. US. News Roundup.

Page 15. Foreign News Roundup. Page 12. Opposition to arms talks nominee mounts. Page 11.

By JACKIE ROSS A resolution seeking the resignation of Hartford School Supt. Edythe J. Gaines, citing 10 specific reasons, including using personnel for self-interest and violating board policies, was disclosed Friday bearing the signatures of the majority of board members. Three of the six who signed it, all Democrats, have since changed their minds. The resolution was signed Feb.

24, but was withheld, board member Robert Buckley said Friday, at the request of Hartford Democratic Town Chairman Peter G. Kelly. Since the resolution was signed, members Maria Sanchez, Jimmie Brown and Kate Campbell changed their minds and now want Mrs. Gaines to remain in Hartford. The decision gives Mrs.

Gaines the support of five of the eight board members Furniture Repair Refinish Modern. Antiques. Pianos. Kask, Rcky III 5634361. Advt 1 By MICHAEL REGAN Executives of Hartford's WHCT-TV, Channel 18, locked up in their Asylum Street station like besieged villagers, held out against the taxman Friday and rallied the faithful over the air.

A 2 p.m. deadline for resolving Faith Center $77,000 tax dispute with the city passed without action, and city officials say they will meet early next week to discuss further efforts to collect the tax claim, which could lead to seizure of station property. Throughout the day Dr. Gene Scott, president of the California-based Faith Center, sat before television cameras issuing strongly worded attacks at the efforts of Hartford and Avon to collect taxes on the the station and the Avon Mountain transmitting facilities. Scott summoned his followers to call in and endorse a "letter of outrage" to state and federal of lie a Is, and Page Almanac 30 Amusements 28, 29 Ann Landers 30 Bridge 31 Business 38-40 City News 21, 22 Classified 41-64 Comics 30, 31 Crossword 30 East Hartford 26 Editorials 18 Feminine Topics 9 Garden Page 23 Later Years 31 Today's Chuckle The latest appliance on the market is a combination record player and air conditioner.

It's designed for people who like to play it cool. ft.