Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 3

THE HARTFORD COURANT: Wtdnwdoy, Jun 12, 1996 JNEGTICUT Unwelcome visitors in the grapes from Mexico have cousins in state Shopper discovers a black widow in her fruit Spider's bite can be serious, hardly ever fatal cor By MARISA OSORIO COLON Courant Staff Writer WALLINGFORD Whpn Thristino Rpa inarched back into the Super Stop Shop after making an unpleasant discovery in grapes, she made two demands. She wanted a refund. And she wanted the spider back. 1' Bee said she was ready to give her 4-year- are found in food or produce, managers take it to a lab and to find out what it is. "I'm sure it was to ascertain exactly what type of spider it was," Anderson said.

"That's the logical thing to do." A black widow spider was. also found in grapes from Mexico at a Stop Shop in Ansonia. j- Anderson said the grapes were reinspected in both stores and put back on the shelves. ''This is an industry issue that they deal with every year at this time," Anderson said. "Particularly grapes spiders need a cool, dark place to get away from the heat." She said produce managers throughout the state handle hundreds of thousands of pounds of grapes a week.

"We take this very seriously, but this is isolated." Ken Welch, an entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, said black widow spiders are secretive and not aggressive creatures. "They wouldn't seek yoij out to bite you," he said. "Generally when they bite you it's in response to the web being activated or moved like if a small insect was in it. They're going after prey." state agency often called upon to identify troublesome insects. They" were from Southc ern states or, in the cases of the latest spiders Mexico.

A black widow bite can be serious, 'evei), fatal, though fatalities are rare. "It is slightly painful initially, but pain worsens over a couple of Mary A. McCormick, director of the Poison Control Center at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. From ah arm or leg the pain can move to the torso, and cause respiratory problems or abdotnin pain that can resemble appendicitis. If bitten there is no need to panic, however, she said; because antivenom treatment is available-apd there would be enough time to reach medical attention.

Medical staff at the poison center coulij help determine if a spider bite came frorri'a black widow from descriptions of symptoms and of the spider and where it was encburt tered, she said. There actually are two very similar widow species found in thfc northern widow and the black widow spider; Please see Spider's, PagefS By STEVE GRANT Courant Staff Writer Black widow spiders, such as those discovered in grapes at two Stop Shop supermarkets, are highly poisonous but rarely encountered in Connecticut. 1 The spiders discovered at the supermarkets were traced to grapes imported from Mexico but, what many people do not realize, black widow spiders are also indigenous to Connecticut. In recent years, however, they have become extremely rare here. "About 20 years ago I found quite a few around the state," said Charles L.

Remington, a professor of environmental studies at Yale University and curator of entomology at its Peabody Museum of Natural History. "I haven't seen even one now in quite a while." Kenneth A. Welch, an entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, agreed. "In the 25 years I've been here I have had only one black widow brought to me that, I thought was clearly one of the indigenous ones," he said. Over those years a total of four or five other black widows were brought to the station, a Black widow spiders are shiny black arachnids distinguished by an hourglass-shaped, red image on the undersides of their abdomens.

They are otherwise black, and prefer sheltered dark places. They can be found in much of the United States but have become quite uncommon in Connecticut. bid daughter, Olivia, a red seedless grape from the bunch drying on her counter Friday when she saw something black in the middle. She put the object which turned out to be a black widow spider in a glass jar along with the grapes to offer as proof to store managers. "They wanted to keep the spider," Bee said.

"I wanted it tested and checked out and know what we're dealing with here." Bee said the store finally relented and she and her husband, John, kept their new charge for the weekend. On Monday, John Bee III brought the spider to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven 'for identification. Jfclary-Jo Andersofn, Stop Shop spokes- wnnun said as a ml whpn fnrpiim nhiects The, Hartford Courant rj Democracy needs help, Health workers sought 'JO report says Sapoport's call labeled partisan By ALAN LEVIN Courant Staff Writer Citing heightened cynicism about government janfi disappointing voter registration figures, Secretary of the State Miles S. Rapoport on Tuesday called for "reinvigorating our democracy" with more volunteering, education and civic participation. Kapoport, who hopes to add 200,000 people to the state's voter rolls by November's presidential election, said by many measures from voter turnout to school dropout rates the state's democracy is performing poorly.

"On benchmark after benchmark, the numbers that we see do not add up to what I would call a really well-func THEPULSpF Democracy Agovemment report i Youth program needs volunteers for weekeKi By JANE E. DEE Courant Correspondent For 27 years, hundreds of HarC ford youths have spent part of their summers doing what children db best that time of yqar: playing ball, learning to swim and making hew friends. This summer, about 300 children are supposed to do all those things and more at Trinity College dutmg the National Youth Sports Program from July 1 to Aug. 3. '3 There is only one hitch: Before the youngsters can participate, they need up-to-date physical examinations.

In past years, doctors, nurses and dentists in the U.S. Attai pz serve volunteered to provide fheik This year, the reserves will be, hi Texas. Rick Hazelton, Trinity's director of athletics, is frantically searching for about a dozen doctors, 30 nurs'es and a few dentists to perform the exams this weekend on the youngsters, who range in age from 10 Jo As of early Tuesday, only a handful of people had volunteered' "I hope we can get something together," Hazelton said. "I'm really getting worried." Hazelton needs to know -By Thursday if the medical staff wilMie in place, or if other options such as sending the youngsters to private physicians should be pursued. He is optimistic that either way, the program will go on.

Local hospitals and medical groups are scrambling to find volunteers for the weekend. Late Tuesday afternoon, Hartford Hospital committed 13 nurses, one physician's assistant and four dental as- Please see Volunteer, Page Ala tioning democracy in the state," Rapoport said. Rapoport issued a 66-page report on the issue as he prepares to convene a conference on "The State of Connecticut Democracy" Friday at the Old State jiquse in Hartford. U.S. Sen.

Bill Bradley, is scheduled asthe featured speaker. Not all the news is bad, Rapoport said. "Last Saturday a group of ninth-grade students from Hartford High School did a voter registration drive, both in the school and throughout the community," said Rapoport, whose office oversees registration efforts in the state. "They registered 160 voters On that one day." 1 Rapoport said their effort illustrated a contradiction unearthed in the report. On one hand, more people should be registered tflid should vote.

"And on the other hand, there are pe6ple who are taking steps ninth-graders in this case to go out and to make exciting things happen, to make democracy work better in Connecticut," he atd. Rapoport said similar forms of civic involvement including charity drives, environmental cleanup i Please see Democracy, Page A18 I Auditors review lawmakers' deal Tire4iirninj plant to pay with TV anchor 'A Marc Yves Regis Th Hartford Courant $75,000 fine Water world Jiriia Brown, 7, hides behind her sister, Assennette Navsdo, 6, while their mother sprinkles water on them Tuesday at the Long River Village complex In Middletown. By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY 1 Courant Staff Writer i of. i State auditors say they are researching whether television news anchor Don Lark's agreement to 'work for Republican state legislators as a media consultant violated part of a new state law. Classmates of 9 62 there when needed most Fund set up for life-saving surgery for high school chtLms, daughter -Mm-- Others, meanwhile, are questioning whether it was ethical for Lark to work for House Republicans while anchoring the weekend news for WVTT-TV, Channel 30.

House Republicans used state money to hire Lark in the fall to help them produce public affairs programs for local cable IV I access shows. Lark worked in mm front of the camera at times, By DANIEL P. JONES Courant Environment Writir i A company that operates the only tire incinerator in the state will pay a $75,000 fine for excessive air pollution, the state attorney general said Tuesday. 'Kii Under a court settlement with thj state, Exeter Energy Ltd. also must make improvements at its Sterling incinerator to ensure tires are burned more cleanly improved ments that the state says are expected to cost $300,000.

The settlement was filed in Superior Court in Hartford Friday at th same time a lawsuit was filed by Attorney General Richard Blumenf-thal's office, alleging 222 violations of air-quality limits and requirements since April 1994. The alleged violations at the plant the largest tire incinerator in the world included more than 10p occasions when emissions were higher than allowed for carbon monoxide, a pollutant that hinders the flow of oxygen in the bloodstream. I "This result is a boon for the environment and the people in the area," Blumenthal said of the "The allegations at this facili- Please Sterling, Pae A18 with cystic fibrosis. The genetic disease has caused her to have respiratory problems throughout the years. McCann, Pandolfo and another alumna, Gail Carta Giardina, recently started contacting other members of the Class of 1962 about ways to help the Czajkas' youngest child.

A trust fund, "For the Love of Penny," has been established and a fund-raiser has been scheduled for Sept. 8. "It was our time to say, 'thank said Giardina, of Middletown. It's been months, and in some cases years, since some of the classmates have spoken, but they say a bond remains. "We've been friends forever," said Pandolfo, also of Middletown.

"Old friends, you never, ever lose that feeling for them. kind ofpick up where you left off." The Czajkas, who now live in Cromwell, also have a son, Stephen, who is 21 months older. They're are overwhelmed by the efforts of their old, classmates. By DERRICK STOKES Courant Staff Writer CROMWELL Steve Czajka and Beth Turner were high school sweethearts, in many respects the class couple at Middle-town's Woodrow Wilson High School back in 1962. He was the starting center on the football team.

She was a "loud" member of the Pep Club. Over the years, "they were the couple that kept the class together," classmate Susan Beckley McCann said. "They ran all the class reunions." But the next gathering of the Class of '62 will be organized by other classmates, and will be intended to help, in a small way, Beth and Steve's daughter, who desperately needs a lung transplant. Beth Turner Czajka, Susan Beckley McCann and Virginia Carta Pandolfo each gave birth 28 years ago, each in the month of March. Of the three babies, the Czajkas' daughter, Penny, ws diagnosed "We can't express the way we feel about our friends' doing this," said Steve Czajka.

"You really don't know who your friends are until you need them." The Czajkas, of course, are proud people, but they have accepted the fact that they need the support of their friends. "One way or another we were able to take care of Penny's needs," Beth Czajka said. "We overcome whatever needs to be overcome," her husband added. That may include selling their Cromwell business, Elizabeth Antiques Collectibles, if need be, Steve Czajka said. Medicaid ana Social Security will pay for a large chunk of Penny Czajka's lung transplant, but not other related costs.

Penny Czajka is on the donor list at Yale-New Haven Hospital. However, if her condition deteriorates, she may have to go to another part of the country to seek a suitable donor. Please pe Wilson, Page A18 Lark interviewing Republican legis lators to update the public about goings on in the House of Representatives, said Gary Berner, chief of staff for the Republican caucus in the General Assembly. The eight-month agreement with Lark ended May 31. State auditors Robert G.

Jaekle and Kevin P. Johnston said the agreement may not have met the requirements of a new state law about so-called service agreements" paid for by the state because there is no official written record of the arrangement with Lark. After East Hartford Councilwoman Susan G. Skiiiep inquired about Lark's hiring, auditors decided focus on the agreement while doing their routine fiislative management audit during the next six Please see State, Page A18.