Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 25

THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 22, 1976 Hartford Wethersfield Windsor East Hartford Glastonbury Bloomfield Rocky Hill West Hartford Newington South Windsor ityTowns Region Unit Elects Suisman Capitol Grant Leaving Council At End of This Term jjf ed by federal officials. EducationInstruccion has publicly attacked officials in a number of towns for alleged violations of civil rights laws. Shaw was one of the three, 'towns "that switched from Maiorano to Suisman on the final ballot. Shaw said he still bears antagonism to Hartford, but "wanted to get the arguing over with" because he "didn't have time for it." The final vote was: For Suisman Andover, Bloom-field, Canton, Ellington, En-t field, Farmington, Glason-'bury, Hartford (four votes), Manchester, Newington, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Tolland, Vernon, West Hartford, Windsor. For Maiorano Avon, Boltonv East Granby, East Hartford, East Windsor, Marlborough, South Windsor, Suffield, Windsor Locks.

By ANTOINETTE MARTIN In a highly charged atmosphere, with an array of reporters looking on, the once obscure Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) elected its first chairman ever from Hartford Wednesday after a hard-fought, battle for" the seat. "We've had more publicity this one month than in our entire 11-year history," said outgoing chairman Otto Neumann of Granby, during prd-ceedings in which Hartford Councilman Richard Suisman took the top seat without a vote to spare. Suisman was victorious on the second ballot, with 20 out of 29 votes cast, for the necessary two-thirds majority. On the first roll call, he received 17 votes. The issues that surfaced in Suisman's political duel with Marlbor6ugh First Select man Anthony Maiorano for the chairmanship reflected a deepening concern with the need for a regional approach to economic problems.

Suisman has been a leading tactician in the city's fight to convince surrounding towns that Hartford's problems are integrally linked with those of the region. But some of those tactics still anger heads of town who see Suisman as an anti-suburb man. At Wednesday's meeting at East Hartford's Holiday Inn, Windsor Locks First Selectman Edward A. Savino said "under no conditions" would he ever vote for a candidate from Hartford. Savino's town was one of those named in a city law- suit against seven suburbs, which claimed the towns t' weren't using federal grant money to help solve the region's housing problems.

The suit held up $4.4 million in 'Doyle said Hartford should be given a chance at the chairmanship since the city has never held the post before, and "If they don't perform in. a year's time, they will meet their mak-ers." The chairman serves for one year, and may be elected to one more At the beginning of debate Wednesday, Simsbury First Selectman Russell- S. Shaw stunned the regional agency's members with complaints of "threats, innuendo and CIA-type actions." Asked later to explain, Shaw said he was referring to Hartford's plans to hire the civil rights activist group EducationInstruccion as a consultant on its proposal -for a regional affirmative action effort. The proposal was to have been funded with Hartford's federal grant money, but was reject federal funds to the towns. Savino was a leader in Windsor Locks' decision not to apply for any more of the federal funds after the suit.

"On the one hand, they take you to court," said Savino Wednesday, and, then they come gladhanding looking for your votes." However, It Newington Mayor Edmorid Doyle supported Suisman despite the fact he said he'd been called a "backstabber and a turncoat" in his own town. "Six months ago, I wouldn't have given Hartford a straw hat in a blizzard," said Doyle. But he said he became convinced of Suisman's integrity and commitment to the region as a whole after a meeting Suisman came to in Newington, where the Hartford councilman held his own in a heated discussion with local politicians. Town Council from the Democrats. persuaded Grant that his name was needed to head the ticket.

The Republicans gained control of the council. After his defeat for the State Senate, he had also considered resigning, but served out his term. In addition, Grant is serving as deputy mayor and not as mayor, which might be a factor in his decision, sources said. He served as minority leader when the Democrats controlled the Town Council for two years beginning in 1973. A graduate of Harvard University, Grant planned to become a journalist but assumed a series of management positions in business, culminating with his current occupation as producer of documentary films, including the state Bicentennial film, "Resolved to Be Free," and a movie about the Connecticut River, "The Long Tidal River." Grant also served in various civic positions, from Bushnell Memorial trustee to vice chairman of th state Clean Water Task Force.

By MIKE SHERIDAN WEST HARTFORD -Deputy Mayor Ellsworth S. Grant, who has served on the Town Council for the past nine years, said Wednesday he will retire at the end of his present term. Grant, a Republican who served as the town's mayor for four years during that period, made the announcement to a group of citizens charged with developing a master plan for town buildings in West Hartford Center. Explaining he appointed a similar committee to study the uses of the site eight years ago. Grant said the town is still facing the same problems.

"More than anything else," he said, "I would like to see a resolution before I retired of what I believe is the town's most critical problem and, simultaneously, its greatest challenge." He told the members he would complete his fifth and last term on the council in November 1977. Grant, who served as West Hartford mayor from 1969 to 1973, gave no 'Downgrading Charged ELLSWORTHS. GRANT additional reasons for his announcement and could not be reached for comment following the meeting- However, sources within the party say that Grant, one of the more articulate and witty members of the council, is tired after serving nine years on the Town Council. The unsuccessful candidate for the fifth District senatorial seat in 1974, Grant was reportedly reluctant to run for a fifth council term in 1975. But party officials, who wanted to wrest control of the Two Policewomen Quit City Force Democrats Narrow Search ing the force.

He did say he was aware that Mrs. Narkiewicz had a health problem that kept her on limited service but he said neither police-. woman ever indicated to him that she was unhappy or disenchanted with her job. He also said it was his understanding that Mrs. Peck was moving to California.

Despite what she calls a "downgrading" of her job, Mrs. Narkiewicz expressed no love for the women's liberation movement. She said she feels there is a place for women in the police profession, but suggested that they work in a complementary or supplementary basis instead of on the same level as the men. Mrs. Narkiewicz, a Bulkeley High School graduate and who has college credits from Trinity College, said she plans to become a fulltime housewife upon her By BOB LaMAGDELEINE Two policewomen, one with 23 years on the force and the other with seven years, are resigning in anger from the Hartford Police Department.

One woman, Frances Narkiew-icz, cited health as a factor in her decision to quit. But both she and policewoman Judith A. Peck said their jobs had been downgraded, and blamed Chief Hugh J. Masini. The women said they had been given stenographic jobs in the Youth Services Division (YSD), as opposed to the variety of work assigned them by previous chiefs.

Chief of Operations James W. Heslin said both women could have been assigned to district commanders who work more closely with the uniformed services, but both chose to remain in their office jobs. Heslin said the YSD was res tructured several months ago while both women were on sick leave. "The idea was to have them handle juvenile problems as they arose," he said. "They decided to quit rather than conform." Mrs.

Narkiewicz, who worked for five chiefs since joining the department Sept. 14, 1953, worked on a number of major in-vesitgations including homicides, drug cases, rapes and child abuses. She won a number of citations from civic leaders for her work. Mrs. Peck, who joined the force Sept.

2, ,1969, said she has also done less as a policewoman under Masini than she did when Thomas J. Vaughan was chief. Masini was sworn in as chief April 15, 1974. Masini registered surprise at the comments but said he would withhold any definite statement until he interviews them as is his practice with every officer leav Mrs. Peck, who holds a B.A.

degree from Elmira College in Elmira, N.Y., said she plans to move to California but hasn't made any definite plans about future employment in or out of law enforcement. She said the work she has been doing for the past two years isn't the kind of Work she was trained for or the kind of work she performed for most of her first five years on the department. "I feel I can't remain in a position that seems to be headed for a dead end and I can't afford to wait another 13 years to reach the minimum retirement limit of 20 years," she said. Mrs. Narkiewicz is entitled to a pension but will be penalized 4 per cent for each of the two years she lacks for the half-pay basis of 25 years.

"I'm willing to take the loss rather than put up with two more years of this," she said, u- By JACKZAIMAN Connecticut Democratic Party Liberals late Monday night narrowed their choice of a member of the Democratic National Committee to two persons. are Dr. Bernard So-rokin of West Hartford, an official of the National New Democratic Coalition, and Mary Sullivan of chairwoman of the Caucus of Connecticut Democrats. One of (he two will be chosen by the liberal group at a meeting Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Park Plaza Hotel in New Haven, shortly before the 51 Connecticut Democratic National Convention delegates meet in the hotel to elect three members of the national committee.

'The 16 national convention delegates' pledged to U.S. Rep. Morris K. Udall of Arizona met for three hours Monday night at the New Haven home of State Rep. Irving J.

Stolberg in. an effort to agree on a recommendation for one of the tional committee's seats. The liberal party delegates, under an agreement with delegates pledged to former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, the presidential nominee, have been allocated one of the three national committee spots. The two others will go to Carter delegates.

Being mentioned for the two national committee seats allocated to the Carter group are Hartford Town Chairman Peter G. Kelly, who was defeated earlier in the week for state Party Chairman and Anthony De-Lorenzo of Bristol, the labor delegate choice. Memories, Lawsuit Linger 6 Months After Apartment Blaze By MONICA CARROLL ROCKY HILL Six months after a $2 million fire gutted a local apartment wing, tenants play tennis on the slab that once held five stories and 32 units. The general alarm blaze Jan. 5 destroyed the wing, left more than 200 tenants homeless, injured three firemen and changed many of the lives of people involved with Great Meadow Towers.

The fire also revived predictions made -a year earlier that the complex had the potential for fire because of fire safety deficiencies. Fire Chief Edward Bacon Jr. had quit as fire marshal in a dispute over the town's enforcement of the building codes. He said at the time that the building should never have been permitted to be built that tall without standpipes and sprinklers. "I told you so, replied Bacon 13 months later as he and his volunteer firemen, and those from nine surrounding towns fought the blaze in sub-zero weather from 1 a.m.

into the next afternoon. In addition to hard feelings, the fire also brought forth a suit a class action suit filed by 39 former tenants who claim that the Great Meadows manage-, ment, the town and Fire Marshal Edward Zak Jr. were responsible for the fire. The tenants say that the? owners of the complex, Matthew J. Reiser and Gerald S.

Berson, rented to persons knowing that the building violated existing fire and building codes. They also say that the town of Rocky Hill and Zak were negligent in not inspecting the structure and not forcing the owners to correct the violations. Attorneys' for the suit charging 26 counts of negligence said it would be filed next month in Hartford County Superior Court. Meanwhile the town is preparing its defense. Building Official Donald Lawlor, whose methods Bacon criticized in the past said he is prepared to show that the town was never "negligent" but, in fact, tried to improve safety features at Great Meadows.

The state building code did not require sprinklers in buildings over four stories tall until 1972. Great Great Meadows Ray Corp. for four months after the' fire. He has since relocated to Wethersfield. Sue Rottner and Sharyn Blick who once lived in the south wing lost "business papers, clothes everv- thing" and have since moved to the Century Hills; complex in town.

They are among the plaintiffs in the proposed class action suit, Matthew A. Burns in the north wing stayed because "there was no reason to get out." He's happy with the new carpeting, sprinklers and alarm system installed since the fire, he said. Joseph Zito, who left because his apartment was. waterlogged, said he lost about $1,600 worth of tools and equipment stored in his basement locker not in the fire, he said but in the confusion afterwards when tenants, firefighters and the public milled around the scene. He says the equipment was stolen.

Some tenants moved back in; some moved out of the area. The large H-shaped building is no more; a tennis court replaces the burned out wing. Meadows was built in 1966 before he was hired, Lawlor said. Renovations the town required before tenants could move back in have supposedly made the building safer than it was when first built but not as safe as present codes require in a new building. Co-owner Reiser who is now selling his half-interest to Simon Konover of West Hartford, an area investor, said that with new carpeting, wallpaper and the tennis court, "you'd never know the fire was there." Those more directly involved with the fire still remember the night they were roused by a former volunteer fireman who lived in the south wing where the fire started.

Dean Mitchell, who was unemployed at the time, has since got a job and returned to college. He lost everything but his checkbook in the blaze. Dr. James Tauber plans to go through with his individual suit against the management for the loss of his X-ray equipment, special leaded walls, patients' records and the disruption and loss of business to 1 I i i 1 fyt- FFf nri ni nP1 ill CD i-J tsr IP tiifj it 4 111 3 I i Ji If IP a wW" 1 Tint. -i I i i i i Courant Photo bv Art Warmstev Cwrant Phot bv Art Warmslcv July: Former Wing Now Tennis Courts January: Apartment Wing Gutted.