Abrupt end t> Union CountyX> Coupons, coupons! All aboard! Legion wins nine straight, £> Amateur Rainbow booklet is back The big airplane's nearly full then withdraws from playoffs ^Astronomers and savings are in for fall 10-city Canadian tour the hundreds See Sports, page B-l See page A-3 WaekandPtus See special booklet inside The^festfield Record Thursday. July 30. 1992 A Forbes N8wsp3pf?r Pfi cents er school Man, 27, held in rape, murder try of girl, 14 ay «nvi immttY mi RECORD Rape crisis center NORTH PLAINFIELD - A 27-year-old Elizabeth man remained in the Somerset County Jail Tuesday supports many victims in lieu of $100,000 bail after being charged with the attempted murder and rape of a 14-year-old Westfield By ELIZABETH QROMEK girl he had met at a party in the borough. THE RECORD The defendant, Patrick LaTourette, was arraigned There were 116 rapes reported in Union County before Superior Court Judge David G. Lucas in Som- last year, according the Uniform Crime Report. The erville Monday on charges of first degree attempted victims of rape and sexual assault often need some murder and first degree aggravated assault following assistance in dealing with the experience. The Union the incident, which occurred late Friday night or early County Rape Crisis Center, headquartered in West- Saturday morning in a wooded area of North Plain- field, provides some of the services they seek. field. Center counselors begin assisting the victim as Mr. LaTourette was arrested Saturday following an soon as they are contacted. If the victim needs med- investigation by the North Plainfield Police Depart- ical assistance or wants to press charges, they make ment and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, one of their volunteer advocates available. Center said North Plainfield Police Chief Allen R. Stine. Administrator Jennifer Pmden said if the victim asks According to an affidavit filed by the prosecutor's not to see someone, they will respect that. office, the victim told investigators that she and her Pressing charges includes two medical attacker met Friday night at the home of one of her (Please turn to page A-2) friends and later went out for a walk. As the two approached a wooded area, the victim said she want- gators that he then checked for a pulse, and finding ed to turn back, but agreed to sit and talk, the af- none, dragged the victim into the wooded area and fidavit stated. The defendant then grabbed her around the neck and choked her until she was un- left her there, according to the affidavit. conscious, the victim told investigators. The victim told authorities she awe-re sometime According to the affidavit, the defendant told au- after the incident and found herself gripped below thorities that he became angry after the girl appeared the waist and bleeding. She then went to a nearby to want to have sex with him, and then changed her residence and called North Plainfield police. mind He said thil prompted him to choke her until The victim was taken to Muhlenberg Regional Med- she was unconscious, and sexually assault her, the ical Center in Plainfield for treatment after the as- affidavit stated. Mr. LaTourette allegedly told investi- sault Local M.D. first in state to use SHARON VWLSON/THt RECORD A young •tudwit practices karat* at tha nawly OfMjiad Vlllarl'a school on Cantral Avanu*. as Instructor Vic Byrd provldaa targat and coaching. A story on tha naw facility Is on pag* laparascopy in kidney removal B-3. By EUZABETH OWOMEK watching the screen can bo difficult at first. But Dr. Curlik compares it to playing Nintendo. THE RECORD "It's just like using the joystick," lie said. A Westfield doctor was the first in New Jersey to Learning how to perform the nroeohire involved $1,944 weekend retreat builds use a revolutionary surgical technique for removing a observation and practicing on arvr- •]••:.. The doctor kidney. also assisted on cases with gym.->..• ;l. •<;;'••:; !>ofore he Dr. Martin Curlik, a urologist, removed a diseased operated on his own. While the pr<^.i.-....s is tricky, Dr. kidney by using a procedure called laparoscopic ne- Curlik said it is actually safer than n nhtj- ; . I surgery board team work — in private phrectomy which uses narrow tube-like instruments a because it is less invasive. Doctor. n1 ,-•, l.iparo- tiny incision, and a miniature camera. scopic procedures should be wtii e.\j>>: ce<J, he By ELIZABETH OWOMEK their team building and problem solving skills with a Laparoscopy is fairly common in general surgery, added. training and development consultant. They also con- THE RECORD as in the removal of gall bladders, or gynecology, but Eh". Curlik also uses the hiparoscupie surgery in the ducted self-evaluations in order to become more ef- is only beginning to be used in urology. Dr. Curlik detection of prostate cancer. The cither uses for the The Board of Education had a change of scenery fective members of the board, she said. began learning about the new type of surgery four method in urological medicine are being realized and last weekend as all nine members and the two top School Superintendent Dr. Mark Smith agreed the years ago and began to realize how he could use it in tried all the time, he said. Now doctors are able to administrators took a retreat to Princeton. team building sessions were the highlight of the his practice. perform biopsies without drastically cutting open the The outing was arranged to provide a time of self- weekend. The group learned how they could The patient is under general anesthesia while the body. evaluation for the board and to consider the results of "strengthen their working ability," he said. The peo- surgeon cuts an incision in the abdomen. The various The advantages of the procedure include less scar- a study done on the middle schools. The session was ple he spoke to informally after the retreat echoed his surgical instruments, like the scalpel and forceps, are ring and a shorter recovery time and hospital stay. not open to the public, the board announced early last enthusiasm for the program, he said. inserted into the body in tubes. The miniature camera There is also less bleeding and fewer chances of de- week. The board reviewed the outcome of a study done by allows the physician to view the inside of the abdo- veloping infections with the new technique. The board, the superintendent and the assistant two Columbia University professors that focused on men during the surgery. The kidney is drained of the Dr. Curlik said that patients arc pleased with the superintendent of business attended the sessions at the Westfield middle schools. Although it is on the blood and removed through one of the tubes. The laproscopic procedure, especially when used for pros- the Chauncey Center at Educational Testing Service. "back burner" for now, there was an idea to con- vessels which connect it are cut and permanently tate problems, because the method allows the doctor fee for room and meals and meeting facilities was solidate the middle schools for economic reasons. The stapled with an instrument called an endoscopic sta- to more accurately diagnose the condition, the recov- $1,944. results of the research considered many factors in- plehead. ery time is shorter, and patients can get back into According to Board President Susan Pepper, the volved in making the decision, such as demographics. The view of the abdomen appears on a monitor in their routine more quickly. workshop went "very well." The group worked on (Please turn to page A-2) the operating room. Using the instruments and (Please turn to page A-2) Meet the young man behind Dan Rather's Democratic savvy paper this year. He would like to work in Washington, By ELIZABETH QROMEK anchorman appreciated what he was doing. "He said everyone accepted me and treated me as part of the he thought we were doing a great job," Peter said. team." either for the Washington Post or one of the networks. THE RECORD Peter got the job as a press aide after contacting the The interaction between the media and the party Although he "always looked up to the anchors," he If you think Dan Rather sounded knowledgeable New York '02 committee and saying he wanted to was intense. Everything is set up for the media's would prefer to be "out there in the field and doing ; during the Democratic National Convention, thank volunteer. Even ___^_^_ benefit, he said. the work" rather than just sitting in the studio. But ;Peter Catanzaro for helping him to be in the know. he realizes already that he will have to start at the though he was While he did not bottom and work his way to that jxjsition. The Westfield High School senior worked as a vol- competing '/ was afraid by the time Clinton and Gore got up understand "why unteer for the Democratic National Convention Press Even though he will still be too young to vote in the people with we had to cater to :Distribution Team, pro- there, I would be a full-blown Democrat' election this year, he was careful not to get caught up fcssional expe- them" at first, he iThe team was responsible for delivering the event —Peter Catanzaro in the Democratic hoopla. rience for the post, realized it was and speaker schedules, texts of speeches, and other "I was afraid by the time Clinton and Gore got up information to the press corps. The speeches were he approached the about reaching there, I would be a full-blown Democrat," he said.