Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 3

FRIDAY DECEMBER 20. 1985 ROCHESTER NEW YORK SECTIOIJ 6B DEATHS 7B COMICS A Democrat ani (fhronirlf Lrnn nTTJ EO0SI0H FIGHTER A Leicester man is a bit new to the business of running a farm, but he knows the value of conserving the soil on his 360-acre dairy-farm operation. Story on 6B. Newcomers find Santa wears a blue suit and badge By Bob Bickel Democrat and Chronicle CALEDONIA A box of presents found at the side of a road near Caledonia has been returned to their owners in time for Christmas. The wrapped presents, marked only with the first names of Danny Root, 5, and his 8-year-old sister, Jennifer, were turned in to Caledonia police a week ago by Richard Stein of Caledonia, who found them in a box by the side of Route 5, just outside the village.

Caledonia Patrolman William Schneider said he did everything he could think of to locate the owners, including giving the story to the newspapers. The only clue was the box, from a J.C. Penney store in Portsmouth, Ohio. The Portsmouth Daily Times carried the story about the lost toys, and that did it Yesterday, Schneider got a call from Melanie McClurg of South Portsmouth, who said the toys had to have been lost by her brother-in-law, Mark Root, and his wife, Patty, who had children named Danny and Jennifer, and who had recently moved from Portsmouth to Le Roy. At Schneider's request, Le Roy police visited the Roots at 14 Church St.

in Le Roy and told them to see Schneider. "They moved from Ohio in a rental truck," Schneider said. "While they were looking for an apartment in Le Roy, they stored their things with Mr. Root's brother on North Street in Caledonia. After they found a place to live, they moved everything in the brother's pickup." Schneider said Mark Root is joining his brother in the plumbing and heating business.

The Roots could not be reached for comment last night "The box of toys bounced out when they went over the railroad tracks on Route 5," Schneider said. "They thought the toys had been lost or stolen in Portsmouth so they never reported them missing." The Roots came to the Caledonia Police Department yesterday, gave satisfactory proof the toys were theirs, and happily went home with all nine of the presents. ft Top court backs landfill restriction MACEDON The state's highest Court has upheld a lower court's ruling that imposed limits on the amount and source of waste brought into the Way-Dior landfill in Macedon. The state Court of Appeals handed down the decision yesterday, saying it upheld a decision issued by the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in July on the landfill owned by Waste Management of New York said John Wilson, a lawyer for the Macedon Citizens Committee. The owner of the landfill wants to enlarge the landfill, located a mile west of Macedon Center, and increase hauling by accepting refuse from other communities, including Monroe County.

The Appellate Division's decision said that a 1978 agreement between the town and Waste Management limited how much waste would go into Waymor and where it would come from, i It ruled the contract limited use of the landfill to the town and village of Macedon and the town of Walworth, along with some private haulers already serviced by the then-owner of the landfill, Alpco Inc. Phone service knocked out GENESEO Several thousand Gene-aeo, Livingston County, residenta were without telephone service for about two hours last night when a power converter malfunctioned. Phones with the 243 prefix went out of order shortly before 8 p.m. and residenta were unable to receive or make calls until about 10 a spokesman for the Rochester Telephone Co. said.

The problem was caused by a malfunction in the switch that converts AC power to DC power in Geneseo. Money for RIT is in bill Gannett News Service WASHINGTON A catchall spending bill heading for President Reagan's desk contains $11.1 million for Rochester Institute of Technology's proposed microelectronic engineering college. The money, which a House-Senate conference committee had knocked out of an earlier appropriations bill, was added this week to a funding measure needed to keep some government agencies afloat through the end of the year. "We slipped it in," said a spokesman for Sea Alfonse M. D'Amato, one of the Senate conferees in House-Senate negotiations on the $370 billion money bilL rWeVe very elated," RIT President tichard Rote said last night, "and very iiankful to Senator D'Amato for leading way." The appropriation for RTT will pay for almost half the cost of the school's $23.5 ullion laboratory and classroom complex for microelectronic engineering.

The new program is aimed at producing more nighty skilled workers in specialized engineer-tig fields. 'j The Senate approved the RIT funds list month when it accepted a D'Amato amendment providing $32 million to RTT and three other engineering schools that ave electronic engineering programs, But the funds were eliminated during House-Senate negotiations on the 1986 appropriations for the state, justice and com-eierce departments. Two held on drug charges NEWARK State police yesterday arrested two area residents, accusing them Boxes of merchandise in the Geva Master Wholesalers warehouse at 1268 Lyell Ave. after it was raided by FBI yesterday. FBI busts $2.2 million 'busf-out' scheme Julwn H.

Gonulvi Democrat and Chronicle The merchandise included health and beauty products, pharmaceuticals and "almost anything else you'd find in a discount drug store," he said. Eight people were arrested in the nationwide crackdowns, including Alfred Forman, 46, of Dix Hills, Allegany County, who was charged in the operation of Micro Distributing Inc. of Boston. The company operated from the spring of 1982 until February 1983, leaving unpaid debts of more than $1.7 million. Forman is believed to have also been involved in setting up GMW in Rochester, Anderson said.

In a bankruptcy bust-out, a business begins by operating what appears to be a legitimate distribution warehouse, placing a lot of small orders with hundreds of manufacturers, and paying for the merchandise promptly to establish a good credit record, Anderson said. After a few months, the lines of credit with manufacturers are increased and the bust-out begins. Orders for merchandise are increased and the distributor stops making payments of outstanding bills, giving the creditors false excuses, Anderson said. Most of the merchandise is shipped to other locations where it cannot be traced, but some is left at the warehouse to make the company appear legitimate, Anderson said. TURN TO PAGE 8B Pal-Mac may seek mediator Factfinder's data could point way to teachers' pact By Craig Gordon Democrat and Chronicle PALMYRA Both sides in the Pal-myra-Macedon teachers' contract negotiations believe a new factfinder's report can help them reach an agreement, although their latest attempt Wednesday failed.

A 27-page report recommended a compromise on salaries, an issue both sides have said is a sticking point in the negotiations. Brenda D. Gumbs, a factfinder for the state Public Employment Relations Board, prepared the report. Gumbs' report recommended a two-year contract with a 9 percent salary increase in the year, retroactive to July 1, and a 10 Bfceat increase the second year. A beginning tMchtT DOW is paid $13,480 annually.

According to the report, the school district proposed a two-year contract with an 8 percent increase the first year and 7.75 percent the second. The faculty association wanted a one-year agreement with a 12 percent pay increase. The district's 170 teachers have been working without a contract since the previous one expired June 30. Contract negotiations started April 22, and Gumbs entered the talks in July after negotiators declared an impasse. The teachers have continued working under the expired contract since school started in September but have been using a "work-to-rule" action.

That means they do only what is specifically required of them and forgo after-school activities they normally would organize. And while representatives of the teachers and district said yesterday they couldn't agree to Gumbs' contract recommendations in their entirety, they said they believed the report could speed an agreement. "I personally think the factfinder's report is a tool we can use to get the settlement," said Patricia Moore, president of the Palmyra-Macedon Faculty Association. "Maybe we can't accept the whole thing, but maybe we can use parts to reach a settlement." "It's going to provide the basis for further discussion," said Matthew Fletcher, TURN TO PAGE 28 SENECA BUILDING PLANS 6B rom our point of view, the administrative hearing is still on. There's a temporary court injunction being sought against the sale.

There are several things to be settled." Bethesda directors on Monday accepted a $2 million purchase offer from St. James for the troubled 90-bed hospital. St. James wants to turn Bethesda into a 55-bed skilled nursing facility and alcoholism rehabilitation and psychiatric TURN TO PAGE 2B 4 Bfl Brink DrTHi.r4t and Chronicle 2. aj mil hi i Bags of litter box filler seized at the local warehouse.

The FBI says the site was part of a $2.2 million scheme to defraud hundreds of manufacturers. 10 tractor-trailer loads of merchandise was being stored at the GMW warehouse, Anderson said. The company made 17 truck-load shipments to warehouses in North Lindenhurst, Allegany County, and Farmingdale, Nassau County, over the past few months, Anderson said. It seemed more like a family reunion than a day when guilt or innocence would be decided. But the chatter turned abruptly to silence.

Valentino pronounced all 11 defendants, members of a local group called Nicaraguan Invasion Contingency Action, guilty of trespassing for their refusal to leave U.S. Rep. Fred J. Eckert's downtown office May 7. The handshakes became supportive embraces and the smiles changed to tears.

"Shame on you!" supporter Sylvia Gasoi shouted at Valentino. "I was hoping the judge would have put aside the legalisms and understood what this was all about," she later said. "The only reason he found them guilty was TURN TO PAGE 8B Granger lunchtime charge and wanted to hall, had up the fire finish up said places yesterday for Wit i i 7 ste 'j 5-city raid includes a local warehouse By John O'Brien Democrat and Chronicle FBI agents yesterday said they uncovered a bankruptcy fraud scheme in Rochester in which a distributor of drug store merchandise apparently was preparing to bilk hundreds of manufacturers out of about $2.2 million. The Geva Master Wholesalers Inc. warehouse at 1268 Lyell Ave.

was raided about 3 p.m. yesterday by FBI agents armed with search warrants in one of five alleged "bankruptcy bust-out" schemes along the East Coast. They were uncovered simultaneously by federal authorities, said Dale W. Anderson, senior resident agent of the FBI's Rochester office. The four other cities where warehouses were raided and suspects arrested yesterday were Boston, Newark, N.J., Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.

No local arrests have been made, Anderson said. GMW, which set up its warehouse here in May, was on the verge of making its final shipments to retailers in the New York City area, then declaring bankruptcy and leaving between 300 and 400 manufacturers with about $2.2 million of unpaid credit, Anderson said. The equivalent of between eight and NICA 11 guilty of trespassing at Eckert's office By David Galante Democrat and Chronicle The tiny, crowded courtroom was almost festive as the so-called NICA 11 defendants and dozens of supporters waited yesterday for Rochester City Court Judge Joseph D. Valentino to take his place on the bench. Shedding bulky overcoats and wool scarves, they greeted one another with smiles and handshakes while scrambling for seats and places to lay their protest signs.

Many 'ifs' in Befhesda sale, says state health official A possible injunction threatens hospital deal By Dick Eigenhart Democrat and Chronicle HORNELL A state Health Department official says there are a lot of "ifs" involved in the proposed sale of Bethesda Community Hospital in North Hornell to neighboring St. James Mercy Hospital. "There are a lot of things to be resolved," Health Department spokesman William Fagel of Albany said yesterday. )L. jl anmspra selling drugs to undercover officers dur- the summer.

Donald D. Coleman, 29, of 33 Tillman was charged with third-de- free criminal sale of a controlled sub-i itance and third-degree criminal possess-on of a controlled substance, state police aid. Coleman is accused of selling cocaine an officer in Clyde. 4 Also arrested yesterday was Mary K. jVest, 17, of 125 Washington St, Pal-i nyra.

She was charged with fifth-degree criminal sale and fifth-degree criminal jossession of a controlled substance in i xmnection with the sale of LSD to an in Palmyra Both were arraigned before Wayne bounty Court Judge Carmen Parenti. Co-eman was remanded to the Wayne County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail. West also jvas placed in the jail on $100 bail. Cornell gets computers ITHACA Computer equipment worth $3 million has been donated to Cornell University's College of Engineering by The gift consists of an 3B20 iuperminiaimputer, five 3B5 minicomputers, 68 3B2 desktop supermicrocom-fcuters, 40 asynchronous terminals and 56 Intelligent work stations, with free installation and a year's free maintenance, The equipment will be used for undergraduate courses as well as major research, According to William B. Streett, dean of he College of Engineering.

Heads chamber board John R. Riedman, president of the Riedman Corp. insurance company, has tieen elected chairman of the board of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce. Riedman succeeds Daniel Gill, chairman and president of Bausch Lomb Inc. hnEi deaths Gorsline, Chester Canadice, Dec.

19. Lagree, Mabel, 66, Ontario, Dec. 19. Cook, Irene 65, Cheshire, Dec. 19.

Inmates locked in hearts of residents of Ossian By Bob Bicket Democrat and Chronicle OSSIAN Groveland prison guard Douglas hung up the phone in the Ossian fire hall at yesterday, turned to the five prisoners in his said, "That was Mr. Walker up the road. He say 'Merry Christmas' to you guys." Armonde Vv alker, who lives next to the fire gotten to know the prisoners when they fixed hall this summer and when they came back early this month. His call of good will confirmed what one about the town of Ossian: "Sometimes you get where they're afraid of you. Here they're not." The prison inmates were at the fire hall to inmate a party that firefighters threw to thank them for their help in remodeling the hall.

The prisoners were working in Groveland's two-year-old program that sends certain prisoners into the community under guard to do com On the trail to fitness Jim Squires of East Rochester finds out why cross-country skiing is regarded as one of the best munity service work. overall forms of exercise as he makes his season debut at Mendon Ponds Park yesterday. TURN TO PAGE 2B.