The Post-Star from Glens Falls, New York • 15

Saturday, Sptomber 30, 1995 The Post-Star, Glens Falls, Y. B9 Local Easily UGJU 1978 road swap finally complete Lawyer to probe worker's claims Sheriff accused of harassment By David Blow Staff Writer '4 ft a I if LL Dy David Blow Start Wrltor FORT EDWARD The infamous 1978 road swap between Washington County and New York state is now finally concluded no strings attached. The county Board of Supervisors on Friday rescinded a resolution it passed on Sept. 15 in which it accepted, under protest, maintenance responsibility for Route 338. Under that resolution, the state was to agree to continue maintaining a portion of Route 149.

By including the protest stipulation, the board hoped it would be able to get the state, through legislative action, to maintain both roads. I lowcver, the state Department of Transportation found the protest condition unacceptable, county officials said Friday. The original deal in 1978 called for the county to take over maintenance duties of Route 149. In exchange, the state would take over Route 338. As part of the deal, the state agreed to replace the Route 149 bridge at Smiths Basin within a year or two after the deal.

The bridge, however, wasn't replaced until last year, and the state ended up maintaining both roads for 1 7 years. Once the bridge was complete, however, state officials insisted the county make good on its portion of the deal. The county, alter much haggling, offered to take back Route 338, because it is in better shape than Route 149. Because the county has been bulking at taking over 338, the state has filed suit to get the county to lake back control of Route 149. The county has been blocking the court action through a restraining order.

If the Sept. 15 resolution wasn't rescinded and passed without protest, the state had threatened to continue its legal action to force the county to take back Route 149. Following its rescission of the resolution Friday, the county board approved a separate proposal in which it agreed to take over Route 338 while the state maintained Route 149. Kenneth Wheeler, county superintendent of Public Works, said taking back Route 338 is essentially the lesser of two evils. Richard A.

Maitino, DOT regional director, said he was pleased to put the "thorny" issue behind him. "It's an issue that's gone on for a lot of years," he said. "As long as we're both entering this in good faith, I think it will work out." Maitino said the issue will still have to be resolved in court, but can be done with both sides agreeing to cease litigation and enter into the agreement. Rob Barendse Pedestrians walk on barely cured concrete Friday as vendors in Warrensburg get an early start on the World's Largest Garage Sale, which will continue through Sunday. School to study bus, parking ills FORT EDWARD The Washington County Board of Supervisors hired an Albany law firm Friday to investigate a sexual harassment charge against county Sheriff Robert H.

Endee Jr. After a 30-minute executive session with attorney Kim Greene from the Albany firm Ruberti, Girvin and Ferlazzo, the firm was hired for an unspecified fee. County Administrator Kevin G. Hayes said the county handbook calls for an investigation when allegations are made against county personnel. Hayes said the board chose him to speak on the issue because the handbook also states it's the administrator's job to get such investigations going.

Endee, reached late Friday afternoon, said he was glad an investigation is getting under way. "I'm in favor of it," he said. "I just think when this gets out in the open it will be very helpful to me." In a notice of claim served on the county last week, Barbara Worthington, who works with Endee, claims he repeatedly "slapped, grabbed and touched intimate parts" of her body including her breasts, buttocks and thighs over a I 'A -year period. Worthington also claims Endee intentionally harassed her, verbally insulted her in the presence of others and made comments "laced with sexual innuendo." Endee, who is seeking re-election in November, said the allegations are politically motivated. Worthington, reached Friday at her home, said "that's fine" when told of the county's investigation.

Asked if she would cooperate with the investigators, she responded "I'll do whatever my attorney tells me to." Her lawyer, Carta E. Hogan of Albany, did not return telephone calls Friday. Greene refused to comment on the matter following the Friday meeting. breaking a law limiting the idle time of diescl-powered vehicles to five minutes. The district has already heard the results of a study on cooperating with the Ballston Spa district that said both districts could probably benefit from building a joint maintenance and storage center.

Giaquinto said it's also possible other nearby districts would pay to send their buses to a large service center. He hopes to have recommendations for the board by December, as Ballston Spa has scheduled a vote on a new bus facility for January. In other business, the board approved of creating municipal liaisons to keep track of planned growth in the area that could affect school enrollment. Liaisons were assigned to Saratoga Springs, Greenfield and Wilton the three highest-growth municipalities within the district's borders. Board members emphasized, however, that the liaisons Philip C.

Gargan for Greenfield, Peter Glansberg for Wilton and Michael Valla for the city will serve as observers only. "We're certainly not looking to get into their business," Glansberg said. By Kathryn Ceceri Correspondent SARATOGA SPRINGS The city school district will move ahead with a study on how to deal with the lack of adequate parking and maintenance facilities for its 80-bus transportation fleet. The school board voted 9-0 Thursday to have administrators review options, including a joint venture with the neighboring Ballston Spa school district. The district's overcrowded bus parking lot at Division Street School creates traffic hazards for both students and nearby residents, according to a report presented by School Business Official Michael Giaquinto.

Transportation and school employees are forced by the lack of parking to park on surrounding streets, creating what the report calls "a significant traffic hazard" at the start and end of the school day. The need to warm up the buses' diesel engines in cold weather creates both a noise problem and a fog of exhaust that affects the entire vicinity, the report said. The district was cited by the state twice in 1993 for FACTORY AUTHORIZED OO AND lsai ater releases going back to normal 1 PLTu nMC nAVOMIYI GATI IPIjAY CXZOT JJTM Sept. 5. Officials have determined the releases worked to hold back the salty water.

Business owners and homeowners on the Great Sacandaga Lake had protested the releases, which caused water in the reservoir to fall far below its normal seasonal level. from the reservoir to counteract the lack of rain and try to halt the flow of salty water from the Atlantic Ocean up the Hudson River. The "salt front" was approaching Poughkeepsie, threatening that city's supply of drinking water. Normal releases were increased ALBANY Water releases from the reservoir used to regulate flow in the Hudson River will be returned to normal Monday. Hudson River-Black River Regffitating which controls the releases from Great Sacandaga Lake, had been releasing more water than usual FREE! 6 MONTH supplyof iams dog woo For Your Pet Plue 3 Other FREE Prizes.

(SeeCtetato BekW) Health officials dismiss rumors about restaurant Health Department's Glens Falls office, said he personally inspected the restaurant and found "nothing but the most professional" conditions. "That's a rather typical rumor that's spread about Oriental restaurants," Neilands said. He added that it was fueled by the "stupidity" of people who don't understand Oriental cultures. Both Neilands and Fagel said many times such rumors are started by competing restaurants. There is "significant competition" among Chinese restaurants in the area, and the Old China Buffet which opened last year has been very successful, Neilands said.

Neilands said the restaurant was regularly inspected "a month or two ago," and Fagel said it was the subject of similar unfounded rumors this summer. Neilands said he's investigated numerous similar complaints about local Chinese restaurants in the past including use of not only cats but pigeons, dogs and squirrels and never found any problems. "We get a couple, two, three (like complaints) a year," he said. "I've run down a number of them over the past 15 years." Even if cat meat was being kept in a restaurant's freezer, it wouldn't necessary be illegal, officials said. Several restaurants in the area serve "exotic" meats such as ostrich, venison and emu, and as long as it is federally inspected at slaughter, it is legal.

Fagel said several media outlets, including at least one in Albany, had contacted his office Friday as the rumor swirled. By Don Lehman Staff Writer QUEENSBURY State health officials dismissed as a hoax Friday a widespread rumor that a Chinese restaurant was shut down because cats were found in its freezer. The local office of the state Department of Health received about a dozen calls Thursday and Friday from people who had heard the rumor, prompting a visit to the Old China Buffet in Queensbury Plaza from an inspector Friday afternoon. "It's unfounded as far as we're concerned," Department of Health spokesman William Fagel. "It just sounds like a malicious type of situation." Vil Neilands, district sanitarian for the state A FREE PRIZE5 TO BE AWARDED.

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6 lb. lb. DAG OR f-r- a tvy 24 3 oz. CASE OF CANS Urr ANY 0R4ib.B0X0FBiscuns By David Blow Staff Writer SOUTH GLENS FALLS An alert bank teller at the First National Bank of Glens Falls on Main Street is being credited with helping catch a forgery suspect Thursday, police said After he cashed stolen checks at two First National branches in Glens Falls and Queensbury earlier Thursday, according to police, a memo was sent out describing 24-year-old Christopher M. Foster of Hudson Falls.

When Foster, of 25 Feeder drove up to the drive -through wmdow at about 6 55 p.m.. the teller called South Glens Falls police. Patrol Officer James E. Caruso responded seconds later and arrested o-aet hile he was still at the bank. Foster is charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, both felonies, and one misdemeanor count of petit larceny.

Caruso said "several" personal checks were stolen from a Hudson Falls residence in August. Police say Foster cashed one of the matching checks in Saratoga County for $403 on Sept. 1 1 and was attempting to cash another on Thursday hen he as arrested. The investigation is continuing and more charges will likely be filed in Warren and Washington counties for similar offenses, Caruso said. Foster was arraigned before Moreau Town Justice Edward Tracy and was sent to the Saratoea County Jail for lack of 1 0.000 bail or bail bond "It's nice to get them right in the act," Caruso said of the arrest 15 lb.

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Stop In And Compare Their Performance! Crop walk to help feed the hungry s. Jill' If UJ 'r FUULj rT)rDT The walk iH proceed up Ridge Street, across Washington Street and south on Route 9 to return to the Method-. Church. Crop Walk trx-s to ensure that the Open Dxv Foxi Kitchen and rtau ivx CerT Fci Bar.k pot ha they reed. National trtd international dsstnbutuw through Church World Senxe ti i.

1 SOUTH GLLNS ALLS A crop walk will be held at 2 rn. Sunday in the tillage, to stock the shelves of local organizations that help feed H-g-gry peopie. The walk surts at the Methodist Church pjriirg lot. goc along to Saratoga R.l rjrth F.xre 9 ari acres the brvire to tSe fcv of fk-n Sreet ADVICE 1 795-5552.