Press and Sun-Bulletin from Binghamton, New York • 3

ocaJ -The Press. Jan. 8. 1S80 i Binghamtoa, N.Y.. 3A Perkins retakes control of IDA land mortgage By STEVE 8PERO One of the world's worst-kept secrets the true mortgage holder of land purchased by the Broome Industrial Development Agency is no longer a secret at all.

Richard L. Webster officially has transferred con trol of a $650,000 mortgage back to Binghamton busi lit iAi ft nessman Prescott D. Perkins, tne agency lawyer said yesterday. The agency now officially Knows inai tJingnaraum businessman Prescott D. Perkins was the true owner of 238 acres of land in Kirkwood when it purchased the land in 1978.

Perkins bought the land, transferred title to Rich considerable controversy and led to a grand jury investigation. The agency executive director, David H. Treichler, resigned amidst criticism that he misled the agency about the true owner of the land and the value of the property. The grand Jury said the agency's lawyer also should nave informed members about toe land's true owner. The lawyer was replaced.

An appraisal valued the land at $500,000 prior to the agency's purchase, but no agency board member looked at the appraisal. A more recent appraisal, done after the land was developed with federal money, values the land at $2.3 million. Richard Place, the agency's new lawyer, said Perkins assumed formal ownership of the land when the IDA closed the sale of three acres of land to RJ1.S. Motor Corp for $10,000 an acre. Under terms of the sale agreement with Webster, the agency had 10 years to pay off the mortgage.

The agency would only pay interest charges and would not make payments on principal until a section of land was sold to a private company. But when the IDA went to pay Webster, Webster released his formal control of the land to Perkins, Place said. To date, the IDA has paid either Perkins or Webster about $39,000, Place said. Neither Perkins nor Webster could be reached for comment. Perkin's lawyer Alan M.

Zalbowitz declined comment without Perkins authorization. ard Webster, and Webster sold the land to the aeencv. In the attempt to keep Perkin's ownership secret, two men lost their jobs, the agency has overhauled the way it does buisness, and further changes are being considered. Perkins boueht the land while working as an in The Frazier triplets Jon, Jim and Joel check X- rays at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. dustrial developer for New York State Electric Gas Corp.

The utility, tearing a connici oi lmercai, asked him to sell the land, which he had purchased Triplets hope to be doctors Brothers' luckv number is 3 for $25,000. Perkins transferred the land, 238 acres, to Webster, a long-time friend, but kept control of the land, which was sold to the IDA for $650,000. Perkins eventually quit his job with The huge profit the land's owner realized caused ther wanted to enter the field of medicine, but World War II upset those plans. Energy plan gathers steam They tried the building business for a week only to find out that they were "all thumbs," Jon said. "We were always thinking of some kind of health profession," Joel said.

To get some exposure to medicine, the three are aides with the Vestal Volunteer Ambulance Squad. "You have to know it so well that you act without thinking, and just do it, Jon said. The triplets have been following Dr. John Cunningham, a friend of the family, on his rounds at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. "It's not like TV," Jon said.

and in this case it's animals, especially large animals like horses," Jon said. The Frazier family keeps 40 Arabian horses, 16 of which they own, on their farm in Lake Forest, Pa. At Stony Ridge Farm, the triplets have had a chance to breed, raise and train the horses, which partially explains their interest in veterinary medicine. Joe! said veterinary medicine and dentistry have certain advantages over general practice. Doctors face increasingly high malpractice insurance rates and the push for socialized medicine may cause an overhaul of the medical profession, but veterinarians avoid the "extra red tape," he said.

A Mo-5 workday weighs in favor dentistry, he said. "Doctors, contrary to popular belief, are very busy and work very irregular hours," he said. Dentists, however, are "not as restricted" and work regular office hours. But, while the brothers all may become doctors, they may not all be the same kind. Even though their father owns a building company, Frazier Son, the triplets' interest in the medical field stems from their family.

Their mother is a nurse and their fa By KIM KUMIEGA Jon, Jim and Joel Frazier do things in threes. They are juniors in college. They attend the State University at Binghamton. They want to be doctors. They are triplets.

Not only did the three biology majors excel in science at Union-Endicott High School, but they are attracted to the medical profession for humanitarian reasons as well. "You want to make someone smile and feel better and it's good to know that you can to that for someone," said Jon, who wants to use his "knowledge and abilities for the most useful purpose." The three are similar and share similar interests, but they are not identical. They don't wear matching outfits, they don' even have the same haircuts. As a matter of fact, most people just think that they're brothers not triplets. After people do find out that the three are triplets, "Once the novelty wears off, they start treating you as individuals," Jon said.

The triplets, who live with their family at 2103 Richmond Road, Endicott, are considering veterinary medicine or dentistry. "You're still helping something, The competitive, sometimes cut-throat nature of premedical students has' not touched their relationships. The triplets said that there is almost no competition among them. "We are always talking about our not about mine, Jon said. While the triplets take all of their sci ence classes together, they select their elective courses accoraing to then ina vidua! interests.

The Finance Committee yesterday, by a 3-2 vote, recommended against the commissioner's recommendation. Pitman will leave the county In two weeks to take a job in Argentina and said he was disappointed at the committee's action. The Public Works Committee already has approved Pitman's last request, and one of the finance committee members who voted for the proposal was Republican Majority Leader Carl S. Young, R-Bing-hamton. Finance committee members who voted against the proposal said they opposed it because they wanted to be sure that Pitman's replacement would be in favor of the project.

Pitman said that Broome County Executive Donald L. McManus, if he chooses to hire someone from outside the county, will need until May or June to select his replacement. He said that if the project is delayed that long, it will be impossible to get construction started in 1981. In other action, the committee approved about $2 million worth of serial bonds to finance several construction projects that were included in the 1980 capital budget. The committee also agreed to extend the contract with the Binghamton law firm of Hinman, Howard and Kattel to defend against McManus' appeal of a decision that would deny him the ability to appoint a top aide as personnel officer.

McManus wants bis former campaign manager, Joseph Ciotoli, to be personnel officer. The Legislature attempted to reject the appointment, but became ensnared in parlimentary procedure. The Legislature contends it properly rejected Ciotoli; McManus claims Ciotoli was approved by default. A Supreme Court judge supported the Legislature, and McManus is appealing. The finance committee voted unanimously (committee member Victor A.

Lacatena, D-Endicott, was absent) to pay another $3,500 of county tax dollars to fight the appeal. By STEVE SPERO Broome County Public Works Commissioner James B. Pitman's disappointment of yesterday is likely to evaporate today when the county Legislature considers his preferred procedure for turning garbage into steam. Yesterday, the Legislature's Finance Committee voted to not consider Pitman's plan until a new commissioner is hired. Pitman is leaving within two But a poll of the Legislature this morning showed that there are enough votes to approve Pitman's plan.

The plan would allow a consultant to seek proposals from several manufacturers on the best way to manufacture steam from garbage. The Legislature was meeting this afternoon, and as of this morning 11 legislators said they would approve Pitman's recommendation. Three of the 11 legislators said, however, that they were not fully committed and could change their minds. The procedure Pitman wants to follow would need either a general change in state law, a special local law, or support from the Broome Industrial Development Agency, Pitman said yesterday. The procedure differs from normal bidding practice where the county hires a consulant to design a building, and then puts the design out for bids, awarding the contract to the low bidder.

Pitman wants the manufacturers to recommend the best way to make steam, and the county would need permission to build the small-scale energy recovery plant that way. The county already has authorized a $12 million proposal, but has not yet committed any money. The commitment would be made only if the state and federal government chipped in to help pay for the project. When the county agreed to the concept, it asked its consultant, Barton, Brown, Clyde and Loguidice, to design a specific proposal. Pitman, however, has had second thoughts about that approach and now wants Barton, Brown to request plans from several energy firms.

One will take a course and then let the other two know if it's worth taking. They grin as they acknowledge the advantage that this gives them over other students. Financing nod delays hotel plan ing spaces in the city's Collier Street parking ramp. Both Hankin and Kradjian indicated they will not decide whether to pursue legal action until they see how Cosentino's project progresses. "I don't know how viable it is from an economic standpoint.

It doesn't make any sense to continue legal action if the project doesn't get off the ground," Hankin said. Cosentino said he had hoped to begin renovation work last September and open the hotel sometime next spring. Now, this renovation work won't begin until the spring, at the earliest, he said. Broome County Executive Donald L. McManus, president of the IDA'S board of directors, would not comment on Cosenti-do's application for IDA bonds except to say that the agency has not made a decision.

The IDA has been reviewing its policy on whether to approve bonds for commercial development. "I think we could have update information within a month," Cosentino said. Despite the delay in the project, Binghamton Mayor Alfred J. Libous said last week he is not concerned because he knows Cosentino still is actively pursuing it. Meanwhile, city officials have received some good news from the New York state attorney general's office.

The office has ruled that public money can legally be spent to convert Old City Hall into a hotel. The lawyer for Ara Kradjian, owner of the Holiday Inn-Arena and a strong critic of the Old City Hall project, had written the attorney general challenging the use of public money to convert the old building into a private business. Kradjian's attorney, Nathan Hankin, said today the attorney general's ruling in support of Cosentino's plans "assumes a number of facts I would call into question." Hankin said legal action against the project is still a possibility. Kradjian confirmed that. "We haven't dropped the issue by any means," he said.

He said that one illegality could be the city's agreement to give Cosentino 90 park By GEORGE BASLER Plans to turn the century-old Binghamton City Hall into a Best Western Hotel have. fallen behind schedule, but the developer and city officials say they are not worried. The developer, Frank J. Cosentino of Endicott, said yesterday the project is behind schedule because of his firm application to the Broome County Industrial Development Agency for financing. "They have yet to take any action, and this has put us behind schedule.

We're about three months behind, unfortunately," he said. Cosentino said his firm, the Southern Tier Management Co. applied to the IDA for approval to issue industrial revenue bonds to finance the renovation of Old City Hall. Such bonds carry lower interest rates than conventional loans. "Because of the high interest rates, we'd prefer to go through an agency," he said.

Interest rates on bank loans are currently running at 15 to 16 percent. Cosentino emphasized that if his firm is unsuccessful in receiving IDA bones, it will not drop the Old City Hall project. "If we have to go through the conventional financing route, that's how we'll go," he said. Cosentino, who owns the Best Western Hotel in Endicott, bought the rights to develop the historic building for $55,000 last February. He has received approval to use $500,000 in public funds from the state and federal governments to renovate the building.

In addition, he must come up with $1.3 million in private money to finish the project. im rang i-V A. A if 1 vv IWf v1 j'8v'4 it sr- Iff hf x7 w- JOHN IOUS No, it isn't Buffalo It's Vestal on Route 434 just west of the Vestal Plaza. The snow that fell on Vestal put New York State crews to work. Susquehanna teachers say they may 'close the place down' law required them to vote on it again between five and 10 days later.

Because the report is dated Jan. 3, last night's (Jan. 7) vote appears premature. But Britten said that is immaterial because the board plans to consider the matter again next Monday. Teachers will vote on the report again this week or Monday, which falls within the 10-day period because the 10th day is Sunday.

Besides McMahon, board members voting against the fact-finder's report were President Thomas L. Barnes, Stephen C. Barnes, Charles E. Fisher and Donald D. Morgan.

Voting in the minority were Thomas H. Cook, Eugene Grausgruber, Michael Kosko and Mary Jane Reddon. drews said, "It's a board decision. I'm going to make as few enemies as possible because I have to work with all these people." Andrews said the big tie-ups were salary and the dental plan issue. On that issue, the district pointed out that teachers had sold a previous dental plan back to the district for $75 raises per teacher.

But Sobol wrote in his report, "Whatever the circumstances may have been at the time when these employees sold their dental plan for $75, they appear to have ended up without dental benefits but with lower salaries than those paid other teachers in contiguous school districts." He recommended, starting next year, a dental plan costing the district about $7,000 a year. After both the board and the teachers voted once on the fact-finder's report, Pennsylvania report 44-14 after the board had rejected it 5-4. At the time, Britten said it was up to the board whether it wanted a contract. But the board last night turned down the chance to settle the dispute and money appears to be the main reason. Only $100 a year per teacher separates the district's last offer and fact-finder Charles Sobol's recommendation accepted by the teachers.

The district had offered across-the-board raises of $900, $1,000 and $1,100 over three years, while Sobol had recommended $1,000, $1,100 and $1,200. "I thought a $900-a-year raise was a fair raise for tne economic situation in the town," said John F. McMahon, one of five board members rejecting the fact-finder's report. "I think anybody getting a $900-a-year raise in these times is fortunate." McMahon said money was the key issue in his decision. "It seems that they thought they made a fair offer, period," Britten said of the board majority.

"I don't anticipate any movement on their part." Because the teachers had authorized a strike in September, Britten said it's now up to the teachers' negotiating committee to set a strike date if no settlement is reached. He would not say when a strike might occur. With the full fact-finder's report reportedly being published in the Susquehanna newspaper this week, Suprintendent Kenneth W. Andrews hopes public pressure can lead to a settlement. "I always think there is a chance (of avoiding a strike) until they walk out." Asked if be would try to sway one of the five board members holding up a settlement, An By GENE WARNER SUSQUEHANNA, Pa.

The chances for a Susquehanna Community School District teacher strike are "pretty good," teachers' association President Paul Britten said after the school board last night stuck to its 5-4 rejection of the fact-finder's report. "Nobody wants to, but if we have to, well close the place down," Britten said. "Judging from the tone of things last night, there's a pretty slim chance of a settlement based on the fad-finder's report." Pennsylvania public employee strikes are legal at certain steps in the bargaining process. In the poker game of Pennsylvania contract negotiations, the teachers called the board's bluff last week by accepting the fact-finder's.