The Peru Gazette

August 26 and August 27, 2026

Click here for the MYNBC5 News story 

August 26, 2026 PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. Assemblyman Michael S. Cashman, chair of the New York State Assembly’s Task Force on New York-Canada Relations, is calling on Congress to intervene and protect New York’s longstanding economic relationship with Canada, warning that escalating tariffs and continued uncertainty are having measurable consequences for New York businesses, workers, families, and communities.

“I have heard directly from residents across the 115th District and throughout New York who are deeply concerned about the economic uncertainty created by the escalation of these nonessential tariffs,” said Assemblyman Cashman.

“These trade decisions directly impact real people our small business owners, manufacturers, farmers, tourism operators and families that are struggling with everyday costs at their kitchen tables.”

Canada is not simply one of New York’s trading partners. It is deeply woven into the state’s economy, particularly in the North Country.

In 2024, New York exported $20.3 billion in goods to Canada 21.6% of the state’s total goods exports. In 2025, that trade declined by $382 million, a measurable loss of economic activity for New York businesses, workers, and communities, according to the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Administration.

“These are not numbers on a spreadsheet,” Cashman said. “A $382 million decline represents lost economic activity and fewer opportunities for manufacturers, farmers, businesses, and workers. In the North Country, we know firsthand how closely our economy is connected to Canada. But as I’ve traveled, listened to communities, and spoken with colleagues it is clear this is not just a North Country issue it is a New York issue.”

The relationship extends well beyond the movement of goods across the border. Canadian visitors are an important part of New York’s economy, particularly for border communities whose restaurants, hotels, retailers, attractions, and other businesses depend on cross-border traffic.

Cashman said the economic consequences are being compounded by growing strain in the broader U.S.-Canada relationship.

“The United States and Canada share the longest international border in the world, generations of family and community ties, and an economic relationship worth hundreds of billions of dollars,” Cashman said. “In 2025 alone, U.S.-Canada goods and services trade totaled an estimated $872.3 billion, including approximately $715.5 billion in goods trade.”

“Canada is our neighbor, our ally and one of our most important economic partners. When we make it harder for businesses on either side of the border to trade, we are not simply changing a line on a tariff schedule: we are putting strain on a relationship that has benefited both countries and our communities for generations.”

“The North Country has understood that our relationship with Canada is not theoretical,” Cashman said. “Our communities are connected. Our businesses are connected. Our supply chains are connected. Our families are connected. We should be strengthening those connections, not putting up new barriers that make it harder for people on either side of the border to succeed.”

Cashman said his experience leading the Assembly’s New York-Canada Relations Task Force has reinforced the importance of maintaining a constructive relationship with Canada.

“I have the privilege of chairing a task force focused specifically on this relationship, and I can tell you there is a real concern about the direction we are heading,” Cashman said. “We should be looking for ways to strengthen this partnership, deepen economic cooperation and keep our border communities moving forward not create more uncertainty and division.”

“Talking with district residents and assembly colleagues this is a statewide concern. This is bigger than tariffs. It is about the health of a relationship between two nations that have been friends, neighbors, and allies for generations.”

Cashman is calling on Congress to work toward a stable, predictable trading relationship with Canada, protect the economic interests of New York communities and ensure that trade policy does not unnecessarily damage one of America’s most important international partnerships.

“We can protect American workers and businesses without unnecessarily damaging our relationship with Canada,” Cashman said. “Congress needs to step up, restore certainty and make sure the North Country, New York and, more broadly, the United States are not paying the price for trade policies that fail to recognize how deeply our economies and our communities are connected culturally and socially.”

SOURCES: New York State Office of the State Comptroller; U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative; International Trade Administration.

Plattsburgh, N.Y. – August 24, 2026 – North Country Manufacturing Day’s 2025 event was selected to receive a 2026 Excellence in Economic Development Silver Award by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). 

This award recognizes TDC for the organization’s work in the Special Event category for communities with populations between 25,000 and 200,000. TDC will be honored at the IEDC 2026 Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, October 25–28. 

North Country Manufacturing Day is an annual collaborative event that introduces students to the manufacturing industry, showcasing local careers, training, and educational opportunities. Nine teams of high school students were each partnered with a local manufacturer. Each team’s project required them to learn about their assigned company and develop an engaging booth experience for middle school students to be hosted at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College. Nearly 400 students from Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties participated in 2025’s North Country Manufacturing Day. 

“TDC is leading the field of excellence in economic development with its North Country Manufacturing Day 2025 project. This award shines a spotlight on TDC’s commitment to its community and showcases the significant impact of economic development,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO. “IEDC is honored to present this award to TDC to celebrate their leadership and innovation in the field.” 

Each year, IEDC honors economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives, and programs that consistently demonstrate excellence in the field. The honorees lead transformational projects that revitalize communities and advance the practice of economic development. 

“North Country Manufacturing Day is made possible through the collaboration of manufacturers, educators, workforce development organizations, and community partners across the region,” said Danielle King, President and CEO of TDC. “This recognition is a testament to the strength of regional partnerships and investing in local workforce development. A trained and ready workforce is critical to our continued economic growth, and North Country Manufacturing Day reflects the shared commitment behind the event and our collective work to introduce students to meaningful career opportunities in North Country manufacturing.” 

TDC is proud to share this recognition with Brilliant Pathways, CITEC, the County of Clinton Industrial Development Agency, CV-TEC, ETS Staffing, the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College, the North Country Chamber of Commerce, North Country Workforce Development Board, NYS Department of Labor, and the Workforce Development Institute.  Read more »

Latest Political Costume Change

“Governor Kathy Hochul has now completed one of the most cynical metamorphoses in New York political history, and it deserves to be recounted in full.

“As Erie County Clerk, she threatened to call the police on illegal immigrants who showed up seeking driver’s licenses. As a congresswoman from Western New York, she carried an A-rating from the NRA and sold herself to her neighbors as a sensible moderate. When Andrew Cuomo needed regional balance, she became his loyal understudy — seven years of dutiful silence while Albany rotted around her. And now, as governor, she has genuflected before socialist New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“The clerk who defied Eliot Spitzer now presides over sanctuary policies. The NRA’s congresswoman now lectures New Yorkers about firearms. Cuomo’s silent partner now poses as a reformer. And the self-described moderate now shares a ticket, a stage, and an agenda with the most radical mayor in America.

“This is not pragmatism; its adriftness. Ms. Hochul has never stood for anything but Ms. Hochul. New Yorkers deserve a governor who puts principles over politics. This November, they can choose one.”

• 25 Building Permits issued
• $4,849.25 in fees collected
• Attended Town Board Meeting
• Received 2 Planning Board Applications
• Received 0 Zoning Board Applications
• 20% of time spent on Marina Project
• 51 Certificates of Compliance issued
  • 38 Of which were Permits From 2024-2025
• 97 Inspections completed TOTAL
  • 89 Completed by DB
• Continued inspections/site visits on open permits
• Review of plans for new construction
• Met with applicants on future construction projects
• Phone calls and emails with applicants, engineers and architects for future projects
• Received 0 new official complaints
  • Issued Apparent Violation Notices & continued to work towards resolving all violation complaints
• 25% of time spent on continued classes for required trainings

Governor Hochul news release, not an objective news story – August 25, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the statewide ban on 287(g) agreements in the Local Cops, Local Crime Act, signed into law in May as part of a comprehensive package of immigration protections, has taken effect. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act ensures that local law enforcement agencies remain focused on keeping New York communities safe, rather than being used for federal civil immigration enforcement, diverting critical resources to do the job of ICE.

“Here in New York, we need local police focused on keeping our communities safe—not serving as de-facto ICE agents, not conducting civil immigration enforcement, and not carrying out the Trump Administration’s callous immigration agenda,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why I championed our new law banning 287(g) agreements and ensuring local cops remain focused on real crime in our communities. Starting today, ICE can no longer commandeer locally-funded police to aid an out-of-control federal agency with an $85 billion budget.”

Attorney General Letitia James said, “We expect all law enforcement agencies in New York to uphold New York’s laws. Through the Office of Immigrant Trust, my office will continue to work with law enforcement professionals across the state to ensure they understand their obligations, and we are prepared to enforce the law if those responsibilities are not upheld. True public safety requires public trust, and we are committed to ensuring all New Yorkers are kept safe.”

Prior to 2025, only one of New York’s 62 counties had a 287(g) agreement with ICE. To date, 53 counties in New York have never entered into a 287(g) agreement. Of those 53 counties, seven are among the 25 safest communities in America, demonstrating that 287(g) agreements are non-essential to improving safety in New York.

Section 287(g) agreements allow local officers or employees to engage in or assist with federal civil immigration enforcement or otherwise perform the functions of federal immigration officers, eroding trust between immigrant communities and local institutions, and making residents less likely to report crimes, seek help, or cooperate with law enforcement. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into 287(g) agreements or similar arrangements that use local resources to detain people for federal immigration violations. Read more »

Foundation welcomes All Without the Bass

 Plattsburgh, NY – The Foundation of CVPH presents All Without the Bass on Thursday, Sept. 3 on hospital’s front lawn. The free summer concert is the final event in the Foundation’s 2026 summer concert series. 

Playing a great mix of ‘80s and classic tunes with a few other genres mixed in, local musical talents Amber Bushey, Dan Bushey and Michael Racette will take the stage at 5:30 pm.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Parking is conveniently located in the Medical Office Building lots. Please, no smoking, alcohol and glass containers on campus.

Photo provided

Stars from flags collected from customers are preserved and shared with veterans, active military, and first responders

Schenectady, N.Y., August 25, 2026– Thousands of American flags no longer suitable to fly are taking on new life as symbols of gratitude for those who serve and have served.

Earlier this summer, Market 32 and Price Chopper stores collected 2,902 worn American flags from customers n partnership with Stars for Our Troops™, a Troy-based nonprofit organization that gives embroidered stars from retired American flags to veterans, active-duty military members, first responders and others as a reminder that their service is not forgotten.

Of the flags collected, 462 cantons—or the blue field in that contains the 50 stars on each American flag—were deemed suitable for the Stars for Our Troops program, representing 23,100 individual American stars that can be shared with those who have served and protected our country.

Market 32 and Price Chopper marked the success of the collection with a star-cutting event at their main offices today, where representatives from the company and Stars for Our Troops demonstrated the process of carefully cutting the stars from the retired flags. Market 32, Price Chopper, and Northeast Grocery teammates joined in to cut stars from the flag canton

“This collection was about much more than giving worn flags a respectful retirement,” said Blaine Bringhurst, president of Market 32 and Price Chopper. “Every one of these stars represents an opportunity to say thank you to someone who has served our country. We’re incredibly grateful to our customers for helping us turn retired flags into thousands of meaningful reminders––a small yet important way we can ensure our nation’s heroes know they are remembered and appreciated.”

The stars will be distributed on Veterans Day in Market 32 and Price Chopper stores, and through Stars for Our Troops™, accompanied by a message that reads: Read more »

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Jay and Keene will hold seminars on topics like solar energy, heat pumps, composting and electric vehicles at the sustainability fair

Click here for the Adirondack Explorer story 

Family and friends gathered to remember the fascinating photographer Nathan Farb who died in March. 

Click here for the Adirondack Explorer story 

Click here for the Adirondack Explorer story 

“Five state troopers assigned to Troop B in the North Country have been suspended since July…”

Click here for the Adirondack Explorer story 

By the end of next year, New York could pay over $1 billion a year to keep SNAP running.

Click here for the New York focus story 

Peru, August 25, 2026 – Three cheers to Addison Caron for picking up trash that appeared to have fallen off someone’s vehicle at the corner of Barney Downs Road and Old Town Road. Addison saw the trash while riding by with her mom. She returned of her own initiative to pick it up. Addison is in Peru High School’s Junior Class. Thank you, Addison, for setting a great example!

Peru Gazette File photo

Investment To Help Clinton County Transform a Major Public Asset, Support Workforce Housing and Protect Its Long-Term Fiscal Health

August 21, 2026 – CLINTON COUNTY, NY – Clinton County has been awarded $1 million through New York State’s County Infrastructure Grant Program to advance the redevelopment of the former Clinton Community College campus.

Announced today by Governor Kathy Hochul, the funding will support the planning, design and construction of essential water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure, along with roadway improvements needed to make portions of the property development-ready. The improvements are expected to support a proposed 96-unit workforce housing development while laying the groundwork for additional investment across the campus.

The award represents an important step in the County’s effort to transition the property from a publicly maintained campus into a productive, mixed-use asset. Preparing the site for redevelopment will help reduce the risk that the property becomes a long-term financial burden while creating opportunities for housing, private investment, job creation and an expanded tax base.

“Since Clinton Community College relocated, the County has been responsible for maintaining a large and complex property while working to determine its best future use,” said Clinton County Legislature Chairman Mark Henry (R-Area 3, Chazy). “Our goal is to ensure the campus does not become a long-term expense for taxpayers. This $1 million award helps us begin converting the property from a County obligation into an asset that can support housing, private investment and new tax revenue.” Read more »

1. Call Meeting to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Roll Call

4. MOTION: Approval of Minutes for the Regular Meeting of August 10, 2026 and Special Meeting of August 14, 2026. 

5. Community Input. 

6. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approve Work Change Directive No: P-CD.03 from J. W. Danforth Company. 

7. DISCUSSION/MOTION: Approval of Murnane Building Contractors Pay App. #13 for Peru WWTP Project. 

8. DISCUSSION/MOTION: Approval of John W. Danforth Company Pay App. #13 for Peru WWTP  Project.

9. DISCUSSION/MOTION: Approval of K & L Plumbing & Heating Pay App. #8 for Peru WWTP        Project

10.  RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval of Money Transfer from General Savings to Pay H33 Project Bill

11. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval 2027-2029 Contractor Agreement with Clinton County Assessment Services.

12. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval of Memo of Understanding with Clinton County for WIC Clinic Services.

13. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval of Money Transfer from Water Debt Service to Pay H34 

                          Water Project Bill.

14. DISCUSSION: AES Northeast Peru Wastewater Treatment Plant Progress Meeting Notes.

15. DISCUSSION: Barton & Loguidice Water System Improvement Monthly Project Update.
16. DISCUSSION: Other Business. – Councilmen

17. DISCUSSION: Other Business. – Dept. Heads 

18. DISCUSSION: Public Comments on Agenda Items Only.

19. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION:  Pay Bills – August 2026

20. MOTION: Adjourn to Executive Session.

21. MOTION: Return from Executive Session. 

22. MOTION:  Adjourn Meeting.

Must Make a Reservation. Click here to Register. 

Click here for the NCPR story 

TOWN OF PERU 

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
4. APPROVAL of August 2026 minutes
5. OPEN FLOOR TO PUBLIC HEARING
6. APPLICATIONS:
   1. File # P-2026-009 – Minor 2-Lot Subdivision – Parcel ID# 278.-1-2.7 – 292/384 Patent Rd. – Chip & Stephanie Blair – SEEKING TO DEVELOP A 2.789 ACRE PARCEL AT THE CORNER OF PATENT ROAD AND MANNIX ROAD FOR A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING. **CONTINGENT ON APA APPROVAL**
7. ANY FURTHER BUSINESS
8. CEO REPORT for August 2026
9. ADJOURNMENT