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More About The Peru Gazette

The editor is John Ryan at email: perugazette@gmail.com. The Peru Gazette is a free community, education and information website. It is non-commercial and does not accept paid advertising.

Comment Policy

The Peru Gazette welcomes comments on posted stories. The author MUST include his/her first and last name. No  foul or libelous language permitted. The Peru Gazette reserves the right to not publish a comment.

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Syracuse’s biggest concerts of all time Saturday Night: How 47,500 Metallica fans set a new record

Click here for the Syracuse.com story 

St. Augustine’s Community Meal/Soup Kitchen Menu for Wednesday, April 23, 2025  

Shepherd’s Pie 

Fruit 

Bread 

Dessert

Served 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., take-out only, at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St., Peru, NY 12972 

All are invited and welcome!

Video: Peru Town Board Meeting of April 14, 2025

AGENDA – Peru Town Board Regular Meeting of April 14, 2025 @ 6 p.m.

  1. Call Meeting to Order
  2. Pledge of Allegiance
  1. Roll Call 
  1. MOTION/DISCUSSION: To Accept Reports from all Departments: (Water/Sewer/Valcour; Highway; Town Clerk; Dog Control; Youth Department; Code/Zoning; Supervisor’s Report; Court; Website; Banking Reports, and JCEO);

Read more »

Planning Board Chairman Richard Williams stepping down; volunteers needed

March 2020 Peru Gazette Photo. Richard Williams is chairing the meeting.

Once again, the Peru Town is seeking Planning Board volunteers. The longtime chairman, Richard Williams, is giving up his position, and one vacant position has not been filled. The board can have up to seven members; It’s been getting by with six plus one alternate. 

Regarding serving on the board, Richard Williams explained, “Why not get involved in the town? You vote; you live here. It’s only one meeting a month and you learn about town government. I’ve enjoyed serving on the board, trying to help out on projects, getting them moving forward, and working with the surveyors who represent the applicants. It’s rewarding to see them come in with other projects.”  Williams doesn’t keep records, but he thinks he started serving on the board about 24 years ago and has been chairman for about fifteen years.  

Community service has been a hallmark of Richard William’s life. He taught at the Peru Elementary School for thirty-two years and has been a Peru Volunteer Fire Department member for fifty-three years. He is moving to South Carolina, where he’ll be near his son, Tyler, and not far from his son, Townsend, who lives in North Carolina as a member of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division. Tyler and Townsend were members of the Peru Fire Department, with Tyler serving as chief. 

People interested in serving on the planning board should call Code Enforcement Officer Bob Guynup at 518-643-2745, Extension 103.

Battle Memorial Gateway Park progress continues

On Friday, April 18, Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Michael Cashman unveiled plans for the Battlefield Memorial Park’s Remembrance Plaza. The park is on Route 9, directly opposite Claire and Carl’s Restaurant.  Here’s a link to a November 17, 2023, Sun Community News story on the park. 

On April 18, the Peru Gazette photographed the park’s current status.

Remembrance Plaza Plans Unveiled

Plattsburgh – April 18, 2025 – The Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor, Michael Cashman, unveiled the signature piece of this next chapter: the Remembrance Plaza — a space of reflection and reverence, honoring those who served and sacrificed for our freedoms.

 

Mr. Cashman’s Facebook Post: 

With the 250th anniversary of the United States (USA 250) on the horizon, the Battlefield Memorial Gateway is more than a local project — it’s a piece of a national story. Situated on the shores of Lake Champlain, one of America’s most historic waterways, this memorial is being built to honor our past and inspire future generations. The timing couldn’t be more meaningful.
❤ A heartfelt thank you to Assemblyman Billy Jones, whose leadership and advocacy helped secure $300,000 in state funding to propel Phase II forward. His commitment to veterans, history, and the North Country continues to make a real difference.
🙌 The Clinton County American Legion has been a critical partner in this public-private collaboration with the The Town of Plattsburgh. Their enduring dedication to honoring service is a cornerstone of this effort.
💥 A special shoutout to John Rock, a tireless champion of this project. His passion, energy, and leadership have kept the flame burning bright from day one.
🏛️ A big thank-you to AES Northeast, right here in Plattsburgh, for turning the committee’s vision into an actionable blueprint. Their engineering team has taken dreams off the page and into reality — check out the stunning 3D imaging of the new Remembrance Plaza!
📢 We’re proud to announce that bid documents are going out, marking a major milestone in our journey. But we aren’t done yet — we still need our community to step up and support this historic project.
👏 Gratitude also goes out to the Clinton County Historical Association as we work toward USA 250!
Special thanks to our friends at UFirst Federal Credit Union and Dannemora Federal Credit Union. Your support — especially for co-hosting the Inaugural Michigan Fest — is helping to support the development of the Battlefield Memorial Gateway.
𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘:
🔹 Click the PayPal button on our website ➡️ battlefieldmemorialgateway.org
🔹 Mail a check or money order to:
Battlefield Memorial Gateway
PO Box 825, Morrisonville, NY 12962
🔹 Visit any TD Bank to donate directly to our account
🔹 Stop by American Legion Post 1619 in West Plattsburgh/Morrisonville
📽️ Take a Virtual Tour ➡️ https://youtu.be/Fm_ZgT4O-n4
Let’s honor our past, elevate our present, and build a gateway for the future. 🇺🇸
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14YoTwvnJ7/

Peru Blood Drive Today

Peru – CVPH Donor Center Blood Drive, Monday, April 21,  from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru.

The blood collected by the Donor Center provides more than 95% of the blood used at CVPH and is used to supply other hospitals in Elizabethtown, Malone, Massena, Saranac Lake and Glens Falls.

St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273 is coordinating the drive. 

Pope Francis passes away at age 88

Click here for the Yahoo.com story 

60 MINUTES – NEWSMAKERS Bird flu, feared as a possible pandemic, poses growing risk to people as pathogen spreads, scientists warn

Click here for the CBS News story 

The Peru Gazette wishes you a Happy Easter!

Essex County homeowners can get money to build or rehab housing on their property

Click here for the NCPR story 

Depot Theatre announces expanded 2025 main stage season; season passes now on sale

Click to the Adirondack Almanac Story 

COMMENTARY: Saving Arto, It’s Not Magic

Monaco’s Land of Make Believe heritage is safe–and on public display–at the Adirondack History Museum in Elizabethtown

Click here for Adirondack Almanac story 

Albany Republican Headquarters vandalized with swastikas

Click here for the News 10 story 

Guards ‘apparently intentionally’ disabled body cams before fatal inmate beating, DA says

Click here for Syracuse.com story 

Breaking up of two large drug trafficking rings lands 31 people in prison, officials say

Click here for Syracuse.com story 

Recent DEC Forest Ranger Actions

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate, and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from across New York State.

Town of Harrietstown, Franklin County
Wilderness Search: On April 8 at 10:15 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a subject concerned about a 57-year-old friend who was one day overdue from a hike on Seward Mountain. Six Forest Rangers started searching at 2:30 a.m., and 12 more Rangers later joined the search. One crew located the subject’s snowshoe tracks after brushing below four inches of fresh snow. The Rangers followed those tracks for 100 yards and continued in that direction. At 12:36 p.m., the Rangers located the subject at the Ouluska Pass lean-to off the Northville-Placid trail. The hiker was tired, but otherwise in good health. Rangers escorted the hiker back to the trailhead where he was met by a family member. Resources were clear at 4:52 p.m.

Town of Burke
Franklin County
Law Enforcement: On April 13, Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger response to a wildland fire. Burke Volunteer Fire Department responded and extinguished a fire started by a subject illegally burning debris and leaves in their yard. A Forest Ranger issued a ticket for a violation of the statewide annual ban on residential brush burning.

Village of Saranac Lake
Essex County
Wilderness Search: On April 13 at 9:25 p.m., Forest Ranger responded to a call for a shoeless subject last seen walking into the woods. Rangers searched with Saranac Lake Fire Department and Saranac Lake Police. At 10:30 p.m., Rangers Adams, Corey, and Jansen located the 26-year-old in good health and walked them back to their residence. Saranac Lake EMS took over care of the subject.

Honoring Dispatchers: April 13 to 19 is National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, which honors the vital work of public safety telecommunicators, who are often the first point of contact for emergency calls.

Dispatcher Hanf

Dispatcher Nerp

Stefanik reintroduces by-partisan legislation to designate Plattsburgh Airport as a Port of Entry

April 17, 2025 – Elise Stefanik News Release 

Peru Gazette File Photo

While Plattsburgh International Airport qualifies as a port of entry under CBP’s criteria, it has not received this designation, which has resulted in increased costs for the airport and travelers flying in and out.

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik reintroduced the bipartisan Border Airport Fairness Act to designate Plattsburgh International Airport as a Port of Entry (POE), saving the airport around $800,000 per year.

“The Border Airport Fairness Act will save Plattsburgh International Airport hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs by ensuring that it receives the designation it deserves. My legislation makes certain that Plattsburgh International Airport is equipped with the resources it needs to continue meeting the transportation needs of Upstate New York and North Country families and continue to provide access for tourists visiting our region,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

“I’m proud to work alongside Congresswoman Elise Stefanik on this bipartisan legislation to save South Texans and travelers from duplicative costs,” said Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX). “As our region continues to rapidly grow, it’s essential that our airports and transportation infrastructure not only keep up with increased demand for commercial travel but also continue to support critical federal operations. This legislation is an investment in our future.”

“This bill is great news for our airport and the people who rely on it. Removing the user-fee burden will help us put those dollars back into operations, maintenance, and future improvements,” said Robert Hall, Plattsburgh International Airport Committee Chairperson (D-Area 10, Plattsburgh). “We appreciate Congresswoman Stefanik’s continued support for keeping our airport strong and sustainable.”

“Plattsburgh International Airport is one of our region’s most significant economic drivers, and this legislation addresses a longstanding barrier to its continued growth. Eliminating the financial strain of user-fee status will allow for smarter reinvestment in infrastructure and services. I commend Congresswoman Stefanik for her leadership in advancing a solution that enhances regional competitiveness and long-term sustainability,” said Mark Henry, Clinton County Legislative Chairperson (R-Area 3, Chazy).

“This bill is only fair, treating Plattsburgh International the same as so many other airports,” said Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. “Its adoption would secure our airport Customs operation permanently and thereby support the development of new international air activities here. And it would free valuable resources for airport marketing, air service development and other improvements. We thank Congresswoman Stefanik for being our champion in the House and will continue to support her efforts on our behalf. Onward and upward!”

Plattsburgh International Airport is one of only two primary commercial service airports in close proximity to the Northern or Southern Border designated as user-fee airports. This means the airports must pay out of pocket for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) services such as security screenings, cargo security and examinations, and immigration inspections.

 

March Champlain car crossings down by 31% compared to last year, truck crossings up 12%

“We now have the border crossing numbers for Champlain for March and, as anticipated, car crossings were down 31% compared with March 2024,” reports Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce. “Visitation was down 16% in February but we knew March was the month that tariffs and counter-tariffs hit, along with a heightened sense that many of our northern friends and neighbors would avoid travel to the U.S. for now.”
Douglas notes that part of the higher percentage can be attributed to the Easter break, when many Canadians traditionally travel in the U.S., falling in late March last year. “We also cannot define the relative degree to which three factors are all affecting cross-border travel,” he notes. “But it is a combination of a poor exchange rate for Canadians, a broad sense of hurt among Canadians, and the 25% surcharge imposed by Canada at the border as part of retaliatory tariffs.” While car traffic is down, the Chamber reports that truck crossings for March were up 12% and were up in January and February as well.
“We especially feel and appreciate the sense of hurt as one would with one’s family,” Douglas says, noting that the Chamber is engaged in a marketing campaign in Quebec via social media and TV that looks to differentiate the greater Plattsburgh area’s special connection with Quebecers, along with tools for area businesses to highlight the welcoming of Canadian visitors. “We need to remember that if visitation is off by 30% or more, that still means many of our neighbors are continuing to be here,” he notes.
The Chamber is hopeful that expected U.S.-Canada negotiations following the upcoming April 28th Canadian election can lead to an agreed way forward, but notes the need for a significant period of outreach, reconciliation and healing thereafter.
Full Press Release: https://bit.ly/42WxwwP
Welcome Canadian Signage: bit.ly/42aIG0y

Off-duty paramedics out on an anniversary dinner help save choking Central NY woman

Click here for Syracuse.com story 

NY-21 Rep. Elise Stefanik reportedly eyeing run for governor of New York

Click here for the MYNBC5 story 

Peru students are learning more about the environment at Earth Fest 2025

Miner Institute is teaching students how to test drinking water

Karley Tourville, Kaysha Korth, Melina Mitchell, Violette Surman, and Oliver Hurd are members of the Students Against a Vanishing Environment Club

By John T. Ryan

The Peru High School gym is bustling with activity from Tuesday to Thursday this week as 1,200 students participate in Earth Fest 2025. Sixteen environmental education and student organizations are on hand to answer questions, distribute literature, and conduct hands-on learning activities.

The school club Students Against a Vanishing Environment hosts the event under the guidance of teacher Greg Badger. Karley Tourville explained, “Our organization is trying to assist the school with composting and maintaining the gardens. We organize clean-up days.” Kayshn Korth added, “Some people don’t respect the environment. Often, there’s a lot of trash left on the school grounds that we can help clean up.” Club President Violette Furman stated, “We’re trying to educate younger students. Some spectators at football games don’t seem to care.” Melina Mitchell emphasized, “Sometimes high school events look like a trash bowl. Educating our youth is essential for the future. We’re doing what we can to empower them.”

Organizations represented at the event include the Clinton County Soil & Water Conservation Department, Casella, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Lake Champlain Basin Program, Compost For Good, the Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, Miner Institute, the North Country Clean Energy Hub, the Ausable Freshwater Center, Clinton/Essex Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Clinton County Health Department, the Adirondack Watershed Institute, the Adirondack Mountain Club, and the Point Au Roche Nature Center.

Student groups involved include Students Against a Vanishing Environment, the National Art Honor Society, the National Honor Society, the High School Student Leadership Group, the Environmental Science Class, the Elementary Student Leadership Group, the Elementary Media Club, the Butterfly Effect Club, and the Science National Honor Society.

4/17/25 Correction – Violette Furman is Club President, not Karley Tourville as initially stated.

NYS Leaders describe the advantges of the soon-to-be-installed Smart Meters

Click here for a NYSEG link 

SUNY chancellor worries about chilling effect after Plattsburgh student set for deportation

Click here for the MYNBC5 story 

Prison guards indicted in connection with inmate’s death at CNY prison, governor says

Click here for Syracuse.com story