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.
Peru – CVPH Donor Center Blood Brive, 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.
Peru CSD will conduct Earth Day celebration workshops involving sixteen (16) environmental education organizations and student presenters from April 15th to April 17th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
This is a three-day event to celebrate Earth Day and bring greater awareness of environmental issues to our students, staff, and community. There will be stations similar to a science fair, with various Earth Day activities. The venues will include the High School Gymnasium, Outdoor Courtyard, and Library.
The first two (2) days will be for Middle and High School students, and the third day will be for Grades 3-5 Elementary students. Over 1,200 students will view, interact, explore, and create with presenting organizations. Student club leaders will facilitate, guide, and assist presenters. Each station will take approximately fifteen (15) minutes and may include a presentation and activity.
Classes will be divided in half to accommodate approximately ten (10) students per station. Student groups will see three (3) station presentations and activities. After the event, students will be able to share their experiences with others.
Organizations Presenting include: Clinton County Soil & Water Conservation Department, Casella, DEC, Lake Champlain Basin Program, Compost For Good, Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, Miner Institute, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, North Country Clean Energy Hub, Ausable Freshwater Center, Clinton/Essex Cornell Cooperative Extension, Clinton County Health Department, Adirondack Watershed Institute, Adirondack Mountain Club, and Point Au Roche Nature Center.
Student groups include:
Students Against a Vanishing Environment, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, High School Student Leadership Group, Environmental Science Class, Elementary Student Leadership Group, Elementary Media Club, Butterfly Effect Club, and Science National Honor Society.
Please reach out if you have any questions and/or would like to schedule a visit.
CCC April 8 News Release Plattsburgh, NY – On Monday, April 7, Clinton Community College’s ASAP program hosted the CCC Alumni Showcase Luncheon, giving current students a chance to connect with graduates and explore how CCC helped shape their educational and professional journeys.
Held in the Moore Building’s second-floor atrium, the event featured a complimentary lunch for attendees as they listened to alumni stories, explored various career paths, and asked questions. The panel provided students with first-hand insights into the diverse opportunities available after graduating from CCC.
The alumni panel featured a wide range of fields and experiences:
Eugene Ayotte is a Systems Programmer/Analyst at Clinton Community College. He graduated from CCC in 2019 with an associate degree in Liberal Arts: Math and Science and earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2022.
Sedona Runyon is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at the New York State Education Department. She earned her associate degree in Liberal Arts: Humanities and Social Science from CCC in 2012, followed by a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2014 and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University at Buffalo in 2017.
Ian Underwood is a Manufacturing Engineer at Monaghan Medical Corporation. He graduated from CCC in 2015 and continued his education at Clarkson University, where he graduated in 2019.
Anna Hewitt-Channell serves as the Business Development and Marketing Manager at Dannemora Federal Credit Union. She graduated from CCC in 2016 with an associate degree in Liberal Arts: Humanities and Social Science and later attended SUNY Empire State College.
Niki Rivers is an Assistant Professor in the Nursing program at CCC. She is a proud alumna of the college’s Nursing program.
Dana Lee is a Substance Abuse Counselor at Champlain Valley Family Center. She holds an associate degree in Business Administration, Management, and Operations from SUNY Canton (1991), a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from SUNY Plattsburgh (1996), and earned both an associate degree in Human Services and a certificate in Alcohol & Substance Abuse Counseling from CCC in 2020.
Brandon Menard is a Constituent Services Representative for New York State Assemblyman Billy Jones. He graduated from CCC in 2014 with an associate degree in Liberal Arts: Humanities and Social Science and earned a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2016.
Sue Hagar works in education and outreach for the Lake Champlain Basin Program. She graduated from CCC in 2012 with an associate degree in Environmental Technology and earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Management, and Planning from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2017.
The Alumni Showcase Luncheon served as an inspiring reminder of the success CCC graduates achieve and highlighted the diverse career pathways available to students through a CCC education.
The Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) is now accepting submissions for its 12th annual Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency – a fully funded, two-week residency at the Lodge on Twitchell Lake near Big Moose, NY. Submissions are due by May 19.
Each fall, ACW welcomes six poets, fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers – three from the Adirondack region and three from anywhere around the world – to the Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency. Selected writers will enjoy a dedicated two-week period for creative immersion with plenty of inspiring writing spaces both indoors and out. The residency also fosters connection through fireside gatherings and family-style meals, complemented by opportunities to explore the natural surroundings. This year’s residency will take place from Sunday, September 21, to Sunday, October 5.
“The Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency is such an incredible opportunity; we are so proud to offer it,” said Nathalie Thill, ACW’s executive director. “I know several residents who applied many times over the years and didn’t get in and then suddenly, they got in. It seems to happen at the right time for them, and they are always so appreciative of the time and sense of community they receive there. I can’t wait to see who we will welcome this year.”
Application Requirements:
Interested writers should prepare a brief, third-person bio, a detailed work plan describing their objectives for the residency and a writing sample showcasing the applicant’s best work in their genre (up to 10 double-spaced pages or 2,500 words maximum). To ensure impartial review, the applicant’s name must not appear anywhere on the writing sample. Selection will be based on the quality of the submitted writing, as well as the residency work plan. A $30 application fee is required.
For an additional $60, ACW will provide applicants with editorial feedback on their submitted writing samples including a detailed, 500-word letter from a panelist on strengths and areas for improvement. Reach out to info@adirondackcenterforwriting.org with any questions about the application process.
Learn more and apply to this year’s residency at adirondackcenterforwriting.org/residency. The residency is generously provided by the estate of Anne LaBastille, who wrote books that inspired generations of people to love the outdoors, including Woodswoman and Beyond Black Bear Lake.
The Adirondack Center for Writing has been bringing people and words together for 25 years through provocative events and meaningful programs. For more information about ACW, visit adirondackcenterforwriting.org or follow @adkctr4writing on Facebook and Instagram.
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);
MOTION: Acceptance of Minutes for the Regular Meeting of March 24, 2025 and Special Meeting of April 8, 2025.
Community Input.
DISCUSSION/MOTION:
RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Acceptance of Internal Audit for the Town Court System.
RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval of Trespasz Law Bond Counsel Retainer Letter.
DISCUSSION: Update on the Telegraph Rd. Culvert Project by C & S Engineers.
RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval to Close H26 Capital Project Bank Account.
DISCUSSION: Other Business: Council Comments
DISCUSSION: Other Business: Department Head Comments.
In September 2023, Chriss Zuckerman, a resident of a Howard Center residential facility, was killed by a car on Shelburne Road. Could her death have been avoided?
An early suspension of a parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans requires the two students to leave the country by the end of April.
Billy Jones Press Release 4/10/25 – It has been one month since over 2,000 correction officers were terminated, and I have been working diligently to get the officers who want to return to work back into their respective facilities.
Today, the officers in these facilities are faced with almost daily 12 hour or longer shifts, critical staffing shortages, and continued dangerous working conditions.
The fastest and simplest solution for the State to prevent the brewing safety crisis from getting out of control is to rehire the correction officers who are willing to return to work. Prioritizing those who were let go while on FMLA, sick leave, or other approved time off is critical to bring staff back to these facilities quickly.
Restaffing the facilities also allows civilian workers – who are currently placed in positions that they are often not equipped for – to return to their normal positions and minimize the risks that come with low staff levels. Our civilian workers should not be paying the price for the inadequate staffing levels that the state can quickly resolve. This will also help resume normal programming and other functions within the facilities.
The National Guard members that have been sent to staff facilities were a necessary temporary solution, but it is time for the state to return trained correction officers to their positions to lessen the burden on our state resources. The cost of keeping these members stationed in facilities they are not trained for is far higher than simply returning former corrections officers to their jobs.
On top of the staffing issues, implementing safety measures that ensure all staff can go to work and know that they will return home safe is essential. We have seen far too many instances of dangerous substances getting into facilities and hospitalizing workers. It is beyond time for the state to agree that body and mail scanners are necessary for entry into our correctional facilities.
I have heard repeatedly from current corrections officers that this is an untenable situation. Many officers are already becoming burnt out from overexertion in poor working conditions, and it will only continue to go downhill if something is not done quickly.
It is time for the Governor and DOCCS to see the scale of this issue and act quickly to implement these solutions.
April 8, 2025, Peru, NY—On Tuesday afternoon, the Peru Town Board awarded K & L Plumbing and Heating of Plattsburgh a $1,156,000 contract for the mechanical components (heating and air conditioning) of the wastewater treatment plant project. The general, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical contracting bids amount to $17,450,000, excluding design, engineering, and contingency costs.
Town Supervisor Craig Randall stated that he anticipates securing an approximate $8 million loan at 0% interest over 30 years once grant money is received.
Randall mentioned requesting an updated total cost estimate from C&S Engineering. This will help him assess the project’s financial impact on the district’s 565 users. Additionally, water users may incur some of the costs, as the plant upgrade includes offices and garages necessary for water services.
The following contractors submitted the lowest bids in their respective categories:
General Contractor: Murnane Building Contractors – $9,304,000
Plumbing Contractor: John W. Danforth – $5,648,000
Electrical Contractor: Triangle Electrical Systems – $1,342,800 Mechanical Contractor
K & L Plumbing and Heating – $1,156,000
New York State awarded Peru $11,087,515 in grants, covering at least 50% of project costs. The town will finance the remaining cost through a 30-year no-interest loan.
Peru – CVPH Donor Center Blood Brive, Monday, April 21, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru.
Peru CSD will conduct Earth Day celebration workshops involving sixteen (16) environmental education organizations and student presenters from April 15th to April 17th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
The Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) is now accepting submissions for its 12th annual Anne LaBastille Memorial Writers Residency – a fully funded, two-week residency at the Lodge on Twitchell Lake near Big Moose, NY. Submissions are due by May 19.
Call Meeting to Order
Billy Jones Press Release 4/10/25 – It has been one month since over 2,000 correction officers were terminated, and I have been working diligently to get the officers who want to return to work back into their respective facilities.