The Peru Gazette

The Watertown Daily Times reports

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AGENDA, ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 7:00 p.m. Peru Town Hall

1. CALL meeting to order.

2. ROLL CALL.

3. APPROVAL of November minutes.

4. OPEN floor to Public Hearing.

5. APPLICATION: CARRIE BRASHEA, Area Variance ~ 269 Dashnaw Rd.

6. APPLICATION: RICK CURRY, Area Variance ~ Arnold Rd.

7. ANY FURTHER BUSINESS.

8. CEO REPORT.

9. ADJOURNMENT.

Over the past few weeks work has been completed to improve drainage around the Peru Community Church. This is what the site looked like two weeks ago.

By Adele Douglas

Between the water coming off State Rte 22 B and the water coming off the roof, the foundation of the Peru Community Church was wet for a long time causing a number of problems. The Board of Trustees has been working to fix these problems and this fall work began to improve drainage. Because of the historic nature of the building the Trustees wanted to make sure whoever worked on it had relevant experience. They’ve been very pleased with the work of Derek Hackett of Hackett’s Masonry in Plattsburgh and his willingness to work within a tight budget. When Derek started to dig along the Church’s foundation on the north side he found that it had started to wear away. With the approval of the Peru Community Church Board he poured a below-gade concrete wall to stabilize the existing foundation. He then completed the trench and laid the drainpipe to lead water to the town’s storm water collection system at the junction of Rte 22 B and Elm St. The trench was filled with gravel and the site was regraded and seeded.

Close-up view of the below-grade supporting wall, drainage pipe and gravel in the trench dug alongside the north side of the Church.

A similar drain pipe was laid on the the south side of the Church, but starting at the front of the building, not along the side. New gutters and a vapor barrier in the crawl space are projects still to be completed.

Trustee Michael Moore also explained the projects have already been completed including asbestos removal and replacement of beams in the crawl space which were also weakened by water damage.

Crawl space under the Church, sporting new supports and several new beams. It is very airy and dry there now.

Built in 1833 as the Peru Congregational Church this building is one of only two in Peru that is on the National Register of Historic Places, the other is Valcour Island Lighthouse. The National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.

The same builder, Robert York Sr., built the three story stone building located on town property (formally Heyworth Village) across Rte 22 as a woolen mill for George Heyworth in 1836. Thanks to excellent workmanship and maintenance both are still in great shape.

By Adele Douglas

For me, November is a depressing month, dark, cold and with the promise of worse to come. So for my 50^th birthday I asked my husband for a few days in the sun and warmth. We booked a flight from Plattsburgh to the St Petersburg/ Clearwater Airport and selected a place to stay and activities in nearby Palm Harbor. It was a great vacation, daytime temperatures were in the low 80s and skies were sunny. We spent most of our time outside and had wonderful food. The highlight was a day at the beach. Caladesi Island is a State Park on the Gulf of Mexico, accessible by a short ferry ride from Honeymoon Island State Park. It’s an uncrowded, natural and beautiful place to spend a few hours.

While waiting on our ferry to head over to the island

The approach to the island’s marina is through a maze of mangrove trees. Can you spot the pelican?

There are a number of animals on the island to keep an eye out for, including gopher tortoise (above), armadillos and rattlesnakes.

Along the nature trail….

The approach to the beach from the nature trail. The other access point is over a boardwalk.

Fine sand, tons of shells and very few people, a perfect beach day in my book. Caladesi Beach was rated America’s Best Beach in 2008.

Our lunchtime companions

There is a nice concession on the island for food, beach toys and souvenirs, and a separate building with bathrooms/changing rooms and outdoor showers along the boardwalk approach to the beach. On the beach you can rent chairs and umbrellas.

If you do head over to this part of Florida we can also recommend Ozona Pig in Palm Harbor for barbeque and Crabby Bills in Tarpon Springs for excellent seafood.

When we landed back in Plattsburgh it was 24 degrees and overcast, but the cold seems a little easier to take now. Maybe I’ve found a new annual tradition to chase away the November blues…

The Watertown Daily Times reports

Happy Thanksgiving from the Peru Gazette

(Note – agenda was amended to include one item on November 30, 2010)

AGENDA

PERU PLANNING BOARD

Wednesday, December 8^th, 2010

7:00 p.m.

Peru Town Hall

1. CALL meeting to order.

2. ROLL CALL.

3. APPROVAL of November Minutes.

4. OPEN floor to Public Hearing.

5. SITE PLAN REVIEW: ERIC DUQUETTE

Sign ~ Route 22B

6. ANY FURTHER BUSINESS.

7. CEO REPORT.

8. ADJOURNMENT.

By Donald McBrayer

The Peru Town Board held its regular meeting on Monday, November 22.
A recording of the meeting can be found at: http://d1091839.domain.com/PeruTown/TBM-11-22-2010.WAV Minutes for the November 4th public hearing and November 8th regular meeting were approved and can be found at: http://www.perutown.com/min10.htm

Ann Wilke, Chair of the Dog Park Committee & Kara McBrayer, Dog Park Treasurer presented an update of the proposed dog park to the board. The dog park is now an official 501(c)3 with Parks & Trails New York. Now that the park is an official non-profit, donations made to the project are now tax deductible. Mrs. Wilke went on to say that she has already received some donations including 120’ of fencing from Northern Snow & Dirt. Mrs. McBrayer requested the Board look into getting the project completed by the end of next year. Town Supervisor Peter Glushko informed them the work on the Heyworth/Mason Park and trails project will be completed starting in the spring, and that the proposed dog park will be a part of that larger project.
For more information on the Dog Park or how to help visit: http://d1091839.domain.com/PeruTown/towndocs/DogParkUpdate11-23-2010.pdf

The Board also approved a contract with Edward Garrow & Sons for the River Road water line project. The pipes for the project are already delivered and according to W/S Superintendent Greg Timmons the digging will start today (Tuesday) at 7AM. The first 1000 feet of line should be completed in two weeks.

Mr. Timmons also made a request to the board to advertise in Albany and Syracuse for a water quality engineer. Mr. Timmons has suggested that the only way to rectify the halocetic acid issue in the town drinking water is to bring in professionals that have experience with this specific issue. The Board granted the request.

The Meeting was adjourned at 9:20 PM.

By John T. Ryan

Peru hasn’t been immune to the national slowdown in new home construction, but eleven site-built and modular home permits have been issued through October compared to seven during the same period last year. Code Enforcement Officer Paul Blaine said the site-built home are generally smaller than in previous years. He explained that some developers would like to build in their existing subdivisions, but they’re awaiting an improved real estate trend.

Permits for single and double-wide mobile homes have also increased. Ten permits had been issued at this time last year and fifteen have been issued this year. Paul Blaine said the movement of mobile homes  out of the Shurcliff Mobil Home Park is related to the mobile home increase.

Homeowners are also undertaking more smaller projects such as garages, decks, porches and additions. One hundred twenty two building permits have been issued this year versus one hundred eleven during the same period last year.

During the period 2000-2005 forty to fifty site-built homes were being constructed annually.

Leon Blair, Chairman of the Town of Peru Zoning Board of Appeals, called the meeting of October 20, 2010 to order at 7:00 pm. Read more »

AGENDA, TOWN BOARD REGULAR MEETING, November 22, 2010 @ 7:00 PM Read more »

The Post Standard reports

The Press Republican reports

The Keeseville-Peru Ecumenical Choir will be performing two concerts. The first concert will be Saturday, December 11, 2010, at 7:30pm at St. Augustine’s Church in Peru. The second concert will be Sunday, December 12, 2010, 7:30pm at St. John the Baptist Church in Keeseville.  The choir is directed by Jeanette Woodruff and accompanied by Carol Bachand.  The choir will be performing a variety of sacred and secular Christmas music.  Admission is free.

The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports

SARANAC LAKE – Are Trudeau Institute officials eyeing a state-of-the-art research campus in North Carolina as a possible site for expansion or relocation?

Village Mayor Clyde Rabideau thinks so.

Rabideau, in a guest commentary published in Friday’s Enterprise, said “there’s a buzz” that Trudeau will be sending its representatives to take a look the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, N.C.

The Free Press reports

The Times Union reports

The Watertown Daily Times reports

The N Y Times reports

The adirondack almanac reports

The Post Standard reports

Richard Williams, Chair of the Town of Peru Planning Board, called the meeting of Wednesday, October 13^th, 2010 at 7:00pm, to order. Read more »

To All Peru Democrats,

The meeting  for the Peru Democratic Party that was scheduled for Thursday, Nov 18th, 2010 will have to be rescheduled due to the Town Hall having two other meetings.

The new date, time and location for the Peru Democratic meeting is Wednesday, Nov 24th, 2010 at 7:00 PM. This meeting will be held in the Peru Town Hall. If this location proves to be satisfactory  for our meetings, we will consider having future meetings at the town hall.   Brandy McDonald

The Press Republican reports