The Peru Gazette

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According to State Police, three U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and four former officers were charged.

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Heart singer Ann Wilson revealed that she is being treated for cancer.

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Plattsburgh, NY — Nearly two dozen local middle and high school students learned about healthcare careers during the Medical Academy of Science and Health (MASH) Camp at Clinton Community College. Held on Wednesday and Thursday, June 26-27, the event partnered with the Northern Area Health Education Center (NAHEC).

MASH Camp is designed to make healthcare careers fun and accessible. Students explored various healthcare jobs, from entry-level to those requiring advanced degrees. While at Clinton Community College, students used the nursing labs and equipment.

The camp was packed with unique activities. Students learned how to use personal protective equipment, read blood pressure, use microscopes, and perform first aid. They also tackled an exciting escape room challenge. In the end, everyone got to take home their very own stethoscope.

One of the camp highlights was a tour of the CVPH Medical Center, where students got a behind-the-scenes look at various healthcare roles. It was a fantastic opportunity to see what different healthcare professionals do daily.

Assemblyman Billy Jones visited the camp to discuss our community’s vital healthcare worker needs. He also toured Clinton’s nursing labs, supporting these educational programs.

Students said the camp was engaging, hands-on, and informative. Clinton Community College and NAHEC were pleased, too, with how the camp turned out and
are excited to see these students become the healthcare heroes of tomorrow.

Benches, picnic area and playground

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Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Artist-in-Residence (AiR) programs. This opportunity will support development of Artist-in-Residence programs in 2025 that recruit artists to use scientific data, cultural trends, or historical facts to interpret natural resources in the Lake Champlain basin.

Proposals for a two-year program will be accepted for up to $40,000. The LCBP anticipates awarding two grants from this opportunity to support work in New York and Vermont. A subsequent RFP will be issued later this summer to solicit proposals for work in Québec.

The projects awarded from this opportunity will support artists to inspire and inform citizens about the lake environment, cultural heritage, or social concerns using a variety of creative media. They will continue the goals of current Artist-in-Residence programs supported by the LCBP.

Current Artists in Residence are working to share untold stories of the Lake Champlain basin and its cultural heritage. Eco-musician Glenn McClure, in collaboration with the Adirondack North Country Association, is developing Watershed Voices, which will create musical works—five choral and instrumental works and three concerts—that celebrate regional biodiversity through sonification of scientific data and human diversity through writings from diverse cultural voices, past and present.

Clemmons Family Farm in Charlotte, Vermont, hosts artists Winosha Steele and William Ransom for an Artist-in-Residence program exploring Black and Indigenous histories in the Lake Champlain basin. Titled UnderWater, UnderGround, the residency program supports the two artists as they learn and create new multigenre works focused on the untold history, cultures, and geography of the Champlain Valley.

Centre Adélard, based in Frelighsburg, Québec, is hosting artist Pascale Théorêt Groulx, whose research will merge artistic and scientific inquiry. The project will culminate in a 20-foot floating dam made of boat canvas with video art elements. The piece will be exhibited during the fall of 2024 in Saint-Armand on the shores of Missisquoi Bay to increase public awareness of the impact of dams on the region’s waterways.

“We are excited to see the culmination of these artists’ work across the Lake Champlain watershed,” said Dr. Eric Howe, Director of the LCBP. “By blending scientific inquiry with artistic media from music to textile and sculpture, they are bringing awareness and interpretation to yet untold stories of people and ecosystems within our region. Their outreach bolsters broad efforts to inform the public and inspire residents and visitors alike to take action for Lake Champlain.”

Applicants will submit full proposals that will be evaluated through a competitive selection process. Grant award recipients will be selected from the pool of full proposals.

Successful applicants will formally start work on their programs in February 2025. The proposal application deadline is August 5, 2024. Details about the Request for Proposals are available on our Grants and RFPs page or by contacting Jim Brangan of the Lake Champlain Basin Program at (802) 372-3213 or jbrangan@lcbp.org.

(L-R) Jessica Kogut, Senior Planner – Michael S. Cashman, Plattsburgh Town Supervisor – Todd Brunner, Artist – Tia Brunner, Daughter

PLATTSBURGH, NY –  Ladies and gentlemen, we meet again! The Town of Plattsburgh is thrilled to announce that for the fourth year in a row, July has been declared Michigan Month!

This delicious tradition celebrates the Michigan, a beloved local delicacy that is much more than a hot dog. As part of the annual celebration, the Planning and Community Development Department is excited to bring back the popular Michigan Passport Program. This year, participants can grab their passports and experience the culinary delights of all four fantastic Michigan restaurants in the Town of Plattsburgh: Gus’ Red Hots, Ronnie’s Michigan Stand, Clare & Carl’s, and McSweeney’s Red Hots. Passports can also be picked up at Town Hall and the North Country Chamber of Commerce.

The first 25 passport holders to complete and return their passports to Town Hall will receive a free Michigan Month t-shirt. Don’t worry if you’re not among the first 25; all participants who return their fully completed passports will receive a special item. Additionally, a limited supply of t-shirts will be available for $10 each. This year, a special pennant is also available for sale. The Town Hall will be closed on July 4th, so plan your visits accordingly.

We’re also excited to announce Todd Brunner as the winner of the 2024 Michigan T-shirt Design Contest! This year, we received many fantastic entries, and we want to thank all our participants for their creativity and enthusiasm.

Finally, we are thrilled to unveil new branding for our “Home of The Michigan” program. This fresh look celebrates our town’s unique program and love for Michigans.

We are cooking up something exciting. Look for more announcements later this month!

Town Board Proclamation:

WHEREAS, regional food icons are an integral part of community, economy, and culture; and

WHEREAS, similar to our neighbors known for delicacies such as poutine, garbage plates, Coney dogs and Buffalo wings; and

WHEREAS, Plattsburgh and our corner of the North Country is known for the Michigan dog; and

WHEREAS, the Michigan is a delicious hot dog served in a split-top bun topped with a specially seasoned meat sauce served with or without mustard and onions; and

WHEREAS, the Michigan has been an iconic food landmark and local favorite for more than 90 years; and

WHEREAS, the Town of Plattsburgh is the home of the Michigan, with the highest concentration of Michigan restaurants, which have been staples in the community for decades; and

WHEREAS, July 17th is National Hot Dog Day, and Americans consume over 150 million hot dogs on Independence Day; and

WHEREAS, the Michigan is forever “buried” in regional culture; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby declare the month of July Michigan Month in the Town of Plattsburgh.

For more information, please get in touch with the Town of Plattsburgh at 518-562-6813.

https://www.townofplattsburgh.com/home-of-the-michigan/

Tuesday, July 2, 2024—Replacing the Cook Road culvert is underway. Today, a giant crane lifted the massive precast concrete box culvert into place. Ed Garrow and Sons, Inc., is the general contractor. A Luck Bros. crane did the heavy lifting.

The Peru School Board of Education will hold its reorganizational and regular monthly meetings on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 7:00 PM. The meetings will be held in the High School Community Room. They are open to the public, and current District, County, State, and Federal safety procedures and protocols will be followed.

Anticipated Topics Include:

• Approval of BOCES Services
• Officer Elections
• Appointment of Personnel
• Board Meeting Dates for 24-25
• Mileage Rate
• Substitute Rates
• Donation Acceptance
• Summer Programs

Currently, two (2) public comment opportunities are planned as follows:

1^st public comment:  Related to items on the agendas.  Comments are limited to three (3) minutes per speaker.

2^nd public comment:  Comments are limited to three (3) minutes per speaker.

Individuals who cannot attend the regular meeting in person may submit public comments by emailing perucomments@perucsd.org no later than 12:00 Noon on Tuesday, June 9th. Online comments are also subject to the conditions stated above.

The agendas will be available on the District’s website (perucsd.org).

A recording of the meeting will be available on the District’s website at perucsd.org at a later time.

North Country tourist-related employment -15.2%

Bright Spot: Spike in State Park Attendance and Growth in Agritourism

July 2, 2024 – Tourism in New York state has grown post-pandemic. Still, employment in tourism-related industries remains 4.3% below pre-pandemic levels, according to an analysis released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The report found substantial increases in domestic and international travelers to the state. In particular, visitors flocked to outdoor destinations, with attendance at state parks 9.1% higher in 2023 than in 2020.

This is DiNapoli’s third report on the tourism industry after the abrupt shutdown caused by the pandemic in 2020. During the pandemic, New York lost $10.9 billion in economic activity from travel and tourism, but by 2023, it had fully recovered and was $792 million higher than in 2019. In a report released in May, the State Comptroller found that tourism-related industries in New York City were nearly at a complete recovery, as visitor spending and tax revenue have surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

“Travelers from around the world are drawn to all corners of the state and keep coming back because they fall in love with New York. Tourism generates tens of billions in economic activity and employs many New Yorkers across the state,” DiNapoli said. “New York is welcoming back tourists in big numbers after the pandemic, but the recovery is uneven, with some regions lagging. I encourage policymakers to review these trends and ensure the state’s tourism programs effectively promote the unique experiences each region has to offer.”

Tourism generated $34 billion in direct economic activity and provided almost 417,000 jobs statewide in 2023, ranking New York second behind California in direct economic activity from industries related to tourism.

While tourism-related economic activity has fully recovered, employment in the sector remains lower in every region of the state. In 2020, nearly one-third of tourism-related jobs were lost. While employment bounced back by 36.6% from 2020 to 2023, it is still 4.3% below pre-pandemic levels. Total wages of $23.1 billion paid to industry workers were 6.9% higher in 2023 than in 2019, with an average annual salary of $55,500.

In 2023, the Mohawk Valley was still down 17% of its tourism-related jobs, followed by the North Country (-15.2%) and the Finger Lakes (-11.8%) with the lowest job recoveries. Long Island (-1%) and Central New York (-1.6%) are closest to their pre-pandemic levels.

Other key findings:

Domestic Travel Up: In 2022, 355 million non-work trips were made by residents of other states to New York, an increase of nearly 31% from two years prior. People from New Jersey account for 60% of these visitors.

International Travelers Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels: After dropping by more than 84% in 2020, the number of international visitors to New York was 7.4 million higher in 2023 than in 2020 but still below pre-pandemic levels. New York has reclaimed its distinction as the top U.S. destination for travelers from overseas, with more international visitors than Florida, Nevada, and Texas combined.

State Park Visits Jump: Visitors to the state’s parks increased by over 900,000 in 2020 and continued to increase over the next three years, with visitation 9.1% higher in 2023 over 2020. Of the state’s parks, the Niagara Reservation had the highest attendance in 2023, nearly 9.5 million visitors. Long Island parks had the largest increase in attendance since 2019, with over 2 million more visitors. In contrast, National Park sites, including the Statue of Liberty, had fewer visitors than in 2019.

Agritourism Grows Agritourism, which includes wine tastings, picking your own fruits and vegetables, and hayrides has grown in New York. There were 947 farms in 2022 earning over $55 million from agritourism. This was almost double the number of farms as well as more than triple the income from 2007. The Hudson Valley had the most farms with agritourism income in 2022, while the Finger Lakes region farms had the highest income from this source.

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Community appalled by alleged acts of destruction

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Patent Rd., Peru, NY June 30, 2024 –  The Peru Gazette usually posts beautiful views of the Champlain Valley from St. Partick’s Oratory & Mother Cabrini Shrine. Unfortunately, this post is quite different.  This weekend, St. Augustine’s Pastor Father Scott Seyoour informed parishioners that on Thursday, June 27, vandals damaged St. Patrick Oratory by spreading hot candle wax on walls, the carpet, and a picture. They broke small glass articles inside Mother Cabrini Shrine. They also poured a gasoline smelling substance inside the storage building and broke two windows. Sadly, sometime Thursday night, vandals returned to break a 3rd window.  New York State Police are investigating. St. Agustine’s Parish will press charges.

The Oratory is closed, though Fr. Seymour said he hopes to reopen it sometime this week.

Story Updated July 1 at 5:40 p.m. The vandals broke two storage building windows on Thursday, not three as originally stated. Inside the church, they threw wax on a picture, not a statue. They also destroyed glass articles in the Shrine.

Swedish Meatballs 

Mashed Potatoes

Applesauce 

Bread

Dessert

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

All are invited and welcome!

Frontier Town Gateway in N. Hudson is largest high-speed EV station between Albany and Canada

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Includes rising third graders through ninth graders from Monday, Aug. 5, through Thursday, Aug. 8.

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Victim viciously assaulted and taken from a West Chazy home June 25

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(from left to right) are: New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) President and CEO Ashley Walden, former State Senator and ORDA Board Member Betty Little, ORDA Board Member Cliff Donaldson, Assemblymember Billy Jones and Olympic Jumping Complex and Olympic Sports Complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg General Manager Rebecca Dayton.

Speaker Carl Heastie continued his annual statewide tour today, joining Assemblymember Billy Jones at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid to tour the USA Rink, Herb Brooks Arena, Mount Van Hoevenberg and the Olympic Museum. They also discussed regional plans and announced $250,000 to help the Lake Placid Food Pantry and Thrift Shop build a new facility.

“While we’re just weeks away from cheering on Team USA at the Summer Olympics, it’s important to remember the part New York played in Olympics’ history,” said Speaker Heastie. “Assemblymember Jones and the Lake Placid community have done an incredible job of honoring their historic past while building up the possibility of continuing that legacy in the near future.” Read more »

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Bruce Drive residents upset by bridge closure 

Peru is certified as a Pro-Housing Community

376 children have already signed up for fall soccer  

Peru, June 26, 2024 – About a week before the Peru Town Board’s Monday, June 24 meeting, Councilman Kregg Bruno indicated that he planned to resign from his board position. At Monday’s meeting, Bruno withdrew his resignation without commenting on why he planned to resign or changed his mind. A resignation would have come at a critical time, especially since Supervisor Brandy McDonald indicated he would resign in either September or October. Several critical decisions regarding culvert/bridge construction, sewer plant, and water filtration plant upgrades are on the board’s near-term agenda.

Bruce Drive residents John Robert and Karyn Langlais told the board they’re unhappy with the Telegraph Road closure a few hundred yards north of Bruce Drive. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell expects the road to reopen in July 2026. Farrell explained that planning,  engineering, and acquiring DEC and the U.S. Army Corp permits must be complete before culvert replacement construction begins. 

John Robert asked if one-lane traffic could be allowed or if the town could install a temporary bridge.  Farrell said he couldn’t open one lane because there’s been so much deterioration, “there’s nothing under the pavement.” He said DEC rejected building a temporary bridge last year, plus a temporary bridge would still require regulatory approval and would be expensive.  Farrell said he’s applied for a New York State Bridge NY grant three times, only to be rejected each time. He added, ”It would have paid  90% of the cost; it seemed like the logical way to go.”  Convinced it will never qualify for a grant, Peru will self-finance the $1.5 to $2 million project. 

Karyn Langlais shared how the bridge closure has significantly increased her daily commute, adding six miles to her total travel time. John Robert cited delayed access to fire and ambulance services and asked if declaring an emergency would speed the process. Supervisor Brandy McDonald said he would talk with C&S Engineering to see if it’s possible. 

In other news, Supervisor McDonald said the state notified the town that Peru qualifies as a pro-housing community. The designation means Peru will have priority access to state affordable housing funding.  Code Enforcement Officer Bob Guymup prepared the successful application. 

Youth Director Kristen Marino reported that she would reopen the fall soccer registration on July 1. Three hundred seventy-six children signed up at this point. Thanks to Clinton County Youth Bureau and Clinton County EMS, she’s also acquired two AED machines at no cost to the town, meaning all three town parks will have a machine. 

Mike Farrell reported that hot weather, frequent rain, and mechanical issues at the asphalt plant have slowed highway paving. He plans to buy asphalt from Upstone Material, which will cost $3 a ton more but should help compensate for the shortfall.

Peru may not get its electric dump truck. Orders are backlogged, and communities using the trucks have encountered low-temperature hydraulics issues. Farrell said the electric truck program is in turmoil.

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