The Peru Gazette

By Donald McBrayer

The Regular Town Board Meeting was held on Monday, November 9th. The meeting was quick and uneventful. The agenda items included a motion to accept the “Safe Routes to School Contract”, which passed. This motion paves the way for sidewalk construction along the west side of School Street and will be 100% funded by grants. A motion to approve the 2010 Preliminary Budget also passed.

In Other Business Councilor Tom Powers requested a resolution on next month’s agenda to move $2,800 from the General Fund to be paid to Tom LaBombard to initiate paperwork on the Bear Swamp Road Water/Sewer Expansion Project.

Deputy Supervisor Cortland Forrence discussed options for the Town Hall ceiling including painting or possibly installing a drop ceiling. It was suggested this be done before the new carpet is installed. Mr. Forrence also indicated the newly elected Supervisor and Board Members could be certified by months end.

Public Comments: There was only one comment from Donald McBrayer who noted several issues with the current Town Hall building and asked if long term planning might be considered toward the construction of a new Town Hall. The meeting was adjourned at 7:55PM. 

The Press Republican reports 

The Press Republican reports 

WPTZ reports

The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports 

Click here for Janet Duprey interview on North Country Public Radio

By: Donald McBrayer

I would like to thank everyone in Peru for participating in what will be remembered as one of the most interesting elections in our community’s history. I also want to thank you for the support and help I received during my part in it.

I wish to also publicly send a sincere congratulation to Sue Polhemus and Jim Douglas on their wins. They both showed real integrity during the campaign, and I have come to consider them friends. They will make great Councilors. Good Luck and God Bless to them both.

I may not have won the election, but I walk away from the experience more enriched than when I started. I met so many people and learned so much about Peru that I can say it was absolutely worth every ounce of energy I poured into it.

I want everyone to know I absolutely have no hard feelings by the results and will continue to serve this wonderful community in any capacity that presents itself with all the enthusiasm and vigor I provide to any endeavor. I’ll see you around town.

Don McBrayer 

By John T. Ryan  Updated 3:45 p.m. with meeting agenda Click here for agenda

Peru Central School Superintendent A. Paul Scott will be discussing the implications of Governor Paterson’s proposed budget cuts at next Tuesday’s school board meeting. Writing to staff in a October 20th memo Scott said Paterson’s proposed 4.2% state aid cut would mean a loss of $620,420 in this year’s school budget. While Scott anticipates political give and take on Paterson’s proposal, he believes its implications must be discussed.  Click here to read his memo.

Zoning Board of Appeals November 2009 agenda

Zoning Board of Appeal September 2009 Minutes

The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports

By John T. Ryan

Third quarter existing single family home real estate sales in Clinton County bucked the statewide trend rising by 3.5% while statewide sales fell by 2.7%.  There were 147 existing single-family homes sold in the county during the July-September period compared to 142 last year. Median home prices fell 4.4% from $137,500 to $131,500 when compared to the previous year. In September, 45 homes were sold compared to 40 in September of last year an increase of 12.%. Median September prices increased 9.2% from $120,250 in 2008 to $131,500 this year. Read more »

Richard Williams, Vice Chair of the Town of Peru Planning Board, called the meeting of Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 7:00 pm, to order. Read more »

AGENDA PERU PLANNING BOARD Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 7:00 PM  Peru Town HALL Read more »

Here are three reports:

1st from The Press Republican

From the Watertown Daily Times for a sightly different perspective

The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports from Hoffman’s campaign headquarters in Saranac Lake. Very interesting.

By John T. Ryan

Peter Glushko

Peter Glusko was elected to lead the Peru Town government as supervisor for the next four years in November 3rd elections. James Douglass, Kregg Bruno and Susan Pulhemus were elected to serve on the town board. Kathy Flynn was re-elected as town clerk/tax collector after a spirited contest with Lana Knight. 

Here are the final results are reported to Clinton County Board of Elections:

Supervisor: Peter Glushko (R,I) 1,202 votes, defeated Thomas Powers (I) 335 votes. 

Town Council Four Years (Two Seats): Anthony Andrews (D)670 votes; James Douglass (D) 1023; Fredrick Hoffman III (Partners for Peru) 227 votes; Garrett Mastic (Partners ofr Peru) 192 votes; Donald McBrayer (R,C) 786 votes; and Susan Polhemus (R,C) 830 votes.  Douglass and Polhemus elected. 

Town Council (Two Year unexpired Term One Seat): Kregg Bruno (D,I) 835 votes; Lynn Patno (I) 193 votes and Geoffrey Spear (R) 795 votes. Bruno elected. 

Highway Superintendent: Michael Farrell (R,C), 1,154, votes; James Reed (D,I), 732 votes. 

Town Justice (two seats): James Kirby (D,C,I,WP), 1079 votes,; John Lawliss (R,C), 1,249 votes;, and Dennis Reid (R), 732 votes.

Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Kathleen Flynn (R,C), 1,132 votes; and Lana Knight (D), 887 votes.

In the four year counselor race James Douglass was way out in front with 1023 votes. Donald McBrayer and Susan Polhemus fought it out for the second open position with Polhemus apparently winning by a vote of 830 to 786. Tony Andrews was next with an estimated 500+ votes (I failed to copy his district #2 votes) followed by Fred Hoffman with 227 votes and Garrett Mastic with 192 votes.

In the two-year counselor race Kregg Bruno garnered 835 votes to Geoffrey Spear’s 795.

In the vote for Town Supervisor Peter Glushko had 1252 votes, Tom Powers 335 by my tally. In the vote for Town Clerk Kathleen Flynn had 1132, Lana Knight had 887. These results will be verified tomorrow.

By John T. Ryan

The total votes are still being tallied at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, but based on the counts in each district and speaking to the candidates these are the winners:

Supervisor – Peter Glushko

Town Clerk – Kathleen Flynn

Highway Superintendent – Michael Farrell

Counselor Four Years – James Douglass and Susan Polhemus

Counselor Two Years – Kregg Bruno

Town Justice – John Lawliss and James Kirby

Update as of 7:55 p.m. – 2,086 voters have cast ballots or 49.8% of registered voters. Reports are that Peru’s turnout is far higher than anywhere else in Clinton County.   There are 50 to 100 people waiting in line. 

Update: as of 6 p.m. 1,727 Peru voters had cast ballots or 41.2% of the registered voters, far higher than the normal 33% for an off-year election. Two hundred people were waiting in line with a 45-minute wait in District #5.  We’ll have another update shortly after 8 p.m. and expect to have the voting results online about 9:30 p.m. 

Update as of 3 p.m. 1,228 Peru voters had cast ballots or 29.3% of registered voters. This is a very heavy turnout! 

Update: As of noon 787 people had voted – 18.7% of Peru’s registered 4,187 voters. The normal total turnout of an off-year election is about 33%. 

Update: As of 9.a.m. 350 people had voted in Peru a heavy turnout for an off-year election. 

Some people find the ballot confusing. A photo of the ballot can be found at http://www.perugazette.com/2009/10/30/here-is-a-photo-of-next-tuesdays-peru-ballot/

Please be sure to exercise your duty to vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.  The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3035 Main St., Peru, NY.

We’re a little late with this, but in case you haven’t voted The adirondack almanack reports 

Here is the Superintendent’s statement

By John T. Ryan

It’s been an extremely blustery Halloween, but Bill and Donna Downs are undoubtedly still busy entertaining the many families who stop by their wonderful haunted house. The Downs’ location at the intersection of Main Street and Bear Swamp Road is the ideal place to attract attention and that’s just what Bill and Donna have been doing for the last five years. Every October the Downs practically surround their house with Halloween characters and turn their entire garage into what Bill Downs describes as a “Halloween Wonderland.” The characters didn’t wait until Halloween to come alive. Downs said he and three or four of his friends have been in costume on the porch or along Route 22 almost every evening during October and today about twenty-five people were in costume. Halloween is more than a one-night event for Bill Downs. (See more photos)

Downs said, “ Donna and I usually sit down in January or February and talk about what we’re going to do. We get ideas online.” Downs said he also tries to keep up with the latest movies since that’s where he gets many of his ideas. Construction in the garage usually starts in mid-September. Once construction is complete Downs said, “We have our friends and friend’s kids come over and decide if it needs to be tweaked.” Downs hopes that the haunted house is scarier than ever this year with seven live characters and seven animated characters. Your Gazette photographer usually prides himself on his steady hand taking photos. His hands were shaking by the time he emerged from this haunted house.

The Post-Standard reports Posted 1:45 p.m.

The Peru Town Board held its regular meeting on Monday, October 26, 2009 and scheduled a public hearing on the town’s preliminary 2010 budget. The public hearing will be held on Thursday, November 5^th at 6:30 p.m.  As proposed, the budget promises a decrease in general fund spending and a modest increase in highway and water department spending. Both town general and town highway tax rates will decrease.

The preliminary 2010 budget proposes a general tax rate of $2.07/M down from $2.16/M last year. The preliminary highway tax rate is $2.44/M. Last year the highway rate was $2.51/M.  Water district #1,2 &3 rates are proposed to increase from $1.47/M to $1.84/M. The water district increase is related to financing the capital improvements made to water plant last year. Sewer rates will decrease from $.35/M to $.16/M because certain capital improvement bonds have been paid off.

General budget total expenditures decreased from $1,350,944 to $1,322,851. Highway Department total expenditures increased from $1,306,914 to $1,421,755 primarily because of the need to replace a tandem plow truck and the Denton bridge. The entire preliminary budget can be seen on the Town of Peru website.

In other actions the Board: Read more »