The Peru Gazette

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 »

The Watertown Daily Times reports

Click here for the Diocesan Directive

The Watertown Times reports

The New York Observer reports

By Christa Reyell 

On behalf of the Catholic Daughter’s of St. Monica’s Court 2598, we would like to thank everyone who participated in St. Augustine’s Parish 3^rd Annual Walk of Faith held on October 11, 2009 making it a huge success.  Together, we raised $1214.42 to help support The North Country Mission of Hope and The Jamaica Project. 

Feedback from walkers and participants attending was pleasing. The views from St. Patrick’s Oratory were amazing, the coming together of our parish and community was welcoming, and the weather was perfect. Read more »

Here is Superintendent A. Paul Scott’s news release

The Peru Lions Club held the 15th annual Stanley Hughes Golf Classic at the Barracks Golf Course on September 13^th.  Thanks to the sponsors listed below more than $4,000.00 was raised. The money will be used to support local programs in sight conservation. These include eye exams and glasses for those who could not otherwise afford them. Part of the proceeds will also go to support a new pedestrian trail in the village of Peru. The Lions Club is supporting the project organized by the “Friends of the Little Ausable River Trail” whose aim is to improve the quality of life for the residents of Peru. On behalf of the club we would like to thank them for helping to make this year’s event a success. Ed Eisele, Dave Dalton, Jim Kieslich Golf Tournament Committee Peru Lions Club Read more »

The Watertown Times reports