The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

It has been several years since the Peru Town Board went out to bid for liability insurance coverage. They decided to do so this year and the town will be saving almost $15,000 and receiving increased insurance coverage.  The Counselors opened bids at their March 23rd meeting, studied the issue for a week and convened a Special Meeting on Monday, April 30, 2009 where they voted to contract with Northern Insuring for liability insurance coverage even though Latremore Insurance submitted a $2,600 lower bid.  Read more »

Rev. Alan Shnob, Pastor of St. Augustine’s Parish congratulates Maryann Keenan and Larry Ewald Sr., recipients of the 2009 Golden Rose Award in recognition of their many years of dedicated service to the parish.  They received their awards at a recent Sunday Mass. 

The Peru Gazette previously published a story on the April 19th fundraiser at the Peru VFW to benefit Peru resident Tyler Haudberg and his family.  The Press Republican published a similar story on March 30th. Hopefully everyone in our town will turn out in a spirit of unity to support this family in need!

By John T. Ryan

The New York State Association of Realtors released its February 2009 existing single family home sales survey on March 26, 2009.  Clinton County’s sales totals declined 40.6% from February of 2008 with nineteen homes sold in 2009 compared to thirty-two homes sold last year. Statewide sales were down by 26.8% during February 2009 compared to last February’s sales. February sales in Essex County increased in 2009 by 27.3% from eleven to fourteen homes.  Clinton County’s median home price declined by 27.6% for the month, while Essex County’s median price increased by 34.9%.  These prices are such a small sampling of long-term prices they do not appear to represent overall real estate value trends.

On Sunday March 29, 2009, the Press Republican reported on its front page that Peru Town Supervisor Donald Covel has been arrested on seven new official  misconduct charges and one charge of obstruction of governmental administration.  The charges were not unexpected. They relate to a September 2008 indictment and Mr. Covel’s refusal to plead guilty to a lesser charge. See previous story

By John T. Ryan (Corrected March 31, 2009 – The March 30 Board Workshop involved the recently passed Work Boiler Law not the proposed outdoor burning law.)

Counselor Cortland Forrence’s announcement that he will be resigning in a few weeks overshadowed other important business at the Town Board’s March 23, 2009 meeting.  After several weeks of meetings and workshops, the Board opened bids for the town’s 2009 liability insurance contracts and found they will be saving between $14,700 and $17,000 this year with increased coverage.  The Board, however, did not award the contract at Monday’s meeting. Northern Insuring Inc. and Latremore’s Insurance submitted sealed bids for opening at this meeting. Northern Insuring submitted a bid of $57,657. Latremore’s bid was $54,999.  Last year Northern Insuring charged the Town $71,992. Counselor Powers motioned to award the bid to Latremore’s. Supervisor Donald Covel seconded the motion. Counselor Powers voted “yes.” Counselor Cortland Forrence voted “no” Read more »

According to a front page story in the March 27th Clinton County Free Trader Today the Peru Free Library has received a $67,000 grant that will fund installation of solar panels, repairs to the roof, replacement of  the furnace and front sidewalk.  Read the story

By Rodney Brown

Updated March 28, 2009. (A link to the Draft Open Space Plan appears at the end of Mr. Brown’s story)

On Tuesday, March 31^st at 7:00pm the Committee to Implement the Comprehensive Plan, along with consultant Nan Stolzenberg of Community Planning and Environmental Associates, will present a draft document titled “Town of Peru Open Space Plan” at the Peru Town Hall.  The meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more about the contents of the plan and its implications for the future of the Town. Read more »

The Peru Central School District Board of Education’s winter-spring 2009 series of budget development workshops focused on establishing a budget plan for the 2009-2010 fiscal year continues 7 PM on Tuesday, March 31st in the community room adjacent to the Peru High School main entrance. 

 Tuesday’s workshop will feature an update from the Superintendent of Schools regarding a conservative approach to budgeting expenditures and budgeting revenues for next school year, given the prospect of a freeze or reduction in state aid for next school year.  

The Board of Education will examine any update from Albany received at Peru Central since last week’s budget workshop. Peru Central’s Superintendent and school board will engage in discussion with the School Business Administrator regarding early forecasts of revenues and corresponding impacts of those revenues on the property tax and on longer term financial planning. 

The school board and Peru Central Superintendent of Schools A. Paul Scott invite and encourage residents to attend the March 3rd budget development workshop, and will welcome their ideas and suggestions.

By Rachel Daly 

To be back in Nicaragua this year was quite a feeling. We arrived in the middle of the night on an antiquated but functioning bus, and as the compound came into view, there was comfort just in seeing it again. I was ready to be back with the Nicaraguan people I had come to care about so much.

At first glance, everything appeared the same, but I soon learned that it wasn’t quite so. Read more »

The Adirondack Brass Quintet will be performing at the Peru Community Church Fellowship Center on Friday, April 3, at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $8 general admission, $5 for students and seniors and $15 for a family.  Quinitet member Janet Geldert described what the audience can expect. “We will be playing a wide variety of music.  We will include baroque, classical, blues, show tunes, jazz, folk songs, and ragtime.  There will be music most people will recognize (such as St. Louis Blues, Londonderry Air, and Maple Leaf Rag) as well as pieces that may not be so familiar (such as a toccata and fugue by Bach, or the Voluntary on the Old 100th). Most of the pieces to be performed were not originally written for brass quintet, but were transcribed for that instrumentation.  It should be a fun evening, with something to please each audience member.”

The quintet members are: Matt Pray and Bill Long, trumpet; Janet Geldert, horn; Andrew West, Trombone, and JoLee Yeddo, tuba.

By John T. Ryan

Peru Town Counselor Cortland Forrence surprised the few people remaining at the end of the March 23, 2009 Council meeting when he announced that he would be leaving the Council sometime this year. Forrence said, “I don’t have the time to keep up the schedule of meetings that are necessary to fill the position.”  I haven’t turned in my resignation yet, but I will be sometime in the next maybe month or two before I leave.” Forrence said he had deliberated over the decision for a long time and that he just didn’t have the time or energy to continue on. He said he thought it would be best to find someone who has the time and energy to continue on.  Forrence said it will be up to the Town Council to fill the position or to wait until the next election.

       Read more »

by Jean Ryan

Nancy LaBaff from Canton, Colleen Kaulfuss from Cadyville, Diana Lavery from Plattsburgh, Lori Clark from Peru and I hiked two Adirondack high peaks, Whiteface and Esther Mountains, from the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, in Wilmington, on Saturday, March 21. Though most evidence of winter is gone in the Peru area, the trail at the higher elevations was either icy in sections or covered with a hardened crusty snow. These trail conditions required us to wear crampons throughout most of the hike. This hike was 12.4 miles round trip and took about seven hours. See photos

Tyler Haudberg

By John T. Ryan

On April 22, 2009 Tyler Haudberg will be celebrating his third birthday. Unfortunately, he won’t be celebrating it at his parent’s home on the Union Road here in Peru. Instead, he’ll probably still be in the Boston Children’s Hospital where he’s being evaluated for a double lung and heart transplant. Tyler is the son of Scott and Darci Haudberg and brother of five year old Dillan Haudberg. Tyler experienced respiratory distress five weeks after his birth and since then he’s been hospitalized approximately twenty times. The expenses have been tremendous and now several friends of the family are joining together and asking Peru and the North Country community to come together to assist the Haudberg family. 

On Sunday, April 19^th, 2009, a spaghetti dinner benefit will be held at the Peru VFW Post #309 from 12:00 – 7:00 pm. The Peru K of C has volunteered its services to cook and serve the dinner. The dinners will be $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children 12 and under and will include spaghetti, tossed salad and a roll. There will be raffles, an auction and live music provided by local bands. Please help Tyler and his family by attending the dinner and donating out of the goodness of your hearts. If you cannot attend and wish to donate, please contact Lisa Gonyo at 563-3587 x2 or 643-6787, Heidi Barcomb at 569-3831 or 562-1538, Ruthie Guilbo at 637-6648 or Lisa Willingham at 569-5998 or 643-0230.

Summary Report of the Peru Board of Education’s March Meeting

By John T. Ryan

It’s official – on March 19th  the Peru Gazette reached 10,000 site visits.  We went online on September 17, 2008 and recently we’ve been averaging 65 to 70 daily site visits. People from twenty-nine countries and forty-seven states have viewed our pages.  While local people are our most regular readers, people from Vermont, Virginia, California, Oregon, Florida, Arizona and Canada often view the site.  Many thanks to all our loyal supporters. Please spread the word and if you know of anyone willing to contribute stories, story ideas, or photos please email us at editor@perugazette.com.

By Jean Ryan 

A climb of Gothics and Armstrong Mountains, two of the Adirondack High Peaks, was on my list of mountains to summit during the winter season. On Monday morning, March 16th, I met up with three other hikers at the hikers’ parking lot at the AuSable Club outside of Keene Valley. One of the three hikers, Lyle Montgomery from Ogdensburg, was heading for her final peak in becoming a winter 46er. This hike entailed a 14-mile loop hiking into Lower AuSable Lake, going over Pyramid Mountain, continuing on to Gothics Mountain, then hiking to Armstrong Mountain and finally proceeding down the Beaver Meadow Trail. The views ascending Pyramid Mountain are described as some of the most spectacular in the Adirondack Mountains. See photos

By John T. Ryan

Peru residents Dr. Tracy Orkin and her daughter Alice Robinson were two of the eight Peru residents who made the recent Mission of Hope trip to Nicaragua. This was the second mission trip for Alice, a senior at Peru Central, while this was her mother’s first trip. As Alice said, “It was a reversal in roles; I was telling my mom what to expect.”  Alice explained that last year had been such an amazing experience and she had made so many friends that she wanted to return this year. Alice said the Mission of Hope experience has even helped her choose a college major.  She hopes to major in either Spanish or nursing.

Alice’s mom Dr. Tracy Orkin is a family practice physician in Plattsburgh. Tracy explained, “This was my first trip. The Mission of Hope had identified a long-term need for pap smears.” Read more »

Samantha Mulcahy holds a newborn child

By John T. Ryan

The Peru Gazette previously reported on the Mulcahy’s and Daly’s preparation for their Mission of Hope trip to Nicaragua.  Brian Mulcahy, his daughter Samantha, Matt Daly his daughter Rachel and son Patrick were in Nicaragua February 15^th through February 24^{th. Read more »}

By John T. Ryan

In August, 2008 Lori Clark and a group of friends climbed Africa’s Kilimanjaro.  Now Lori has completed another goal.  Already, an “Adirondack 46er” she became a  “Winter 46er” when she reached the summit of Basin Mountain. She has climbed all the Adirondack High Peaks during the winter months.  While Lori says she thrilled to have completed her arduous treks, she’s disappointed that scheduling conflicts and seasonal type sicknesses prevented her regular climbing partners Joanne Kennedy, Jean Ryan and Colleen Kaulfuss from making the final climb with her.  Lori is looking forward to being at their sides when they complete their “Winter 46.”  Please watch the very beautiful photos in the slideshow format that Lori and her climbing partner Nancy took on their very beautiful Adirondack climb. 

Click for agenda of Board’s March 18th Meeting

By Jean Ryan

The hike to Redfield and Cliff (See photos) was a “makeup” climb for me as I had been sidelined by a stomach bug when Colleen Kaulfuss, Lori Clark and Joanne Kennedy climbed these two peaks in January. On Saturday, March 7, 2009 Colleen, Lori and I met Lyle Montgomery who had driven from Ogdensburg that morning to hike the two mountains with us. We met at Adirondack Loj Read more »

Alpha Pi Tau, a registered chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh, NY, is starting a service project to collect items and monetary donations on behalf of the Elmore SPCA located in Peru. Read more »

By John T. Ryan Posted March 11, 2009 at 12:21 p.m. and updated 1:09 p.m. 

A correction was made on March 12, 2009 at 6:55 a.m. Mr. Healy’s is concerned with brush being piled adjacent to his property and being a fire hazard, rather than limbs overhanging his building. 

The Peru Town Board conducted its March 9, 2009 meeting immediately following the Open Burning Law Public Hearing. During the public comment portion of the meeting resident Rick Healy addressed the Board. Healy said he owns property at the corner of Pleasant and School Street. He said that the owners of an adjacent School Street property hired a tree removal service service a few years ago and that the service had left brush piled adjacent to his barn. Healy is concerned that the brush is a fire hazard.  Read more »