The Peru Gazette

Port Henry, Town of Moriah 

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Order addressing asylum-seeker crisis State of Emergency continues resources to communities sheltering migrants

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Peru Art Teacher Erik Wilson led the demonstration.  Here he’s removing objects from the 1800+ degree kiln.

Wilson quickly moved the objects from the kiln to be cooled.

The kilm that brings the pottery to 1800 degree plus temperatures.

By John T Ryan 

Oct. 25, 2023 – Peru Central School – Tuesday’s outside temperatures were cool at Peru’s athletic field yesterday, but students had a nearby heat source – a pottery kiln firing at temperatures between 1800 and 2000 degrees. The Peru High School Art Department invited students from Saranac Lake, Ausable Valley, and Beekmantown to participate in a demonstration of a Japanese pottery technique called Raku.  

Author Beth Peterson described the process: “Raku firing is one of the most natural techniques that you can encounter in pottery. In raku firing, all of nature’s elements are used: earth, fire, air, and water. The earth is used to make the pot, then it’s put into a reduction chamber kiln, then plunged into water. The cold water halts the firing process. A lovely fact about raku is that its name literally translates as ‘happiness in the accident.’” The “accidental” result is a random but beautiful colorization in the glaze. 

Fashioning a small cat

Students brought their work to the firing. Peru’s Honor Society is donating the ceramic cats students made to the Cat Art Show, sponsored by Chapter One Coffee Shop and the Strand, to support the Elmore SPCA.

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Beautiful Raku pottery

Working on the cats that will ultimately be sold to benefit the Elmore SPCA.

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Policy promotes safety of law officers as well as victims

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Downtown Plattsburgh event promises fun for all ages on Saturday, Dec. 2

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The Town Of Peru Town Board will hold a Public Hearing on the 2024 Preliminary Budget on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 6:00 PM, at The Peru Town Hall.

Dianne E. Miller

Town Clerk

Town of Peru

Local physicians promote benefits of walking, health education 

PLATTSBURGH, NY (10/23/2023) – Members of the public can enjoy the bright colors of fall and take steps toward a healthier lifestyle during the upcoming Walk With a Doc. The walk, offered by the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) Family Medicine Center (FMC), will take place this Saturday, October 27 at 10 a.m. outside the YMCA on the Oval.

Alyssa Sethi, DO, a Family Medicine Resident, is leading the event. As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she will discuss the importance of getting screened and offer important information about the disease.

Good walking shoes and weather-appropriate attire are recommended. In case of inclement weather, the group will meet at the food court of the Champlain Centre Mall and walk inside. It is free and open to all.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), walking provides numerous benefits to overall health. It helps decrease the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease while improving mental health.

Walk With A Doc takes place on the fourth Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. Funded by The Foundation of CVPH and its generous donors, the CVPH program is one of 418 nationwide and 32 countries worldwide.

No registration is required; however, first-time participants must complete a waiver. For more information, contact CVPH Family Medicine Residency Coordinator Heather Lacey at (518) 314-3868 or hlacey@cvph.org.

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By John T Ryan

Peru – October 23, 2023 Most people recall studying bees in school; however, the Peru Primary and Intermediate School students have a unique opportunity. There’s an active bee hive in the school’s front yard, and studying bees is being integrated into the schools’ curricula. The hive is one art teacher Kathy Cantwell’s ten hives, and she’s thrilled about it being at the school. 

5th grade teacher Beth Dubay recalled how the bee program got started.” In 2018, I applied for the New York State Master Teacher Program, which includes researching a topic way above your teaching level. Even though I’m deathly afraid of bees, they intrigue me, so I started researching them. One day, my co-teacher and I tried to figure out why bees make hexagonal hives rather than circular hives or some other shape. We asked Kathy if she had some paper we could use to construct a hive. When we told her about the bees, she said, “I’m a beekeeper!” And so, the bee program began—Kathy’s the beekeeper and bee expert while Beth works at integrating bee study into the school’s classrooms. Once “deathly afraid” of bees, Beth would like to become a beekeeper. 

Kathy Cantwell explained why she thinks the program is important. “This a unique opportunity right now because so many people are interested in the environment. They want something hopeful and positive. Learning about bees and caring for bees benefits all aspects of the environment. When a culture takes good care of its women and children, the culture improves. And when civilization takes care of bees, the whole civilization improves. There are so many aspects of it.” 

Beth Dubay gave specifics.” The 6th-grade teachers introduce topics such as bee venom therapy, pesticides that endanger bees, colony collapse disorder, and the history of bees. The bees have also been a part of the school’s Ag Day.” Kathy added, “The 4th graders help with that. Every grade has gotten involved. The 5th graders paint sunflowers. The third graders planted 150 crocus plants each of the past three years. My vision is to have every lawn in the school covered with crocus in the spring.” Flower nectar is essential to a bee colony’s survival. 

Both teachers emphasized that the bee education program has been a school-wide effort. Kathy commented, “Everybody’s been very supportive. I haven’t heard any negative feedback. We did a lot of work in preparing. We worked with the board of education, lawyers, the superintendent, fellow teachers, buildings and grounds. The Champlain Valley Bee Association has been very supportive.” The teachers applied for and won three program grants and a local business made a generous donation, meaning the program operates with no or little cost to the school district. 

Kathy Cantwell expressed her feelings eloquently: “What I hope the kids get out of this is that they will start thinking through the lens of a bee, looking at the environment differently. They look at how to be stewards of the environment because it greatly impacts the entire world.”

Examination of Returnable Container Act Fraud Will Help Prevent the Loss of Millions in Revenue and Hold Offenders Accountable

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced a statewide multi-agency effort to help prevent returnable container schemes that defraud the state of millions of dollars each year. This new effort will help uncover practices that prevent bottles and cans without deposits from being redeemed, thus reducing funds that support crucial environmental and other state initiatives.

“New York’s highly successful Bottle Bill is an unfortunate target for unscrupulous criminals looking to make big bucks from the state’s nickels,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “This newly launched effort will help foster coordination among state and local partners across the many jurisdictions included in Bottle Bill enforcement to help recoup lost revenue, hold violators accountable, and eliminate the competitive disadvantage experienced by companies that play by the rules.”

This new effort will bring together the expertise of multiple state agencies, including law enforcement and technical expertise from the State Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF), Department of Agriculture and Markets, State Liquor Authority, and others to work collaboratively on collecting and interpreting data, auditing records, inspecting and certifying redemption and counting equipment, investigating complaints, and preventing or prosecuting fraudulent activities.

New York’s Returnable Container Act, known as the Bottle Bill, is one of the State’s most efficient and successful recycling programs. The Bottle Bill improves litter control, provides relief to overburdened municipal recycling systems, and increases beverage container recycling in New York. Recyclables collected through this program are readily returned for manufacturing of containers and other commodities. The law requires a deposit of at least five cents on containers for carbonated soft drinks, beer and other malt beverages, mineral water, soda water, wine products and water that doesn’t contain sugar. A deposit is required on glass, metal, and plastic containers that hold less than one gallon or 3.78 liters.

The Bottle Bill captures an average of five billion beverage containers each year with 250,000 tons of plastic, glass, and aluminum recycled. Since the law went into effect, redemption rates averaged 65 percent, well above the recycling rate for most other packaging and products, and beverage container litter was reduced by 70 percent. These beverage containers are no longer littering roads or waterways and get recycled into new packaging and products.

Since the Bottle Bill was amended in 2009, four cents of each unredeemed nickel are remitted DTF, generating approximately $117 million in revenue for New York State in 2022 alone. Most of the funds collected go to the State’s General Fund; of these monies, there is currently $23 million dedicated each year to the State’s Environmental Protection Fund. Bottle Bill sales data is often held confidential, but some estimates of the impact of fraud and underreporting of deposits reach tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars.

DEC and its State and local enforcement partners have successfully prosecuted redemption container fraud cases in the past, including a 2018 DEC and New York State Attorney General investigation of North Bergen Beverage that revealed sales of tens of millions of beverage containers without initiating deposits, depriving the State of an estimated $4 million. Bottle Bill fraud can take many forms, such as transshipping of filled beverage containers from non-deposit states; the fraudulent redemption of empty beverage containers from out-of-state and double-redemption schemes; reverse vending machine tampering; and deposit initiators not registering with DTF and not reporting, or under-reporting sales. It is hoped that as the work evolves, this process will reveal areas where laws, regulations, policies and/or procedure can be modified to strengthen the State’s ability to prevent fraud.

Sherry Dobbs, Jessica Ewald, Everett J. Ezero, Ron Foster, and Micayla McGinn Wilson

The school honored the new members during half-time of Friday evening’s Apple Bowl Football game and at a dinner on Saturday evening.

Sherry Dobbs – 1955 – Athlete

Sherry Dobbs Senior could be described in multiple ways.  He was a free spirit who loved Peru, the orchards and the Adirondacks. His kids would say he liked to play farmer at the Hart Orchard. Dobber was also a prankster and could always make you laugh with a story.   He was also a philanthropist with his time and money.  He was always willing to help people in need, visit a sick friend, and assist many local churches when projects needed to be completed.  Sherry also founded the Carol Dobbs Memorial Science Scholarship which it funded many students’ ability to take college courses in High School. As well as providing money for students attending college to study sciences.

Most people in Peru wouldn’t know he was an outstanding three-sport athlete in Soccer, Basketball and Track and field.  

As an athlete, he was all-conference in Soccer in 1954 and 1st team all-conference guard in basketball in 1954 & 1955.  He was the team captain of the 20-1 team.

As the point guard, he was vital in assisting Chuck Kinney, who holds the NYS record for 98 points in a single game.  Dobber always joked he had the unofficial NYS State assist record with 33 assists in a single game.

After serving in the Marine Corps, Sherry played soccer at SUNY Plattsburgh before entering the Department of Corrections.

Sherry was civic-minded as he served on the town board and the Lions Club of Peru. Sherry was a true-blue Peru native who loved his town and the sports at Peru Central School.

Jessica Ewald – Athlete – 2009

Jessica Ewald was a three-sport standout at Peru Central School in the early 2000s. Her humble, team-first outlook on athletics enhanced her admirable leadership qualities throughout her playing days. Her outstanding work ethic endeared her to coaches, teammates and opponents alike. These qualities were instrumental in determining that Jessica was an exemplary representative of Peru Central School both on and off the field of play.

Jessica was a four-year starter on the varsity soccer team and was selected as a CVAC All-Star in her senior year. She was a two-year starter on the varsity basketball team, where her defensive tenacity was typically on display against the opposing point guard. Finally, she was a three-year starter on the varsity softball team. In softball in her senior year, Jessica was honored as the CVAC Most Valuable Player as voted by CVAC coaches.

A tribute to her leadership skills and a reflection of the respect her peers afforded her, Jessica was elected as team captain in all three of the aforementioned sports in her senior year.

In recognition of her exploits on the field and in the classroom, Jessica received many honors. Among them were the 2008-2009 Warrior Award given to Peru’s top female and male athletes each year; the Ray Holmes Scholar-Athlete Award, and induction into the National Honor Society,  which was the result of being a high honor roll student in each academic quarter in grades nine through 12. She continued her education at the University of Buffalo, graduating with a Bachelor’s in Geology.

In the words of Miss Cathy Phillips, the Athletic Director at Peru during Jessica’s tenure there, Jessica was a “quiet, polite, creative, hardworking, tenacious young lady who was extremely loyal to friends and teammates.” 

Jessica now shows loyalty to her family, with whom she lives in Colchester, Vermont. Her family includes four children, two of whom are twin girls. Regarding those girls, Jessica’s dad, Larry, said, “I never wanted girls to play on the high school football team in fear of them getting hurt. But, I have a granddaughter who I think could play…she is a bruiser!” Those of us who have known Larry for years hope it happens!

Everett J. Ezero – Athlete – 1959

Everett J. Ezero graduated from Peru Central School in 1959.  While at Peru, He participated in six different sports: soccer, baseball, track, basketball, wrestling, and football.  He succeeded in all sports, giving 110% at every practice and game.  He was also a Future Farmers of America throughout all four years of high school.

Sports and years Everett played.

• Soccer- 1-2
• Basketball 1-2
• Wrestling 1-2-3-4 – Sectional Champ in 1959 and captain of the team.  He was undefeated in 1959.
• Track 1-2-3-4 – Ran the 100-yard dash
• Baseball 1-2-3-4 – Won the championship (CVCC) in 1959
• Football 4 – Played one year of football because it was the first year it was offered in Peru.

After high school, Everett married Diane McNierney in 1965.  Together they had two children, a son and a daughter. His daughter Lynn is also in the Hall of Fame.  Everett was an employee of the Dept of Transportation in Plattsburgh for 30 years and then drove a school bus for Peru after retirement.  He currently resides at 709 Union Road, Peru, NY, and travels to Florida in winter.

 Ron Foster – Athlete – 2001

Ron was a two-sport standout in football and wrestling as a student-athlete at Peru Central. His dedication to physical preparation for his athletic endeavors provided the impetus for his great success on the field and the mat while at Peru.

Ron was a 3-year starter in football, playing running back and linebacker. His stellar football career concluded in his senior year of 2000 with numerous honors. His outstanding leadership abilities led to his election as co-captain of the team. He earned the prestigious honor of being chosen as the CVAC Most Valuable Player for the 2000 season. Furthermore, he was chosen the Offensive Player of the game in the North Country Super Bowl as he rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown. Finally, he was named to the Allstate Class B first team as a linebacker. 

While his football exploits were impressive, it was on the wrestling mat that Ron truly excelled. He was a three-time Section Seven champion while being named the 1998 tournament Most Valuable Wrestler. He was chosen as the team’s co-captain in his senior year and also claimed titles in both styles at the New York State Freestyle and Greco-Roman championships. He earned a silver medal in both styles at the Empire State Games in the summer. Ron concluded his highly decorated high school wrestling career by finishing sixth at 171 lbs. at the New York State High School championships in Syracuse.  Ron was a first-team all-star his senior year, finishing with a 27-5 record his senior year and a career record of 93-29

Ron parlayed his high school successes in athletics into a scholarship offer for wrestling at division one Binghamton University. He now lives in Delmar, New York, with his wife, Christi, and his two young daughters, Emily and Sophia.          

Micayla McGinn Wilson  – 2008 – Athlete 

Micayla McGinn-Wilson was a four-sport varsity athlete in outdoor track, indoor track, soccer and basketball.  As an outdoor and indoor track athlete, she won Section VII Championships in the 800m, high jump, 1600m relay and 600m run.  Micayla also earned a Section VII State qualifier, placing 5th in the 800 meter and 8th in the high jump.  Micayla tied the Section VII high jump record in 2006 and set the record in 2008, which stood until 2023.  It still stands as the school record.  

As a varsity soccer player, she was a starter throughout her sophomore-senior years and earned the title of Division I All-Star in 2006 and 2007.   She was a varsity basketball player throughout her sophomore-senior years.  While playing sports, Micayla was inducted into the National Honor Society and National Arts Honor Society and obtained a Regents diploma with advanced designation.  

Her athletic awards were Outdoor Track MVP in 2006 & 2007 and “Hall of Fame” in 2008 for the 400m, 800m and high jump.  Micayla was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding Athlete’ known as the “Diamond Award,” as well as “The Warrior Award,” “McDonald’s Award,” and “Vince Lombardi Award”.

Micayla continued her athletic career at Xavier University, being awarded a partial Division I Scholarship for her sophomore-senior years and an academic Scholarship all four years.  She competed in Cross country, Indoor track and Outdoor track all four years.  While at Xavier, she volunteered in medical Mission trips to Russia, Guatemala, Tucson, AZ and Fort Collins, CO.  Micayla graduated Cum Laude with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy.

Micayla resides in Colorado with her husband, Keith, and their puppy, Mesa.  She is an Occupational Therapist and active hiking, rock climbing, paddle boarding, and skiing.  She has traveled to 48 states with a goal of planting foot in all 50.  She and Keith hope to hike all National Parks and the 46 peaks of the Adirondacks when visiting “home” in the North Country.         

Certified diabetes educators to offer information about lifestyle management of Type 1 diabetes

PLATTSBURGH, NY – A three-part Diabetes Self-Management Education Program sponsored by the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) begins Thursday, November 2 at the main hospital.  The program, led by certified diabetes educators Ann Watts and Catherine LaPier, takes place in Auditorium C from 5 to 8 p.m.

This program is designed specifically for those with Type 2 diabetes, according to LaPier, who added that the goal is to foster a better understanding of the disease, its management and treatment.  “Education about diabetes is an important part of living with it,” LaPier said.

Watts said the classes will include practical information focused on successfully managing the disease.  Each participant can bring a support person to the program. The impact of food and activity on blood sugar will be discussed, the importance of glucose level monitoring and how to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle. “We will also explore medication options as well as preventing, recognizing and treating complications,” she said.

A physician referral is required for the CVPH Diabetes Self-Management Education Program. Insurances will be billed. However, all government and private insurance will cover the cost. Some may require a copay, which the hospital will bill.

The CVPH Diabetes Self-Management Education Program will be offered periodically throughout the year and at different times of the day to provide ample opportunity for those interested to attend.

For more information, call Watts at (518) 314-3921 or speak with your health care provider.

Decorations bringing all of the local ‘Swifties’ to Fuller Road

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Funding included for Plattsburgh International, Floyd Bennett and Adirondack Regional airports

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OCTOBER 23 @ 6:00 PM

1. Call Meeting to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Roll Call 

4. MOTION:  Acceptance of Minutes for the Public Hearing October 12, 2023 and Regular Meeting of October 12, 2023.

5. Community Input.

6. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION:   To Possibly Award Bid for Forestry Attachment for 312 Excavator.

7. DISCUSSION:  Light at Route 22 and Elm St.

8. DISCUSSION:  Other Business.

9. DISCUSSION:  Public Comments on Agenda Items Only.

10. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION:  Pay October 2023 Bills.

11. MOTION:  Adjourn to Executive Session.

12. MOTION:  Return from Executive Session. 

13. MOTION: Adjourn Meeting.

Two Peru Town Board seats are open. Kregg Bruno is seeking reelection on the Democratic Party line. Eric Duquette is seeking election on the Republican Party Line. Since neither the Peru Democratic nor the Peru Republican Party nominated opposing candidates, they do not face opposition.  

The Peru Gazette is grateful that they took time to respond to our questions and thanks them for being involved in local government. 

Kregg Bruno 

1. Summarize your educational background, primary employment, a little about your family and your past community involvement. How will/does your background make you an influential board member? 

Currently I’m a small business owner, Bruno’s Custom Tile Works, and also a member of the Peru Town Board.  I have lived in Peru for 34 years and been active in youth sports at the Town level as well as High School coaching. My knowledge of running a business will help with the many bids that the Town has to procure to get work done.

2. Why are you running for reelection to public office? 

I’m running for reelection to continue to help the Board make Peru the best place to raise a family in a great community.

3. What Town issues concern you the most?

Biggest issue are infrastructure of roads and bridges along with water and waste water concerns. These are big ticket items that affect the taxpayers the most.

4. The Town recently completed a multi-million dollar sewer system upgrade and faces an even more expensive upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant. About only 550 hamlet users will bear the cost of both projects. Do you have specific ideas how Peru can grow its sewer system user base? 

I hope that the community keeps growing to help with the financial need of the water and sewer districts.

5. Do you think the town board should encourage affordable housing development, especially inside the water-sewer district? If yes, how could the town board encourage this development? 

Affordable housing and senior housing is a big concern for me. I think we need to take better care of our residence that have helped build this great community.

6. Peru’s two major housing developments (Buttonwood and Orchard View, i.e., Washington Street) are at a standstill. Do you have ideas how to get these projects moving and similar projects moving? 

The issues with housing development seems to fall more on all the restriction from the State Department, such as DEC and Army Corp of Engineering.  They have very strick guild lines making developments expensive to produce. 

Eric Duquette

1. Summarize your educational background, primary employment, a little about your family and your past community involvement. How will/does your background make you an influential board member? 

I graduated from St. Johns Academy in 1984 and completed a 4-year apprenticeship through Canton ATC Program in coordination with the Local #1042 Carpenters Union Division. I am currently self-employed and own Duquette Building and Remodeling. Based here in Peru. I have been in business since 1991. Along my ride for the past 37 years has been my wife, Heidi Duquette. We have two children. Our oldest child is our daughter named Lindsay who is married to Casey Blair. They have two children named Owen and Leeland. Our second child is our son named Adam who is married to Olivia Duquette. Over the years I have been involved with various charities, fundraisers, and helping my local church. As a builder, I have also developed a 12-lot subdivision and worked closely with town officials. Having a long running background in building and development, I feel I have a wealth of knowledge and experience to bring to the town of Peru.

2. Why are you running for election to public office? 

I have co-owned and operated a business for the past 12 years with my wife Heidi, in the town of Peru. In doing so, I have become encouraged to help promote growth and ensure that our well-grounded community continues to flourish.

3. What Town issues concern you the most? 

Most recently, balancing the budget and addressing school and land taxes are top on my list of concerns.

4. The Town recently completed a multi-million dollar sewer system upgrade and faces an even more expensive upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant. About only 550 hamlet users will bear the cost of both projects. Do you have specific ideas how Peru can grow its sewer system user base? 

As a developer, a beneficial way to grow our sewer septic base is to bring in new developers and work effectively with our existing developers. Encouraging an influx of new housing, businesses, apartment complexes, senior housing, etc. will most likely need sewer and water. Therefore, our sewer and water base will increase and should lessen the cost to our existing users.

5. Do you think the town board should encourage affordable housing development, especially inside the water-sewer district? If yes, how could the town board encourage this development? 

I would be interested in revisiting the idea of affordable housing. It would be very effective to research other towns that have already worked on and completed such projects.

6. Peru’s two major housing developments (Buttonwood and Orchard View, i.e., Washington Street) are at a standstill. Do you have ideas how to get these projects moving and similar projects moving? 

Unfortunately, there are variables that I don’t know of that could be contributing to the standstill on some of these developments. Could it be the market, higher material costs, difficulty in bank lending, possibly? Visiting this issue is important and high on my list as well. We need to reach out to those developers and get this feedback.