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June 9, 2026 Town Board Meeting – The Senior Construction Manager at AES Northeast presented the near-term construction schedule for the wastewater treatment plant. The general contractor, Murnane Building Contractors, is set to arrive at the site on Monday, June 16, to erect signage, install electricity, and bring in trailers. Erosion control measures will follow the week of June 23. Metcalf mentioned that trucks will haul in 60,000 cubic yards of fill material and remove 10,000 cubic yards. With each dump truck carrying 20 cubic yards, this means 3,500 trucks will either enter or exit the site. Metcalf referred to the project as “trucking intensive.” The town has sent an advisory letter to residents on North Bend Street to inform them about the expected increase in traffic.
The board approved two initial payments for the wastewater plant upgrade: $28,139 to Triangle Electric and $116,850 to John Danforth & Co. The town is funding the project through both short-term and long-term borrowing.
Counselor Jim Douglass concluded that Dianne Miller’s records as Town Clerk and Tax Collector are “well-organized, with no exceptions” following his internal audit. Douglass also inquired about whether town personnel would be setting up pickleball nets at Sullivan Park, leading to a brief discussion, but no decision was reached.
Rick Barber, Chairman of the town’s America250 Committee, updated the board on plans to install a flagpole near two historical monuments at the Peru Dock.
Youth Director Kirsten Marion reported that instructors have been found for tennis and basketball. The program currently has three boys’ Peewee teams, three girls’ Peewee teams, two boys’ Grasshopper teams, two girls’ Grasshopper teams, one girls’ Pony team, and four T-Ball teams.
Assistant Highway Superintendent Tyler Jarvis reported maintenance issues with the grader and two trucks. One truck has been repaired and is back in service, but both roadside mowers are currently out of service, awaiting parts and repairs.
Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell reported that a new pickup truck arrived with issues related to its grill color. Additionally, the delivery of a plow truck ordered two years ago has been delayed because the box, front plow hitch, sander, and salt controls are still pending from the supplier. Farrell is considering changing suppliers as a result. He also indicated that tests have determined that the culverts on Fuller, Wescott, and Lyons Roads are located in wetlands, which means they require approval for replacement plans from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Furthermore, the Army Corps has yet to approve the plans for the closed Telegraph Road bridge.
Historian Helen Nerska is organizing a Peru History tour scheduled for Saturday, June 28, starting at the town hall at 10 a.m. Nerska and Chris Mullen will also host a history chat featuring members of the Peru Central Class of 1957 at the town hall on Monday, June 23.
Pam Barber has arranged the schedule for all summer concerts, which can be found on the town’s website.
The Peru Gazette expresses gratitude to Bill Baggs for videoing this meeting.
PERU | St. Augustine’s Church in Peru has announced the formation of the North Country Community Disaster Hub, a new regional initiative to provide coordinated response, training, and relief services in the event of natural disasters or community-wide emergencies.
The Hub will be located in the former St. Augustine’s School, now functioning as the parish center, directly across the street from the church. The facility will serve as a multi-purpose emergency response site, offering space for shelter, resource distribution, volunteer training, and collaborative planning with community partners throughout Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties.
“Our parish center has always been a place of service,” said Fr. Christopher Looby, pastor of St. Augustine’s. “Now it will also become a place of readiness and hope—ready to serve our neighbors in times of crisis.”
The North Country Community Disaster Hub is being developed in partnership with St. Joseph’s Outreach Center, The United Way, the American Red Cross, local Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) networks, county emergency services, and a growing number of nonprofit and faith-based partners. Planned upgrades to the facility include accessible showers, laundry facilities, and a generator system to ensure resilience during power outages.
In addition to infrastructure improvements, the Hub will host training events for shelter volunteers, trauma and crisis responders, and agency personnel preparing for possible Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) activations during large-scale emergencies.
The creation of the Disaster Hub reflects a growing commitment across the North Country to prepare collaboratively for future challenges—including storms, flooding, and prolonged outages—while building stronger bonds between service agencies, faith communities, and volunteers.
Further announcements, including upcoming training opportunities and community events, will be made in the coming weeks.
For more information contact Jackie Black at 518-561-5039.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik joined Congressman Randy Weber (R-TX) in reintroducing the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act.
The purpose of the legislation would allow BOP facilities otherwise classified as “Rest of the U.S.” jurisdictions to be included in a higher locality pay area as long as they fall within a 200-mile radius of an existing, higher-paying area. This will help compensate for the cost of living, commute times, and the hard work that staff at BOP facilities undertake every day.
“As the Representative of FCI Ray Brook, I am working to address the significant challenges our hardworking correctional officers are facing such as low staffing and retention issues,” said Chairwoman Stefanik. “Our COs put their lives on the line every single day and I am committed to addressing their staffing, compensation, and retirement issues in Congress.”
“Our correctional officers put their lives on the line day in and day out to keep our communities safe,” said Congressman Weber. “It’s time their pay reflects the seriousness of that responsibility. This commonsense bill ensures that correctional officers—whether they serve in Beaumont, Texas, or anywhere across this nation—are compensated fairly for the dangerous, essential work they perform every single day.”
Background:
Federal prisons located outside of established General Schedule locality pay areas fall in “Rest of U.S.” (RUS) locality pay. These facilities experience high levels of staff turnover and retirement, low morale, and increased mandatory overtime. Several of the BOP facilities classified as RUS are located within 200 miles of the nearest locality pay, meaning that these facilities are near enough to areas with higher cost of living, yet are unable to provide their workforce with wages that take into consideration cost of living and competitive pay opportunities located in comparable professional fields.
This results in understaffed prisons and overworked employees, creating a dangerous work environment for staff. Additionally, inmates are negatively impacted because there are not enough staff to supervise them, forcing prisons to scale back activities such as visitations, recreational time, and academic enrichment opportunities.
Plattsburgh Town Supervisor Michael Cashman says he has repeatedly asked for federal assistance to address the issues, but no serious action has been taken
Murnane Construction is the project’s general contractor
Most of the fill will be dumped into thismassive wastewater lagoon. It hasn’t been used for many years.
Approximately 3,500 truckloads of fill will enter or leave the jobsite
June 16, 2025, Peru, NY – Murnane Construction personnel arrived today to begin installing signs related to the upgrading Peru’s wastewater treatment plant. Following this, machines and equipment storage containers will be brought to the site.Then site preparation and construction will begin on the approximately $21 million project.
Recently, personnel from the Water-Sewer Department delivered increased traffic notices to residents of nearby North Bend Street. Although the construction site will largely be out of sight, the dump trucks traveling to and from the site will be very noticeable. AES Northeast Engineer Michael Metcalf estimates that approximately 3,500 dump truck loads will transport around 60,000 cubic yards of fill into the site and carry out about 10,000 cubic yards of material. The truck movement will affect everyone along their travel route.
June 28th, 10 am, Begins at Peru Town Hall, 3036 Main Street, Peru, 12972
Don’t miss our Town of Peru history walk with Helen Nerska, Christina Irwin Mullen, and Bob McGee. We will walk through downtown Peru from Main Street to Pleasant Street to Elm Street, concluding at the Heyworth/Mason Park. On the walk you will see the actual location and a large photo of the first Peru High School. Share your stories of Old Peru and hear new ones. The walk will be cancelled if it rains. Should you be unsure, call Helen at 513-582-7246 or Chris at 518-335-3639.
Plattsburgh, NY – The Valcour Battle Chapter Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) will present a reenactment of the public reading of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM in Veterans Park on the US Oval. The centerpiece of the event will be a dramatic interpretive reading by historian John Krueger, bringing the historic document to life. Additional participants include members of the Sons of the American Legion Post 1619 and the Legion Auxiliary. scouts from the Adirondack District Twin Rivers Council of Scouting America, and scouts from the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York.
This free community event, held rain or shine, invites attendees of all ages to commemorate the 249th anniversary of America’s independence. The program will last approximately one hour. While limited seating is available, guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs.
Charlie Mitchell, President of the Valcour Battle Chapter, emphasized the importance of continuing this tradition. “We are proud to bring this patriotic event to our community. Celebrating the resolution to declare independence was exactly what John Adams envisioned when he wrote to his wife Abigail on July 2, predicting that the day ‘will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival,’” said Mitchell.
The Declaration of Independence, formally adopted on July 4, 1776, was publicly read in towns across the American colonies, spreading the monumental news to the people. This reenactment pays homage to that tradition.
The Valcour Battle Chapter, based in Plattsburgh, represents Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties. The Sons of the American Revolution is a nonprofit organization dedicated to historical education, patriotic observances, and preserving the legacy of those who fought for American independence. The SAR is proud to serve on the planning committee for Clinton County America’s 250th observance. In addition to celebrating the Declaration of Independence, other SAR activities throughout the year include observing George Washington’s birthday by donating a book related to American independence to a local library, supporting the DAR commemorations at Fort Chambly the 1776 Battle of Valcour on Lake Champlain, and honoring the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers through the Wreaths Across America program
State Senator Dan Stec News Release of 6/5/25 – A constitutional amendment sponsored by Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) to facilitate the sale of Camp Gabriels in the Town of Brighton in Franklin County passed the state Senate today. Senate bill S548 enables the property to be sold or leased and ensures that the funds from the sale go toward forest preserve acquisition in the Adirondack Park. This is the fifth consecutive year Stec’s legislation has passed the Senate and still awaits first passage in the Assembly.
Passage of this legislation in both houses of the Legislature this year is the necessary first step in making the amendment a reality. It must pass both houses this year, and again in 2027 or 2028 during the new Legislative Session before it can be eligible for voters.
“The continued dormancy of the Camp Gabriels facility has had a negative impact on our local economy and quality of life,” Stec said. “If we’re serious about repurposing closed prisons and using them as economic drivers, a constitutional amendment to facilitate the sale of Camp Gabriels is necessary. Passing it removes this financial liability from the state and helps our region move forward on projects to generate the jobs, revenue and economic activity we’ve needed in Franklin County since Camp Gabriels closed in 2009.
“In addition to the economic potential, this amendment ensures we continue forest preservation in the Adirondack Park for years to come,” he continued. “I’m hopeful that the Assembly will also take action this year, as it is the vital next step in bringing this amendment to voters and ensuring this site can improve our region.”
Local Food, Artisans, and Community Gather Weekly Across the Region
Lewis, NY – The 2025 summer farmers’ market season is officially underway across the Adirondack region, offering an array of locally grown and made food, unique crafts, and a sense of community. From Memorial Day weekend through early fall, markets will be held weekly in towns throughout the Adirondacks.
Shoppers can look forward to fresh vegetables, meats, eggs, dairy, maple, baked goods, flowers, handmade goods, and more – all sourced directly from local farmers and artisans. Many markets also feature live music, food trucks, and family-friendly activities, including Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Power of Produce (POP) Club and Master Gardener Volunteers.
The POP Club is a free kids’ program that offers hands-on activities and a chance for kids to taste and engage with local produce. Kids learn about farms and food through scavenger hunts, trivia, games, taste tests, and more; after participating in activities, all youth ages 5-12 receive $5 to select their own fresh fruit or vegetable at the market! After a successful 2024 season reaching over 300 youth, we are excited to expand POP Club to more Essex County markets, including Schroon Lake, Ticonderoga, Port Henry, and Crown Point. The schedule of participating markets will be posted weekly on Adirondack Harvest’s Facebook Page.
Shoppers using SNAP/EBT and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) benefits are welcome at many local markets, and Double Up Food Bucks are available at some locations to stretch food dollars even further.
You can find up-to-date information about all 2025 farmers’ markets in the greater Adirondack region, including participating vendors and benefit program details, at adirondackharvest.com/markets. __
The Robert J. Uplinger Award for service and commitment to the community was presented to John & Jean Ryan. Pictured (L-R) are Lion President Larry Shanley, John Ryan (accepting the award on behalf of his wife and himself), and Lion David Dalton.
Lion President Larry Shanley presents a certificate of recognition to Tom Brown for his participation in the organization of the Tour de Force charity run and bike race.
The Melvin Jones Fellow was presented in memory of Lion Robert Washbourne for his dedicated humanitarian services.
Lion Kay Washbourne accepts the Melvin Jones Fellow Award on behalf of her late husband, Robert Washbourne, from Lion Larry Shanley, President, and Lion David Dalton, Past President.
Past Presidents, Lion Ed Eisele (l) and Lion David Dalton (r) present the Lion of the Year Award to Lion Larry Shanley, President of the Peru Lions Club.
Plattsburgh, NY – The Valcour Battle Chapter Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) will present a reenactment of the public reading of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM in Veterans Park on the US Oval. The centerpiece of the event will be a dramatic interpretive reading by historian John Krueger, bringing the historic document to life. Additional participants include members of the Sons of the American Legion Post 1619 and the Legion Auxiliary. scouts from the Adirondack District Twin Rivers Council of Scouting America, and scouts from the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York.
Local Food, Artisans, and Community Gather Weekly Across the Region
