The Peru Gazette

A reenactment of the public reading of the Declaration of Independence will be presented by the Valcour Battle Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at 10 AM at Veterans Park on the US Oval. The highlight of the event will be John Krueger’s portrayal of the reading of the Declaration.

The program will last about an hour and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating. The event is free and will be held rain or shine. All ages are invited to join this commemoration of the 246th anniversary of America’s birth as a nation.

“We are proud to bring this patriotic event to the community and enjoy doing it,” remarked Craig Russell, President of the Valcour Battle Chapter. “Celebrating the resolution to declare independence was exactly what John Adams had in mind when he wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 ‘will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival…’” The Declaration of Independence, formally justifying the break with Great Britain, was adopted two days later on July 4th. Over the next weeks, the Declaration was read in many communities throughout the states, delivering the news of independence to the American people.

The SAR is a non-profit, historical, educational, and patriotic organization. The local chapter, based in Plattsburgh, encompasses Clinton, Essex, and Franklin counties. The SAR supports excellence in teaching American history, participates in patriotic observances and supports research and preservation of historic materials relating to the men and women who fought or gave service for independence in the American Revolutionary War. The Valcour Battle Chapter also honors the graves of the Revolutionary War soldiers and patriots in conjunction with the Wreaths Across America program.

If you have questions or need further information about the event, contact Bud Smith at 518-578-5594 or cheman207@yahoo.com

By John T. Ryan 

Peru – Customers purchasing apples at Forrence Orchards’ Route 22 packing house over the past few months may have noticed a significant change in its apple packing operations. There’s a new machine in operation; it’s called a sizing machine. The hard-working staff no longer visually examines every apple to determine its grade – Extra Fancy, Fancy, or Utility. Instead, as is the case in almost every industry, computers have entered the process.  

Packhouse Manager Henry Forrence explained why the orchard decided to buy the new Tomra-Compac sizer. He stated, “The cost of labor is either fixed or increasing. Today, it’s increasing, so we need to increase our efficiency. The grading is now automated as opposed to having to be done by a human. By automating decision-making, we’ve made every hour worked more efficient. Using our last generation machine our staff had to pick up every apple and decide its grade – Extra Fancy, Fancy or Utility. This machine looks at about 400 different criteria, cameras take 15 pictures of every apple and based on the criteria that I input, it determines the apple’s grade.” Criteria include such factors as size, weight, color, and defects. After grading, the machine directs the apples to the appropriate packing station. All this takes place at between 500 and 650 apples per minute.  

Carolee Furnia, a 27-year Forrence employee, controls the sizing machine from a platform overlooking the packhouse floor. She said, “I’ve been through three generations of machines. This one is a big change.” Each morning Henry Forrence informs Furnia what apple sizes, quantities, and packaging are needed to satisfy Forrence’s customer orders. She enters the information into one of the system’s five computers, monitors three computer screens, and ensures that the job gets done. 

Patti Chase, a 22-year packhouse employee, commented as she tied a bag destined for one of America’s best-known chain stores. “I don’t know if I could ever return to the old machine.” Diane Plummer, an eight-year employee working alongside Chase, agreed. Both Chase and Plummer appeared to enjoy and take pride in their essential work.

Forrences were packing their beautiful McIntosh apples when the Peru Gazette visited. Our video traces the apple’s journey into a water flume, where they float onto the packing line. Then, they pass through a succession of machines to be washed, waxed, dried, photographed, graded, weighed, labeled, transported to a packaging station, placed in a bag or tray, boxed, and palletized.  Henry Forrence did a quick estimate of the total pounds of apples produced by Peru orchardists each year.  It’s a big number – 50 million pounds. 

6/23/22 correction  – 50 million pounds was incorrectly stated as 20 million pounds.