The Peru Gazette

 Grand Isle, VT – Cornell CALS PRO DAIRY will teach engineering standards for barnyard runoff control and vegetative treatment areas to agricultural field professionals on April 27^th at the Miner Institute in Chazy, New York. The presenters will share information about opportunities and challenges in designing best management practices that reduce the loss of phosphorus from farmland, protect water quality and help dairy farms become more sustainable. NYS Soil and Water Conservation District and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service managers will also describe economic incentives available for farmers who wish to protect water quality by installing best management practices.  

Many best management practices require an engineered design before a farmer can apply for funding assistance to implement the practice on the farm.  Agricultural practices such as clean water abatement from barn roofs, vegetated treatment areas, and barnyard runoff controls have engineering standards that must be met for proper installation. Four successful local farm projects will be featured as a portion of this training.    

Participants who complete the full training may receive up to 0.8 continuing education credits from Cornell. The course fee is $50 and participants may register by emailing Heather Darrow at hh96@cornell.edu. The registration deadline is April 22, 2022. For meeting questions, contact Peter Wright at pew2@cornell.edu.  

This training program is hosted by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY, Cornell Cooperative Extension, New York Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lake Champlain Basin Program, and NEIWPCC. This work will help achieve the Clean Water and Healthy ecosystem goals of the LCBP’s long-term management plan Opportunities for Action (plan.lcbp.org). The program is supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC on behalf of the LCBP by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  

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Peru Town Board meeting of April 11, 2022

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“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that Central New York is considered a high-transmission zone for the coronavirus, and urges residents to wear masks indoors, including at schools, in Cayuga, Onondaga and Oswego counties. The state Department of Health expanded that masking recommendation to Cortland and Madison counties.”

Source: Covid hospitalizations jump in Onondaga County as cases keep rising – syracuse.com

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Assemblyman Billy Jones makes a speech on the Assembly floor about the inclusion of his Fair Play Ambulance Act in the state budget.

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) announced he helped pass a 2022-23 state budget that invests in several crucial public sectors to provide economic relief for North Country residents including funding for agriculture, education, infrastructure and tax relief to families and businesses.

“With rising inflation, it was necessary to pass a comprehensive state budget that brings home real results and provides much-needed relief to North Country families,” said Jones. “From bolstering services for our brave service members to securing tax cuts for middle-class families and businesses, the final budget makes significant investments in North Country communities. As New York’s recovery continues, I’ll keep working with my Assembly colleagues to move our state forward.”

To help address rising costs North Country families are facing, the state budget accelerates the phase-in of middle-class tax cuts, suspends the state’s gas tax to help New Yorkers save at the pump, provides $2.2 billion in property tax rebate checks as well as cuts taxes by $100 million for New York small businesses, in addition to $250 million for tax credits to COVID-19-related expenses.

Education and Infrastructure Funding Read more »

Source: 50 years strong, District No. 3 recognized for decades of service | Sun Community News PLATTSBURGH | Local lawmakers, families and fellow volunteers alike recently honored District No. 3 Fire Department, its charter members and its five decades of service

Assemblyman Jones joins Town of Franklin Supervisor Dorothy Brown, Highway Superintendent Jacques DeMars and highway department employees on Monday for a tour of the town’s new garage. 

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) announced that he secured $500,000 for the town of Franklin to help with expenses relating to the rebuild of the town highway garage after it was destroyed by a fire in December 2019. Jones announced the funding as he toured the new facility.

“The morning after the fire, I was there on the ground to see the damages firsthand and to offer any assistance I could provide,” said Jones. “As a representative of a rural region, I understand from experience the importance of upkeeping our local infrastructure. The highway department manages critical equipment and ensures everyone can safely travel on our roads, especially in the colder months. That’s why I fought to secure $500,000 in funding for the reconstruction of the town of Franklin’s garage and I’ll continue working to ensure these crucial departments have the funding they need to keep our communities safe.”

The fire 2019 fire destroyed the town’s highway department garage along with four vehicles and several other pieces of equipment, and unfortunately, it was a total loss and all the town’s serviceable plow trucks were destroyed.^[1] In 2020, Assemblyman Jones met with town officials to discuss the plans for a $1.3 million garage where the town will park its trucks, plows and other vehicles.^[2] To help rebuild the town garage, Assemblyman Jones secured $500,000 in state funding.^[3]

“The funding and assistance Assemblyman Jones provided were huge,” said Jacques DeMars, Town of Franklin Highway Superintendent. “He was there for us in our time of need and went above and beyond to make sure we had the funding to make this possible. I want to thank Assemblyman Jones for his assistance and for taking the time to see our new facility.”

“Assemblyman Jones securing $500.000 in funding for the Highway Garage was a relief as we planned to rebuild after the fire,” said Dorothy Brown, Town of Franklin Supervisor. “We were able to construct a bigger and better building that our Highway Department could be proud of. I want to thank Assemblyman Jones for being our advocate and securing these funds for the Town of Franklin.”

Audit Finds Many NY School Districts Lack Sufficient Staff for Mental Health Services and Adequate Oversight of Mental Health Education

Too many New York school districts’ mental health teams are understaffed, with too few available services and inconsistent and limited oversight of mental health education for students, an audit by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found.

“The upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis for many students in New York, but not enough is being done to make sure they are getting the information and support they need,” DiNapoli said. “The State Education Department should work with state and local entities to ensure resources to address the problem are available and prioritize mental health instruction and outreach among school districts so students and staff can recognize warning signs of distress and know how to get help. I’m encouraged that the department responded positively to our recommendations.”

According to the American Psychological Association, over 80% of teens experienced more intense school-related stress due to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2020, mental health emergency room visits rose 24% among 5- to 11-year-olds and 31% among 12- to 17-year-olds. In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning of an urgent mental health crisis among America’s youth.

Prior to the pandemic, the State Education Department (SED) published guidance and resources for mental health education on its website and, during the pandemic, gave school districts further instruction about the importance of checking on students’ mental health and promoting the availability of resources for those in distress.

But as DiNapoli’s audit shows, most of the state’s 686 districts outside of New York City entered the pandemic with mental health teams that were far short of nationally recommended staff-to-student ratios: Read more »

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