Alex Cone
Hunter Young
Plattsburgh, N.Y. – Clinton Community College is proud to announce the valedictorian and salutatorian for the 2025 Commencement Ceremony, which will be held on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. in the Forrence Center on campus.
This year’s valedictorian is Alex Cone, an applied psychology major graduating summa cum laude. Known for her academic drive and passion for learning, Alex has dedicated much of her life to her education. A family-oriented individual, she chose Clinton Community College because it was affordable, close to home, and offered a smooth transition to her next institution of choice—SUNY Binghamton.
Alex will graduate with an associate degree in applied psychology. She credits Clinton for helping her prepare for her future by offering courses that met necessary general education requirements, providing opportunities to participate in cross-country, and fostering both personal and academic success. She was recently awarded the Excellence in Psychology Award for the Spring 2025 semester.
In addition to her academic achievements, Alex served as Student Senate President for the 2024–2025 academic year and was an active member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She plans to continue her education at SUNY Binghamton, where she will study psychology and neuroscience, join student clubs, and pursue both fun and challenging coursework.
The 2025 salutatorian is Hunter Young, a first-generation college student earning his associate degree in humanities and social science. Hunter is graduating summa cum laude with merit and is a proud member of the Honors Program at Clinton. Hunter spent countless hours in the library working on class projects and built a close relationship with the Learning Commons staff, who supported his academic journey every step of the way.
As part of the Honors Program, Hunter had the opportunity to take part in class trips—including one to Albany to meet Assemblyman Billy Jones. These trips sparked curiosity and inspired big-picture thinking, helping to “open windows” in Hunter’s brain. After diving into online reading and research, Hunter developed a strong interest in computer systems and networks. He will transfer to SUNY Plattsburgh in the fall to pursue a degree in computer security.
Clinton Community College is proud of Alex and Hunter for everything they’ve achieved. Their stories are a testament to the transformative power of education and the opportunities that begin at Clinton.
Posted: May 16th, 2025 under Adirondack Region News, Education News, Northern NY News.
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Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) honored Queensbury resident Renee Reardon at the Senate’s 2025 Women of Distinction ceremony yesterday in Albany. Reardon is a local entrepreneur, who owns two Queensbury McDonald’s, and is well-known in the community for being an active participant in and supporter of numerous non-profit endeavors.
Reardon sponsors School Nights for her alma mater Corinth and has helped raise more than $40,000 for the school’s Community Scholarship since 2000. She has also been a vital part of the region’s Ronald McDonald House Charity, serving on the Board of Directors for the Albany Chapter and hosting the Annual Reardon Cup to honor her late husband, Michael. That event, since its creation in 1996, has raised more than $1.5 million dollars for the local Ronald McDonald House.
Stec selected Reardon as his pick for this year’s Women of Distinction class, hailing both her entrepreneurship and ongoing commitment to giving back to her community, whether through her work with Ronald McDonald House or her ongoing support of local firefighters and first responders.
“It was my privilege to nominate Renee Reardon for this year’s New York State Senate Women of Distinction,” said Stec. “Renee is a pillar of her community and consistently goes above and beyond in her effort to enhance the quality of life for all those around her. She’s a selfless advocate and truly committed to helping others.
“I was glad to have a chance to celebrate Renee and her accomplishments here in Albany and publicly acknowledge everything she does. Being named one of the Senate’s Women of Distinction is an honor that’s richly deserved,” he added.
Posted: May 16th, 2025 under Business News, Community Events, Northern NY News, State Government News, State Legislator News.
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The Babbie Rural & Farm Learning Museum is thrilled to announce the unveiling of its new museum sign. Peru School students, along with their teacher, designed and painted the new sign. The sign will be revealed during a special 10:00 AM ceremony on the museum’s opening day, Saturday, May 17th.
To celebrate this special occasion, the museum invites the public to its 250 River Road, Peru location, to join the unveiling ceremony. Complimentary cider and donuts will be served from 10 – 11 AM.
For further information, please contact Lee Ledesma, Museum Director, at (518) 643-8052.
Posted: May 16th, 2025 under Adirondack Region News, Agricultural News, Community Events, General News, Northern NY News, Peru News, Peru School News, Youth News.
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Peru Gazette 2024 tour photo
Join Town of Peru Historian Helen Nerska with Bob McGee and Christina Irwin Mullen for a history walk through downtown Peru from Main Street to Pleasant Street to Elm Street and concluding at the Heyworth/Mason Park. Share your stories of Old Peru and hear new ones.
Should weather be a concern, call Helen at 513-582-7246 or Chris at 518-335-3639.
Posted: May 16th, 2025 under Adirondack Region News, Community Events, General News, Northern NY News, Peru News, Peru/Regional History, Things to do in & near Peru.
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Assemblyman Jones News Release
The State Budget passed last night that included several victories for economic development, older adults, recreation, agriculture, veterans, education, and local governments. This includes $1.7 million increase in library aid, $21.4 million for teacher resource centers, a $1.4 billion increase to foundation aid for local school districts, $2.5 billion in capital funding and an additional $8 million in operational funding for SUNY campuses, $8 billion to eliminate the state’s unemployment insurance debt, $90 million for workforce development, $500 million for financially distressed hospitals, $30 million in additional funding for nursing home rates, $55 million for Nourish NY, $58 million for the Hunger Nutrition Assistance Program, $400 million in additional funding for child care subsidy enrollment, and an additional $100 million for CHIPS funding to improve local roads and highways.
Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) is relieved that the budget includes funding to cover the state’s unemployment insurance debt. “It is about time that New York State addressed the unemployment insurance debt instead of making businesses across the state pay higher premiums,” Jones said. “It is great news that this relief was included in this year’s budget so that businesses can have relief from these unemployment bills. I have been pushing for the payoff of the unemployment insurance debt along with the North Country Chamber of Commerce, Business Council, and NFIB, because I know it will help businesses in the North Country and across the state deal with mandated higher cost and give them some relief to help with their bottom line. This is a major victory for our business community.
Additionally, the state budget includes tax cuts and inflation checks for working New Yorkers, and an expansion of the STAR property tax program. The state budget also allocated funding for the New York Opportunity Promise Scholarship program for free tuition to community colleges for degrees in manufacturing, cybersecurity, and nursing, and the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Veterans Support Program, and free school meals for all.
Jones pushed for $3.5 million for the local tourism matching grants program in the budget, as well as $500 million for water infrastructure projects and $25 million for the volunteer fire department capital grant program. As chair of the Local Governments committee, Jones fought to include $758 in Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) funding, including an additional $50 million for temporary relief. To further support North Country residents, Jones also secured.
- $251,000 for the Maple Producers’ Association;
- $300,000 for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program;
- $200,000 for the Older Adult Technology Services that operates Senior Planet;
- $100,000 for Enlisted for Life veterans program;
- $225,000 for NAmTrans;
- $500,000 for Visitor Interpretive Centers at Paul Smith’s College and SUNY ESF;
- $250,000 for the Adirondack Mountain Club visitor center;
- $100,00 for the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA)
“While it was a frustrating process to get the final state budget passed, I am proud to have secured funding for important programs in the North Country,” said Jones. “Between funding for road infrastructure, childcare, water infrastructure, education, and economic development, this budget will be beneficial to the district in many ways.”
There were aspects of the budget that Jones did not support, including the closure of up to three correctional facilities this fiscal year. “I voted no for prison closures because that is not the solution to the problems with safety and staffing at our correctional facilities,” said Jones. “Overall, I was very disappointed that there was absolutely nothing included in the state budget to increase safety and staffing at correctional facilities. This is no way to support the hardworking men and woman who continue to work at these facilities and leaves them feeling abandoned by the state.”
Posted: May 16th, 2025 under Law Enforcement News, Peru/Regional History, Political News, State Government News, State Legislator News, Statewide News.
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Enacted SFY 2025-26 Budget Includes $37.6 Billion in School Aid
Enacted Budget Includes $1.4 Billion Increase in Foundation Aid and Changes to the Foundation Aid Formula
Speaker Carl Heastie, Education Committee Chair Michael Benedetto and Libraries and Educational Technology Chair Robert Caroll today announced the Enacted State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025-26 Budget provides $37.6 billion in funding to the General Support for Public Schools (GSPS), a $1.7 billion increase from the 2024-25 school year (SY).
“This enacted budget highlights the Assembly Majority’s commitment to providing our students all the resources they need to thrive in and out of the classroom,” said Speaker Heastie. “By securing additional funding and new policies to make our students and educators lives easier, we’re providing our schools the ability to foster a supportive and complete educational environment.”
“As a former educator, I understand the tools our teachers need to create a space for all children to grow,” said Assemblymember Benedetto. “By expanding coverage to universal school meals and restricting cell phone usage within the classroom, we’re providing our educators the resources they need to focus students on learning rather than external factors.”
“Libraries are among our most vital and democratic civic institutions and as Chair of the Committee on Libraries and Education Technology, I am especially proud of the critical funding we are providing for libraries in this budget,” said Assemblymember Carroll. “At a time when the federal government is cutting funds for libraries and cultural organizations, this support is all the more necessary so libraries can fulfill their mission as centers of learning and community engagement.”
The enacted budget includes $26.4 billion in funding for Foundation Aid, a $1.4 billion increase over SY 2024-25. There will also be changes to the Foundation Aid formula by:
- Increasing the English Language Learner factor increases from 0.5 to 0.53;
- Updating the Westchester Regional Cost from 1.314 to 1.351;
- Further changes to improve the State Sharing Ratio (SSR);
- Changing from the 2000 Census Poverty Data to Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) data;
- Changing from Free and Reduced-Price Lunch (FRPL) data to Economically Disadvantaged Data; and
- Providing a 2 percent minimum increase.
The enacted budget also includes:
- $59 million to expand Special Services Aid to include ninth grade students, and a commitment to increase the BOCES reimbursable teacher salary cap over the next four years;
- $21.4 million restoration for Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers;
- $1.5 million additional funding for Schools for the Blind and Deaf, a total of $115 million, and a restoration of $4.4 million in funds for individual schools;
- $4 million in restored funding for nonpublic schools;
- $1.5 million restoration for the Consortium for Workers Education (CWE), for a total of $13 million; and
- $1 million restoration for Adult Career and Continuing Education Services (ACCES).
Universal School Lunch
The enacted budget also provides $340 million for expanded universal school meals, a $120 million expansion to ensure all children can thrive within the classroom without worrying where their next meal will come from.
Restricting Cell Phone Usage in School
The enacted budget includes a “bell to bell” restriction of smartphones or other internet-enabled personal devices in K-12 schools across the state. This total restriction ensures schools are distraction-free zones where students can focus on learning and socializing with their classmates during class, lunch and study periods.
To aid schools in developing their own plans, the enacted budget secured $13.5 million to support the purchase of storage devices.
My Brother’s Keeper
Since 2016, New York has secured almost $200 million for the My Brother’s Keeper initiative to provide professional, developmental and educational opportunities that seek to address issues related to restorative justice and racial disparities in education. The enacted budget provides $28 million to the program.
Libraries and Cultural Education
The enacted budget also makes critical investments in our libraries, increasing Library Operating Aid by $1.7 million for a total of $106 million. Additional investments include:
- $10 million in additional Library Capital, for a total of $44 million;
- $1.2 million restoration for Summer School for the Arts;
- $125,000 restoration for Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, for a total of $500,000;
- $110,000 restoration and increase for the Langston Hughes Community Library, for a total of $222,500; and
- $100,000 for the Brooklyn Public Library Center for Brooklyn History.
Posted: May 16th, 2025 under Peru/Regional History, Political News, State Government News, State Legislator News, Statewide News.
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The North Country Chamber of Commerce is welcoming the full funding of two Adirondack investments in the new 2025/26 State Budget.
“The Legislature embraced the full $110 million for ORDA requested by the Governor, and also approved the $10 million in funding needed to move forward with the new APA headquarters project in downtown Saranac Lake,” notes Garry Douglas, Chamber President. “The continued investment in ORDA and its venues demonstrates well placed confidence in Ashley Walden and her team, as well as a welcome understanding that the venues must be continually preserved and updated versus the up and down funding of many years ago. And fully funding the APA project will further bolster and transform downtown Saranac Lake, building on the DRI, the hotels and other recent investments.”
The Chamber viewed both appropriations as economic development priorities this year, along with the approval of $100 million in new funding for the FAST NY Program for development-supporting infrastructure. Douglas thanks Governor Hochul, legislative leaders and state legislators including Assemblyman Billy Jones who secured the support of Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins who was responsive to outreach by the Chamber after the APA project was initially omitted from the Senate budget. |
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Posted: May 15th, 2025 under Adirondack Region News, Business News, Northern NY News, State Government News, State Legislator News.
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Peru Free Library is seeking an increase in funding through Proposition 3 on the school board & budget ballot. If the proposition is approved by voters, the cost to individual property owners would be modest. For example, a homeowner whose home is assessed at $200,000 would pay a total of $2.89 to support the library for a full year. The small increase for individuals would accrue to a $10,000 increase in community funding for the library. Library funds are used to directly support community members of all ages. The funding increase requested via Proposition 3 will allow the library to continue providing the community with support staff, books and other educational materials, free printing and photocopying, free use of public computers, technology support, free wifi, study spaces, tutoring and early intervention accommodations, weekly story hour, and home-schooled family instructional space. It will also support continued year-round children’s programming, all-ages art classes, art exhibits, special events, and community learning opportunities. As the costs for running the library and library services have risen over the years, it has become necessary to request this increase in funding.
Proposition 3 is a separate item from the school budget. The vote will take place on Tuesday, May 20th from 1 pm to 8 pm at Peru High School. All registered voters in Peru are eligible to vote.
Marque Moffett, Vice President of the Peru Free Library Board of Trustees
Posted: May 13th, 2025 under Adirondack Region News, Education News, Peru Library News, Peru News, Peru/Regional History.
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L-R Owen Fuller, Zoee Corrigan
Zoee’s campaign bracelet
By John T Ryan
Plattsburgh, NY CV-TEC students recently returned from the April 23-25 New York State Skills USA competition with three state championships and ten medals. Peru High School juniors Zoee Corrigan and Owen Fuller were among them. Zoee Corrigan won 1st Place in the NYS Officer at Large Competition, and Owen Fuller finished second in the Automotive Service Technology competition. When the students arrived back from Syacuse, a large crowd of well-wishers lined the CV-TEC driveway.
Nicole Santaniello, CV-TEC’s Lead Skills USA advisor, described the program, “Skills USA is a national student-led career education program. Adults guide the students and help bring their ideas to life. It emphasizes career skills, but “soft sklls” such as flexibility, teamwork and adaptability are also part of the program. We work for a well-rounded student with community service opportunities, fundraising, and competitions.”
In March, Zoee Corrigan and and Owen Fuller were among 450 students who competed in the regional Skills USA competition in Albany; neither one won, but it gave them the experience they needed at the state level competition.
Campaigning for office was part of competing for the Officer at Large title. Zoee explained, “I’ve been campaigning since March. I handed out bracelets, made campaign materials and a display board, answered randomized questions, and gave a speech.”
Advisor Nicole Santaniello stated, “We haven’t had anyone compete for a state officer position in at least twenty years. Zoee is very strong and passionate about Skills USA. Her speech in Syracuse was very, very good, and her win was exciting for our school. In June, she’ll compete in the national competition in Atlanta. There she’ll participate in leadership training and mingle with other students. They’ll get to know one another and choose who will be in next year’s leadership positions.
Regarding Owen Fuller, Santaniello said, “Owen has only participated in Skills USA for about seven months. Many of the other competitors were seniors or went to comprehensive schools, where they participated for four years. Owen’s 2nd place finish demonstrated his natural talent and how good our teachers are.” Stephen Bassett is Owen’s Automotive Technology teacher at CV-TEC.
Owen Fuller talked about the Skills USA experience. “I came in third at regionals, I’m happy I beat the same people at States. I won a $8,000 scholarship to attend the University of Northwest Ohio, $7,500 at Ohio Tech, and $5,000 at Lincoln Welding. I enjoy being able to work on different vehicles and fixing problems.” Owen plans to attend the University of Northwest Ohio.”
Zoee Corrigan is the daughter of Robert and Michelle Corrigan. Owen Fuller is the son of Ronald Fuller and Linda Robertson.
Editors Note – I truly enjoyed interviewing Zoee and Owen. They were engaging, articulate, respecful and very happy. Thank you Principal Matt Berry for arranging the interview.
Posted: May 13th, 2025 under Adirondack Region News, Education News, Faces of Peru, General News, Northern NY News, Peru News, Peru School News.
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