The Peru Gazette

“With crime rising across New York State, I feel it is necessary to once again urge the State to make necessary changes to bail reform. I voted against bail reform in 2019 because I was concerned about how it would negatively impact public safety. I have continuously advocated to make important changes that will address these concerns such as adding judicial discretion, and held a roundtable in 2020 for law enforcement, district attorneys, and emergency personnel to discuss the problems they experienced with bail reform. Since bail reform was passed, many North Country residents have reached out to my office because they are concerned about these new reforms, including social service agencies and addiction services organizations that are able to provide important mental health and addiction support while people await their trial in jail. Domestic violence organizations and law enforcement agencies have also expressed concerns about how removing bail also removes what law enforcement calls a cooling off period that allows domestic violence survivors to seek safety and avoid aggression from abusers due to their arrest. Recently, New York City Mayor Eric Adams also called to make changes to bail reform as a former NYPD police officer and it’s time that we listen to people who have experience in law enforcement and bring those perspectives to the table when discussing bail reform.”

This month’s Strictly Business magazine features its annual forum where local leaders review challenges in the past year and look forward to the year ahead. It’s a good opportunity to learn about our next-generation leaders. Source: Strictly Business | New York’s Source for Business Information

Source: Stefanik hauls in $10 million in 2021, breaking records and continuing GOP trend | Fox News

Click here to view minutes posted on Town of Peru Website

Click here to view minutes as published on the town’s website.

011022 reg mtg minutes uploaded to Peru Gazette’s website. 

Source: Bills GM still ‘sick to my stomach’ about Chiefs game: 7 takeaways from Brandon Beane’s press conference – syracuse.com

Source: The 25 biggest concerts coming to Upstate NY in 2022 (tickets, more info) – syracuse.com

Adirondack Boy Scout camps’ numbers in decline By Tim Rowland

Source: Summer camp sell-off: The end of an era? – Adirondack Explorer

Source: Hochul appoints Office of Gun Violence Prevention director | Sun Community News ALBANY | Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced the appointment of Calliana S. Thomas as the Director of the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention. 

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Source: Four Reasons Whiteface is Better for Snowboarders

Source: David Ortiz elected to Baseball Hall of Fame; Bonds, Clemens, Schilling fall short – syracuse.com

Source: New York mask mandate reinstated by court day after being overturned by judge – syracuse.com

Source: Consumer Protection: Beware of free online test kit scams | Sun Community News ALBANY | The New York State Division of Consumer Protection is warning about scammers taking advantage of the free COVID-19 test government program to steal personal information

Source: Local school districts explain continued mask guidance | Sun Community News PLATTSBURGH | School districts across Clinton County and the state were inundated with calls from parents after a downstate Supreme Court decision found New York’s current public m

Source: Prepping for a better maple season in the North Country | NCPR News

New Requirement for Neonicotinoids Will Help Prevent Potentially Harmful Exposure to Honeybees and Other Beneficial Insects

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced actions to limit the unrestricted use of pesticides that can harm bee and other pollinator populations. DEC is reclassifying certain products containing the neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticides imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and acetamiprid as “restricted use” to ensure applications are limited to trained pesticide applicators in specific situations. Restricting the use of these pesticides enables DEC to collect new data to determine where, when, and how they are used, as well as their potential impacts.

“Protecting pollinators is a top priority, and today’s action to restrict the use of these neonicotinoid pesticides is another important step in our ongoing efforts to safeguard these species that are crucial to New York’s environment, agricultural economy, and biodiversity,” Commissioner Seggos said. “Reclassifying these pesticides will ensure they are only used in targeted instances by qualified professional applicators, and only available for sale to certified applicators which will further protect public health and the environment.” Read more »

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Source: ‘Antiques Roadshow’ is coming to Vermont for the first time

PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Strand Center for the Arts is excited to announce its Community Gallery Show on view in the Main Gallery at 23 Brinkerhoff Street from February 4 to February 25, 2022. The Community Gallery Show Opening Reception will take place Friday, February 4 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM and is open to the public.

For this show, the Strand Center welcomed works from all artists in the community. This collaborative exhibition features a breadth of work including photography, sculpture, painting, pastels, ceramics, stained glass, printmaking, and drawing.

Concerning the exhibit, Gallery Director David Monette stated, “We got the idea for this type of show, where the community artists, whether they are Strand Center members or not, are invited to hang their work in our space, from the success of the Pop-Up Shows we had during the height of the pandemic. Folks were so appreciative and excited to have their work displayed, we thought, ‘Hey! Let’s show our spruced-up gallery off to as wide a range of people as possible.”

The Community Gallery Show will be on view from February 4 to February 25, 2022. The exhibition opening is Friday, February 4 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. This event is free to the public. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.  For more information on these exhibits, upcoming events, concerts or classes happening at The Strand Center for the Arts please call 518-563-1604 or visit strandcenter.org.

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) stated that it is not the right time for the new Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirement for commercial driver license (CDL) workers to be implemented by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) due to concerns on how the program will impact the CDL driver shortage. He sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg requesting the new requirement be delayed or modified.

“As the country continues to face a shortage of CDL drivers, I’m concerned that the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) rule change to the minimum training requirements for CDL drivers will create more problems than it solves,” said Jones. “Small businesses are already bearing the brunt of global supply chain shortages, increasing transit costs and delaying supply deliveries, and part of this disruption is due to a need for more CDL drivers. This new requirement will only exacerbate the shortage of drivers and worsen current supply chain issues.”

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued a requirement for CDL applicants to complete ELDT starting on Feb. 7, 2022, as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21). Prospective CDL applicants without a Commercial Learners’ Permit (CLP) before Feb. 7 will need to complete the training course before taking the test and receiving their CDL. Many shipping companies and school districts are already facing issues with the supply chain and finding new bus drivers. Now is not the time to enact new policies that make it even more difficult for employers to hire new drivers, noted Jones.