The Peru Gazette

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POTSDAM, NY (01/20/2022)– Kaitlyn Lee Witt of Peru, NY, a junior majoring in computer science, was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2021 semester at Clarkson University.

Dean’s List students must achieve a minimum 3.25 grade-point average and also carry at least 14 credit hours.

As a private, national research university, Clarkson is a leader in technological education and sustainable economic development through teaching, scholarship, research and innovation. We ignite personal connections across academic fields and industries to create the entrepreneurial mindset, knowledge and intellectual curiosity needed to innovate world-relevant solutions and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow. With its main campus located in Potsdam, N.Y., and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region, Beacon, N.Y., and New York City, Clarkson educates 4,300 students across 95 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, the arts, education, sciences and health professions. Our alumni earn salaries that are among the top 2.5% in the nation and realize accelerated career growth. One in five already leads as a CEO, senior executive or owner of a company.

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Senator Stec is 3rd from left. His news release did not identify the others.

Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today joined several of his legislative colleagues in calling for Governor Hochul to end her healthcare workers vaccine mandate.

 “Because of the Governor’s mandate on health care workers, we’ve lost 34,000 skilled workers. We had a shortage of healthcare workers before the pandemic – now is not the time to show those willing to work the door,” Stec said. “It’s caused our hospitals and providers to struggle, and it’s put the wellbeing of our communities at risk.

“If we’re going to finally put the pandemic to rest, we must ensure our medical professionals have all the staff and resources they need,” he added. “Right now, that just isn’t happening. I urge the governor to rescind the vaccine mandate on healthcare workers and allow for a testing option, as we are for several other professions.”

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By John T. Ryan 

The Peru Town Board’s made several important decisions and discussed several import issues at its recent meetings. They include preparing construction bids for wastewater treatment plant upgrades, preparing bid specifications for Phase #2 of the ongoing sewer line upgrade project, the possibility of paying for an expensive Telegraph Rd. bridge and culvert construction, and taking advantage of an opportunity to extend the town’s walking trail. 

On October 25th, the town board authorized the issuance of $9,9454,421 in serial bonds to finance a state-required upgrade to the town’s wastewater treatment plant. Not long after that, the town learned it qualified for a 0% loan. At the board’s December 29th meeting, Water-Sewer Superintendent Courtney Tetrault reported that NYS awarded Peru two grants totaling $2,366,290 to help finance the project. The town has also applied for a grant to pay up to 25% of the project’s total cost.

AES Engineering is preparing bid specifications to remove a lagoon at the wastewater treatment plant. The lagoon has only been used during high water situations since the early 1990s. The lagoon space will make room for the plant upgrades. 

The town will soon advertise for bids for phase #2 of the ongoing sewer line upgrade project. Phase #2 involves installing a new sewer line from the Peru Community Church down Elm Street to almost Jarvis Road.  Along with improving service, the new line would enable the town to decommission an existing line from Sanborn Lane to Owens DriveRifenburg. Rifenburg Construction of Troy, NY is in the final stages of completing phase #1. 

Town Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell reported that the town might have to finance the entire cost of replacing the culvert and bridge on Telegraph Road near the Sullivan Road intersection. NYS didn’t include Peru in the latest NYS Bridges grant awards. Both structures are gradually eroding. Contractors hurriedly installed them following the 1998 floods. The town is pursuing further grants and the infrastructure bill Congress recently passed might be a help. 

When the Town of Peru constructed its walking trail, property owners John and Penny Clute granted an easement across their property for the portion of the trail exiting on Route 22. The town board periodically discussed extending the trail to Lapham Mills Park. Now, with the help of Assemblyman Billy Jones, the town has secured a $125,000 grant to purchase Clute’s 124-acre parcel. Town Attorney Matt Favro will attempt to reach a purchase agreement. The parcel extends north to within 1,700 feet the Lapham Mills Rd. The town would have to either get an easement or purchase the remaining 1,700 feet of property, plus build a bridge to reach the Lapham Mills Rd. 

The New York State Department of Labor Wage Board was expected to decide whether they would be lowering the overtime threshold for farmworkers from sixty to forty hours per week in 2020 but extended their decision until this year when they scheduled three additional hearings about the matter. Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) testified in front of the Wage Board on Tuesday evening, while Jesse Mulbury from Northern Orchard and Helen Giroux-Taylor from Giroux’s Poultry and Chazy Orchards testified earlier this month in support of maintaining the overtime threshold at sixty hours.

“I’ve had many conversations with farmers and farm workers across New York and they all are adamantly against lowering the overtime threshold,” said Assemblyman Jones. “Farmers follow the seasons and work long days during the spring and summer to make sure everything is harvested. It’s different than other industries and lowering the overtime threshold to forty hours is just impractical when farmers must fit in so much work in such a little amount of time. This is especially concerning not just for farmers but for migrant workers as well who come to the North Country from all over the world through H2A and other labor programs. I’ve talked to workers who have come to our region year after year to work at our farms who are worried that New York will lower the overtime threshold and they will no longer be able to afford to work in our state. Too many North Country farms have closed over the years because they just cannot make ends meet and lowering the overtime threshold will unfortunately cause more to close. It’s time to invest in our farms like the Governor laid out in her State of the State and make decisions that will positively impact this important industry and continue to bring fresh, locally made products to New Yorkers. Additionally, the state legislature has made it clear that they want to maintain the overtime threshold at sixty hours. So many farmers and farmworkers as well as my colleagues have testified before the Wage Board and I encourage you to listen to their pleas to keep the overtime threshold for farmworkers.”

“It is of utmost importance that farmers and farm workers in the state make themselves heard during these opportunities to testify,” said Jesse Mulbury, farm manager of Northern Orchard and chair of the New York Apple Association. “Farmers are grateful to Assemblyman Jones for taking the charge to help our voices be heard during the ongoing Wage Board hearings which threaten the viability of farming in New York. Agriculture is one of New York’s’ most important industries, and farmers are fighting to ensure that New York farms will be able to stay in business, provide stable jobs and opportunities for our employees, and produce heathy foods for our state and country. We are extremely concerned about the implications of lowering the overtime threshold any further. Many small farms are at their breaking point and need help from the State, not more restrictions. Lowering the threshold any further will have disastrous effects on the apple industry, which is struggling to survive with the current mandates for overtime especially during our critical periods of apple bloom and harvest. Lowering the threshold any further threatens the very existence of the H2A labor program in the state- if farmers are only able to afford to offer further reduced hours to guest workers, then these workers WILL go to other states instead of  New York to seek work. Without H2A workers interested in coming to work in New York, the apple industry will not be able to harvest our apples and will collapse.”

“For our family business lowering the 60-hour overtime threshold will really put us at a competitive disadvantage,” said Helen Giroux-Taylor of Giroux’s Poultry and Chazy Orchards. “As farmers in New York State, we have to compete with farmers in various states that do not have this additional regulation.  This is a state versus federal issue for us economically. Caring for live animals and growing crops is a 7 day per week job. With the current increase in consumer demand for cage free eggs, and new apple varieties, the cost of doing business is constantly rising.  Coupled with the events over the past few years, making this change would have a negative impact on agriculture throughout the state for years to come.”

The NYSDOL Wage Board will be hosting the last hearing about the overtime threshold for farm workers on Thursday January 20 and a decision is expected for later this year.

Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) issued the following statement after Governor Hochul’s 2022-23 Executive Budget presentation: 

            “After the lengthy, self-aggrandizing budget proposals of recent memory, Governor Hochul’s budget presentation was to-the-point.

“At first glance, there’s several items in her proposal that would benefit North Country families and businesses. For years, I’ve advocated for tax relief for homeowners, middle-class families and small businesses, and I’m pleased to see the governor include those items. In addition to increased school aid, support for our veterans and investments in infrastructure, I’m optimistic that we can take steps this year to greatly enhance our quality of life.

“I am deeply concerned, however, with the amount of spending and just how we’ll pay for it. Last year’s state budget was more than twice that of Florida, a state with two million more residents than New York State. Even with the disclosure that some of the spending in this year’s budget is short-term, the governor’s proposal is a costly $216 billion, an increase from last year’s enacted budget.

“A few weeks ago, Governor Hochul correctly acknowledged that 300,000 people left New York. A large part of that exodus is the tax-and-spend culture and increased cost of living in this state. If we can’t rein in our state’s spending and make it more manageable long-term, it will be a challenge to bring those people back or keep others from leaving.

“In the days to come, I’ll be looking into the specifics of her budget proposal and its direct impact on our communities. My main goal during this entire process will be to ensure this year’s budget is fiscally responsible, increases our quality of life and makes our communities safer and more affordable.”

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“France worked for the sheriff’s office for 10 years, most recently with the corrections division transport platoon. She also was a U.S. Navy veteran, according to the release.”

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