The Peru Gazette

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Source: LTE: North Country’s latest superstar | Sun Community News In Clinton County we do pride ourselves with our background as many are hard working and intelligent contributors to our society.

Highlights of Peru Town Board’s November 8, 2021 Meeting 

Highway Superintendent reported that four vehicles are parking illegally on the new North Bend Street sidewalk. It is illegal to park on a sidewalk. Erecting warning signs and having vehicles towed were discussed. 

The board: 

• Passed a resolution to extend its contract with Casella Organics Residuals for waste removal at the wastewater treatment plant. The price increased from $83 to $94 per wet ton. 
• Approved proceeding with steps to refinance 2009 and 2014 serial bonds. Ben Maslona of Municipal Advisor for Fiscal Advisors & Marketing, Inc., estimated that the town would save approximately $150,000 over the term of the bonds. The law firm Trespasz & Marquardt will represent the town. 
• Approved payment of $399,844 to Rifenburg Construction in connection with the ongoing sewer system upgrade project. 
• Scheduled a sewer system upgrade and wastewater treatment plant workshop for December 13 at 5 p.m. 
• Adjourned to executive session for pending new litigation. 

Nov. 19th Correction. The Casella contract extension was tabled, then approved at the Nov. 8 meeting. 

Click here to review http://www.perutown.com/min21/2021-11-04-PH.pdf

Click here for OCTOBER 2021 DEPT REPORTS

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Office of Children and Family Services Not Monitoring Adult Protective Service Providers, Leaving Problems Unchecked

The State Office of Children and Family Services is not adequately overseeing adult protective service providers responsible for protecting vulnerable adults to ensure they are handling cases properly, putting at-risk New Yorkers potentially in harm’s way, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“Every month thousands of vulnerable adults are referred to the state for help because they are being abused or unable to care for themselves,” DiNapoli said. “New Yorkers need assurance that the providers hired to help these men and women are doing just that. The agency responsible for protecting them must do a better job.”

Elder abuse is a problem nationwide, with 1 in 10 older adults subject to physical or psychological abuse, neglect or financial exploitation. Many cases are not reported. Every month OCFS receives an average of 2,500 referrals for help in New York City and 1,800 in the rest of the state. Referrals, which can come from anyone whether a family member, a neighbor or a bank employee, fell dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-Dec. 2020) to an average of 1,500 referrals a month each from the city and areas outside of it. Read more »

As printed November 16, 2021, Press-Republican Legal Notices. 

Please take notice of the Annual Election of the Peru Fire District County of Clinton State of New York will take place on December 14 2021 between the hours of 6 PM and 9 PM at the Peru Fire Station located at 753 Bear Swamp Rd., Peru New York for the purpose of electing one Commissioner for a five-year term commencing on January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2026

Applications for the above-mentioned position will be received until November 24th at the following address: Peru Fire District. PO Box 603, Peru NY 12972. Attention: Secretary.

Anyone who is a resident in the Peru Fire District is eligible to seek the position 

Signed Robert A. Akey 

Peru Fire District Secretary

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Peru Gazette 2019 file photo

The Peru Lions Club will be hosting its 44th annual John P. Adams Memorial Turkey Trot (both virtually and live) on November 25th, 2021 (Thanksgiving Day). Pre-register by going to Adirondackcoastevents.com. Same day registration starts at 7:30 a.m. at the school bus garage. A 15 minute staggered start is  offered for social distancing purposes. Face coverings are requested. To ensure a prompt start, registration will end at 8:30, sharp. The 5K & (unofficial) 10K races start between 9:00 and 9:15am. Entry fee for 5K is $22.50 & 10K event is $25 if preregistered online before Wednesday 11/24 at 6:59 p.m. Bib pick-up and last-minute pre-registration can be done in person at the Peru Intermediate gym on Wednesday the 25^th on the morning of the event.  On the day of the event, the fee is $25. Trophies are awarded to male and female winners of the 5 & 10K races. Contact Tom Brown at 1-518-593-0977 or Ed Eisele @ 1-518-524-3650.

Peru – CVPH Donor Center Blood Brive, Monday, November 22nd from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru. 

Your neighbors need and appreciate your donation.

Proceeds to provide new bassinet for babies born at CVPH 

PLATTSBURGH, NY (11/15/2021) – Get the holiday season in Plattsburgh off on the right foot while helping some of our tiniest patients by signing up for the Super Santa 5K Relay & Elf Dash. Registration is now open for the event, set for December 4 at 3:00 p.m. and hosted by The Foundation of CVPH.

The races will kick off an afternoon and evening of holiday festivities, culminating in the City of Plattsburgh’s annual parade and tree lighting ceremony. The 5K relay will consist of teams of four runners, each one pounding the pavement from Betty Little Arts Park to William Street and back and passing off a candy cane to the next runner. The Elf Dash, which is set for children 12-years-old and younger, will run the same route once.

“It’s a fun way to get into the holiday spirit,” Foundation Events & Special Projects Manager Michelle Senecal offered. “And while spreading Christmas cheer, runners can also feel good that they’re helping provide a comfortable and safe start to life for babies born at the hospital.”

Money raised by the event will go toward the purchase of a new bassinet for the Alice T. Miner Women and Children’s Center. The Foundation successfully raised enough money to help purchase another bassinet after its Shamrock Shuffle event this past March.

“The generosity that our community shows is truly amazing. We are so thrilled to help all of our patients at every age and stage of life,” Senecal added.

Each year, more than 750 babies are born at the University of Vermont Health Network-Champlain Valley Physician’s Hospital.

Registration for the 5K Relay prior to December 4 is $80 for each team of four. Individuals wanting to run the entire course can register for $20. It is also $20 for each child taking part in the Elf Dash. The cost to register on race day for a team of four running in the 5K Relay is $100. To sign up, visit Adirondack Coast Events. The first 100 Super Santa registrants and first 25 Elf registrants will each receive a Santa/Elf hat and super hero cape. This fits in with the city’s theme for the day of festivities, “Superheroes Celebrating the Holidays.”

The Foundation would also like to thank all of its generous sponsors for the event:

Anyone with questions can contact Michelle Senecal at (518) 314-3359 or email msenecal@cvph.org.

The Town of Peru will be closing Maiden Lane from Woodland Drive to Winding Brook, tomorrow, Tuesday, November 16th from 8 am till 3:30 pm – for paving.

There will be NO through traffic including Emergency vehicles during that time period.

—

Carlene

W/S Billing

518-643-8125

Tony LaPierre

Helen Giroux

Jesse Mulbury

Todd Giroux

Joanna Laidback

State Senator Dan Stec

Assemblyman Billy Jones

Paul Fisher

Jon Rulfs introduces his father Bob Rulfs

By John T. Ryan

Peru – Several area dairy farmers, orchardists, farm advocates gathered at Rulfs Orchard last Tuesday. They want Albany political leaders and the State Wage Board to know that reducing the farm workers overtime threshold would severely impact their livelihood. In 2019,  the NYS Legislature passed, and the governor signed the Farm Laborers Labor Standards Act. It lowered the farmworker overtime threshold from 80 to 60 hours, meaning farmers must pay time and one-half for every hour worked over 60 hours per week. Labor advocates would like the overtime threshold reduced to 40 hours. Later this year, the State Wage Board is scheduled to revisit the issue. 

Jon Rulfs, the owner of Adirondack Farms in Peru, moderated the presentation.  Speakers included Paul Fisher, one of Rulfs’ Jamaican workers; Jesse Mulbury, Farm Manager of Northern Owners and Chairman of the New York Apple Growers Association; Helen Giroux of Chazy Orchards and Giroux Poultry Farm, Tony LaPierre, owner of Rusty Creek Farm in Chazy; Todd Giroux, President of the Clinton County Farm Bureau, Joann Laidback Adirondack Farms CFO, State Senator Dan Stec, and Assemblyman Billy Jones. 

Local orchardists rely on Jamaicans to harvest the apple crop during the six to eight week harvest period. Thanks to the Department of Labor’s H-2A program many Jamaicans have been coming here at harvest time for thirty or more years, which isn’t hard to understand since the H-2A entitles them to a minimum wage of $14.99 hourly. In Jamaica, the minimum wage is $45.12 per week.  Hundreds of Jamaicans work in Peru during harvest. Not only orchardists, but many other Peru residents look forward to their arrival. They’ve become part of Peru’s culture. 

Paul Fisher has been coming to Rulfs Orchard for twenty-seven years. He said Rulfs Orchard has been good for him and his family, including his sons Claude and Damion, who also work at Rulfs. However, Fisher said he and his sons had lost working hours since NYS imposed the 60-hour overtime limit. They have discussed finding work in another state if New York reduces the overtime limit even further. 

Jesse Mulbury emphasized that the program works well for both visiting workers and local workers.  He said, “The H-2A program is a huge opportunity for the workers and their families. It’s a win-win for both the participating employees and the orchards. The program also ensures that domestic workers make as much, if not more.” Mulbury envisions Jamaican workers going to states that don’t have overtime limits. He said, “Local orchards will not be able to afford the overtime and likely will not survive if the threshold goes any lower. We can’t control apple prices like the manufacturers of an iPhone.” 

Helen Giroux of Chazy Orchards, a 3rd generation farmer, said growing apples is a calculated risk involving many factors, including when and how quickly the farmer must harvest the crop. She said, “This year, everything seemed to come at the same time, so we had to go full out. If labor costs continue to rise, growers will not reinvest back into the orchards.”  She foresees farmers cutting back on tractor and equipment purchases and fears that smaller producers would face the most challenging decisions. 

5th generation dairy farmer Tony LaPierre emphasized that it’s impossible to find local workers to care for his 1,000 head herd . He said, “If labor costs rise, introducing more technology will be the next step.” Todd Giroux said he’s already introduced robots into the milking operation at his Beekmantown farm. 

Joanna Laidback said a 40-hour overtime threshold would increase Adirondack Farm’s labor costs by about 15%, a considerable sum on a farm that has 120 full-time employees. She added, “New York farmers would experience an overall labor cost increase estimated at $264 million in an economic sector that already has tight margins.” Laidback also noted the environmental impacts when farms shut down, saying, “You would lose that person who cares for the land.”

State Senator Dan Stec stressed the competition New York apple growers face, especially from the state of Washington. Large corporations, not family farms, operate most of Washington’s orchards. Washington’s orchards are larger and have fewer environmental regulations resulting in a lower cost of production. Speaking of the state legislature he commented, “ We’re begging farms to stay in NYS. We’re putting budget dollars into preserving farms, but raising the overtime threshold is the exactly the opposite.”  Stec concluded, “New York apples may taste the best, but if there’s a big price difference, people are not going to buy New York apples…New York Wage Board, I hope you’re listening. Governor Kathy Hochul, I hope you’re listening.” 

Assemblyman Billy Jones recalled his experience growing up on a Chateaugay dairy farm. He said, “At one time, there were eleven farms along the road where he grew up. Today’s there one.” Addressing the Wage Board, he said, “Leave it at 60. That’s all we’re asking. Farming is a unique profession. As the old expression says, farmers have to make hay when the sun shines.” 

Jones is correct about farming’s decline in New York State. According to state statistics, between 20o8 and 2018, dairy farms declined from 5,623 to 4,194 or 25%. From 2017 to 2018, the number of farms decreased by 6% in just a single year. 

Click here to view that report. 

For more statistics on the farmer’s point of view, Click here to see a view report issue from the Farm Credit East, a leading agriculture institute.