The Peru Gazette

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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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.

CANTON, NY (01/24/2022)– Ally McCormick from Peru has been named to St. Lawrence University’s Dean’s List for achieving academic excellence during the Fall 2021 semester.

McCormick is a member of the Class of 2025. McCormick attended Ausable Valley Central School.

To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must have completed at least four courses and have an academic average of 3.6 based on a 4.0 scale for the semester.

About St. Lawrence University:

Founded in 1856, St. Lawrence University is a private, independent liberal arts institution of about 2,500 students located in Canton, New York. The educational opportunities at St. Lawrence inspire students and prepare them to be critical and creative thinkers, to find a compass for their lives and careers, and to pursue knowledge and understanding for the benefit of themselves, humanity and the planet. Through its focus on active engagement with ideas in and beyond the classroom, a St. Lawrence education leads students to make connections that transform lives and communities, from the local to the global. Visit www.stlawu.edu.

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The Peru Central School District is seeking a candidate to fill one (1) at-large seat on the Board of Education, due to the upcoming expiration of the term of Ms. Linda Morgan.

The five-year term of the seat runs from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2027.

The Petition for Nomination of Candidate form is available in the District Office at 17 School Street on Mondays through Fridays, except school holidays, or via the web at https://www.perucsd.org/district/board-of-education/.  Petitions must be directed to the School District Clerk, shall be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the District, and shall state the names and residences of the candidate and petition signers.    The candidate’s phone number shall also be stated.

The qualifications that must be met in order to run for the school board are:

A U.S. citizen

At least 18 years old

A qualified voter in the District

Able to read and write

A resident of the District continuously for one year before the election

Cannot be employed by the Board

Cannot live in the same household with a family member who is also a member of the Board

Petitions must be returned no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, April 18, 2022.

The School Board Election will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2022

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Peru – Peru’s Dollar Store reopened for business on Wednesday, January 12th.  Apparently, the word hasn’t gotten out because the shelves are packed and there are typically very few cars in the parking lot.  The refrigerators and freezers are operating, but for some reason, very few refrigerated and frozen goods have arrived. 

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“Angry outbursts at meetings, marches to elected officials’ homes, and threatening emails are all examples of how Burlington politics have turned toxic in recent months.”

Source: Burlington’s toxic politics driving candidates away

Source: N.Y. to allow absentee ballot voting through 2022 | Sun Community News ALBANY | Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation to allow voting by absentee ballot due to the COVID-19 pandemic through 2022.