The Peru Gazette

Source: Plattsburgh school board renews superintendent contract over public protests | NCPR News

“Starting at midnight on July 6th, fully-vaccinated travelers may enter Canada without being subject to a mandatory quarantine and hotel stay.”

Source: Canada releases details on first phase of border reopening | NCPR News

Source: Gov. Cuomo: New York’s COVID-19 state of emergency will end Thursday

PLEASE NOTE: The 2021 State of the Lake and Ecosystem Indicators report is now posted on-line: www.lcbp.org/sol2021

Major messages from the 2021 report include:

2021 State of the Lake Report: Clean Water

• Many regions of Lake Champlain have phosphorus concentrations that are often near or below targeted limits. However, phosphorus concentrations in some parts of the Lake are often above these limits, notably Missisquoi Bay, St. Albans Bay, the Northeast Arm, and South Lake. 
• This report highlights long-term improvements in the amount of phosphorus sent to Lake Champlain from some rivers each year. However, several rivers continue to contribute too much phosphorus to the Lake.
• Phosphorus delivered to Lake Champlain from New York, Vermont, and Québec wastewater treatment facilities continues to be well below targeted phosphorus loading limits. 
• Chloride, mainly from road deicing salt application in the winter, is increasing in concentration in the Lake, but remains well below established benchmarks for drinking water quality. 
• New mercury data for fish tissue was not available for this report, but a study to commence in 2022 will provide new data for the next State of the Lake report. 
• When considered together, the 17 public beaches that regularly reported information about beach status were open for swimming 97% of the time from Memorial Day to Labor Day in 2018-2020. 
• When a Lake Champlain public beach is closed for health concerns, it is usually a result of a cyanobacteria bloom, which caused closures on about 2% of the days for reporting beaches during the traditional recreational season. These beaches were closed due to elevated coliform bacteria levels about 1% of the days during this same period. 
• Vermont public water suppliers sourcing their water from Lake Champlain have been testing raw and finished (potable) water since 2015. Over 1,300 Vermont drinking water samples were tested between 2018-2020 and cyanotoxins were not detected in any finished water samples, and were detected at low levels in only two raw water samples. 
• Combined sewer overflow events are potential sources of pathogens to the Lake, and are a challenge to eliminate. About 64% of the combined sewer overflow discharge points in New York and Vermont have been eliminated since 1990, and work continues to address contributing stormwater runoff issues.

2021 State of the Lake Report: Healthy Ecosystems 

• Efforts to manage water chestnut continue to be successful at reducing the percentage of lake area covered by this invasive plant at the southern end of Lake Champlain. This invasive plant has been found by lake users at a few sites in the northern sections of the Lake where it is being managed successfully.
• Landlocked Atlantic salmon have more access to historic river habitat as dam removal, fish ladders, trapping and trucking the fish help extend their historic range. 

• By 1900, there were not enough wild lake trout left to sustain the population in Lake Champlain. After many years of stocking by fisheries managers, University of Vermont biologists have recently found multiple age classes of wild lake trout in the Lake, which informed a management decision to reduce stocking of lake trout into Lake Champlain by 33% in 2022. This will help to maintain a healthy balance between wild and stocked lake trout and their forage fish base. 

• Lake Champlain continues to freeze over less often now than it did a century ago.  Modeling forecasts for lake freeze-over suggest this trend will continue, and by 2050, the lake may only fully freeze over once per decade. The warming climate impacts species diversity, habitat, and natural ecosystem function. Future winters may have shorter recreational seasons with limited ice fishing opportunities. 

• Aquatic invasive species continue to affect the Lake, and the arrival of the fishhook waterflea in 2018 has changed the base of Lake Champlain’s food web. 

• Sea lamprey wounding rates on lake trout fluctuate, and recently have been well above the goal of 25 wounds per 100 lake trout.  Wounding rates on Atlantic salmon are often much closer to the target of 15 wounds per 100 salmon.  Management approaches for sea lamprey primarily target larval and spawning life stages of this eel-like fish when it is in the rivers. 

• Lake Champlain is threatened by the invasion of new species that are moving closer to the Basin, including quagga mussels, hydrilla, and round goby. Spread prevention efforts focus on managing pathways and human activities that may unintentionally introduce these species to the Lake.

 Grand Isle, VT – The Lake Champlain Basin Program released the 2021 Lake Champlain State of the Lake and Ecosystem Indicators Report today. The report provides an assessment of the condition of Lake Champlain using a series of ecosystem indicators.  The document is produced every three years with input from New York, Québec and Vermont scientists and field experts.  The report provides resource managers and the public with a better understanding of threats to the Lake’s health, as well as opportunities to meet the challenges ahead. Read more »

Source: Vermont man accused of stealing yacht valued at $1.2 million

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Source: Cold case: New York police search for clues in 38-year-old homicide case

Source: Transmission line could bring Essex County $82 million over 30 years | Sun Community News ELIZABETHTOWN | Essex County and its lakeside governments could reap $82 million over the next 30 years from a proposed submerged powerline connecting the hydroelectr

Source: Adirondack hiker shuttle in the works, but drivers still needed | NCPR News

Beloved Jazz Group Getting Back Together For One Night In Plattsburgh

Mambo Combo, the jazz group that delighted North Country audiences for several years, returns to the stage on June 26 at 7:30 p.m. for a drive-in concert at Plattsburgh’s Harborside Stage, bringing the band back together for one night of swinging highlights. Read more »

Source: Plattsburgh Town issues mandatory water restrictions

Source: Walk-ins welcome at Clinton County DMV

Source: Weather: Strong thunderstorms expected in northern New York, Vermont on Monday

Source: Plattsburgh named Top 25 by London Financial Times magazine | Sun Community News PLATTSBURGH | Plattsburgh and the North Country Chamber of Commerce have been recognized by fDi Magazine, a publication of the Financial Times of London, among the Top 25 Citi

Source: Hundreds attend Burlington’s first-ever Juneteenth celebration

The Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum at 250 River Rd. in Peru opened for the season today. It will be open tomorrow too from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Any day is a great day to visit the Babbie Museum. The kids especially LOVE it! Stop by and enjoy! The very friendly volunteers will be there to greet you and your family.

Source: Local reps slam latest border travel extension | Sun Community News PLATTSBURGH | U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and others quickly denounced the latest extension of U.S.-Canada border travel restrictions, calling it “misguided” and “unacceptable”.

Source: N.Y. announces first-ever rewards program for camping | Sun Community News RAY BROOK | New York has officially launched the first of its kind Camper Loyalty/Reward Program for all overnight stays at campgrounds across the state.

Source: CVPH expands visitation | Sun Community News PLATTSBURGH | Patients can enjoy longer visits, and in some circumstances additional visitors, as part of a revised welcoming policy now in effect at the University of Vermont Health Network–Champlain Valley Phy