The Peru Gazette

Source: New York: Cuomo lifts most pandemic restrictions with 70% of adults vaccinated

Source: Northern New York man killed in UTV crash, police say

Source: Cuomo spending $40M on tourism campaign for Upstate NY: ‘A hidden treasure’ – syracuse.com

Source: New concerts announced in Upstate NY: Darius Rucker, Goo Goo Dolls, Brett Eldredge – syracuse.com

Source: CNY man wins on $14 million scratch-off NY Lottery ticket: ‘It’s a mind-blower’ – syracuse.com

Source: New York on the cusp of 70% vaccination goal needed to lift most restrictions

Source: Upstate attorney challenges Stefanik in 21st Congressional race | Sun Community News WHITEHALL | North Country attorney Matt Putorti has announced his Democratic candidacy for congress against U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik in New York’s 21st congressional distr

Source: No day at the beach for towns seeking lifeguards | Sun Community News WILMINGTON | Last year, the Wilmington Beach was closed because of Covid. This year, even though people can once again gather, it may be closed again because the town has been unable to

“But rabies remains one of the deadliest diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans around the world. Globally, about 59,000 people die from rabies each year — the equivalent of about one human death every nine minutes, Pieracci says. Rabies is nearly always fatal once a person begins to experience symptoms.”

Source: Fake Records Of Rabies Shots Prompt U.S. Ban On Dogs From 113 Countries | NCPR News

Source: NY approaches vaccination milestone, state fair to open at 100% capacity | NCPR News

Source: Gov. Scott Lifts All Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions In Vermont | Vermont Public Radio

The Peru School Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, June 16^th at 5:45 PM in the High School Community Room.  It is anticipated that the Board will almost immediately convene in Executive Session to conduct employment interviews for an Associate Principal vacancy.  At this time, no other District business is anticipated for this meeting.

The agenda will be available on the District’s website (perucsd.org).

The meeting is open to the public and all current COVID-19 safety procedures and protocols will be followed.  The public may only view the open/public sessions of the meeting.  Executive Session is not available for viewing/attendance.

Source: Akwesasne Mohawk Chief, former ironworker Darryl Lazore has died | NCPR News

Source: Colchester man killed in ATV crash

Trio Offers Celtic, Quebecois & Appalachian Fiddle Tunes & Folk Music

Friends Union, the professional traditional music ensemble that formed among friends in Plattsburgh 43 years ago and returned to the performance stage in 2006, will present a concert of classic Celtic, French-Canadian, and Appalachian fiddle tunes and folk classics on June 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the U.S. Oval Gazebo, the third concert of the Curbside At Harborside season.

Featuring Steve Iachetta on fiddle, Norman Rodham on guitar, and Rod Driscoll on hammered dulcimer, lap dulcimer, banjo, bouzouki, and seemingly everything else imaginable with strings, Friends Union offers masterful performances of everything from jigs, reels, and hornpipes guaranteed to get the audience’s toes tapping to gentle ballads that tell timeless tales.

Combining a reverence for music’s heritage with the contemporary freshness of their improvisations, the band is well-known for performances that are equal parts energetic, emotional, and educational, with plenty of audience participation at every show.

Iachetta, nicknamed “Shaker Fiddle,” met Rod Driscoll during their college years at SUNY Plattsburgh, bonding quickly over their passion for traditional music and leading the two men to start a locally based band. Friends Union quickly became a sought-after ensemble throughout the North Country and far beyond, gaining a following that encompassed contradances, concert halls, historical gatherings, and traditional music festivals.

After a while, the bandmates took a hiatus to raise their families and pursue careers outside of music while continuing to play with other groups. Then, in 2006, Iachetta called Driscoll out of the blue and asked whether Driscoll would like to sit in with him that night for a gig at the Keeseville Grange. After only a half an hour of rehearsing together, the two men recognized that they still possessed a remarkable musical connection and decided that they needed to return to playing together on a regular basis.

That night, Friends Union was reborn. In 2011, Iachetta met Rodham when both artists were playing at the Victorian Stroll in Troy and realized that Rodham’s traditional guitar playing — honed while living for 21 years in Great Britain — would be a perfect addition to Friends Union. The trio has been together ever since, critically acclaimed for their performances of traditional classics that range from the stirring Scotland the Brave to the lively Wind That Shakes the Barley to the infectiously catchy June Apple to the heart-wrenching Ashokan Farewell.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. for this concert, with tickets available at the gate and seating provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are only $10 per person, with 100% of all proceeds going to the artists.

All attendees are seated with the members of their party in a socially distant manner and are not required to wear masks while they are seated and remaining socially distant from other parties at the concert. Any attendee who is not fully vaccinated is respectfully requested to wear a mask for the duration of the concert.

This concert is generously sponsored by Jeffords Steel & Engineering and Adirondack Plastic Surgery Center, whose kind financial contributions have allowed this program to take place as an affordable live music offering in the North Country.

For more information, please contact Benjamin Pomerance at pomerance.benjamin58@gmail.com.

About The Artists

Steve “Shaker Fiddle” Iachetta is well-known for his unique playing style blending Celtic, Old Time and Appalachian folk fiddling along with the occasional mandolin, frailing banjo, or tenor guitar tune.

He performs on his collection of vintage instruments: a 1722 fiddle, an 1886 Poleman vintage frailing banjo, a 1922 vintage Gibson “Model A” mandolin, and a 1956 Gibson tenor guitar.  In addition to his work with Friends Union and many other freelance gigs, Steve performs in the acoustic duo Shelving Rock.

Steve has a bustling luthier business, Shaker Violin Repair & Performance, which he now runs from his home. He repairs and restores violins, violas, cellos, and stringed basses for schools as well as professional, and student musicians. Since he opened the business last year, his services have been in high demand.

Steve is also past President of the Shaker Heritage Society and serves as Trustee of the Board overseeing the National Shaker Historic Site — Amerca’s First Shaker Settlement in Colonie, N.Y., adjacent to Albany Airport.

Rod Driscoll performs on the hammered and lap dulcimers, guitar (6 & 12 string), banjo, bouzouki and bodhran. Rod sings lead vocals on his wide repertoire of songs. He has been active as a performer and promoter of folk music in the Adirondacks of New York for the last 45 years.

Rod has performed with the Too Tall, Old Mountain and Friends Union String Bands as well as many solo appearances over the years. As a promoter of music in the North Country, he helped start the Plattsburgh Concerts in the Park series, started the Peru Coffeehouse series, and organized many other benefit concerts over the years such as the concert to aid victims of the great North Country ice storm of 1998. Rod builds the dulcimers he plays at his workshop “O’Driscoll Folk Instruments” located at his home in Peru, NY.

Rod just retired from his position as elementary school principal for the Whiting Sudbury Learning Academy in Central Vermont. He previously retired from AuSable Valley High School in 2016, after 32 years of teaching. He is the former president of the AuSable Valley Teachers Association and is the retired, long time president of the Peru Central School Board of Education.

Rod’s numerous op eds on education, politics, and economics have appeared in The New York Times, the Burlington Free Press, the Plattsburgh Press-Republican, and the Albany Times Union.

Norman Rodham is a master of the DADGAD guitar tuning who has a wealth of experience in the folk music world. He performs frequently in a duo named Stepping Stone with his wife, Robin, who is an accomplished fiddle player. They are very popular in contradance circles for their enormous repertoire of traditional dance tunes.  Norman also plays the Irish bodhran and the bones.
By day, Norman works as a special educator for a charter school. He plays with Friends Union when visiting the Adirondacks from his home in sunny Florida.

Source: How Walsh plans to spend Syracuse’s $123M stimulus, from water pipes to theater tickets – syracuse.com

Source: June Harvest of the Month | National Dairy Month – The Adirondack Almanack

By John T. Ry

Peru – One of the Peru Town Board’s meeting agenda items this week is acceptance of the resignation of the town’s Dog Control Officer.  David Drollette resigned just before the town board’s May 24th meeting. Supervisor Brandy McDonald commented, “It’s too bad. We can’t replace an employee like him. It’s a stressful job being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” The Peru Gazette has been unable to contact Drollette for a statement; however, before resigning, he often expressed frustration with being called at all hours, especially about dog issues in other towns or issues that are enforced by other agencies. He often had to deal with feuding neighbors who reported each other for relatively minor issues.  As reported in the Peru Gazette story link below,  Dave Drollete took his job seriously. 

Brandy McDonald said he’s been fielding calls since Drollette resigned.  Last weekend a resident called at 2:30 a.m. to report a barking dog at a neighbor’s home. When McDonald arrived, he discovered that the owner had left the dog alone at home for several hours. He said the state police should have been called,  not the dog control officer.

Click here for an earlier Peru Gazette story on Dave Drollette. 

“We need to have 20, 30, 40 volunteers coming on down on different days so that we can ensure we’re ready to open on July 1,” Ihne said.

Community members can RSVP to the Plattsburgh YMCA to volunteer in clean-up efforts on these dates next week:

Monday, June 14: Noon-2 p.m., 4-6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 16: 5-8 p.m.

Friday, June 18: Noon-4 p.m.

Source: Volunteers needed to help open the ‘Y at the Oval’

Congratulations Peru High School Class of 2021! Your parade was wonderful! Your Peru Gazette editor tried to capture the parade in photos. While several photos were good, some weren’t so good because of an incorrect camera setting. I apologize for my error. I was standing in front of the elementary school most graduates attended.

Click here to view photos 

Source: Mayor breaks council tie on first marina vote | Local News | pressrepublican.com