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More About The Peru Gazette

The editor is John Ryan at email: perugazette@gmail.com. The Peru Gazette is a free community, education and information website. It is non-commercial and does not accept paid advertising.

Comment Policy

The Peru Gazette welcomes comments on posted stories. The author MUST include his/her first and last name. No  foul or libelous language permitted. The Peru Gazette reserves the right to not publish a comment.

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Clinton Community College move and renovations underway ahead of fall semester

Click here for the MYNBC5 story 

External report on Plattsburgh City Police Department details lack of training, outdated procedures

Click here for the MYNBC5 story 

Lawler forgoes run for NY Governor, clearing path for Stefanik

Click here for the NCPR story 

Families Coming Together to Support Breastfeeding as a Healthy Start for Babies 

Photo Provided

Big Latch On at CVPH part of global event to raise awareness  

PLATTSBURGH, NY (7/21/2025) – North Country moms, babies and families are invited to celebrate breastfeeding by participating in The Big Latch On planned for Saturday, August 9 from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm. The free event will be held in the boardroom at University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH).
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., with latch time starting promptly at 10:30 am. The latch will be held on the front lawn, weather permitting. Guests are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket.
Each year, breastfeeding women across the globe come together to nurse their child for one full minute at an established time. The event originated in New Zealand and was started by the Women’s Health Action in 2005 as part of World Breastfeeding Week.
The Plattsburgh Big Latch On is held annually as part of this world-wide effort to promote breastfeeding as a healthy start for babies. The Big Latch On is a celebration of breastfeeding, though all types of infant feeding are recognized as valid and supported.
“The breastfeeding journey is very different for everyone. No two journeys will look the same. For some, it can be a real challenge. Helping individuals meet their personal feeding goals is the top priority,” says Jocelyn Fittin, BSN, RN, IBCLC, a lactation consultant with the Alice T. Miner Women & Children’s Center (WCC) says. “The community looks forward to this event every year, so it is an honor to be able to facilitate this. I am so proud of how much this event has helped normalize breastfeeding over the years. The event is so important, because women and families from our community can see that they’re not alone and that there is a lot of support out there to lean on. Having support within the community and family support is crucial for success.”
In addition to the latch on moment, mothers, babies and their loved ones can also enjoy:
  • Getting their picture taken courtesy of Nature’s Breeze Photography
  • Prizes for the youngest and oldest nursling
  • Door prize
  • Refreshments
  • Local agencies and vendors on site with information and to answer questions
  • Bake sale benefiting the WCC Bereavement Program to help families through infant loss
For more information, contact Fittin at (518) 562-7142.

One-stop-shop for military, veterans and family members interested in SUNY

July 21, 2025 – Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of a one-stop-shop for active duty service members, veterans, and family members currently enrolled or interested in attending any SUNY college or university. The landing page: www.suny.edu/military, includes information on available credit for military service and experience, tuition assistance, specialized scholarships, and dedicated campus services like veteran lounges and associations for all 64 SUNY campuses. The website also connects veterans with services offered by the counties where each campus is located, helping them stay close to home and community, and will be regularly updated as new information becomes available.

“We continue to rely so much on our veterans and military to protect everything we hold sacred, and it is a priority of my administration to make sure we help our military-connected New Yorkers have a smooth transition to their next career,” Governor Hochul said. “This one-stop shop from SUNY is easy to follow and helps guide service members and their families and puts them on a path to a rewarding degree or credential.”

Governor Hochul has recently announced expanded access to an affordable education through the Veterans Tuition Assistance Program, which went into effect on July 1. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, the program will now serve even more veterans by broadening eligibility and increasing flexibility.

Thirty-seven SUNY campuses offer academic credit for military service and experience, and the new website includes connecting visitors to an easy-to-use search for available credit for military experience and training. Additionally, SUNY campuses have tailored support available including student veteran associations and military and veteran offices, and counties throughout New York State have programs and staff available as well. SUNY developed this comprehensive website so that servicemembers and veterans would be able to easily learn about and access all of the available programs and benefits that they have earned through their service.

Hundreds attend Plattsburgh town hall with Democrats AOC, Tonko

Click here for the NCPR story 

“Jazz it Up” at the Peru VFW Saturday night

Robert Resnik, longtime Vermont Public music host, dies at 72

Click here for the Vermont Public story 

Migrant workers in Vermont navigate fear, uncertainty amid deportation crackdown

Click here for the Vermont Public story 

Four Months After Guard Strike, Prison Staffing Crisis Persists

The prison agency’s security ranks are 4,700 corrections officers and sergeants short of what it says it needs to run every program and housing area effectively.

Click here for the New York Focus story 

Early season work targets milfoil at Fish Creek Campground

July 21, 2025 Upper Saranac Foundation News Release – A professional dive team has completed early season aquatic invasive species (AIS) management at Fish Creek Campground, removing over 1,300 pounds of Eurasian and variable-leaf watermilfoil.

The work was performed by the Upper Saranac Foundation’s (USF) dive team and was part of the Fish Creek AIS Management Project, supported by a $19,000 grant from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), with additional support from the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. USF has been managing AIS at Fish Creek since 2016, but this was the first year grant funding was awarded specifically for efforts there.

“This grant expands our AIS management to a critical headwater of the Upper Saranac watershed,” said USF Executive Director Guy Middleton. “The additional resources enable more rigorous efforts to address the spread of invasive plants from upstream sources — a key strategy in safeguarding Upper Saranac Lake.”

“Every invasive plant we remove here makes the Upper Saranac watershed healthier,” said Bryce Davison, USF dive team lead. “This grant lets us dive more often and target expanded AIS patches upstream.”

The project is part of USF’s broader watershed protection approach, integrating prevention, monitoring, control, outreach and education. Fish Creek Campground is a popular recreational hub with over 350 campsites and direct access to Upper Saranac Lake.

“This is a high-risk area for AIS spread,” Middleton noted. “With thousands of visitors and nearly all campsites offering direct water access, proactive management is essential here to prevent the infestation of uninvaded waterbodies.”

USF has a strong track record in AIS control, supported by past LCBP grants, including transforming Upper Saranac Lake from a waterbody once dominated by Eurasian watermilfoil into one where it is now a rarity. At Follensby Clear Pond — another Upper Saranac tributary — USF removed over 8.65 tons of AIS over the last six years. These efforts have become national models for effective, science-based aquatic plant management.

LCBP grants have also supported the Adirondack Watershed Institute’s Watershed Steward Program, which works in tandem with USF to inspect watercraft, educate boaters and perform high-risk decontaminations using USF’s hot-water pressure decontamination unit.

“Thanks to the support of this grant, USF can continue protecting the watershed’s long-term health, safeguarding biodiversity, property values, and recreation-based economies,” Middleton added.

The USF dive team will return in September, after peak summer use in the campground, to continue this work

To learn more about USF, visit usfoundation.net or contact Middleton at lakemanager@usfoundation.net.

About the Upper Saranac Foundation

The Upper Saranac Foundation is a nonprofit, science-guided organization celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2025. USF seeks to preserve, enhance and protect the natural beauty, environmental quality and recreational enjoyment of the Upper Saranac Lake watershed through selective support of projects related to overall water quality. The Foundation is funded through tax-deductible donations. Activities include aquatic invasive species prevention and management, lake dam maintenance, monitoring water quality and promoting environmental awareness. To learn more, visit usfoundation.net.

New York to Scale Back Key Energy Affordability Program

Empower+ helps thousands of New Yorkers afford energy efficiency upgrades. The state is planning to slash funding by nearly two-thirds in two years.

Click here for the New York Focus story 

Flushing hydrants planned Tuesday – Friday

The Town of Peru Water/Sewer Department will be flushing hydrants July 22 – 25 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Residents may experience reduced water pressure and/or cloudy water. 

Town of Schuyler Falls Field Day – Free to attend, music & games & rides free  — crafts and vendors and food for sale.  All are welcome.

Saturday, July 26, from 11 am to 10 pm.

Open to all!!!    Activities for the entire family!!

WHAT :  Town of Schuyler Falls Field Day

WHEN:  Saturday, July 26, 2025,  from 11 AM to 10 PM

WHERE:   Jefferson Dukette Memorial Park, 618 Salmon River Rd (Plattsburgh mailing address;    between Military Turnpike and Mason St in town of Schuyler Falls)

WHAT’s Happening ?    Activities start at 11 am.  Craft and vendor booths/show,  cornhole tournament,  train rides, 3-legged races, obstacle course, spider trampoline, bouncy house, mechanical bull, rock climbing!!

12 noon        Watermelon Eating Contest

1-4 pm           Music with Off The Rocker

5-9 pm           Music with Fiddlers Green

9:30pm         FIREWORKS !!!

$3.8M in Smart Growth Grants available to Adirondack and Catskill Park communities

Click here for the Adirondack Almanac story 

St. Augustine’s Community Meal/Soup Kitchen Menu for Wednesday, July 13, 2025

Shepherd’s Pie 

Fruit 

Bread 

Dessert 

Served 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., take-out only, at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St., Peru, NY 12972 

All are invited and welcome!

Girl reported abducted in Upstate NY found dead with ‘no indication’ of abduction

How the Lake Monsters kept swimming

A few years ago, the future of baseball in Burlington was uncertain. In 2020, Major League Baseball shrunk its minor league circuit, and teams like the Lake Monsters were left on the outside looking in.

Click here for the VTDigger story 

Federal Funding Rescinded — Mountain Lake PBS Faces Immediate Cuts

Mountain Lake PBS ReportJuly 17, Congress voted to rescind previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a move that eliminates nearly $1 billion in support for local public media stations across the country.

 

For Mountain Lake PBS, that means an immediate cut of approximately $950,000. More than a third of our annual budget.

This is a devastating outcome for our nonprofit organization and the communities we serve. Every part of our operations will feel the impact. We face extremely difficult decisions.

For nearly 50 years, Mountain Lake PBS has been here to inform, educate, and connect people throughout the North Country, the Champlain Valley, and southern Quebec. We’re a trusted source of news. A partner in education. A window into arts and culture. And we’ve always been here because you value what public media makes possible.

Let’s be clear: Mountain Lake PBS will not go dark. Our mission is unchanged. We believe this region deserves quality public media, and with your support, we’ll continue delivering it. This isn’t a defeat. It’s a challenge, and we’re determined to meet it.

Federal funding has long been a critical part of how we operate, especially in rural and underserved communities. We’ll keep working with public media stations across the country to push for that support to be restored. At the same time, we’re seeking new sources of funding at the state and local level, and from people like you, who believe in the work we do.

Our focus remains on what matters most — making a positive impact in the lives of the people and communities we serve.

Closed Wells College reveals which school will receive its records and millions in endowment funds

Click here for the Syracuse.com story 

July 19, 2025 – Rock, Rd., Lyons St. one-room school

The school is on the National Register of Historic Places thanks to former Peru Town Historian Ron Allen. 

July 19, 2025 – Ausable Point State Park

‘Consequences Will Be Lethal’: New York ATF Enforcement To Be Slashed Under Trump

541 of the ATF’s more than 800 industry investigators may lose their jobs

Click here for the New York Focus story 

DiNapoli: State agency overtime costs increased by 10.2% in 2024, up 1.9 million hours over 2023

“Average annual overtime hours per Corrections employee grew 26.3% from 2023 to 325 annual overtime hours in 2024, with the increase coinciding with a workforce reduction of more than 1,000 in that year.”

New York State agency overtime costs increased 10.2% in 2024 for a total of $1.3 billion, while the number of overtime hours increased by 7.8%, or 1.8 million hours higher than the previous year, according to the annual report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli examining state agencies’ overtime and workforce trends.

After a long-term decrease in staffing levels, the size of the state workforce, not including SUNY and CUNY, grew from 2023 by 3.7% in 2024, or 5,330 positions, to an average annual total of 151,309. This was the second year in a row the workforce increased, but headcount is still below where it was in 2019 and markedly lower than 15 years ago when it was over 177,000.

“Overtime continued to grow in 2024 despite increases to a workforce that remains below pre-pandemic staffing levels,” DiNapoli said. “New York needs to continue to attract and retain a range of diverse employees, and agencies need to ensure the use of overtime hours is justified and services are delivered safely and effectively for residents.”

Key Findings:

  • The number of overtime hours increased for the eighth consecutive year in 2024, as overtime earnings increased for the eighth time in a ten-year period after a decrease last year.
  • Three agencies accounted for about two-thirds of the state’s overtime in 2024. The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (Corrections), the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), and the Office of Mental Health (Mental Health) comprised 23% of the workforce but accounted for 66.7% of the overtime hours and 64.5% of the overtime earnings logged by all state agencies in 2024.
  • In the 2015 to 2024 period, Corrections, OPWDD, and Mental Health experienced greater-than-average workforce reductions of 22.7%, 5.7%, and 3.5%, respectively. Average annual overtime hours per Corrections employee grew 26.3% from 2023 to 325 annual overtime hours in 2024, with the increase coinciding with a workforce reduction of more than 1,000 in that year.
  • Of the major agencies with overtime costs, most had increases in overtime hours and earnings in 2024, including growth of about 11% or more at eleven major agencies. Along with the increase of almost 1.3 million hours at Corrections, there were major rises in the number of hours at the Department of Transportation (241,000), State University of New York (226,000), Division of State Police (190,000), Mental Health (107,200), the Unified Court System (101,000) and the Office of Children and Family Services (98,500). There were also high proportional increases at the Department of Labor (435%), and New York State Veterans’ Homes (30.7%).
  • Two agencies saw notable declines in overtime hours worked: OPWDD (-652,900) and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (-25,300).
  • 2023 was the first year new hiring outpaced attrition in the state workforce in over a decade. In 2023, there were 17,504 new hires, the highest in the 10 years covered by this analysis, while attrition declined by 9.5% to 14,699. In 2021, 2022, and 2023, attrition from the workforce has been driven largely by people leaving rather than retirement. In 2023, the State launched the NY HELPS program, temporarily allowing State agencies to make appointments to positions typically filled on an open-competitive basis to candidates meeting the minimum qualifications of the position.

In 2024, total state payroll costs were $21 billion. Overtime earnings comprised 6.3% of total payroll spending in 2024, higher than the 5.4% average from 2015 through 2023. Overtime earnings as a share of total payroll grew from 4.6% in 2015 to 6.3% in 2024, as total overtime hours increased over this time by close to 7.7 million hours, or nearly 46%. Pay rates increased from 2015 to 2024 contributing to a growth of 85% in overtime earnings, from $716 million in 2015 to $1.3 billion in 2024, or an 8% average annual increase.

Report

New York State Agency Use of Overtime and State Workforce Trends, 2015-2024

NY halts offshore wind projects after President Trump pauses permits

Click here for the NCPR story