The Peru Gazette

David Babbie

By John T Ryan

May 22, 2025 – Peru, NY  Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum opened for its 2025 season last weekend. Saturday’s first highlight was the unveiling of a new roadside museum sign. After fifteen years in the elements, it was time!

The museum’s new sign is special because Peru art teacher and Peru Middle School students created it. Art teacher Greg Badger is the primary artist. His students Leah Akey, Sawyer DeZalia, Lenayah Senyah, Hudson Spiegel, Aiden Facteau, Hannah Charles, and Fern Battin helped with the lettering.  

Babbie Museum’s focus on local farm history attracted Greg Badger, best known for his paintings at Heyworth Mason Park. He explained, “All of my murals focus on sharing history. I feel that my public art should function not only as a work of art but also as an educational tool. Each building and person on the Babbie Museum’s sign has a story. I want my painting to spur the viewer to question those elements. “Who is the blacksmith in the picture?” or “Where did that stagecoach come from?” In that way, my mural work pairs perfectly with the mission of the Babbie Museum. It was especially important that I include the museum founder, Leeward Babbie, in the sign. Last year, I walked the museum grounds with him, taking pictures. I settled on depicting him in front of the Goshen Store, a building that the museum relocated from its original site down River Road and restored here at the museum.”  In addition to the Goshen Store, the sign depicts the museum’s blacksmith shop, granary, carriage house, and a one-room school.  

Leeward Babbie, who resides at Meadowbrook Healthcare in Plattsburgh, couldn’t attend Saturday’s unveiling; however, many family members were present. They were “all smiles” when Todd Babbie unveiled the sign. Greg Badger, accompanied by his family, looked on with pride.

Babbie Museum’s next event is Saturday, June 7. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Treats and take-home crafts for children will be included in the small admission charge.

To see more of Greg

Badger’s work, go to  https://www.gregbadgerart.com to view his original artwork, cards, and prints on Etsy.

5/23/25 7:05 PM Correction of the link to Greg Badger’s website. 

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NY Focus Reports 

By John T Ryan

Summary of Peru Town Board’s May 12, 2025 Meeting 

Paving Bruce Drive was scheduled for Wednesday, May 14.  Once that’s complete the highway department plans to pave Telegraph Rood from the road closure point north to the Bear Swamp Road. The board approved financing for a Highway Department 2025 Western Star plow truck for $352,946 utilizing $152,946 in available funds and issuing a bond not exceeding $200,000. Highway Department Superintendent Michael Farrell says plow truck replacement costs doubled over the last past few years with a three to four year waiting period. 

Courtney Tetreault reported that on or about Saturday, May 3, vandals defaced the Sullivan Park entrance sign, damaged a Sullivan Park picnic table and bench, and severely damaged metal signs at Little Ausable River Park. Town Supervisor Craig Randall said the repair cost to the Sullivan Park sign is 3,000.  A Peru-based company, Artisan Sign and Design, donated the sign to the town in June 2021. Randall said the town will press charges when one or more persons are apprehended.

NYS Police have scheduled a ceremony to rename the Carpenter’s Flat Bridge for the late NYS Trooper Christopher Garrow for Heyworth Mason Park on May 30 at 11 a.m. 

Town Historian Helen Nerska will conduct a Peru History Tour on Saturday, May 31. It will leave the town hall at 10 a.m. The board verbally agreed to Nerska’s request to donate 1st Baptist Church congregation documents to the Town of Ausable. The church began on Fuller Road in Peru, but moved to Ausable.  Peru collected many records over the years.

Recreation Director Kristen Marino reported many participating teams in summer programs, including three peewee baseball teams, three grasshopper baseball teams, two grasshopper softball teams, two peewee softball teams, plus T-Ball. 

Mrs. Marino still needs a pickleball instructor, a tennis instructor, and an assistant recreation director. Opening days are May 23 -24. The Clinton County Youth Bureau will conduct an umpire clinic at Lapham Mills Park on May 23. 

The board also: 

Approved signing a customer agreement with Hamilsun Solar with an anticipated saving of 7% of the town’s total electricity charges. Savings are estimated at $7,000 annually. 

Tabled a six-month contract with White Knight Kennels as the town’s dangerous dog facility.  The exact cost could not be determined because there appeared to be a wording error in the proposed contract.

Approved purchase of mechanical parts for closing the former wastewater lagoon adjacent to the Brand Hollow Road.

Approved using some or all of the town’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies of $138,041 to repair or replace manhole repairs and/or replacement. 

Approved purchase of playground mulch for $4,764. 

Approved purchase of a 40 ft. Commex metal storage box for $4,240 to store items displaced during the wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. 

Joseph Stemper is a member of VFW Post 125 in Plattsburgh.

Joseph Stemper is a member of VFW Post 125 in Plattsburgh.

Judy LeFevre, President of Peru VFW Post 309 Auxillary

Bill LeFevre, Past Commanter of Peru VFW Post 309

Lee Clemons, a member of Peru VFW Post 309

Peru, NY, Wednesday, May 21, 2025 – On Monday, May 26, 2025, many people will gather to participate in ceremonies and parades in observance of Memorial Day. Some will visit cemeteries to pay their respects at the graves of loved ones, and they will likely be struck by the sight of hundreds of American flags throughout the cemetery, including one placed at the graves of their loved ones. These flags do not just appear by chance. Members of veterans organizations and dedicated volunteers walk through nearly every local cemetery, ensuring that no veteran’s final resting place is overlooked. This morning, several VFW and VFW Auxiliary members, and other volunteers placed flags at St. Augustine’s Cemetery, while other VFW members provided similar support at cemeteries in surrounding areas.

The primary concern centers around a shift in nurse-to-patient ratios within four medical-surgical units

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Stories like this and today’s PR editorial are two good reasons to buy or subscribe the Press-Republican. Our local daily newspaper is expensive, but, we, the North Country need it and should safeguard it. 

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United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the BBC Tuesday that 14,000 babies in Gaza are at risk of death in the next 48 hours without aid.

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Peru, NY, May 25, 2025 –  On or about Saturday, May 3, vandals defaced the Sullivan Park entrance sign, damaged a Sullivan Park picnic table and bench, and severely damaged metal signs at Little Ausable River Park. On Monday, May 6, at the Town Board meeting, the Town Supervisor Craig Randall said the repair cost to the Sullivan Park sign is 3,000.  A Peru-based company, Artisan Sign and Design, donated the sign to the town in June 2021.

Today, Supervisor Randall said the incidents are still under investigation. Camera footage at Little Ausable River Park may be key in identifying the perpetrators. Randall has indicated the town will press charges.

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Peru, NY, May 20, 2025 – 340 bee hives from Forrence and Sullivan Orchards departed Peru today for home in Rome, NY. Forrence Orchard trees were fully blossomed when temperatures were in the high seventies and low eighties making it for ideal pollination conditions. Seth Forrence said, “It was a beautiful bloom, short and sweet, the best ever!”

Peru, NY, May 20, 2025 – The Little Ausable River Park is closed while new mulch is being installed Parks Superintendent Courtney Tetreault said he hopes to reopen the park by Friday.