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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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New York state moves high school football from fall to spring – syracuse.com

Source: New York state moves high school football from fall to spring – syracuse.com

State Police seek information on Peru Gun Shop burglary

09 September 2020
NEW YORK STATE POLICE
 
State Police are investigating a burglary that occurred at the Old Lantern Gun Shop on State Route 9 in the town of Peru. Sometime during the overnight hours between September 8 to September 9, 2020, unknown suspect(s) broke into the business and stole numerous firearms. Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Bryan Caron at SP Plattsburgh at (518) 873-2777.

State Police investigating Peru gun-shop burglary | Sun Community News PERU | Authorities are hoping the public will help them solve a recent burglary at a local gun shop.

Source: State Police investigating gun-shop burglary | Sun Community News PERU | Authorities are hoping the public will help them solve a recent burglary at a local gun shop.

“Misery on Main Street”: North Country leaders prep for economic turmoil if Congress doesn’t pass state, local aid | NCPR News

Source: “Misery on Main Street”: North Country leaders prep for economic turmoil if Congress doesn’t pass state, local aid | NCPR News

Peru traffic stop leads to felony arrest | Sun Community News PERU | A New Jersey man was arrested on felony drunk-driving charges following a recent traffic stop on Interstate 87.

Source: Peru traffic stop leads to felony arrest | Sun Community News PERU | A New Jersey man was arrested on felony drunk-driving charges following a recent traffic stop on Interstate 87.

Former Lake George Watershed Coalition Director sentenced to 8-24 years for stealing nearly $250,000 in state grant funds

David Decker Double Billed Multiple Grants, Pocketed Money Meant for Vendors, and Falsified Tax Returns to Conceal Theft
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Warren County District Attorney Jason Carusone announced today that David Decker, former director of the Lake George Watershed Coalition, was sentenced today in Warren County court to 8-24 years in prison after a jury convicted him of 6 felonies, including grand larceny in the second degree, scheme to defraud in the first degree and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, related to his diversion of federal and state grant funds meant to improve the area surrounding Lake George.
The jury convicted Decker after hearing evidence that he was double billing two different grants for the same work, one from the Town of Queensbury and another from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Services, in the amount of $135,000. Additionally, evidence at trial showed that Decker pocketed over $100,000 in state grant funds meant to reimburse subcontractors whom he never paid. While the victims went unpaid, bank records showed that Decker withdrew funds from the Watershed Operating account at the Saratoga Race Course, Foxwoods MGM, Harrah’s and Turning Stone casinos. The records also show that he paid his personal credit card bills as well as numerous other personal expenses and inappropriately transferred grant money to his personal investment funds.
Decker was also convicted of filing four false tax returns which failed to report income from funds diverted from the grant programs as well as a for-profit basketball league for children.
The Lake George Watershed Coalition is a consortium of municipalities and organizations surrounding Lake George including Warren County, the towns of Queensbury and Bolton and the village of Lake George, and was created in 2001 to preserve the beauty and health of Lake George by coordinating state and federal grant funds. Decker worked as program manager until his arrest in 2018.
“Mr. Decker helped himself to hundreds of thousands of dollars meant to help his community,” said State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “Thanks to my partnership with District Attorney Carusone, the Department of Taxation and Finance, and the Warren County Sherriff’s Department, Decker’s shameless exploitation of his position of trust was exposed and he has now been held accountable for his actions.”
“David Decker’s years of illegal conduct harmed local businesses, government entities and not for profit organizations,” said District Attorney Jason Carusone. “The jury’s verdict and the court’s sentence send a strong message to the defendant that his ongoing criminal activity will not be tolerated. I thank the exceptional work of assistant district attorney Ben Smith along with special assistant district attorney Christine Stevens who jointly prosecuted the case. I also wish to thank the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Office of the State Comptroller, and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for their hard work through the course of a lengthy investigation and trial.”
“State grant funding is meant specifically for the betterment of local communities,” New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Michael Schmidt said. “When that money is instead used for someone’s personal gain, they must be held accountable. We cannot stand by while the public trust is so blatantly violated. I commend the efforts of all partners involved in this case.”

Stefanik receives “Guardian of Small Business” Award

Keeseville, N.Y. – Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was awarded the “Guardian of Small Business” Award by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for her work in Congress to support small businesses and promote local entrepreneurship. This is the second year in a row that Congresswoman Stefanik has received this award. Congresswoman Stefanik visited Loremans’ Embroidery, Engraving, and Screen Printing in Keeseville today, where she received this award.

“Small businesses are truly the backbone of our North Country communities and economies, and I am proud to be their number one advocate in Congress,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Growing up in a small business family, I know firsthand the importance that small businesses have in our communities, and I have fiercely advocated for policies and programs to support them. The COVID-19 pandemic presented real challenges for our local businesses and I am proud to have worked in a bipartisan manner to deliver results for them as they overcame those challenges and continued to provide for the communities who rely on them. I am honored to be a recipient of this prestigious award, and I thank the NFIB for highlighting my work on behalf of the families and individuals in my district who work tirelessly to generate jobs, revenue, and opportunity for their communities.”

Two killed in head-on crash in Charlotte

Source: Two killed in head-on crash in Charlotte

City & State Coronavirus Update

Source: City & State Coronavirus Update

Clinton County Sept. 9 COVID-19 Report: No change excepted tested +225

Here are today’s Clinton County COVID-19 case updates.
Recent updates from Governor Cuomo:
–> NYS launched a SUNY COVID-19 Case Tracker that provides real-time, up-to-date data on COVID-19 testing and other vital information at each of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities, available at www.suny.edu/covid19-tracker.
–> NYS is requiring all school districts to report daily data on the COVID-19 infection rate and new cases at every school. This information will be publicly available at https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov.
–> Restricted states on the NYS travel advisory continue to be updated. Most recently, Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia were added and Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands were removed. View the full list of restricted states at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory.

Clinton County Sept 8th COVID-19 Report: Lab-confirmed positive +1, recovered +2, Active -1, Tested +1,041 since Sept 4th

Here are today’s Clinton County, NY COVID-19 case updates.
For many students in the North Country, today was the first day of the new school year.
– View our recent media release on school re-openings at http://www.clintonhealth.org/BulletinsPress/PR09042020.pdf.
– For tips on preparing students to return to school, visit https://bit.ly/2DrpSmj and https://bit.ly/2Z2wP4K.
– Governor Cuomo recently announced a new COVID Report Card available at https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/. New York school districts will be providing the NYS Department of Health with daily data on the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19. When the reporting starts to come back, the COVID Report Card will be live.

“I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it.”

By John T. Ryan
Peru – This story’s headline expresses your Peru Gazette reporter’s sentiments today as I watched volunteers bring old tires and refuse to shore at the Carpenter Flats Route 9 bridge. The Ausable River Association (AsRS), in partnership with Adirondack River Rentals, hosted today’s cleanup.
Volunteers came from all over the Adirondack region. Working in two shifts (11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.), the volunteers collected about 120 tires (some with rims) plus many other junk items. Greg Johnson, co-owner of Adirondack River Rentals said, “One year we pulled out over 230. I’ve seen washing machines, a refrigerator, and even a cash register.”
Adirondack River Association river steward Jake Hill said his organization works to protect the Ausable River watershed. He explained that the current low water level enabled the volunteers to get out of their canoes and walk to the trash. He commented, “Protecting this river is incredibly rewarding work.”
Suzanne Weirich drove down from Saranac Lake with two other volunteers. She said, “We were invited to come this afternoon, and it’s been absolutely great. It’s been very, very gratifying helping to help decontaminate the river.”

Absentee ballot applications keeping local election officials busy – about 500 more received in Monday’s mail

By John T. Ryan 

Plattsburgh –  Thanks to COVID-19 and the presidential election, absentee ballot voting has been in the news. As of this morning, the Clinton County Board of Elections has received almost 4,000 absentee ballot applications. In 2016, the last presidential election year, 3,055 local voters cast absentee ballots. With voters having until October 27 to mail an application, the absentee ballots cast this year will likely be at least double that of four years ago.

New York State is not mailing ballots to every registered voter as is being done in a few states, including Vermont. People can vote at the polls on Elections Day, take advantage of early voting at the Board of Elections, or vote by absentee ballot. 

Before the pandemic, people who are ill or disabled, military members and civilians serving overseas, and people out of town on Election Day have been the primary absentee ballot users. During the pandemic, any registered voter can request an absentee ballot application by checking the “temporary illness or physical disability” block on question #1 of the application. 

Board of Elections Republican Commissioner Greg Campbell has confidence in the absentee ballot system. He stated, “We’ve had very few instances of absentee ballots not being received in the past. We’ve had a few instances with people living overseas or in another state, but there’s been very few locally.”  

The Board of Elections will mail military/overseas absentee ballots the week of September 18 and local ballots the week of September 27.  Ballots must be postmarked no later than November 3.  Greg Campbell reminded voters that they must sign and date the oath on the envelope containing their ballot.  If a voter desires to change their vote after mailing the absentee ballot, they can request a replacement ballot, not once, but twice.  The last ballot received is the one counted. The voter can also have a trusted person bring their sealed absentee ballot to the polling place.

Anyone desiring to verify that their absentee ballot has been received is invited to call the Board of Elections at 518-565-4740. Even if a voter mails an absentee ballot, they can still cast an in-person vote at their polling place on November 3. The Board of Elections cross-checks in-person ballots with absentee ballots. The in-person vote will be the only vote counted. 

Vote counting will take place after the polls close on November 3. Campbell said the Board of Elections purchased a high-speed ballot scanner and has requested extra staff. He anticipates counting the votes may still take up to two days. 

If you don’t care to cast an absentee ballot, early voting is another option. From Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1, registered voters can cast an in-person vote at the Clinton County Board of Elections located at the Clinton County Government Center, 137 Margaret St. (1st Floor Meeting Room). Hours for early in-person voting are Saturday & Sunday 9 am-2 pm. Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9 am-5 pm. Tuesday & Thursday, 9 am-8 pm. 

On Election Day, November 3, local polling places will be open from 6 am to 9 pm. for in-person voting. St. Augustine’s Parish Center at 3030 Main St. is the Town of Peru’s polling place. COVID-19 precautions will be in effect for workers and voters.  Go to the Clinton County Board of Elections website at https://www.clintoncountygov.com/boe for more information. 

Coronavirus in NY: 4 states added, 2 removed from quarantine list – syracuse.com

Source: Coronavirus in NY: 4 states added, 2 removed from quarantine list – syracuse.com

City & State Coronavirus Update

Source: City & State Coronavirus Update

Spirit Airlines halts Plattsburgh flights | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

Source: Spirit Airlines halts local flights | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

CVPH nursing facility employee tests positive for COVID-19

Source: CVPH nursing facility employee tests positive for COVID-19

Burlington police chief rips City Council ‘mismanagement’ in announcing she won’t return – VTDigger

Source: Burlington police chief rips City Council ‘mismanagement’ in announcing she won’t return – VTDigger

Regular School Board Monthly Meeting September 2020

The Peru CSD Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, at 6:00 PM.  It is anticipated that an executive session will take place immediately following the 6:00 PM start and that the Board will reconvene for public session business at approximately 7:00 PM.  Due to current COVID-19 conditions, the public may view the live meeting remotely via Google Meet at https://youtu.be/6f5JROZJfek.  The meeting will also be recorded and will be available on the District’s website at www.perucsd.org.  The meeting will include a public comment period not to exceed twenty (20) minutes.  Comments will be read in the order received and will be limited to two (2) minutes per sender.  Public comments may be submitted until 12:00 noon on September 8th.  Comments may be emailed to perucomments@perucsd.org.

The agenda will be available on the District’s website.

 

September 14th Peru Blood Drive

Peru – The North Country Regional Blood Donor Center, UVM Health Network will conduct a blood drive on Monday, September 14, 2020, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru. Your neighbors need and appreciate your donation. Please make every effort to donate. Masks are required and all recommended coronavirus safeguards will be maintained.

Peru Soup Kitchen Menu for Wednesday, Sept. 9th

Spaghetti 

Garden Salad 

Garlic Bread 

Chocolate Cake 

Take-Out only 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St., Peru, NY 12972 

Can I Vote | National Associations Secretaries of State

Consult this website to determine if you are registered to vote. It also includes your polling place and voting district. Source: Can I Vote | NASS

Register to Vote – New York State Board of Elections

Source: Register to Vote – New York State Board of Elections

COVID-19 Tracker – SUNY

Tracks COVID-19 at all 64 SUNY Campuses Source: COVID-19 Tracker – SUNY

The skinny on food waste; new incentives for composting programs – – The Adirondack Almanack

Source: The skinny on food waste; new incentives for composting programs – – The Adirondack Almanack