The Peru Gazette

Source: Stefanik calls for Trump to do more to help NY | NCPR News

The article mentions what the New York National Guard is doing.

Source: Vermont National Guard ready to assist in COVID-19 pandemic – VTDigger

Source: Clinton County reports fourth case of COVID-19

Peru Central campus

Lessons delivered to elementary students

Dr. Thomas Palmer

By John T. Ryan 

On March 15th in response to the ongoing Coronavirus crisis the Peru Central School District and 15 other area districts suspended on-campus education through at least April 17th. Since then Peru administrators, teachers and staff have been striving to continue educating the district’s approximate 1,800 students. Last Friday and in a follow-up communication tonight Superintendent Dr. Thomas Palmer responded to Peru Gazette questions. 

How has everything been going? Dr. Palmer said, “The people and the staff have been phenomenal. They’ve gone above and beyond. The grade 6 -12 staff has been doing a great job providing online instruction and the elementary staff has been very active. Last Wednesday academic packets were delivered to elementary children. Things have been going better than expected. Is it perfect, no. Administrators are communicating with their staff and vice-versa.”

On Thursday student meal deliveries began. Palmer explained, “We delivered 1,310 meals to 655 students daily (lunch and a next day breakfast ).  It went seamlessly. People really pitched in and the kids were excited.” Every student is eligible for the meals. There are no income restrictions. To participate provide your child’s name to the Middle School office at 518-643-6300. The weekend food backpack program should resume this coming weekend. Details will be worked out later this week. 

Earlier this year the district issued Chromebook computers to every grade 6 – 12 student. Tired of waiting for Smart Schools Bond Act monies the school board authorized using reserve funds to purchase the computers. Palmer said, “It’s a different way to provide instruction. Kids seem to be doing OK. A few are struggling a bit. It’s a different mode of learning.” 

About 75 of the high school’s 566 students do not have access to the internet at home. Palmer said they are being provided information on paper adding, “The teacher needs to communicate with them. We’re doing everything we can so they have the work. All the Chromebooks have word processors. We just can’t transmit the work to them electronically.”  

Teachers provide up to five hours of daily instructional time. Palmer said, “Students are not getting all five subjects every day. They’re getting two core academic subjects. Elective courses are outside of that. If we overload them with digital it’s not going to be very successful.” 

Palmer said the school is trying its best to communicate with parents and students through email, videos and podcasts. The school’s webpage and Facebook pages are being utilized. All offices will be open this week but operations may be conducted remotely. Messages will be responded to the same day or no later than the next day. 

Thank you to Rebecca Ploof-Roach for the video

Source: Coronavirus live blog: Sunday, March 22 | NCPR News

Mountain Lake PBS is offering daily television instructional programming for grades K-12. Check out the schedule. https://mountainlake.org/learn

Today stating at 12pm from the High School Parking Lot in Peru then going through the Village first then all the other roads after!! Please Share Peru !!!! A message from Kathleen Roach for all of Peru !!! I will also be Joining the School Staff and Teaches in my own Vehicle ❤️ Remember we are all in this together and will come out better working together and looking out for one another !! ❤️ Sunday at 12pm.

Hello families and students of Peru Central School District. We, the entire staff, miss you. 💙 We will be participating in what is called the “teacher parade challenge” which includes all school staff who want to join us. Also the Town Supervisor. Peru CSD is a team! Starting at noon, Today we will visit the entire district to the best our our ability. Dead end streets can be tricky for a parade. We will start in the village and branch out five different ways. You are constantly in our thoughts. ((( No one will be getting out of their Cars at all))) Only a couple of people will be in the parking lot only to get all the cars to line up behind who they will follow on their route!!! There will be no contact as we will all be in our our own vehicles waving and beeping from the roadway.

To Our Customers,

Across the country these past several days, you have come to our stores to buy the technology and household necessities that are so valuable at a time like this. We remain determined to continue to serve you and are announcing today a new way of making our stores accessible while even further enhancing customer and employee safety.

In our stores

Beginning Sunday, March 22, we will offer contactless curbside service at all locations across the country where state or local laws allow. Rather than ask you to come into our stores, any items you order on BestBuy.com or the Best Buy app will be delivered to your car curbside. If, for any reason, you didn’t order the product in advance and the product is in stock in the store, one of our employees will be more than happy to go get it in the store and sell it to you while you remain in your car. This service also extends to returns and exchanges, the period for which has been extended on most products so that you have more time. Only employees will be allowed in the store, but we are determined to serve you as fully as we can. Unfortunately, we are temporarily unable to continue our product trade-in and recycling services.

For those who want to continue shopping with us online or on the app, we will, of course, still get you what you want.

In your home

As you know, Best Buy works in millions of customer homes each year, and we have long been proud of the services we provide. Because of the increased concern for you, your families and our employees, we have made the decision to suspend currently scheduled installations, haul-aways or repairs for large items like refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers and TVs.

Beginning Monday, March 23, we will no longer deliver these large products into your home and will, instead, offer free doorstep delivery. This means we will take the item as close as we possibly can to the front door of your home without bringing it inside. We know that this change will be inconvenient, and we are truly sorry. It was made with our employees’ and your best interests at heart. If you have an order scheduled for installation in the next 30 days, please expect an email or text from Best Buy about your delivery options.

Employees

Speaking of our employees, everyone working right now is doing so on a voluntary basis, and all hourly employees who volunteer are receiving a temporary pay increase. Additionally, anyone feeling sick is told to stay home, and they will be paid for that time. Finally, anyone exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 is also told to stay home, with pay, and we are paying employees who may need to stay home to care for their children.

All of us at Best Buy are grateful that so many states and localities believe we are an essential business, allowing us to continue to serve you when you need it most. We thank you for your patience and loyalty and look forward to continuing to provide you with the technology and home essentials you require to stay connected and work and learn from home. Thank you.

Source: State reports total of 49 COVID-19 cases, including 7 more at Burlington Health & Rehab – VTDigger

Folks, passing along the link below which takes you to a Governor’s page for complete Guidance of Essential Serivces Under the “New York State on Pause” Executive Order issues on the 20^th indicating that all non-essential businesses statewide must close in-office personnel functions effective at 8pm on Sunday, March 22^nd. Common sense must prevail and will on the street. If you are a business that provided a critcal raw material or supply needed to keep one of the business on the essential list then you are likely to be considered essential as well. That said staff reduction, limiting exposure and social distancing must continue as best as can be accomplished.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-issues-guidance-essential-services-under-new-york-state-pause-executive-order

For purposes of Executive Order 202.6, “Essential Business,” means:

1. Essential Health Care Operations, Including:

• research and laboratory services
• hospitals
• walk-in-care health facilities
• emergency veterinary and livestock services
• elder care
• medical wholesale and distribution
• home health care workers or aides for the elderly
• doctor and emergency dental
• nursing homes, or residential health care facilities or congregate care facilities
• medical supplies and equipment manufacturers and providers

2. Essential Infrastructure, Including:

• utilities including power generation, fuel supply and transmission
• public water and wastewater
• telecommunications and data centers
• airports/airlines
• transportation infrastructure such as bus, rail, or for-hire vehicles, garages
• hotels, and places of accommodation

3. Essential Manufacturing, Including:

• food processing, manufacturing agents, including all foods and beverages
• chemicals
• medical equipment/instruments
• pharmaceuticals
• sanitary products
• telecommunications
• microelectronics/semi-conductor
• agriculture/farms
• household paper products

4. Essential Retail, Including:

• grocery stores including all food and beverage stores
• pharmacies
• convenience stores
• farmer’s markets
• gas stations
• restaurants/bars (but only for take-out/delivery)
• hardware and building material stores

5. Essential Services, Including:

• trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal
• mail and shipping services
• laundromats
• building cleaning and maintenance
• child care services
• auto repair
• warehouse/distribution and fulfillment
• funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries
• storage for essential businesses
• animal shelters

6. News Media
7. Financial Institutions, Including:

• banks
• insurance
• payroll
• accounting
• services related to financial markets

8. Providers of Basic Necessities to Economically Disadvantaged Populations, Including:

• homeless shelters and congregate care facilities
• food banks
• human services providers whose function includes the direct care of patients in state-licensed or funded voluntary programs; the care, protection, custody and oversight of individuals both in the community and in state-licensed residential facilities; those operating community shelters and other critical human services agencies providing direct care or support

9. Construction, Including:

• skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers
• other related construction firms and professionals for essential infrastructure or for emergency repair and safety purposes

10. Defense

• defense and national security-related operations supporting the U.S. Government or a contractor to the US government

11. Essential Services Necessary to Maintain the Safety, Sanitation and Essential Operations of Residences or Other Essential Businesses, Including:

• law enforcement
• fire prevention and response
• building code enforcement
• security
• emergency management and response
• building cleaners or janitors
• general maintenance whether employed by the entity directly or a vendor
• automotive repair
• disinfection

12. Vendors that Provide Essential Services or Products, Including Logistics and Technology Support, Child Care and Services:

• logistics
• technology support for online services
• child care programs and services
• government owned or leased buildings
• essential government services

Eric R. Day, Director
Clinton County Office of

Emergency Services

www.clintonoes.org

eric.day@clintoncountygov.com
Admin – (518) 565-4791

Direct – (518) 565-4792

PLATTSBURGH, NY – Clinton County Government Officials can’t stress strongly enough for ALL residents, especially those that are most susceptible to the impacts of the COVID-19 virus, to stay home. Practicing, what has overnight become a common household term, social distancing is crucial to combating the virus by limiting the spread and ultimately protecting the greater public health. 

New York State has enacted a law referred to a “Matilda’s Law” which includes provisions for the most vulnerable population, those over 70 years of age and/or those with compromised immune systems. Matilda’s Law includes clauses regarding remaining indoors, pre-screening for any visitors and social distancing. 

For all including both vulnerable and non-vulnerable populations, all public gatherings have been canceled and public gathering facilities should be closed. As of 8pm tomorrow, Sunday March 22nd New York State has mandated that ALL NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES, STATEWIDE, must close in-office function. 

Essential Services listed below and defined with specific examples are listed in the “NYS On Pause” Executive Order and can be found on the internet at the following link: 

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-issues-guidance-essential-services-under-new-york-state-pause-executive-order 

1. Essential Health Care Operations 

2. Essential Infrastructure 

3. Essential Manufacturing 

4. Essential Retail 

5. Essential Services 

6. News Media 

7. Financial Institutions 

8. Providers of Basic Necessities to Economically Disadvantaged Populations 

9. Construction 

10. Defense 

11. Essential Services Necessary to Maintain the Safety, Sanitation and Essential Operations of Residences or Other Essential Businesses 

12. Vendors that Provide Essential Services or Products, Including Logistics and Technology Support including Child Care and Services 

Slowing the spread of COVID-19 will save lives. This is the message from all levels including the White House, State, County and Local government. Social distancing specifically limiting close proximal contact between strangers, friends and even family members is critical to battling this pandemic. 

What does that mean? As best you are able please; 

 Stay home!!! 

 Don’t gather at neighbors or friends’ homes 

 Don’t gather at family members’ homes 

 Don’t go to work unless your business/job is considered essential 

 If you need to purchase necessary goods or services plan ahead. Make purchases of enough goods or services to last a longer period of time than you normally might to limit the number of times you must go out to make purchases 

 If you go to purchase goods or services don’t take the whole family 

 If you are out and about for work or necessary services or goods, Give People their Space (maintain 6’ spacing between yourself and others) 

 Stay home!!! 

Limiting daily contact between citizens of the County and Country will help bring the spread of this virus under control. Unfortunately the closure of many places of employment is not a vacation and we must follow the guidance of our Public Health Official and the Orders of our Federal, State and Local governments. 

##### 

Source: Husband, wife make 3 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Essex County | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise

Source: Behavioral health services still available | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

Good morning everyone,

It’s important we find ways to make a difference during these difficult times. And one great way to do that is to help sew/make masks at home. We have NC Mission of Hope folks already starting this. Please consider joining in!

It was a worry for stylists, like Alicia Langjan-Smith who said, because the hairdressers at Visual Changes were self-employed, they didn’t qualify for unemployment like the workers of other industries would.

Source: ‘We’re definitely making history here’ | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

Source: DHS announces ‘essential travel’ categories | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

Source: ‘People want to be prepared’ | Coronavirus | pressrepublican.com

By Elizabeth Doran | edoran@syracuse.com

The immediate family of the deceased can now attend a private funeral and burial in New York. That’s the state government’s clarification of the rules, the state funeral director’s association said today.

Plattsburgh, March 20, 2020. A third case of COVID-19 has been identified in Clinton County. The female, in her thirties, was identified as a direct contact of the second confirmed case. Since that time, she has been quarantined at home to limit the possibility of spreading the virus to others. The individual is now isolated at home and contact tracing by the Clinton County Health Department will begin. If you are you are identified as a close contact of a person diagnosed with COVID-19, Clinton County Health Department will contact you directly.

“We anticipate that the number of cases in our region will continue to rise,” stated John Kanoza, Director of Public Health for Clinton County. Our hospital, emergency services personnel and health care professionals are prepared to handle this crisis, however, we must all do our part to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Our goal is to slow the number of new cases so that local resources can keep pace.”

For most people, COVID-19 will produce mild symptoms. Certain individuals, however, including older adults and those with compromised immune systems are at higher risk. Director of Health Care Services, Erin Streiff stressed, “Those who are ill or have been in close contact with someone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or someone who has tested positive for the illness, must stay home. Stay home also if you have been in contact with anyone who is sick. She further advised “Even those who are well, should stay at home as much as possible.”

Mr. Kanoza added, “We need to shield those who are most vulnerable from this virus and we need to ensure that our health care workers stay well. Slowing the spread of COVID-19 will save lives.”

Additional guidance about minimizing the spread of COVID-19 can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Tim Lahey, MD, an infectious disease expert at UVM Medical Center, we’re underscoring the need for all of us to avoid unnecessary contact with others. This will slow the spread of the virus in our communities, giving us a better chance to quickly and effectively treat those who need help.

This message applies to everyone. If you’re younger and healthy, staying home will help curtail the spread of the virus to older or more fragile family members, friends and neighbors. And if you’re older, you should stay home to protect yourself and those around you.

This is such a simple but important step in confronting this public health threat. By staying home as much as we can, we will save lives. As Dr. Lahey says, this is a once-in-a-lifetime call to action: We have a duty to take care of each other.

1- Spiritual help is always available. Our Masses are no longer public, but they are still taking place in private, and being broadcast on Facebook. The simplest way to find the Masses is to go to Facebook and type “St Augustine’s Parish Peru” into the search bar.

2- Parishioners are encouraged to pray a spiritual communion with their families and to watch the Mass on television or over the internet when they are able to.

3- The Church remains open for private prayer from approximately 6am until 9pm each day. Church staff is cleaning and disinfecting the Church throughout the day.

4- Confessions are still being heard from 3-4pm on Saturday, and 8-9am on Sunday, or anytime by appointment.

5- The Sacrament of the Sick is still available by calling the rectory, at 518-643-6759.

6- Father Alan and Seminarian Tom Middleton continue to pray the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day on behalf of our parishioners.

What is a Spiritual Communion?

By Dr. Mark Miravalle

Make Spiritual Communions.
 piritual Communions comprise classic spiritual practices which calls for an immediate renewal during our present Mass-less Sunday experience. A Spiritual Communion is a spiritual practice in which the Christian, after professing his or her belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, requests Jesus to spiritually enter the soul.
 Saint Thomas Aquinas describes a Spiritual Communion as a holy desire to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, and a loving embrace from Jesus as though we had already received him. Saint after saint have recommended this powerfully spiritual practice. St. Catherine of Siena compared it to receiving Jesus from a “silver Chalice” instead of the gold chalice of the Eucharist, and St. Padre Pio spoke of great efficacy in spiritually uniting with Jesus throughout the day.

Pope St. John Paul II strongly recommends the practice of Spiritual Communions in Ecclesia de Eucharistia:
…It is good to cultivate in our hearts a constant desire for the sacrament of the Eucharist. This was the origin of the practice of “spiritual communion,” which has happily been established in the Church for centuries and recommended by saints who were masters of the spiritual life. St. Teresa of Jesus wrote: “When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you” [The Way of Perfection, Ch. 35](EE,34 ).

The basic elements for a Spiritual Communion are as follows:

Express your belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist: “Jesus, I love you and I believe that you are really present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist.”

Express your inability to receive Jesus sacramentally in the Eucharist: “Jesus, unfortunately, I cannot receive you sacramentally in Holy Communion at this time.”

Invite Jesus to spiritually enter your soul: “Jesus, I now ask you to spiritually enter my soul” (followed a brief time of silence and receptivity to the spiritual entrance of Jesus into your soul).

Offer your thanksgiving: “Jesus, thank you for spiritually entering my soul. I love you, I praise you, and I adore you for your infinite grace and mercy.”

If you are able to watch the Mass on television, make your Spiritual Communion after the “Lamb of God,” when you would normally receive Holy Communion.