The Peru Gazette

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The Peru Central School District is seeking candidates to fill two (2) vacant, at-large seats on the Board of Education, due to the expiration of the terms of Ms. Cynthia Mills and Mr. Steven Peters.

Both seats are for full five-year terms from July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2025.

The ‘Petition for Nomination of Candidate’ is available in the District Office at 17 School Street on Mondays through Fridays, except school holidays, or via the web at http://www.perucsd.org.  Petitions must be directed to the School District Clerk, shall be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the District, and shall state the name, residence and phone number of the candidate.    Petitions must be returned no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, April 20, 2020.

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A Talk by Paolo Fedi, M.D., Ph.D.

March 25, 6:30 p.m. 

Lake Forest Senior Living Community

8 Lake Forest Dr., Plattsburgh, NY 12903

Admission is free

In 1822, a fur trapper named Alexis St. Martin was accidentally gut-shot by a shotgun in Mackinac Island, Michigan. Near death, he was treated by William Beaumont, an Army physician who for much of his career had practiced medicine in Clinton County, New York. What followed was a remarkable chapter in medical history, one that resonates today.

Dr. Paolo Fedi, head of Beaumont GI Services in Plattsburgh, will discuss the lasting medical legacy of Beaumont, whose observations and experiments with St. Martin became the basis for much of modern gastroenterology.

Dr. Fedi’s talk, to be given at Lake Forest Senior Living Community on Wednesday, March 25, at 6:30 p.m., will cover a remarkable piece of local and medical history. Dr. Fedi will delve into the personality of the self-driven and mostly self-educated Beaumont; describe the peculiar circumstances that allowed him to study the physiology of the human stomach, as well as the results of his pioneering research; lay out the legacy of Beaumont and his findings; and discuss the ethical questions posed by his study of St. Martin.

The event is free and open to the public.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension Clinton County is holding an informative workshop titled What You Should Know About Ticks on Thursday, March 19 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at our office located at 6064 State Route 22, Suite 5 in Plattsburgh.

Ticks are a widespread problem in the North Country.  These vectors of disease require us to be vigilant in order to protect ourselves.  In this workshop we will cover how to recognize tick habitat, how to prevent bites, how to do a tick check and what to look for, insecticide use, and more.

There is a $5 fee for this workshop and pre-registration is required in order for us to have enough materials ready.  Contact Jolene at 518 561-7450 or email me at jmw442@cornell.edu with questions or to register.

Jolene Wallace

Horticulture Program Coordinator

CCE Clinton County

jmw442@cornell.edu

518 561-7450

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik participated this morning in a bipartisan, Congressional-wide briefing on the Coronavirus by federal health and infectious disease experts including Dr. Robert Kadlec, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Health and Human Services; Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health; Dr. Robert R. Redfield, M.D., Director, Center for Disease Control; Dr. Stephen Hahn, M.D., Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Mr. Gary Rasicot, Acting Assistant Secretary, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, Department of Homeland Security; Mr. David Stilwell, Assistant Secretary for East Asian Pacific Affairs, State Department; Mr. Robert Salesses, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Homeland Defense Integration and Defense Support of Civil Authorities, Department of Defense; Brigadier General (Dr.) Paul Friedrichs, M.D., Joint Staff Surgeon, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and a representative from the Office of Management and Budget.

The briefing highlighted the need for funding and coordination at the highest federal level, including the naming of a Coronavirus czar to coordinate. The health experts also discussed the importance of scaling the development and manufacturing of test kits to ensure all public health labs across the country have access to testing capabilities. Additionally, the briefing highlighted the needs of developing and executing effective enhanced mitigation strategy for state and local government coordination with federal health officials regarding Coronavirus.

“As a Member of Congress, I believe it is an important responsibility to share this information with my constituents to ensure that it is accurately provided to communities and public health officials across our district,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “The most important defense we have is the local public health systems across the country that are equipped to screen and diagnose. I know our public health officials in the North Country are hard at work, and I urge all individuals who may have health concerns to seek immediate care with your health providers. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of my offices for any additional information.”

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has encouraged all individuals with specific Coronavirus queries to call the designated hotline at 1-800-CDC-INFO, where questions and referrals will be answered immediately.

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The Peru Central School Board of Education will gather Tuesday, March 3^rd at 6 PM in the High School Community Room for their second public session budget workshop.  At this workshop, the School Board is expected to:

• Examine current year projections
• Review tax levy limit calculation
• Receive overview of revenues
• Discuss and determine budget parameters
• Discuss community budget forum

The full agenda will be available on the District’s website at perucsd.org.

The meeting is open to all.

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By John T. Ryan

Peru – Peru’s zoning law may be undergoing changes. At the Monday February 24, 2020 Town Board meeting Peru resident/Signs Now owner Kevin Soucia asked if Peru’s sign ordinances could be simplified. He said he erects signs in many area towns with few problems; however, Peru is the only town that requires planning board site plan review for the erection of a sign that conforms to the zoning law. In other towns signs conforming to the ordinance are approved by the Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) in a matter of minutes. In Peru approval can take from 30 to 60 days. Supervisor Brandy McDonald said he checked with the Town of Plattsburgh and that Soucia was correct.

CEO Bob Guynup responded saying he has several more recommendations for changes in the zoning law. Guynup will work with Town Attorney Matt Favro to put his recommendations in writing. Any changes would have to go through the formal public hearing process.

Preparations for the sewer system upgrade are progressing. Water-Sewer Superintendent Courtney Tetrault remarked, “We’re in good shape.” Seven easements are still outstanding. A few of the the unsigned easements involve residents enjoying the winter months in the sunny south. A sewer project workshop is scheduled for March 2nd at 6 p.m. at the Town Hall. The public is invited.

Holding up newspaper photos of winter youth activities in other towns Counselor Kregg Bruno said he would like to see more organized winter activities in Peru. He mentioned sledding, hockey and snowshoeing. The Board recommended that the subject be brought up at the Youth Commission’s next meeting. Bruno also asked if a second light could be installed at the Sullivan Park ice rink. Courtney Tetrault will look into the matter.

Salt applications have deteriorated pavers in front of the Town Hall. They will be replaced.

Counselors Melvin Irwin and Kregg Bruno expressed disappointment with the February 19th Zoning Board decision to deny a use variance for the former Apple Blossom Florist property at 25 Pleasant Street. Local entrepreneur Matt Murphy would like to purchase the vacant building for use as a temperature-controlled self-storage facility. The Zoning Board voted 3 to 1 against granting the variance. Town Attorney Matt Favro commented that zoning boards are sometimes reluctant to set a precedent. He said he has explained to the Zoning Board that one decision does not have to set a precedent if the decision is reasonable. Favro was unable to attend the February 19th meeting. He said he attends Zoning Board meetings when requested to do so by either the Code Enforcement Officer or the Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman.

Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell reported that overtime expense are down almost 20% compared to last year with 1,103 hours this year versus 1,368 hours last year. Some employees take compensatory time rather than overtime pay further reducing overtime costs.

Farrell will travel to Albany on March 4th to participate in the annual Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) lobby day. Local government officials appeal to state legislators to increase or maintain highway paving monies.

Farrell also reported that the Town’s sidewalk blower needs to be replaced. Several thousand dollars have been spent on parts this year. The machine was purchased in 2012 at a cost of $35,265.

The Town will pay about $20,000 for seven-year extended warranties on its two new plow trucks. Mike Farrell said it’s a good investment given the high technology incorporated in today’s complex equipment.

Courtney Tetrault reported that one of his Water/Sewer personnel slipped and fell suffering an injury. He was brought to CVPH for treatment.

Dog Control Officer Dave Drollette reported that almost 600 dogs are licensed in the Town. Drollette works with dog owners to get the licensing accomplished. He prefers to avoid court action.

Last Sunday the Town Hall boiler stopped working. Parts could not be immediately located; therefore, Supervisor McDonald purchased an electric heater at a cost of $299. The Town Hall was warm Monday and the staff was able to work. The parts arrived on Tuesday.

At 6:52 p.m. the meeting adjourned to an executive session to discuss a real estate issue.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from the backcountry.

Town of Clifton
St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Rescue: On Feb. 15 at 10:02 a.m., St. Lawrence County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a snowmobile accident on the Grass River Easement in the town of Clifton. Forest Rangers Will Benzel, Peter Morehouse, and Nathan Shea responded to the location to assist Cranberry Lake Fire and Rescue. A 26-year-old male snowmobiler from Pennsylvania sustained significant injuries after being ejected from his snowmobile after hitting a tree. At 12:15 p.m., the man was flown by Life Flight to a nearby hospital and all personnel were cleared of the scene.

Source: How to prepare for coronavirus in the United States – The Washington Post