The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

Dan and Charles compete in a high school track meet

Charles and his training partners L-R Garret Lee, Chris Boyle, Charles Remillard and Dave Marks

#58 Dan Lennon

Peru – If you’re in Atlanta Ga. on Leap Day, February 29th, you’ll find former Peru High School Track teammates Charles Remillard and Dan Lennon competing in the 2020 Olympic Marathon trials. They are among 216 men who qualified to compete for a spot on the 2020 United States Olympic Team. To gain entry into this race, men had to run the marathon (42,164 meters/26.2 miles) in 2:19 or a half-marathon in 1:04 or faster. Only three 3 men will qualify to compete in the Tokyo Olympics to be held in July of this year.

Following graduation from Peru High School in 2011 Charles Remillard starred in track at SUNY Oneonta where he excelled in the 10,000 meter winning the SUNYAK Outdoor Championship in 2014-15. After college he started running longer distances and enjoyed success in both the New York City and Boston Marathons. In the NYC with over 51,000 runners competing he finished 78th overall and second in his age group. Remillard is excited about competing in Atlanta. He said, “It’s been a goal. It’s cool to even be in a race with people who are going to represent the U.S.” Remillard won’t be running alone. Currently a middle school STEM teacher in Denver, Colorado, he has three training partners,(Garret Lee, Chris Boyle, and Dave Marks)
all of whom qualified for the Atlanta trials.

Dan Lennon graduated from Peru High School in 2012 and achieved great success at Syracuse University. In 2015 he was a member of school’s  National Championship NCAA Cross-Country Team and earned All-American honors. Between 2016 and 2018 he ran pro-track and returned home to coach the Peru High School track team during the 2016-17 school year. In December 2019 he graduated from Albany Law School and is currently very busy studying for the bar exam and preparing for the Atlanta trials.

Lennon said he dreamed of being a pro football player as a youth, but when he weighed only 165 pounds and was 5 ft. 5 in. in height at age 16 he decided the NFL wasn’t a realistic goal. Success at track came naturally. He explained, “I broke high school track records and have been thinking of running the marathon since then.” Lennon described his current training schedule. “It’s cruel. I run 110 to 120 miles a week. That’s fairly new to me. Mondays it’s 14 to 19 miles. There’s speed running twice a week. Saturdays it’s 24 to 30 miles. I run 7 days a week.” Lennon’s cautiously optimistic about his chances in Atlanta. He said, “I’d like to think I’m going to be competitive. This course is not like any other course. There are no flat sections. You’re either going up or down or making a turn.”

Both Charles Remillard and Dan Lennon will have plenty of support in Atlanta. Charles’ parents Tom and Cheryl Remillard, two uncles and two college friends will be there cheering him on. Dan’s parents Dan and Elizabeth Lennon, his girlfriend Meredith and his sister Kara’s  fiancé will be encouraging him from the sidelines.

NBC will be covering the marathon from noon to 3 p.m. on February 29th.

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The Peru School Board of Education will hold a brief special meeting on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 7:00 AM in the High School Community Room.  The sole purpose of the meeting is to award a contract related to a recent bid.  At this time, no other District business is anticipated for this meeting.

The full Board agenda will be available on the District’s website (perucsd.org).

All are welcome.

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Please Share A Message from Our Peru Fire Department!! Mark your calendars! It is time for 🚘 Car washes 🚗 ! We will begin February 29th through April 4th. They will be Saturdays 8am – noon weather permitting. $5.00 donation PLEASE SHARE

http://www.hometowncablenetwork.com/categories/50-youth-sports/9005-nac-peru-5-6-boys-2-16-20?fbclid=IwAR26nTmHbtcF6i2wDu80HJUbzFgxvhrbDcGp2xY-5MXNMw3EuUwnM5OjG5w

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By John T. Ryan

Highlights of the Peru Town Board meeting of February 10, 2020.

Supervisor Brandy McDonald stated that the Town has applied for a $125,000 grant to begin extension of the walking rail to Laphams Mills Park. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell said the Board will have to decide where the trail will cross the Little Ausable River because the trail would have to lead to a bridge crossing the river. Another grant would have to finance the bridge. Water Sewer Superintendent Courtney Tetrault commented that a walking trail from the Buttonwood development to Sullivan Park might be a better option. Walkers currently use a make-shift path through the woods.

Town Clerk Dianne Miller reported that as of January 29th all property taxes have either been paid in full or installment payments have been scheduled. Several Board members complimented Miller for scheduling convenient office hours.

Responding to questions from this reporter, Supervisor Brandy McDonald said the Town has been doing its best to bring a School Street property and a Pleasant St-Elm St. property into compliance with the Zoning Law. The School Street property has been deteriorating for many years. A plywood sheet that once boarded up a front porch window has been laying on the ground. The Pleasant St.-Elm Street properties have not been painted for many years.

Carol Rock, Vice- President of the Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum, thanked the town for its support and summarized the museum’s 2019 progress. She said the museum will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020 with new and exciting adventures being planned to help with the celebration.

In 2019 the museum was able to:
Host about 13 school field trips as well as a few visits from Senior Housing groups.
Add a baby changing station in the new family bathroom
Purchase several new picnic tables
Purchase a new self-propelled lawnmower to help with upkeep of the grounds
Continue interior work on the Goshen store with the complete restoration completed during the 2020 season.
Complete the exterior restoration of the Goshen store.
Purchase 2 machines for the woodworking building including a 24-inch planer and an 1860s-band saw. Both are in working condition and will be demonstrated throughout the upcoming season.
Refurbish the driveway and paths around the museum grounds to make them more accessible
Construct a better viewing area for the animals.
Construct a Stagecoach Depot to educate about the role of the stagecoach in Peru and to protect the stagecoach from inclement weather.
Hold 3 successful fundraisers – a Chinese Auction, a bottle drive (thank you Brandy for your help with this project) and a Lottery Frame Raffle. The museum is also participating in the Amazon Smile Program.
Educate and entertain visitors with presentations by Master Gardeners, Sylvan Spinnery, The Champlain Valley Woodworkers, Speedy Arnold and Mitch Willette who shared their special skills and knowledge at the museum.

In other actions:
The Board accepted the 2020 town procurement policy.

Code Enforcement Officer Bob Guynup will assist in forming a committee to determine if solar farm regulation is needed. A public hearing on solar farms preceded this meeting.

A sewer upgrade project workshop was scheduled for March 2, 2020 at 6 p.m. Twenty-easements for the sewer line path have been obtained with about 20 easements still needed.

Please Note: The video of this meeting is not being posted because of sound technical issues.

The Plattsburgh Police Department is looking for help finding the owner of this little chicken. She was found in the Kinney’s parking lot on Boynton. Anyone with information, please call the station (518)563-3411

Peru Drama Club presents Tuck Everlasting the Musical based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt. When Winnie Foster stumbles upon a stranger in her wood, she’ll learn the biggest secret ever known, and be faced with the toughest choice. Tuck Everlasting features a book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle, with music by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen. Come see this new, family-friendly show and get ready to answer the question “What would you do if you could live forever?”

All performances are at the Peru Jr/Sr High Auditorium, 17 School Street, Peru, NY 12972

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and are available online at http://perucsd.seatyourself.biz, at Kinney’s Pharmacy in Peru, by phone at 518-551-0811 or by e-mail at perudramaclub@gmail.com. Please call or email for more information!