The Peru Gazette

From the Office of State Senator Betty Little 

The State Senate is expected to approve later this afternoon a budget resolution that includes numerous changes important to the Adirondack region, according to State Senator Betty Little.

Little said the budget resolution strikes an executive budget proposal that would have eliminated a more than century-long obligation by New York State to pay ad valorem taxes on state-owned lands, including millions of acres in the Adirondack Park.  The Senate one-house budget rejects the proposed change from ad valorem to a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTS), which many fear would result in a property tax shift to local taxpayers.

“This is a top priority for our region, something that everyone I have heard from adamantly opposes.  Our local governments and environmental groups are strongly united in their opposition and have done a tremendous job in Albany explaining why the proposed change would be so detrimental to our North Country economy.  The push needs to continue through budget negotiations, but today’s formal rejection is an important step for us all.”

The Senate budget proposal rejects $1 billion in tax-and-fee increases, including new taxes on internet purchases and new DMV fees.  The proposal also would decouple the state and federal tax codes to prevent New Yorkers from taking a $1.5 billion state tax hit as a result of recent federal tax changes.

The Senate’s education budget calls for 3.8 percent increase in school aid funding over last year, bringing the total investment in schools to a record level of $26.1 billion.  The Senate proposal seeks an increase in aid for libraries, too.  The plan also restores more than $10 million in funding for agriculture programs and provides funding for rural health needs, including for opioid treatment.

Funding for local prioirities include: $300,000 for the Visitors Interpretive Centers at Paul Smith’s College and SUNY ESF in Newcomb; $250,000 for the Adirondack Lake Survey Corporation; $700,000 for a capital project of the Lake George Park Commission; $250,000 for the Adirondack North Country Association; $100,000 for the Adirondack Diversity Initiative; $150,000 for the North American Center of Excellence for Transportation of the North Country Chamber of Commerce; and $185,000 for veterans peer counseling services.

The Senate budget resolution summarizes proposed changes to the executive budget.  The resolution was developed based on feedback from many groups and individuals who contacted and met with lawmakers and staff in Albany in response to the governor’s executive budget, which was announced in January.  The Legislature hosted public hearings for several weeks to collect testimony.

The resolutions adopted by the Senate and Assembly will be the basis for the three-way negotiations that will soon begin between the executive and two houses of the Legislature.

Peru – Social media posts led some to believe that there would be loud dissent at the Monday, March 12, 2018 Town Board Workshop on the Main Street Plan; however, while several residents expressed concerns, the overall tenor was positive. Concerns centered on tree placement, tree maintenance and doubt as to whether a tree-lined street would slow traffic as intended. This phase involves Main Street from Maiden Lane to the Dollar General. Click here to view detailed plans. 

Main Street Committee Leader and Grant Writer Adele Douglas began the meeting by reviewing the plan’s goals: to make Peru’s Main Street more attractive and to slow down traffic thereby making it more friendly to bikes and pedestrians. She summarized saying, “More trees, more grass, slower traffic. Pedestrians are more comfortable. Trail users can loop through town. It will hopefully be good for future businesses.”

Alice Provost expressed several concerns. She remarked, “I’ve paid people to cut trees down.” She voiced concerned about the trees interfering with power lines and the leaves being blown into her swimming pool. Adele Douglass said shorter trees will be planted where the power lines exist, but residents will be expected to maintain the trees and the grass.

Provost also mentioned parking for special events at St. Augustine’s Church such as funerals and the Applefest. Douglass admitted the improvements will involve a trade-off saying “It is worthwhile to have a more attractive Main Street, hopefully slow down traffic and make it more attractive to pedestrians versus having it being more challenging when there are special events? I don’t disagree about parking for special events.”

Others mentioned the large trucks that travel on Main Street. Douglas said the plan no longer includes narrowing of the Maiden Lane – Main Street intersection. Courtney Tetrault said the driving lane will still meet state specifications and the road will stay the same width. No parking will be lost on the north side of the street. There may be some parking lost on the south side. Others stated that the town has higher priorities such as repairing sidewalks, dealing with abandoned homes and improving street drainage.

Mike Seminario said several people are concerned about the trees affecting visibility. Mary Kay Ezero said the trees will restrict access for repairmen working at her home. Brandy McDonald responded, “These plans can be adjusted. They are not set in gold. We can work on that.”

Judy Kirby commented, “What do we want our town to look like? We’re all invested in it.” Allison Hulbert Bruce said she and her husband use the walking trail. Walking trail loop appeals to her. She remarked, “I think this is going to buffer you from the traffic. I’m on the positive side. I’m excited.”

Ed Schiffler was concerned about the sidewalk width saying the drawings depicted the sidewalk as being ten feet wide in front of his home. He remarked, “Tearing out a sidewalk that’s in and putting in a ten foot sidewalk doesn’t make sense to me… I’m not sure planting trees is going to slow down traffic. There needs to be a lower speed limit on Route 22.” Adele Douglas stated that this phase of the plan does not include widening the sidewalk and that future phases might include widening the sidewalk to eight feet, not ten feet.

As the meeting neared a close Councilman Jim Langley said, “I think the biggest concern is the placement of trees, who is going to be responsible and how high will they be. I think we’ll have to make the contractor aware of what the nuances are for everyone’s property.”

Committee member Jerry Ross, who is an avid bike rider, said he can foresee cyclists being drawn into Peru and business positively impacted, thereby increasing the tax base. Committee member Dr. Ann Marie Spear commented, “Hopefully, we can compromise and see the big picture and work together.” She complimented Adele Douglas saying none of this would have been accomplished with her hard work, time and her ability to work with the committee.

Supervisor Brandy McDonald mentioned social media posts where people were concerned about the Town financing the project. He said the project is 100% funded by a New York State grant. No town money will be expended. He recalled that when the walking trail was conceived many people were vocal in their opposition. He said, “We heard nothing but negative, now thousands and thousands of people are using it.”

Following Monday’s workshop the Peru Town Board conducted its regular meeting and voted 4-0 to proceed with letting bids on the project. The Board is hopeful that the bids will come in considerably less than the $170,000 state grant.

Source: 30 Epic Festivals In Montreal You Can Look Forward To This Summer – MTL Blog

Peru’s Water Department personnel will be be reading meters from March 19th to March 23rd.

Tonight’s Soup Kitchen at St. Augustine’s Parish Center has been cancelled. Next week you can look forward to pulled pork, baked beans, cold slaw and dessert. The pulled pork and cold slaw got rave reviews the last time they were served.

“Owner Robert Streeter has debarked to Cadyville, some 75 miles north of Ticonderoga, where he says he will launch new radio properties despite the cloud of controversy and unanswered questions left in the wake of his sudden departure.”

Source: WIPS sudden exit leaves cloud of uncertainty, questions — and criminal investigation – Sun Community News & Printing

Peru Central School District is closed today, 3/14.  The Town Hall Meeting scheduled for tonight has also been cancelled.

Source: Assembly budget proposal slaps upstate ride-hailers with $1 fee – Times Union

Source: Stefanik threads her way through House intelligence panel shutdown – Times Union

From the Office of Assemblyman D. Billy Jones

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay) announced that the Assembly’s budget proposal maintains the current tax structure for Forest Preserve lands in order to protect the North Country economy, rejecting the governor’s proposal to cap taxes and shift to payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs).

“Changing the way state land in the Adirondacks is taxed could have a negative impact on our municipalities,” said Jones. “A shift to PILOTs means less leverage for towns, leaving local taxpayers with the burden of making up for those losses. The Assembly budget proposal is doing right by the North Country by rejecting this measure.”

Jones has previously voiced his concerns about the proposal to change the way taxes are assessed for state property and advocated to Read more »

During the 2017 hunting seasons there were 19 hunting-related shooting incidents, similar to the five-year average. About three-quarters of incidents involved two parties, and the other one-quarter were self-inflicted. Of the two-party hunting-related shooting incidents, almost 80% of the victims were not wearing hunter orange. Incidents involving two or more individuals highlight the importance of identifying your target and what lies beyond.

Hunting is enjoyed by over 500,000 New Yorkers each year, and thanks to DEC staff and volunteer hunter education instructors, hunting safety statistics continue to improve. Though the number of hunters is declining in the state, the hunting incident rate (incidents per 100,000 hunters) is falling much faster. Since the 1960s, the number of hunters has declined about 20%, while the incident rate has plunged more than 70%. The current five-year average is 3.2 incidents per 100,000 hunters, compared to 19 per 100,000 in the 1960s.

Every hunting-related shooting incident is preventable! Follow the rules of hunter safety:

• Treat every firearm as if it were loaded
• Control the muzzle, keep it pointed in a safe direction
• Identify your target and what lies beyond
• Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire
• Wear hunter orange

Source: Percoco guilty on three counts – Times Union

Please note that tonight’s (March 13, 2018) Peru School District meeting/workshop/forum has been CANCELLED.

They have been rescheduled for next Tuesday, March 20^th.

Thank you.

PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Strand Center for the Arts is thrilled to announce that its Annual High School & Middle School Exhibition will be opening in the SCA Main Gallery at 23 Brinkerhoff Street in Plattsburgh.

The Annual High School & Middle School Exhibition will be opening in the SCA Main Gallery at 23 Brinkerhoff Street in Plattsburgh in April. The opening reception for this exhibition will be held Friday, April 6, 2018 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on view at the SCA Main Gallery from April 6 through April 27, 2018 and is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Yearly, The Strand Center for the Arts invites schools from Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties to participate in this juried show. Participating schools for the 2018 competition include Beekmantown Central High School & Middle School, Brushton Moira Central High School, Elizabethtown-Lewis School, Northeastern Clinton Central School, Chazy Central Rural School, Saranac Central School, Northwood School and Seton Catholic Central.

Awards will be given to students in the media categories of drawing, painting, sculpture (3D), ceramics, mixed media, photography/design and printmaking. Jurors for the awards are well acquainted with the arts and include sculptor, Walter Early; painter and associate professor, Ian Burcroff; photographer, Bobby Ziemba; as well as art teacher and painter, Lorrie Mandigo.

For more information about this and other events, please visit The Strand Center for the Arts website at www.strandcenter.org or email gallery@strandcenter.org.

The Peru Community Church invites all to the annual Palm Sunday Brunch to be held on Sunday March 25^th from 9 AM to 1 PM in the Peru Community Church Fellowship Center, 13 Elm Street, Peru, New York.   Enjoy a delicious hot breakfast with family and friends.  Menu includes:  Scrambled Eggs, French Toast, Bacon, Biscuits & Sausage Gravy, Hash Browns, Fresh Fruit Salad, Milk, Coffee, Tea and Assorted Juices.  Prices:  Adults – $8.00; Children (ages 5 – 12) $5.00; Under 5 FREE.

Proceeds benefit church missions.

Also on March 25^th, during the 10:30 AM service, the cantata, “No Greater Love” by John Peterson will be performed by the choir, soloists, with speakers from the Confirmation Class retelling the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through his Crucifixion on Good Friday.

Town Board Meeting of March 12, 2018 video. A written summary of the meeting highlights will follow.  The Board approved the plan to upgrade the northern portion of Main Street by a vote of 4-0.

This is a video of tonight’s Main Street Plan Town Board Workshop. At the Peru Town Board meeting that followed, the Board approved a resolution (4-0) to seek bids on the project. Please excuse two brief breaks in video due to technical issues. The round of applause for Adele Douglas was not purposely omitted.

Source: Teachers laud new reading program | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise

Source: NCCC awarded $1.1 million for upgrades | Local News | pressrepublican.com

Source: Fire destroys Keene Valley grocery store

Political Parties Take Note

Source: Queensbury town supervisor, wife arrested on election law charges – Times Union

For the past twelve years, Peru CSD has organized a Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) that has served to inform and promote school-community discussion concurrent with the school district budget development process.

The BAC typically meets in order to develop an understanding of revenues and expenditures, components of a balanced budget, and particular challenges that face the school district.  Traditionally, the BAC has formulated recommendations for Board consideration to assist the Board and administration.

At this time, the BAC is scheduled to meet at 6:00 PM on Thursday, March 15^th.  In addition to these informational sessions, the BAC will be invited to share their recommendations with the School Board at its 6:00 pm. workshop on Tuesday, March 20^th.

The meeting is open to individuals who reside within the boundaries of Peru CSD.  Interested individuals may register by calling (518) 643-6002.

Thank you.

Source: Students detox from cellphone use | News, Sports, Jobs – Adirondack Daily Enterprise

Source: State Police: Plattsburgh teen had AR-15 rifles, high-capacity magazines in car | NCPR News

L-R Herb Perry, Mike Roy, Roger Bonner, Dan Paquin, Devin LaPorte, Caleb Remillard, Mike Hogan, Sue Bonner, Dan Bonner, Alex Ekstrom, Brad Pellerin, John Whiteman and Seth Charles and office friend Drake. 

The friendly and skilled staff at J. Hogan Refrigeration and Mechanical Inc., 12 Chamberlain Rd., is #35 in our Peru Gazette photo series featuring people who make Peru a wonderful place to live. The family-owned company was founded 50 years ago in Jack and Betty Hogan’s Peru home. Today 22 employees provide refrigeration, heating and air conditioning design, construction and emergency services to hundreds of industrial and commercial customers in Northern New York and New England. Clients range from orchards to colleges, hospitals, resorts, restaurants, churches and many others.  J. Hogan’s webpage lists over 50 types of clients.

Our photo features the employees working in J. Hogan’s Peru office last Friday. Other employees were on the road serving customers. Call 518-643-6687 for information.