The Peru Gazette

The Peru Democratic Party meeting will be held on Thursday February 23rd, 2017 at 7 00PM.
The location will be the Peru Town Hall.

15 wrestlers heading for state championship meet Feb. 24-25

Source: Peru wins wrestling title as athletes punch tickets to Albany – Sun Community News & Printing

Dr. Spear in his office today

By John T. Ryan

Peru – Dr. Merritt Spear’s longtime friend Nancy Fegan expressed the sentiments of many people when she said, “He’s there when you need him.”  His friends, family and associates agree that those words can be applied to his practice of medicine, pubic service, military service, politics and most importantly family.

This year Dr. Merritt Spear will celebrate his 52nd anniversary of practicing medicine in the North Country. His experiences have been vast – private practice, Peru Central School physician, Clinton County Coroner, Director of SUNY Plattsburgh Health Services and Director of SUNY Plattsburgh Sports Medicine. Anyone attending hockey games at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena will see him at the end of the rink. His resume reads: SUNY Plattsburgh Director of Sports Medicine 1976-present.

Peru residents probably know Dr. Spear best as the team physician for Peru’s great wrestling and football teams. Others know him as Director of Sports Medicine for the Empire State Games and Chairman of Medical Services for the Bobsled and Luge World Cup and World Championships or as a medical team member at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Games.

Alison, Stephanie, Dr. Spear, Joan, Jennifer & Geoffrey (2009) 

Nevertheless, with all these accomplishments on his resume , when asked what he’s most proud of Dr. Spear quickly responded, “My family!” This year Dr. Spear and his wife Joan will celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary. While sports medicine has taken him away from home for many hours, Dr. Spear believes it has enhanced his family life. He explained, “My kids (Geoffrey, Stephanie, Alison and Jennifer) are athletic. I’ve been able to see what they were doing. It fit into a pattern. I’ve followed the kids and I’ve gotten to know the people who taught them. I loved every minute of it.”

Dr. Spear (Ft. Row, 3rd from left) Albany Medical College Class photo

A Plattsburgh native, Dr. Spear is a Plattsburgh High School and University of Vermont graduate. He and Joan were married in 1959 during his last year at Albany Medical College. The Spears moved to Peru in 1965 when he was hired as Peru’s school physician. They purchased their historic home at 2985 Main Street where Dr. Spear opened a private practice. In 1973 he joined Dr. Travers Robbins and Dr. Victor Ludewig to open the Beaumont Medical Center on the Bear Swamp Road.

While Dr. Spear is reticent when speaking of his accomplishments, he has wonderful memories of his military service. Not long after arriving in Peru he joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps, first as a member of the Vermont Reserves and then as a member the Vermont National Guard. His weekend duty and summertime encampments continued for 29 years. He retired in 1994 at the rank of Colonel. He remarked, “I’m very proud of my association with the Reserves and National Guard. I met some good people.”

Politics has also been one of his special pursuits, an interest undoubtedly sparked by his father Merritt Spear who served two terms as Plattsburgh mayor and one term as a city counselor. Dr. Spear was elected Clinton County Coroner in 1976 and was reelected two times.

A dedicated Republican, he has served on the Peru and Clinton County Republican Committees and has a special regard for former NYS Assembly member Janet Duprey. He said, “I worked hard for Janet Duprey. She was very good in that position.” Janey Duprey in turn considers Dr. Spear to be a very special man. She said, “Dr. Spear has been there for me for forty-one years. He’s definitely the person most responsible for me running for the state assembly. He told me to run and he said I could win. I thought about it. Then I told him, ‘I’ve got a deal. I will run for the assembly if you will be my campaign manager.’” Dr. Spear accepted that deal and was ready to continue if Janet had run for reelection in 2016.

Members of the SUNY Plattsburgh Sports Medicine Department hold Dr. Spear in the highest regard. Physicians Assistant Anna D’Angelo, Assistant to the Director of Sports Medicine, has worked with Dr. Spear since 1978 at SUNY Plattsburgh, at the Empire State Games and at Peru Central. She said, “Dr. Spear is very sensitive, a very dedicated physician who truly cares about the people he takes care of. He taught me the art of medicine.” Her description reinforces Dr. Spear’s self-characterization when he said, “I like working with people. I’m not a gadget guy.”

Jason Pachter, SUNY Plattsburgh’s Head Athletic Trainer said, “Dr. Spear is an icon in this department. He helps cover all seventeen of our sports and he’s a member of the SUNY Plattsburgh Athletic Hall of Fame. He gets along with the athletes and he knows sports medicine.” Pachter said Dr. Spear knows when the athletes can safely return to action after an injury, something that’s very important to the athletes and the teams.

Today Dr. Spear considers himself semi-retired, but he still says, “I have no desire to quit what I’m doing.” Undoubtedly Dr. Spear will be here as long as he is able and as long as we need him. He will continue practicing his art – the art of medicine.

Dr. Merritt Spear’s still-active resume:
Private Practice 1965-1976
Peru Central School Physician 1965-1990
Director, College Health Service – SUNY Plattsburgh 1976-1991
Director of Sports Medicine, SUNY Plattsburgh 1976-present
College Physician (half-time) 1991-1999
Consultant in Adolescent and Sports Medicine, CVPH Medical Center 1976-1991
Clinical Instructor in Medicine at Albany Medical College 1965-1999
Colonel. Medical Corps, U.S. Army Reserves and Vermont National Guard, Retired.
Member, Advisory Committee, NY State Governor’s Council on Lifetime Health, Fitness and Sport 1993-1994
Director of Sports Medicine Empire State Games 1980 – present
Team Physician, Peru Central School 1965-1990
Member Medical Services, 1980 Olympic Games, Lake Placid
Chairman, Medical services for World Cup and World Championships Luge and Bobsled, Lake Placid February – March 1983
Physician in Training, Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs August 1982
Chairman, Sports Medicine section of United States Bobsled Association 1982-1984
Member, Sport Medicine Advisory Board, U.S. Olympic Training Center, Lake Placid
Lecturer – Various
Clinton County Coroner 1976-85
Member Board of Directors March of Dimes, Northern NY Chapter 1966-1991
Member Board of Directors Senior Citizens Council of Clinton County – 2005-2011, 2013 –

Awards:
SUNY Plattsburgh Sports Hall of Fame October 1995
Eastern Athletic Trainers Association David G. Moyer Award January 2006
New York State Athletic Trainers Association Kent Scriber Award July 2015

Forest Ranger Actions for 2/6 – 2/12/17

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 New York’s backcountry.

In 2016, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 356 search and rescue missions, extinguished 185 wildfires that burned a total of 4,191 acres, and worked on cases that resulted in nearly 3,000 tickets or arrests.

Recent missions carried out by DEC Forest Rangers include: Read more »

State government’s 2016 overtime queen is an information technology specialist whose extra pay nearly tripled her regular salary.

Source: IT specialist was New York State’s top overtime earner in 2016 – NY Daily News

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed $2 billion in his budget to be used over five years to upgrade and protect drinking water but some estimates for the total cost of water infrastructure needs in the coming decades are 40 times that amount. A joint legislative budget hearing on environmental conservation held Monday in Albany shed light on the state’s overall needs for the largely unseen infrastructure that keeps clean water running and wastewater treatment humming. […] state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office estimated Monday that the state’s water systems may need roughly $40 billion for drinking water system repairs and improvements over 20 years. Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, R-Long Island, suggested at an unrelated event Monday that the Legislature and governor should enter into a memorandum of understanding on how to spend this year’s proposed investment.

Source: New York’s water infrastructure needs estimated at $80B over 20 years – Times Union

Good morning everyone,

Just a few important reminders this morning, since we are in the final days of preparation for Mission #67. I’m not certain I will get a regular news/notes out later this week, so did not want you to overlook the following:

1. Deadline for applications for summer mission is March 1, 2017. Tentative travel dates will be around July 5th. Applications can be found on our newly designed website via this link:http://www.ncmissionofhope.org/index.php/get-involved-2/apply/mission-application-form/

2. News and notes daily during Mission: Back by popular demand will be our daily news/notes while we are on Mission next week. Bonnie Black will do the bulk of the daily info and I’ll add bits and pieces as needed. We have a VERY full schedule, so I think you will really enjoy reading about our “hearts and hands working together to improve lives”. Stay tuned….and thanks in advance, Bonnie!

3. I still need a few more folks who could pick up an education sponsorship. If you think you could do that, please contact me this week. Read more »

Please watch the explanation on Calvin Castine’s Home Town Cable

DiNapoli: Executive Budget Reduces Out-Year Gaps, Diminishes Independent Oversight
Federal Funding Questions Pose Increased Risk for State

The $162.2 billion Executive Budget includes proposals to address infrastructure needs while reducing out-year gaps, but shifts some spending off-budget and would expand Executive authority to reshape spending and programs without legislative input, according to a report released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
“The 2017-18 Executive Budget seeks to balance spending and revenue and proposes much needed capital investments in clean water projects while increasing funding for education, health care and other programs,” DiNapoli said. “Still, several proposals raise issues regarding checks and balances over use of the public’s dollars and would diminish independent oversight.”
The budget projects total All Funds spending of $162.2 billion in state fiscal year (SFY) 2017-18, up 3.8 percent from the current year. These figures include federal aid associated with the Affordable Care Act and disaster-related assistance, which the Division of the Budget (DOB) excludes from its primary presentation of $152.3 billion in All Funds spending.
The budget proposal comes at a time of significant risk involving the federal budget. It includes $54.3 billion in federal assistance, or one in every three dollars in total. These funds are critical to help pay for essential investments in human services, transportation, education, environmental programs and health care. Federal Medicaid support has increased by billions of dollars as a result of the Affordable Care Act and other policy changes and is projected to rise another $3.3 billion over the next four years. The current budget debate in Washington threatens much of that funding.
Total revenue is projected at $160.4 billion, an increase of 4.4 percent. Although DOB estimates tax revenues in the current year to remain relatively flat, it expects such revenues to rise by $4.2 billion, or 5.6 percent, in SFY 2017-18, in part because of the Executive’s proposal to extend the higher personal income tax (PIT) rate for upper-income earners for an additional three years. Federal aid is projected to rise by $1.4 billion, or 2.6 percent, in the coming year and by $4.2 billion through SFY 2020-21.
DOB projects that spending will exceed revenues in the General Fund by an average of $2.1 billion in the three years starting in SFY 2018-19. Such projected gaps are substantially reduced from earlier projections in large part because of the proposed extension of the top PIT rate and various spending shifts which change reported expenditure levels and growth.
The budget includes several proposals potentially affecting the expenditure of tens of billions of dollars that would give the Executive expanded authority to reshape the budget after it has been adopted by the Legislature. These include the ability to increase or decrease planned expenditures, change the identified purpose of spending and reallocate spending to other state agencies and public authorities. For example, numerous Local Assistance appropriations would authorize the Director of the Budget to reduce planned spending if receipts – including but not limited to federal aid – are lower than projected.
Certain other aspects of the Budget raise concerns with respect to transparency, accountability and oversight. These include:
A lack of clarity regarding spending levels and growth;
Continued use of lump-sum appropriations; and
Additional proposed limits on the Comptroller’s independent oversight of the use of public resources, including review of various contracts and debt issuances.
Eliminating these provisions creates risk of misuse of such resources and higher costs for taxpayers.
General Fund reserves at the end of the current fiscal year are projected to total $6.8 billion, down by $2.1 billion from a year earlier. They are projected to decline by another $1.2 billion by the end of SFY 2017-18. DOB anticipates a $150 million deposit to the Rainy Day Reserve in SFY 2017-18, if fiscal conditions permit.
The budget proposes increased bonding authorization for state-supported debt of nearly $8.9 billion, or 6.8 percent, over existing authorizations. None of these authorizations would require voter approval. Spending under the proposed five-year Capital Program and Financing Plan is projected to total $66.2 billion, an increase of $2.8 billion, or 4.4 percent, from the current Plan.
The Executive Budget also: Read more »

United Way Officials and the volunteer Campaign Team meet to announce to the media that the Campaign Team raised $725,115.00 for the 2017 Campaign to help with high priority health and human service needs throughout the Adirondack Region. Pictured here at the table from left to right is Assemblyman Billy Jones, Past Campaign Chair and Board Member; Amy Kretser, Campaign Chair; John C. Bernardi, Executive Director/CEO; Bill Ferguson, SEFA Chair and pictured in the back are members of the United Way Campaign Team and staff.

Amy Kretser, Executive Director of North Country Association for the Visually Impaired (NCAVI), served as the Campaign Chair this year. She said “we are so delighted to deliver this exciting news to our three county region. It is once again a testament to the generosity and caring nature of the North Country. It was very challenging this year Read more »

AGENDA TOWN BOARD REGULAR MEETING – February 13, 2017, 7:00 PM

Call Meeting To Order

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

MOTION: Approval of Minutes for the Town Board Regular Meeting of December 30, 2016 and January 23, 2017

DISCUSSION/MOTION: Reports from all Departments: (Water/Sewer/Valcour; Highway; Town Clerk; Dog Control; Youth Department; Code/Zoning; Supervisor’s Report; Court; Website; and Banking Reports)

Community Input

DISCUSSION/MOTION: Reschedule Zoning Board of Appeals Manning Reduction.

DISCUSSION: Water/Sewer Projects Update.

DISCUSSION: Fire Alarm Inspections

DISCUSSION: New truck Purchase for Parks.

DISCUSSION: Fertilimer Issue Update.

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Transfer of Monies for Vac Truck Paydown.

Other Business.
Community Input on Agenda Items.

Motion to Adjourn.

Bear hunters in New York State took 1,539 black bears during the 2016 hunting seasons, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today.

“New York has excellent bear habitat and vast, accessible public lands that offer exciting opportunities for bear hunting,” said Commissioner Seggos. “Black bears are thriving in New York currently, and are a great resource for both out-of-state and local hunters.”

Hunters took a total of 1,025 black bears in the Southern Zone, about 10 percent fewer than in 2015, but slightly more than the recent five-year average. Nearly equal numbers of bears were taken during the bow season, 379 bears, and regular season, 398 bears. The early season, which occurs only in a handful of management units in the Catskill region, yielded 228 bears.

In the Northern Zone, 514 bears were harvested, approximately 12 percent fewer than in 2015, but on par with the historical average. Bear harvest in the Northern Zone tends to alternate between strong harvests during the early season one year, followed by strong harvests during the regular season the next year, based primarily on cycles of food availability. In 2016, hunters were most successful during the early season, taking 238 bears, while the regular season produced 167 bears. Read more »

Source: Unlike many, New York mostly avoids risky pension gambles – Times Union

Several free fishing events in New York State will take place next weekend.

Source: Governor Cuomo Announces Free Fishing Days in New York | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Peru Central’s Board of Education launches its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at 6:00 PM at the school district’s Community Room, adjacent to the main entrance of Peru Jr/Sr High School. An executive session associated with particular personnel matters will take place immediately following the 6:00 PM start. The school board is slated to reconvene for public session business at approximately 7:00 PM. Anticipated topics include:

· Update from Peru 2020 Connections Committee
· Timeline for Code of Conduct Review
· Bid Award
· Facilities Use
· Appointment of Personnel

The Peru Central School District is seeking candidates to fill one (1) vacancy on the Board of Education, due to the expiration of the term of Ms. Linda Morgan.

The seat is at large for a five-year term from July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2022.

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 17, 2017.

The School Board Election will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2017.

PLATTSBURGH — Should public officials convicted of felony crimes be stripped of their pensions?

Source: Pension forfeiture heads to the voters – Sun Community News & Printing

GENESEO, NY (02/09/2017)– Maria Remillard from Peru, NY (12972), has been named to SUNY Geneseo’s Dean’s List for the fall semester 2016. To be on the list, a student must have achieved at least a 3.5 grade point average while taking a minimum of 12 credit hours.

SUNY Geneseo is a premiere public liberal arts college dedicated to developing socially responsible citizens with skills and values for a productive life.

February 12, 2017

Fish Fry from 12-4 p.m. Only $10
Music by the Senior Serenaders 1 -4 p.m.

Peru Memorial VFW
710 Pleasant St, Rt 22B
Peru, NY 12972

Proceeds to benefit our veterans.

4th Sunday Breakfast Only $10

Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Biscuits & Sausage Gravy, Corned Beef Hash, Pancakes or French Toast with Real Maple Syrup, Juice & Coffee

Feb 26th from 9 a.m. to Noon.

Peru Memorial VFW
710 Pleasant St
Peru, NY 12972

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) are reminding snowmobilers to ride responsibly and put safety first as they enjoy the state’s abundant snowmobiling opportunities.

“With recent tragedies in mind, DEC is encouraging snowmobilers to follow common sense safety recommendations. In addition to wearing a helmet, snowmobilers are encouraged to stick to designated trails,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Given the warmer temperatures we’ve had this winter, lakes and ponds that appear to be frozen over may be deceiving. Venturing out on ice that is not thick enough can lead to tragedy and we want to ensure that snowmobilers have an enjoyable time while also taking proper precautions to stay safe.”

Four inches of ice is usually safe for accessing ice on foot. Double that thickness for traveling on white ice. Ice thickness can vary on every body of water or even within the same body of water. The presence of snowmobile tracks or footprints on the ice should not be considered evidence of safe ice conditions. Individuals are strongly encouraged to check ice conditions and avoid situations that appear to present even a remote risk. Testing the thickness of ice can be done with an auger or ice spud at various spots. Read more »

What: A public meeting of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council (NCREDC). The region is composed of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Who: The NCREDC is co-chaired by Garry Douglas, President of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, and Tony Collins, President of Clarkson University. All individuals, businesses, organizations, labor and education representatives from the North Country region are welcome to attend the meeting.

When: Tuesday, February 14, 2017, at 1 p.m.

Where: Lake Placid Convention Center
Lussi Ballroom, 2nd Floor
2608 Main Street
Lake Placid, NY 12946

Paid parking is available in the adjacent municipal lot.

** Members of the public may RSVP here. **

For more information about the CFA process and Regional Council initiative, please visit: http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov.

Lake Placid, NY; February 8, 2017. The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has posted the results of a project exploring opportunities for regional maple sugarmakers to produce birch syrup at www.nnyagdev.org. Four sugarhouses participated in the 2015-2016 birch syrup project; one each in Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Jefferson counties.

‘All species of birch trees produce sap that can be processed into syrup that sells at a high price point,’ says project leader Michael L. Farrell, author of The Sugarmaker’s Companion: An Integrated Approach to Producing Syrup from Maple, Birch and Walnut Trees.

‘In some areas a gallon of birch syrup can sell for $200 with gross revenues of $20 per tap, which is significantly higher than most maple syrup operations generate,’ says Farrell, director of the Cornell University Uihlein Forest in Lake Placid, NY.

But, Farrell quickly points out that while birch syrup production has the potential to be a profitable enterprise for existing maple producers, several prerequisites are required, including a proper number of birch trees to produce a sufficient amount of sap to support efficient use of commercial-scale maple processing equipment.

One option for smaller sugarmakers that Farrell suggests in the Producing Syrup from Birch Trees in NNY report posted at www.nnyagdev.org is to pool their birch sap for processing by one larger commercial operation.

Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center Maple Program transported the sap collected from 61 paper birch trees there 20 miles to the Uihlein Forest sugarhouse for processing.

Farrell notes that the trial at Paul Smith’s also produced conclusive evidence that using 5/16-inch spouts will provide significantly more sap than 3/16-inch spouts.

In Ellenburg Center, Brandy Brook Maple Farm owner Joy Herfurth tapped 40 white and yellow birch trees and gathered data on sugar content and sap volume. She made about two gallons of birch syrup. A half-gallon sold for $80.

‘I was interested to participate in this research as a way to develop an opportunity for extra income. We used a smaller boiling pan that helps extend our maple season when sap volume decreases,’ Herfurth says. ‘This type of regional research is part of helping landowners discover untapped resources they may not be aware of or may be cutting down for firewood.’

For now, producing birch syrup is on hold at Brandy Brook Maple Farm which has 10,000 maple taps and has opened a new maple-influenced winery, but Herfurth says if birch syrup catches on with consumers, specialty food stores, and restaurants to build market demand she will consider tapping the 150 or so birch trees she has in the future.

Birch syrup is produced on a commercial scale by sugarmakers in Alaska and Canada. Farrell says, ‘More birch syrup production research and consumer awareness building could help North Country sugarmakers expand their use of the northern New York landbase with this niche product.’

The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a research and technical assistance program serving Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Shannon C. Bresett, 42, of Saranac Lake allegedly spent more than $20,000 belonging to Champlain Valley Search and Rescue.

Source: Woman charged with stealing from rescue group | Local News | pressrepublican.com