The Peru Gazette

Peru Gazette Warning: The Executive Pay is X-Rated

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Chili

Vegetable 

Bread 

Dessert

Served 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., take-out only, at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St., Peru, NY 12972 

All are invited and welcome!

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CVPH FitzPatrick Cancer Center offering education, free test kits 

PLATTSBURGH, NY (4/30/2025) – Patients across the North Country have a chance to get a leg up on the second-leading cause of death from cancer by attending a free screening and education session.

The event, organized in partnership with the American Cancer Society and Cancer Services Program (CSP) of northeastern New York, is set for Thursday, May 15 at 5:30 in the boardroom near the main entrance at University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH).

Colorectal cancer is highly preventable with screening, which starts at age 45 for anyone considered average-risk and not suffering any symptoms. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate is 91% when caught early.

“This is truly an opportunity to save your life or the life of someone you love,” says Jeanine Lynch, BSN, RN, OCN, oncology care coordinator at the CVPH FitzPatrick Cancer Center (FCC). “We want to answer any questions people in our community may have and hopefully help folks who are eligible get screened. Catching cancer early gives our providers more tools to fight the disease with. And it gives our patients a much better chance at enjoying more time with family and friends, doing what they love.”

The event, hosted by the FCC and open to all, will include speakers discussing risk factors, symptoms, screening options and prevention. Anyone attending who is age 45 or older and is eligible will receive a free Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT kit) courtesy of CSP. The test can be done in the privacy of the home and sent to a lab to test for colorectal cancer.

The first 20 people who pre-register will be provided a $10 gas card. To pre-register, call Nikki Fenton from CSP at 518-565-8598.

The event is part of University of Vermont Cancer Center’s mission to reduce the burden of cancer in northeastern New York, Vermont and northern New England through research, outstanding clinical care, community outreach and education.

Peru Green Up Day

The Peru CSD SAVE Club invites interested individuals to participate in a townwide Green Up Day this Saturday, May 3rd.  The event will be hosted by the Peru Lions Club and the Peru CSD PTO.

Individuals should meet at 8:00 AM at Rulfs Orchard, 531 Bear Swamp Rd, to receive assignments and supplies.

For more information, please contact perupto@gmail.com.

By John T Ryan 

Several important issues came to the floor at the Monday, April 28, Peru Town Board Meeting, the most important being the board authorizing Supervisor Craig Randall to sign and execute contracts with the wastewater treatment plant’s general, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical contractors. Randall’s said contractors should begin in May, long before the July 1 deadline. Water-Sewer Superintendent Courtney Tetrault said truck travel will impact residents, especially North Bend Street residents. Tetrault plans to hand-deliver notices to the street’s residents. 

Mark DeCrescente, PE of Engineering Ventures,  updated the board on the Lyons Road, Fuller Road, and Westcott Road culvert replacement projects. DEC and Army Corps approvals should come soon, with construction taking place this summer. In his opinion, the Lyons Road culvert would cost the town $670,000, and the Fuller Road would cost $770,000. The Westcott Road project is much more complex because it involves constructing a temporary road. DeCrescente was not ready to give his opinion on the cost of that project, which will probably not begin until 2026.

Recreation Director Kristen Marino said she has openings for a Recreation Director Assistant, a Grasshopper boys baseball coach, 2 T-Ball coaches, and a summer tennis/pickleball instructor. She reported that many youths signed up for boys’ and girls’ T-ball and Grasshopper teams; however, only four signed up for pony baseball, which was insufficient to conduct a program.

The board tabled a resolution to sign on as an anchor user of Hamilsun Solar Farm pending contract review by the board and town attorney. Supervisor Randall said the town will save a modest amount on utility expenses (approximately $7,000 annually) and will be supporting an environmentally friendly project undertaken by Peru residents. 

Town Historian Helen Nerska will conduct a Peru Walking Tour on Saturday, May 31. Nerska will also have a summer-long Peru history exhibit at the Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum.  She noted that four “History Chats“ are on the town website. The chats relive the history of Peru through memories shared by Peru residents. The Peru Gazette recorded the conversations. 

In other actions, the board: 

Authorized purchasing a $4,500 welder for the Highway Department from Hahn Welding Supply. Four companies submitted bids. 

Agreed to hire Luke Frechette as a Parks department seasonal worker. Frechette has been a seasonal worker for about ten years and will be paid $22.16 per hour with no benefits.

Authorized renting fifteen town park porta-potties from Drapeau Sanitation, at $625 monthly. Drapeau’s price was the lowest of the four bidders.

Reported that August 15 is still the bid advertising date for the Telegraph Road culvert project. 

The Town of Peru Recreation Department is currently seeking a Grasshopper boys baseball coach, 2 Tball coaches, a summer tennis/pickleball instructor, and a summer Recreation Director Assistant.  All inquiries or interest should be directed to Kristen Marino at recreationdirector@perutown.com

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced an agreement has been reached with legislative leaders on key priorities in the Fiscal Year 2026 New York State Budget. 

Highlights of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget include: 

• A $1 billion tax cut for middle-class and low-income New Yorkers, bringing tax rates to their lowest levels in nearly 70 years.
• Delivering a sweeping increase to the Child Tax Credit by giving eligible families a $1,000 credit for kids younger than 4 years old and a $500 credit for kids ages 4-16, effectively doubling the credit for the average family
• Expanding access to child care by investing $2.2 billion statewide, including a $350 million investment to save child care subsidies for tens of thousands of New York City families.
• Sending New York’s first-ever Inflation Refund checks, which will dedicate $2 billion to provide direct cash assistance to more than 8 million New Yorkers with checks of up to $400 per family.
• Reducing the Payroll Mobility Tax for small businesses, and eliminating it for self-employed individuals earning $150,000 or less.
• Providing $340 million to ensure free breakfast and lunch for every K-12 student in New York, saving families an average of $1,600 per child.
• Investing a record $357 million in gun violence prevention programs that have helped drive gun violence down by more than 50% when compared to pandemic-era peaks.
• Fixing the discovery laws to support victims and survivors, and reduce the number of cases being thrown out on technicalities, while investing $120 million in funding for discovery law compliance for prosecutors and defense attorneys.
• Creating a new Class B misdemeanor to crack down on individuals who use a mask to conceal their identity when committing a Class A misdemeanor or higher crime or fleeing the scene immediately after committing such a crime.
• Making our subways safer by investing $77 million for police officers on every overnight subway train, installing platform barriers and LED lighting and allocating $25 million for welcome centers to connect homeless individuals with services and care.
• Strengthening involuntary commitment, improving Kendra’s Law and investing $16.5 million in Assisted Outpatient Treatment and $2 million in OMH staffing to ensure people with severe mental illness get compassionate care.
• Strengthening the continuum of mental health care by investing $160 million to create a 100 new forensic inpatient psychiatric beds in New York City.
• Allocating over $37 billion in total School Aid, while making common-sense formula changes to improve our long-term fiscal outlook.
• Setting a statewide bell-to-bell distraction-free schools policy with a $13.5 million investment to help schools operationalize bans on smart phone and other internet enabled devices usage during the school day, making New York the largest state in the nation with a bell-to-bell ban.
• Investing $47 million to make community college free for adult students pursuing associate degrees in certain high-demand industries.
• Leveling the playing field for homebuyers by banning private equity purchases within the first 90 days a home is on the market and making investments in Pro-Housing Communities and City of Yes.
• Making a record $1 billion investment in climate priorities, including assistance to electrify homes, thermal energy networks, EV charging infrastructure and renewable energy projects.
• Making the biggest capital investment in New York’s transportation history by fully funding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA’s) proposed $68.4 billion 2025-2029 capital plan to build the Interborough Express, crack down on fare evasion and focus on much needed repairs and upgrades.
• Investing an additional $800 million in the Department of Transportation’s 5-year Capital Plan to support core highway and bridge construction projects.
• Modernizing the Hudson Valley Rail System to reduce travel time, increase connectivity and strengthen economic connections across the region.

With a conceptual agreement in place, the legislative houses are expected to pass bills that will enact these priorities in the coming days. Based on a preliminary assessment of the negotiated changes to the Executive proposal, the total Budget for FY 2026 is currently estimated at $254 billion. The FY 2026 Budget does not raise income or statewide business taxes, maintains record State reserves to safeguard state finances and grants the Governor the powers necessary to make future adjustments if actions by the federal government require. 

Clinton County, April 29, 2025. The Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) reminds residents to be on the lookout for ticks. Ticks can spread diseases that make people and pets very sick. They are most often found in shady, moist areas at ground level. They cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls. Ticks can enter your yard through woods, tall grass or small animals or birds. 

“Now that temperatures are consistently above 40⁰F, we should expect to see ticks throughout our region,” explained Nichole Louis, RN, BSN, Director of Health Care Services at CCHD. “This is when adult ticks that survived the winter will start to emerge. We will see nymphs as the summer goes on and will continue to see both through the end of the fall.” 

The most common type of tick found in our region is the deer tick. Adult deer ticks can be the size of a sesame seed, while nymph, or baby, deer ticks can be as small as a poppy seed. 

“The first step in preventing tick bites and tick-related illness is to avoid ticks and the places we know they like to be,” explained Ms. Louis. “When possible, stay away from places where ticks are normally found. If you are walking, hiking or biking, stay toward the center of the path and avoid dense woods and bushy areas.” 

Other prevention measures include: 

• Use an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) approved insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon, eucalyptus or 2-undecanone. 
• Cover your skin as much as possible. Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants. 
• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily. 
• Treat clothing and gear (such as boots, pants, socks, and tents) with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Never apply permethrin directly to skin. 
• Cover baby carriers and strollers with mosquito netting. 
• Stay away from animal nests and teach children to do the same. 

Even with your best prevention efforts, you may still come into contact with ticks. Make frequent tick checks routine for everyone in your family—including pets. Pets that spend time outdoors can bring ticks indoors, putting you at risk, even if you haven’t spent time outdoors yourself. Tick checks should include key areas ticks like to hide, such as under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and on the hairline and scalp. Taking a shower as soon as possible after spending time outdoors can also help to wash away unattached ticks. When spending time outdoors, check for ticks frequently so you can remove them before they have a chance to bite you or your family members.  Read more »

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Peru, NY – In mid-2024, Peru Town Historian Helen Allen Nerska conducted several “History Chats” with longtime, well-known residents who shared fascinating stories about growing up and living in Peru, NY.

During these sessions, Helen Nerska interviewed a number of individuals: Barbara Copeland Perry, Monica Downs Remmilard, Douglas Brown, Judy Barber Walpole, Priscilla (Pam) Monette Altizer, Carol Davis Gallagher, Cheryl Woodward Randall, Frank Woodward, Bob McGee, Mary Downs Nisoff, and Janet Lacey Duprey.

The Peru Gazette was honored to record these interviews and looks forward to capturing Helen Nerska’s future interviews as well.

Click this link to see the videos on the Town of Peru webpage.