The Peru Gazette

The Peru Fire Department will be kicking off our Annual Fundraising Car washes again in February. We will run them every Saturday morning from 8am until noon thru the end of March. We are asking for a $5.00 donation.
February 25,March 4,11,18 and 25.

Household incomes of $53,505.00 or less may be eligible.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has designated Friday, January 27, 2017 as National EITC Awareness Day. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Coalition of the Adirondack Region has established Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites throughout our three-county service delivery area to provide “free tax preparation” to individuals and families with low or moderate incomes. Household incomes of $53,505.00 or less may be eligible. “People may be missing out on a federal refund of up to $6,269.00 plus an additional NYS credit because they are not aware of the Earned Income Tax Credit” said Kathy Snow, Director of Development, of the United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. “Our Coalition is working hard to promote the service and reach eligible people and families throughout the region”. The IRS estimates up to one in four eligible taxpayers may fail to claim the credit. The Coalition also provides information and education about asset building, including banking and savings.

Trained volunteers will be at each site to electronically file returns for low or moderate income residents, even if they do not qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit.

E-Filing provides; faster refunds, electronic payment options, less chance of error and proof of acceptance within 48-hours. VITA sites and schedules are listed on the attached flyer. The public can also call 2-1-1 for sites, schedules and information.

Coalition members include: United Way of the Adirondack Region Inc , OneWorkSource, Adirondack Community Action Programs, Inc. (ACAP), Senior Citizens Council of Clinton County, Office for the Aging, Department of Social Services, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Joint Council for Economic Opportunity, Inc. (JCEO), AARP Foundation, IRS, Family Welcome Center of CVES, Cornell Cooperative Extension, UFirst Federal Credit Union, Champlain National Bank, North Country Community College, SeaComm Federal Credit Union, Elizabethtown Community Social Center, Mohawk Indian Housing Corporation.

Source: Cuomo budget proposal threatens fulfillment of court order on school aid, critics say | NCPR News

Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers to perform Friday, January 27, 2017 at 7 PM

Amy Helm, who has won widespread praise as a singer, songwriter and live performer, was a member of the celebrated alt-country collective Ollabelle, and released her first solo album “Didn’t It Rain” in 2015. The album features, among others, her father Levon Helm (from Canadian-American roots rock group The Band) in his last recording sessions before he passed away in 2012.

Special guest, Dobro, steel guitar and lap steel player Cindy Cashdollar will join Amy Helm on stage for a couple of songs! Grammy award-winning Cashdollar has backed such noted performers as Bob Dylan, Leon Redbone, Van Morrison and Ryan Adams.

The performance will be in the Strand Center Theatre at 25 Brinkerhoff Street in Plattsburgh this evening – Friday, January 27, 2017 at 7 p.m. Tickets are priced from $25 – $35 and are available for purchase at the Strand Center Theatre Box Office at 5 p.m. (2 hours before the show). Doors open at 6 p.m. and seating begins at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on this show, upcoming events, concerts or classes happening at The Strand Center for the Arts please call 518-563-1604 or visit www.strandcenter.org.

Don’t miss the Friday night fish fries at Peru VFW Post 309, 710 Pleasant St. Served from 5 to 9 p.m. for only $10.

Joe Kelley – January 23, 2017

By John T. Ryan

Joanne Kennedy Photo

Peru’s younger and new residents probably don’t know 92 year-old Joe Kelley. Best known for being Clinton Country’s first full-time and third longest serving district attorney (1975-87), Kelley is also a World War II Veteran. Over the course of his career he was attorney for the towns of Au Sable and Peru, served ten years on the Peru Central School Board, was Peru Democratic Party Chairman and a State Democratic Committee member. Joe Kelley’s peers and friends use these words to describe him: low key, humble, positive thinking, humorous, very good at his job, a Christian gentleman, a great family man, a very nice man and a man who loves his Irish heritage.

Joe Kelley is a Hudson Falls, NY native and a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Albany Law School. He and his wife Jane moved to Peru in 1951 when Joe was hired by Plattsburgh attorney John Judge. They raised six children in Peru – Patrick, Michael, Mary, Kathleen, Timothy and Matthew. Following Matthew’s birth, Jane earned a Masters of Library Science Degree at SUNY Albany and served as Ausable Valley Central School’s Middle School librarian for 20 years. She passed away in 2011 at age 88 after 63 years of marriage. Patrick died in a tragic 1972 automobile accident.

Joe & Jane at Joe’s retirement party

Attorney Bill Russell was a part-time assistant district attorney for eleven of Kelley’s twelve years as DA and he is still a close friend. Russell recalled, “Everyone knew Joe had a lot of common sense. What they didn’t know was that he knew the law. He ran a good office. As the county’s chief prosecutor, he did not abuse the powers of his office. He respected other people’s opinions and factored them into his decision making.” Russell said that Kelley’s office had one of the highest felony conviction rates in New York State.

Any district attorney works very closely with police agencies. Former New York State Troop B Commander Jack Lawliss commented, “Joe was a very good district attorney. He didn’t ramrod things. He was low key. He got his job done. He conducted himself as a gentleman.” In the mid-1980’s when Lawliss led the State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), he worked closely with Kelley on several crimes including the much publicized Michael Murphy – Andrew Pitkin murder case.

Peter Keenan and Joe Kelley

Area 5 County Legislator fellow Democrat and former Peru Town Justice Peter Keenan said, “Joe is a fine gentleman and a hardcore Democrat. He helped me in both my campaigns driving me from door to door. There were very few elected Democrats in Peru when he came to town.”

St. Augustine’s Pastor Alan Shnob described Joe as a Christian gentleman. Smiling broadly Father Shnob said, “He’s very positive, very humble, humorous and he has a lively faith. He keeps up with all the issues and he’s not opposed to having a good time!” Joe served on the St. Augustine’s Parish Council and was President of the Planning Committee for the new St. Augustine’s School.

Joe’s neighbor Joanne Kennedy said, “I try to go over to visit Joe several times a month and each time I marvel that this man is over 90 years old…Each time I hear a new story about some interesting event or his treasured family. I’m not a born and raised Peruvian, but I sure know many tales thanks to Joe.” Joe’s friends and associates have undoubtedly heard most of those tales at their regular morning and lunchtime gatherings.

Joe Kelley prefers to talk about the fine people he has associated with rather than any of his accomplishments. Asked what advice he would give to anyone beginning a legal career he responded, “Work hard. Be honest with your employer. Be honest with your clients.” These are good words of advice and words that Joe Kelley has lived by.

Participating in a 2015 Honor Flight to Washington DC

PLATTSBURGH, NY –The Strand Center for the Arts is thrilled to host a Native American Artists Exhibition in the Main Gallery in February, 2017. This forthcoming exhibit features artwork from several local Native American artists including: Sue Herne, Dukon Harris, David Fadden, Martin Loft, Leah Shenandoah, and Jordan Thompson. The exhibit opening will take place in The Strand Center Main Gallery on Friday, February 3 with a reception that free and open to the public will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The artists brought together for this show have a wonderful diversity of styles with an equally diverse assortment of media and approaches to creating art. For instance, Read more »

CALL MEETING TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
APPROVAL of January 11, 2017 minutes.
OPEN FLOOR to public hearing
APPLICATIONS:

1. Continuation of a Site Plan Review: P-2016-027 College Auxiliary Services PSU
Continuation of a Site Plan Review – Hotel/Motel
3714 State Rt. 9
Plattsburgh, NY 12901

2. 2-Lot Subdivision with SEQR: P-2017-000 Karen Bulson-Pray
2-Lot Subdivision
637 Telegraph Rd.
Peru, NY 12972

ANY FURTHER BUSINESS: Discussion on Maplefields
CEO REPORT:
ADJOURNMENT

Since College News Release
LOUDONVILLE, NY (01/25/2017)– Siena College names students to the President’s List for the Fall 2016 semester.
The President’s List requires a 3.9 grade point average or higher.
Michael Mills of Peru (12972), History major.
Alyssa Murphy of Peru (12972), English major.
Founded in 1937, Siena College is a private, Catholic Franciscan, residential, liberal arts college with a student body of about 3,000. Siena College offers 31 degree programs, 80+ minors and certificate programs, and professional curricula in teacher preparation/education, pre-medical, pre-law and social work. A student-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1, average class size of 21, rigorous academics, Division I athletics, intramural sports and widespread service and advocacy experiences nurture each student’s personal growth while providing the education of a lifetime.

Source: Can tiny North Hudson serve as the Adirondack Park’s gateway? | NCPR News

 

Peru Gazette Comment: Very important to share and get the word out about these bad drugs.

Friends found Malone man unresponsive; autopsy being done.

Source: Police fear another drug OD death | Local News | pressrepublican.com

Drug can counteract the effects of opiate overdoses.

Source: CVPH to give addicts Narcon kits | Local News | pressrepublican.com

The opening time was included in a tweet sent out on Rivers Casino’s account. The $330 million attraction includes a 50,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,142 slot machines, 67 gaming tables and 15 poker tables attached to a 165-room hotel and a 10,000-square-foot banquet facility.

Source: Schenectady casino opens at noon on Feb. 8 – Times Union

NEW PALTZ, NY (01/24/2017)– SUNY New Paltz is proud to congratulate Jessica Raino of Peru, N.Y., for being named to the Dean’s List for the fall ’16 semester.

Dean’s List designation is reserved for students who excel academically and earn at least a 3.3 grade-point average in a semester with a full-time course load.-

Read more »

From the Office of State Senator Betty Little

Named in honor of 13-month-old who died of drug overdose

The New York State Senate today approved legislation that would require drug testing of children less than three-years-old if they are in the vicinity of a parent or legal guardian arrested on a drug charge. The bill (S137), sponsored by Senator Betty Little, is named in honor of Kayleigh Mae Cassell, a 13-month-old from Washington County who died as a result of a drug overdose in 2015.

“What happened to Kayleigh is a terrible tragedy,” said Little. “For most of her very brief life she was exposed to dangerous drugs. Her autopsy showed she had been given heroin and cocaine. My hope is we can prevent similar tragedies by requiring a simple test when it appears a child may be at risk of being exposed to illegal drugs. This is not about creating a new penalty for drug users. The goal of the legislation is assuring the welfare of the child.”

Specifically, the legislation would amend the State’s social services law to cause an investigation to be conducted for suspected child abuse or maltreatment if the child, under the age of 3, is in the vicinity of a parent, guardian or someone else legally responsible when that person is arrested on a drug charge.

A hair follicle drug test would be required as part of the investigation and could be initiated through a court order if a parent or legal guardian refused to cooperate.

Kaleigh Mae, of Kingsbury, died in February 2015. The autopsy included a hair follicle test, which revealed she had been given cocaine and heroin since about the age of four-months. Her mother and live-in boyfriend pleaded guilty to crimes of criminally negligent homicide, criminal possession of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a child.

“Many children under the age of 3 are not going to be able to explain, or even understand, if a parent is giving them a dangerous drug. A hair follicle test is non-invasive and conclusive and would provide our social service workers and the courts with information that could potentially be life-saving for that child.”

The legislation passed the State Senate with unanimous support. A companion bill is being sponsored by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz of Brooklyn.

A Message from the United Way of the Adirondack Region
January 24, 2017 (Plattsburgh) A new online resource is available to help Clinton County residents and their healthcare providers find programs focusing on different aspects of health improvement. The Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) has collaborated with United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. to create a directory of health improvement and lifestyle change programs. The directory is housed on the existing Adirondack Region 2-1-1 website (www.211adk.org), serving Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties. Read more »

Peru – The Peru Knights of Columbus bingo scheduled for this evening (Tuesday, January 24th) is cancelled due to the hazardous road conditions.

Hopefully a miracle will occur and next Tuesday will be bright an sunny!

OSWEGO, NY (01/23/2017)– SUNY Oswego has named high-performing area students to the President’s List for fall 2016 for earning grade point averages of 3.80 and above on the 4.00 scale.

Mary Catherine Mazzella of Pinewood Drive in Peru, a senior human development major

David M. Passino of Fairway Drive in Peru, a senior sociology major

About SUNY Oswego

Admission to SUNY Oswego is competitive. U.S. News Media Group counts SUNY Oswego among the top public regional universities in the North for 2017, and the Princeton Review includes Oswego in its 2017 college guidebook “The Best Northeastern Colleges” and in its national list of “Green Colleges.”

A 156-year-old comprehensive college in the State University of New York system, Oswego enrolls about 8,000 students in its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; School of Business; School of Communication, Media and the Arts; and School of Education.

Visit oswego.edu for more information.

In Plattsburgh Monday, he promoted budget proposals that would benefit the North Country.

Source: Governor proposes improvements, new lift, zipline for Whiteface | Local News | pressrepublican.com

The Peru Central School District Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for potential candidates. The District Hall of Fame is designed to recognize individuals who have made a significant impact on our school or achieved an outstanding contribution(s) to society as a graduate of Peru CSD. The candidate must have attended, been employed, served or contributed to Peru CSD in some capacity and must have been retired for at least five (5) years.

The following criteria will be used when considering an individual to the Hall of Fame – outstanding contributions to Peru CSD, outstanding contribution to society, outstanding career, participation and/or leadership in community activities, and a significant impact on an individual’s life while associated with Peru.

Deadline for applications will be March 22, 2017. Applications may be picked up at the Jr/Sr High School office or downloaded from the District web site at http://www.perucsd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=21.

The state’s tax cap law, enacted in 2011, was designed to rein in out-of-control property taxes by limiting any increase to the local property tax levy to either 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. Increasing the tax levy is a common method of making up budget holes after state aid and other revenues are applied. Districts can override the cap if 60 percent of voters approve their budget, but the mere act of proposing a spending plan that would override the cap is risky enough to prevent most districts from trying.

Source: Dinapoli: New York schools must limit property tax levy to 1.26 percent – Times Union

From the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Hunters are invited to submit recommendations to regional Waterfowl Hunter Task Forces to help set the dates of the fall 2017 duck hunting seasons for each of the state’s waterfowl hunting zones by Feb. 19, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today.

DEC evaluates Waterfowl Hunter Task Force recommendations in setting waterfowl seasons, which must comply with federal rules. New York is divided into five waterfowl hunting zones: Western, Southeastern, Northeastern, Lake Champlain, and Long Island. DEC appointed task forces for each zone (except Lake Champlain) are soliciting recommendations for the fall 2017 hunting seasons, including opening and closing dates, split seasons, and a special hunting weekend for junior hunters (hunters ages 12-15).

Each task force includes representatives from the New York State Conservation Council, established waterfowl hunting organizations, and individual waterfowl hunters who provide input representing diverse points of view.

Waterfowl seasons in the Lake Champlain Zone will continue to be set by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Management Board with input from DEC and waterfowl hunters in New York and Vermont. Although there is no formal task force for this zone, hunters can send their suggestions to any DEC season-setting Task Force member (see below).

The recommended season dates must be within federal guidelines established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). For fall 2017, DEC expects the USFWS to allow a 60-day duck season, split into no more than two segments per zone, opening no earlier than Sept. 23, 2017, and closing no later than Jan. 28, 2018.

In an effort to encourage input from the public, DEC developed an on-line input tool for hunters to provide opinions on waterfowl seasons. The feedback received will be summarized and shared with the task forces at their annual meetings in March. The task force uses this feedback, as well as feedback received from other sources to develop season date recommendations.

There are three ways for interested hunters to provide their opinions on future waterfowl seasons:

Via DEC’s on-line hunter input tool.
Directly contacting one of the Task Force members in the hunter’s zone. The list of members can be found online at the Waterfowl Season Input web page on DEC’s website.
Sending an e-mail to the Waterfowl Season Input mailbox (seasonwaterfowl@dec.ny.gov). Suggestions sent to this mailbox will be forwarded to all of the task force members in the zone.
Descriptions of New York State’s waterfowl hunting zones can be found on the DEC website and are listed in the annual New York Hunting and Trapping Guide. The final waterfowl hunting season dates will be posted on DEC’s website and announced by news release in mid-summer.

NEW YORK FARM BUREAU NAMES NEW PRESIDENT AND DISTRICT 7 DIRECTOR
During the New York Farm Bureau State Annual Meeting in December, voting delegates elected David Fisher, a dairy farmer from St. Lawrence County as the new president of the organization. Fisher and his family have operated Mapleview Dairy in Madrid for four generations. David has served on the New York Farm Bureau State Board of Directors for five years and has held numerous leadership positions in the agricultural community. To fill the vacancy left by David Fisher, delegates from St. Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton, and Essex County Farm Bureaus, unanimously voted to nominate Tony LaPierre of Clinton County to serve on the New York Farm Bureau State Board of Directors. Tony LaPierre and his family run Rusty Creek Farm, a sixth generation dairy and beef farm in Chazy. Tony currently serves as the President of Clinton County Farm Bureau and is looking forward to continue to serve the agricultural community of Clinton County and New York in his new role as New York Farm Bureau District 7 Director.
Boost Post

Call Meeting To Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call

MOTION: Approval of Minutes for the December 30, 2016 Regular Board Meeting, the Minutes for the January 9, 2017 Public Hearing, the Minutes for the January 9, 2017 Town Organizational Meeting, and for the Minutes of the January 9, 2017 Regular Board Meeting.

Community Input

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Acceptance of Report of Town Court Internal Audit.

DISCUSSION: Town Offices Internal Audit.

DISCUSSION/MOTION: Zoning Board of Appeals Manning Reduction.

DISCUSSION: Training for Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals Members

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Approval of River Street Agreement Extension.

DISCUSSION: Main Street Improvements Meeting With DOT.

DISCUSSION: Parson’s Road Repairs Update.

DISCUSSION: Work on Town Hall Conference Room.

DISCUSSION: Municipal Dog Enforcement Officer Agreement.

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Sewer Project Update.

DISCUSSION: Water/Sewer Asset Management.

DISCUSSION: Update on Past Park Vandalism.

DISCUSSION: Peru Central School District Budget Advisory Committee.

DISCUSSION/MOTION: Adjourn to Executive Session.

DISCUSSION/MOTION: Return to Regular Session.

DISCUSSION: Cyber Security Issues.

DISCUSSION: Other Business.

DISCUSSION: Public Comments on Agenda Items Only.

DISCUSSION/RESOLUTION: Approve/Pay Bills.

MOTION: Adjourn

Two found dead Thursday in Clinton County.

Source: Police: Opiates may be laced with other substances | News | pressrepublican.com