The Peru Gazette

Peru School budget calls for additional principal – Press-Republican: Education.

Each year our weather transition seems to be from winter to summer; spring no longer exists or if it does only very briefly.  Last Thursday morning, April 9, 2015 Peru had about 4″ of snow on the ground. Yesterday, the Peru High baseball team was playing a home game against Saranac in 74 degree temperatures.  The Indians won 9-2.  Thanks to Jim Neyenhouse for submitting these great photos. Click here for larger photo version.  

Fabian Dopping, a German Exchange student at Peru Central

Youth Group students and chaperones

They couldn’t wait for the muffins to bake!

By John T. Ryan

Spring Break is a time for many North Country residents to travel south to enjoy the warm of sun. Each year the Peru Community Church Senior High Youth Group also travels, but not quite as far south as most people. The group stops in Washington D.C. where they serve the homeless and take some time to experience the sites of Washington D.C. Based on the photos, this year’s trip appears to have been five days of hard work, fun and learning! (Click here on a PC for a slideshow with music.  Thanks to DonYo (Donald McBrayer) for compiling the music)

Each day the students worked at a different site preparing and serving lunches or evening meals. One day they set-up tables along sidewalks and parks for Mckenna’s Wagon, a program that serves the homeless from vans parked near sidewalks and parks. At Martha’s Table they chopped vegetables and mixed huge batches for muffins for the evening meal. At the Capital Area Food Bank they sorted and packaged over 15,000 pounds of food during their shift. At SOME (So Others Might Eat), a soup kitchen that serves over 1,000 meals daily, they served 700 lunches and participated in a social justice exercise where they put themselves in the place of a person who is facing the prospect of being homeless. Faith Long, one of the chaperons said, “Our group is always invited back each year because they are hard workers with a great attitude.”

The Youth Group is a mix of students from the Peru Community Church, St. Augustine’s Church and other churches including the Christian Alliance Church and St. John the Baptist Churches in Keeseville and Plattsburgh. This year’s Youth Group members include Abigail St. Louis, Alaina Bazzano, Andrew Thew, Benjamin Morgan, Brady Terry, Brooke Desautels, Cole Ives, Connor Douglass, Devin Wood, Erika Cross, Fabian Dopping, Gabrielle, Dion, Grace Sullivan, Hannah Osborne, Jack Dubay, Lucas Frenyea, Megan Zmijewski, Nathan Kennedy, Shauna Fliss, Tyler Andre. Chaperones included Cheryl Remillard, Faith Long, Brian Raymond, Lisa Zmijewski and Patrick Knight.

Peru – St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273 will host a spaghetti dinner on Saturday, April 18^th at the St. Augustine’s Parish Center. “ALL YOU CAN EAT” spaghetti, salad, Italian bread and a delicious dessert will be served from 4:30 to 6:30 PM for only $7.50 per person, $2.50 for children 6 to 12, free for children 5 and under and a $20 per family maximum. Take-outs are available.

St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273 donates to St. Augustine’s Parish and numerous local organizations each year including the North Country Mission of Hope, The Peru Community Church Youth Group trip to assist the homeless in Washington D.C., the Peru Youth Commission, the Ecumenical Choir Choir refreshments, “Keep Christ in Christmas” poster contests, and many more.  Community dinners are a very important part of its fund-raising program.

Do you or anyone you know possess a photo of the Peru Grange Hall which once located at the site of current Peru Town Hall? Town Historian Ron Allen needs the photo to complete the town’s historical collection and to include it on one of the historical signs to be placed along Main Street. Ron can arrange to copy the photo or he would be happy to add the photo to the town’s collection. Ron Allen can be reached at 561-0038.

Peru Central’s Board of Education launches its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 5:30 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 5:30 PM start. The school board is slated to reconvene for public session business at approximately 7:00 PM. Anticipated topics include:

· 2015-2016 budget for voter consideration in May
· Athletics handbook
· Acceptable use policy
· 2015-2016 academic calendar

The full Board agenda is available on the District’s website at www.perucsd.org.
All are welcome.

The Peru Central School District is seeking candidates to fill two (2) vacancies on the Board of Education, due to the expiration of the terms of Ms. Cynthia Mills and Ms. Jill Folsom.

Both seats are at large for a five-year term from July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2020.

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 20, 2015.

The School Board Election will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2015.

Entrepreneur George Moore dies – Press-Republican: Local News.

Bassett won’t seek re-election – Press-Republican: Local News.

Young man dies in workplace accident – Press-Republican: Local News.

AGENDA TOWN BOARD REGULAR MEETING, April 13, 2015, 7:00 PM 

1. Call Meeting To Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Roll Call

4. MOTION: Approval of Minutes for the Town Board Regular Meeting of January 26, 2015 and for the Regular Board Meeting of March 23, 2015.

5. 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)

6. Community Input

7. DISCUSSION: Student Angler Federation Presentation.

Read more »

By John T. Ryan

When the Peru Gazette arrived at the Peru Volunteer Fire Department on Monday, April 8, 2015 to take a photo of the department’s 2015 officers, firefighters John Stafford and Amelia Brelia were demonstrating ambulance and firefighting procedures to Tiger Scouts from Peru Cub Scout Pack 49. This is just one of the many, many ways the department’s members sacrifice their time and dedicate their skills in service of our community.

L-R Lt. Shawn Perkins, Captain Lloyd Provost, Asst. Chief Kevin O’Neil, Chief Tyler Williams, Asst. Chief Bryan Duprey, Lt. Sam Dimock, EMS Captain Cher Hanlon (Click photo for a close-up view) 

By John T. Ryan

Peru –  The Department’s 2015 officers include Chief Tyler Williams, Asst. Chief Kevin O’Neil, Asst. Chief Bryan Duprey, Lt. Shawn Perkins, Lt. Sam Dimock and EMS Captain Cher Hanlon.

Chief Williams, who is beginning his second year as chief, has been a firefighter for 19 years. He joined the department not long after his 18th birthday. Williams said the Peru Department is strong with 44 active members; however, more members are needed as older members retire or become less active.

Anyone interested in learning more about being a firefighter is welcome to attend the department’s April 25th Open House. Members will be conducting live fire and jaws of life demonstrations and will be available to answer questions. Applicants must be at last 18 years of age, out of high school and have a valid NYS driver’s license.  The Open House will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at 2 p.m.

Correction: Spelling on “Hanlon.” Author’s name added. 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) announced the 2015 Congressional Art Competition for New York’s 21st district. The Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students in the 21st District.

“The North Country is home to many gifted students and the Congressional Art Competition is a great opportunity for them to showcase their talents,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “The winner of this competition will have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for a year where it will be seen by visitors from around the world. I look forward to seeing what our students can create!”

Artwork entered in the contest must be original in execution, may be up to 28 inches by 28 inches, 4 inches in depth and cannot weigh more than 15 pounds. The artwork may be:

Paintings – including oil, acrylics and watercolor
Drawings – including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers
Collage (must be 2 dimensional)
Prints – including lithographs, silkscreen and block prints
Mixed Media – use of two or more mediums such as pencil, ink, watercolor
Computer Generated Art
Photography

Art submissions along with a Congressional release form must be submitted to one of Congresswoman Stefanik’s district office locations no later than April 24, 2015. The Congressional release form can be found here and more information about the competitions rules and guidelines is posted here.

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (April 2, 2015) – The Strand Center for the Arts announces auditions for Jason Robert Brown’s musical ‘The Last Five Years’ at the historic Strand Theatre on Sunday, April 12 from 2 to 6 pm. The musical will be produced in association with Adirondack Regional Theatre.

There are two sides to every love story. From first date to final good-bye, ‘The Last Five Years’ chronicles the highs and lows of modern marriage in an intimate, honest and richly moving musical portrait. Read more »

PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Best Western Plus the Inn at Smithfield and the Strand Center for the Arts are pleased to announce that artist Susan Whiteman’s latest artwork will be on view at The Best Western Plus Gallery from April through the end of June, 2015. The public is invited to attend a free reception in the gallery located at 446 Route 3 in Plattsburgh, on Tuesday, April 28th from 5:00 -6:00 P.M.

Susan Whitman began painting when she was fifteen Read more »

The Peru Central School Board of Education will gather Thursday, April 9th at 5:45 PM in the Jr/Sr High School Community Room for their fifth public session budget workshop. An executive session associated with collective negotiations will take place immediately following the 5:45 PM start. The school board is slated to reconvene for public session business at approximately 6:00 PM. Anticipated topics include:

State Budget status.
Draft summary of proposed expenditure plan.
Proposed expenditures and revenue totals.

The full agenda is available on the Peru CSD website at www.perucsd.org.

The meeting is open to all.

Babbie Museum Spring 2015 Newsletter

Lance Falcon tells the Peru Town Board about WEP’s

By John T. Ryan

WEP’s: A student link to the businesses and non-profits; a guided hands-on environment; a tool for the community with no academic or income restrictions. Those are just a few of the words Lance Falcon uses to describe WEP’s (Work Experience Program). Falcon and a small group of volunteers have been working for over 3 years to launch WEP’s. The program has received its Not-For Profit Incorporation from New York State. Falcon is the CEO, Peru Middle and High School Teacher James Testo is the President. Other board members include Rick Laurin, President of the Adirondack Coast Cultural Alliance (ACCA), student Felica Duchene and Falcon’s wife Veronika.

Lance Falcon recognized the need for a work experience program while working as a volunteer farrier at the Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum. When students volunteered to assist with museum events two things stood out: they had great ideas and enthusiasm, but they needed training and confidence. He said, “We started an orientation program to teach the students to deal with the artifacts and the museum’s visitors. We got very good comments from the board members and we realized the great potential of the students.”

Falcon believes that WEP’s is a tool to build student confidence, respect and self-esteem while at the same time assisting local non-profits and businesses. The students will come up with project ideas, develop a project business plan including a budget and submit the plan to WEPs for review and approval. If a project has merit the students will be given a loan to conduct the event. Mentors will guide the students throughout the process. Falcon emphasized that student safety is WEP’s highest priority. All mentors will undergo background checks and will be properly trained.

James Testo has business experience as well as being a long-time teacher. He explained, “Students need help with their career choices. Employers want employees with work readiness skills. By participating in WEP’s, the students will be ready when they go to their first interview.”

Students, parents and the community members can learn more about the WEP’s program on Wednesday, April 15^th at 7 p.m. on the lower level of the Peru Town Hall. Lance Falcon can be reached at 534-0488 or lancefalcon@ymail.com

Cuomo Gets Timely New York Budget but Pays Price – NYTimes.com.

Cuomo official lays out surplus plan | Capital New York.

Senator Betty Little today said the state budget will include funding to establish a logger training program at Paul Smith’s College. Little proposed the new program in response to concerns from paper and pulp mills and other wood product manufacturers about a logger labor shortage in New York.

“Sustainable forestry supports jobs, contributes millions of dollars in activity to our Adirondack economy and benefits the environment,” said Little. “A lack of qualified loggers is slowing the supply chain. As more biomass comes on line, that pressure will only increase. It’s very important we catch up with that curve.”

The 2015-16 state budget includes $300,000 to help establish the North American Logger Training School at Paul Smith’s College. Read more »

Ti farmer, wife arrested for animal abuse – Press-Republican: Home.

Peru Gazette File Photo

By John T Ryan

To choose a large company or a small provider: that was the question before the Peru Town Board at its Monday, March 23, 2015 meeting. “Small” won out as the board voted 4-0 to select Simon Moore as the Town of Peru’s new IT provider. The Board interviewed five companies, which they characterized as “all well-qualified.” Simon Moore and SymQuest were the two finalists. SymQuest’s clients include Clinton County, medium-sized corporations and institutions. Simon Moore is a sole-proprietor who serves several smaller communities and clients. The choice was complicated when SymQuest offered the town a free system-wide IT assessment. Moore said he would match Symquest’s offer. Supervisor Peter Glushko felt a comparison of the assessments would assist the board in making its choice. Counselors Jim Douglass, Brandy McDonald and Donald McBrayer (Councilman Kregg Bruno was not present) didn’t feel comfortable requesting a free assessment if the company was not going to be selected. They were ready to make a hiring decision. They also liked Moore’s $45 per hour cost versus Symquest’s $17,000 to $24,000 annual cost (the cost would depend on the assessment results). After considerable discussion the board voted 3-0 against conducting the free assessments with Glushko voting in favor. Then they voted unanimously to hire Moore who will conduct his own free assessment.

Water-Sewer Department Superintendent Greg Timmons reported receipt of the long-range sewer system study. The voluminous report recommended in excess of $4.5 million in repairs and upgrades over the next ten years. AES Engineering would like to give a PowerPoint presentation on the project. Timmons said, “Our timing is good. Grant money should be available.” Supervisor Glushko told the Peru Gazette he anticipates that some of the cost will have to be paid by users.

In the public comment portion of the meeting this reporter asked about the cancellation of the Wednesday, March 18^th Zoning Board Meeting. Zoning Board Liaison Donald McBrayer said only four of the seven board members would have been able to attend the meeting, therefore any vote to approve an agenda item would have had to be unanimous. Faced with those odds, the applicant chose to delay action until next month. The application involved the former log home sales office at 3085 Main Street. The property is zoned commercial; however, a party would like to purchase it as a residence. Councilman McBrayer noted that the zoning board does not have alternate members at this time and that they are needed. Delaying Zoning Board action can result in inconvenience and the loss of a property sale.

Non-Profits, local communities, museums and businesses may have more volunteers when the WEP’s (Work Experience Program) gets into operation. CEO Lance Falcon told the board that WEP’s has received a New York State non-profit designation. Falcon said the program would link high school students who are looking for work experience with local businesses, communities and non-profits. The program’s goal is to provide students with leadership and teamwork skills along with the opportunity to work alongside experienced people from all walks of life. Falcon is seeking board members and projects. (The Peru Gazette interviewed Lance Falcon on Thursday, March 26^th. A story on the WEP’s program will be published in the next few days.) 

PLATTSBURGH, NY – The Strand Center for the Arts is proud to announce that a temporary exhibition featuring artwork from the Annual High School & Middle School Exhibition will be on view at the Champlain Centre Mall in April. This temporary exhibit of High School and Middle School artwork will be on view at the Champlain Centre Mall Friday, April 10th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm and Saturday, April 11th from 9:30 am to 9:00 pm.

This year the High School & Middle School Exhibition features an additional benefit for students. Champlain Centre Mall has partnered with The Strand Center for the Arts to host a “Best in Show” Exhibition and sponsor scholarships for the first, second and third place winners. The winner of the first place award will receive a $200 scholarship while second place will receive $100 and 3rd place will receive $50 in scholarship money. Champlain Centre visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite work that weekend. The three pieces receiving the most votes will win the “Best in Show” scholarship awards. The “Best in Show” exhibit and voting will take place in the Center Courtyard just before the entrance to JC Penneys, in the middle of the Mall.

FULL LIST OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE “BEST IN SHOW” EXHIBIT AND SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION Read more »