The Peru Gazette

Capitol Confidential » New York, Albany area have highest unionization rates.

ALBANY, NY (02/25/2015)(readMedia)– The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, today announced that Callie Garcia of Peru, NY, is one of 814 students named to The College of Saint Rose Dean’s List for the fall 2014 semester.

To be eligible for the Dean’s List, Garcia had to complete a minimum of 12 credit hours and achieve a semester grade-point average of at least 3.5 with no grades of D, F, Incomplete or Pass/Fail.

The College of Saint Rose (www.strose.edu) is a dynamic, progressive college in the heart of New York’s capital city where teaching is the first priority. With a rigorous liberal education curriculum, 70 undergraduate majors, 53 master’s degrees and 25 graduate certificates, and a mission of service to the urban community, the Saint Rose experience empowers students to improve themselves and the world around them.

Body of missing man found in Plattsburgh woods – Press-Republican: News.

Washington – Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) issued the following statement on President Barack Obama’s veto of S.1, bipartisan legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline:

“I am incredibly disappointed that President Obama would veto this commonsense, bipartisan energy project,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “This project would create as many as 42,000 jobs and help lower energy prices for hard working North Country families, which is why I supported passage of this legislation in the House. Not only is this project supported by bipartisan majorities in Congress, but it is strongly supported by the American public as well. Furthermore, this project is supported by organizations ranging from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the AFL-CIO. I hope President Obama’s decision to veto this bipartisan legislation is not a sign of things to come over the next two years, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the House to find ways to advance this important project.”

Stefanik walks tightrope on tough vote – Times Union.

At least seven Peru residents traveled to Nicaragua to participate in the Mission of Hope’s February Mission. They included Sally Kokes, Mary Hensel, Chris Mazzella, Megan Mazzella, Shauna Fliss, Samantha Bashaw and Nathan Kennedy. Congratulations to them all!  We are proud of you! 

Come one come all down to Peru Jr./Sr. High School auditorium on March 5^th and 6^th at 7:30pm and March 7^th at 2:00pm and 7:30pm. Admission is $8.00 in advance, and $10.00 at the door. Advanced tickets can be purchased at Peru Pharmacy (518-643-6499 ext. 5184), perudramaclub@gmail.com, and are available for Peru staff, students, and faculty during lunch periods at Peru Jr./Sr. High School. The event page on Facebook can be found using this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/453423488142337/?context=create&previousaction=create&ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming&source=49&sid_create=3045286163

Welcome to the “completely normal home” of the Addams family as we bring the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley, and Lurch to life. We invite you to come celebrate what it is to be an Addams in this spectacular spooky musical comedy that will leave you entertained, yet slightly disturbed.

Come meet the family. We’ll leave the lights off for you.

The Addams Family features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. The Addams Family is an enthralling musical show that brings the traditional Addams family morals to the stage in a comedic, entertaining, thrilling atmosphere.

Christopher Urban, Co-Director

Hannah Osborne, Co-Director

Todd Pray, Music Director

Meghan Matthews, Choreographer

Margaret Dimock-Dumar, Costume Designer

Kali Dorey, Production Stage Manager

Nikki Hilchey, Co-Stage Manager

Cassidy Thompson, Co-Stage Manager

Amber Arnold, Propmaster

The Cast:

Andrew Thew* / Ross Coughlin as Gomez Addams

Maddie Kaplan* / Megan Sears* as Morticia Addams

Gabby Dion* / Emily Lawliss* as Wednesday Addams

Sophia Defayette / Mason Barber as Pugsley Addams

James Matthews / Devin Wood* as Uncle Fester

Aaryn Clark / Brady Terry as Lucas Beineke

Kelsey Attenhofer* / Jamie Roberts* as Alice Beineke

Cole Ives* / Paul Lawrence* as Mal Beineke

Hadley Houck* / Abigail St. Louis* as Grandma

Connor Douglass / Fabian Döpping as Lurch

Male Ancestors: Conner Agoney, Andrew Banker, Reece Bernard, & Jesse Cote

Female Ancestors: Danielle Criss, Colby Fortin, Stephanie Pietz, & Miranda Smith

Ensemble: Seairah LaDue, Erin Lawliss, Emmerson Leach, Ashtyn Moore, Tiffany Shubert, & Kimberly Wagner*

* = Senior

2015 Peru Youth Sports Programs – Registration will be Friday March 20th from 5 pm – 9 pm and Saturday March 21 from 9 am – 12 pm at Town Hall.
Spring Sports: T-Ball, Baseball and Softball
T-ball ages 5 to 6
Grasshopper ages 7 – 9
Pee Wee ages 10 – 12
+++ Ages as of July 31 +++
+++ Birth Certificate is required +++
Summer Programs – July 6th – July 31
Programs are broken into 4 separate weeks of clinics. Sports will be Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, and Arts and Crafts
Fall Sports: Soccer
Mini Mites ages 4 – 5
Mites ages 6 – 8
Pee Wee ages 9 – 11 (or 6th grade)
+++ Age cut off is Nov 1 +++
+++ Birth Certificate is Required +++
Winter Sports: Ski Club
Program skis 7 Sundays during the months of January – March.
Program includes lift tickets, rentals if needed and a 2 hour lesson each week.
Ages are 8 – 18
Sign ups for Ski Club will be in November of 2015
We will also be accepting applications for the following jobs this year:
Recreational Assistant – Will be assigned to help out in a spring sport or the summer activities
Fall Season Soccer Referees – Will Officiate Pee wee and Mite soccer games
Some of these dates are subject to change.

The Peru Central School Board of Education will gather Tuesday, February 24th at 6 PM in the Jr/Sr High School Community Room for their second public session budget workshop. At its budget workshop, the School Board is expected to:
· Examine current year projections
· Review tax levy limit calculation
· Receive overview of revenues
· Discuss and determine budget parameters

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

The meeting is open to all.

Governor Cuomo Announces New York Repeats as Second Highest Producer of Apples and Third Highest Producer of Grapes in the Nation 

Capitol Confidential » Grand jury indicts Sheldon Silver; read complete document.

Trains are carrying — and spilling — a record amount of oil – The Washington Post.

Peru Gazette: Trains with similar cargo pass a few feet from Plattsburgh City Hall and south through the Town of Peru! 

Peru Gazette File Photo

Cornell Cooperative Extension Pre-Season Direct Marketing Workshops in Keeseville, Canton and Watertown will help farmers who sell direct to consumers from their farms, at events or at farmers’ markets learn how to brand themselves and better market and sell their fresh food and processed items.

The 10am to 2pm workshops with Extension educators will cover how to brand a farm and its products to catch consumer attention and build buyer loyalty. Marketing chickens and poultry products will be a specific interest area for discussion.

The workshops will update growers on the Food Safety Modernization Act laws and the latest development in farmers market consumer programs such as the EBT/electronic benefits transfer payment system and the FMNP nutrition program assistance for women infants, children and senior citizens.

Adirondack Harvest Coordinator Laurie Davis will present the benefits of becoming a member of the community-based, Extension-facilitated, nonprofit organization that promotes market expansion and local food availability across 12 northern NY counties: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Warren, and Washington.

The workshops are set for:
March 14: Keeseville, AuSable Valley Grange, register with Laurie Davis, 518-962-4810, lsd22@cornell.edu;

April 4: Canton, St. Lawrence County Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm, register with Brent Buchanan, 315-379-9192, bab22@cornell.edu; and

April 11: Watertown, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, register with Steve Ledoux, 315-788-8450, swl73@cornell.edu.

The $15 workshop fee includes lunch. Cornell Cooperative Extension offers equal opportunity programming and employment opportunities. Learn more online at www.ccenny.com.

“If I could put 50 prosecutors on public corruption, chances are they would not be lacking for work,” Bharara said.Bharara sees corruption “all over” New York State – City & Region – The Buffalo News.

Peru man homeless after flames gut home – Press-Republican: Local News.

New York’s diplomas leave too many kids out | New York Post.

Plattsburgh, NY The public is invited to meet Northern New York farmers, food processors, wine and cider makers, and chefs with a diverse array of products at the 5th annual Food from the Farm event on Saturday, March 7 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at the Plattsburgh Recreation Center gymnasium on the US Oval in Plattsburgh, NY.

Visitors will have the opportunity to sample and buy locally-grown or produced foods, wine and cider; pick up recipes and gardening tips; meet local food producers, and support the local economy and food movement. Products for sale may include overwintered storage crops such as carrots, beets and potatoes; winter greens, frozen meat, maple, honey, wine, and hard cider.

Anyone who would like a supply of fresh local food throughout the growing season will be able to meet farmers offering Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions and purchase a membership for 2015.

North Country growers use high tunnel structures to produce food even in the winter. Adirondack Harvest Coordinator Laurie Davis notes, ‘The array of local products available in late winter runs a wide gamut and the Food from the Farm tastings have expanded for 2015.’

The featured chef for the 2015 Food from the Farm is Chef David Allen of Latitude 44 Bistro in Plattsburgh. Allen regularly works with the local organic farmers. Event staff will be demonstrating how easy it is to work with local products to create different dishes and flavors.

This family-friendly event includes Cornell Cooperative Extension nutrition educators providing tips on using local food year-round, and 4-H Youth doing cooking demonstrations sponsored by the Produced in New York Project.

Food from the Farm is coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County, Adirondack Harvest, and Master Gardener volunteers. Co-organizer Amy Ivy with CCE Clinton County says, ‘This is a fun event for families and provides the opportunity for people to get to know local farmers and support the local agricultural economy. We encourage that contact by giving a door prize ticket opportunity for each farmer you talk with during the event.’

Unlimited sampling, door prizes and helpful information are all included in the admission of $5 per adult, $20 per family, 5 years and under free. Tickets are available in advance on the CCE website at http://cce.cornell.edu/clinton, at the CCE office in Plattsburgh, or at the door.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) voted in support of S. 1 – the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act. This bipartisan legislation that has passed out of the Senate would authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

“I am proud to support this commonsense, bipartisan energy project,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “This project will create as many as 42 ,000 new jobs and help lower energy prices for hard working North Country families. The President will now have a chance to demonstrate that he is willing to work with Congress and stand with a strong majority of Americans who support the construction of this pipeline by signing this measure into law. I hope he does so quickly and I commend my colleagues in the House and Senate for their work on this important, bipartisan legislation.”

By John T. Ryan

Dangerous intersections were primary topics of discussion at the Peru Town Board’s February 9^th meeting. Stop signs appear to be invisible to several local drivers, especially at the intersection of the Brand Hollow Road and Military Turnpike Extension. That relatively busy intersection has been the scene of numerous accidents including a recent collision that reportedly sent three people to the hospital. Monday night, Town Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell asked for permission to install a streetlight at the intersection. Farrell is hopeful that illuminating the intersection’s four stop signs would reduce stop-sign violations. Farrell said, “NYSEG will install a new street light as soon as possible. I don’t know their schedule, but I hope it can be installed within the next two weeks.”

The Route 22-Maiden Lane intersection near Stewart’s was on the Board’s agenda at the request of Michael Blaine who recently emailed Supervisor Peter Glushko to express his concern. Monday night Blaine told the Board that he’s amazed that a serious accident hasn’t occurred at the intersection especially when out of town travelers pass through. He said, “ I can’t believe there’s not an accident there every day. It’s been an ongoing issue. It’s not gotten any better…I’m sick of locking it up to avoid a wreck.” Board members discussed several possible remedies; however there was no consensus on the most effective remedy. NYS DOT has previously indicated it will not install a traffic light at the intersection. Supervisor Glushko and Highway Superintendent Farrell both recommended to Blaine that he write to DOT to express his concerns. Glushko said citizen letters seem to get more reaction than letters from town officials. Blaine said, “I will drop them a line!” It appeared to many in attendance that a serious or fatal accident must occur before DOT takes action.

In other actions or news the Board:

• Approved participation in the NYS Department of Environment Conservation’s Trees for Trails Programs. 275 deciduous trees at a total cost of $695 including tubes and stakes will be planted along the Town Walking Trail.
• Learned that the energy supplier transfer from NYSEG to Ambit Energy is at a standstill. Some entity or individual has placed a “hold” on the Town’s account. Supervisor Peter Glushko and Ambit officials are attempting to resolve the matter. All parties deny placing the hold. If a remedy is not found, the Town will refer the matter to the NYS Attorney General’s office.
• Approved a 2015 engineering contract with Engineering Ventures PC of Vermont. Several counselors had expressed frustration with Engineering Ventures’ inaccurate cost estimates on several projects and difficulty in contacting engineer Peter Gibbs. Monday the Board appeared to have resolved these issues, especially its communication with Gibbs who attended Monday’s meeting. Gibbs told the Board, “I appreciated the constructive criticism. We have our strengths, but we’re not everything. If there’s a project that is not in our wheelhouse we will refer it to another engineering firm. When there are things that are appropriate for us to handle, we’d love to be a part of it.”
• Approved a $7,650 bid from Jonathan Babbie for purchase of the Highway Department’s 2005 Chevrolet truck. The insurance company declared the truck a total loss as a result of theft-related damage. The Town sold the truck in an “as is” condition with no guarantees.
• Learned that a party desires to purchase the former log home sales office at 3085 Route 22 (adjacent to the Dollar Store). The property is zoned commercial, but the individual would like to use the building as a residence. Counselors will examine the zoning law and any associated legal issues.
• Postponed agenda items including a presentation by the Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum; renewal of two IT contracts and purchase of new computer equipment for the Town Court.
• Conducted a 50 minutes executive session to discuss the employment of an individual.

The meeting adjourned shortly after 9 p.m. Counselor Kregg Bruno and Town Clerk Kathy Flynn were excused from attending the meeting.

Click here to see eight Peru Gazette photos

For the past nine years, the Peru Central School District 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 3-4 times 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.

The BAC is tentatively scheduled to meet in the Jr/Sr High School Community Room at 6:00 PM on Thursday, February 12th, Thursday, February 26th and Tuesday, March 17th. In addition to these informational sessions, the BAC will be invited to share their recommendations with the School Board on Tuesday, March 24th during a public budget development workshop.

If you wish to participate in any of the meetings of the BAC, please register by calling 643-6004. Thank you.

On Thursday, February 12, 2015 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, Peru Central School District will be presenting its second workshop of a four part series titled ‘Empowering Parents.’ This second workshop will focus on ‘CRUTCHES: A Parenting Framework That Parents Can Lean On’, and hopes to provide parents with tips for managing the challenges of parenting and life circumstances, attaining balance amidst trying times, and discussing the ABC’s (aka, Awareness, Balance, and Control) of being an empowered parent.

The meeting will be held in the Library of the Peru Jr/Sr High School and is open to all families within the school district.

Ticonderoga mill gas spur dead – Press-Republican: News.

Oil train foes rally – Times Union.

Local relief ideas absent – Times Union.