The Peru Gazette

By John T. Ryan

On August 25^th, the Peru Town Board, citing employee and public concern with court proceedings being held in the midst of the Town Hall, voted to move the time Peru Town Court convenes from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a two-month trial period. At the Board’s October 9^th meeting, Supervisor Peter Glushko informed the Board that he had received a letter from Jerome J. Richards, Supervising Judge of the 4^th Judicial District, advising the Town of Peru that it does not have the authority to set town court hours. Judge Richards wrote the letter in a response to an inquiry from Peru Town Justice James Kirby. Supervisor Glushko responded stating the Town Board still has the authority to allocate space for court proceedings and that space would not be available until the Town Hall is closed for public business at 3 p.m.

At that point Board members began discussing the possibility of moving court proceedings to the Town Hall’s basement level where the JCEO Food Shelf and Town Historian currently conduct business. Counselors Donald McBrayer and Brandy McDonald were enthusiastic about the change both saying, “I think that’s a good idea.” McBrayer, who serves as the Board’s liaison to Town Court added, “I believe every office is starting to bulge at the seams so reallocating space might not just help the court but every office in this building. I’d like to see if downstairs could meet the court’s requirements.” All the counselors expressed agreement and Supervisor Glushko set a goal of getting the move accomplished before Christmas.

Subsequent to the Town Board meeting The Peru Gazette interviewed Supervisor Glushko and Judge Kirby in their respective offices. Glushko said that since the October 9^th meeting he had changed his mind on moving court offices stating, “Court proceedings will be downstairs and court offices will remain upstairs. We’d be relocating too many people for the sake of one hour’s court time.”

Judge James Kirby was enthusiastic about moving downstairs but stated that court offices would also have to be moved. Kirby or his clerk often retrieves documents or information during a court proceeding.

Kirby held fast to his contention that the court should convene at 2 p.m. He stated, “2 p.m. works best for both the sheriff’s department and the attorneys. If court convened at 3:30 p.m. we’d be here until 4:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. waiting for lawyers who represent clients in the Town of Plattsburgh Court. I could be here until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. The sheriff’s department shift change starts at 3 p.m. When we convene at 2 p.m. they can get here and back to the jail by 3 p.m. Then they can get to the Town of Plattsburgh for 4 p.m.”

On Tuesday, October 22, Clinton County Sheriff David Favro told The Peru Gazette that the jail’s shift change takes place at 2:30 p.m. when all inmates are locked in their cells for a head count. Asked about the time that Peru Town Court convenes Favro responded, “I don’t see our department’s shift change as being a deciding factor. We can accommodate whatever is needed. This is more about safety and procedural issues.”

Favro is enthusiastic about the prospect of Peru moving its court proceedings downstairs after having toured the Town Hall last week at the request of the Town Board. He stated, “It makes good sense. There are many dynamics in a courtroom setting. I think having its own space is more conducive to court proceedings.” Discussing the basement’s layout he said, “Inmates could come down the back ramp and into the small room (currently a small kitchen) that could be made into an inmate holding room. It would work better especially when we have a hostile inmate.”

Favro said conducting court in the midst of the Town Hall offices is far from ideal noting the unavoidable interaction with the general public and the presence of glass enclosures immediately adjacent to the Town Hall entrance. Glass located in close proximity to a hostile inmate is not a safe environment for anyone concerned.

Charter goes digital, requires box for every TV | Times Free Press.

From the Office of Congressman Bill Owens

Congressman Bill Owens is hosting a business export event at the Holiday Inn Plattsburgh on Thursday, November 6th titled “Doing Business Across the U.S.-Canadian Border”. The event will feature a practical panel with successful local businesses followed by a discussion of economic relations with the U.S. Consul General in Montreal, Ms. Nina Maria Fite. Businesses from across New York’s 21st Congressional District have been invited to attend.

“Many local businesses are in a position to grow by selling to markets in Canada and around the world,” said Owens. “I encourage business owners throughout the area to join me at this event for a practical conversation about growing through cross-border commerce. This forum is an opportunity to hear from local business owners with direct experience starting and expanding their international sales, and to access trade experts that can help you take steps toward selling your own products and services across the border and beyond.”

This event will highlight commercial opportunities for increasing supply chain activity and trade to stimulate local economic development. The panel will share lessons learned and on-the-ground perspectives from local businesses, and A Conversation with the Consul General moderated by Congressman Owens will provide an update of the U.S.-Canada economic relationship.

Doing Business Across the U.S.-Canadian Border
Thursday, November 6, 2014, 10am-12pm
Holiday Inn Plattsburgh
412 State Route 3, Plattsburgh, NY

Panelists:
Mr. Robert DeCamp, Director, Regulatory Affairs and Consulting, Deringer Logistics
Mr. Manna Doyle, General Manager, Tulmar Manufacturing Inc.
Ms. Kathryn Bamberger, International Trade and Investment Specialist, Empire State Development

POTSDAM, NY The State University of New York at Potsdam has awarded scholarships, grants and awards to 998 students for the 2014-15 academic year. These accomplished SUNY Potsdam undergraduate and graduate students were recognized for their achievements with support for their educational experience.

This year’s recipients included:

• Emily Allen of Peru, NY, whose major is Music Education. Allen was awarded the Helen Woods Cullen 1898 Scholarship and the SUNY Potsdam Freshman Scholarship.
• Keagen Briggs of Peru, NY, whose major is History. Briggs was awarded the SUNY Potsdam Freshman Scholarship.

Last year, SUNY Potsdam awarded more than $2.6 million in scholarships to 1,067 students, including $821,000 from donor-funded scholarships through the Potsdam College Foundation. For more information about how donors impact the SUNY Potsdam student experience, visit http://www.potsdam.edu/giving.

SUNY Potsdam offers financial aid to more than 80 percent of students, in the form of federal and state aid, as well as scholarships. For more information, visit http://www.potsdam.edu/financialaid.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. To learn more, visit http://www.potsdam.edu.

The Ladies Guild of the Peru Community Church are selling pumpkin and apple pies and pumpkin cream cheese cake rolls. The apple pies are baked or unbaked with instructions to bake them. Pumpkin cake rolls will be frozen and can just be defrosted to use them. The pies are $8 each and the pumpkin cake rolls are $12 each. The orders must be in by Sunday, November 16^th at 12:00 noon. The baked goods can be picked up on Tuesday, November 25^th from 2:00 to 6:00 pm in Fellowship Center. Please call 643-8641 to place an order. All proceeds from this fundraiser are utilized for mission in the community and the church.

PLATTSBURGH, NY–Representative Bill Owens will be at Peru High School tomorrow to speak to students in the school’s P-TECH program about their future job prospects in the North Country and nationwide as well as answer any questions the students may have. These students began the P-TECH process in 8th grade and were selected based upon their interest and aptitude in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses, academic achievement, attendance and behavior.

P-TECH stands for “Pathways in Technology Early College High School”. Utilizing a school within a school model, P-TECH students begin college early. The first P-TECH school opened in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in September 2011, as a unique partnership between IBM, CUNY-City Tech, and the New York City Department of Education. Its success led to the program’s statewide expansion, with sixteen more schools, including ADK P-TECH, being awarded seven-year grants.

The 2014-2015 inaugural class at ADK P-TECH consists of 30 students from three local school districts: Peru, Beekmantown and Saranac.

Mental Health Issues Put 34,500 on New York’s No-Guns List – NYTimes.com.

NAMI-CV in conjunction with Impeerium Peer Network will be offering a weekly NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group starting Tuesday, October 28th from 1:30-3:00pm. The meetings will be held at the NAMI office in Plattsburgh at 14 Healey Avenue, Suite D. The support group is open to any adult with a mental illness and there is no registration required.  This group is designed to connect, encourage and support participants using a structured group model.  NAMI Connection group is led by trained facilitators living in recovery themselves and is always free and confidential. For more information call Impeerium at (518) 324-6250 or email recoverycenter@nami-cv.org.

The North Country Chamber of Commerce invites you to the most delicious events of the year. Taste of the North Country will be held on November 13th at the SUNY Field House. This event combines an amazing Food/Beverage Tasting experience with an incredible auction. The Auction preview begins at 5:00, followed by the Silent Auction and Tasting from 5:30 – 7:00. Auctioneer Steve Brodie and MC Matt Boire will cap off the evening with the Live Auction at 7:00.

Attendees will enjoy sampling specialties from area restaurants and vendors, while they bid on hundreds of auctions items. Restaurant Gift Certificates, Jewelry, Artwork, Savings Bonds, Greens Fees, Gas Cards, and Gift Baskets are just a few of the many things up for bid. To see a complete list of vendors and auction items, visit www.northcountrychamber.com

Tickets to Taste of the North Country are $12 per person before November 3^rd or $18 after that. Sponsored by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, TD Bank, and Condo Pharmacy, this event is open to everyone. Those under 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

Call the North Country Chamber of Commerce at 563-1000 or visit www.northcountrychamber.com to purchase tickets for Taste of the North Country.

A message From the Empire State Development Board
The Empire State Development (ESD) Board of Directors met yesterday in New York City and approved $19 million in funding for nine projects that are spurring economic growth and opportunity in New York State. These targeted investments will leverage over $136 million in private and other public funding to support small businesses, community and downtown revitalization, regional tourism, and projects that are building a strong foundation for future economic growth and job creation. The projects will directly create nearly 120 new jobs and retain more than 380 existing New York State jobs.

“The State’s formula for growing jobs and the economy is working: Governor Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Councils have made smart suggestions and ESD is taking action to support key projects across the state that are creating economic and employment opportunities for New Yorkers,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams. “The funds approved by the Board are supporting expanding businesses, infrastructure improvements and helping to revitalize communities from Buffalo to Brooklyn, and are proving to be critical investments in our efforts to strengthen and grow our economy.”

The Board approved the following Regional Council award grants:

Adirondack Historical Association – (North Country Region – Hamilton County) – $130,000 Read more »

NY-21 Candidates Answer Climate Change Questions – – The Adirondack Almanack.

Watertown Daily Times | Indictment of Hillary dismissed by Judge Richards.

Peru – Reverend Bill Edwards, a longtime Chaplain at the Clinton Correction Correctional Facility, will speak on the life of a prison chaplain on Friday, October 24th at 7 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Church, 3035 Main St. in Peru. A Peru native, graduate of St. Augustine’s School and Peru Central School, Father Edwards was ordained in 1985 at St. Augustine’s Church. He currently serves as a Parochial Vicar at St. John’s Parish in Plattsburgh. All are welcome. St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273 and St. Monica’s Court 2598, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, are sponsoring Father Edward’s presentation.

Bob Howard emailed a link to a video Susan Drapeau made of the Little Ausable River Trail.  It’s made from a bicyclist perspective as Susan traveled from Heyworth/Mason Park to Sullivan Park.  Click here to view the Susan Drapeau video.

On Monday, October 27^th at 6:30 p.m. the Board will hold a public hearing to elicit comment on the proposed extension of water and sewer service on both sides of the Bear Swamp road (State Route 442) from the current terminus of the district immediately west of the Dashnaw Road east to the I-87 right of way. All board meetings are open to the public.

The Peru Town Board will hold a Special Meeting tonight Tuesday, October 13 at 6:15 p.m. at the Town Hall.

The Board will consider a resolution to sponsor a grant application to promote cultural activity within the town. The resolution concerns Lance Falcon, Valley Forges Blacksmith.

Come support the Peru Drama Club as Peru students show off their talents on Friday, October 24th! Student performers will be singing, dancing, performing comedy, monologues and playing the piano and guitar. The evening will begin at 7:30 in the Peru Jr./Sr. High School Auditorium. Tickets are $5.00 per person.  The Peru Drama Club has approximately 75 student members.

L-R Kregg Bruno, Jim Douglass, Janet Duprey, Peter Glushko, Adele Douglas, Brandy McDonald, Donald McBrayer

Story by John T. Ryan

Photos by Tim Mitchell

Developing a walking trail in Peru’s hamlet was first suggested in about 2005. On Sunday, October 5, 2014, years of discussions, planning, grant writing, financing, and construction climaxed at a Ribbon Cutting Opening Ceremony for the Little Ausable River Trail. Click here for individual photos. Click here for slideshow. 

An estimated 125 people gathered to begin their 1.25 walk to Heyworth/Mason Park. The ribbon cutting took place at the Route 22 entrance to the trail. At Heyworth-Mason Park Master of Ceremonies Garry Douglas welcomed Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, Supervisor Peter Glushko, James Dawson, a Board member of Parks and Trails New York, and Karen Derusha, Clinton County Health Department’s Principal Educator.

Thanks were extended to the generous donations of property easements by landowners Winnfried and Stephanie Holderied, Cortland Forrence, John and Penny Clute, James Clute and Michael Thompson.

The Federal Transportation Enhancement Program, the Federal Recreational Trails Program, Parks and Trails New York and the Town of Peru funded the project. The Peru Lions Club, Stewart’s Shops, The North Country Chamber of Commerce Community Development Fund and Peru’s Aubuchon Hardware also gave generously to fund trail amenities. Steven Fuller Excavating constructed the trail. Town of Peru employees put the finishing touches on the project.

Garry Douglas took the occasion to present a bouquet of flowers to his wife Adele who wrote the Town of Peru’s grant applications for the $1.06 million project. Grants funded approximately 75% of the total project cost.

The Peru Gazette is grateful to Tim Mitchell for his wonderful photos.

Peru – There was a record turnout for today’s 4th Annual Walk of Faith sponsored by St. Augustine’s Church, the Peru Community Church, the Catholic Daughters and the Knights of Columbus. Following prayer and opening ceremonies the walkers traveled down Main Street to Heyworth/Mason Park and the Little Ausable River Trail. After the two-mile walk many enjoyed a delicious pulled pork dinner at St. Augustine’s Parish Center’s Paul Calkins Hall.  The dinner proceeds will benefit the the Mission of Hope and the Community Church’s Jamaica Project. Click here to see individual Walk of Faith Photos. Click here to see a slideshow. 

Peru – Approximately 300 runners participated in today’s 4th Annual Octoberfest Half Marathon and 10K Run. Runners departed from the Peru Fire House, ran down the Bear Swamp Road to Main Street, over to the Union Road, back to Elm Street and west on Pleasant Street before arriving at the Peru Gazette’s position at the corner of Pleasant Street and the River Road. We were able to capture a photo of most runners. Congratulations to all the participants! What a great way to assist a worthy cause. The Chip Hamilton family assisted by friends, family and community members started the event four years ago to honor Chip who passed away in 2011, a victim of pulmonary fibrosis. All proceeds benefit the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

Click here to view our slideshow. Accompanying music will play on a PC. Individual photos can be found on our gallery view and can be downloaded at no charge by placing your cursor in the upper left corner of a photo.

From the Peru Central School

Peru Central’s Board of Education launches its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 6 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 PM start. The school board is slated to reconvene for public session business at approximately 7:00 PM. Anticipated topics include:

• Recognition of Peru CSD as a College For Every Student (CFES) School of Distinction
• Report on community education
• Discussion of a veterans tax exemption survey

A Message from Brandy McDonald, Chairman of the Peru Democratic Party

The Peru Democratic Party’s  “Meet and Greet” will be this Saturday October 11th, 2014 from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Livingood’s Restaurant.

Each year in support of the Peru candidates who are running for election, we have a “Meet and Greet”. We feel that this function is a very important and effective way to get to know the candidates. It also serves as a time to get to know and have some quality time with fellow Democrats and neighbors.

There will be an assortment of free tasty snacks and a pay as you go bar available. As usual we will also be having drawings for some very nice and useful door prizes.

I look forward to seeing you at the “Meet and Greet” this Saturday, October 11th.
Best wishes,

Brandy McDonald
Chairman

On Sunday, October 12th St. Augustine’s Church and the Peru Community Church will host their 8th Annual Walk of Faith. Registration will be behind St. Augustine’s Church from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. followed by a walk on Peru new walking trail. A pulled pork dinner will be held from noon to 3 p.m. in Paul Calkins Hall at the St. Augustine’s Parish Center. The dinner proceeds will be divided equally between the Community Church’s Jamaica Project and the North Country Mission of Hope. Walkers will only be charged $6 for the dinner, walking children 12 and under $3.  The non-walker price is $8 and $4.  All are welcome and encouraged to attend! Click Here for walk and dinner details

Here’s the Agenda Regular Mtg Agenda 9Oct2014

Harkness –  On Sunday October 19th any time between 4:00 and 6:30pm, bring your family and meet your friends at the Harkness United Methodist Church Hall, 776 Hallock Hill Road, Peru (corner of Harkness & Hallock Hill Roads) to enjoy one of the North Country’s most delicious traditions; the Harkness United Methodist Church’s Chicken & Biscuit Dinner. This is the 107th year that the church has presented this mouth-watering feast for fans who come from far and wide to savor the chicken & biscuit meal, served with mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, peas, cole slaw, beverages and dessert.

Dinners for Adults are $9.00, Seniors pay $8.00, Children ages 6 – 12 are $5.00, and Pre-schoolers eat free. Take-out meals are available and our new system has decreased the wait time considerably! If you are able, please bring a donation of non-perishable food for our Food Shelf collection. We would love to exceed the total that we collected last year. Hope to see you there!