The Peru Gazette

Meeting is Wednesday, May 14th at 7 PM.     

 APPLICATION: 

1. Site Plan Review & SEQR: JBSL Corp. / MX Petro. Corp., Site Plan Review

Lot 2 Chamberlain Road

7. ANY FURTHER BUSINESS:
8. CEO REPORT:
9. ADJOURNMENT:

Think Spring and your beautiful gardens! The Ladies Guild of the Peru Community Church will be selling geraniums and marigolds, by order only, from now until May 11th. Geraniums are in red, white and pink and are $1.50 per pot. Marigolds are mixed in color in a six-pack for $1.75. Orders are due by May 11th and plants can be picked up on May 16th from 12:00 to 6:00. Orders can be placed by calling 643-8641.

By John T. Ryan

Town Supervisor Peter Glushko had good news for Town Board members at the Monday, April 28^th Board meeting. The Town’s accountants finally completed their analysis of the Town’s accounting records. The general fund balance was determined to be $765,000, an increase of $115,000. As a result the Town will not have to borrow to pay for the $95,800 Town Hall front step project. Glushko said all the required annual financial reports have been filed with the New York State Comptroller’s office.

Glushko said he would have a bonding resolution for four other projects (Walking Trail -$210,400, Highway Garage Roof Repair, Fuller Road Culvert – $301,225 and Hurricane Irene related repairs – $330,336) ready for the Board’s May 12^th meeting. On Thursday, May 1st at 10 AM bids will be opened for the Highway Department garage roof project. Engineers have increased the cost estimate for that project to $227,000.

Microsoft’s decision to stop supporting the XP computer operating system is costing the Town. One new laptop computer was purchased this week, two older desktop computers will be replaced and one desktop operating system will be upgraded. Counselor Donald McBrayer recommended upgrading to the Windows 7 system.

The Board discussed holiday pay and comp time for Town Highway Department employees. Highway Department employees work a 10-hour, 4-day week during the summer months. On holidays such as July 4^th and Memorial Day they receive 8 hours pay and two hours comp time. Supervisor Glushko asked the Board to consider paying the employees for 10 hours rather than paying two hours comp time. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell said he wasn’t aware that comp time was an issue. Counselors Jim Douglas, Kregg Bruno and Don McBrayer said they believed that comp time was appropriate since to the best of their knowledge comp time was mentioned in the Employee Handbook. The current policy was not changed.

Other news/actions:

• A group known as The International Peruvian Festival will be conducting a July 20^th event celebrating Peru, New York’s connection to Peru, S.A. The Peru Gazette will have a feature story on this event.
• Construction on the Fuller Road culvert project began on April 28^th with a June 30 completion date.
• Construction on the Walking Trail will begin on April 30^th with an October 31^st completion date.
• The Town Hall front step project will begin on May 27^th and should be completed by July.
• Grant Writer Liz Tedford informed the Board that federal grant monies are available for water and sewer system upgrades. Application must be made by June 16^th.
• Supervisor Glushko expressed concern about the number of unlicensed dogs in the Town. He said that whenever he receives a call about an uncontrolled dog, the offending dog is typically unlicensed. Glushko asked Town Clerk Kathy Flynn to prepare a comprehensive database of all licensed dogs. A license issued in another town is not valid for a dog residing in Peru.

The Board adjourned to an Executive Session for approximately 30 minutes to discuss an employee’s work history.

The meeting adjourned at 9:05 PM.

The North Star Underground Railroad Museum opens for a 4^th season on May 3^rd. The museum exhibits portray compelling stories of freedom seekers (former slaves) who passed through Northeastern New York and the Champlain Valley, many of them going to Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Displays include a multimedia production of the story of John Thomas and his family. Thomas escaped from the cruelties of slavery in Maryland and settled on his own Adirondack mountain farm. Another exhibit shows how the debate over slavery divided many of our churches. A leg iron found hidden in a nearby Quaker home is the centerpiece in this room. A regional exhibit will identify safe-houses and illuminate the lives of men and women who represented every stage of the antislavery struggle – from petitions to war.

The Champlain Line of the Underground Railroad encompassed the Upper Hudson River, the Champlain Canal, and Lake Champlain. Freedom seekers (former slaves) who reached these waterways took steamboats, barges and canal boats as part of their northward journey. Stagecoach and railroad lines from New York City and New England provided land routes into the region. Lake Champlain was a Gateway to Freedom.

The museum also has a gift shop which contains an extensive selection of books and DVDs on the Underground Railroad in the Lake Champlain area. On opening day, May 3^rd, the first mini-bus tour of the Underground Railroad sites in Peru and Keeseville will leave the museum at 9:30 am. Reservations for the tour are recommended. Costs are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The museum will be opened daily from 9 am to 4 pm from May 3^rd thru the end of October. Admission is free but donations are gratefully appreciated.

Contact: Jacqueline Madison, 834-5180

North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association

1131 Mace Chasm Rd.

Ausable Chasm, NY 12911

Gov. Cuomo reminds New Yorkers to vaccinate against measles « The In Box.

Dangerous tank cars will be taken off the rails by Canadian government « The In Box.

Adirondack North Country gets $300K in NYS conservation grants « The In Box.

Downtown store renovations planned » NEW TODAY… » Press-Republican.

Challenges mount in 21st Congressional District race » NEW TODAY… » Press-Republican.

A Message From The Girl Scouts of NENY

The Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York (GSNENY) offers a magical camp experience for girls. At camp girls have the opportunity to meet old and new friends, gain confidence in their skills, and feel good about who they are while learning new things! Girl Scout camp offer girls the chance to participate in challenging, interesting, adventurous programs and create memories that will last a lifetime.

A girl who attended camp last year wrote: “Dear Mom, Today I climbed a mountain, Tomorrow I’m scuba diving and everyday I’m making new friends!”

GSNENY’s summer programs allow girls to choose a day or overnight camp experience. At camp girls can experience traditional activities such as spending a night sleeping under the stars, cooking on a fire or learning how to canoe. But girls will also have the chance to experience dance, horseback riding, graphic cartooning, fine arts, climbing the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, and much more.

Camps and programs are managed by staff members who are dedicated to the education of girls, and bring a wealth of experience and excitement about what they do. The variety of programs available has been designed to appeal to girls in K-12th grade. Some examples are:

Water lovers can take SCUBA diving lessons for fun and the more serious diver can work towards certification. In this program, girls will work with professional SCUBA instructor, Archie Jones from A & M SCUBA.

For girls who love horses! Perhaps they have some horse riding skills. Horse Haven is the perfect program. Girls will go to a nearby stable and learn about horses by trained professionals and experience the countryside on horseback.

For the Geocaching Gurus, girls will learn how to use a GPS and navigate through the woods to find hidden treasures. Not only will girls have the opportunity to find the caches, but create their own geocache that will be available for other groups to find.

Girls looking for an untraditional camp experience can attend our Comic Camp – in this program girls will have the opportunity to work with professional Graphic Novel Cartoonist, Barbara Slate and develop their own comic story line.

Our commitment is to have every girl’s life enriched by attending a summer program.

There is still time to register. Registration deadline is June 15, 2014. Visit www.gsneny.org for more information.

###

Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York serves 11,000 girls and 5,000 volunteers throughout 15 counties: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren & Washington. Services Centers are located in Albany, Queensbury and Plattsburgh with an administrative office in Halfmoon.

Spring Book Sale: Friday, May 16, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 17, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Peru Free Library, Main Street, Peru NY

Regular Mtg Agenda 04282014

From the Peru School District

The importance of working together to chart the course forward for the Peru Central School District was a sentiment echoed often by the parents, students, teachers and community leaders who gathered to share their insights during sessions held in February.

Those sessions were actually the first step in a planning process that will be driven by a culture of collaboration to achieve a shared, ideal vision for the future: Peru 2020.Attended by more than 80 people, the February forums identified new ideas for the school district, acknowledged past issues as an opportunity to avoid them in the future and started shaping a path

During recent years, Peru Central School District (PCSD) has experienced a myriad of changes and pressures. A communication chasm between the district and their stakeholders (students, parents, community leaders, etc.) has been further complicated with fresh challenges created by a change in superintendents, the Common Core Standards, five new board members, Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plans and continuing budget concerns.

To more effectively address both near-term issues as well as the steps necessary to realize the longer-term goals of the district, CITEC Business Solutions is working with PCSD to develop a new, long range strategic plan that will be created through the participation of representatives from throughout the entire community.

Equipped with the findings from the February forum, the next step in the process will be to bring together students, parents, district staff, teachers, administrators, board members, business leaders and community members to work on the Peru 2020 Strategic Plan.

Volunteers will be sought from all of these various stakeholder groups in order to serve on the Planning Team, as well as five committees which are particularly focused on the areas defined at the February forums:

1. Achievement Committee: Addressing student success in and out of the classroom, academic programs, and school accolades.

2. Innovation Committee: Generating new ideas to grow the District and make it more successful for the future.

3. Well-Being Committee: To create a healthy, safe and positive environment within the school.

4. Connection Committee: Determining how the district can best include and engage parents and community for better communications and to make the school a cornerstone of Peru.

5. Sustainability Committee: Planning for PCSD’s future – both fiscally and environmentally. Activities of the committees will include several meetings that will be facilitated by CITEC strategic planning experts to identify opportunities and develop the ideal ways to realize those, with a final plan prepared for PCSD to begin acting on later this year. Key steps in the strategic planning process as well as the findings from the February forums can be found on the Superintendent’s pages under the District tab of the PeruCSD.org website.

More information on how you can become involved in this important initiative to help the district will be provided in the coming days. To express your interest in participating now, please call the Superintendent’s office at (518) 643-6004 or email vision@perucsd.org today.

The Town of Peru Highway Department announced that on Monday, April 30th the Fuller Road will be closed between houses 444 and 447 for a culvert replacement project. The project completion date is June, 30, 2014. No through traffic will be permitted.  Houses 444-447 are just south of the Sullivan Road – Fuller Road intersection.

Sixty-six shears and counting » Local News » Press-Republican.

New service to Atlantic City begins » Local News » Press-Republican.

On Saturday. April 12th, Lynn H. Wilke was honored by his former students and the local community. Peru Central teacher Jim Neyenhouse was kind enough to provide the Peru Gazette with several wonderful photos of Mr. Wilke’s Opus, An Alumni Concert In Honor of Lynn H. Wilke, Peru Central School teacher: 1952-1985.  Click here for a slideshow!  

NY21 candidates have more than pocket money “on hand” « The In Box.

‘Mass exodus’ from Cuomo administration expected post-election | New York Post.

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK–The North Country Cultural Center for the Arts (NCCCA) is pleased to announce the Second Annual Tri-County Decentralization Grant Awards Ceremony set for May 9 at 5:30pm in the Main Gallery of the Art Center at 23 Brinkerhoff Street in Plattsburgh.

Thirty plus artists and arts organizations from Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties will be in attendance along with Assemblywoman Janet Duprey and other dignitaries from across the North Country region.

Decentralization is a regrant program intended to help promote the arts throughout New York State. Decentralization Grants are made possible through the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

The recipients of the 2014 Decentralization Grant will present their projects in an informal setting accompanied by a wine tasting from Amazing Grace Vineyard, cake from Adirondack Delectables, and a wide range of food samplings from North Country eateries.

Grants will be awarded to 27 community arts projects and 5 teaching artists as follows:

Adirondack Regional Theatre Young Director’s Series
Adirondack Sustainable Communities Hobofest
Adirondack Youth Orchestra
Appleby Foundation: OnStage Dance Program
Appleby Foundation: Tahawus Center Cultural Programs
Ballard Park Foundation: Westport Community Concerts
Battle of Plattsburgh: Battling in Plattsburgh: Original Musical
CEF Library System for Stan Ransom: Imagination’s Place Storytelling Program
Champlain Valley Voices: A Joyous Mother’s Day
Chateaugay Revitalization Committee, Children’s Theatre Camp
Chazy Music Theatre: Chicago
City of Plattsburgh for Adk. Dance Co.: Little Mermaid Ballet & Evening of Arts
East Branch Friends of the Arts, Lake Placid Sinfonietta in the Valley
The Essex Community Concert Series
Foothills Art Society, Wilder Farm Cultural Festival
Jay Entertainment & Music Society: Coffee House Series
Jay Entertainment & Music Society: Adult Dance Classes
Jay Entertainment & Music Society for Mountain to Mountain Children’s Theatre
Piano by Nature, 2014 Concert Series
Saranac Lake Chamber for Diane Leifheit, Face to Face: Drawn to Saranac Lake
Saranac Lake Chamber for Northern Adirondack Artist Studio Tour
Ticonderoga Arts: Arts Celebration of Ti: Past, Present, Future
Ticonderoga Festival Guild Arts, Arts Trek XXXII
Ticonderoga Heritage Museum, Celebrate Ticonderoga!
Town of Keene, Music from the Back Porch
Village of Malone: Art in the Park 2014
Whallonsburg Grange: 2014 Performance Series

By John T. Ryan

Unplanned expenses, debt and concern about cost estimates were the primary topics at the April 14^th Peru Town Board meeting. In the not too distant future, the Town of Peru will be incurring in excess of $1,000,000 in debt. Supervisor Peter Glushko said he would research borrowing costs prior to the next Board meeting. Bonds are typically paid over a 25, 30 or 35 year period. Current interest rates range between 3 and 4%.

General Town Bonds (Debt)

Walking Trail – $210,400

Town Hall Entrance Steps – $95,800

Total General Bonds  – $306,200 

Highway Department Bonds (Debt)

Fuller Road Culvert Repairs – $301,225

Highway Garage Roof (Estimated) – $150,000

Hurricane Irene Related Road Repairs – $330,336

Total  Highway Department – $781,561 

Overall Total Bonding – $1,087,761 

The Town Hall entrance steps upgrade project will cost $31,000 more than anticipated. The Town Board initially placed a $60,000 limit on the project and asked the Town’s contract engineer to design a project within that limit. When the bids were opened on April 19^th, Northern Snow and Dirt of Plattsburgh submitted the low bid of $91,000. At this meeting the Board decided that pavers would enhance the Town Hall’s appearance more than concrete steps bringing the total project cost to $95,800. Engineers said their $60,000 estimate was based on an understanding that the Town would demolish the existing steps; however, several weeks ago counselors decided to not use Town personnel citing concerns about buried utilities, liability and other matters.

The Heyworth/Mason Park to Sullivan Park Walking Trail will cost the Town $210,400. The total project cost is $860,000 including engineering and inspection. Federal and NYS grants total $649,600 and the Town will bond for $210,400. Depending on when the cost estimates were made, the Walking Trail cost exceeded estimates by between $100,000 and $200,000.

The Highway Department will be incurring debt for its garage roof repairs, Fuller Road culvert repairs and Hurricane Irene road repairs that were not reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

While the garage roof bid specifications have not been finalized, the cost is estimated at between $150,000 and $200,000. Engineers determined that wood beams, rather than steel beams would be sufficient, significantly reducing the cost from initial estimates. Counselor Kregg Bruno, a contractor (not an engineer) by trade, had consistently stated that wood beams would be sufficient.

The Fuller Road culvert replacement project will result in a debt of $301,000. Initial estimates for that project totaled $250,000. Modifications required to satisfy U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulations were a factor in that cost increase.

Counselor Jim Douglas expressed concern about the accuracy of cost estimates saying any future estimates must be more accurate. Counselor Kregg Bruno has often expressed frustration about engineers not responding to his inquiries.

In other actions:

On a positive note, Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell informed the Board that an additional $20,000 from New York State C.H.I.P.S. monies would enable his staff to pave an extra quarter-mile of highway this summer. Unfortunately, the escalating cost of asphalt will limit paving to approximately 2.5 highway miles, down from the desired 4 or 5 miles. The Highway Department’s budget has been severely affected by the cold, stormy winter and a significant increase in the cost of asphalt. Farrell said the old section of the Sullivan Road would have top priority followed by Buttonwood and Woodland Drives in the hamlet.

The Town Board is seeking volunteers for a Main Street Planning Committee. The Town recently received a 100% funded grant to develop a plan for Main Street enhancements. Supervisor Peter Glushko emphasized that plan would not be implemented until the Town has the necessary funds in hand. The plan could be shelved indefinitely pending funding availability.

The Board adjourned for a 25-minute Executive Session to discuss an employee’s work history.

Peru Central School District’s Board of Education will have a brief, special meeting on the morning of Thursday, April 24th at 7:30 AM in the Jr/Sr High School Community Room. The brief special meeting will focus exclusively on consideration of the BOCES administrative budget for the 2014‐2015 school year and consideration of candidates running for seats on this region’s BOCES [Board of Cooperative Education Services].

No other school board or school district business is slated for Thursday morning.

Dems won’t support Cuomo for president in 2016: sources | New York Post.

Basil Paterson, 1926-2014 | New York Post.