The Peru Gazette

PLATTSBURGH, NY— The North Country Cultural Center for the Arts is proud to announce the upcoming exhibition, “Impromptu,” which features works by Lynn Manning and Erik Wilson on display in our Main Gallery from May 9^th to June 14^th, 2014. Pairing the photographic work of Manning and the painting and sculpture of Wilson, the show generates a dreamlike atmosphere of sublime landscapes and earthy pottery. The opening reception will be held May 16^th from 5:30-7:00 PM. This event is free to the public and refreshments will be served.  Read more »

Click here see view a brief slideshow of the May 1, 2014 Sacrament of Confirmation hosted by St. Augustine’s Church. Most Rev. Terry A. LaValley, Bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, conferred the Sacrament. The Peru Gazette was not able to capture a photo of all the conferees.

A Message from the Town of Peru

Please be advised that Steven Fuller Excavating is now building Phase 1 of the Little Ausable River Trail. This 1.5 mile multi-use trail will run from the back of Heyworth/Mason Park to the entrance of Sullivan Park. Work is expected to last until mid-October, until that time Heyworth/Mason Park will be closed to the public. The Town is sorry for the inconvenience. Please contact Adele Douglas at 643-7863 if you have any questions or concerns.Click here to see a Trail Map

Click here for County By County Sales and Median Price Data

Albany, NY – April 22, 2014 – The New York State median sales price grew by 5.1 percent in the 2014 first quarter compared to a year ago, continuing its upward trend, according to the housing market report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS. Sales dropped 1.8 percent compared to the start of 2013.

“Sellers seemed most affected by the severe winter weather as indicated by the 7.6-percent inventory reduction,” said Duncan MacKenzie, NYSAR CEO. “New York’s REALTORS expect market activity to rise along with the temperature as continued buyer demand and sales price gains entice sellers to list their homes.”

There were 18,790 closed sales in the 2014 first quarter, down 1.8 percent from the 2013 first quarter total of 19,143. March 2014 closed sales fell 8.3 percent (6,212) compared to a year ago (6,773).

The 2014 first quarter statewide median sales price was $227,000, an increase of 5.1 percent compared to the first quarter 2013 median of $216,000. The March 2014 statewide median sales price of $217,500 represents an increase of 1.2 percent compared to the March 2013 median of $215,000. Read more »

The United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. will have their 14^th Annual Olympian Celebrity Golf Classic on Thursday, June 19, 2014. This year the tournament will be held at the Lake Placid Club Mountain Course in Lake Placid.

This unique event randomly pairs an Olympic athlete or other Celebrity with a registered three person team. The cost is $500.00 per team which includes greens fees, cart, free raffle gifts, and Barbeque dinner. All proceeds from the golf tournament will go to support the United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. which serves Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties.

Registration for a team and sponsorship forms are available at The United Way office, 45 Tom Miller Road, Plattsburgh, on the United Way web-site www.unitedwayadk.org, under the special events tab, or call 518-563-0028 to have one mailed or for more information.

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

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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.

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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!  

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