The Peru Gazette

Ford said its 2025 adjusted earnings before interest and taxes will take a $1.5 billion to $2.0 billion hit from the disruption the fire has caused to its production of F-150 and other vehicles.

Click here for the Syracuse.com story 

The 7-year-old boy, who attends JFK Elementary, was absent from school Monday morning, according to school officials.

Click here for the VTDigger story 

Birth Doses for all Newborns and School Immunization Requirements Remain the Same in New York State

News Release, ALBANY, N.Y. (December 5, 2025) – The New York State Department of Health today reaffirmed that the long-standing hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for infants and children remain unchanged in New York State after two votes taken by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) earlier today. These national advisory votes do not alter New York’s evidence-based recommendations, which continue to include a hepatitis B vaccine birth dose for every newborn, without delay, as well as completion of the full vaccine series in infancy.

Department Reaffirms Longstanding Practices

“Newborn hepatitis B vaccination is a cornerstone of preventive care for infants, and our recommendations in New York State have not changed,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald. “The birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective and essential. We continue to recommend that every baby receive this vaccine within 24 hours of delivery, and that infants born to a person with hepatitis B receive it within 12 hours. These practices save lives, and New York remains committed to evidence-based policies that protect our most vulnerable residents.”

Today’s national advisory votes were unnecessary changes and may have tragic consequences in some areas of the nation if doctors choose to stop giving newborns the standard hepatitis B preventive birth dose. However, New York has the best doctors anywhere and their practices will remain unchanged due to evidence-based clinical practices and their commitment to protecting their patients and public health. Thanks to Governor Hochul, New York will continue to do the right thing.

Summary of ACIP Votes

ACIP approved two votes regarding hepatitis B vaccination. The exact adopted language for Vote #1 and Vote #2 is included below. ACIP also passed a third procedural vote related to continued access to hepatitis B vaccine doses through the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. This technical vote does not affect New York’s recommendations or requirements.

1. Birth Dose Recommendation (Vote #1 – Exact Language)
   For infants born to HBsAg-negative women: ACIP recommends individual-based decision-making, in consultation with a health care provider, for parents deciding when or if to give the HBV vaccine, including the birth dose. Parents and health care providers should consider vaccine benefits, vaccine risks, and infection risks. For those not receiving the HBV birth dose, it is suggested that the initial dose is administered no earlier than 2 months of age.
2. Optional Post-Vaccination Antibody Testing (Vote #2 – Exact Language)
   When evaluating the need for a subsequent HBV vaccine dose in children, parents should consult with health care providers to determine if a post-vaccination anti-HBs serology testing should be offered. Serology results should determine whether the established protective anti-HBs titer threshold of ≥10 mIU/mL has been achieved. The cost of this testing should be covered by insurance.

No Impact on New York State Policy or Requirements

These votes do not change any requirements or recommendations in New York State, including:

• Newborn Care:
  New York continues to recommend a birth dose within 24 hours for all newborns, and a birth dose and within 12 hours for infants born to a birthing parent who tests positive or whose hepatitis B status is unknown.
• Completion of the Vaccine Series:
  All children should complete the full hepatitis B vaccine series by 18 months of age, or earlier when clinically indicated.
• School Immunization Requirements:
  Students must show proof of immunity to hepatitis B to attend school in New York State. The Department emphasizes that completing the full vaccine series is the most reliable and effective way to provide long-term protection. However, proof of vaccination or a positive blood test for hepatitis B surface antibody are both acceptable for school entry.

At the same time, while New York regulations require proof of immunity through either vaccination of positive titer, relying on post-vaccination blood testing after each dose would require multiple laboratory visits, repeated blood draws, and long wait times for results, making it impractical for most families. For this reason, most providers recommend – and most parents choose – vaccination rather than repeated blood testing for their children.

New York State continues to support the long-standing standard of care practice of providing patients with information on the risks and benefits of all vaccines.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Remains a Critical Safety Net

Hepatitis B vaccination along with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) is safe, effective and vital for newborn protection, especially when screening of the birthing parent is unavailable or when errors occur. Infants are at the greatest risk for developing chronic hepatitis B infection if exposed at birth. The birth dose provides a crucial safety net that has dramatically reduced infant infections over the past several decades.

Click here for the NCPR story 

Click here for the NCPR story 

Click here for the Peru Gazette Video 

Peru, NY December 5, 2025 – Immediately after Jim Douglass lit the Town Christmas Tree, the Peru Fire Department arrived carrying Santa and Mrs. Claus. About the same time, other children were gathering on Jarvis Road, excitedly waiting for the Peru Tractor Parade.

Peru, NY, Dec. 5, 2025 – Jim Douglass lit Peru’s Christmas Tree at Little Ausable River Park at 5:30 PM today. Friends, family, and Town Supervisor Craig Randall were on hand to thank Jim for his many years of service as a town board member and as an all-around good neighbor. Congratulations for a well-deserved honor, Jim!

Click here to watch the 2025 Peru Farmers Parade 

Click here for the VTDigger story 

December 11, 2:30 pm, Meadowbrook Healthcare, 154 Prospect Avenue, Plattsburgh. A Photo Peek at Old Plattsburgh. Using photos from the CCHA collection, see ‘then and now’ photo comparisons of landmarks in downtown Plattsburgh.  Come and see what you might recognize and share stories of these special spots.

December 11, 6:00 pm, Clinton County Historical Association 98 Ohio Avenue, Plattsburgh. Introducing the newly published book The Champlain Canal: 200 Years of Change with Matt Harrison.  This book features chapters by historians, archeologists, and biologists on the past and present evolutions of the Champlain Canal which celebrated its bicentennial in 2023. Harrison’s talk will focus on early tourism on the waters of the canal and on Lake Champlain, in particular the accounts of two women travelers who recorded their vacations along the canal in the 1890s — Florence Snedeker and Augusta Brown.

December 13 – 14, 10 am to 3 pm, Clinton County Historical Association, 98 Ohio Avenue, Plattsburgh. Annual Holiday Open House.  See our newest exhibits: The Wedding Gowns, the Military Gallery featuring a timeline of the military presence in the North Country and Pathway to America250 about the Revolutionary War in the Champlain Valley. Select some gifts from the largest collection of North Country history books north of Albany. The winner of our lottery board will be drawn at 3 pm on 14 December. Still time to purchase tickets!

December 31, 1:00 pm, Christ & St. John’s Episcopal Church, 18 Butternut Street, Champlain, “Struggle in the Snow: The Storming of Quebec” with Thaddeus Booth-Trudo.  On New Years Eve 2025 the Clinton County Historical Association and the Clinton County America 250 Committee will commemorate the service, sacrifice, and many historical firsts of the approximately 10,000 American troops of the Continental Army that served as part of the 1775-1776 Quebec Campaign. This commemoration is being held on New Year’s Eve as it is the 250th Anniversary of the attempted Storming of Quebec City by American forces under the command of Generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold. This storming attempt marked the high water mark of the campaign and we feel it appropriate to commemorate those that served during this campaign on this anniversary.

Please contact Helen Nerska, Director, Clinton County Historical Association for more information.

Albany, News Release of Dec. 4, 2025  Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to make life-saving medical care more affordable and accessible for New Yorkers. Legislation S2000A/A1195A requires health insurance policies to provide coverage for follow-up screening or diagnostic services for lung cancer, and prevents insurance policies from imposing cost-sharing for those services. The legislation builds on the Governor’s affordability agenda, which includes a ban on co-pays for critical medications like insulin and inhalers.

“Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the nation, and the last thing a patient should have to worry about is out-of-pocket costs for critical follow-up screenings,” Governor Hochul said. “Signing this legislation means that thousands of New Yorkers can focus on what is truly important: their health and well-being. With this law, New York is making clear that no one should face financial barriers to getting the care they need.”

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths statewide. Each year approximately 13,900 New Yorkers are diagnosed with lung cancer and about 7,400 die from this disease.

New York State Department of Financial Services Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow said, “By removing out-of-pocket costs for lung cancer screenings, Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature have improved the chances that this form of cancer will be detected and treated as early as possible.

1. Call Meeting to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Roll Call 

4. MOTION/DISCUSSION: To Accept Reports from all Departments: (Water/Sewer/Valcour; Highway; Town Clerk; Dog Control; Youth Department; Code/Zoning; Supervisor’s Report; Court; Website; Banking Reports, and JCEO);

5. MOTION: Acceptance of Minutes for the Regular Meeting of November 24, 2025

6. Community Input. 

7. DISCUSSION/MOTION: Approval of Luck Brothers Application for Payment #1 for Fuller Rd. Culvert Project.

8. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval to Order New 2027 Western Star 47 X Chassis with Viking Plow Gear

9. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval of C & S Companies to Place the Telegraph Rd over Dry Mill Brook Culvert Project Out for Bid With a Bid Opening Date of January 7, 2026

10. DISCUSSION/MOTION: Approval of John W. Danforth Company Pay App. #5 for Peru WWTP Project. 

11. DISCUSSION/MOTION: Approval of Murnane Building Contractors Pay App. #5 for Peru WWTP Project. 

12. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: To Appoint Sarah Mitchell to Fill the Remaining Term for Town Justice.

13. DISCUSSION: Other Business: Council Comments

14. DISCUSSION: Other Business: Department Head Comments.

15. DISCUSSION: Public Comments on Agenda Items Only.

16. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Pay November 2025 Bills.

17. MOTION: Adjourn to Executive Session.

18. MOTION: Return from Executive Session.

19. MOTION: Adjourn Meeting.       

As of February 1, 2026, the TSA will charge a $45 fee for travelers without a REAL ID or another acceptable ID (like a passport) to use their alternative identity verification system, TSA Confirm.ID, for a 10-day travel period, encouraging travelers to get their REAL ID from their state DMV before flying.

What this means for travelers:
If you have a REAL ID or Passport: No change, just present it as usual.
If you don’t have a REAL ID/Passport: You’ll need to pay $45 for a temporary pass (TSA Confirm.ID) to verify your identity at the checkpoint.
Payment: The fee can be paid online beforehand or at the airport, and it covers 10 days of travel.
Purpose: This new fee and system aim to ensure everyone passing through security is verified, with the TSA urging people to get their REAL ID now to avoid fees and delays.

Remember the Acid Rain! 

Click here for the Adirondack Explorer story 

Click here for the WAMC Pat Bradley story 

Click here for the NCPR story 

Click here for the NCPR story 

Budget 2026 Final 2026.   

See a previous Peru Gazette on the 2026 Budget. 

By John T Ryan

Doug Brown has a big birthday coming up on December 31, Birthday #105. Tomorrow, Friday, December 5, will also be a big day for Doug; he’ll be leading the Peru Tractor Parade as its Grand Marshal.  Most people know Doug as the longtime owner of Peru Hardware, a rural mail carrier, and a World War II Veteran.

Your reporter pleads guilty to not having visited Doug since I wrote a story about him two years ago. Today, I found him almost as active as before, with one notable exception, he no longer drives. He commented, “I have heart trouble, so my doctor doesn’t want me to drive anymore.”  Fortunately, Doug’s daughter, Wendy Silverman, and her husband, Bob, live nearby and are available to assist him whenever needed.

Bird carving is still Doug’s favorite pastime. A beautifully carved heron proudly displayed in his living room features a First Place ribbon hanging from its neck, a testament to his craftsmanship that earned him the award at the Clinton County Fair last summer. Before I left, he eagerly showed me the birds he was currently working on in his workshop. He pointed to one in particular, mentioning that he was redoing it because he wasn’t satisfied with how he had painted it.

When I asked Doug two years ago what the secret to his long life was, he replied, “I’m always looking, thinking ten years ahead at things I want to do. So I keep busy all the time. That’s the only thing.” Today, while he may not be looking ten years into the future, he is certainly staying busy and looking great.

Be sure to give Grand Marshal Doug Brown a big wave on Friday when his daughters, Wendy and Gail, transport him as Grand Marshal in the Peru Tractor Parade!

Click here to read the Peru Gazette’s January 24, 2013 story on Doug Brown. 

Click here to read a Peru Gazette story on Doug Brown’s military service and participation in a June 2013 North Country Honor Flight. 

12/4/25, 7:15 p.m.  Spelling of “Wendy”  and “notable” corrected. 

By John T Ryan

Highlights of Peru Town Board Meeting of November 24, 2025 

Highway Superintendent  Michael Farrell said the town should be advertising for bids on the Telegraph Road culvert project in either December or January.  Farrell hopes work will start soon after the town awards the contract.

Town of Plattsburgh Zoning/Codes Officer Steve Imhoff is acting as Peru’s Zoning/Codes Officer until the town fills the open position.  The town advertised the position online on ZipRecruiter.com

The Board approved:

Requesting NYS to reduce the speed limit on the Fox Farm Road.

Amending the Town Court’s Justice Court Assistance Program (JCAP) grant application amount from $ 5,000 to $8,000. The grant monies will fund courthouse security equipment and enhance online capabilities.

Hiring Brooks Investigations LLC to provide a security officer at $75 hourly whenever the Clinton County District Attorney (DA) staff is presenting cases. The DA’s staff usually appears for 4 hours twice a month.

Reimbursing $406.20 to a resident for home damage incurred as a result of a sewer line backup.

Compensating Justice Scott Thurber for picking up Justice Jim Kirby’s caseload. The compensation will equal what the late Justice Kirby would have received.  Town Justice Elect Sarah Mitchell will take office in January.

Click here to view the Peru Gazette’s Meeting Video 

The 2025 Peru Tractor Parade will be held on Friday, December 5 beginning at 6:15 to 6:30 PM.  105-year-old Doug Brown will be the Grand Marshal. Make plans now! The Tractor Parade is one of Peru’s special events. At 5:30 PM retiring town councilman Jim Douglass will light the town’s Christmas Tree at the Little Ausable River Park Gazebo. 

The parade starts at the Irwin farm on Jarvis Road, left on River Rd., right on Laflure Lane, right onto Rt. 22, right over the bridge, right at Liberty’s on Union Rd., left on Cross St, left onto Route 22, back over the bridge to Stewart’s, left on Holden Ave, left on School Street to 22, and done.

News Release, December 3, 2025 – Funds Assist with Purchases of Wildland Firefighting Equipment for Rural Fire Departments

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is now accepting applications for $851,255 in Volunteer Fire Capacity grants to help rural fire departments protect public safety and natural resources. The application deadline is December 22, 2025.

“Volunteer fire departments are essential partners with DEC Forest Rangers in battling wildfires across the state,” said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton.  “The Volunteer Fire Capacity grant program helps support fire personnel in these departments with the resources they need to continue the vital work protecting our communities and State lands.”

The Volunteer Fire Capacity grant program is funded by the U.S. Forest Service and administered by DEC’s Division of Forest Protection. Eligible fire departments will receive 50/50 matching funds up to $3,500, a $1,000 increase from last year. In 2024, the program provided grants to 345 fire departments.

Eligible fire departments include those that are at least 80 percent volunteer and provide wildland fire protection to a rural area within their jurisdiction. Fire departments that receive a grant award must complete all grant process paperwork.

Only expenses directly related to wildland firefighting suppression efforts are eligible for funding.  These include the purchase of protective fire clothing and PPE, modern communications supplies for more effective action on incidents, firefighting supplies such as nozzles and hoses, tools and other smaller scale supplies, and water delivery systems such as cisterns and dry hydrants.

Expenditures not directly related to firefighting, such as search and rescue supplies, acquisition of land, construction of buildings and facilities, major apparatus purchases, and maintenance items (gas/gas cans, oil, bar chain oil) are not eligible for funding.

For applications and additional information about the grant program, contact DEC at (518) 402-8839, or write to NYSDEC, Division of Forest Protection, 625 Broadway 11th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-2560, or visit the DEC website.