The Peru Gazette

Local governments need Albany help on pay, pensions – Editorial.

Will NanoCollege break away from UAlbany? – Times Union.

City School anticipates 2013-14 budget gap » Local News » Press-Republican.

Legislators call for repeal on gun law » Local News » Press-Republican.

Sweets in store on maple weekends » NEW TODAY… » Press-Republican.

Cops kill suspect in deadly NY shooting rampage » Breaking News » Press-Republican.

Police search for meth suspect » Breaking News » Press-Republican.

Washington, DC – Congressman Bill Owens announced this week he has joined a bipartisan effort between the House and Senate to increase the threshold at which low-value shipments can enter the United States free from tariffs, also known as a “de minimis” threshold. Owens is an original co-sponsor of the “Low Value Shipment Regulatory Modernization Act of 2013 (H.R. 1020),” legislation increasing the de minimis threshold to $800 and indexing it to inflation in future years.  Legislation addressing de minimis thresholds has been introduced in the Senate as well (S. 489). Read more »

Argentina’s Cardinal Bergoglio Is The New Pope; He Will Be ‘Francis’ : The Two-Way : NPR.

          The State Senate today approved legislation that would allow towns to set maximum speed limits on local roads.  Currently, cities, villages and towns with populations of 50,000 or greater can do so without New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) approval.

             “It’s an arbitrary distinction,” said Senator Betty Little, the sponsor of the legislation.  “This is an example of New York State law that doesn’t make sense, creating a hurdle for many towns that are required to petition the Department of Transportation while most other local governments are exempt.”

            The proposed change would require towns electing to set speed limits on town highways functionally classified by DOT as local roads do so in accordance with engineering specifications and other factors applicable to speed limits as specified in the New York State Manual.  Approval by a licensed professional engineer specializing in traffic operations would be required.

            The bill retains DOT’s jurisdiction to set maximum speed limits on local roads at the request of a town board.

            The bill was sent to the Assembly.

Town of Peru Youth Commission will be holding their registration for all Summer Activities, including Baseball/Softball/T-Ball and Fall Soccer on Friday April 12 from 6-9 PM and Saturday 9-Noon downstairs at the Peru Town Hall.

Youth Participating in the Baseball/Softball Program need to reside within the Town of Peru and provide a birth certificate.  There will be no exceptions.

Additionally, there will be  employment opportunities for Youth ages 14 and up.  The Youth Commission will also offer one week Summer Camps, including Tennis, Soccer, Arts and Crafts and possibly volleyball.  The dates will begin on Monday July 1^st, and will run from 9:00 AM- Noon for four days each.  The specific dates of the camps have not yet been determined.

The  Youth Commission will continue to offer Swimming lessons for a $10.00 fee per person, or $30.00 per household.  These lessons will run for the month of July also and will be two days per week.   Drop off to pick up will be @ two hours.

YOU WILL NEED TO BE PRESENT TO REGISTER FOR ALL ACTIVITIES, THERE WILL BE NO REGISTRATION OVER THE TELEPHONE OR INTERNET, AND NO EXCEPTIONS.

In the near future, the Baseball/Softball/ T-Ball and Soccer Forms will be able to be downloaded from the website, www.perutown.com

but you must hand them in with proof of the birthdate before  the registration is  complete.

Police: 4 killed in upstate N.Y. shootings | National News – WPTZ Home.

Watertown Daily Times | Police seek information for Potsdam fraternity sexual assault investigation.

Watertown Daily Times | January 2013 unemployment shows no improvement from 2012.

Watertown Daily Times | Jefferson County assistant district attorney charged with DWI.

Area jobless rate rises – Times Union.

Marijuana law becomes part of budget talks – Times Union.

Border, Medicare among local sequester concerns » Local News » Press-Republican.

Judge refuses to block tougher NY gun law » Breaking News » Press-Republican.

L-R Kregg Bruno, Peter Glushko, Kyle Kemp, Brandy McDonald, Nathan Fuller, James Douglass, Susan Polhemus

By John T. Ryan

On March 11^th the Peru Town Board continued its effort to recognize Peru Boy Scout Troop 49’s Eagle Scouts.  Eleven Troop 49 scouts have achieved the Eagle Scout rank in the last two years and four additional scouts are working towards the Eagle rank.

• Nathan Fuller achieved the Eagle Scout rank on 9/4/11.  His Eagle Scout project involved replacing the concrete footers for the cannons at the American Legion Post 20 on Quarry Road in Plattsburgh. He also constructed a stone pathway to walk around and look at the cannons.
• Eagle Scout Kyle Kemp constructed a walking trail at the Mother Cabrini Shrine in Peru. Kemp also placed rocks around two ponds at the Shrine to help stop ongoing erosion.

The Board approved an annual contract with Zoning and Planning Board Attorney Tom Murnane at the rate of $150 an hour.  In its continuing effort to cut expenses, the Board has decided that Murnane will only attend Planning and Zoning Board meetings when requested.  Also, Murnane has been told to advise members of the general public that they will be responsible for payment of his services if they call his office with questions. In the past, Murnane billed the Town of Peru when he responded to the public’s phone calls.

In other actions the Board:

Town Supervisor Peter Glushko reported that FEMA and NYSEMA (The federal and state emergency management offices) would not be reimbursing the town for all its Hurricane Irene related expenses. The town has received $838,757 to date with $32,455 in NYSEMA monies still outstanding. Repairs totaled $1.2 million including approximately $210,000 in Town of Peru labor and equipment costs. The town financed the repairs with a 5-year no-interest loan.  The non-reimbursed monies will have to be accounted for in future Highway Department budgets.

Appointed Carrie Beattie and Bill Meyers to the Peru Youth Commission succeeding Kay Barber and Pat Uliva.

Accepted a bid from contractor Brandon Ryan to cut and remove about 20 trees from the Walking Trail at a cost not to exceed $2,000.

Learned that the Water Quality Improvement project start-up would be delayed until mid-April. J. Hogan Refrigeration has not received all the required filtration media and equipment. The other contractors should have their portion of the project substantially complete by March 28th.

Discussed replacement of the Town Hall’s entrance stairs, supporting walls and railings. The steps are separating from the supporting wall to the point where one portion of the stairs has been blocked off. The Board will look into alternative solutions.

Supervisor Peter Glushko will be attending NYS Comptroller’s basic accounting school on April 16,17 and 18 in Canton, NY.  Confidential Secretary Pan Barber and Receptionist Judy Akey have already taken this course. Glushko plans to send Barber and Akey to an advanced accounting class later this year.

Water/Sewer Superintendent Greg Timmons reported that the town’s new electronic sign should be erected near the Little Ausable River Park Gazebo within the next few days.

Feds bust up $100M NC crop insurance fraud ring – Yahoo! News.

Agenda 03.13-9

VA defies gun statute – Times Union.

Gun-control laws create ‘stampede’ of weapon buying – City & Region – The Buffalo News.