The Peru Gazette

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Alison M. Rosenbaum is the Samaritan Family Counseling Center’s newly hired mental health counselor. Located in the Peru Community Church, the Center can be accessed by a private door on the Rte 22B side of the Church.  The rest of the center consists of a private suite of rooms upstairs. 

By Adele Douglas

Let’s face it, we’ve all had times when we’ve really needed help.  Rev. Bob Svenson and Don Haight of the Peru Community Church saw an opportunity to offer additional counseling services to the local community and made it happen – with a great deal of support from the Church and the Center’s Board.   The Samaritan Family Counseling Center was founded in 1980 as an outreach ministry of the Keene Valley Congregational Church; a few years ago it was going to close. Instead, it transferred to the Peru Community Church and is supported as part of its outreach ministry.  Affiliated with the Samaritan Institute in Denver, Colorado, the Center is a private, not-for-profit organization that is governed by a local, ecumenical, community-wide Board of Trustees.  This Board consists of: Robert Svenson – Chair, Anne Hurd, Vice- Chair, Clay Reaser – Secretary-Treasurer, Diana Aguglia,Jennie Booth, Paul Connelly, Jenifer Deming, Faith Long, Kristopher Michaud, and Donna Scott.

The Samaritan program began in Elkhart, Indiana in 1972 when a physician, two parish pastors, and a seminary professor observed that by working together, ministers, therapists, and physicians were very effective in helping people with stress-related problems. This team approach became the foundation of the Samaritan program. Samaritan counselors believe that there is a close relationship of mind, body, spirit, and community, and that optimal health care involves consideration of all four.

Executive Director Don Haight is happy to report that the Center is now fully accredited by the Samaritan Institute.  “That means we’ll have to follow standards in administration and the provision of services, including a financial audit every two years, but it will give us credibility.  This will allow the center to attract clients who can be confident in their treatment and attract qualified staff, such as Alison.”

Inspired by a woman who opened hospices for veterans, Alison Rosenbaum knew at a young age that she wanted to work with people.   She’s a graduate of Peru Central School and has a Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling from SUNY Plattsburgh.  She is fully licensed by the State of New York and has work experience at Behavioral Health Services North, Beekmantown and Peru Schools and other institutional settings.  While she wasn’t expecting to come back to the area when she left for college she’s very happy to be working and raising her family in the North Country. Alison is approved as a mental health provider by three health insurance companies and the Center is working to increase that number.  In addition, the Board of Trustees is committed to raising funds to help off-set patient costs not covered by insurance.

The services the center offers include:

• Child and adolescent counseling
• Educational presentations
• Family counseling
• Group psychotherapy
• Individual counseling
• Marital and couples therapy
• Consultations and
• Workshops
• Support groups for clergy (planned)

Rosenbaum is very happy to be working at the Center and making a difference.  “This is a really nice place to be and I appreciate it. We’re all here to serve each other. No matter what your religion or your job title, everyone struggles with similar things and we need to do our best to work together to help each other out.  It’s nice to know that in this setting I have that opportunity.”

In addition to providing these services Don Haight and Alison Rosenbaum are busy reaching out to local clergy, school counselors and primary care physicians to establish relationships and to spread the word about the Center.  In April they will be starting a support group for people with chronic conditions at the Newman Center in Plattsburgh.

For more information about the Center, costs, or to set-up an appointment please call 643-6894 or e-mail sfcc6894@verizon.net. Or check out their website: www.sfccny.org. There is currently no waiting list for appointments and scheduling can be very flexible.

By Don Evans

If you have ever traveled up Reservoir Road, better known as Mother Cabrini Shrine Hill Road, you are aware of how quickly the road rises in elevation. The stretch from the Calkins Road to the Shrine at the top (4.1 miles) is one of, if not the steepest, roads in the North Country.  For local cyclists this is the benchmark of their toughness.

One local athlete decided to take this hill on as his own personal challenge in his own way.  Gerry Shpur, a well respected retired school teacher from Peru, started walking the road on a regular basis.  How regular?   Well, on January 26 he completed his 1,000th trek!  No, that’s not a typo, one thousand times.  For Gerry this did not start out as his goal.  His goal was to get a great workout in an enjoyable way.  It soon became a healthy addiction that led to his accomplishment.

Gerry was for many years a very accomplished runner. You could always see him cruising the roads of Peru.  Like many of us, time took its toll on his knees.  He gradually made the transition from running to walking.

I had the pleasure of walking with Gerry on his 1,000th journey on a cold and windy day.  It’s a very tough climb, one I have done many times on my bike, but walking it with Gerry gave me a different perspective.  His passion for walking should not overshadow another great passion he has, a love for dogs. On these trips he is able to combine both.  As I witnessed, he has a very unique bond with every dog along the route.  Part of his routine is to stop and pet each of his canine friends and give them a dog treat. The dogs all know he is coming, and wait in tail waging anticipation.

Congratulations to Gerry for completing this goal. It would be an awesome achievement for anyone. It is even more incredible knowing that he did it after having both knees replaced! At this point Jerry doesn’t have a new goal.  If he stops walking this route; however, there will be a lot of sad puppy dogs in Peru.

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The Peru Town Board took a few actions at its January 23, 2012 regular meeting.

Actions included:

Approval of the town’s annual contract with the Elmore SPCA.

Tabling a contract with the Peru Free Library pending receipt of a proposed contract.

Receiving prices to upgrade the town hall security system from a company named Security Concepts. A decision will be made at the next board meeting. $1,817 access control in Court Clerk and Town Clerk Offices; $5,839 DVD system with five cameras; $4,520 for access controls on basement entry door and first floor back entry door; $1,717 for access control to the supervisor’s office; security protection for the existing fire system including a panic button; $2,834 for a main entrance door; $2,852 for a handicapped door at the rear of the town hall.

Adopted a 2012 procurement policy for town purchases.

Discussed purchasing a defibrillator for the town youth program. The town must find a medical director to supervise the program.

Discussed establishing a policy for clearing sidewalk ice. Town Attorney Biggs will research the issue. Renting a salt machine would cost about $135 a month. Concern was expressed about someone falling on the ice, but spreading salt might also damage lawns and incur significant cost.

Supervisor Glushko wants to schedule informational meetings on the water system improvements. Water users will see their taxes increase over many years.

Tabled an energy purchase proposal from Ambit Energy.

Meeting adjourned 8:35 p.m.

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