The Peru Gazette

Peru, April 16, 2026 – Peru Central School District is proud to announce that senior Sarah Guay has been named a winner in the “A Day in the Life of a School Bus” statewide art competition with her painting, titled “First Odyssey,” sponsored by Leonard Bus Sales.

The competition challenges New York high schoolers to capture the essence of school transportation. Sarah’s winning entry—a stunning acrylic painting on wood panel—depicts a school bus nestled in autumn foliage as a young boy prepares to board.

As a winner, Sarah will receive a $1,000 educational scholarship to support her art studies when she enters college this fall. Additionally, her painting will be reproduced as a professional-quality print and distributed to school transportation departments throughout New York State.

Serves as a One-Stop Shop To Enhance Building Performance, Deliver Utility Bill Savings and Improve Quality of Life 

Albany, April 16, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $125 million is available to upgrade affordable multifamily housing in upstate New York. The State’s new Affordable Multifamily Program Upstate (AMP Up) provides support for a wide range of cost-effective energy efficiency and electrification improvements in these residential buildings and serves as a one-stop shop to enhance building performance, deliver utility bill savings, and improve comfort and quality of life for New Yorkers.  

“The launch of this new program marks a significant step forward in how New York delivers clean energy solutions to low-to-moderate income communities while prioritizing affordability,” Governor Hochul said. “Today, we are making it easier to implement critical building upgrades and improve the living experience for families and residents in upstate multifamily buildings.”  

The Affordable Multifamily Program Upstate (AMP Up), administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), provides incentives for a wide range of projects in multifamily buildings, including simple upgrades like energy efficient appliances, air sealing and insulation to more substantive upgrades such as window replacements, heating system upgrades, and comprehensive modernization efforts. Owners of existing multifamily buildings north of Con Edison’s service area that contain five or more households, and in which at least 25% of households earn at or below 80% of area or state median income, whichever is higher, are eligible to apply. Additional information about the program, incentive levels, and how to access and submit an application can be found on the AMP Up website here. 

Additionally, AMP Up includes funding for resilience enhancements for projects facing climate change hazards to help protect New Yorkers from flooding and extreme heat as part of a first-of-its-kind resiliency pilot. The program also provides a complimentary concierge service that guides owners through the project from planning through construction and commissioning. The concierge service includes application assistance, building assessments, project scoping, funding guidance, construction monitoring, and project close-out. 

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “AMP Up is designed to meet building owners and residents where they are by offering flexible incentives that scale with the ambition of each project. Through an efficiency-first approach and a complimentary concierge service that provides assistance from assessment to completion, NYSERDA is reducing barriers to lowering energy costs and helping upstate multifamily buildings make lasting clean energy improvements.”

Building owners can partner with participating contractors to assist with program applications and guide projects through implementation. The participating contractor is responsible for submitting the application and all required documentation, and confirming that program minimum requirements are met.

To learn more about the new program, NYSERDA will host an informational webinar on April 28, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Interested participants can register here. 

A 10-mile spring bike loop through daffodils and history from Willsboro to Essex 

Click here for the Adirondack Explorer story 

Adirondack hotel groups face state and local tax warrants totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars

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Click here for the NBC News 5 story 

The arrest comes two years after a state prosecutor in Addison County was similarly arrested for drunken driving. 

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Treadwells Mills bridge over Saranac River to be rehabilitated, traffic flow will be maintained    

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

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“It’s really about communication, accessibility, accountability,” Smith said. Transparency is not just good practice in his line of work – it is essential.

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The SEQR debate: Does the Adirondack Park need extra environmental red tape?

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Click here for the Vermont Public story 

Click here for the Vermont Public story 

Source: https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/new-usps-postmark-rules-and-your-mailed-tax-return

An IRS rule change taking affect in 2026 resulted in this advice: 

1. At the postal facility. Go to the counter and ask the clerk to “round-date stamp” or “hand cancel” your item (this assumes you’ve already affixed the proper postage). This is the circular, manual stamp most of us are familiar with. To avoid legibility issues cropping up during processing, ask the clerk to place the stamp in a clean area of the envelope.
2. At the retail counter. Get a postage validation imprint (PVI). After you pay for postage, the clerk prints a white rectangular sticker (the PVI) and affixes it to your envelope. Like the hand stamp, the IRS accepts the date on a PVI label as the official postmark and proof of when USPS took possession of your return.
3. Send your return via certified mail. This is sometimes called “the gold standard.” With certified mail, you get a receipt with the date stamped on it. If the IRS claims they never received the return or that it was late, this piece of paper is physical proof that a USPS employee held your tax return in their hands on April 15.

Hopefully, these tips on mailing your tax returns on time will give you a little peace of mind.

Tense international relations are also impacting tourism. The state comptroller says travel from Canada into New York fell by 21% last year.

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Plattsburgh operation has 374 more innovative double-decker cars on order

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Photo provided

Photo provided

Photo provided

PLATTSBURGH, NY, April 14, 2026  – Garrett Monette, alongside seven other volunteers, removed roughly 100 pounds of garbage from the Saranac River Trail cleaning an area from Seltzer Road to behind Clinton Dining Hall on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus. Much of the garbage consisted of single-use plastics, beer bottles, cigarette butts, and numerous other household items. Among the garbage was a pint of bleach that was properly removed and disposed of.

The efforts focused on the shoreline in a successful attempt to limit waste from entering the Saranac River. Even one cigarette butt can pollute an entire gallon of water. A pint of bleach can pollute hundreds of gallons of water. The single-use plastics removed could have leached billions of toxic microplastics into the local Saranac River. Garrett Monette cites that “Through our collective efforts, we helped preserve and protect the Saranac River, protect our community, and help, even if that impact is small, promote safe drinking water for the North Country. Imagine the impact we could have if we all devoted ourselves to protecting our communities, and took actual action. I love the phrase, ‘action not words,’ and it is representative of our efforts here.”

Garrett Monette also runs the local non-partisan community organization Unitary America, which also focuses on such environmentally-focused projects and on encouraging environmental stewardship, among many other programs and initiatives. The cleanup was not associated with his organization. Unitary America is, however, holding a trash cleanup focusing again alongside the Saranac River, on Saturday, May 2^nd, from 9:30 to 3:00, meeting by the footbridge at the end of George Angell Drive in Plattsburgh (at the junction with the Saranac River Trail). All community members and college students alike are welcome.

WILMINGTON, NY (April 13, 2026) – The Whiteface Region of upstate New York is set to welcome athletes and outdoor enthusiasts this June with a lineup of race events. The Wilmington Whiteface Uphill Bike and Foot Races and the Wilmington Whiteface Whiskey Run and Festival have been scheduled.

“These races are a fantastic way to highlight everything Wilmington has to offer,” said Christina Ortiz, director of the Whiteface Visitors Bureau. “It’s a chance to experience the community’s warm hospitality, explore our expanding trail networks, and take in the stunning Adirondack scenery. This is one of the most dynamic times of year to be here.”

The race season kicks off Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. with the Wilmington Whiteface Uphill Bike and Foot Races, followed by the Wilmington Whiteface Whiskey Run and Festival, which caps off the month on Saturday, June 20.

Starting in the heart of Wilmington and finishing at the summit of Whiteface Mountain, the Adirondacks’ fifth-highest peak, the uphill bike and foot races span eight miles, mostly along the scenic Veterans Memorial Highway. The steady 8% grade and total elevation gain of 3,500 feet make this a challenging climb, culminating in panoramic views of the Adirondacks, New England, and Canada.

Cyclists start at the Whiteface Region Visitors Bureau, 5753 NYS Route 86, in Wilmington, while runners begin just up the road at the junction of routes 86 and 431. Finish lines for both races converge near the mountain’s summit. More than 300 cyclists are expected, including some crowd favorites tackling the climb on unicycles. Registration for bikers is open at WhitefaceRace.com/bike.

Runners are encouraged to pack warm clothing for the finish, as temperatures atop Whiteface can be 20 to 30 degrees cooler than at the base. Backpacks can be loaded into a summit-bound vehicle. Runners can learn more or sign up at WhitefaceRace.com/run.

Later in the month, the ninth annual Wilmington Whiteface Whiskey Run and Festival brings a spirited twist to race day Saturday, June 20, 2026. The 5K and 10K races begin at 9:30 a.m. at Preston Memorial Field, with options to race in person or virtually. Learn more or sign up at Whitefaceregion.com/events/wilmington-whiteface-whiskey-run.

The Whiskey Run is more than a race. It is a family-friendly festival open to all. Runners and visitors can enjoy a craft show, food trucks, live music and entertainment, a Wilmington history display, raffles, and more. The festival highlights Wilmington’s past, including its role in supplying rye whiskey to American troops during the War of 1812 and harboring bootleggers during Prohibition. More recently, the town was home to US Barrel, a cooperage for whiskey barrels.

Whether conquering mountain roads, tackling trails, or enjoying a day of community celebration, the Whiteface Region’s June events offer something for every adventurer. Registration for all races is open. Visit WhitefaceRegion.com or call the Whiteface Region Visitors Bureau at 518-946-2255 for more information.

It’s for homeowners and small residential buildings 

Albany, April 13, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced up to $150 million in supplemental funding is now available to support the installation of energy-efficient heat pump systems in small residential buildings across New York State. The funding, administered through New York State Homes and Community Renewal’s (HCR) Green Small Buildings Program, will help expand access to clean heating and cooling technologies while reducing emissions and improving affordability for homeowners and renters.

“New York is continuing to lead the nation in building an affordable and more sustainable future,” Governor Hochul said. “By investing in modern, energy-efficient heat pump technology for homeowners and small buildings, we are lowering utility costs, reducing harmful emissions and ensuring more New Yorkers can live in safe, comfortable and climate-friendly homes.”

As part of the State’s $1 billion Sustainable Green Futures program, the Green Small Buildings Program supports the installation of high-performance heat pumps and related upgrades that enable building electrification across New York State. It is expected to expand access to clean energy upgrades for single family homes and small-scale residential buildings, including those serving low- and moderate-income households, while supporting local economies and advancing New York’s transition to an all-electric building sector.

The funding is now available as a supplemental resource to various existing small building development grant and loan programs administered by HCR as well as through the State of New York Mortgage Agency’s mortgage programs, allowing for streamlined delivery and faster implementation and ensuring broad geographic access throughout the State.

To ensure high-quality outcomes, all projects will be required to meet program guidelines developed in coordination with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Clean Heat program. These standards will ensure best practices in installation, performance and long-term energy savings.