The Peru Gazette

Albany, April 23, 2026 – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced DEC’s annual youth turkey hunting weekend will take place April 25-26. The youth turkey hunt, for junior hunters ages 12-15, is open across upstate New York and Suffolk County.

“Connecting young hunters with adult mentors provides a chance to teach the next generation about safety, ethics, and outdoor appreciation,” DEC’s Deputy Commissioner for Natural Resources Katharine Petronis said. “The youth hunt is another great opportunity to ‘Get Offline and Get Outside’ by spending quality time connecting with nature.”

Important Details for the Youth Turkey Hunt on April 25 and 26

• Hunters 12-15 years of age are eligible and must hold a hunting license and a turkey permit.
• Youth 12-13 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult over 21 years of age with written permission from their parent or legal guardian. Youth 14-15 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult over 18 years of age with written permission from their parent or legal guardian.
• The accompanying adult must have a current hunting license and turkey permit. The adult may assist the youth hunter, including calling, but may not carry a firearm, bow, or crossbow, or kill or attempt to kill a wild turkey during the youth hunt.
• Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to noon each day.
• The youth turkey hunt is open in all upstate New York, north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary, and across Suffolk County.
• The bag limit for the youth weekend is one bearded bird. This bird becomes part of the youth’s regular spring season bag limit of two bearded birds. A second bird may be taken only in upstate New York, north of the Bronx-Westchester County boundary, beginning May 1.
• Junior hunters may not use rifles or handguns. Junior hunters may hunt with a shotgun loaded with shot sizes no larger than No. 2 or smaller than No. 9, or with a bow. Fourteen- and fifteen-year-old hunters may also use a crossbow.
• All other wild turkey hunting regulations remain in effect.

DEC Continues to Encourage Hunter Safety

Statistics show that hunting in New York State is safer than ever.  Hunting-related shooting incidents are easily prevented by following the four basics of firearm safety:

• Always point your firearm in a safe direction.
• Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
• Be sure of your target and beyond.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

DEC also encourages hunters to practice these specific safety behaviors when hunting spring turkeys:

• Don’t wear red, white, blue, or black;
• Never stalk turkeys; and
• If you see or hear another hunter, shout and use your words. Don’t try to signal or wave to get their attention.

For more information on the youth hunt for wild turkey visit DEC’s website.

May 5^th, 5:30 pm, Plattsburgh Public Library, 19 Oak Street, Plattsburgh. The History of the Lozier Marine Engines and the Plattsburgh Boat House – from construction to demolition. with transportation historian Richard Soper.   After selling his bicycle business, Henry Lozier moved to Plattsburgh in 1900 to manufacture boats and marine engines. Learn the very early history of the Lozier company with rare inside photos of the boathouse. Lozier history is an exciting part of Plattsburgh’s rich past. 

May 7^th, 6:30 pm, Samuel de Champlain History Center, 202 Elm Street, Champlain. The Grange Movement in Clinton County and its Legacy. Beginning in Mooers in 1897, the Grange Movement quickly spread throughout Clinton County providing access to what was declared in the Plattsburgh Sentinel in 1904 to be one of the “grandest educational organizations in the world.” Welcoming both men and women into their organizational hierarchy, granges and their leaders built halls, published histories, held educational forums and hosted community events throughout Clinton County. Helen Nerska, the daughter of a ‘granger’ shares her research on the impact of this county-wide movement.

May 15^th, 12:30 pm, Plattsburgh Senior Center, 5139 North Catherine Street, Plattsburgh.  William Henry Miner and His Lasting Legacy in the North Country with Amy Bedard.  William Henry Miner’s life is a true Horatio Alger story. Orphaned as a pre-teen, Miner was sent from the Midwest to live with his aunt and uncle in Chazy, New York. Miner returned to the Midwest as a young man and eventually became a successful inventor of railroad equipment by the late 19th century. After achieving his wealth, Miner returned to Chazy with his wife Alice to establish Heart’s Delight Farm. The farm was a model of agricultural innovation and self-sufficiency. The Miners also believed in using their fortune to help others and their remarkable generosity continues to impact the North Country.

May 16^th, 11 am to 2 pm, Champlain Mall, 60 Smithfield Blvd, Plattsburgh. History Day at the Mall.  Visit with local museum volunteers and historians from around Clinton County. 

May 17^th, 11 am, American Legion Post 1619, 219 Rand Hill Rd. Morrisonville.  America250 Kick-off Event – Honoring 250 Years of Veterans. American Legion Post 1619 will host an event to honor 250 years of American veterans with a rifle volley and taps.  Guest speakers are Legion Commander Robert St. John and Assemblyman Michael Cashman. Legion members will be attired in Honor Guard and Revolutionary War uniforms. This event marks the kick-off for Legion supported America250 events honoring veterans, including those ceremonies which will occur throughout the year at local cemeteries. Also, at this event those veterans missing in action and prisoners of war will be remembered and honored. For additional information please email John Rock at fatext@aol.com or call him at 518-569-7687.

May 19^th, 6:45 pm, Lake Forest Retirement Community, 8 Lake Forest Drive, Plattsburgh. William Henry Miner and His Lasting Legacy in the North Country with Amy Bedard.  William Henry Miner’s life is a true Horatio Alger story. Orphaned as a pre-teen, Miner was sent from the Midwest to live with his aunt and uncle in Chazy, New York. Miner returned to the Midwest as a young man and eventually became a successful inventor of railroad equipment by the late 19th century. After achieving his wealth, Miner returned to Chazy with his wife Alice to establish Heart’s Delight Farm. The farm was a model of agricultural innovation and self-sufficiency. The Miners also believed in using their fortune to help others and their remarkable generosity continues to impact the North Country.

May 21^st, 2:30 pm, Meadowbrook Healthcare, 154 Prospect Avenue, Plattsburgh. The Golden Age of the Cigar Trade in Downtown Plattsburgh – photos and stories of the men who generated this prosperous local industry.

May 21^st, 6 pm – Peru Free Library 3024, N. Main Street, Peru. The Battle of Valcour Island – before, during and after. With Reenactor and Historian Craig Russell. Hear the story of the most important naval battle of the Revolutionary War – fought on our lake on October 11, 1776.

May 23^rd, 11 am to 2 pm, Baker Burying Ground, 1161 State Rte 3,  West Plattsburgh.  Marker Rededication and Cemetery Tours.  Join the Saranac Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for the rededication of a marker recognizing Revolutionary War Patriot James Call. Tours of the cemetery will follow the rededication ceremony. The cemetery holds the graves of nine revolutionary war veterans.  

May 28^th, 6 pm, Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel, Old Base, Plattsburgh, First Adirondackers: 12,000 Years of Indigenous Peoples in the Adirondack Uplands with David Kanietakeron Fadden. The newly released book by Curt Stager and David Kanietakeron Fadden “challenges the widespread, long-standing belief that the Adirondack uplands of northern New York were uninhabited before the arrival of European colonizers. Through local indigenous traditions and supporting findings by natural science, authors Fadden and Stager expose, document, and honor the long human presence in the Adirondacks, helping not only to redefine what it means to be an Adirondacker, but also contributing to a more complete understanding of America itself.”

All events are free and open to the public. 

There was a large turnout for tonight’s very interesting presentation conducted by David Glenn at the Peru Free Library. The audio is fine, but the video is not the best quality. I do not have the lighting to counteract the light coming in the library’s windows.

Click here for the Peru Gazette video 

Click here here for the NCPR story 

More Than 4,000 Volunteer Firefighters Have Successfully Completed Training Through the Stipend Program Since 2023

Albany, April 22, 2024 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York’s Volunteer Firefighter Training Stipend program is expanding to offset costs for five additional training courses available to volunteer firefighters. New York State created the program to strengthen the volunteer fire service and address recruitment and retention challenges by offsetting the costs of required training that individuals need to become a firefighter. This expansion will help reduce obstacles preventing volunteer firefighters from advancing their careers. Since 2023, more than 4,000 volunteer firefighters have successfully completed training through the program.

The new stipend-eligible courses and course equivalencies are:

• Firefighter Survival: Self Rescue: This course teaches firefighters how to rescue themselves if they become trapped or compromised during a fire incident. Stipend Amount: $250

• Firefighter Assist and Search Team, and Rapid Intervention Crew: These courses are designed to train firefighters in the critical skills needed to rescue fellow firefighters who are trapped or in distress during an incident. Stipend Amount: $350

• Fire and Emergency Services Instructor 1, Fire Officer II, and Firefighter 2: These courses are advanced leadership and instructor development programs. They aim to enhance the leadership capabilities of fire department members and improve their effectiveness in incident command roles, ultimately contributing to the safety of firefighters. Stipend Amount: $500

These five courses build on the catalog of trainings that are already stipend-eligible: Basic Wildland Fire Suppression ($250) Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations ($750), Fire Officer 1 ($1,000) and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus/Interior Firefighting Operations ($1,250). Since the inception of the stipend program, completion of the Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations, and Interior Firefighting Operations courses have increased by 20 percent and completion of the Fire Officer I course has risen 35 percent.

Video of the Governor’s Announcement Available Here

Albany, April 21, 2026 – “Every state employee deserves a safe workplace. There is a systemic problem within our correctional facilities. We continue to face a staffing crisis. We continue to face a contraband crisis. These problems are not isolated: They are persistent, escalating, and unacceptable. NYSCOPBA’s assessment reflects what staff on the ground have been saying for far too long. We cannot normalize conditions that place correction officers, civilians, and incarcerated individuals in harm’s way. These challenges continue to languish without the level of urgency and coordinated action they demand, and it is long past time that state leadership steps in. I unapologetically echo their calls for real solutions.”

Click here to view NYSCOPBA letter.

NYSCOPBA to Hochul: State prisons in ‘systemic emergency’ amid surge in violence, contraband

Click here for the Spectrum 1 News story which includes NYSCOPBA’s letter to Governor Hochul

Local youth leaders partner with 20+ organizations to tackle food waste and environmental conservation through interactive learning and mural art.

PERU, NY, April 20, 2026 –  – On Thursday and Friday, April 23rd and 24th, the Students Against a Vanishing Environment (SAVE) will host Earth Fest 2026, a massive educational summit designed to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. Bringing together over 20 regional organizations, the event will transform the school day into an immersive forum for climate action, waterway management, and sustainability.

Peru Earth Fest 2026 invites Peru students and staff grades 3-12, providing them with direct access to experts in fields ranging from microplastics research to food waste reduction. The event aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world environmental impact.

Innovative “Food Is _________, Waste Less” Mural Project

A centerpiece of this year’s festival is the launch of the “Food Is __________, Waste Less!” mural project. In collaboration with the Peru Lions Club, and the Peru PTO, and local muralist and teacher Greg Badger, SAVE is leading the creation of seven 4’x8’ educational panels.

Throughout the day, every student in grades 3–12 will contribute their fingerprint to the artwork, symbolizing their personal commitment to the environment. These murals will be installed in the School Cafeterias to serve as a permanent reminder of the school’s goal: reducing food waste and supporting future composting initiatives.

Event Highlights & Activities

• Interactive Exhibits: Over 20 North Country environmental organizations providing hands-on demonstrations.

• Actionable Insights: Presentations on climate action, lake management, and Peru’s specific food waste reduction programs.

• Networking: Opportunities for students to connect with professionals and explore careers in environmental science.

• Community Collaboration: A multi-generational effort involving students, local artists, and civic organizations.

“This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn from experts and start shaping our future,” says the SAVE leadership team. “Whether you’re curious about your impact on the world or looking for inspiration to make a difference, this event is designed to ignite student potential.”

About SAVE – Students Against a Vanishing Environment (SAVE) is a student-led organization at Peru Central School District dedicated to environmental advocacy, local conservation efforts, and sustainability education.

SAVE – Students Against a Vanishing Environment

Peru Central School District

SAVEClub@perucsd.org

https://sites.google.com/perucsd.org/saveclub

Instagram: @perucsdsaveclub

Facebook: Peru CSD SAVE Club

Click here for the NCPR story 

PLATTSBURGH, NY, April 20, 2026 – The Town of Plattsburgh (Town) and Clinton County American Legion (Legion) are proud to announce the groundbreaking of Phase 2 of the Battlefield Memorial Gateway park. Phase 2 includes the Remembrance Plaza, an architecturally striking multi-purpose pavilion and plaza, designed by the talented team at AES Northeast. Local contractor, Luck Bros. was awarded the construction contract, and a groundbreaking ceremony is being held on April 23rd at 10 a.m. Phase 2 is funded by the Town of Plattsburgh and a $300,000 allocation from the NYS Assembly through DASNY.

The Town and the Legion are also excited to share that we have partnered with AES Northeast and Earthscape Play to develop plans for Phase 3, the Children’s Adventure Playground. The Town will be seeking construction funding for the playground through the 2026 NY PLAYS grant. The plans for the playground have been partially funded through community donations, including funds raised by MichiganFest in 2025.

The Battlefield Memorial Gateway (BMG) is a lakefront property owned by the Town of Plattsburgh that is planned to be developed into a military remembrance park in partnership with the Clinton County American Legion. Phase 1 was completed in 2023 and construction of the Purple Heart Trail, parking, critical drainage infrastructure as access to the site of the Battle of Plattsburgh, access to Crab Island where American and British soldiers are buried together, the site of the Battle of Valcour, as well as locations of Cold War military activity.

MichiganFest is returning to the Clinton County Fairgrounds on August 1st, 2026 with proceeds supporting the development of the Battlefield Memorial Gateway.

If you would like to learn more about the Battlefield Memorial Gateway project, please contact the Town of Plattsburgh at 518-562-6850.

For more information about MichiganFest, please contact the event committee at pbgmichiganfest@gmail.com

First used by the British, Royal Savage sailed under Benedict Arnold’s command and was sunk during the Battle of Valcour Island

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Click here for the New York Focus story 

Mission of Hope Welcomes Volunteers 

Peru, NY, April 20, 2026  – This trip is a remarkable opportunity for adults and students alike to step outside the routine of daily life and discover the profound rewards of serving others. Participants consistently return home with a renewed sense of purpose, a deeper faith, and connections forged through shared service that last long after the trip ends. The experience of giving your time and talents to those in need has a way of changing you — often far more than you expect.

This year’s trip runs from July 25 to 31 and is open to anyone 14 years of age or older — making it a wonderful opportunity for students, parents, and grandparents to share together. No special skills are required, only an open heart and a willingness to serve. The work centers on providing critical upgrades to homes damaged by poverty or natural disasters, or in need of modification due to medical necessity. The total cost ranges from $700 to $800 and covers all mission-related expenses. For more information or an application, please contact Deacon James Carlin at 518-593-9718 or jpcarlin1963@gmail.com. We would love to have you join us!

Photos provided by North Country Mission of Hope

Albany, April 26, 2026 – Tax collections for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025-26 totaled $127.5 billion, $2.3 billion higher than estimates made by the Division of the Budget (DOB) in the 30-day amendments to the SFY 2026-27 Executive Budget financial plan, according to the March State Cash Reportreleased today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Tax collections for SFY 2025-26 were nearly $10 billion higher than the previous year due, in part, to increased Personal Income Tax (PIT) receipts largely reflecting financial market growth in 2025.

“The state’s tax collections exhibited strong growth in the last fiscal year but economic growth, particularly employment, is projected to slow,” DiNapoli said. “Federal actions and geopolitical conflicts are injecting volatility into the economy that may affect future tax collections. State policymakers should utilize caution and ensure that the enacted budget for this fiscal year accounts for these risks.”

PIT collections totaled $67.4 billion, $6.2 billion (10.1%) higher than prior year collections. The increase was primarily attributable to stronger withholding and quarterly estimated tax payments related to the 2025 tax year partially offset by refunds associated with the inflation refund credits. However, PIT collections were $489.1 million lower than Executive Budget Financial Plan projections.

Consumption and use taxes, which include sales tax, totaled $23.6 billion, exceeding the prior year by $1.2 billion, or 5.5%. Collections were $23.2 million higher than DOB’s latest projections.

Business tax collections totaled over $33.2 billion which was $1.9 billion higher than the previous year, Read more »

Click here for the New York Focus story 

Directs Landmarks Across the State to be Illuminated to Honor Individuals and Communities Impacted by Crime, Recognize the Professionals Who Provide Critical Support and Services Statewide

Albany, April 19, 2026– Governor Kathy Hochul today issued a proclamation marking Sunday, April 19 through Saturday, April 25, as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to coincide with the federal designation of the week, which honors individuals, families and communities impacted by crime and recognizes the professionals who provide critical support and services that allow them to recover and thrive. Governor Hochul also directed landmarks across the state to be illuminated tonight, Sunday, April 19, in this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week colors: Inkwell Blue, Poppy, and Harbor Blue.

“As the proud daughter of a mother who dedicated herself to assisting victims of domestic violence, I remain steadfast in my commitment to ensure that victims and survivors of crime have access to the support and services they need to heal,” Governor Hochul said. “As we observe Crime Victims’ Rights Week in New York State, I ask you to join me in being an ally and amplifying the voices of victims so they know that they are heard, seen and supported.”

The following landmarks will be illuminated to mark the start of the week, the theme of which is Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect Victims, Support Communities.

• 1WTC
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• Niagara Falls
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal – Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

Click here for the Vermont Public story 

Gavin LaValley of Northeastern Clinton Central School hopes to advance to the next round of the America’s Favorite Student competition. The winner will meet Bill Nye, appear in Reader’s Digest, and take home $20,000. He needs the community’s help to stay in the running and move on to the next round! Everyone has the chance to cast one free vote every 24 hours! Please help this small town kid with big dreams!!

Tricia LaValley (Gavin’s mom)

Click the link to vote http://americasfavstudent.org/2026/gavin-15

Homemade Ground Beef Meatloaf with Ketchup and Spices
** Note: Shallow depth of field

Meatloaf

Potatoes 

Bread 

Dessert 

Served 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., take-out only, at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St., Peru, NY 12972. 

All are invited and welcome!

Click here for the Adirondack Almanac story