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More About The Peru Gazette

The editor is John Ryan at email: perugazette@gmail.com. The Peru Gazette is a free community, education and information website. It is non-commercial and does not accept paid advertising.

Comment Policy

The Peru Gazette welcomes comments on posted stories. The author MUST include his/her first and last name. No  foul or libelous language permitted. The Peru Gazette reserves the right to not publish a comment.

Recent Comments

Contributing Writers Needed 

“HELP WANTED”

By John T Ryan, Peru Gazette Editor 

Peru is a great community; unfortunately, I’m not reporting many interesting, meaningful stories. I do my best, but I have many responsibilities and interests, and I am getting a “little” older. I need contributing writers. The pay scale would be the same as mine,  $0 per day, month, and year; however, the satisfaction scale could be very high.  

If you love Peru and its people, enjoy current events, and are a decent writer, please email me at perugazette@gmail.com. We can meet over coffee. I’ll buy! 

Peru Knights Breakfasts Resume in January 

Peru—The St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus will resume their “Pancakes Plus” Breakfasts on Sunday, January 12, at St. Augustine’s Parish Center from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Attendance increased at every 2024 breakfast, so people are enjoying the meal and seeing friends and neighbors. The Knights can’t wait to serve you. They wish everyone a Happy and Blessed Christmas! 

St. Augustine’s Craft Fair, Sat., Dec. 7, 9-3

An Ideal Christmas Gift

Peru – CVPH Donor Center Blood Brive, Monday, December 23, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru. Each presenting donor during December will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Applebee’s gift card.

The drive is being coordinated by St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273.

Babbie Museum’s 3rd Annual Holiday Bazaar this Saturday and Sunday

Museum founder Leeward Babbie

The Babbie Rural & Farm Learning Museum is hosting its 3rd Annual Holiday Bazaar this coming weekend, Saturday, December 7th, and Sunday, December 8th, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Museum’s main building, 250 River Road, Peru, NY.

This event is for anyone who wants to support local vendors during the Holiday Season and find that unusual gift for a family member or friend.
The Babbie Museum is asking for a $1 donation to support the event, which includes free candy canes donated by TD Bank in Peru and free coffee and hot cocoa provided by the museum. Vendor items include hand-woven baskets, jewelry, antiques, glass art, hand-forged items from the Museum’s blacksmith shop, wood crafts, holiday gift baskets, hand-painted gifts, and baked goods.
According to the Museum Director, Lee Babbie Ledesma, the idea for the Holiday Bazaar came about in her attempt to find positive ways to use the heated indoor space to further connect with nearby communities. The Museum’s annual bazaar supports locals in displaying and selling their crafts and wares.

The Babbie Museum is a 501(c)(3) New York state-chartered Museum founded by Leeward Babbie and opened in 2010.  The Babbie Museum focuses on enhancing the knowledge of rural agriculture life in Northern New York using an interactive, educational approach that features hands-on demonstrations, displays, exhibits, and historic buildings on 3.5 acres.For more information on this event or their upcoming winter classes, call them at 518-643-8052 or visit them at www.babbiemuseum.org or www.facebook.com/babbiemuseum.

Recent DCE Forest Ranger Actions

Town of Long Lake, Hamilton County, Wilderness Rescue: On Nov. 28 at 10:30 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received an SOS activation from a satellite device on the southeast shoreline of Little Tupper Lake. At 12:05 p.m., Forest Rangers Curcio, Nahor, and O’Connor located the 80-year-old subject who had overturned his canoe. Rangers brought the subject to DEC’s Little Tupper Lake Headquarters at Mount Whitney and warmed him. Once warmed, the subject declined further medical attention. Resources were clear at 3:05 p.m.

Town of North Elba, Essex County, Wilderness Search: On Nov. 30 at 4:55 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a subject reporting his wife and a friend had become lost while hiking Street and Nye mountains. Forest Rangers Curcio, Odell, and Ordway responded. At 6:06 p.m., Ranger Curcio reached the subjects and assisted them back to their vehicle. Resources were clear at 7:18 p.m.

MARKET 32/PRICE CHOPPER LAUNCHES HOLIDAY DRIVE TO SUPPORT LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES

$10 Pre-Packed Bags Available for Purchase through January 5 

(Schenectady, N.Y.)  Market 32/Price Chopper is inviting guests in all its stores to support local food pantries and nourish local communities by purchasing a $10 bag containing PICS brand items most in need by food banks and pantries: a 16-ounce box of elbow macaroni, 16-ounce jar of peanut butter, 10.5-ounce can of chicken noodle soup, 5-ounce can of tuna, 15.5-ounce can of kidney beans, and 5-ounce can of chunk chicken. The purchased bags will be donated to a food pantry local to each store, allowing guests to make an immediate impact on people who may be their friends and neighbors.

The bags will be available on displays at the front of each store, where signage will identify the name of the benefitting organization.

“At a time when most of us are celebrating and enjoying an abundance of food choices, the number of people experiencing nutrition insecurity is increasing, and local food pantries continue to provide assistance at record-breaking service levels,” said Pam Cerrone, Market 32/Price Chopper director of community relations. “In every community, there are people who experience food insecurity. Market 32 and Price Chopper are grateful to our guests, who are who are generous and happy to join with us in supporting local food pantries and the people they serve with this drive.”

Lake Champlain Basin Program Seeks Proposals for Organizational Support and Capacity Building

Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) seeks proposals for projects that will support increased organizational capacity and long-term effectiveness of watershed organizations working in the Lake Champlain watershed.

Funding requests of up to $20,000 will be considered. Approximately $250,000 is available to support awarded projects under this Request for Proposals. The LCBP anticipates supporting multiple projects through this funding opportunity.

This grant opportunity will support watershed organizations in the early stages of their development or assist established organizations in strengthening their capacity. Funding is not intended to support the development of new programming; this funding can be requested through other LCBP grant programs.

Dr. Eric Howe, NEIWPCC Program Director of the Lake Champlain Basin Program, said, “Local watershed organizations throughout the Lake Champlain Basin take on an incredible amount of work to restore our waterways. Our goal with Organizational Support funding is to help ensure these groups have the administrative tools and processes they need to carry out this essential work.”

The awarded grants will support projects that advance the goals of the long-term Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action. These projects are supported by funds awarded to NEIWPCC on behalf of the LCBP by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Proposals are due at 5:00 PM EST on January 6, 2025. Awarded projects will begin work in May 2025. More information, including grant guidelines and applications, is available on the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s website at lcbp.org/grants.

School Board Committee Meeting 12/3/24

The Peru CSD Board of Education’s Policy Committee will meet on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 8:00 AM. The meeting will take place in the High School Community Room. The purpose of the meeting is for policy development of its 0000 – 9000 series.

The meeting is open to the public and current District, County, State and Federal safety procedures and protocols will be followed.

 

Snowfall totals for 122 Upstate communities

National Weather Service snowfall totals reported by Syracuse.com

Here are the snowfall totals recorded from the weekend lake effect storm as of Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Note: Updated with more communities Monday afternoon.

Table with 4 columns and 122 rows.
Copenhagen, 3 SW Lewis 65.9 1100 AM
Barnes Corners, 4 SW Jefferson 65.5 0700 AM
Fort Drum Jefferson 63.0 1100 AM
Copenhagen, 1 S Lewis 61.0 1100 AM
Cassadaga Chautauqua 54.2 0100 PM
Perrysburg, N Cattaraugus 53.7 1100 AM
Black River, 5 SE Jefferson 52.8 0700 AM
West Carthage 0.3 ENE Jefferson 47.2 0700 AM
New Bremen, 1 NE Lewis 46.0 0800 AM
Adams Jefferson 45.0 0820 AM
Dewittville 1.0 SSE Chautauqua 42.5 0600 AM
Cattaraugus 3W Cattaraugus 40.9 0700 AM
Harrisville Lewis 40.0 1130 AM
Lowville Lewis 40.0 1100 AM
Watertown Jefferson 37.5 0800 AM
Croghan, 2 WSW Lewis 37.0 1130 AM
Angola, 4 NE Erie 36.2 0600 AM
Fredonia 0.8 WNW Chautauqua 35.9 0500 AM
Lowville Lewis 35.0 0700 AM
Springville 5NE Erie 34.6 0800 AM
Wales Erie 33.1 0700 AM
Holland, 3 NE Erie 32.5 0600 AM
Dunkirk 1S Chautauqua 32.0 0700 AM
Natural Bridge Jefferson 30.0 1130 AM
Springville, 1 WNW Erie 29.4 0800 AM
Watertown 0.9 SSW Jefferson 28.4 0645 AM
Glenwood 1.0 SE Erie 28.3 0700 AM
Orchard Park Erie 27.6 1055 AM
Boston 2.5 NE Erie 26.7 0700 AM
Elma Center 1.8 SE Erie 26.5 0700 AM
Glenwood 1.5 SE Erie 26.5 0800 AM
Calcium, 3 W Jefferson 26.0 1100 AM
Silver Creek 0.7 E Chautauqua 25.1 0800 AM
East Aurora, 2 WNW Erie 24.8 0100 AM
Attica 7SW Wyoming 24.6 0600 AM
Depauville Jefferson 24.0 1125 AM
West Seneca 2.5 E Erie 24.0 0800 AM
Alden 2.5 SE Genesee 23.2 0800 AM
Hamburg 2.0 N Erie 23.2 0754 AM
West Seneca 2.8 ENE Erie 23.0 0700 AM
Lake View 1NE Erie 22.1 0800 AM
East Aurora 2.7 SSE Erie 21.4 0700 AM
Cowlesville, 2 NNE Genesee 21.3 0800 AM
Eden 1.4 SSE Erie 21.0 0700 AM
Theresa Jefferson 21.0 1145 AM
East Aurora 0.1 ENE Erie 20.6 0700 AM
West Falls, 2 NW Erie 20.5 0821 AM
Hamburg 0.4 WSW Erie 19.3 0700 AM
Lackawanna Erie 18.0 1015 PM
Chases Lake Lewis 17.8 0600 AM
Alden, 1 NW Erie 17.6 0700 AM
Glenfield 4.1 NNE Lewis 17.4 1000 AM
Silver Springs 3N Wyoming 16.9 0700 AM
Randolph 1.1 ENE Cattaraugus 15.0 0830 AM
Highmarket 2W Lewis 14.0 0600 AM
Franklinville 0.5 NNE Cattaraugus 13.3 0815 AM
Buffalo 3.7 SE Erie 12.8 0700 AM
Ischua 0.4 SSE Cattaraugus 11.9 0700 AM
Warsaw 4W Wyoming 11.7 0700 AM
Kennedy 0.3 NE Chautauqua 11.5 0600 AM
Wyoming 3W Wyoming 10.9 0700 AM
Kennedy 2.6 SE Chautauqua 10.8 0800 AM
Chaumont Jefferson 10.5 1100 AM
Alexander 4.4 ESE Genesee 10.0 0800 AM
Falconer 0.3 WSW Chautauqua 9.2 0700 AM
Centerville, 2 WSW Allegany 8.0 0915 AM
Bemus Point 2.6 WSW Chautauqua 7.0 0700 AM
Constableville 1.2 NW Lewis 6.5 0500 AM
Pembroke Genesee 6.2 0532 AM
West Almond 3.6 SW Allegany 6.1 0800 AM
Brantingham Lewis 6.0 1130 AM
Rushford Allegany 6.0 0545 AM
Sodus Wayne 6.0 1100 AM
Alexander 2.7 WNW Genesee 5.6 0700 AM
Allegany State Park Cattaraugus 5.3 0800 AM
Wellsville 2.4 ENE Allegany 5.0 0700 AM
Wolcott 6.4 NW Wayne 4.7 0700 AM
Attica Wyoming 4.3 0123 PM
Batavia 3.4 WSW Genesee 4.0 0800 AM
Lacona 3.6 SSE Oswego 4.0 0700 AM
Alfred Allegany 3.3 0700 AM
Palermo 2SSE Oswego 2.6 0600 AM
Phoenix 7.0 NNE Oswego 2.6 0600 AM
Duck Lake Cayuga 2.0 0800 AM
Minetto 0.1 SE Oswego 2.0 0800 AM
Hilton, 2 WNW Monroe 1.7 0700 AM
Angola Erie 1.5 1101 AM
Williamsville, 1 SE Erie 1.2 0700 AM
Dansville 3.6 WSW Livingston 1.1 0600 AM
Stafford 1.8 NE Genesee 1.1 0700 AM
Mexico 2SW Oswego 1.0 0600 AM
West Monroe 1.6 NNE Oswego 1.0 0730 AM
Le Roy 1E Genesee 0.9 0730 AM
Bristol Harbour Ontario 0.6 0700 AM
Webster 3.0 W Monroe 0.5 0900 AM
West Bloomfield 1S Ontario 0.5 0900 AM
Gasport 1.7 WSW Niagara 0.3 0700 AM
Rochester 5.0 WNW Monroe 0.3 0700 AM
Gates-North Gates, 3 SE Monroe 0.2 0700 AM
Clarence Center 0.2 ESE Erie 0.2 0700 AM
Brockport Monroe 0.1 0900 AM
Clarence Center 0.9 N Erie 0.1 0700 AM
Rochester 5.7 W Monroe 0.1 0900 AM
Cheektowaga 2.4 NW Erie 0.0 0700 AM
Clyde 0.3 WNW Wayne 0.0 0600 AM
East Amherst 1.2 WNW Erie 0.0 0845 AM
East Amherst 1.3 WSW Erie 0.0 0759 AM
Fairport 0.9 W Monroe 0.0 0640 AM
Kenmore 0.3 ESE Erie 0.0 0640 AM
Le Roy 0.7 ESE Genesee 0.0 0700 AM
Lockport Niagara 0.0 0700 AM
Lockport 0.8 NE Niagara 0.0 0700 AM
Lockport 2.8 WNW Niagara 0.0 0805 AM
Macedon 2.6 ESE Wayne 0.0 0710 AM
Medina Orleans 0.0 0800 AM
Medina 0.4 WNW Orleans 0.0 0800 AM
Palmyra 1.6 NW Wayne 0.0 0750 AM
Pittsford 4.0 SSE Monroe 0.0 0700 AM
Sanborn 4NE Niagara 0.0 0700 AM
Scottsville 0.4 NW Monroe 0.0 0800 AM
Snyder 0.6 SW Erie 0.0 0700 AM
Tonawanda 3.1 NE Erie 0.0 0530 AM

Snowmobilers Encouraged to Stay on Designated/ Opened Trails, Avoid Frozen Bodies of Water and Monitor Speed

Click here for the Adirondack Alanmac story 

Adirondack Land Trust and Town of Willsboro Partner to Conserve 68 Shoreline Acres

Click here for the Adirondack Almanac story 

Dec. 8 Festival of Lessons & Carols

St. Augustine’s Soup Kitchen Menu for Wednesday, December 4. 2024

Meatloaf
Potatoes
Vegetable
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!

Peru Central Hall of Fame Nominations Requested

The Peru Central School District Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for potential candidates.  The District Hall of Fame is designed to recognize individuals who have made a significant impact on our school or achieved an outstanding contribution(s) to society as a graduate of Peru CSD. The candidate must have attended, been employed, served, or contributed to Peru CSD in some capacity and must have been retired for at least five (5) years.

 

The following criteria will be used when considering an individual to the Hall of Fame – outstanding contributions to Peru CSD, outstanding contribution to society, outstanding career, participation and/or leadership in community activities, and a significant impact on an individual’s life while associated with Peru.

Deadline for applications will be Friday, March 14, 2025. Applications are available at the High School Office or the District’s website at https://www.perucsd.org/peru-csd-hall-of-fame/.

 

St. Augustine’s Church Craft Fair, 3030 Main St, Peru, Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

St. Augustine’s Soup Kitchen will not be serving Thanksgiving week.

St. Augustine’s Soup Kitchen will not be serving Thanksgiving week. On December 4, meatloaf will be served. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Peru Girl Scout Troop #4183 tours water treatment facility

By Melissa Hart
Peru, NY – Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 – Peru Girl Scout Troop #4183 members toured the water treatment facility on Reservoir Road tonight. Water district superintendent Courtney Tetrault explained where our water comes from and walked the girls through how it is treated and delivered to our homes. Special thanks to Courtney for taking the time with us!
Melissa Hart
(Photos by me, Melissa Hart)

Submitted by Melissa Hart – THANK YOU, Melissa! 

 

Ecumenical Choir to perform in Keeseville and Peru, Dec. 21 & 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Hochul expands health care coverage for children

More than 800,000 children enrolled in Medicaid and Child Health Plus will benefit

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Amtrak to restore Empire Service in time for the holidays

New schedules between Albany and NYC to take effect Dec. 2

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation awards $4,000 grant to North Country Cougars

L-R Mason Wilson, Store Manager Greg Mills and Maddox Wilson

Dick’s Sporting Goods believes that sports can change lives and that kids who take part in sports will learn essential life skills such as leadership, discipline and integrity. Dicks Sporting Goods Store Manager, Greg Mills, presented the North Country Cougars Hockey Club with one of this year’s $4,000 Sports Matter Grants. The Cougar’s Hockey Club has used this grant to make needed repairs to their snack bar. Through the Dicks Sporting Goods Foundation, the Sports Matter grants aim to address the growing issue of underfunded youth athletics nationwide.

Peru VFW Auxillary Honors Girl Scout Lorelei Wiggins and Unit #446

L-R Melissa Wiggins, Judy Lefevre, Lorelei Wiggins

Lorelei Wiggins received the Youth Patriotic Award Citation.

Peru Girl Scout Unit #446 received the National Youth Group Supporting Our Veterans Citation. 

VFW Auxillary President Judy Lefevre made the following remarks.

Lorelei Wiggins has an extensive list of accomplishments and activities.  She dances at Center Stage in Plattsburgh, where she is a member of the Lake City Players.  As a junior at Peru High School, her activities include Select Chorus and All-State Chorus. She was selected to perform solos at the New York State School Music Association and has been a member of the Drama Club.

At St. Augustine’s Applefest, where Lorelei sells her canning products to help her parents pay the costs of her extracurricular activities, she promoted the VFW Auxiliary and our youth scholarship programs to anyone and everyone who will listen. She was terrific, even though she is not currently a member of our Auxiliary.

Lorelei is an Ambassador Girl School and Peru Community Delegate at State Conferences.  For the past two (2) summers, she has served as a Councilor in Training, learning, and practicing her leadership style to become a Camp Councilor.

We have witnessed Lorelei’s leadership skills as she mentored the younger Peru Community Girl Scouts and called the commands as the younger girls posted our nation’s colors during both Memorial and Veterans Day ceremonies. I am honored to present Lorelei Wiggins with a Youth Patriotic Award Citation for her dedication to veterans.

Tonight’s second (2nd) award is to Melissa Wiggins as a representative of Unit # 446 Girl Scout leaders. Before Memorial Day, the Peru Community Girl Scouts cleaned and re-planted the flower beds around our building and in front of the Veterans Memorial Wall. On Flag Day, they performed a beautiful flag-burning ceremony. In September, before our 50th Anniversary Dinner, the girls met here and did a fall cleanup around the building and the Memorial Wall. These activities were a tribute to our veterans.

I am honored to present The National Youth Group Supporting Our Veterans Citation to Peru Community Girl Scout Unit # 446 in “Recognition and appreciation of your support of our veterans and their families.”  Congratulations!  Thank you for all you, your fellow leaders, and the girls do for our veterans, their families, and this community.

AGENDA – TOWN BOARD REGULAR MEETING , NOVEMBER 25, 2024 6:00 PM

  1. Call Meeting to Order
  1. Pledge of Allegiance
  1. Roll Call 
  1. MOTION:  Acceptance of Minutes for the Regular Meeting of November 12 and Special Meeting on November 14, 2024. 
  1. Community Input. 
  1. DISCUSSION:  Christmas Tree Lighting Details.
  1. DISCUSSION:  Tax Collection Hours/Schedule.
  1. DISCUSSION: Signature for Warranty Deed for Orchard View Phase II Roadway and Detention Area.
  1. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION:  Approval of Sand Bed Decommissioning (Brand Hollow) – Engineering Design Contract from AES, Northeast.
  1. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: Approval of Layer Eight proposal to purchase Microsoft SQL Server. 
  1. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION.  Approval of Contract from Auctions International.
  1. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION:  Approval of the Hiring of MEO for the Highway Dept.
  1. DISCUSSION:  Other Business.
  1. DISCUSSION:  Department Head Comments.
  1. DISCUSSION:  Public Comments on Agenda Items Only.
  1. RESOLUTION/DISCUSSION: November 2024 Bills.
  1. MOTION:  Adjourn to Executive Session.
  1. MOTION:  Return from Executive Session. 
  1. MOTION: Adjourn Meeting.

Peru Knights bring “Coats For Kids” to Peru Elementary School

St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273 Grand Knight Michael Langlois with the winter coats and boots his council delivered to the Peru Elementary School.

Peru, November 21, 2024 – This week, St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273 delivered twenty-one new children’s winter coats and twelve pairs of boys’ and girls’ boots to Peru Central’s Primary and Intermediate Schools. School Nurse Kathy Bedard thanked the Knights, stating, “We know kids who need coats. Thank you so much for doing this each year.” The knights who deliver the coats and boots say it’s an emotional experience to see how appreciative the school nurses and staff are for the needed clothing. Since 2013, the Peru Knights have donated 275 new children’s winter jackets to the Peru Elementary School.  They added boots last year after school nurses said the children needed them.