The Peru Gazette

            “From its quarter-trillion-dollar price tag to its misplaced priorities and failure to address major outstanding issues like the broken Tier Six pension system and our ongoing public safety crisis, the Senate one-house budget would put New York State in even more dire financial straits than it is currently in.

“A recent comptroller report noted that the high tax-and-spend climate in our state is a major contributor to our outmigration crisis. This plan, would increase taxes by an additional $7 billion and spends a mind-boggling $246.2 billion, $13 billion more than Governor Hochul’s already costly Executive Budget proposal. Not only does this proposal fail to address the root causes of outmigration, it exacerbates the problem and contains many misplaced priorities.

“The Senate plan includes $2.4 billion for illegal immigrant support services, as well as an additional $175 million in health insurance coverage for them. This is funding that belongs to legal, law-abiding taxpayers and would be better off being returned as needed tax relief or towards reforming Tier Six.

“At a time when retail theft is on the rise and public safety remains an urgent concern, the Senate budget would cut nearly $100 million in funding for the state police. It would also advance the governor’s proposal to close up-to five correctional facilities. These measures are just yet another sign of how Senate leadership is failing to take the safety of our communities seriously.

“While the Senate one-house budget proposal addresses some major concerns of mine – namely, raising the Medicaid reimbursement rate for nursing homes and hospitals and restoring Foundation Aid for our schools – this is ultimately a plan that contains far more bad than good. That’s why I voted against the Senate’s one-house budget proposal. The Legislature and governor must do a better job of serving the priorities of our hardworking families and small business owners. As we work towards an enacted budget, I urge all parties to exercise fiscal responsibility and do what’s right for all New Yorkers.”

Click here for the NCPR story 

Peru – CVPH Donor Center Blood Brive, Monday, April 1, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru. 

On February 29, CVPH collected 28 pints in Peru, which is a wonderful total. Thank you to all the donors! 

All blood collected is utilized in our trl-county region.

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

Good Morning,

On Monday, March 18, 2024, Rifenburg Construction and their subcontractors will return to Margaret Street to wrap up items that could not be completed in the fall. They will begin with installing new signal poles and pedestrian crossing facilities at the intersections of Margaret/Cornelia Streets, Margaret/Broad Streets, and Brinkerhoff/Oak Streets. Following this, they will install the new concrete crosswalks, restrip all existing lines, and finish with punch list items. Please take care when traveling in these areas and watch for construction personnel and flaggers.

Please go to my.cityofplattsburgh-ny.gov/en/ for weekly project updates and to keep up to date on other City of Plattsburgh Projects.

More than 900 Kias and Hyundais were stolen in the Syracuse area last year and the theft rate is even more this year. 

Click here for the Syracuse.com story 

Jacob Pratt, of Rensselaer, has been identified as the sole survivor of the helicopter crash on Friday

Click here for the MYNBC5 story 

Auditions for its Academy program will take place March 30

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

On March 14, at 10:45 a.m., the Town of Plattsburg issued this statement.

“We honor the memory of a man whose unwavering devotion stretched across more than thirty years of service to the Town of Plattsburg as an esteemed member of the Town Board, Deputy Supervisor, and Town Justice. In every role, Marty’s dedication to serving his community and striving for its improvement remains a timeless testament to his profound influence and love for the community. We offer his family and friends our deepest condolences.”

Click here for Mr. Mannix’s obituary 

Click here for the VTDigger story 

New York State Police are investigating after a driver was killed on Route 3 in Harrietstown

Click here for the MYNBC5 story

Click here for the Times-Union story 

Mooers Town Supervisor Jeff Menard, along with the County Legislature, say they are currently considering passing a tethering law

Click here for the MYNBC5 story 

News includes affordable housing, the Recreation Director Assistant position still not filled, a grant application to be submitted, town property sale faces obstacles, a new hire in the Highway Department, and Employee Handbook revisions 

March 12, 2024—The Peru Town Board held a regular meeting Monday evening chaired by Deputy Supervisor Jim Douglass. The board excused Supervisor Brandy McDonald and Councilman Melvin Irwin.

Our nation, NYS, and this region have a housing shortage, especially affordable housing. Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul initiated and signed Executive Order 30, creating the Pro-Housing Community designed to reward local governments working hard to address New York’s housing crisis. Planning Board member Allison Webbinaro addressed the board to advocate for Peru to take advantage of the program and to be named a New York State Pro-Housing Designated Community. Webbinaro said the state had already named five North Country communities “Pro-Housing,” and she wants Peru to join them. A Pro-Housing designated community will receive funding priority for several state discretionary programs, including the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), the N.Y. Forward program, and more. The three board members present, Jim Douglass, Eric Duquette, and Kregg Bruno, supported the application and asked Code Enforcement Officer Bob Guynup to prepare it. Peru needs additional housing, especially in the water-sewer district, where relatively few property owners will bear the cost of the state-mandated water and sewer improvements.

Recreation Director Kristen Marino said she hasn’t received any applications for the recreation director assistant position. Marino may recommend subdividing the job by season, i.e., a baseball assistant, a soccer assistant, a basketball assistant, etc. She thinks people may be willing to commit to a specific sport over a shorter period.

Water/Sewer Parks Superintendent Courtney Tetrault reported that he’s applying for a federal grant through Congresswoman Stefanik to help pay for the upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant. The application is due this Friday.

The town wants to sell 45 acres of no-longer-used property adjacent to Brand Hollow Rd. At one time, the property was the town’s wastewater lagoon site. Unfortunately, decommissioning the property is going to be expensive. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) indicated that an engineering study and asbestos assessment of the property’s 20′ x 20′ building would be required. The estimated cost is $33,000. The board tabled the issue pending receipt of more information.

In other actions, the board accepted Adam Archer’s resignation as a Highway Department Machine & Equipment Operator and approved hiring T. J. Welch of Peru as his replacement. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell praised Adam Archer’s work, saying he’d gladly take him back if he ever wants to return. Deputy Highway Superintendent Tyler Jarvis said T.J. Welch has a great, can-do attitude and will, hopefully, be a town employee for many years.

The board approved changes to the Employee Handbook regarding maximum compensation time for Highway and Water/Sewer/Parks employees and Highway Department Commercial Driver Licensing.

Bill gives owner ByteDance 165 days to divest from TikTok, and if it does not app stores would be legally barred from hosting it

Click here for The Guardian Story 

On January 31, 2024, the Compliance Team (TCT), a nationally recognized healthcare accreditation organization approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the award of Exemplary Provider® status to the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD). This recognition follows the successful completion of TCT’s Health Department Clinical Services Accreditation program.

Read more »

All first-time hunters planning to go afield this upcoming spring turkey season must first complete a mandatory hunter education course before they can purchase a hunting license. In-person, instructor-led hunter education courses are being offered throughout NYS during March and April. Classes fill quickly, so do not delay in registering for a course. All classes are free of charge.

https://register-ed.com/programs/new_york/165

Beekmantown, New York 3/12/2024

The Town of Beekmantown invites you to experience the solar eclipse at the Beekmantown Town Hall and Recreation facilities located at 571 Spellman Road, West Chazy, NY, 12992, on Monday, April 8, 2024. View this once-in-a-lifetime event from our spacious fields with lots of parking. Starting at approximately 2:00 PM, a partial eclipse will begin with total darkness happening around 3:00 PM and then back through another partial eclipse ending around 4:00 PM. We are located directly in the path of this celestial phenomenon. In preparation for this cycle, viewing glasses will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 1:30 PM. Quantities are limited. Please be reminded to view the eclipse safely using only ISO-certified glasses to protect your eyes. Ultimately all those viewing the eclipse do so at their own risk. For more information and to purchase your own viewing glasses, check <https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-;ilters>

This event is sponsored by the Town of Beekmantown and is free to the public. For more information, please contact the Town Hall at (518) 563-4650.

Click here for the Adirondack Explorer story 

Click here for the MYNBC5 story