The Peru Gazette

L-R: David Dalton, Peru Lions Club President; Lisa Goodrow, Director, JCEO Plattsburgh; Lincoln Sunderland, Peru Lion.

Recently, members of the Peru Lions Club presented a $1,000 check to JCEO to benefit the Peru and Keeseville food pantries. The Lions Club raises the bulk of their funds, which they give back to community services and projects, from their annual John P. Adams Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.

Sunday, January 14, Peru – Pancakes, French Toast, Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns, Real Maple Syrup and more! Community Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, January 14, served by the St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus in the St. Augustine’s Parish Center from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $10 for adults, $5 for children 5 to 11; children under 5 are Free. Take-outs are $10.

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L-R Attorney Matt Favro, Melvin Irwin, Kregg Bruno, Supervisor Brandy McDonald, Town Clerk/Tax Collector/Registrar Dianne Miller, Jim Douglass, Eric Duquette

Peru, NY January 8, 2024 – Town Clerk Dianne Miller administered the oath of office to Peru Town Board members before Monday’s meeting.  Eric Duquette took a seat on the board for his first meeting. Note – Matt Favro arrived in his coach’s attire. His son’s basketball team had a game Monday night. 

By John T Ryan 

Breana Warren is in place as Peru’s new JCEO Outreach Coordinator. Located on the town hall’s lower level, her office operates Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell and Deputy Highway Superintendent Tyler Jarvis expressed frustration with the motorists who park cars on the street during snow storms. The problem is especially acute on narrow streets such as North Bend, Jenkins, and Elm. Farrell said if a plow can’t safely pass by a parked vehicle, his crews will not plow the street. 

Farrell said he is proud of the job his staff did during last weekend’s snowstorm. Drivers worked 15.5 hours straight on Sunday, January 7. Parts delays have side-lined two of his seven plow trucks. The used plow truck the board approved purchasing isn’t ready for delivery. It, too, is awaiting parts. 

NYS DOT denied the town’s request to install a traffic light at the Route 22-22b Intersection. During high-traffic periods, motorists find the intersection frustrating; however, a severe accident typically occurs before the state installs a traffic light. 

C&S Engineering is applying for a Bridges NY grant to assist in paying to replace a deteriorating bridge on Telegraph Rd, about one-quarter mile south of the Sullivan Road intersection. Peru didn’t qualify for a grant last year. Replacing the bridge is estimated at $1.4 million. 

You’ll see a bright green tractor blowing town sidewalks soon. The board approved purchasing a new John Deere 2025R 4-wheel drive utility tractor outfitted with a snow blower, blade, and mower under a state contract for $30,112. United Ag and Turf is the supplier. 

The board informally agreed to give water-sewer department employees two hours of compensatory time for a week of off-hours on-call duty. On-call employees work from home, responding to customer phone calls and alarms from the water filtration plant and sewage pump stations. The on-call person can remedy many issues using the department’s iPad-based software. When they have to leave home to work on the issue, they receive overtime pay. Councilman Kregg Bruno said the board discussed the issue before the meeting and would take a second look at the policy next year. The policy will be on the board’s next February 12 meeting agenda for a formal vote. 

After a brief executive session, town attorney Matt Favro discussed the ownership of the paintings the town installed in Heyworth Mason Park’s historic stone building. Favro noted that this was the first time he was aware of the issue. Favro believes the town owns the paintings but does not own the source images. The town initiated the project. Families and individuals paid a fee to artist Greg Badger to create the paintings. The town paid for the plywood board that Badger painted on. Councilman Melvin Irwin installed the artwork at no cost. 

January 8, 2024, Organization Meeting – The Peru Town Board approved 2024 salaries, appointments, department liaisons, meeting dates and times, contracts, a mileage reimbursement rate, depository, newspaper and procurement policy.

Salaries for Elected Officials:

Town Supervisor – $34,029 

Town Board Member – $9,639 

Town Clerk/Tax Collector/registrar – $32,609.19 

Town Justice – $23,584.93

Higway Superintendent – $73,043.25

Appointments Positions Read more »

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National Weather Service issuance about 4 PM, January 9, 2023 

Damaging winds will cause widespread power outages and may blow down trees across the region tonight. The highest wind gusts will be in the northern Adirondacks, Champlain Valley, western slopes of the Green Mountains and Northeast Kingdom #vtwx #nywx

The Peru Central School District is seeking candidates to fill one (1) at-large seat on the Board of Education due to the upcoming expiration of Ms. Bonnie Berry’s term.

The three-year term of the seat runs from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2027.

The Petition for Nomination of Candidate form is available in the District Office at 17 School Street on Mondays through Fridays, except for school holidays, or via the web at https://www.perucsd.org/district/board-of-education/.  Petitions must be directed to the School District Clerk, shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, and shall state the names and residences of the candidate and petition signers.    The candidate’s phone number shall also be stated.

The qualifications that must be met to run for the school board are:

• A U.S. citizen
• At least 18 years old
• A qualified voter in the District
• Able to read and write
• A resident of the District continuously for one year before the election
• Cannot be employed by the Board
• Cannot live in the same household with a family member who is also a member of the Board

Petitions must be returned no later than 5:00 PM on Monday, April 22, 2024.

The School Board Election will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

January 19, 12:30 pm, Plattsburgh Senior Center, 5139 North Catherine Street, Plattsburgh. A virtual tour and history of the Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel with Kate Chilton and Helen Nerska. See photos and hear the stories of the creation of this memorial to veterans who trained in Plattsburgh and who died in the Great War.

January 25, 6:30 pm, CCHA, 98 Ohio Avenue, Plattsburgh. Perry’s Mills Frog Farm with Rouses Point-Champlain Historical Society President Bob St. John.  Stories and photos of the once thriving business of supplying millions of frog legs to hungry diners and university biology departments across the United States.  Please call 518-561-0340 to reserve a seat.

February 16, 12:30 pm, Plattsburgh Senior Center, 5139 North Catherine Street, Plattsburgh. Portraits and Painters of the Early Champlain Valley (1800-1865), slides from a 1975 SUNY Plattsburgh exhibit with reflections on the history of the painters and their subjects. Attendees are encouraged to bring photos of old paintings they might have and share the history of their painting.

February 17, 10 am to 3 pm.  CCHA, 98 Ohio Avenue, Plattsburgh. Winter Fun at the Museum with guided tours for children and adults. Discover the museum with scavenger hunts and prizes for all.

All events are free and open to the public.

Please call or email Helen Nerska at 518-561-0340 for more information or to confirm seating for the January 25^th presentation.

Listen to this man sing! 

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“Climate change is causing the bottom of most Adirondack lakes to become unlivable for trout, salmon and whitefish during the summer,..”

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National Weather Service graphic