AMENIA — Following a heated race for the Town Board, registered voters in the town of Amenia prioritized casting their ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
From 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., voters could vote at Immaculate Conception Church, the Wassaic firehouse or VFW Post 5444 on the Dover Plains border. Throughout the day, the polling places drew a strong turnout of voters determined to have a say in which candidates would fill the two positions up for grabs on the Amenia Town Board as well the town supervisor post.
“I think there’s a lot of strong feelings right now about events that are happening,” said voter Jessica Deister, “and it’s important, no matter what way you vote, to make sure to get your opinion out.”
Deister said she was very confident about the candidates running for office this year.
“I like that there was a big turnout this year and there was a lot of people running.”
Though keen to do her civic duty and vote in her local election, Amenia resident Kathy Kelleher said she was not confident about the candidates this year; her husband John said he was “still undecided” at the polls.
“I’m just tired of all the mudslinging all the time,” he said. “It’s a small town — we don’t need that crap here.”
Unofficial results
Once the votes were tallied in the late evening hours of Election Day, the Dutchess County Board of Elections (BOE) posted its unofficial 2021 results. In Amenia, there were a total of 1,043 ballots counted.
Campaigning for her fifth two-year term in office, town Supervisor Victoria Perotti (REP, CON) received 648 votes out of a total of 1,043 cast, while her contender, newcomer Julie Doran (Amenia Strong—AS), received 280 votes.
“I’m honored to serve another term in office and appreciate the faith and support that the voters had in me to re-elect me,” Perotti said. “I love Amenia and I’m looking forward to a bright future for the town.”
Running for the two four-year seats on the Town Board, Leo Blackman (DEM, WOR) received the highest total with 515 votes, followed by one-term incumbent James Morris (REP) with 348 votes; Brad Rebillard (REP, AS) received 345 votes; Katherine Lee (DEM) garnered 319 votes; James Vitiello (AS, CON) earned 268 votes; Stacy Mantel (WOR) got 76 votes; and write-in, one-term incumbent candidate Michele Somogyi received 37 votes.
Blackman thanked Amenia residents for their support.
“I had a great time walking around, talking to people, meeting people, and I’m looking forward to representing them and their needs and issues and hopefully being a really effective Town Board member,” he said. “Not having done this before, I didn’t appreciate how much work it was, so I would just like to thank all the other candidates for putting in the same amount of energy.”
Also on the ballot, incumbent Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner won re-election for her fifth two-year term with a total of 700 votes, while her husband, former Town Constable Christopher Klingner, won his first race for town justice with 656 votes. Dawn Marie will serve as his justice clerk, a position she formerly held for former Town Justice James Devine.
Incumbent Highway Superintendent Megan Chamberlin also won re-election for her second four-year term with 823 votes.
Both Klingners ran unopposed under the Democratic party line, as did Chamberlin, who ran under the Republican and Conservative party lines.
LAKEVILLE- — Kelsey K. Horton, 43, a lifelong area resident, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, following a courageous battle with cancer. Kelsey worked as a certified nursing assistant and administrative assistant at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, from 1999 until 2024, where she was a very respected and loved member of their nursing and administrative staff.
Born Oct. 4, 1981, in Sharon, she was the daughter of W. Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, North Carolina, and JoAnne (Lukens) Tuncy and her husband Donald of Millerton, New York. Kelsey graduated with the class of 1999 from Webutuck High School in Amenia and from BOCES in 1999 with a certificate from the CNA program as well. She was a longtime member of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in Lakeville. On Oct. 11, 2003, in Poughkeepsie, New York, she married James Horton. Jimmy survives at home in Lakeville. Kelsey loved camping every summer at Waubeeka Family Campground in Copake, and she volunteered as a cheer coach for A.R.C. Cheerleading for many years. Kelsey also enjoyed hiking and gardening in her spare time and spending time with her loving family and many dear friends.
In addition to her husband and parents, Kelsey is survived by her two beloved children, Hunter Horton and Aryanna Horton, both of Lakeville; a step-brother, Jason Tuncy of East Hartford, Connecticut; her mother-in-law, Frances “Fran” Horton and her brother-in-law, Benjamin D. Horton III and his wife Penny of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and their son, Alec, and several aunts, uncles, cousins and many dear friends. She was predeceased by her father-in-law, Benjamin D. Horton, Jr. in 2017.
There are no calling hours. A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Millerton American Legion Post # 178, Route 44, Millerton, NY 12546. A time to celebrate Kelsey and share stories and memories. Memorial contributions may be made to The Jane Lloyd Fund. Please make checks payable to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (please note in memo line, The Jane Lloyd Fund) and mail to: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 800 N. Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257.
To send an online condolence to the family, flowers to the service or to plant a tree in Kelsey’s memory, please visit www.conklinfuneralhome.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Scott D. Conklin Funeral Home, 37 Park Avenue, Millerton, NY 12546.
SHARON — On Sept. 27, Eliot Warren Brown was shot and killed at age 47 at his home in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a random act of violence by a young man in need of mental health services. Eliot was born and raised in Sharon, Connecticut, and attended Indian Mountain School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts. He graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He and his wife Brooke moved to New Orleans to answer the call for help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and fell in love with the city.
In addition to his wife Brooke, Eliot leaves behind his parents Malcolm and Louise Brown, his sisters Lucia (Thaddeus) and Carla (Ruairi), three nephews, and extended family and friends spread far and wide.
Normally at this point one might list some interests, but in Eliot’s case, it’s easier to list what he wasn’t interested in: watching sports.
Eliot made a living as a fine craftsman and carpenter, but at heart he was an artist. He was well versed in music, painting, literature, biking, travel, Mardi Gras costumes, poker, pranks, street performance and on and on and on.Having previously hiked the entire Camino de Santiago in Spain and Portugal, he recently achieved another dream of summiting the highest stratovolcano in North America.
Eliot’s creative ability was astounding. His creations were designed to bring joy to others. He didn’t seek recognition or praise, and a large part of his work was anonymous. Pieces of art would appear in the community, encouraging people to think, connect and enjoy.
From the precociously funny and determinedly defiant boy that grew up in the Northwest corner of Connecticut, Eliot grew into a brilliant, gentle souled, boundlessly creative, ever mischievous, perpetually scraggly, and astoundingly wise and caring man who made an indelible impact on those who were lucky to have him in their lives.
In honor of Eliot, please consider making donations to organizations that work to end gun violence, support the arts, or provide mental health services. A service will be held at the Congregational Church in Salisbury on Sunday Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
SHARON — Randall “Randy” Osolin passed away on Sept. 25, 2025, at the age of 74. He was born on Feb. 6, 1951, in Sharon, Connecticut to the late Ramon (Sonny) and Barbara (Sandmeyer) Osolin.
He was a dedicated social worker, a natural athlete, a gentle friend of animals, an abiding parish verger, an inveterate reader, and an estimable friend and neighbor. He was a kind-hearted person whose greatest joy was in helping someone in need and sharing his time with his family and good friends.
He was the beloved husband of Karen LaChance Osolin; the loving brother of Bruce Osolin and the late Gail Osolin Leo; the devoted uncle of Kyle and Andrew Osolin and Taylor LaChance; the brother-in-law of Debra LaChance; and the cousin of Brenda Curran, Jay Pickering and Audra Salazar.
To honor Randy’s memory, do a good deed for another or send a donation to the Little Guild, 258 Sharon-Goshen Road, West Cornwall, CT 06796. The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
