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.
Mickey Stringer of of North East, left, checks in with Chris Virtuoso, volunteering on Saturday, May 12 at the Old Town Garage on South Center Street as a Climate Smart Task Force member. Stringer’s loaded pickup was part of a long line of vehicles along South Center as residents used the opportunity to dispose of air conditioners, mattresses, lumber, and other bulk items. Town Supervisor Christopher Kennan said he didn’t recall seeing such a long line of vehicles in past years.
Elm Drive Elementary School in Millbrook.
MILLBROOK — Preparing for the village-wide vote on the proposed 2025-26 school budget scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, the Millbrook Central School District held a public hearing on Tuesday, May 6, to review the budget and hear residents’ comments.
The CSD proposed 2025-26 budget to be voted upon as Proposition 1, showed total expenditures of $35,649,651, an increase of $1,074,576 (3.11%) over the current year.
“We’re trying to trim as much as we can,” said Elliott Garcia, Assistant Superintendent for Business, during his budget summary.
Two additional propositions are included on the ballot, both anticipating a bond issue to fund repairs, renovations and improvements to school buildings.
Proposition 2 would bring repair to the Middle and High School buildings, with more work at the middle school estimated to cost $37,381,383. Work would include HVAC, electrical, window replacement, roof and ceiling repair, elevator service and doorway improvements.
The high school work would include HVAC at a total estimated cost of $1,883,099.
The total amount would, however, be reduced by $12 million in currently available funding, so that a bond issue would be needed to cover a total of $27,264,482, to be repaid over a number of years. Taxpayers would need to pay the annual interest on the bonds during the life of the bonds.
Separate funding of energy efficiency improvements at the middle school and high school would carry at total estimated cost of $3 million that would also need to be bond-financed, but that funding would return to the school budget in the form of energy cost savings.
Proposition 3 would bring HVAC, electrical and window replacement at the elementary schools at an estimated cost of $21,779,259, also to be financed by bond issue.
Students from the Middle School Student Council presented a report on a recent survey they conducted and analyzed. Their report was titled, “Repair Our School.”
For their building conditions study, the nine students conducted an in-school survey of students, teachers and staff, receiving 228 responses.
Interpreting the responses as percentages, the students reported that 90% indicated that the middle school does not look as good as it could; more than 80% said they were concerned about the state of the building; 67% had classes interrupted by roof leaks; 75% said it was difficult to learn because of the roof leaks; and 94% said that if the school were their home, they would not stay.
“Our student government never stops working,” said Principal Steven Cabello, adding that the students’ efforts have been invigorating.
School superintendent Caroline Hernandez-Pidala praised the students’ project, the time and care invested in their survey study and their reporting of the results.
“I’m super impressed,” Hernandez-Pidala told the students.
The May 20 polling location is at the Middle School, in the Band room adjacent to the auditorium. Polls will be open between noon and 9 p.m.
The proposed budget, details of the propositions and a copy of the ballot are posted on the CSD website at www.millbrookcsd.org.
Voters in two other school districts will decide on higher spending plans for the coming school year on Tuesday, May 20.
Webutuck Central School District and Pine Plains Central School District propose higher K-12 budgets for the 2025-2026 school year.
The proposed budget for Webutuck, with an enrollment of 637 students from K-12, shows a 5.96% increase from the previous year to $28,665,850. Pine Plains proposes spending $38,712,336, an increase of 2.71%.
Ray Nelson, Earthwise Architecture, requested two variances for 7-9 Main St., one to allow a 9-unit floorplan and another to waive the parking requirements for the building, at a public hearing held by the village Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, May 6.
MILLERTON — Ray Nelson of Millerton presented two possible updated floorplans for the apartment building at 7-9 Main St. to the Zoning Board of Appeals at a public hearing on Tuesday, May 6.
Nelson, on behalf of the building’s owner, is seeking two variances for the property: one allowing a density increase and another waiving the parking requirements for the property.
Village code requires at least 5,000 square feet of lot space per unit for multi-unit properties and 1.5 parking spaces per unit.
The building was configured with 12 units under previous ownership, a non-conforming use.
Nelson submitted a 9-unit plan and a 6-unit plan. He argues the 9-unit plan, which would house one fewer total bedroom than the 6-unit layout, would not require additional parking because the smaller units attract tenants that use fewer parking spaces — young couples, single people and very small families.
“There’s a need for apartments that are in the village,” Nelson said.
The submitted 9-unit floorplan is a reduction from a previously declined 12-unit plan that sought to maintain the current number of units in the property.
Zoning board members concluded the public hearing after brief discussion with the three Millerton residents that attended the meeting.
Zoning board members could not reach a final decision on the variances that night, citing required further deliberation, but they indicated a positive attitude to Nelson’s new plans.
Ralph Fedele with Mary Leitch, 103, who attended the one-room Irondale Schoolhouse until it closed and she moved on to Millerton High School.
MILLERTON — The Irondale Schoolhouse will celebrate its opening day on Saturday, May 24, when it will ring in its eleventh summer season with the old school bell.
Lemonade and cookies will be provided for visitors. A history exhibit is on display inside the schoolhouse and there will be a formal unveiling of a plaque commemorating membership in the Country Schools of America, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the memory of country schools.
The Irondale Schoolhouse is an 1850s one-room schoolhouse that served the Irondale community until 1930. It was moved in 2013 to Millerton to serve as a public information and visitor center managed by the Friends of the Irondale Schoolhouse.
The Schoolhouse will be open throughout the summer on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A team of docents will be on hand during these times to share knowledge and stories of early rural education At irondaleschool.org a short video shows how the Schoolhouse was rescued from destruction, carefully restored, and moved to its present location.
Over the years, under the leadership of Ralph Fedele, the Irondale Schoolhouse Board has worked to maintain the building, staff the docent team, and host special children’s events.
It also has raised for annual local school scholarships. This year, $2,000 awards will be given out to each of two winning applicants.
Some of this year’s activities include:
— Wednesday, May 14, and Thursday, May 15: Webutuck School Students field trip — “A Day in the Life of a One-Room School”
— Sunday, June 8: National Children’s Day/Ice-Cream Social & Hoola-Hoop Competition
Board members of the Friends of the Irondale Schools House are: Catherine Fenn, President; Claire Goodman, Vice President; Dick Hermans, Treasurer; Shannon Olsen, Secretary; Ralph Fedele, President Ex Officio, Docent; Rob Cooper, Maintenance; John Brunese, Scholarship Program; John Hicks, Docent; Lisa Cope, Communications & Events; Alicia Sartori, Communications; Stone Scasso, Maintenance.
