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Aymar-Blair gearing up for another comptroller election

Aymar-Blair gearing up for another comptroller election

Dan Aymar-Blair, left, won the Dutchess County Comptroller seat in a special election in November 2024. Will Truitt, right, is a county legislator representing Hyde Park and Pleasant Valley and is presumed to be Aymar-Blair's Republican challenger in the November 2025 election.

Photos provided

POUGHKEEPSIE — Less than a month after his swearing-in ceremony was held in Lagrangeville, Dutchess County comptroller Dan Aymar-Blair has declared his candidacy for reelection to the position on Jan. 19.

“As I start work as Dutchess Comptroller, I also have to start campaigning for re-election because I was just elected to a one-year term in a special election, which means I’m back on the ballot this November,” Aymar-Blair explained. “I’ve got big plans to implement and I need more than a year to see them through.”

With the rapid return to the campaign trail, Aymar-Blair, a Democrat who defeated Republican challenger A. Gregg Pulver by a narrow 929 votes last November, is looking at a possible challenge from county legislator Will Truitt, R-7, a familiar face on the Dutchess political scene. Truitt represents Hyde Park and the Town of Pleasant Valley, and currently serves as chairman of the legislature. While Truitt’s candidacy has not yet officially been declared, he concedes he’s in contention for the comptroller contest.

Said Truitt of the upcoming race, “I am honored and humbled to have my name in consideration for county comptroller … I look forward to the work we have to come in 2025, and I am excited to travel the county to speak with our neighbors about the road that lies ahead.”

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Ungardening: let nature take the lead

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Dee Salomon, “The Ungardener”

Provided

What if the best thing you could do for your garden this fall was a little less? On Sunday, Oct. 25, habitat advocate Dee Salomon, president of the Homegrown National Park board and “Ungardener” columnist for The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News, will explore how leaving leaves, removing invasive plants and encouraging native species can help restore biodiversity and provide essential habitat for birds and wildlife. Presented by the Salisbury Association Land Trust at Scoville Memorial Library in Salisbury, the talk will offer practical tips for gardens and woodlands of all sizes. 4:30 to 6 p.m. Registration required; waitlist available at scovillelibrary.org

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Photo by Graham Corrigan

Throngs of visitors crowd Amenia’s Main Street on Saturday, Oct. 17, for the town’s second annual Harvest Festival. The event filled downtown Amenia with vendors selling food, jewelry, trinkets, decor, books and art — and a stage on each end of the street filled the air with music.


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