Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

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.”

Latest News

Dinner with the dog

Dinner with the dog
Georgie, enjoying a late-summer “pup cup” on the porch at Grassland Dessert Cafe in Lakeville.
Natalia Zukerman

Dog owners know the dilemma: You’re out for the day with your four-legged sidekick when hunger strikes. Fortunately, a number of area restaurants, cafés and breweries welcome dogs, mostly at outdoor tables. Policies and outdoor seating can change with the season, so calling ahead is always a good idea.

The White Hart and Provisions in Salisbury is particularly pet-friendly. The inn welcomes pets on request, and its front porch and sprawling lawn make inviting places to settle in with a canine companion. They even welcome well-behaved patrons — bipedal and quadruped alike — in the cozy dining area.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

A day in the life of a rescue dog

A day in the life of a rescue dog

Marsala is eager to go home with you.

Jennifer Almquist

“It’s unbelievable that this sweet, loving boy hasn’t found his home yet,” said Tiffany Lemelin, shelter manager of The Little Guild, whose mission is to rescue, love and heal homeless cats and dogs. She smiled at the small dog wagging his tail. “This is one of the most deserving dogs you could ever meet, with so much love to give.”

Marsala is an energetic, 1-year-old, 45-pound black Labrador mix waiting to be adopted. He arrived March 25 as a stray named “Chicken” from Toccoa, Georgia.

Keep ReadingShow less

A second chance in Wingdale

A second chance in Wingdale

Sampson, a playful and independent blind hound mix, explores the rescue’s large yard.

L. Tomaino

Meade Canine Rescue and Sanctuary is not the average rescue. Situated on a quiet dirt road on 8 acres in Wingdale, the dogs living there are, for the most part, uncaged, roaming the yard, sleeping in the house, resting in the shade of a tree or lounging in the open van that often takes them for rides.

“We go on lots of adventures,” said the rescue’s founder, Charlotte Meade.

Keep ReadingShow less
The bear necessities of living in bear country

A bear outside Cornwall Consolidated School in West Cornwall.

D.H. Callahan
Take down bird feeders when bears are active. Secure garbage cans left outside, and never leave pet food or trash on porches, screened-in or otherwise.

This here is bear country. In fact, Connecticut has an unusually high rate of bear home entries compared with neighboring states. So far this year, the state has documented more than 60 home entries, and bears have been spotted in all 169 towns and cities.

Bears are also part of life in neighboring Dutchess County. But don’t worry. It’s not as bad as it sounds.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.