Victoria Perotti reflects on 18 years of service

Victoria Perotti reflects on 18 years of service

Victoria Perotti has served as part of Amenia’s Town Board, first as councilwoman and then as town supervisor, since 2006.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — Preparing to step away from her long service to the town’s administration, first as councilwoman and then as five-term town supervisor, Victoria Perotti agreed to an interview to reflect on her abundant commitment to public service that she termed a “calling.”

Perotti, who grew up in Amenia, was first elected councilwoman in 2006, then reelected to the position in 2010; then came the distinction of being elected to serve five consecutive two-year terms as town supervisor, a first in the town’s history.

“People care about each other and are willing to help in time of need,” Perotti said. Her approach to the position has always been the same: being accessible 24/7 and working hard to make the town affordable by keeping the taxes low.

Transitioning the former school building into today’s Amenia Town Hall to serve the town as a business office and community center was a major achievement, said Perotti.

Energy efficiency within the building was a priority, she said, describing the installation of a more efficient hot water heating system to replace two outdated steam boilers. Lighting was changed to LED and first-floor windows were replaced. The addition of heat pumps in offices added to efficiencies.

Completion of the Wassaic Trail to the Train project, assisted by an additional $250,000 grant, to enable train passengers to walk to the village of Wassaic from the MetroNorth station was another achievement cited by Perotti as contributing to economic growth in the hamlet.

But what she singled out as most important was the town’s successful negotiation with multiple state agencies to have 5 acres of land transferred to the Town of Amenia to facilitate the building of a new highway garage.

“Not used to having downtime,” Perotti said that she will use January and February to plan her next chapter. She added, however, that she will continue to support local organizations, including the VFW, Indian Rock Schoolhouse, Amenia Free Library, Amenia Historical Society and more, continuing her tradition of attending their fundraising events as they occur.

“I would like to see a safer walkable community in Amenia,” Perotti said of hopes for the town’s future. She recalled a recent meeting at Fountain Square with state Department of Transportation officials to explore ways to make that intersection safer. They agreed to adjust the stoplight’s timing to give pedestrians more time to cross the street. As a result of that meeting, they also agreed to add better signage and street markings to the Cumberland Farms crosswalk.

She also praised local business owners who are working together to make the community’s business district more attractive. Perotti says that she is very supportive of those efforts.

Perotti was proud that, during her tenure, the town saw new businesses open their doors, but importantly, had also retained its rural character.

A deep, lifelong devotion to the town will continue for Perotti as she nears the end of her current administrative duties, but not her unwavering commitment to Amenia, its businesses and its residents.

This year, Perotti earned enough town administration terms to achieve the status of Certified Town Official from the NYS Association of Towns.

Hard at work in her final days in office, however, Perotti stressed the importance of a smooth transition within the town supervisor’s office as she prepares to step down at the end of the year. Voters in a close November election (482-451) chose Leo Blackman of Wassaic to become town supervisor. He will assume those duties in early January.

Latest News

Housatonic students hold day of silence to protest ICE

Students wore black at Housatonic Valley Regional High School Friday, Jan. 30, while recognizing a day of silence to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Mia DiRocco

FALLS VILLAGE — In the wake of two fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota, students across the country have organized demonstrations to protest the federal agency. While some teens have staged school walkouts or public protests, students at Housatonic Valley Regional High School chose a quieter approach.

On Friday, Jan. 30, a group of HVRHS students organized a voluntary “day of silence,” encouraging participants to wear black as a form of peaceful protest without disrupting classes.

Keep ReadingShow less
County Legislator Chris Drago to host childcare forum in Pine Plains
The North East Community Center’s Early Learning Program shuttered abruptly last December after nonprofit leadership announced that significant financial strain required the program’s termination. NECC Executive Director Christine Sergent said the organization remains open to reconsidering childcare in the future.
Photo by Nathan miller

PINE PLAINS — Dutchess County Legislator Chris Drago, D-19, will host a public forum later this month to discuss ongoing childcare challenges — and potential solutions — facing families in Northern Dutchess. The discussion will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Stissing Center in Pine Plains and is free and open to the public.

Drago said the goal of the forum is to gather community feedback that can be shared with county and state stakeholders, as Dutchess County positions itself to benefit from $20 million in state funding as part of a new childcare pilot program.

Keep ReadingShow less
Proposed ICE facility in Chester faces regional opposition
A Google Street View image of the former Pep Boys warehouse on Elizabeth Drive in Chester, New York, where the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to
maps.app.goo.gl

A proposed deportation processing center in Chester, New York, has sparked widespread backlash from local residents and advocates across the Hudson Valley.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a public notice on Jan. 8 outlining the plan, which calls for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to purchase and convert a warehouse at 29 Elizabeth Drive in Chester “in support of ICE operations.” The facility, located in Orange County, is a former Pep Boys distribution warehouse that was previously used to store tires and auto parts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Extreme cold exposes warming center gaps 
in northeast Dutchess

Millerton's American Legion Post 178 on Route 44. Bob Jenks, who is involved in leadership at the legion, said the building could operate as an emergency warming shelter if North East or Millerton officials reached out with a need for one.

Photo by Nathan Miller

Much of New York state was pummeled with snow in late January, followed by a prolonged stretch of below-freezing temperatures and wind chills dipping as low as negative 15 degrees, prompting cold weather advisories urging people to stay indoors.

Despite the extreme cold, there are few clearly designated warming centers in the rural areas of northern or eastern Dutchess County, leaving residents in need with limited nearby options.

Keep ReadingShow less