Local politics get muddy

HARLEM VALLEY — There have been several reports of vandalism to candidates’ signs in the last month, including those of Dawn Marie Klingner, who is running on the Democratic ticket for the position of town clerk in Amenia.

Sometime Saturday night Klingner discovered that between 10 and 15 of her campaign signs had been vandalized with red spray paint, according to a report filed with the state police.

Signs toward the south end of Amenia were hit, including ones posted outside Klingner’s house on her property.

“It’s awful,� she said Monday morning. “I feel bad for my children, and it’s been done by somebody here in their own town.�

Sergeant Michael Jaouen, stationed at the Dover state police barracks, said that the incident has been filed as criminal mischief, but that he would look into the matter with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to see whether a more significant charge is necessary.

Klingner’s signs were the only ones targeted, sometimes in the middle of a cluster of similar political signs. She took this as evidence that her campaign specifically is coming under fire.

“What’s awful for me is that [the signs were purchased] by monies donated to me for my campaign. They’ve attacked people in this town who supported me. It’s completely wrong.�

Jaouen said that incidents like this are “very rare,� and while it’s currently still under investigation he didn’t believe that the Klingners are in any danger.

Questions of residency

Meanwhile, in Pine Plains, Town Board candidate Rosemary Lyons-Chase has been subpoenaed after her town of residency came under question from local residents. Lyons-Chase owns a dairy farm that is intersected by the county line between Dutchess and Columbia. There are three houses on the property, and one of them is located in Columbia County.

Lyons-Chase, who said she has claimed residence and has been a registered voter in Pine Plains for the last 38 years, has previously served two terms on the Town Board. She will travel to the Supreme Court in Dutchess County tomorrow for the third time. The court will hear a sheriff deputy’s report on which house Lyons-Chase is claiming as residence.

“My hope is that everything will be cleared,� she said Monday morning. “I’m still on the ballots. Pine Plains is where I’ve spent quite a large amount of time. I’ve never had a question about where I resided.�

Meanwhile Mel Eiger, a candidate for the county Legislature, simply had his signs stolen last month.

Stolen Signs

Eiger said that because of what he calls “sign pollution,� he only put up a few signs in each town, and put a fair amount of money into making them slightly larger and more durable. Three signs were taken from along the Route 82 corridor between Stanford and Pine Plains.

Eiger responded humorously to the situation by posting new signs reading “You’re out of line when you steal my signs but I won’t resign.� However, those signs were stolen as well. He eventually offered a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

“I’m in the printing biz so don’t mess with me,� he said during a phone interview, adding that there hadn’t been anything out of the ordinary with his campaign since then. “They’d have to do a little more than that to get me off track.�

Klingner, however, has taken the incident a little more seriously.

“I have to leave the signs up because I don’t have any others,� she said. “But the Klingners will stand strong. This is not going to affect me running for town clerk.�

She added that she will be speaking to the Board of Elections and the District Attorney’s office.

“I’m not the first one in Dutchess County to undergo this,� she said. “And this is not something that’s just going to be settled. I do want to ask that if anyone in the area has seen anything, to report it to the state police. I have faith in them that they will catch the individual or individuals responsible.�

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