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A town's reaction to electing man who died a month ago

CHESTER -- Tuesday's election of Vincent Perry to the Chester Town Board left some residents puzzled Wednesday.

Perry, by all accounts well-liked, died more than a month before the election.

"I can't imagine myself why people were voting for someone deceased," said Robert Stetson, who was having lunch at the Deer Crossing restaurant. "They must have voted straight Republican. I can't believe they didn't know (he had died)."

Perry, who was a political newcomer, beat incumbent Barbara Repp, 259-214, winning one of two Town Board seats. Edna Wells, also an incumbent, won the other available seat with 484 votes.

The Town Board will now have to appoint someone to replace Perry until another election is held in November 2006.

When Perry died Oct. 5, it was too late to remove his name from the ballot.

But, Josh Smith, who was shopping at Stewart's, said he doubted people were unaware they were voting for a dead man. Smith was Perry's next door neighbor.

"Everyone knew," he said. "I'm not sure why they would do that."

The unusual election results were fodder for lunchtime conversation at the Deer Crossing.

"We were just talking about that. I think people probably voted a party, not a person," said Barbara Ciota, who served as an election inspector.

"I thought it was maybe a show of support for the person," Teddi Pereau said. "He was very well liked in the community."

Perry was a former Warren County Public Works employee and served with the Pottersville and Chestertown volunteer fire departments, as well as the Chestertown Emergency Squad.

Perry's niece, Rachael DuRose, who was shopping at Tops market, had an explanation for his posthumous victory.

"I think it was a respect issue," she said. "He was just a wonderful man, and I wanted to show him that last bit of respect."

She said her family was thrilled Perry had won. She hoped the Town Board would choose one of his backers to replace him.

She was surprised at the attention the election was getting.

"I didn't think it would be such a big deal," she said.

Man accused of stuffing chicken -- into pants

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- A 37-year-old Saratoga Springs man is accused of putting a roasted chicken in his pants as a means to steal it on Tuesday evening at the Price Chopper on Railroad Place in the city.

John Morahan, of 6-B Make Your Own Way, was charged with petit larceny, a misdemeanor, second-degree assault, a felony, and second-degree robbery, also a felony, in connection with the incident.

Saratoga Springs police Sergeant Michael Chowske said when the store manager approached Morahan about the chicken, Morahan bit the manager on the forearm.

Morahan was also charged with possession of a controlled substance outside of its container, a violation, for having medication not in its original packaging.

He was held in Saratoga County Jail on Wednesday evening for lack of $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bail bond.

New York Times Smears A Dead Marine

The NYT featured a letter found on the computer of Cpl Jeffrey Starr, obviously intended to be read after his death.  But they only bothered to print the one line from the letter that fits their politics.  The Times printed the following:

 

Sifting through Corporal Starr's laptop computer after his death, his father found a letter to be delivered to the marine's girlfriend. "I kind of predicted this," Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. "A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances."

Here is the actual letter that was on his laptop:

"Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."

As you can see, this puts quite a different spin on his letter.