The mission of the New Pine Plains Herald is to serve as a reliable online source of local news and information that has been carefully researched and reported. We intend to highlight events and developments in our town, cut through misinformation, stimulate thinking and informed action, and encourage honest and civil discourse on community matters.
As such, we have decided not to endorse any particular candidates in elections. But in the case of this year’s election of a Town Clerk in Pine Plains, we will throw our support to Madelin DaFoe who will appear as a candidate for both the Republican and Democratic parties.
Here’s what we learned about DaFoe when Mary Jenkins interviewed her on October 14:
Madelin DaFoe, candidate for Pine Plains Town Clerk:
Madelin DaFoe was born and raised in Pine Plains. In fact, she is part of the Chase family who settled here in the 1800’s. Because she cares deeply about the Pine Plains community, she feels that her current position as Town Clerk has been a good fit.
A devoted mother of two, DaFoe was “ready to re-enter the workforce once my kids got older”. In November of 2019, she was hired as the Pine Plains Deputy Town Clerk. The Town Clerk at that time, Judy Harpp, was her mentor. When Harpp retired in August 2021, DaFoe was appointed to the position. The Town Clerk is an elected four-year post, and DaFoe is the uncontested candidate on the ballot for the November 8 election.
The Town Clerk role encompasses a variety of important jobs including the safekeeping of all Town records, handling Freedom of information requests, and issuing death certificates. She provides hunting and dog licenses, handicapped parking permits, and DaFoe’s favorite: marriage licenses. “I love this, there’s so much happiness and excitement when couples come in for their marriage permits.” DaFoe is also certified as a Notary for the State, which is not a requirement as Town Clerk, but because she thought it would be of use to the Pine Plains community, she successfully completed the commissioning process.
DaFoe takes all these duties in stride. She says that her biggest challenge is keeping the minutes of the Town Board meetings. “I’m much better at it than I used to be, but I wish I was faster at transcribing!” She adds that she is always available to help with any pertinent questions or problems, and can easily be reached by phone or email (See www.pineplains-ny.gov). “I’m a people person, and helping folks in Pine Plains is the favorite part of my job.”