The mayor of the Village of Van Etten died on Monday morning as a result of injuries sustained at his home last month. 60-year-old Roger “Skip” Brown was hospitalized on December 15th after he fell off his roof. He suffered severe head injuries and had to be taken to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. Brown had not regained consciousness during his stay in the hospital but showed signs of improvement before he passed away on Monday. Brown had served as the mayor of the village, which has a population of about 530, for three years, and was halfway through his second two-year term. Deputy Mayor Jim Loomis will continue serving as deputy mayor, but he is unable to officially become mayor because he is also president of the Spencer-Van Etten school board. A new mayor will be elected during the village elections in March. In addition to voting for two trustee seats, residents will also vote for a mayor that will serve a one-year term, and would likely be seated immediately after the election. Roger Brown also owned C&S Automotive in Van Etten and served as a volunteer firefighter for the village.
