Dutchess County Legislature Passes Partial, Temporary Gas Sales Tax $3 Cap

On April 13, 2026, the Dutchess County Legislature voted unanimously to pass a temporary and partial gas tax reduction at the pump. Effective June 1, 2026, sales tax on gasoline and highway diesel will be capped at $3/gallon. This means that the portion of the price of gas that exceeds $3 will not be taxed. For example: if gas is $3.50/gallon, then the first $3 will be taxed, but the remaining $.50 will not be. A deadline for this partial tax reduction was not included in the press release published by Dutchess County Chair Yvette Valdés Smith (D - Fishkill and Beacon). Legislator Michael Polasek (R-LaGrange) confirmed to ALBB that this gas tax reduction expires December 1, 2026..

In 2022, a similar temporary gas tax reduction was granted under a different administration. Introduced by then County Executive Marcus Molinaro (R), the cap was set to $2 and expired December 1, 2022, as per New York State Law. The law also requires that local taxes on gas be collected and cannot be eliminated, Molinaro explained in his press release at that time.

New York State sales tax on gas is 8.125% (it is 8.75% on New York State MCTD). Of that, each county decides which percentage or cents per gallon it takes from this tax. According to New York State’s March 2025 Local Sales and Use Tax Rates on Qualified Motor Fuel Highway Diesel Motor Fuel, and B20 Biodiesel, Dutchess County’s share is 3.75%.

Most counties use percentage, and most counties take 4% or above from that tax. Erie and Suffolk Counties, for instance, take 4.75%. Dutchess County takes below that at 3.75%. At this time, ALBB has not yet pursued why it is advantageous to residents of Dutchess County to take less than it is entitled from the state collected tax the county is required to collect.

Said Chair of the Dutchess County Legislature, Yvette Valdés Smith (D), who was the Minority Leader during the 2022 tax cap of $2 which was made in the name of fighting inflation: “As gasoline prices continue to surge as a consequence of the war in the Middle East, members of the Dutchess County Legislature are putting forward a resolution to cap the County's sales tax on gasoline and highway diesel at $3 per gallon. The proposal would prevent Dutchess County from collecting windfall tax revenue from residents who have seen gas prices rise more than 25% in recent weeks.”

The 2022 temporary gas tax cap was also voted on in April, taking effect June 1, and ending December 1 of that same year. That is because, as explained in former County Executive Molinaro’s press release: “New York State law states local sales tax enactments of this kind can take effect only on March, June, September or December 1st of any year and a certified copy of the local enacted resolution must be transmitted to the State at least 90 days prior to the effective date.”

After the Legislature met to vote to advance the gas tax reduction, Dutchess County Legislator Chair Yvette said: “The hardworking people of Dutchess County are hurting. The leadership of the Republican federal administration has been a disaster for everyone who’s not a millionaire or a billionaire. Whether it’s tariffs driving up the cost of goods, disastrous energy and environmental policies skyrocketing our energy and utility bills, or irresponsible and downright dangerous foreign policy like the War in Iran, which has caused our gas prices to go up more than a dollar in barely a month. This Legislature cannot allow the County to profit off of the people’s pain.”

Several Democrats were quoted in the 2026 press release, but no Republicans were quoted, nor was current County Executive Sue Serino (R). As a Senator, Serino consistently resisted taxes on gas and other driving mechanisms such as registrations and licenses. In fact, in 2021, Serino led a campaign to “Trash The Gas Tax.”

“Suspending the gas tax could save average New Yorkers hundreds of dollars each year,” said Senator Serino in 2021. “For too long, state government has turned a blind eye and put blame squarely on the shoulders of the federal government when it comes to increased costs on necessities like gas and home heating oil, but the reality is there are steps the state can take to provide immediate relief to hardworking New Yorkers who are being charged more just to get to work, take their children to school or daycare, or operate their businesses. It is far past time for the politicians in Albany to hear the concerns of their constituents and do what they can to provide relief now.”

Sounds like both sides of the isle are saying the same thing on the gas tax.

Back to present, County Legislator Emma Arnoff (D-LaGrange) stated of the 2026 temporary $3 gas cap: “Out-of-control gas prices are crushing constituents who are already struggling with rising electricity costs, rent, and interest rates.”

This morning, A Little Beacon Blog reached out to every Republican Legislator, as well as County Executive Sue Serino for comment. Michael Polasek (R-LaGrange), Minority Leader responded: “We supported the gas tax holiday as a starting point, because even modest relief matters to families who are struggling with rising costs. But we also believe we need to have serious discussions about more meaningful affordability measures that could provide greater impact for residents. That’s why it was disappointing that the proposal supporting a utility tax and surcharge holiday was not placed on this month’s agenda for consideration. At a time when families are feeling real pressure from energy costs, every reasonable idea deserves an open discussion.”

Sue Serino’s office responded with her quote: “I signed the gas tax cap legislation into law to provide residents with some relief from rising gas prices. While the County has little control over prices at the pump, we are working to do what we can to provide some relief to people who are feeling the effects of a volatile market.”

How This Will Work For Consumers At The Pump

In terms of how this will work for the consumer at the pump, ALBB asked County Executive Sue Serino’s office to expand upon how the sales tax will be lowered for the consumer, since New York State collects the gas sales tax, and then distributes to the counties.

“The State’s Department of Taxation & Finance will notify gas stations of the change and the stations will adjust the sales tax rate in their point of sale systems. It is important to remember that sales tax has several components – the State portion 4%, Dutchess County’s portion 3.75% and in our county, the MTA portion .375%, which total the full 8.125% rate. The State and MTA portion will remain.”

City of Beacon Fires Highway Department Employee One Day After He Files Harassment Complaint

On January 7th, 2026, the City of Beacon fired Highway Department employee James (aka Jimmy or Jim) Cottrell one day after he submitted a formal Discriminatory Harassment Complaint to the City of Beacon, received by the City’s Human Resource Director, Sara Morris on January 6th, 2026.

Jimmy was hired by the City of Beacon on December 19th 2022 as a Motor Equipment Operator, according to the Resolution appointing him. This date is also on his Letter of Recommendation that his supervisor and Highway Department Superintendent of Streets, Michael (Mickey) Manzi wrote when hiring James. In that letter, the hiring of James was due to a “recent resignation,” though the name of the person who resigned was not given.

One Highway Department resignation that year was from Edward (Eddie) McNair from the same position of Motor Equipment Operator, who resigned effective April 25, 2022 due to unresolved “racial issues” and “forms of retaliation,” according to Eddie’s resignation letter submitted to the City of Beacon’s HR Director Sara Morris that A Little Beacon Blog has seen. Eddie is also known in the community as a coach for Beacon Hoops and the middle school boys basketball team, among other involvements.

James Cottrell’s Termination Letter Packet from the City of Beacon dated January 6, 2026.

James’ Discriminatory Harassment Complaint form was submitted to Beacon’s HR Director Sara through the window at Town Hall, and hand-stamped to have been received on 1/6/2025. However, James submitted it on 1/6/2026, the day before he was terminated. He received a text from Sara saying that she received the complaint, but wondered if the hand-written typo was an error or on purpose. That was the last he heard from the City of Beacon about his complaint.

The next correspondence James received was his Termination Letter the following day 1/7/2026, attached to a thick stack of charges of Misconduct and/or Incompetence against him. A picture of that letter has been published here.

James’ First Days On THe JOb In The Highway Department

The complaint James made was for “workplace harassment and retaliation” that occurred throughout his employment, he alleges. Six examples were listed in his complaint. These are listed in short here, and expanded upon for detail further down in this article:

• Radio Harassment

• Continued Targeting

• Unequal Enforcement of Rules

• Green Street Park Incident (involved tree stump removal and best practice)

• Misuse of City Equipment

• Unequal Treatment in Timekeeping Policy Enforcement

In his first days on the job, Jimmy told ALBB that his boss, the Superintendent of Streets, Mickey Manzi, approached him in person to say hello. “He came over to welcome me aboard and everything, saying ‘Good to have you here, and just watch out for the guy Reuben Simmons, when you meet him.’” James thought that welcome message was odd.

“I just looked at him,” James told ALBB, “and I said ‘What?’ And I was just thinking that you would think that the boss would want me to get along with all the coworkers there. That’s not something a boss should say to a new employee.”

ALBB has written about Reuben Simmons before, who faced his own combinations of harassment of retaliation by employees in the City of Beacon, including attempted termination, being put on administrative leave without pay during Overtime Season (snow plowing) in January 2021, and ongoing filings of disciplinary charges: “Black Highway Department Employee & Community Organizer Put On 30-Day Unpaid Leave Since January 2021” This period was during the first new days of City Administrator Chris White’s first days on the job, who just recently unexpectedly retired.

After working in the Highway Department for a bit, James did meet Reuben and they did become friends. As did another co-worker, Chris Servedio, who told ALBB that he was told the same thing by his boss Mickey when he was hired. The friendship between these employees, and another co-worker, Kyle Sacket, became, in James’ opinion, a point of tension for their boss Mickey and other employees in not only the Highway Department, but with an employee in the Water Department as well.

Where James Alleges The Targeting and Harassment Stems From

James alleges that the retaliation he says he experienced is rooted in crosshairs with friendships, which caused a combination of an unequal application of employment rules, “bashing” on the department radio and in meetings, and an overall uncomfortable work environment.

“It's all a baby stuff to me,” James told ALBB. “And I don't want to be a part of it. I even told Mickey that in a meeting. So basically, Employee A started not liking me because I became friends with Kyle, and Mickey didn't like me because Employee A doesn't like me now because I became friends with Kyle, and that's kindergarten stuff. I told Mickey, 'I don't want to be a part of it.’ So basically, this is where it all started, and then they were just bashing me.'"

Over the course of his employment, Jimmy served through what he said was a “toxic work environment.” On his formal complaint outlined below, four co-workers signed on to be witnesses and speak publicly about this situation: Chris Servedio, Ruben Simmons, Zach Ross, and Kyle Sacket.

Before we get into the Charges of Misconduct And/Or Incompetence, some context must be presented:

The City of Beacon’s Pattern Of Termination By Numerous Alleged Misconduct and/Or Incompetence Charges

The pattern of attempted termination by stack of Misconduct and Incompetence charges was first noticed by ALBB when longtime Highway Department employee Reuben Simmons was put on unpaid leave in January 2021, two years after his position of Highway Superintendent was dissolved in part with efforts from current Superintendent of Streets Michael Manzi who replaced him. This was revealed in Reuben’s arbitration hearings when he was disputing his termination. Charges against Reuben at that time were later dropped. But new charges would be made, followed by new disciplinary actions.

In January 2021, Reuben declined to sign a statement from City Administrator Chris White that he would resign, or agree to let the City of Beacon terminate him for any reason, according to documents that ALBB has seen and reported on that year. Reuben went on to advocate for himself through arbitration hearings. He eventually won, in that he did not get fired and is still currently employed, though continues to face employment challenges.

During that time, ALBB reported on cited tensions in the Highway Department here: “Beacon’s New HR Director (Gina Basile) Hears From City Employees About Discrimination, Inequality, Growing Tensions; Suggests Solutions; Begins With Highway Department.”

Gina then left her position within the year without the issues she brought up being resolved, according to employees in the Highway Department. Gina was replaced by Sara Morris, who is Beacon’s HR Director today.

During Reuben’s unpaid leave, City Administrator Chris banned Reuben from speaking to any Highway Department employees or touching any property of the City of Beacon during work hours.

After the City of Beacon extended his unpaid leave by another 30 days (but had to pay him for those, as per CSEA Union rules) Chris put Reuben on a second unpaid leave later that June 2021, while Reuben fought in arbitration hearings to keep his job. Reuben was placed back into employment, but was isolated in the Street Sweeper truck, where he is only connected to other employees via walkie-talkies.

A suspected $111,000 of City of Beacon’s budget was allocated to pay the City’s legal efforts to terminate Reuben during that process under Chris White’s recommendation. Reuben’s efforts to keep his job continue as new actions by City Administrator Chris continue.

ALBB ITSELF WAS ALSO Banned By City Administrator Chris For Saying “Hot Mess” In Headline Of Article in 2021

After ALBB published that article series, which included “During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement,” Beacon’s City Administrator Chris scolded Katie at ALBB via email, and declined to answer any more of her questions unless he could have editorial control over her word-choice in articles (see his letter to her at the bottom of this article here).

Chris went so far as to ban every City Department head from answering Katie’s questions for other reporting (not even to answer a summer paving schedule when Katie served as the Spirit of Beacon Chair), according to several department heads, including Mark Price (Parks and Recreation Director), former Chief of Police Sands Frost, and then Lt. Tom Figlia who is now the Chief of Police.

Who Is James (Jimmy) Cottrell?

According to his resume attached to the Resolution hiring him in 2022, James is a “self-starter, physically fit and strong.” His specialty and passion is climbing trees and evaluating them before trimming or removing them and grinding the stumps. He owns Cottrell’s Tree Service, where he ran a crew of workers when not serving in municipal Highway Departments.

James was a Tree Trimmer for Yorktown Highway Department, and assumed the position as foreman in their absence. He operated and taught coworkers, how to operate excavators, skid, steers, brush hogs skidder buckets. This, while he served as a main climber and taught crews how to operate equipment like bucket trucks, and how to climb trees safely and properly.

He got his start at Lewis Tree Service in Westchester County from 2004-2016, where he developed operational knowledge of using stump grinders, a stump router, forklift and bobcat.

James had since been terminated by the time the Highway Department took down the fallen tree during a violent storm last month, so ALBB does not know his impression on if proper safety measures were taken, or if a professional tree removal crew should have been hired.

When Did The Alleged Harassment and Targeting Of James Start?

James said it started early when one Employee A began not liking him. Then James became friends with Kyle, which James said caused tension between him and his new boss Mickey. James told ALBB: “So basically, Employee A started not liking me because I became friends with Kyle, and Mickey didn't like me because Employee A doesn't like me now because I became friends with Kyle, and that's kindergarten. I told Mickey, ‘I don't want to be a part of it,’ you know? So basically, this is where it all started.”

After several incidents, James filed complaints with his union representative, Jordan Rider. One impressionable time for James was when he was driving the truck during snowplowing. The Highway Department came in during a storm and were plowing at 10pm through the night. “The next morning,” James told ALBB and Jordan for her union paperwork: “everybody's out getting breakfast at 9 o'clock in the morning, and I was one of them. I have to eat too. So Employee A drives by and he sees me at Bob's. Employee A gets on the radio. He's like, ‘Oh, I see Jim getting a breakfast sandwich at Bob's, 9 o'clock in the morning.‘ Meanwhile, we're supposed to be plowing. Meanwhile, we've been out since 10 o'clock at night.”

Before continuing, there are two things to know about snowplowing:

1. “Areas” Highway Department employees are assigned to “areas” of town that they are responsible for. These are unofficial grids that even former Mayor Randy Casale enforced when he was Highway Superintendent for 16 years (Randy is who appointed Rueben to the Superintendent Role role after Zep Thomesalli retired, and before Mickey Manzi’s involvement to kick Reuben out of that department head position). Randy confirmed to ALBB that these invisible grids are not formed or regulated by the union or any other entity. Just neat and tidy attempts to organize the crew. These “areas” have since been used against employees like James and Reuben when collecting charges of Misconduct and/or Incompetence, if they are to venture out of the area. Like to Bob’s Corner Store instead of Mr. V’s, if Mr. V’s is in the “area” of that employee.

2. Radio Walkies: Everyone can hear on the radio, including Reuben when he’s in the Street Sweeper truck being kept away from other employees. Though usually in the winter he is “allowed” to drive the snowplow truck. Dutchess County can also hear dialogue on the radio, which is recorded. Both later commented about how unprofessional this radio interaction about a breakfast sandwich was.

James continued with his story in an interview with ALBB: “I call Employee A on the phone, and he doesn't answer. Then I call him an hour later. I said, ‘Employee A, is this really necessary?’ I was like, ‘This is not kindergarten. I'm not dealing with this. Why would you want to do that?' I'm hungry and I'm getting breakfast.’

“Employee A was like, ‘Well you're out of your area.’

“I was like, ‘My area is a quarter mile down the road and there’s a deli up the road from my plower area. What are you talking about?’

“Employee A said, ‘Well, you know, you shouldn't be going out of your area.’

“I was like, ‘So I should starve. What's this really about?’”

“So this is the stuff like the petty stuff that Mickey was doing. Another example is when Mickey would go over to radio. All the roads would be black. He'd go on the radio purposely to make me look like an ass. He’d be like, ‘Jim, your plow is not down.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, that's because the road is black Mickey, and, uh, you know, it's, it's not snowing right now.’”

What Are The January 7, 2026 Termination Charges Against James?

There are nine charges total, presented in full below, that were in his Termination packet, which was signed by Mayor Lee Kyriacou:

Charges 1: “On [specific date], you called out of work without having enough accrued time resulting in your use of unpaid time without authorization.”

Charges 2, 4, 5 and 6 were more specific: “On August 28, 2025, you were absent from work and disregarded a counseling and/or memo from the Superintendent of Streets, Michael Manzi, without having enough accrued time resulting in your use of unpaid time without authorization.”

Charge 3 had to do with the punching in the timeclock: “On October 24, 2025, you were late to work and failed to follow a directive from the Superintendent of Streets Michael Manzi, when you asked another employee to punch you into work on your time card at 6:59am when you were not at work, engaging in theft of time and/or public money.”

James concedes to ALBB that these instances did happen. He says there are more charges than these examples, which an employee would need to dispute each one with proof and paperwork to absolve them.

When being terminated by the City of Beacon, the employee has the right to object to the notice of termination and statement of charges by filing a grievance within 8 days or exercising their rights under Section 75 and/or 76 of the Civil Service Law. James opted to pursue rejecting the charges.

Elaboration On Charge Of Earned Time Off (ETO) and Approved Time Off

In some situations, the charges of Misconduct are debatable, and are rooted in technicalities that his boss Mickey has discretion to wave or pass charges on. For example, James told ALBB, he gained verbal approval from Mickey on being able to leave for an appointment with his attorney (James was going through a divorce at the time), but James neglected to get a note from the attorney, which then counted as the unapproved leave as a charge of Misconduct or Incompetence, though he had verbal approval of it, but forgot to follow through on the attorney note as evidence.

In another example, James told ALBB that he requested time off for an appointment with the ETO (Earned Time Off) he earned from overtime in snowplowing, but Mickey denied him the privilege of using his ETO for the time off. “He denied me on that ETO,” James told ALBB, “but he granted ETO to a new guy who had been there three months who also accrued the time. I had accrued the time in overtime I completed that year, but Mickey said that in a previous year’s bracket, it was off. I told Mickey I’ve been here 3 years and this guy has been here 3 months and this is a new year. Mickey told me ‘don’t worry about it,’ and did not grant me my ETO for my appointment.”

Elaboration on Time-Card Punch-In or Out

As for the punching in or out on the time-card charge, that issue was in James’ Discriminatory Harassment Complaint, as he alleges that he witnessed this policy be enforced selectively, with other employees punching in and out for each other without getting penalized.

James said that after 2 years of his alleged ongoing discrimination and harassment, one time of having someone else punch him in on the time clock was reported. "There was a notice up there on the time clock that said nobody could punch anybody in or out on the time clock. Sometimes when someone was like 6 minutes late, someone called someone, saying, 'Hey, can you punch me in?' So, I mean, I’m not saying it's right. But everybody was doing it.”

When ALBB asked if the notice had always been up there, James answered that it got put there because so many employees in the department were doing it, including the person who made the initial observation complaint to the boss Mickey. “The notice went up because, Employee P, the mechanic and Union Shop Steward at the Highway Department, went to Mickey to tell him he saw it happening. But Employee P was doing it as well. So that didn’t make sense. After the sign went up, Employee P still did it, as did other employees. In fact, one employee regularly comes in to work 30 minutes late, and nothing is said about that.”

James continued: “Three weeks later, another guy who was doing it before starts doing the same thing already again, having somebody punch him out because he wanted to leave 15 minutes later. I'm like, 'What the heck's going on here?' So, a few weeks later, I had my buddy punch me in because I was running like, I don't know, 4 minutes later or something. I should have just took it on the chin and not even asked him the favor, but I asked him, he's like, yeah, sure, I'll punch you in. Everybody else was still doing it. But then Employee P, the guy who was also doing it and first reported it before the sign went up, reported me after the sign went up. And it seems he reported only me and no one else.”

James got called down to City Hall to have a meeting with Mickey. “I get called down to City Hall, and the other guy did not. I'm said, 'What's this about?' and Mickey said 'Somebody punched you in. We got you on camera.'“

James explained to ALBB that the room with the time clock in it had no camera, but they may have seen him drive in his truck. “I'm like, 'Everybody else was doing it, and you didn't call them out.' He told me it doesn't matter. So I said 'So you're still targeting me.' And Mickey said 'I didn't say that.' So we had another meeting about me being targeted. Nothing got done.”

He told ALBB: “I went to Jordan and I went over all this stuff, dating back for like 2 years of all the bashing that came to me and all the targeting. We went over it and she wrote all the notes of all the bad stuff that happened. But nothing got done about it. We had a meeting with the CSEA representative Jordan and Scott Hughes, our Highway Department employee union president, Beacon’s HR Director Sara, and Mickey Manzi, Beacon’s Highway Superintendent of Streets. In that meeting, I said: ‘You guys are targeting me.’ Mickey said ‘No, no.’ I was like: ‘I'm telling you, in front of Jordan and Scott, that you are, because you know you are, and you're denying it right now in front of me and them. It’s got to stop.”

The First Reporting Of Alleged Employee Recording

James told ALBB of the first time he reported what he says was an employee videoing other employees. "When the Mickey doesn't like somebody,” James said, “he wants you fired and he'll do everything he can in his power to do it. Even though you're out doing your job. So then you gotta do your job and then look over your shoulder. With Mickey, you got Employee A from the Water Department. He's his buddy out there. He also got Employee RK. Foreman. He was actually filming my buddy, Chris Servedio. Employee RK was Mickey's crony for videoing us to make sure we're out not doing anything wrong, which we weren't.

"Finally, I said in the last meeting that I had with Jordan, the union rep, and Scott Hughes, the employee union president, and then Mickey and Sara. I said: 'You guys are aware that Employee RK videoed us, right, for 2.5 years now?'

"Mickey's like, 'No, I'm not aware of that.'

"So I said: 'I'm telling you right now.'

Mikey's like: 'Well, he's not.'

"I'm like: 'No, I'm telling you he is.'

"He's like: 'Oh, you have an example?'

"I was like: 'Yeah, Mickey, I do.' And Sara is there looking at me all wide-eyed, waiting for an answer. I was like: 'Here's the example: 2 weeks ago. Chris was sitting in his dumptruck taking his 10 minute break from 9-9:10am while collecting Bags and Brush over at Forestall School where the little Central Hudson driveway is, not doing anything wrong. Employee RT passes him, comes back, has his phone out and he's videoing Chris taking his break.' And I tell Mickey that, he's like: 'Ah, I'm not aware of that happened.'

"I was like: 'Well, I'm making you aware in this meeting and I'm making all you aware of what's going on.'

"And then Scott was like: 'I didn't know what was going on.' And I said: 'Yeah, you don't even know the half of it.’”

James concluded in his interview with ALBB: “After I said all that in the meeting, he stopped videoing us. But after I brought it up in the meeting, they told me to video him back to get proof. I just left it alone. I was filmed about 20 times and saw him. Filmed me when I was with him and not with him. Pretty crazy environment out there. I tell you, it's very toxic."

James’ Complaint One Month Prior To Being Terminated About Being Recorded by An Employee Wearing Video Glasses

On December 10, 2025, one month before filing his next set of complaints, James filed a formal workplace complaint regarding a different unauthorized recording of him by a second person, Employee RB, thus causing a hostile work environment, he said in his complaint.

His letter read:

To Whom It May Concern,

James Cottrell’s letter of complaint about being recorded without his consent by a fellow employee wearing video recording glasses.

I am submitting this letter as a formal complaint regarding ongoing concerns about potential unauthorized recording in the workplace and the discomfort and distress it has caused me. I was assigned to work with co-worker Employee RB. I observed Employee RB wearing a pair of glasses that I believed may have contained a recording device. While we were completing our tasks, he questioned me about the route I was taking in a manner that made me further suspect I was being recorded.

Previously, Employee RB informed me that his former supervisor in the Water Department, Employee RK, had recorded multiple employees of the Highway Department, including myself. I have already raised this matter with Superintendent Manzi and HR Director Sara Morris.

At the end of the workday, I observed Employee RB in Superintendent Manzi’s office, which further heightened my concerns that I may have been the subject of discussion without my knowledge.

Today, December 10, 2025, when I reported to work, I again saw Employee RB in the time clock hallway wearing the same glasses. I directly asked him if he was recording me and noted that it was very dark day outside (overcast). The incident proceeded into the restroom where he stated to me that “Employee C is wearing glasses” and followed that by saying: “I can do what I want.”

Being recorded without my knowledge or consent makes me extremely uncomfortable and creates a work environment that feels hostile, unsafe, and intimidating. I do not feel this behavior is appropriate or acceptable in the workplace.

I am requesting that this matter be formally investigated and that steps be taken to ensure that no employee is being recorded without explicit consent or a clear, authorized purpose. Additionally, I ask for assurance that I will not be subjected to retaliation for bringing this concern forward.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am available to provide additional information or a statement as needed.

James’ Second Set Of Complaints

The following complaints were submitted by James to the City of Beacon’s HR Director Sara Morris on January 6, 2026, one day before he was terminated.

In his complaint, James wrote:

“This matter was previously raised with my Labor Relations Specialist in the CSEA Union, Jordan Rider. At that time, I was informed that a meeting would be scheduled with the City of Beacon to address these concerns. As of today, no such meeting has taken place. Since raising these issues, I believe I have experienced retaliation and have frequently felt unconformable and distressed coming to work throughout the year. Below is a summary of the incidents talked about with the Union on April 8th, 2025 forming the basis of my complaint:

• Winter 2023 - Radio Harassment:
  While on the radio, Employee A from the Water Department stated, “Looks like we have another J. P. on our hands,” referring to me. When I asked what that meant, I was told that “J.P.” was viewed as being “slow,” which I took as an insult. Following this, both Employee A and Mickey made fun of me over the radio. This was particularly upsetting as it occurred publicly in front of coworkers and others with access to the radio system.

• Winter 2023 - Continued Targeting:
  During the same winter, Mickey and I exchanged words over the radio regarding plowing operations. I believe this incident escalated the situation and contributed to me being further targeted.

• Spring 2024 - Unequal Enforcement of Rules
  I was counseled for dropping my children off in a City vehicle. However, in early Spring 2023, I personally observed Employee A dropping children off at Sargent School using a Water Department truck. This inconsistent enforcement made me feel singled out.

• Summer 2023 - Green Street Park Incident
  I was asked to assist Employee C with a rotten tree at Green Street Park. When I arrived, Employee SG and Employee C were present. It was clear that the City did not have the proper equipment to safely handle the job, and I expressed concerns about safety.
  Employee C then made a joke along the lines of ‘Yeah, and we’re not going to do that for $29 an hour,’ which I laughed at.
  When I returned to the shop, I was called into a Meeting with Mickey and reprimanded for allegedly refusing the job and joking about pay. I explained that I did not refuse the job, that my concerns were about safety and lack of equipment, and that I did not make the joke, Employee C did. Despite this, Employee C was not spoken to or disciplined. Again, I felt unfairly targeted.

• Winter 2024 - Misuse of City Equipment
  At the beginning of Winter 2024, I observed Employee R plowing his personal driveway with a City truck.

• Timekeeping Policy Enforcement - 2025
  Mickey informed all employees that no one is permitted to punch in or out for another employee, and a notice was posted above the time clock. Since that announcement, I have observed Employee S having other employees punch him in and out when he arrives late or leaves early, without apparent consequence.

Taken together, these incidents demonstrate a pattern of harassment, unequal enforcement of policies, and retaliation after I raised concerns. This has negatively affected my work environment and my comfort and well-being at work. I respectfully request a formal investigation, a meeting to discuss these matters, and appropriate corrective action to ensure a fair, respectful, and non-retaliatory workplace.

Thank you for your time and attention to this serious matter. I am willing to cooperate fully with any investigation.

Sincerely,
James Cottrell - Motor Equipment Operator
City of Beacon

James was fired the next day.

What Happened To James After He Was Terminated?

James was escorted out of the the Highway Department building by City Administrator Chris White and Mickey Manzi. Being called down to meetings throughout his employment "felt like an interrogation," James told ALBB. "Like if you're at a state trooper barracks or something. Pretty crazy stuff. I actually never been involved in this ever in my life, with a job. Never even got fired. This is the 1st time," James told ALBB.

"But I learned a lot. I tell you that, and you know, Ruben schooled me on a lot of things. He used to be the employee union president for the Highway Department years ago. He encouraged me to go to union meetings about harassment and interrogation. There was a certificate you could get, so I got the certificate. I thought I needed to, the way they are here."

James told ALBB that he hung his certificate on his mailbox in the Highway Department, "Just so Mickey could see it too. That I went to one of them classes."

Does James still have the certificate? "I was going to leave it there, but I knew they were just going to throw in the garbage when they terminated me because they walked me out to my truck, you know, like I was some kind of criminal. They sure did escort me out, and they meant business. But I think that's standard procedure anyway."

James thought about it a minute. “I wasn’t even mad or upset when it happened. I knew it was for the better, that I had to get out of there. My time was up.”

To see what “meaning business” could look like, a few years ago, Chris White had a memorable moment putting his hands on a local Beacon activist who was protesting the Palestinian genocide in the Veterans Building, which you can see here and watch video. A complaint was made against Chris by NYCLU for violating the Open Meeting’s Law as Chris called for the arrest of citizens and blocked their sign.

Those familiar with the employment situation in the Highway Department tell ALBB that Chris Servedio has since quit, as he felt he was next to be fired. The City has since posted for the position, but one applicant allegedly never showed, another did not want the position, and the third applicant did not have the required license.

James has since accepted a new position as Laborer for the Village of Sleepy Hollow in Westchester County. “It’s a normal work environment!!” he explained to ALBB.

On March 16th, City Administrator Chris White, age 56, announced his retirement, which Mayor Lee Kyriacou stated in a later meeting was sooner than expected. Chris White’s last day was going to be in this summer in June, but yesterday, it was revealed that he has taken a leave of absence and will not return to his job.

This week, James’ attorney with the CSEA, Bill Burke, informed James that the City of Beacon is willing to drop all of the charges and pay out the 5 personal days and 2 weeks vacation owed to him for “falsely terminating” him.

This is a developing story. Another article will be published soon about a different situation James was involved in that relates to workplace safety.

ALBB Goes Into Hyper Focus Mode To Fine-Tune Branding; From Baby Blocks to Chickens to Fonts

The time has come to tweak the logo again at A Little Beacon Blog. As ALBB publishes harder news stories and communicates with Communication Directors and Crisis Manager PR firms hired by companies we may write articles about, ALBB needed to make sure the logo is locked in to handle the responses from readers, companies and municipalities.

While maintaining the friendly, fresh air feel ALBB is known for. Might debate the word “friendly,” since people who don’t like certain articles will turn around that word to demand ALBB be more “nice.” Since ALBB has picked up the nickname La Diabla Blanca after this article, we’ll stick with “breath of fresh air.”

Plus, people request ALBB’s Media Kit. Which is a respectable and professional thing to do. We’ve just always had advertising pricing on the Media Kit web page. But people want it in a PDF. Like a book. Therefore. This has resulted in a pause in writing in order for visual thinking to take over and get this done.

Hyper Focus Mode Activated

Some who know me (Katie) behind the scenes know that I have been working on this Media Kit for years and years. There is a weird mental block to finishing it. “Hyper Focus Mode” means that everything else pauses. All article writing stops (except for emergencies, like snow plowing or water main breaks). Blaze Gomez over at News 12 has it covered in the ICE facility in Chester, NY, so we will run a catch-up article on the nonsense in Chester, NY (Orange County) that has been transpiring there.

It is very frustrating to not write the articles, because you want The Beacon News. And so do we. Additionally, ALBB clients want their ideas for advertising messages delivered to you in a way that you love and value. Bouncing around creative corners of my mind is my specialty. It is a trait I have embraced as a gift. To pour into everyone. Other people’s success does bring me such joy.

But the time has come to fill my own cup. To secure my own self financially. And that begins in branding.

Therefore…To Instagram! “Readers: What Do You Think!?”

I took it to Instagram. Uploading a video of WIP (Work In Progress) is instantaneous at Instagram. First thoughts go there sometimes.

First step was to address the cursive in the logo. I love cursive. I write in cursive. Cursive is a dying script in this country, leaving it unreadable to many. I find this a benefit. If I write in cursive, it can be my secret language.

The logo currently uses the font called Very Berry. Which is very “cutesy". While A Little Beacon Blog’s logo originated in extreme cutesy, it graduated to be primarily black, via use of a chalkboard black, to sync with chalkboard signs out on the sidewalks that businesses use. More of a sophisticated look.

In the present time, I am keeping this base of black. And the name. But I took to change the font. Which generated some reader response (scroll down):

One longtime reader, after seeing the above video at Instagram, wrote in moments later to cling to the original font. “There will be chaos!!” they said. “Why fix what ain’t broke?”

Point taken. But is it working? Are the logo and fonts working? Now that we are swimming with more sharks? Now that a newspaper (Times Union) actually refused to publish (and deleted!) the article about how some anonymous letter writer targeted 20+ businesses in Beacon, demanding they protest A Little Beacon Blog after we started covering Palestine?

(If you didn’t know about this, no worries…I didn’t publish it…I was too afraid of too many things to publish it…but this article will be published soon…)

The main takeaway from the reader’s warning of the font change was…Wow. The readers do care, and do feel that A Little Beacon Blog’s brand identity is part of their own. This is a heart-moving moment.

A Little Beacon Blog’s Original Logo Circa 2011 - Baby Blocks and Chickens

To ease the fear of the transition, I realized it is time to remind current readers of A Little Beacon Blog’s original logo. Only my mother may remember this logo, and when I wanted to change it, believe me, she lamented the change. This is back when A Little Beacon Blog was based in Blogger, which was Google’s free blog platform. When I changed the logo, I also changed the platform to Squarespace. We ported the content from Blogger to Squarespace and continued on.

The original logo was inspired by the blocks of art down by the Beacon train station that welcomed people leaving the train station. I was mildly obsessed with the letter blocks at the time.

A Little Beacon Blog took inspiration from those art blocks, to create baby blocks (pictured below). I had just had my first baby. Baby Brain was in full swing, and I was surrounded by gorgeously illustrated baby books.

The letter blocks sat on undeveloped property owned by a friend of then Councilperson George Mansfield. Through that arrangement, an art installation of the blocks was created. But when the developer was ready to build what is now the townhouse apartments on that land, the art blocks were removed.

As you can see from the video below of the original logo, the font was quite sophisticated. A sharp serif for the letters in the blocks, and a grown-up script that you might find on a fancy menu for the letters outside of the blocks.

I reassured the reader that I was not changing the name, but was tweaking the font.

“The font must be legible.”

True. True. However. People have taken A Little Beacon Blog to be their own. They have abbreviated it. Some called it “Little Beacon Blog” or “LBB.” This is an acronym I never imagined. People for years have been calling it “The Beacon Blog.” Which is an amazing honor, because how can we be The One!

One reader said, when the tipping point just began several years ago: “I guess you won’t be so little anymore.” I took that to heart, because while A Little Beacon Blog might and does grow, my fascination with little details that lead into big things remains.

Therefore, a question: does the word “little” have significance here? Would people miss it if the word “little” was omitted? I mean. I go back and forth on this. I love the word “little” in here. But. It does undermine the blog. I invites people to beat it up. On the other hand, that can serve advantageous as people underestimate it.

Therefore. The name will not change.

However, part of the name may hide in the cursive font for those of us who know what it says.

Another longtime ALBB reader responded to this video and wrote in: “I don’t remember this logo.” The reader is a formerly quoted reader who’s blog name is Citizen Cowboy. “Were there always chickens?”

Yes. There were always chickens in ALBB’s logo. There were always chickens because upon first moving here, when looking at houses, roosters could be heard in the distance. “People have backyard chickens,” the realtor said upon entering one of the houses for sale as a rooster crowed in the distance.

Backyard chickens seemed neat. I currently still get farm fresh eggs from someone who became a website and advertising client years after I first met her. So the chickens stay in the logo.

“The letter blocks look like your house,” Citizen Cowboy continued.

“It’s true,” I replied. “I painted my first baby’s room the robins egg blue with the brown scallops. I was putting scallops on everything.”

So that’s it. That’s the Origin Story of A Little Beacon Blog’s logo evolution.

What is super new in this logo is the addition of the green highway sign that is a nod to the Old Exit 11. Still pondering if that fits or not.

Onward to the tweaking of other elements of it.

Free Winter Coat Community Giveaway Jan. 10th From Beacon High School Student Council

I Am Beacon has announced via press release that Beacon community members are invited to attend the Winter Coat Giveaway from the Beacon High School Student Council on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 9:30–11:30 AM at St. Andrew/St. Luke Episcopal Church, located at 15 South Ave., Beacon, NY.

The event is the culmination of the annual Winter Coat Drive, a student-led initiative designed to ensure children and teens across Beacon have access to warm winter clothing. BSCD Superintendant Landahl told Beacon families in this week’s Superintendent Weekly Update email: “This was a great partnership with our Beacon High School students, and I Am Beacon. Thanks to the community for donating over 300 coats!”

The Winter Coat Drive is led by Beacon High School Student Council and supported by a strong network of community partners, including National Honor Society, National Junior Honor Society, Beacon City School District, I Am Beacon, and Dutchess Outreach. Together, these organizations work to ensure that every donated coat directly benefits a local resident in need.

The project unfolds in three phases: District-wide Community Collection Period, School-Based Distribution, and a Public Community Giveaway. The Public Community Giveaway phase is this weekend.

Timothy Newman, Social Studies teacher at Beacon High School and faculty advisor to the Student Council, serves as the Lead Coordinator for the Winter Coat Drive. This initiative is coordinated with the help from Kimberly Gonzalez, a 6th Grade teacher at Rombout Middle School, whose support and collaboration were instrumental in organizing both the collection efforts and organizing the community giveaway event.

“The Winter Coat Drive reflects the power of student leadership and community collaboration,” said Reuben Simmons Jr., Executive Director and Founder of I Am Beacon. “By working together, we are able to meet immediate needs while also engaging young people in meaningful service.”

Community members are encouraged to attend the January 10 giveaway. Any remaining coats after the event will be donated to Dutchess Outreach to continue supporting individuals in need.

Early Voting Started In Dutchess County, And The Locations/Times Are Plenty

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Early voting has started, and the locations and times are a plenty for Dutchess County. The Dutchess County Board of Elections has listed locations with addresses, and the schedule for those locations.

Click here to see the list of times and locations. A screenshot has been taken and included here in this article.

People living or working in the Beacon area will find the Fishkill Town Hall to be the closest to home with plenty of parking.

There is a Proposition on the back, asking voters if they want to approve land acquisition in Essex County for the Adirondack Forest Preserve, which requires a constitutional amendment to sustainably develop the Mount Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex while adding at least 2,500 acres to the Adirondack Forest Preserve. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, voters will decide “whether existing development at the state-operated winter sports complex at Mount Van Hoevenberg will be brought into compliance with the state Constitution. If it is, the state will buy 2,500 acres of land to add to the Adirondack Forest Preserve.” The article goes on to quote outreach from different environmental groups.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation today to prepare for the potential acquisition, saying: “New Yorkers will have the opportunity to decide whether to move forward with this important constitutional amendment. By signing this legislation, we’re ensuring that if voters approve the measure, the State will be ready to implement it immediately, allowing New York to strengthen its Olympic legacy at Mount Van Hoevenberg while protecting the Adirondack wilderness that defines who we are as New Yorkers.”

Assessment Review Board Vacancy Not Promoted; Discussion of Ethics Complaints; Both Appointees Confirmed

Beacon’s City Council reviewing the two appointments to the Board of Assessment Review, where they confirmed that the appointment opportunities were not promoted to the public, and discussed the Ethics Complaints process of Board Members, or lack there of.

The Beacon City Council has appointed two people to the five person Board of Assessment Review: David Ross, a new appointee to the Board who replaces Ron Donofrio, a realtor. David is the former director of the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Whitney Museum, and others. Michele Rios is a reappointment for a third term to the Board. Michele is a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway. This board is one of three boards that is statutory, meaning it is required by law to be filled.

Upon being questioned by A Little Beacon Blog on the uncontested nature of Michele’s third reappointment, and a general question of if the Board of Assessment Review should be stacked with three of the five seats being realtors, Michele publicly replied to this reporter by insulting, threatening and shaming this reporter: “I am not sure who you are or why you have it in for me but this is exactly why the professionals are on these committees and not people who pretend to be real. You are going to hear from my attorney and I will ADVERTISE IT in the Beacon Blog and see how you like it. You are a horrible unstable individual who needs helps. There are places for you to go to get help. This is now harassment for no reason and I you are put on notice. For the City of Beacon to allow you to use their name is an injustice. This coming from a woman who lives in a garage most of the time. I am pressing harassment charges on you, maybe then you'll stay away.”

To clarify clarify Michele’s comment on the garage before reporting what the City Council discussed prior to voting on these appointments, this reporter does not have a garage, but does have a shed, which has been decorated into a studio. This reporter works in that studio shed, and enjoys spending time there as part of the back yard to the rest of her property that includes a house, front and back yard, and shared driveway.

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Deep Dive Into October 2025’s Appointment Discussion

The City Council’s complete discussion about these appointments and the process has been made available as a transcript below so that all details and considerations can be seen.

Appointments to most boards in Beacon are sleepers, but especially so with the Assessment Review Board, being that the concept of property assessments is myriad in complexities. However, this Board is one of the most personal, as it can impact people’s property assessments, which is connected to how much property tax they pay.

The discussion below brought to light new information:

• Beacon’s Board of Ethics: That Beacon has no Board of Ethics anymore, should anyone have a complaint about a Board Member on a committee.

• Dutchess County Board of Ethics: It was recommended by the Mayor for complaints to be made to the Dutchess County Board of Ethics. However, Beacon’s Assessor, Kathy (Kathleen) Martin, who Beacon’s Board of Assessment Review answers to, is a Board Member on Dutchess County’s Board of Ethics.

• The two types of qualities Mayor Lee looks for in an appointee: real estate experience, and experience with financial numbers.

• That Mayor Lee approached David Ross to fill the financial numbers role, but a Councilmember wanted to know more about his finance background beyond art curation, despite David being the Director of several art museums.

Mayor Lee started the conversation with an overall explanation of what this board does: "So, [Councilperson] Pam and [Councilperson] George, I just have a comment, which is, the Board of Assessment Review. There's two skill sets that are relevant for a Board Member. Just so you know what they do: they only review grievances in May, and that's their kind of only job.”

He went further into detail: "The two skill set areas, which you know I know from having run the Property Tax Agency, is either: you know something about real estate and real estate assessments; or you know something about numbers.

"The first person I'm appointing is in the real estate business. You want that expertise. It has no effect on assessments. The person doesn't get referrals. The person doesn't selling anything. But the person does know something about the market, and what assessments might be.

"The second person I'm appointing actually knows about numbers. And Amber, you will recall, when we added people to the the… (City Administrator Chris fills in: “Data Committee,”) the the Fjord Trail Committee, you know, I needed people who actually understood numbers because there were people on the other side who had no idea, and were just making stuff up. So that's the basic skill set.

"The alternative, which I used to see years ago, is you just appoint, you know, some people who don't know much, and one of two things happens: either they do whatever the Assessor tells them, or they favor their friends. Neither which I wanted as a response. So I just want you to know that. Any comments on the first one which is Michele?"

The Conversation Moved To the Concept Of Beacon’s Ethics Committee

Councilperson Paloma Wake paused the discussion on anyone in particular, to focus on what people should do if they have a complaint about person serving on a Committee for the City of Beacon. Mayor Lee provided a circular answer.

Councilperson Paloma asked "I don't have a comment on Michele or David in particular. But on if there is an ethics complaint about any of our Committee Members, where does that go? I know we don't have an Ethics Committee anymore. I believe it disbanded several years ago. So I want to understand where complaints or concerns should go."

Maybe Lee answered: "Yeah, we almost never have had one," meaning a complaint. "If we ever do [have a complaint about a Board Member],” he continued, “we can form one [an Ethics Committee]. But I think the alternative would be to ask [Dutchess] County to do it because the County has an Ethics Committee. In fact, one of our citizens is on that now. So that might be another approach."

Mayor Lee did not name which citizen of Beacon is on Dutchess County’s Ethics Committee, but as of this publishing, Hon. Peter Forman is on the Dutchess County Ethics Committee. Peter served as a Judge in Dutchess County in Family Court, County Court, and Acting Justice of the Supreme Court for 20 years until his retirement in 2020, where he went on as counsel at the law firm of Cuddy and Fedder, who often goes up against the City of Beacon when representing commercial property developers.

Kathleen (Kathy) Martin is also listed as a Board Member of the Dutchess County Ethics Committee. Kathleen, who goes by Kathy on Beacon’s Assessor page, is the longtime Assessor for the City of Beacon who recommended Michele Rios to Beacon's Assessment Review Board, the Board Member of this evening's reappointment vote. Kathleen also serves at the Mayor of the Village of Fishkill since 2021, and was appointed as the Assessor to Pleasant Valley in 1995. In 2006, she was appointed Assessor to the Town of East Fishkill and the City of Beacon, where each municipality shares in paying her fee for that service.

The City's Attorney Nick Ward-Willis of the law firm Keane & Beane contributed to the Mayor’s instruction on point of contact for ethics complaints: "Our office would also get involved and try to facilitate a resolution, provide advice and guidance. But you're right, there are other resources available."

Mayor Lee finalized to close the topic: "Yeah. But thank you for asking that,"

However, Councilperson Paloma persisted: "So, someone, if they had a concern, they should go to the [Dutchess] County Ethics Board."

Mayor Lee responded: "Well, they can come here and then I think I would refer them to Nick and Nick might suggest that or offer something else."

Attorney Nick answered: "Correct."

Councilperson Pam Weatherbee raised another question: "Is it ethics for the position that they're volunteering for? Or is it for their personal life or business?"

Mayor Lee answered: "Well, so it would have to be that somehow there's some conflict with respect to their position, right? And the Board of Assessment Review again, I don't think has any, you know, conflict. But that's that's how you go about it. Okay?"

Councilperson Pam wanted to understand the board meeting process a little more: "And the Board meets as a group? It's not just whoever shows up that day? It's a group."

Mayor Lee answered: "It's 5 [people]. And it's done in May during Grievance Period and then they review grievances, with attorney advice and the Assessor." Mayor Lee looked to Attorney Nick for clarification, to which Attorney Nick responded: "Right. And they receive training as well. There's state mandatory training."

Councilperson Paloma continued: "And is there sort of a standard in particular with the Board of Assessment Review? Is there a standard Conflict of Interest Disclosure or process that they have to go through?"

Attorney Nick answered: "I can't speak to it, but…I can't speak to their process."

Mayor Lee continued: "Now, again, unless you're the Assessor of Beacon, I don't think there's any conflicts at all because the role is to if someone has a grievance, you - the Assessor - provides data of adjacent homes or like homes [aka "comps"] and you look at those relative to the assessment of the particular home that's being grieved. I don't see what there could possibly..."

City Administrator Chris White chimed in: "Well, if it was if it was your property, you'd have to recuse yourself."

Attorney Nick brought up occurrences "in other communities where someone has grieved their own assessment." Mayor Lee agreed, and elaborated: "Yes. Right. So, you know, if somebody, you know, say somebody owned a bunch of properties, and were on it [the Assessment Review Board], that that might create a conflict for your particular one, but only your particular one." Attorney Nick confirmed: "Correct."

Mayor Lee continued with the reappointment: "I'll also point out this candidate's been on the Board of Assessment Review for 15 years -" to which Administrator Chris corrected him: "I think ten." Mayor Lee continued: "Oh, this is the third 5 year term...And um you know, our Assessor [Kathy Martin] actually says person [Michele Rios] does a really good job and would be happy to have her do it again."

The Mayor then brought it to a vote, and all Councilmembers voted in favor of appointing Michele Rios to the Board of Assessment Review.

The First Time Appointment Of David Ross

The second appointment was to fill a vacancy on the Board of Assessment with a new appointee, David Ross, who Mayor Lee hand-picked to bring to the City Council. For this appointment, Mayor Lee indicated that this selection was based on filling the "numbers" seat, where he wanted a person very familiar with numbers, as he explained at the beginning of the meeting. During this point in the meeting, the Council also pressed about how the vacancy and term ending were promoted, if at all. It was discovered that these vacancies were not promoted at all by anyone in the City of Beacon administration.

"I think many of you know who David Ross is," Mayor Lee began. "He actually has a good numerical background and he was very gracious enough to say he would do it. We always struggle to fill this one. So. Any other comments on David?" He is the former director of the San Fransisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Whitney Museum, and other art museums.

Councilperson Molly Rhodes asked for explanation on vacancy promotion: "Yeah, not on David, but just on the point you just said about struggling to fill this particular position. Can you say a little bit more for the community? I know these are 5-year terms, so there might not be a vacancy for this particular one, but just how these are kind of advertised or shared, so community members who might have relevant experience know they can put their name in the hat for things like this."

Mayor Lee did not answer the question, but provided fog around the concept of the Committee, which as he pointed out, is one of the only municipal boards required by law to exist. "Yeah, I think the primary issue is it's an arcane committee, right?" Arcane is defined by Oxford Languages as meaning "understood by few; mysterious or secret."

Mayor Lee continued: "Only a data geek who's interested in property assessments like, you know, your Mayor when he ran the Agency, has some interest in this area. So, it's hard to take on people." This indicates a reluctance to open the vacancy to public awareness in order to preserve personal working relationships.

Mayor Lee continued: "Again, it's helpful to have a background in real estate. You could be an assessor, an appraiser, various other roles. It's uh other otherwise relevant to have a numerical background because you're presented with data that are looking at comps for homes that are being grieved."

He then considered the promotion of the vacancy: "So, we can certainly advertise it. There are only three statutorily [required by law] required committees in the state: the Planning Board, the Zoning Board, and the Board of Assessment Review. It's just important we fill this one quickly. Okay."

Councilperson Paloma pressed on about promotion of the vacancy: "How would you advertise it? You just said that we could advertise it. I guess I'm asking about all of our committees and generally I think we've asked a couple...it comes up every couple of months. You know, how do people know when there are vacancies on the committee, and there's never a full answer. "

One of the most recent examples was the reemergence of Councilperson George Mansfield onto the City Council after he retired and did not seek reelection. After the unanticipated resignation of Councilperson Wren Longo, the Council seat was filled via appointment by Mayor Lee, who approached individuals to consider coming onto council. With pressure, an open call was made, but candidates who put their hats into the ring - if any - were not presented to the public.

Mayor Lee answered: "Well, so we can post, but again, this one...I just figured nobody in their right mind would be interested to solicit."

City Administrator Chris interjected: "But we do accept applications any time. If you go on the website and you have an interest, somebody moves to Beacon, somebody decides they've retired, they want they want to contribute some time, you can go to our website and you can submit an application. The kind of default here is when somebody's term is coming up, if they've done a a good job and they show up at meetings, we reappoint them generally."

City Administrator Chris introduced a new claim: "We had one [Assessment Review Board Member] who did not show up, and we were asked by the Assessor [Kathy Martin] to consider a different candidate who would actually make a commitment to being there." While he did not mention who the Board Member was, the only Board Member to have his name vanish off the website during the publication of this article series was Ron Donofrio, who serves many roles professionally, including being a realtor. His term expiration and reappointment opportunity would have been in October 2025.

City Administrator Chris continued: "We didn't have a lot of time either on this one. This is a little unique from the other, but we went back; we had no expressions of interest; no applications. We didn't go out and publicize it. Ben [Secretary to the Mayor] and I realized a few weeks before this was going to expire, that it was expiring in October rather than December. So we said to Lee, 'Do you...can you figure out somebody to do this?' We also did ask the Assessor and she didn't have any recommendations other than [saying] 'Michele has been great to work with. I'd like to renew her.' So, we did that."

Councilperson Jeff Domanski had a new question about the proposed new candidate, David: "You said a few times, Lee, that Mr. Ross knows numbers, but you look at his resume, it's all art curatorship. Can you speak to that just for a few minutes?"

Mayor Lee responded: "He happens to be the finance person for the Country Club and a few other things." According to the Southern Dutchess Country Club website, David Ross is on the board.

Mayor Lee continued: "Somewhere along the way, he learned numbers probably from running budgets of uh, uh, museums, right? Cuz I talked to him about it, and he was he was comfortable because I had to explain the role. He was more concerned about it being too much time, but once he heard it was a fixed amount of time in the month of May, he was willing to do it."

Councilperson Pam circled back to attendance requirements, which resulted in new information being presented: "Is there attendance requirements for positions...type of positions?"

City Administrator Chris answered: "In this case it's just one meeting a year. So if you don't show up to that for 2 years of your 5 year term, it's a problem."

Councilperson Pam reinforced her agreement: "It's a real problem."

While it was not stated who the Board Member was who did not show up for a meeting, Ron Donofrio was the only name suddenly no longer on the City of Beacon's website as of the publishing of this article series, whose term was up for renewal in October 2025. Ron confirmed with ALBB that he missed one meeting for personal reasons, but not two years of meetings. ALBB has reached out to Assessor Kathy for her comment, but she was out of the office the week of this publishing.

City Administrator Chris concluded: "Again, we don't really have any other attendance standards with any of the other committees. They manage their own committees. If they have an issue, they would relay it to us. And that, again, would be most pertinent to the other two committees that is statutory: the ZBA [Zoning Board] and the Planning Board."

The Mayor then set the vote appointing David Ross to the Board of Assessment Review. All were in favor, and David was appointed. Mayor Lee concluded: "I'll tell David he has to sharpen his mathematical pencil. But he's good at it. Okay. Anyone opposed? Not hearing any. That's done."

Would Joe - Who Is Outside Most Of The Time - Like To Sleep In A Warming Center In Beacon? "Yes."

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

On the sunny Wednesday that was today’s 3 degree morning, A Little Beacon Blog accompanied an ALBB reader of yesterday’s article, “There Is No Overnight Warming Center In Beacon; There Are 2 Daytime Warming Centers Listed”, Meghan Spiro, who was so moved by the information that she purchased and overnighted a box of emergency blankets made of mylar to distribute to houseless community members in Beacon who sleep outdoors most every night.

Eventually, we tried reaching people directly on the streets, knowing they might not be in the library yet. We ran into Joe, a well known fellow who has slept outside in Beacon for 8 years. We asked him if he would sleep in a warming center in Beacon. He said: “Oh yes. Sleep overnight. Come out and do what I got to do in the morning. That would be great.”

“I got to do what I got to do in Beacon. If I’m in Poughkeepsie, I got to stay in Poughkeepsie all day. Doing what? I’m going to be outside anyway. Over there, overnight, they kick your ass out, and you got to come back. Leave at a certain time. Come back. I got to go over there just to go to sleep? Be out in the cold all day? Doesn’t make no sense!”

— Joe

There is no place in Beacon to sleep overnight for houseless people or those with little or no money. We asked what his other options were. He said Poughkeepsie or Newburgh. We asked if he would go there. “Nope,” he said. “There are busses and whatever. You need money for the bus. I have to come back and forth to Beacon. I got to do what I got to do in Beacon. If I’m in Poughkeepsie, I got to stay in Poughkeepsie all day. Doing what? I’m going to be outside anyway. Over there, overnight, they kick your ass out, and you got to come back. Leave at a certain time. Come back. I got to go over there just to go to sleep? Be out in the cold all day? Doesn’t make no sense!”

We made a drop at the Beacon Library, which is a warming center on the Dutchess County list. We continued on to the Beacon Community Kitchen located in the Tabernacle Church next to the Howland Cultural Center (we later learned the kitchen has abruptly closed).

We got to the library right when it opened at 9:30am. Knowing that we might not see dozens of people inside of the library - we took to the street to look for friends who sleep outside (or inside of structures they build out of boxes or plywood) who we could give the blankets to, and describe how they work.

Sure enough, we saw several friends who had just started their mornings, having had nothing to eat yet. One friend was Joe, a well known fellow, who has slept outside in Beacon for 8 years. He does jobs around Beacon to get through each day. One of his jobs is as a can and bottler, where he collects cans and bottles and turns them in for money. Each day of the week yields different amounts of cans from different locations. He has his favorite days, a secret which he will not reveal, as there are competitors.

We asked Joe if he would like a warming center in Beacon to sleep in at night during cold spells like this. He told us that he did, as getting up to Poughkeepsie for a sleepover warming center was too much. The money it takes to ride the bus there and back, plus, the daylight hours he loses in Beacon when he gets exited from the warming center there, as they keep entry and exit hours. Take a listen to Joe’s interview to get a glimpse into his day in the life and why a warming center in Beacon would help him.

During our interview, Joe mentioned that the Beacon Community Kitchen had closed two weeks ago. Sure enough, Justice McCray, a co-founder of Beacon 4 Black Lives and a former Beacon Councilmember, had announced during Public Comment of the 1/21/2025 City Council meeting that the kitchen had closed, but that The Yard was starting a free Breakfast Program from their new formation called The Backyard. The program starts on January 28th and will be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-8:30am.

Products That People Have Asked For

The library has consistently said over the years that the most popular items people seek from the Tiny Food Pantry is toiletries, like tampons and toothpaste. Socks and underwear are a desired item as well.

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There Is No Community Center In Beacon

Despite consistent calls for a Community Center by Justice McCray and others, there is no central Community Center in Beacon. In response to the pressure by the community in 2020 during the Black Lives Matter revival movement and COVID, the City of Beacon agreed to fund a $50,000 survey in 2020 to learn more about what people might want in a Community Center.

The survey opened in September 2022, and completed in March 2023. Today, in January 2025, there is no Community Center or plans for one. There is, however, a recently empty, large and beautiful firehouse on Main Street that the City of Beacon is selling to offset the geothermal floor it installed into the rebuild and centralization of the new firehouse that cost millions of dollars. Realtors are eager to sell the old firehouse, and some built their own website for it. The City picked The Gatehouse Team at Compass to represent the sale.

About Mylar Blankets

The mylar blankets are thin and compact. They can be re-used, so are useful for wrapping around the body if one needs to sit or lie still in freezing temperatures. The mylar blankets are commonly used by hikers in case they get stuck or injured on a trail and need to keep warm while waiting for help.

After we offered Joe a blanket, he thought about it, and doubted if they would work. After some nudging, he said that he would try cutting them up to place into his boots, as his feet get very cold, as one can’t stuff a lot into boots for effectiveness. We gave him 3 blankets. One for cutting, 2 for wrapping.

We eagerly await the next time we see him, so that he can tell us that the mylar emergency blanket did not work. We did give him recently purchased hand-warmers, which he also doubted if they would work. He did say that hand warmers given out by a church were expired, and did not work. Stay tuned.

The Wynotte Sisters To Play At Southern Dutchess Country Club Thursday Dec. 5th

Stop the presses!! This flyer just flew in to Artisan Wine Shop! The Wynotte Sisters are popping up for their annual Christmas concert special, this year at the Southern Dutchess Country Club (1209 North Avenue aka Wolcott Ave at the intersection of Verplanck Ave), with special guest The Lousin’ Brothers. December 5th. Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm. Last year they filled up the Howland Cultural Center, so needed a larger space.

Says band member Sara Milonovich @daisycutter “We do everything from Andrew Sisters covers, to Willie Nelson to Yoko Ono. We do *not* do covers of other songs that are played to death at any shops or bars.” Sara tells ALBB about this Christmas show specifically: “We do songs about eggnog, cheese, and naughty Santa’s. Listen for our fan favorite, ‘Santa wants to take you for a ride.’”

The Wynotte Sisters don’t pop up often together. It’s more of a Christmas collab for them as they perform separately all over the county.

Singing in the 🎵 snippet on ALBB’s IG is Vibeke Saugestad @vibekesaugestad from her album.

All three musical artists are:
Sara Milonovich
@daisycutter

Vibeke Saugestad
@vibekesaugestad

Daria Grace
@deegee99

Fires Rage In And Around The Hudson Valley During Warm Fall - Smoke In Air In Beacon

"Mommy, it smells like smoke outside. Is someone burning something in their yard?"

"No sweetie, parts of the Hudson Valley forests are burning."

On November 1st, City of Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou declared a State of Emergency in the City of Beacon "due to extreme drought conditions, wind, and an areawide increase of wildfires which threaten the public health, safety and welfare of our citizens and private property." At the same time, he issued an Emergency Order banning all exterior open burning until November 6th. As of November 8th, the ban was re-issued until further notice.

This burn ban was the day after Halloween in Beacon, where fire pits are lit for driveway gatherings as trick-or-treators make the rounds

On November 2nd, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar issued a Drought Watch for downstate New York, and published on the DEC.ny.gov website: "Recent unseasonably warm weather and lack of precipitation have led to dry conditions for many counties in New York, resulting in some downstate areas being put under drought watch. Local water restrictions and educating residents about how to help conserve our water resources are crucial steps to help prevent a more severe shortage until conditions improve."

On Saturday, November 9th, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced a forest fire had been going on since 3:30am in the area surrounding the North End of Indian Lake. They said that multiple Fire Departments responded to the scene, including: Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Cold Spring Fire Company No. 1, North Highlands Engine Company # 1, Kent Fire Department, Mahopac Falls Vol. Fire Department, Continental Village Vol. Fire Department, along with Buchanan, Montrose and Verplank Fire Departments from Westchester.

Also on Saturday, fire crews were battling a 2,000 acres forest fire in New Jersey in Passaic County, which then spread to Orange County, PIX11 reported. An 18 year old New York forest ranger died while fighting that fire. Dariel Vasquez was fighting the fire in Greenwood Lake when a tree fell on him MidHudson News reported.

On Sunday, November 10th, the Ulster Sheriff's Office announced that firefighters were battling a forest fire in the Whitehouse Forest: "Our agency is assisting state and local agencies including several volunteer fire departments from Ulster, Sullivan and Delaware counties in the Town of Denning with a large forest fire in the Whitehouse Forest between the Rondout and Ashokan Reservoirs. Please limit travel in the area as there are road closures."

The Times Union reported that the Town of Denning fire is approximately 422 acres, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said, based on a flyover estimate. “Some 185 firefighters from 20 agencies from Sullivan, Ulster and Delaware Counties have been involved in fire suppression efforts. The incident is being managed through the unified command system by Ulster County Department of Emergency Services, Sullivan County Division of Public Safety, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Grahamsville Fire Department,” the Times Union reported.

This area is in New York City's watershed, which "contains reservoirs that feed into New York City's water supply system," News12 reported. NYC Water issued a statement via X (formerly Twitter): "DEP & New York State Police helicopters are conducting aerial firefighting operations to assist local fire departments battling the Whitehouse forest fire ranging across 384 acres of mountainous NYC watershed between Rondout & Ashokan reservoirs in western Ulster County in the Catskills."

According to the New York Times, hundreds of forest fires have been reported in New Jersey since October 20th. Also this weekend, a brush fire in a "heavily wooded section" of Brooklyn's Prospect Park burned 2 acres, where 100 firefighters responded to contain it, the New York Times reported.

Newburgh/Beacon Bridge Railing Too Low - Easy For Jumpers - Pictures And Suicide Prevention Thoughts

Attention: This article contains information about the concept of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, there are ways to get help. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) (en español 1-888-628-9454) for free, confidential crisis counseling and referrals available 24/7.

After ALBB published about the most recent loss of life from the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge last week, of the young person who was identified as male who was 21 years old, several readers commented that the railing was too low. That sparked conversation offline. Therefore, this article will take a look at that railing, and why it needs to be raised. This article will show pictures of the railing, and will explore what it feels like to walk across the bridge to get to the railing, if that is indeed where people are jumping from. Because this person was not the first, and this is a problem.

Recognizing that even seeing pictures of the access path and railing may trigger emotions in people to either see for themselves for whatever reason, or if people who knew someone who did go over the railing, I (Katie) will contribute thoughts about how to get around and through hard feelings when they come.

As a jogger, I have run across this bridge several times, often wondering why the railing was so low, and feeling terrified to run across it, simply as a runner, walker or biker, since making one un-returnable choice is so easy to do from this bridge. Those crazy fantasies happen about what if one is flung over the railing, or what if one trips and somehow flips up and over the railing, even though tripping upwards is almost impossible. But, that is what the low height of this railing can do to people of mind who do not intend to jump.

Walking To The Bridge

We do not know how these people got to the spot on the bridge from which they jumped. Did they park on the right side of the bridge (if leaving Beacon), exit their car, and simply step off? Since there is no railing on the north (right) side of the bridge when leaving Beacon? Or did they walk down the path on the south (left) side of the bridge when leaving Beacon? If they came from the Newburgh side, this article does not look at that path.

For this article, I walked the left side to get to the middle, when coming from Beacon. Normally I jog here, but for this article, I parked my car at a friend’s house and walked. In this different head-space, I almost forgot how to get to the walking path that leads to the bridge. By the time I got to the I-84 overpass, I doubted myself as to where I was, since I was so near to the exit ramp. But sure enough, that is where the path is.

Cars whiz by very quickly, and the changing gears of the 18-wheeler trucks produce a large rumbling vibration sound, which has them low-pitched wailing as they get farther away. The current of the interstate traffic is pulsating. There is one sign for cars on the exit ramp: WRONG WAY. That if one were in the end-of-life state of mind, one may hope they would notice this sign and turn around. Next, there is a green sign that says “Life Is Worth Living,” which, if I were in the end-of-life frame of mind, I would want to punch for not understanding me, and carry on. There is one more of those signs later in the walking path. They seem totally useless.

And Now, We Get To The Railings On The Newburgh/Beacon Bridge

There are 2 levels of railings on the south side of the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge, or, the left side if you are leaving Beacon for Newburgh. The first is a set of bars, like a gate, that is taller than most humans. It starts at the beginning of the bridge, and continues over the tree tops, where the earth slants down to the MTA train tracks. The railing starts low, then goes a few feet higher.

The low railing before the taller railing once the ground ends to slope down. One begins to walk above the treetops, and the railing goes up.

The railing/Gate/bars at the beginning of the bridge on the Beacon side. The bars are taller than most humans

The treetops below the bridge on the Beacon side. Blocked by the taller bars.

After one walks over the tree tops, which is a wonderfully curious sensation, like you are flying, or are a drone, the high bars that were protecting you suddenly go lower. The bar of the gate lowers down to a railing that is the same height of many humans. Or, if you’re 5’8.5”, it is shorter than you. The railing has been lowered, presumably, to open up the view to cars to see clearly the mountains and river. As a walker, you can see all of this clearly, since the space between the bars is plenty wide.

Meanwhile, the metal walking path beneath you is shaking. The bridge moves a bit with all of the cars and trucks driving across it at full speed. Walking on the right side feels pretty normal, but walking on the left side next to the railing on the return back to Beacon, feels almost slanted. I didn’t bring my leveler and don’t have a leveler app, but that half of the metal walkway feels tilted. Could just be the sensation, though!

Coupled with a large gap between the end of the railing and the walkway. One feels like their leg might slip through it, and then one’s entire body might slip through and fall off the bridge. Which is of course impossible, but these crazy sensations pull at one’s body when walking that close to the railing. I can’t imagine how it feels for a person who came there with the intention to jump. Since there is this weird pulling sensation just by being there.

“But Katie, People Make The Decision To Die. That’s It. You Know That.”

I don’t know that. And this is not why New York State or Beacon or Newburgh of any of these Hudson Valley municipalities should be OK with this bridge being so accessbile by people who are making a decision that may be momentary, or accurate for a few months, or that they may regret. Unlike a drinking or an ice cream binge, that seems like the right idea at the time, there is no turning back from this. Unlike having sex with that first person seems like the right idea at the time, there is no turning back from smacking down onto the water that becomes like cement from that height if one wants to do that. They can’t undo smacking down on the Hudson River Water cement.

“But Katie, people make the decision to die. That’s it. You know that.” This was said to me by a good-intentioned person who wishes no one to die. This is where I want to talk about deciding to end one’s life. And how that is their decision. And those of us left in the living have to tell ourselves things in order to cope with the loss of them here. I’ve read the phrase “Don’t go, you will be missed,” and I understand that sentiment, but sometimes, if someone is in that state of mind, it’s not about other people. It’s about that person, and what that person feels like they can or can no longer contribute or tolerate in this lifetime.

Decisions Are Moments In Time

A friend once told me, when I was feeling down about what I thought was losing an emotion forever, they told me: “These are feelings for now. Things return.” I decided to believe my friend, even though I was convinced otherwise. Turns out, my friend was right. Years and years later, my friend remains right.

That friend has become my Day Of The Week Friend. We are very different people. We see straight on 95% of things. The other 5% is very, very different. But we appreciate each other as our Safe Space. Where we can tell each other deep emotions without fear of that friend reporting us, judging us, and if they do judge us, we know it is with good intent, and we know we can push back if we feel we need to.

Days of the week are important, because each day can mean different things. Making it through each day can be very hard. My friend started as my Saturday Friend. In my 20s (I am now 47 with 3 young children), I decided not to answer the phone from anyone in my family before 12noon. Too emotionally dangerous/slippery. But this friend, I can answer their call at any time in the morning. Except 5am. I am journaling then, and need the quiet. Unless they are in an emergency.

That friend expanded to Wednesday Friend. For no reason, really. I think they just wanted to check in again. Tuesdays became another day for us. Slurpy Tuesdays. Because Tuesdays can be very emotional, as they tend to have less structure than the Go Go Go energy of a Monday (as a small business owner, I love Monday’s, because I am the only one making it happen, so I got to make the money and be jazzed about it starting on Monday).

I say this because each day and moment are different. What may feel real and permanent in one moment, will not be real and permanent in another. Some things will. Like true love you feel. Or certain ideas you have. But other truths are set in different ways. The Past You may know some truths, and the Future You may know those truths differently, after reality is revealed along the way.

A Quick Guide To Days Of The Week

Not sure about you, but this is how I view the days of the week. Everyone is different in their life experience. I work for myself, so my work hours vary. I don’t commute to a job. My job as a writer and website producer is in my computer, which travels with me everywhere. I also produce client’s social media, so much of my job is in my iPhone.

Monday: Yay!! Monday is here again and I get to start this week again to make money. Money is a huge trigger for me. If I don’t have it - if I can’t buy the groceries my kids need, if I can’t take them to Olive Garden like they ask me, if I can’t pay for the Volleyball registration, I get very, very low. I know this is momentary, and I know what I need to do to get more money. Even though that usually involves emerging from a very scary place.

Tuesday: Slurpy Tuesday. Catch up from Monday, but dangerous because there is less structure here. I try not to answer any phone calls from family on Tuesdays. Especially at holiday time in November/December. This can send me into an emotional tailspin.

Wednesday: Ok, how you doing, Wednesday? This used to be a day that I taught a class. I’ve since abandoned that class, but need to bring it back. Great day for laundry catchup at night to stay ahead.

Thursday: Could be a high or a low day. Usually a high, as people begin opening up to get ready for the weekend. But if no structure, this day can slide to slurpy quickly.

Friday: Wow. It’s Friday. Did I complete everything? No I didn’t. Oh no. Usually am behind on Friday with deadlines. Clients tend to call on this day with website or creative emergencies. Usually my plans go out the window on Fridays. It’s also payday on Friday. If I don’t have the money to make payroll, this is obviously a very depressing day. Usually by Friday Night, I have moved through the Dimming of the Day, which is a peaceful time, but a longing time. I’m usually in a missing mood, and hope that I make it to Saturday.

Saturday: Saturday! Disconnected. Most people are not working or sending business emails. This day is reserved for creative things, bills catchup or bookkeeping. Or Kids Sports of those are in season. If it’s Kids Sports season, then this day is very choppy, difficult and usually exhausting. If a bath with Epson salt didn’t happen Friday night, then it should definitely happen Saturday night.

Sunday: Ugh. Sundays are for Main Street errands, the Farmer’s Market, and purging trash and house clutter. Kids Sports Things if those are in season. Preparing for Monday.

Visual Tricks To Get You Through Hard Moments

I have been going through a divorce for 2 years, and pondering it for years prior. I don’t know what it feels like to “come out” for one’s sexuality, but telling my friends and family that I was pursuing divorce was very difficult for me. I was hiding for a long time, and in my marriage, felt I had disappeared.

Low moments can often happen if one doesn’t feel heard or seen. This can often happen from people who are the most close to us blood-wise, family-wise. This is why people speak of their “chosen family.” Sometimes one must separate from their blood family in order to process and understand their own needs, and then lift themselves from restrictions being placed upon them in various ways. These restrictions can cause one to feel hopeless.

To get through these moments, to protect against the hopeless feeling, I do 2 things:

1. Remember that nothing lasts for ever. Good things or bad. I like to believe that the good things morph into the next version of that good thing. The bad or low moments will pass. Even though in that moment, they feel like forever, which is terrifying.

2. Turn myself into different characters or objects. Here’s what I mean:

Maleficent’s Wings: When I thought that “nesting” was a good idea at the end of my marriage (aka still living together in the same house for financial reasons but are divorced), to be temporary until I bought a different house, my ex-spouse was home more than expected. To survive this, I imagined that Maleficent’s large, black, thick, luscious wings were attached to my back and wrapped around me, shrouding me and protecting me from anything coming my way.

Alice Down A Rabbit Hole: When I’m pursuing an article like this one, I often feel like Alice in Wonderland, gathering pictures and information from places I never expected to be. Meeting new people and learning about their lives.

Cranking A Lawn Mower: During this divorce period, my usual mojo has been off. I can’t get into the groove to produce for my job the way I need to, or know that I can. I often feel like I am pulling on the lawn mower crank thing, and the motor is just not catching. I know it can start, but why. WHY. When it does start, I am very thankful, and I mow the whole lawn without turning it off.

Han Solo Flying The Millennium Falcon: When my motor starts again, I become like a jittery broken ship and a pilot at the same time. According to StarWars.com: “Millennium Falcon is a legend in smuggler circles and is coveted by many for being the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.” When I’m getting back on track, I feel like Han Solo in the pilot seat, working all of the levers and pressing all of the buttons, while some things are springing leaks. He fixes it as he goes, and knows he will be alright, but it’s a scary, yet exciting ride.

Batman and Robin: I don’t have a business partner, but I do, or did, have an employee here at A Little Beacon Blog. During the new time of blogging about Palestine, and how difficult that has been for this publication, thanks to people who are in denial, and to at least 1 stalker who has been walking into businesses demanding that they cut financial ties with my blog, and 1 stalker who takes the time to send a 6 pages letter to over 20 businesses, demanding the same, I had to go rogue. While my employee wanted to stay, I told her that I seem to be driving the plane into the ground, and for her own safety, I must eject her. Oddly, the day before I wrote her this text that I did not send, my body sent me to the hospital with an unexpected attack of Diverticulitis, that I realize know, has been brewing for at last one year. But with the stress of my divorce, these stalkers, and the denial of much of the world who are in power of the murders in Palestine, which bleeds into other genocides and hiding of police brutality and other things, my body couldn’t absorb any more. I may not have wanted to jump off a bridge, but my body sent me to the ER.

Butterfly/Person In Ocean: I have several ocean scenes I embody. On a productive, fast-moving day, I envision myself to be under the water, zipping around the ocean floor, collecting things in my arms. My body travels as fast as a bullet, and can twirl around horizontally while shooting forward. It’s like being a person and a butterfly at the same time.

Sinking To Bottom Of Ocean: I never felt this, but I imagined someone else feeling this way. I let go of them, and they fell slowly into the dark depths of the ocean. They could still breath and see me, but they were gone from me. They were on their own. It was a painful vision for me to have, but necessary for that person to make for themselves.

Treading Water In The Rough Ocean Waves: During my divorce, sometimes I felt like I was bobbing in the cold ocean water in the pitch black night, in angry and busy waves, but staying above water. I was next to a tall ship, where people close to me were in it and watching me, assuming I was fine. “Look how strong she is!” they said. But she/I was treading water as best I could, while cold salt water splashed into my mouth, choking me. The waves kept crashing over my head. I looked up at the people in the ship, and wondered why they thought I was OK and didn’t need help, or a life ring, or a life boat..

I have many more examples of characters or objects you can become. But you get the idea.

And don’t worry, Stalkers. I am exposing you in a few articles to come. You are so proud of your work, so you won’t mind the feature article.

Point Is:

The point is: don’t jump off the bridge. These are moments in time.

Even if someone thinks that jumping off the bridge is a good idea, New York State shouldn’t make it so easy to do. New York State removed the toll booths on the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge and cut those jobs in a few months time. They can raise the railing just as quickly.

We are always in traffic on that bridge. So I know we won’t mind the new construction.

Write To Our Elected Officials

Please write to your elected officials to get this railing raised.
Dutchess County Executive: Sue Serino CountyExec@DutchessNY.gov
Assembly Member Jonathan G. Jacobson: jacobsonj@nyassembly.gov

Hudson Valley Activists Drop Banners Demanding U.S. and NYS Divestment From Israel’s War Crimes

Early Wednesday morning (5/29/2024), a group of local Hudson Valley activists hung banners on four I-87 overpasses visible to northbound traffic. The banners call for the end of U.S. and NYS funding of Israel war crimes in Gaza, and bring attention to the slaughter of displaced civilians currently ongoing in Rafah by the U.S. funded Israeli military.

The banner that hung south of Newburgh read: “Permanent Ceasefire.” For Kingston, the banner read: “Divest From Genocide.” For Saugerties, the banner read: “Let Gaza Live.” For Leeds, the banner read: “Free Palestine.”

Over the last several days, the Israeli military invaded Rafah, a designated “safe zone”, and carried out massacres by bombing displaced families in tents, killing dozens of people, according to AlJazeera and other news outlets. The death toll is still rising.

American citizens have been pleading with their elected officials to stop voting for more military aid to Israel for over 8 months, and to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Yet, elected officials have continuously refused to listen to their constituents. “We call upon every decent human being to demand an end to U.S. military and financial support that has enabled the total dehumanization and genocide of the Palestinian people. As Jews, we are horrified by Israel’s brutality and total disregard for human life. We say 'Never Again is Now! Enough!' said two activists who are senior citizens of Beacon, NY.

"The massacre of civilians across Gaza, and now in Rafah, is a direct result of the Biden administration and Congress’ continued political and military support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza," say the activists. "Now is time for the U.S. to stop funding Israel’s genocidal campaign and to place an arms embargo against Israel in accordance with U.S. and international law, to end U.S. complicity with war crimes."

The activists pledge to continue demonstrating in different ways. "Hudson Valley residents will keep organizing to demand a permanent ceasefire, an end to the immediate horrors devastating Gaza, funded by U.S. taxpayers, and to end the occupation. We urge every person of conscience to join our demands to stop the genocide in Gaza and free Palestine.

Newburgh-Beacon Bridge Shutdown During National A15 Economic Blockade For A Free Palestine

The Newburgh/Beacon Bridge was shut down today, April 15, 2024, at 8am in coordination with at least 65 other cities across the United States who designated April 15th Tax Day to be A15 Economic Blockade to Free Palestine. Organized by a15actions, the mission states: “75 years and 182 days into this US backed genocide we must take collective risk beyond symbolic acts of solidarity. On April 15th, we will block logistical hubs to stop the flow of capital worldwide. This is just the beginning. We will not cooperate with the police. If a blockade in one city faces repression, we will respond in solidarity in other cities. Join us in organizing towards our collective liberation.” See the shutdown in Oakland, CA, Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Texts from a reader showing Local radio station K104 was Reporting on Sheriff messages about terrorism, and not about the cause of the shutdown, which was A15 Economic Blockade for a Free Palestine.

@HV4FreePalestine was the first to cover the true nature of this blockade. The radio station K104 focused on parroting messages from Sheriff Offices like Putnam County, to perpetuate fear via the terrorist narrative that this country has accepted as normal with anything related to “the Middle East.”

Reported HV4FreePalestine:

“This morning at 8am, over a dozen Palestinians, Jews and allies blockaded the westbound Hamilton Fish Newburgh-Beacon bridge for over an hour, stopping traffic on I-84 for miles at the peak of rush hour. The action, part of the April 15 Economic Blockade for Palestine taking place in 65 cities across the globe, ended at 9am with 15 arrests.

“Organizer Abdallah Qotate states: ‘As a Palestinian, I wake up everyday worrying whether my best friend in Gaza will live to see another day. I’m forced to be in the street because our elected government refuses to listen to us. How many Palestinians have to die before our government will stop sending our tax dollars to Israel to fund this genocide?’

“As a Palestinian, I wake up everyday worrying whether my best friend in Gaza will live to see another day. I’m forced to be in the street because our elected government refuses to listen to us. How many Palestinians have to die before our government will stop sending our tax dollars to Israel to fund this genocide?”

— Abdalla Qotate

In a non-violent act of civil disobedience, protestors highlighted the federal government and US economy’s role in Israel's genocidal siege against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Activists blocked all westbound lanes of traffic on the bridge for nearly one hour, amidst the busiest time on the bridge, over which 65,000 commuters and 6012 transport trucks travel daily.

During the protest, New York State Police assaulted, pushed and threatened peaceful demonstrators with a baton. In a tweet removed later, the New York Department of Transport for the Hudson Valley reported that as of 8:44am, one lane remained closed during police intervention.

Shutting down a key artery of commerce and commuter transport during one of the busiest hours of morning traffic, demonstrators were part of a global movement shutting down commerce to end the genocide.

“During the protest, New York State Police assaulted, pushed and threatened peaceful demonstrators with a baton.”

— @HV4FreePalestine

Grace Collins, one of the participants, concludes “Months of pleading to my representatives has not slowed the genocide in Palestine. Disrupting traffic to get our message across is a natural next step. If the constituents wont be heard through government channels then we will get our message across in nonviolent ways however we can.”

“From the Hudson Valley organizers: ‘Tax Day is a reminder that the Biden administration has made over 100 transfers of taxpayer dollars in military assistance to Israel since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza. We refuse to allow business as usual to continue while Palestinians are murdered by Israel using American weaponry and tax dollars. Those committed to Palestinian freedom in the Hudson Valley have tried many tactics—we’ve demonstrated, we’ve lobbied our representatives, Pat Ryan and Marc Molinaro, for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, we’ve visited their offices, we’ve educated the public. Those on the highway today are done waiting on congressional representatives. We are committed to keeping up the pressure until the genocide ends and Palestine is free.”

Citizen Reporter @bryanne_af reported that she was happy to learn she had been stuck in traffic for a cause during her Kid School Drop-off morning, telling her Instagram friends: “Hudson Valley shut down the westbound Newburgh Beacon bridge for Palestine today!!! 😭🇵🇸😭 I had no idea what was going on and had to drive over an hour to get home from dropping my kids off to school - so happy and proud to discover it was comrades doing worthy and noble work! So very thankful for their bravery and that I got to bear witness to the incredible impact they had on the Hudson Valley this morning - the blockade here went for six miles beyond the bridge, toward Fishkill [down 9D passing Stonykill Farm and the Heritage Financial Stadium] - if this inconvenienced you, just IMAGINE how Gaza suffers from what our tax dollars are doing in blocking their food, their medicine, their freedom to live! From the river to the sea!!! 🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

Another reader, Citizen Reporter Cowboy, responded to the news of the shutdown by telling ALBB: “I gotta go check Whacker Wire to see if my Mom was arrested today.” Their mom has been arrested 4 times during this extermination of Palestine, including once at Grand Central Station.

Infrastructure Program Grant For Youth Programming Updates Opens For Applications, Funded By Dutchess County

The Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development has opened the application process for the 2024 Agency Partner Grant (APG): Infrastructure Program. A total of $200,000 was allocated in the 2024 Dutchess County Budget for the APG: Infrastructure Program. Funding is available through a competitive grant process to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that provide a venue for youth programming in Dutchess County. In order to be eligible to apply, applicants must own or have a long-term lease (25+ years) for the facility that provides the space for the youth activity.

This year’s grant program focuses on capital infrastructure initiatives only. Projects should help maintain or improve an organization’s asset, such as the renovation, replacement or expansion of an existing facility. Examples of eligible expenses include, roof, windows and/or doors replacement; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) improvements or replacement; as well as plumbing, electrical, and/or security upgrades; and furniture, fixtures and/or equipment that will be used by youth for a specific activity. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements to promote accessibility and communication to ensure that individuals with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in a specific activity are also eligible. 

County Executive Serino said, “Our children deserve every opportunity to learn and grow in safe and appropriate facilities. Our APG: Infrastructure Program will help our community partner agencies that serve young people make capital infrastructure improvements and enhancements to venues that house youth programming. We thank the County Legislature for its continued support of this program, and we encourage eligible organizations to take advantage of this funding opportunity.”

The County’s Community Development Advisory Committee and the Department of Planning and Development’s staff review all APG: Infrastructure grant applications and send their recommendations to the County Executive for final approval.

Additional information, application instructions and guidance about the 2024 APG: Infrastructure Program is available online. Applications will be accepted via an online portal through May 10th at 3 p.m., and awards will be announced in summer 2024.

Public City Council Meeting Tonight March 4 - Wee Tots Playground, Fire Department, And Call For Immediate And Permanent Ceasefire

Happening tonight, March 4, 2024, at 7pm!

Peek at the agenda below…

1. Authorizing the City Administrator to Execute an Agreement with WBE Fence Company, Inc. for the Wee Play Tots Playground Fencing Project

2. Approving the City of Beacon Fire Department Volunteer Members who Qualify for Length of Service Award Program Contribution for 2023

3. Calling for an Immediate and Permanent Ceasefire and Uniting for Peace

More details here >

See you there?!

Pro-Palestine March Down Main Street In Beacon | Saturday, Feb 3, 12pm, Pohill Park

Beacon's Demonstration For A Free Palestine! Ceasefire Now!
End the Genocide! End the Occupation! End the Apartheid! Free Palestine!
Day: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Time: 12pm start
Location: Pohill Park (Main Street and Wolcott near Bank Square Coffee)
From the organizers at Next Up Hudson Valley: "We need to wage peace the way they wage war. Join us this Saturday as we continue to disrupt the normalcy in Beacon, New York. #FreePalestine 🍉✊🏾"
Information >