Where's Bernie; Retail Therapy Guide 1/22/2021
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Happy Weekend, Everyone!
Then, Bernie came to the mats! The yoga mats of ALBB's Managing Editor Marilyn Perez, promoting her "Digital Slow Flow" and "Digital Power Beats" yoga class on Fridays for 
We've braved the belly of the beast,
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The Beacon MTA Man Arrested By FBI For Entering U.S. Capitol Emerges From Court; FIT Student Arrested; The Hopewell Man Behind Trump's Twitter
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A Little Beacon Blog does not follow police blotters, as local print publications like the Beacon Free Press and the Highlands Current usually do. The City of Beacon has begun publishing the results of its own police blotter (it’s a slimmed down version, so no competition to the more detailed notes the papers publish), as a result of police reform moves that started after the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis which erupted a movement in favor of better treatment of Black people and the BIOPIC community across the nation.
When the Beacon resident, William Pepe, was charged by the FBI, and placed on a “Seeking Information” page by the FBI, several people wrote in to A Little Beacon Blog, looking for an article here. While the article was covered by both local (Highlands Current) and national newspapers (New York Times) as well as international (The Daily Mail), readers were looking for a version here as well, perhaps for historical purposes. But, as we reached out to locals who are regular readers of A Little Beacon Blog, they still hadn’t heard of these local arrests or affiliations. To our surprise. So, we will include a version here as well. Our version will take a look at a sampling of local people who have been written about in the media who contributed to the beliefs of why people stormed the U.S. Capitol.
William Pepe
According to reporting from the Daily Mail, the New York Times and the Highlands Current, William Pepe attended the storming of the U.S. Capitol, now known as an insurrection, and posted a selfie of himself to his social media. The FBI arrested him on Tuesday, (1-12-2020) and he was federally charged with remaining in a restricted government building, and also faces charges of disrupting orderly conduct of government, according to the Daily Mail.
William has worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for 7 years, and was working at the Brewster yard in White Plains when he was arrested in a bank parking lot, according to the Highlands Current, and has been suspended from his $73K/year job without pay. As an employee for the MTA, he is a federal employee and is under the protection of its union, Local 30 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, the president of which said they were “disappointed” in his behavior, according to the article. According to an MTA spokesperson quoted in the article, the MTA is considering firing William, and any action “will be disciplined in accordance with their collective bargaining agreement pending an investigation,” said the spokesperson. That spokesperson went on to say: “'This alleged conduct is abhorrent and goes against the values of Metro-North, New York and the nation.”
According to the MTA, William had called in sick on January 6, 2021, which the MTA said is a “false use of sick leave,” according to the Daily Mail. The spokesperson went on to say: 'Those who attacked that symbol of American democracy disqualified themselves from working for the people of New York,' in the article.
William appeared in court last Wednesday (1-13-2021), where he was released on $10,000 bond, and must hand over his shotgun and hunting knife, according to the article. He must wear a GPS monitoring device, and abide by a nighttime curfew.
If William is convicted, he faces one year in jail for this federal offense. “If it is found that he used or carried a deadly weapon or firearm at the time, he could face 10 years,” according to the Daily Mail.
FIT Student From Staten Island Arrested For Attack On Capitol Building
A student, Nicolas Moncada, who attended FIT was arrested in his home in Staten Island after posting social media selfies of himself “storming the Capitol” as he stated in his social media, according to Gothamist. He stated he was "Outside Pelosi's office," according to the federal complaint reported by Gothamist. According to the article, fellow students and staff identified him.
According to a photo posted by Nicolas, he attended “a protest at Mac's Public House, the Staten Island bar that defied COVID restrictions, where he held up a T-shirt reading "Stop the Steal," a reference to the baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged,” according to Gothamist. The owner of that bar was arrested for allegedly ramming into a Deputy Sheriff with his car who was trying to stop him from operating his bar illegally. Allegedly, that bar owner drove with the Deputy Sherrif hanging onto the hood of his car for 100 yards. The officer was hospitalized for his injuries, and the video of the officer being driven on top of the car of Mac’s Public House was posted on the New York Post.
Hopewell Man, Dan Scavino, Runs Trump’s Twitter Account
Dan Scavino, who hails from Hopewell Junction, was hired to run Donald’s Trump Twitter account, before it was banned in 2021. Dan started as golf caddie for Trump since at least 2010, worked for the golf course renamed Trump National Golf Course Hudson Valley (unknown why “national” and the local name is there), when Trump purchased the course previously named Branton Woods Golf Course.
Dan has been loyal to Trump’s voice via Twitter, and Dan’s own personal Twitter account, since working for him while in the White House. You can read more about Dan at the Times Herold-Record Online, and through other Google searches.
Some of Dan’s Tweets read like this:
City Of Beacon To Vote Tonight On Resolution Condemning "Attack On January 6 Of The U.S. Capitol and Congress" and Supports Accountability
/Today, Tuesday, January 19, 2021, Beacon’s City Council will vote on a Resolution officially “Condemning The Attack On January 6 Of The U.S. Capitol and Congress,” which they will vote upon during tonight’s regularly scheduled City Council Meeting, which is a public meeting that meets on Zoom and YouTube, where members of the public can speak for up to 3 minutes on any topic during the first 30 minutes of the meeting, and last 30 minutes of the meeting.
The Resolution in its entirety has been republished below for easy reading, and can be accessed here at the City’s website. You can attend the City Council Meeting digitally via the links found on the City’s website here.
During last week’s City Council Workshop meeting on January 11, 2021, Mayor Lee Kyriacou contributed comments to the January 6th event that were historically based on his studies in college as a History Major on the time period between the two Word Wars. You can read some of those comments here.
While some police officers in departments around the country (NPR) and within the Capitol Police itself (CNN) are being reported as to having participated in the riot, A Little Beacon Blog has inquired last week with the City of Beacon by way of the Mayor, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero and new HR Director Gina Basile to see if the Police and Fire Chiefs have issued a statement describing if they have looked within their own departments for any participants, or if they have held team meetings to have group talks about the event, and how it makes everyone feel. Inquiry has been made again today. Should a response be received, this article will be updated.
CITY OF BEACON CITY COUNCIL
Resolution No. of 2021
RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE ATTACK
ON JANUARY 6 OF THE U.S. CAPITOL AND CONGRESS
WHEREAS, on January 6, 2021, there was a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and on the U.S. Congress, described succinctly by USA Today: “As a shocked nation watched..., a pro- Trump mob battled police, broke into the U.S. Capitol, and sent members of Congress fleeing as lawmakers were counting Electoral College votes.... Now, five people are dead, including a U.S. Capitol police officer.” And
WHEREAS, this attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress was caused by the current President, as stated by third-ranking House Republican Liz Cheney, “The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing.... There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” And
WHEREAS this attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress followed the November national election with more than 150 million Americans exercising their constitutional right to vote, and thereafter by the counting and certification of votes by state election officials, as well as the meeting and voting by the Electoral College, and also by the adjudication of many dozens of court challenges by the current President that affirmed all the election results; and
WHEREAS, this attack on the U.S. Capital also followed months of assertions without proof by the current President that elections in states where the President lost were somehow unfair, which were repeated and amplified by the current President, culminating in and repeated at a White House rally immediately preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol, which attack was largely perpetrated by individuals attending that rally; and
WHEREAS, the practical demonstration of a true democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from outgoing to incoming officials, which for President and Vice President of the United States has occurred peacefully and as prescribed by the U.S. Constitution after every national election since 1788 – until now; and
WHEREAS, each elected representative of the City of Beacon takes an oath of office, which includes supporting the Constitution of the United States;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Beacon condemns the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress, and supports all actions to ensure accountability for those inciting and conducting the attack.
Beacon4Black Lives Community Responds To Attempted U.S. Election Certification Block At Capitol Building
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After the sun went down on the blocked Election Certification attempt at the nation’s Capitol, Beacon4Black Lives organized an impromptu and peaceful vigil at Pohill Park, Beacon’s destination for public gatherings. They brought a projector and screen to project the news onto a screen. Stefon Seward, one of the original members of Beacon4Black Lives and current committee member on Beacon’s Police Chief Search, was one of the first to speak about the difference between the white people storming the Capitol who seemed to do it with ease and no punishment, versus Black people who get shot in the back sometimes in front of their children.
A handful of speakers spoke, including Xavier Mayo, a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, sharing a story of him getting pulled over yesterday twice for a tail light being out, and of the two different emotional experiences he went through when pulled over by two different police officers. The experience with the first officer was normal and helpful as to how to fix a tail light, yet the second experience invoked fear as the officer smirked and laughed at Xavier when the he said he felt afraid.
Justice McCray, who is also a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, spoke about how Black people are treated differently and how basic needs for some Beaconites are not being met, and how the Black community in Beacon does not feel safe with police. Justice is connected to several food insecurity initiatives like the Community Fridge, and is an advocate for community safety in new ways. “We’re here to build something better. What’s happening now is not OK, and is a slap in the face of democracy.”
Paloma Wake also spoke, who is a member of Beacon4Black Lives and has been involved in several Beacon based organizations including the Beacon Farmers Market when she was its manager. She currently holds a seat and is the Vice Chair on Beacon’s Human Relations Commission.
Other speakers included former regular participants of past protest marches down Main Street over the summer in favor of Black lives mattering more, as well as the protest of the Beacon 2021 budget.
One speaker was new to the group, after moving to Beacon recently. He said that having been down in the dumps earlier, he turned to his wife and they agreed to come down to the vigil. He expressed happiness that he came, and sadness at the new life navigations he needed to make with his family who are Trump supporters and he is not. He expressed dismay at not being able to communicate with them because of their political differences, which was a choice he made, after not being able to tolerate tolerance any longer.
Beacon Councilperson for Ward 4, Dan Aymar-Blair, spoke about his experience during the day with his child at home who was asking questions about democracy. Dan has a BA in Political Science and Government and stated that while watching the events unfold, he expressed desire to explore his own relationship with democracy, as he tried to answer his son’s question.
The day seemed to have launched a deep dive for many as events developed. Listen to all of the stories and speeches at the vigil here at Beacon4Black Lives Instagram.
Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro Re "Mayhem" At U.S. Capitol: "Every leader, in every office, from every corner of this country must call for this to end and disperse immediately"
/On Wednesday, January 6, while the Capitol Building of the United States of America was being stormed by supporters of President Trump, where 5 people died including one police officer, and other police officers were wounded, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, a Republican, issued a statement via press release at 4:48pm. It reads:
Statement from Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro
Following the events occurring in Washington, D.C.
“This mayhem must stop, and it must stop now. America doesn’t resort to chaos or violence, and we don’t encourage or invite it. Every leader, in every office, from every corner of this country must call for this to end and disperse immediately.
“The events unfolding at the U.S. Capitol this afternoon do not represent who we are as an American people. While we would never suppress vigorous debate and the right to protest – our country, after all, was founded on the right of its citizens to voice their opinions – the violence witnessed today is wrong and unacceptable, and it must come to an end.”
Reminder About Comment Policy; No Grammar Shaming; Bias In The Media
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After last week’s reaction to news, we are running an article to remind everyone about the Comment Policy at A Little Beacon Blog. As a result of the insults being thrown around throughout the pandemic, which peaked during election week, and will continue as we cover racial and pandemic topics, and quote people (any people), the insult darts from neighbor to neighbor are going to continue. This is how we deal with them at A Little Beacon Blog:
Comments Are Privileges, Not Rights
Back in the days when print media was the only way to get the news delivered to you in some format that was not word of mouth, people had the opportunity to write in a Letter to the Editor. Of the letters received, only a few could be selected. So it’s a big deal to be printed. Now with website platforms, people can publish comments usually un-moderated. Some websites thrive on this activity. ALBB does not. We do not relish in discomfort, hurt, punches through words.
While a news story might hurt someone’s feelings, it is usually a reflection of what happened. In a news story, reading the truth might hurt, or reading yourself quoted when you spoke at City Council Meeting or other public meeting might feel awkward, but that’s another matter.
The following types of comments will be deleted if left on our Instagram or Facebook, and will not be accepted to be published here on this blog:
Name Calling, like “They are stupid!” Phrases that disrespect people, especially those phrases that combine a word that implies a mentally disabled person. No matter what side you are on, or if you are blended into both sides, if you imply others as being stupid, your comment may be deleted.
False Accusations. When an implication is made in a comment, sometimes we will know who the person is, and if the claim is true. If we cannot validate an event mentioned in a comment, usually we use the comment as a lead to follow up on with the proper authorities, or get more information from that person.
First and Last Names Required, usually: When publishing a comment here at the blog, you need to include your first and last name, and your actual email. If you include just your first name, and your correct email, we may consider publishing it. But really, if you stand behind what you say, you won’t be afraid to include your first and last name. If you use a false email, we won’t publish it. Emails are kept private. They are not published, and we do not add them to our newsletter list.
Try to contribute a thought. If you’re making a comment, please try to contribute a thought that we all can benefit from, as we consider different angles.
Time to disengage. If a comment conversation gets too heated, with insults piling up, we will ask you to stop. Please respect this and move on.
Facebook Alias: If you use an alias at Facebook, and we find out, we may delete your comment. Already we have corresponded with people who do use aliases for various reasons. Those who do use an alias have so far left the most bully-ish comments. If you want to be a bully, do it under your full name with your face for us all to get to know you better.
Instagram Alias: Instagram is a different vibe than Facebook. It was not designed to be like a moving yearbook. If you use a cute name at Instagram, we are fine with this, and may quote you using your Instagram handle.
Quoting from Instagram or Facebook: When you leave a comment at Instagram or Facebook, it is public for the world to see, so we will not ask your permission to quote it if we lift it for an article.
Exceptions to these rules: If you leave a horrific comment, we may actually leave it up, so that others can learn more about you.
Grammar Shaming
What has become clear during the 2020 election is that one group is being implicated as stupid, while that group despises the other group for being elitist smarty-pants types. While one group viewed the 45th president as a great leader, others viewed and experienced him as a bully.
Grammar Shaming is an act of bullying. It is taking the distraction of one’s error in using a official word - either spelled or pronounced - and discarding them based on a spelling error or grammar flub. We discussed this with former mayor Randy Casale in a podcast episode on “What, What Is That?” Randy uses his own diction in pronouncing some words, and for years has been discounted and cut down for it in Facebook. And he’s not the only one who is grammar shamed. It happens all of the time in social media when someone spots a misspelling, etc.
Cutting someone down for the way they speak is wrong. If a white person did that to a Black person, it would be racist. If a white person does it to a white person, it is rude and hurtful. Both versions are an act of being a bully and are hurtful.
People love finding misspelled words. It basically makes them feel better about themselves, because they also make mistakes. But there are several things to consider here:
Ideas are not discounted just because someone spelled something wrong, or uses their own diction. If you see an error, and you want to snicker, keep it to yourself, and do not use ALBB’s social media to point it out.
The English language really is not logical. For those who are professionals at it - good for you. The logic just isn’t consistent. Why are “dove” and “love” pronounced with a soft “o” and “move” is spelled with a hard “o”?
Why does “y” sound like a “y,” except when it’s at the end of a word like “happy?”
There is probably a grammerly type answer for these questions, but that doesn’t mean they are logical or contribute to an easy life :)
So give everyone a break, and don’t use Grammar Shaming if you disagree with someone.
Editing For Spoken and Written Word
There are times when people speak in their style, and their grammar is unique, or part of a dialect of their community. We tend to not edit for that, especially when we transcribe a speech. The speaker loves the way they speak, and we want to respect that. If a speaker asks that we edit a pronunciation, we can do that.
Usually in press releases, if we feel that there needs to be an extra comma, and we really want to add one, we won’t. We love commas! And run-on sentences. If a press release forgot a word, like “not,” then we reach out if the context doesn’t make sense.
Holding Ourselves Accountable Too
There are lots of times we want to reply to a comment, but don’t, as it’s mainly a conversation space for you. We also know that you like your media on the neutral side. But sometimes we dip in. Know that we too are sitting on our hands and biting our tongues if a really snarky or sarcastic comment is trying to come out. We try to follow a guidline of not responding after 7pm, as that’s when words can get really spicy. We try to give it a minute.
Bias In The Media
Every single media outlet is biased, because it is run by humans. Even if the media was created by a computer, the machines learn, right? So they eventually lean in a certain direction. When a writer has an idea, they have an idea for a reason. From the genesis of their idea, or their clue that they are onto a good story idea, they are biased with that idea.
When they pitch it to their editor, their editor gets to make the choice of if the writer can pursue it or not. That editor is also biased. Everyone putting the publication together has a bias. Even the layout artist who is arranging pictures and words and headlines, to find what stands out more. You can’t not be, because you are alive and process information around you.
To accuse a media publication of being “biased” and that being the reason you stop reading is … a sign that you don’t like that one article. Everyone likes to hate on the Poughkeepsie Journal, except when that newspaper breaks a great story that proves your opinion.
Of the two people who unsubscribed from our last newsletter digest, one person had moved, and the other person, an avid reader and inspiration for our Where To Buy Easter Egg Stuff On Main Street Gift Guide (she DMed us from Target, where she put everything back and wanted to buy on Main Street), unsubscribed to say that the publication had become too biased.
That newsletter digest contained the article about the truck train, and article about the second Black person to be appointed onto Beacon’s Board of Education, and how Beacon’s Superintendent was committed to keeping the theme of Undoing Racism in the school’s curriculum.
So if this publication is biased because it is writing about Black people, and making a point to do so more, then yes, that is how we lean into our bias.
“But I’m not racist.”
That’s great!! This comment has been circulating a lot by people who say they are not racist. One of the first steps of not being racist is to be anti-racist. That little word, “anti,” means that you are putting out an extra effort to not be racist.
Part of not being racist is to believe people. If someone tells you a story, or shares a video of someone shouting “white power” in front of the Beacon Post Office, the comment that shows you are not racist would be: “Oh my gosh. That is dreadful. I am so upset he was part of our rally.” Or “Oh my gosh. I know him. I am ashamed that he did that in our rally. I am going to speak to him later.”
But if you say: “I did not hear that from the car I was in.” or “Did you it see coming out of his mouth? Did you see his mouth move?” This will signal that you are in denial. An person in denial contributes to racism. Which brings us back to being anti-racist. Several people who supported the Trump caravan did say these statements - stating that they did not hear anything and wanting more proof than it captured in a video - and it fueled the tension because it was denial. It also stunned a lot of fellow readers.
Ultimately, all of the readers wanted no racism. Anti-racism is how we get there. If you hear a story told to you, and then you respond by telling a story that counter-balances the testimonial given to you, you have denied that person’s testimony. That is not an act of being anti-racist. That is an act of being in denial, and contributing to racism.
You can also know, that our readership has grown with our racial coverage. White people reading are wanting to know more about Black people and their culture - a culture that exists within this very white community but isn’t covered that much - if at all - by the media. So we are trying our best to increase that.
In between breaking news stories about the pandemic or police or whatever else keeps happening.
Thank you for reading, and for your support. This community wants the same thing. Getting there is a unique journey, and never ends. It is a journey we will always be on, so is daily work.
Beacon Shoppers Pop Up With Joyful Noise After Election Results Are Declared
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Saturday started a stunner of a weekend, with the sunshine and warm weather. The stunner of a surprise happened mid-day Saturday, when the 2020 election results were declared and just over one half of America began celebrating. Locals and visitors were already out and about to enjoy shopping on Beacon’s Main Street, which grew enhanced with joyful honking of passing cars.
As cars passed, some people walking on the sidewalk clapped and cheered. Twins Barber Shop had a DJ spinning beats, and Joy, the owner of the Subway franchise, stepped outside to film what was developing on Beacon’s mile long Main Street. She wasn’t alone. Several shop owners and staff also stepped outside to look at the cheers, take pictures, and step back inside for the hustle and bustle that is Saturday in Beacon.
While not organized, this demonstration of horn honking was impromptu and was done by drivers as they drove from Point A to Point B of their Saturday errands. Patrons outside of several eateries like Homespun, Zaitun, Max’s On Main, Amacord, Towne Crier Cafe, and others, lifted their arms when someone banged a drumb, clanged a pot, shook a tambourine, or sounded a horn. A few cars drove around several times, like one vehicle who was playing the National Anthem.There was very little if any police vehicle presence, as this was not a demonstration, but people reacting while going about their days.
Strangers gave socially distant high fives, people listening to different music in their ear buds joined rhythm and danced together while passing each other. The reaction was not isolated to one area of Main Street, or to one time of the day. This lasted the entire length of Main Street, from the mountain to the train, into the evening. There did not seem to be many fireworks that were ignited.
Later in the evening, at 8:30pm when Kamala Harris and Joe Biden addressed the nation and the world, horns were honking in their TV audience as well, as trucks had been orchestrated to pull up to their drive-in speech that was held outside, to honk in support.
Shopping was in full force this weekend. Below are a few pictures of the shops we stopped into. As for volume of sales, some owners are reporting healthy buying from the uptick in Beacon’s visitors. Brenda from Beacon Bath and Bubble observed that the sales are close to what they are at around Christmas time. She observed this back when the Cupcake Festival was hosted in Beacon, which became one of her best sales days of the year.
Anne from the Chocolate Studio was happy with the amount of people making it around the bend to her end of Main Street, she confided to us as we ate a delicious vegan strawberry ice cream that is quickly becoming a famous flavor for dairy lovers as well.
And of course we had to stop into the Snooki Shop! Snooki, who’s name is Nicole, opened the shop in Beacon, returning to her roots of the Hudson Valley to expand her business. We learned that she also has a line of makeup, and other goodies you’ll find inside the shop.
For those who are fans of the annual Hop and Shop, event, a date has been set! Reserve December 3 (Thursday) and December 4 (Friday) for extra long nights of shopping.
Below are videos of different areas of Main Street and the joyful noise sounded.
The Chocolate Studio, on Beacon’s East End of Main Street, near the mountain. Try their vegan strawberry, a favorite with dairy lovers.
LLTO is back! Once in the tiny shop near Mountain Tops, this decor shop has opened mid-way down Main Street. Very selective inventory that from around the world, you’ll want to stop in.
Bath salts, bubble bath, bath bombs, all you need to brighten your bathroom are in Beacon Bath and Bubble, along with childhood favorites candy and soda.
New journals and towels are in at Beacon Mercantile, a perfume store in Beacon, where the scents are made in the shop.
Makeup from Snooki in the Snooki Shop, which includes a glitter pallet. You’ll even find stick-on eyelashes!
Velour is in this season, and you’ll find it at La Mere right now, with this velour halter. Wear it under a tank. And don’t miss the stackable rings to bling up your fingers.
A FEW ELECTION LEADERS: Serino, Maloney, Jacobson, Forman, and Others
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UPDATE: The link to the 2020 Election results at Dutchess County has been deleted and replaced with a new page, in the form of a PDF, which is not as comprehensive with the % of how much each number of votes totals. One difference has been the Democratic count has been increasing since the evening. President Trump still has the lead in Dutchess County, but the lead got slimmer as this day wore on with absentee ballots.
The old link is below, just for the record. The new link, as of 8pm on 11/4/2020 is here.
The numbers have been removed from this page so as to avoid inaccuracy. Please go to this current link to follow the latest results.
Old link (as of Election Day Morning) to results from the Dutchess County Board of Elections.
Self-Proclaimed "Silent Majority" Truck Train Yell "N-Word" and "White Power" At Beaconites
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Vehicles in the 2nd truck train passing through Beacon last Sunday. Vehicles also included an unmarked privately owned fire truck, truck hauling a dumpster, jeeps, and others.
At first blush, seeing Trump flags in a scrap metal dumpster being pulled by a large truck seemed like an artist statement for “Dump Trump.” Large, empty truck cabs with Trump flags pulling no rig seemed symbolic for carrying nothing - or lost cargo.
However, this truck train is a show of support for the 45th president, by people choosing to remain in their cars, windows up, largely unrecognizable, sometimes with license plates covered. The history of White Supremacy includes masked people making threats and using grand gestures to get their point across, like fire, fireworks, burning crosses, bonfires, and other loud events.
However the big truck caravan concept that is driving nationwide through small towns (including the one that attempted to corral a Biden campaign bus off the road, and the #MAGADrag event in NYC that resulted in reports of police pushing and arresting Black Lives Matter protesters, a truck running into a counter-protester, and halted traffic on the White Stone Bridge which moved up to the Mario Cuomo Bridge to stall traffic) rolled through Beacon two weekends in a row, past Fishkill, and up to Poughkeepsie, and drove within 20 feet of the early voting location at Fishkill Town Hall, as people waited in line along side the road on Rte. 52. This was days before the Town of Fishkill or the Board of Elections decided to move people away from the gravel in the road to in front of the Police Department.
A Little Backdrop Background To Day 1 Early Voting
While getting ready for Day 1 of Early Voting, this article came across the wires about a rally fiercely defending the 2nd Amendment that was originally scheduled and approved by its village’s board to be near an early voting location.
Prior to the first slow-motion truck drive-by the first weekend of early voting, a rally scheduled in Montgomery, NY that encouraged guns in its Eventbrite invitation (the online invitation was later taken down) was to be held quite close to Montgomery’s early voting location. Their Mayor Steve Bracia, who is running for Congress, didn’t see a problem with it, but after pushback, agreed to their Town Supervisor Brian Maher’s offer to have the rally at another location. Pictures from the event included the same kind of trucks that have been driving all around Beacon, Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie.
Instant Traffic Stop By Vehicle Demonstrations Vs Marching On Foot
The truck that caused a 1 hour disruption to Beacon’s Main Street last Sunday.
These truck trains can instantly cause backup or close a road or bridge. A march on foot would need a lot of permitting in order to achieve this effect. In Beacon, there were 27 protests over the summer that the Beacon Police Department accompanied, as stated by Acting Chief Frost in a recent City Council 10/26/2020 Workshop meeting explaining the Police Budget and overtime that is incurred from parades and demonstrations.
Turns out, Beacon has a number of parades requiring overtime by police to make moving street closures and barricading side streets. The usual community parades were canceled due to the pandemic. However, the protests accounted for the overtime estimated instead of the parades for the 2020 Police budget.
Most, if all of these protests in Beacon, were on foot, and moved relatively quickly, despite larger turnouts than others. While both demonstrations were loud and involved shouting, the vehicle version involved car honking throughout the drive-by, as well as sirens by retired unmarked fire trucks and possibly retired unmarked ambulances, as some locals have reported. The City of Beacon needed to answer to the public that a fire truck spotted was privately owned, and not representing a municipality. This display of an emergency vehicle caused confusion with the public. In business, this can be likened to trademark infringement.
It is not clear if any vehicle participants were volunteer fire fighters from other communities who used their sirens for audio effect. One Beacon resident observed that when Marchers marching for Black live mattering more past her house, she could turn up the TV if she did not want to hear the chanting. However, she stated that she could not drown out the sound when the truck train slowly drove by.
During the 2nd truck train last Sunday on the last early voting weekend, a truck broke down on Beacon’s Main Street for 1 hour, causing a part of Main Street to be closed while police and the truck operator waited for a tow truck company who could tow a truck that large, according to Beacon Detective Sargent Jason Johnson, who helped on the scene with several other police officers who safely diverted traffic.
While several large vehicles successfully drove around the truck, one van did collide with the truck while attempting to pass, but no one was injured, according to the Detective.
Fishkill Police Hold Up Traffic On I-84 For Truck Train And Allegedly Yell At A White Beaconite Needing To Get Home
A Fishkill Police Officer at 1-84 and Route 52 while traffic was held on the ramp during the first week of early voting while a truck caravan drove past the Fishkill Town Hall.
A Beaconite who was driving with his family after an an outing at an apple orchard shared his tale of being held on I-84 for over 20 minutes:
“We were coming back from Fishkill Farms and took the Route 52 exit on 84. Our timing put us right in the thick of the caravan. Doubtful they had a parade permit (right?) — but Fishkill PD were obviously in the loop.
Editor’s Note: Fishkill Police did confirm that they knew of the truck caravan in advance, but did not know that Town Hall was an early voting location.
The officer in the intersection kept waving the trucks through with no break for offramp traffic, even though it got hugely backed up, and there were multiple opportunities to pause the caravan and let folks through.
“When we tried to engage the officer, he barked ‘You go when *I* say so!’ Definitely a hostile vibe — except between the cop and the people passing in those trucks. He seemed pretty chummy with them.
“It felt like voter intimidation to me, coming as close as it did to the early voting site. And the whole police part of this felt pretty chilling. The caravan definitely drove for longer than 20 minutes. Felt like an eternity. I did shout “Impeached!” out the window a couple of times, which felt good (even if it’s not the most dignified lesson for my children).
“I think we may look into filing a complaint with the Mayor’s Office in Fishkill. Not sure where else. Anyway, icky vibes on a Sunday, but I managed not to get arrested, and we had a productive conversation with the kiddos, so I guess all’s well.”
Motorcyclists Frighten Black Mother And Kids; Fishkill Police Officer Allegedly Laughs
A mother who is Black was driving her children to early voting, and wrote into ALBB to share her story of being frightened by motorcyclists who drove past her car and yelled into it, scaring her children. Her name is Melanie Smalls and her story is below:
“Sunday morning I decided to get me and my two sons up and go vote early down at Fishkill Town Hall around 1:30pm-2:00pm. On my way, I got caught in the Trump/Pence motorcade on 52. Driving passed the old bowling spot which is now a storage unit and little passed the houses, the motorcade slowed down entirely! And I mean like a stand still.
“I realized that the Town Hall was just ahead and they was intimidating the voters there. Three old white men with long beards must of been way back; I looked in my rear view mirror of my SUV and saw them. Mind you, I was behind a Fishkill Police SUV. When it started moving, the 3 motorcycles from behind me, they rode by my SUV and started screaming and shouting in my car with my kids in the back ‘Trump 2020.’
“My kids started crying. I started to get scared because they are crazy. I honked my car for the police, but I could see the officer laughing in his left side mirror as he waved them to get in front of him to get with the rest.
“I’m a strong Black woman. Very tough. My parents ain’t raise no suckers and I damn sure was not about to let them intimidate me into not voting. I was not going to show my boys that. These people are very scary. Their scare tactics are horrible, atrocious. The Fishkill Police should be entirely ashamed of themselves. They stopped traffic for that.”
Truck Train Up In Poughkeepsie
A mother who is Black and lives in Poughkeepsie reported seeing the caravan there during the first weekend of early voting. She said:
“We saw them by Poughkeepsie Galleria (not sure of the time, but definitely the morning). My thoughts are that they are deep. I wasn’t up here during the 2016 election, but on Staten Island they weren’t as visible then. Felt like a sneak attack when the numbers revealed itself. I remember staying up all night well into 3am because it wasn’t very clear who actually, really won. Remember that? The announcement came at like 4am officially. My 3rd grader predicts Trump will be re-elected. He’s developed some strong political opinions since introducing him to Civics.”
Beacon’s Experience With The Truck Train
During the first weekend of early voting, the truck train came through, horns blazing. One person who is regularly out on the street reported in that eggs were thrown from a car to people on the sidewalk.
During the second week on Sunday November 1, 2020, more people wrote in to ALBB with their experiences. @janxchris said: “I witnessed A group of people in a truck, in that parade yelling the “n word” at people of color. That’s not a difference of opinion, that’s an act of racism. And no, that’s never okay, anywhere. You can have opinions, but the days of accepting racism as “opinions”are over.
Another person sent us video of motorcyclists yelling “White Power!” in front of Beacon’s Post Office. You can watch the video here and below.
As the caravan rolled down Main Street, many locals came out to watch it. Many of them said nothing, but had hair raised, cameras up. Some people shouted “Racists!” from the apartment windows above. Some people gave a thumbs down, as you can see in the video above as a caravan participant yells “white power.” According to @cezaleo__, some onlookers displayed their middle finger. One person, according to @cezaleo__, showed their breasts - or chest. It is unknown at this time why the person removed their shirt.
When people marched down the middle of Main Street for Black lives mattering more, the feeling was intense, but many visitors and locals showed signs of support. For the truck train, the feeling was more apprehension.
How Does Beacon’s Local Government Feel About The Caravan?
ALBB did reach out to every single City Council member as well as Mayor Lee Kyriacou and the City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero with different questions regarding this truck train. Council members were asked if they wanted to submit a comment of any kind regarding this caravan. It is unknown if they knew the details of the 2 caravans, which so far, have only floated in social media, unless it was seen in person.
Mayor Kyriacou was asked several questions, which included how he felt local Beaconites should respond to caravans like this, to receiving racial insults, and how calling Black people the “n-word” would be tolerated in a place of business. Mayor Kyriacou did not respond to ALBB’s questions, but he did speak generally to these tumultuous times during this week’s City Council meeting, which you can listen to here.
Terry Nelson, who is Black, was the only City Council member who responded to ALBB’s questions. He is also the only Black person who is a City Council member at moment, and was appointed by Mayor Kyriacou to lead the Police Reform Committee. Terry’s full quote in response to ALBB’s questions is below.
During that same City Council meeting in which the Mayor alluded to the issue, Terry made direct reference, and was so far the only City Council member who made mention of the truck train during his Report (all City Council members can give a “Report” on whatever they like during public City Council meetings). During his Report, Terry recalled the first time he was called the “n-word” when he was a child, and how it stung him.
Terry’s response to ALBB regarding this truck train was this:
“The participants in yesterday's caravan were exercising their freedom of speech, but those rights end when their words are used to instigate a negative reaction. Could you please ask any members of that caravan what does screaming the ‘n word’ at a mother and her children have to do with supporting the occupant of the White House? That display was not about supporting the president. It was about taking advantage of an opportunity to spew hate. I would love to hear some Trump supporters condemn that behavior, I won't hold my breath. They are complicit.”
Video of some of the truck caravan is below.
Truck Breaks Down For 1 Hour On Main Street During Sunday's Caravan
/Photos submitted by readers. Truck pictured on Main Street was this Sunday, and truck pictured in circle was last Sunday on Rte. 52 across from Fishkill Town Hall while early voters stood in line along the road’s edge.
A truck pulling a metal dumpster container that was part of the caravan of pickup trucks, jeeps, minivans and smaller cars that passed through Beacon last Sunday, broke down during the demonstration for one hour in front of the Post Office, which is in the middle of Main Street and near the Beacon Farmer’s Market. The truck was part of the train of cars that passed through Beacon and Fishkill last week during the first week of early voting.
Onlookers gathered around the vehicle while Beacon police responded to direct traffic around the stalled truck. According to one person who was driving by: “There was a woman screaming at anti-Trump passerby’s saying: ‘Don’t you touch my personal property (pointing at the truck) and don’t (pointing at the police) harass these men.” It is unknown at this time if onlookers were saying anything in exchange or initially. When a person is isolated in the middle of the road with a stationery vehicle, it is always nerve wracking, and can cause lashing out.
Detective Sergeant Jason Johnson confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog that an accident occurred after the truck broke down, and that a street closure was required to help route traffic around the vehicle: “Yes, there was a truck that broke down on Main Street between Veterans Place and Teller Avenue. It was what I would describe as a large roll off dumpster truck. Officers were able to route vehicles around the truck to clear traffic. Due to the size of the truck, several tow companies were contacted and the wait was approximately an hour for the tow truck. Eventually, that block was shut down as the operator was working on the truck. A van was permitted to pass and the operator misjudged and struck the disabled truck. Officers had already routed countless vehicles larger than the van through there with no issues. Luckily, no one was injured.”
Fire Truck That Was In Sunday's 2nd Truck Caravan Was Privately Owned - Says Beacon's City Administrator
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Word spread quickly on A Little Beacon Blog’s Instagram as we published photo and video of truck caravan developments - about how everything went down. It was a telephone game of who saw what and when. Several dots connected, so we were able to follow up on several leads.
One such lead was a fire truck that drove with the caravan, that made several onlookers uncomfortable, as they thought it belonged to a municipality. Said @harperlangston, who saw it and asked: “How is it legal for a fire engine to be in a pro-any-candidate parade?” Some even wondered if it was a Beacon fire truck.
A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the Mayor, City Administrator, Fire Chief and Chief of Police this morning with a series of questions regarding the caravan at large, one of which was the identification detail of the fire truck.
This afternoon, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero sent out a notice to several media outlets to put the questions to rest:
“We have received a number of inquiries regarding the Fire Truck in the Truck Caravan on Sunday. The Fire Truck that was in Sunday’s Truck Caravan was not a City Fire Truck. The City fire department did not participate in the caravan. The truck was a privately owned Fire Truck. It was an E-ONE brand pumper, which the City does not and has not owned. There were no lettering and no red lights on the apparatus, as well as license plates. City Fire Trucks do not by law have licenses plates.”
A Little Beacon Blog followed up to ask how they know for sure that the truck is privately owned, and not operated by another municipality. Anthony answered: “We know definitively that it is not ours. But, the Fire Chief knows it is privately owned for all the reasons stated [above].”
You may have noticed yards along 9D or other locations, where vehicle collectors have school buses, fire trucks, and other interesting collectibles that sometimes are on display during car shows.
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