Travel Restriction Lifted Tuesday 8pm; Dutchess County Government Offices Open Wednesday; BCSD On 2-Hr Delay

The travel restriction ends today Tuesday at 8pm, which is earlier than first declared. Dutchess County Government offices will open normally on Wednesday. The Beacon City School District will be open on Wednesday, and will open on a 2-hour delay.

Per the Press Release from Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O'Neil:

Effective 8 p.m. this evening, Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O'Neil will rescind his earlier Executive Order from Monday, March 13th, and there will be no more travel restrictions. County Government offices to resume normal operations on Wed., March 15th

Driving, however, is not advisable until Wednesday morning, as wind gusts have knocked down numerous trees and power lines throughout the county; sub-freezing temperatures overnight will likely lead to icy roads and slippery driving conditions, particularly in the higher elevations, and additional downed trees and lines.

County Executive O'Neil said, "We thank residents throughout Dutchess County for heeding our request to stay off the roads to allow our dedicated Department of Public Works crews to clear those roads. This has been a challenging storm, extending over a long period of time, and we thank residents for their patience and cooperation in helping crews keep our roadways passable."

Dutchess County Government offices are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, March 15th, operating under normal business hours.

Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) will resume normal weekday service on Wednesday, March 15th. For updates on service, bus passengers can visit dutchessny.gov/publictransit or the DCPT mobile app.

Crews from the Dutchess County Department of Public Works (DPW) have been ahead of the storm since its beginning – plowing, treating and salting County roads since 1 a.m. Tuesday; those crews will continue to treat and salt County roads throughout this evening, as icy conditions are expected.

Residents can stay up-to-date on the County’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the County’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.

Ice Storm Starts Monday Night - Warnings Issued For Tuesday - How School Will Handle

Ice began covering the Midwest on Sunday, impacting Virginia, continuing in Ohio, and now is in the Hudson Valley. In Beacon on Monday at around 4pm, driveways started to get slick. By 5:30pm while misty rain fell and froze, as if Beacon were in a cloud, some neighbors attempting to take their trash out reported slipping on the steps, like @yaya_love_312: “OMG I almost died at the bottom of my steps taking the trash out 🤦🏾‍♀️.”

As we approach the year anniversary of when the COVID-19 pandemic became official, we are reminded that Disney+ was one of the first to make a blockbuster more easy to stream - Frozen 2, and almost broke the Internet as newly stressed people began binging TV: ”The Internet Is Getting Overloaded. Netflix Limits Streaming In Europe To Preserve Bandwidth”

Hudson Valley Weather forecasts for Tuesday: “Freezing drizzle mixed with sleet and plain rain... tapering off by mid morning. Temps in the low to mid 30s. NE wind 3 to 7mph. Treacherous conditions possible north of I-84 due to icing.” Central Hudson issued a warning to customers for power outages, which is reprinted below.

The Beacon City School District Superintendent Dr. Landahl announced on Monday morning that normally for an icy morning, a 2-Hour Delay would be probable. However, he explained the difference the pandemic induced Remote Learning schedule has on the traditional delay: “This year, due to the differences in our school schedules, we do not have a 2-Hour Delay, so on those days, we will offer remote instruction. However, one of the things we will have to take into account is if teachers and students have access to the internet. Power outages and internet outages across the region could make remote instruction impossible for us. This all becomes more real to us when we have a potential ice storm coming in on us.”

The District’s decision for the Remote Instruction will be announced at around 5am after the district team inspects the roads.

Message From Central Hudson:

Central Hudson is advising residents to prepare for wintry conditions that could bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to the Mid-Hudson Valley on Monday night into Tuesday. These conditions have the potential to cause service interruptions in the region, especially in Orange County and southern portions of the area.

The National Weather Service has issued an Ice Storm Warning for Orange County until Tuesday afternoon while Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster counties are under Winter Weather Advisories.

“We are closely monitoring the incoming weather system and have a full complement of crews as well as our core contractors ready to respond if power outages occur,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “Our customers, too, are also advised to take precautions. Icing can damage trees and cause limbs to break and fall, bringing down power lines and causing outages and hazardous conditions.”

The current forecast is calling for a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to move into the area on Monday night. Higher snow totals are expected in the northern and western parts of the Mid-Hudson Valley while ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch are possible further to the south. Visit Hudson Valley Weather for the latest forecast information, or follow them on Facebook.

Our crews and support staff are practicing social distancing in an effort to keep employees and communities safe.

Remember to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees and limbs. Assume all downed lines are live and keep a wide distance from fallen trees and limbs. Motorists should also be aware of the potential for downed limbs and power lines that may block roadways and should never attempt to drive over or around downed power lines.

Please review the preparedness and safety tips below and use the resources listed in the right column of this message to report an outage and seek restoration estimates should you lose power.

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People are reminded to avoid trees, as branches could fall, and to avoid standing under anything. Central Hudson also advises people not to use a grill or stove for heat, and other tips which you can read here.

Beacon's Fee Structure For Fines For Unshoveled or Unsatisfactory Snow On Sidewalks - As Of February 2021

After the City of Beacon robocalled residents to remind them to shovel their sidewalks, and shovel them better or face fines after 2.5 feet of snow fell, plus a few more inches a few days later, and more snow forecasted, A Little Beacon Blog followed up with Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White, to find out what the fines were and what was required in snow removal from sidewalks.

ALBB: What is the fee for the City to remove snow from a sidewalk?

“The fee for the city to clear a sidewalk is a $125.00 administration fee plus $1.25 per lineal foot of sidewalk cleared.”

ALBB: When the City of Beacon Highway Department clears the sidewalk of a resident, and the resident pays the fee, are the employees of the Highway Department paid additional? Or is this part of their general work description?

“No. This is part of their general work.”

ALBB: Would shoveling of sidewalks fall into overtime for them?

“No. This is done during the normal work day on regular time.”

ALBB: Regarding width of shoveling: the robocall mentioned that baby strollers could not get through. If a resident has shoveled their sidewalk, but only so much for adults to walk through, and not a stroller, is that enough? Or is there a width requirement of snow removal on a sidewalk?

“The Beacon City Code requires the width of the sidewalk be cleared. That said, the City prioritizes clearing sidewalks that have not been cleared at all.”

ALBB: Regarding plowing done by the Highway Department: the trucks do mound snow back onto the sidewalks and driveways. According to some older residents of Beacon who have been here for 20+ years, the plowing did not seem to push back onto the sidewalks as much. Can you comment as to this snow clearing strategy?

“I can’t comment on what people say. I lived here in the 1990s and remember people complaining about that in the past as well. When you have heavy snowfalls, it is difficult to deal with the volume of snow.”

ALBB: Regarding snow removal into the street: There are at times nowhere else for the snow to go. If a yard is small, or has bushes or trees, there is literally nowhere to blow the snow if a snowblower is used, or a shovel. Can you advise?

Awaiting response. Will post when updated.

ALBB: A reader asked if there are zones of the City that have little foot traffic, like a side street, that are not subject to fine?

This was a new question in addition to the original list. Awaiting response. Will post when updated

After Double Blizzard, Beacon's Mayor's Office Says Sidewalk Snow Subject To Fine

After February’s blizzard dropped 2.5’ feet of snow, the Dig Out process began. Beacon’s Highway Department drove into Overtime in order to clear the streets day and night. Residents shoveled and powered up snow blowers to clear the snow. Which snowed twice within a 24hr period. Requiring 2 rounds of snow removal for those who were trying to keep up with it.

The following week (yesterday), another snowfall occurred, with more inches of heavy, ice-like snow falling. This prompted the Mayor’s Office to call residents with a reminder to remove snow, stating that baby strollers could not get through some sidewalks. As a pusher of a stroller for 10 years, it is common knowledge that sidewalks in Beacon will never be 100% clear enough for a stroller to get through (and the sidewalks themselves are broken or in some cases, non-existent). Of strollers that can get through plowed snow, a 3-wheel jogging stroller is usually required, which compares to an off-roading vehicle, as opposed to a more common 4-wheel stroller with small wheels, which will barely get through any snow at all.

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In the evening of Beacon’s 2nd blizzard, as people returned home from a commute if they have one, or turned away from Remote Learning if they had kids at home during the Snow-Day-Not-A-Snow-Day, the Mayor’s Office delivered a robo-call to residents, reminding them to clear their sidewalks, and letting them know of a fine that could happen if the Highway Department needed to clear their sidewalks for them. Instead of the Mayor delivering the message as he had hours earlier to deliver a vaccination awareness message, residents heard from his assistant regarding snow removal consequences:

Please help us keep everyone safe during this inclement weather.

Keep the roads clear by avoiding unnecessary travel; park in City parking lots or in your driveway. Any car parked on a city street after two inches of snowfall is subject to being towed.

Your car needs to be move out of City parking lots 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling so the Highway Department can clear the lots.

Let’s keep the sidewalks cleared for everyone, there were a lot of baby strollers struggling to get through narrow paths last week. It is your responsibility to clear your sidewalk within 24 hours after the snow stops falling. If you do not do so, the City will clear it for you and charge you a fine.

Please do not throw snow in the road as it can turn to ice and can become a hazard.

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Sidewalk Path Width

Following up on this message, A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the Mayor’s Office to gain clarification on the required width - if any - on how wide the shoveling of the snow on a sidewalk needs to be.

Shoveling is a lot of work. People who cannot, due to time or physical hardship, hire locals or companies to dig out for them. Blue Green Lawns, a new landscaping company serving Poughkeepsie and Beacon, dug out 10 properties for the first storm, and 4 properties for the second storm. According to Blue Green Lawns, some homeowners specified: “We need you immediately so that we don’t get fined.”

Sidewalk Snow Throwback From Highway Department Plow Trucks

While the sentiment of gratitude is there for the Highway Department to be plowing, and earning anticipated overtime during the winter blizzard season, residents do dread when the truck passes by and pushes the snow from the street back onto a freshly shoveled sidewalk. “It didn’t used to be this way,” one long-time Beacon resident stated, who has lived in Beacon for 30 years and has a corner lot. “They didn’t used to push the snow back into our sidewalk. They left it in the street.”

Also notable is the corner of a sidewalk. If a resident digs out but stops at the corner, then a person must turn around to walk back

Running Out Of Room To Put The Snow

While removing 2.5’ feet of snow, it is unclear on what to do if there is no room at the resident’s property to put the snow. One person’s yard may be spacious, another person’s yard may have large bushes or trees in front, thereby making snow placement impossible after shoveling it from the sidewalk, and forcing it into the street, as it has nowhere left to go.

After snowfall, from time to time and for certain areas, the City of Beacon does remove, or cut, snow from the street to place it in piles near Memorial Park.

Sidewalk Fines If Highway Department Digs Out A Resident

During Monday night’s City Council Workshop meeting, the new City Administrator, Chris White, and Mayor Lee Kyriacou indicated a schedule of pricing, for how to calculate how much a homeowner would be fined, depending on the area needing cleared.

Monday's Forecasted Heavy Snow & Wind Closes Dutchess County Offices, Public Transit, Meal Delivery, and Beacon Schools

With sideways snowfall starting already in Pennsylvania, Washington, DC and parts of Virginia, which is part of a storm system headed to New York, Connecticut, and all the way up the east coast, Dutchess County is staying ahead of it by announcing emergency actions on Sunday evening, prior to the predicted time of snowfall.

The Beacon City School System has called a full school closure, which means that the Remote Learning plan will not be activated. Beacon Superintendent Landahl has made it clear at Board of Education Meetings and in community correspondences, that he - and his own young children who are in the district - want “good old fashioned snow days” during this new remote learning life.

The snow in Beacon is excepted to start on Monday morning at approximately 4am and continue into Tuesday. High accumulations and wind gusts are expected (see below for Dutchess County predictions). Wind gusts typically cause power outages in the Beacon area, so have everything charged, and turn your heat on overnight. Do not use propane heaters or leave them unattended, as those are a fire-hazard.

Cars must be off the street after 2” inches of snow, so that plows can come through. When shoveling, try to shovel the snow into your yard and not the street, as the snow plows will simply plow it back onto your sidewalk. Of course, if your neighbor kindly snow blows your sidewalk for you as a favor, and blows the snow into the street, #whatareyougoingtodo.

Have cash on hand to hire locals walking by to shovel you out if you need the help, or visit A Little Beacon Blog’s Business Directory for snow plow services.

According to a press release issued Sunday evening by Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, he has activated several steps to help keep the county safe:

Snow Warning + Weather Forecast From Dutchess County

According to the press release: “The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning effective now through Tuesday, February 2nd. Snowfall is expected to arrive very early Monday morning, continuing into Tuesday until approximately 10pm. Prediction models vary widely for this storm with heavy snow fall expected between 9”-18'“ inches, with 12”-15” inches likely, and wind gusts as high as 25mph during the day Monday, and 30mph Monday evening. Both morning and evening commutes on Monday are expected to be impacted significantly, and motorists are reminded to allow extra time and exercise caution on the roadways.”

County Executive Molinaro said, “Reports indicate this storm is going to give us significant snowfall and winds. We are monitoring the situation carefully and emergency responders are prepared. We want all residents to be safe and avoid travel if possible. If you must travel, recognize that you'll need to allocate extra time for safety purposes, as crews work to clear roadways.”

Dutchess County To Activate Emergency Operations Center, 7am Monday

Dutchess County Emergency Response will activate the Emergency Operations Center at 7am Monday with representatives from County Public Works, NYS DOT, New York State Police, County Sheriff, County Behavioral & Community Health, Central Hudson, NYSEG, and Red Cross for the duration of the storm.

Previously Scheduled Weekly Call With Mayors and Supervisors To Review Storm Conditions

County Executive Molinaro will host a previously scheduled weekly conference call with local Mayors and Supervisors on Monday afternoon to review storm conditions and coordinate resources as necessary.

Dutchess County Public Works highway crews have loaded trucks with materials, salt will be applied to County roadways as the storm begins, and crews will be out through the duration of the storm to clear roadways.

Dutchess County Public Transit Suspended Monday

Dutchess County Public Transit Service will be suspended Monday, February 1st. Bus passengers can check for updates at www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit, on the DCPT mobile app, or call 845-473-8424, TDD/TTY: 711.

Home Delivered Meals For Seniors Suspended Monday

Dutchess County Office for the Aging has suspended Home Delivered Meals delivery for Monday, February 1st. Recipients should utilize previously provided frozen or shelf stable meals.

Dutchess County Offices Closed Monday

Dutchess County Government offices will be closed Monday, February 1st. If Dutchess County residents had a DMV appointment for Monday, February 1st, it will be honored on Wednesday, February 3rd at the same time and location.

The City of Beacon’s offices will also be closed to the public on Monday, but the regular City Council Meeting will continue, as they have been remote since the pandemic.

Residents can stay up-to-date on the County’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the County’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.

First Snowfall Of March In Beacon 2019

Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

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The first snowfall of March for 2019 has fallen onto lilac tree buds and hyacinth shoots. Fear not, they have been covered before. 

The snow fell heavy and wet onto warm (well, not super-cold) ground, temperate from the Sunday before when the days had just started to warm up a bit. 

Schools in New York City are closed, with a Hazardous Travel Advisory issued by NYC, according to WNYC. Most schools in the Hudson Valley are on a two-hour delay, with some schools on a three-hour delay, or a Transportation Delay. Some Hudson Valley Schools are simply closed for the day.

Beacon City Schools are in a two-hour delay, and our delay call came last night, which helps with planning and rescheduling. Delays have become commonplace over the years when snow is expected to be on the ground in the morning. According to Beacon Superintendent Matthew Landahl, a small team from the school’s Transportation Department goes out at 3:30 am to check the roads to make a decision, since buses start their routes at 6 am.

“Since I live here,” says Dr. Landahl, “I sometimes go out and join in on the fun.” If the team finds icy patches where the buses need to drive to transport kids in and out of the district, Landahl is inclined to call a two-hour delay. Robocalls issued by Dr. Landahl have helped to keep everyone informed along the way. This morning, a call was issued to confirm the decision from the night before: that everything was good to go for the planned delay. “See you soon,” he added, and credited the city’s Highway Department and school facility teams for getting the roads clear for everyone. To follow along with other school schedules during weather, check out the list here: http://wpdh.com/snow-closings-delays/

Shoveling!

Well, you know what snowfall means: shoveling. And you know what shoveling means: chocolate chip pancakes! Or deep-dish French toast from Homespun, three-layer cake from BJs, a cheese danish from Beacon Bread Company, a hearty bagel sandwich from Beacon Bagel, or cut to the chase with a bacon egg sandwich from Mr. V’s or Bob’s. Permission granted to totally carb out.

Be safe! Don’t overdo it. Take breaks. And don’t stand under snow-covered heavy branches of snow. OK, that’s a lot to remember. Enjoy!

Bear Mountain Bridge on the morning commute from Beacon to New York City. Photo Credit: David Ray Martin

The east end of Main Street, before the second half of the east end of Main Street beyond Teller Avenue. Photo Credit: David Ray Martin

Street Parking During Snow: 2" Inches of Snow Means Move Your Car

The City of Beacon issued an alert reminding people of the street parking rules during snow fall. Cars parked on the street are subject to being towed if there is 2 or more inches of snow.

You can find a free parking lot here in A Little Beacon Blog’s Free Parking Lot Guide.

The message from the City, via Friday’s Emergency Alert sent via phone/email/text, reads like this - just so that you have the details straight from the source:

“This is the Mayor's Office with a weather update. Snow is expected to begin mainly after 5 pm on Saturday with 6-12 inches of snow expected for Dutchess County. Remember your vehicle is subject to removal at your expense if it is parked on a city street after two inches of snow. Also please remove your vehicle from any city parking lot within twenty four hours after the end of the storm. The Doctor Reverend Martin Luther King Junior Parade and Events have been rescheduled for February sixteenth. For more information, call 845 420 1232.”

Sign up here for the Emergency Alert Messages if you haven’t yet.

We wrote about it here and walked you through the process.