New Things To Do :: 3/39/2025
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ALBB Readers Are Asking For Updates To The Shooting In Groveville Community
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Readers of A Little Beacon Blog have been writing in, asking for an update to the shooting that took place in the Groveville community of townhouses across the street from Trax on Rte. 52 days before Halloween on October 24, 2024 at 6:45pm, as ALBB first reported here.
Multiple sources have since told ALBB that the victim, who was confirmed by the Beacon Police to be a male 23-year old Beacon resident, was essentially paralyzed by the 5 or 7 gunshot wounds he received that night on Mill Street, which is the first street in the townhouse community. According to people familiar with the victim, his arm was also shot and is no longer usable.
According to people who know the victim, he is currently living with his mother who is his sole caregiver. Community members also say that his mother was evicted from her apartment, and they are living where they can find arrangements.
On the night of the shooting, Beacon Police confirmed via press release that all parties involved were still at the scene, and that there was no threat to the general public. Having been reporting on the scene, ALBB saw no search for an active shooter, or felt a sense of alarm.
As first reported by ALBB then: “According to neighbors, shots were fired, possibly 5 at close range, and a body was taken from the ground into an ambulance to St. Lukes in Newburgh. It was believed by neighbors that the person who was shot was a young man in his 20s who has a child around the age of 1, and was visiting someone in the Groveville community, and that he did not live there. Neighbors heard that he was in surgery in the hospital as of 7:15pm.
“At first, neighbors did not know who the victim was, or the shooter. They were quite surprised that the shooting happened at all. But then texts started coming in as to who the victim was, and what his condition was at the hospital. Neighbors did not see anyone taken away in handcuffs, or a shooter identified. That does not mean that a shooter wasn’t taken into custody, or that other information is known about them. So far, there is no confirmed information about the shooter.”
Since that time, the Beacon Police have not released further information about the shooter or the motive, saying it was an open investigation. They declined to release names of the shooter or victim at that time.
A Fourth Suspect, Jarell Brown, Arrested For "Contract Murder" In Killing Of Lionell Pittman In 2022; Past Employment Of Jarell Was As Security Detail For Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney
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The City of Beacon Police, with the assistance of the Dutchess County Drug Task Force, and the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office UAV (Drone) Unit, have arrested a fourth suspect, Jarrell Brown (age 32) of Beacon, in the killing of Lionell Pittman (age 32 when he died), according to a press release issued by Beacon Police Chief Figlia, which the Chief described as a “drive-by” shooting on May 14th, 2022 at 6:50pm.
Three other suspects have been arrested in June, September and November of 2024 who were “present for, and participated in this crime,” Chief Figlia reminded the community. “Through continuing investigation into the motive behind it,” the Chief stated, Jarell was placed into custody on an arrest warrant and arraigned in Dutchess County Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail.
Jarell's charges are:
Murder in the 1st Degree (Contract Murder), a Class A-1 Felony as well as
Murder in the 2nd Degree (Intentional Murder), also a Class A-1 Felony and
Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a Class B Felony.
The trial date was not stated in the press release.
Chief Figlia added: "This arrest stands as further proof that the Beacon Police Department will do what is necessary to fully investigate violence in our community and bring the perpetrators of all aspects of these crimes to justice.”
Jarell’s Previous Employment Included Being Security Detail to Rep. Sean Patric Maloney
Jarell was hired as security detail between 2021-2022 for Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (Democrat), who represented the 18th District from 2013-2023 which included Beacon. Maloney was the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He was replaced by GOP state lawmaker Mike Lawler in a surprising loss in November 2022. Maloney then moved to Paris, France as the U.S. Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, as he was appointed to that position in France by President Joe Biden on May 12, 2023.
Recap Of The Shooting Of Lionell Pittman
During the early evening of Saturday, May 14th, 2022, as people were returning home to Forestall Heights and were gathered in the parking lot outside, shots were fired around the time of 6:50pm, which is when Beacon Police were called.
As ALBB reported at the time, according to people who heard the shots, commotion could be heard from the second parking lot around the corner from the first parking lot on West Center Street. The parking lot and the apartment units are located next door to the Beacon Recreation Center and across the street and next door to houses.
According to those who heard the shots, they said there was a motorcycle driving around which popped off its exhaust, sounding like gunshots. Moments or seconds later, a second series of shots were heard within one or two seconds. One person said they heard 18 shots fired in 1 or 2 seconds, another person said they heard 7 shots in 1 second. Three of these shots allegedly hit Lionell, one reportedly to his head and two in his chest. CPR was preformed on Lionell en route to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Beacon High School Theatre Students, The Beacon Players, Build Sets And Costumes For April's Performance
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The sewing machines are spinning again back stage of the Pete and Toshi Seeger Theater as the students of the Beacon High School Theater Group, the Beacon Players, build sets and costumes for their production of Guys and Dolls, which will open on the stage from April 25-27th. Tickets are on sale now.
Known for their elaborate sets and costumes, this production looks to be on mark. With dozens of costumes on the sewing tables, the stitchers are busy. Crew can include both actors, builders and stitchers, with ample opportunity to try new things.
Donations of costumes or set pieces can be made any time to the Beacon Players by contacting Beacon Players. Monetary donations can be made online here,
Beacon High School Career Fair Open For Businesses/Creators/Organizations To Participate 2025 Edition
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Registration for the Beacon High School Career Fair 2025 Edition is open for registrations from businesses/creators/organizations who want to connect with kids in the Beacon City School District. The day is Friday, May 16th from 10:30am-1:30pm. Lunch is provided from the PTSO beginning at 11:15am. Click here to register online, and make Michele R. Santiago’s (formerly Polhamus) day, as Career Fair Day is one of her favorites.
“This is a great opportunity for businesses to connect directly with our students, and for these kids to experience people from companies they may want to work for one day, or pursue the industry,” Michelle told A Little Beacon Blog. Indeed, ALBB has participated in the Career Fair for at least five years, and looks forward to interacting with the aspiring writers, designers and journalists who approach our table.
There is no cost to attend, and tables and electricity are provided. Usually participants are grouped by industry, so all media has neighboring tables, for example. Click here for last year’s lineup. Don’t see your business or self listed there? You don’t need our permission to sign up! Do it!
Real ID Deadline Coming Up :: Special Saturday Opening At Poughkeepsie DMV
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Event: Dutchess County DMV (Poughkeepsie location)- Open on Saturday, March 29, 2025
Date: Saturday, March 29, 2025
Time: 9am - 1pm
Where: Office of the Dutchess County Clerk
22 Market Street – 1st Floor
Poughkeepsie, New York 12601
*** via Press Release from the County Clerk of Dutchess County ***
Dutchess County Clerk Bradford Kendall announced today that the Dutchess County Department of Motor Vehicles will open the Poughkeepsie DMV office on Saturday, March 29 from 9am-1pm to process license and registration transactions. The office is located at 22 Market St in Poughkeepsie.
The pending May 7th deadline for Real Id implementation has increased the volume of customers looking to upgrade their licenses to be compliant with federal law.
Customers are urged to make reservations as our queueing system prioritizes reservations.
Walk-ins will be accommodated but will have a longer wait time. Go to Department of Motor Vehicles (dutchessny.gov) to make a reservation.
To access a list of acceptable documents to obtain a Real ID go to NYS Dept of Motor Vehicles.
The Poughkeepsie office will be the only Dutchess DMV location open on this day. No enforcement or permit transactions will be processed.
Here's Your "Criminal": Lies You Tell Yourself To Justify Disappearing People To Retain Your White Supremacy, Toxic, Fragile Masculinity, and Make Jails A Bunch Of Money
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Canadian ‘American Pie’ actress Jasmine Mooney was detained by Trump’s ICE agents at the US-Mexico border and jailed for 12 days. And she’s not alone. She just one of the sexiest examples at the moment with access to fame. Irony is not lost that the movie she is from is American Pie.
She is coming forward because she knows she is one of the only voices for the other women and men kidnapped from their lives by the Trump “administration.” These kidnappings are justified by people like you reading this who say: “But he’s getting the criminals! It’s just the criminals!”
No. It is not the criminals. Just like it was never Hamas.
The rest of the words are from Jasmine Mooney:
There was no explanation, no warning. One minute, I was in an immigration office talking to an officer about my work visa, which had been approved months before and allowed me, a Canadian, to work in the US. The next, I was told to put my hands against the wall, and patted down like a criminal before being sent to an Ice detention center without the chance to talk to a lawyer.
I grew up in Whitehorse, Yukon, a small town in the northernmost part of Canada. I always knew I wanted to do something bigger with my life. I left home early and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where I built a career spanning multiple industries – acting in film and television, owning bars and restaurants, flipping condos and managing Airbnbs.
In my 30s, I found my true passion working in the health and wellness industry. I was given the opportunity to help launch an American brand of health tonics called Holy! Water – a job that would involve moving to the US.
I was granted my trade Nafta work visa, which allows Canadian and Mexican citizens to work in the US in specific professional occupations, on my second attempt. It goes without saying, then, that I have no criminal record. I also love the US and consider myself to be a kind, hard-working person.
I started working in California and travelled back and forth between Canada and the US multiple times without any complications – until one day, upon returning to the US, a border officer questioned me about my initial visa denial and subsequent visa approval. He asked why I had gone to the San Diego border the second time to apply. I explained that that was where my lawyer’s offices were, and that he had wanted to accompany me to ensure there were no issues.
After a long interrogation, the officer told me it seemed “shady” and that my visa hadn’t been properly processed. He claimed I also couldn’t work for a company in the US that made use of hemp – one of the beverage ingredients. He revoked my visa, and told me I could still work for the company from Canada, but if I wanted to return to the US, I would need to reapply.
I was devastated; I had just started building a life in California. I stayed in Canada for the next few months, and was eventually offered a similar position with a different health and wellness brand.
I restarted the visa process and returned to the same immigration office at the San Diego border, since they had processed my visa before and I was familiar with it. Hours passed, with many confused opinions about my case. The officer I spoke to was kind but told me that, due to my previous issues, I needed to apply for my visa through the consulate. I told her I hadn’t been aware I needed to apply that way, but had no problem doing it.
Then she said something strange: “You didn’t do anything wrong. You are not in trouble, you are not a criminal.”
I remember thinking: Why would she say that? Of course I’m not a criminal!
She then told me they had to send me back to Canada. That didn’t concern me; I assumed I would simply book a flight home. But as I sat searching for flights, a man approached me.
“Come with me,” he said.
There was no explanation, no warning. He led me to a room, took my belongings from my hands and ordered me to put my hands against the wall. A woman immediately began patting me down. The commands came rapid-fire, one after another, too fast to process.
They took my shoes and pulled out my shoelaces.
“What are you doing? What is happening?” I asked.
“You are being detained.”
“I don’t understand. What does that mean? For how long?”
“I don’t know.”
That would be the response to nearly every question I would ask over the next two weeks: “I don’t know.”
They brought me downstairs for a series of interviews and medical questions, searched my bags and told me I had to get rid of half my belongings because I couldn’t take everything with me.
“Take everything with me where?” I asked.
A woman asked me for the name of someone they could contact on my behalf. In moments like this, you realize you don’t actually know anyone’s phone number anymore. By some miracle, I had recently memorized my best friend Britt’s number because I had been putting my grocery points on her account.
I gave them her phone number.
They handed me a mat and a folded-up sheet of aluminum foil.
“What is this?”
“Your blanket.”
“I don’t understand.”
I was taken to a tiny, freezing cement cell with bright fluorescent lights and a toilet. There were five other women lying on their mats with the aluminum sheets wrapped over them, looking like dead bodies. The guard locked the door behind me.
For two days, we remained in that cell, only leaving briefly for food. The lights never turned off, we never knew what time it was and no one answered our questions. No one in the cell spoke English, so I either tried to sleep or meditate to keep from having a breakdown. I didn’t trust the food, so I fasted, assuming I wouldn’t be there long.
On the third day, I was finally allowed to make a phone call. I called Britt and told her that I didn’t understand what was happening, that no one would tell me when I was going home, and that she was my only contact.
They gave me a stack of paperwork to sign and told me I was being given a five-year ban unless I applied for re-entry through the consulate. The officer also said it didn’t matter whether I signed the papers or not; it was happening regardless.
I was so delirious that I just signed. I told them I would pay for my flight home and asked when I could leave.
No answer.
Then they moved me to another cell – this time with no mat or blanket. I sat on the freezing cement floor for hours. That’s when I realized they were processing me into real jail: the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
I was told to shower, given a jail uniform, fingerprinted and interviewed. I begged for information.
“How long will I be here?”
“I don’t know your case,” the man said. “Could be days. Could be weeks. But I’m telling you right now – you need to mentally prepare yourself for months.”
Months.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
I was taken to the nurse’s office for a medical check. She asked what had happened to me. She had never seen a Canadian there before. When I told her my story, she grabbed my hand and said: “Do you believe in God?”
I told her I had only recently found God, but that I now believed in God more than anything.
“I believe God brought you here for a reason,” she said. “I know it feels like your life is in a million pieces, but you will be OK. Through this, I think you are going to find a way to help others.”
At the time, I didn’t know what that meant. She asked if she could pray for me. I held her hands and wept.
I felt like I had been sent an angel.
I was then placed in a real jail unit: two levels of cells surrounding a common area, just like in the movies. I was put in a tiny cell alone with a bunk bed and a toilet.
The best part: there were blankets. After three days without one, I wrapped myself in mine and finally felt some comfort.
For the first day, I didn’t leave my cell. I continued fasting, terrified that the food might make me sick. The only available water came from the tap attached to the toilet in our cells or a sink in the common area, neither of which felt safe to drink.
Eventually, I forced myself to step out, meet the guards and learn the rules. One of them told me: “No fighting.”
“I’m a lover, not a fighter,” I joked. He laughed.
I asked if there had ever been a fight here.
“In this unit? No,” he said. “No one in this unit has a criminal record.”
That’s when I started meeting the other women.
That’s when I started hearing their stories.
And that’s when I made a decision: I would never allow myself to feel sorry for my situation again. No matter how hard this was, I had to be grateful. Because every woman I met was in an even more difficult position than mine.
There were around 140 of us in our unit. Many women had lived and worked in the US legally for years but had overstayed their visas – often after reapplying and being denied. They had all been detained without warning.
If someone is a criminal, I agree they should be taken off the streets. But not one of these women had a criminal record. These women acknowledged that they shouldn’t have overstayed and took responsibility for their actions. But their frustration wasn’t about being held accountable; it was about the endless, bureaucratic limbo they had been trapped in.
The real issue was how long it took to get out of the system, with no clear answers, no timeline and no way to move forward. Once deported, many have no choice but to abandon everything they own because the cost of shipping their belongings back is too high.
I met a woman who had been on a road trip with her husband. She said they had 10-year work visas. While driving near the San Diego border, they mistakenly got into a lane leading to Mexico. They stopped and told the agent they didn’t have their passports on them, expecting to be redirected. Instead, they were detained. They are both pastors.
I met a family of three who had been living in the US for 11 years with work authorizations. They paid taxes and were waiting for their green cards. Every year, the mother had to undergo a background check, but this time, she was told to bring her whole family. When they arrived, they were taken into custody and told their status would now be processed from within the detention center.
Another woman from Canada had been living in the US with her husband who was detained after a traffic stop. She admitted she had overstayed her visa and accepted that she would be deported. But she had been stuck in the system for almost six weeks because she hadn’t had her passport. Who runs casual errands with their passport?
One woman had a 10-year visa. When it expired, she moved back to her home country, Venezuela. She admitted she had overstayed by one month before leaving. Later, she returned for a vacation and entered the US without issue. But when she took a domestic flight from Miami to Los Angeles, she was picked up by Ice and detained. She couldn’t be deported because Venezuela wasn’t accepting deportees. She didn’t know when she was getting out.
There was a girl from India who had overstayed her student visa for three days before heading back home. She then came back to the US on a new, valid visa to finish her master’s degree and was handed over to Ice due to the three days she had overstayed on her previous visa.
There were women who had been picked up off the street, from outside their workplaces, from their homes. All of these women told me that they had been detained for time spans ranging from a few weeks to 10 months. One woman’s daughter was outside the detention center protesting for her release.
That night, the pastor invited me to a service she was holding. A girl who spoke English translated for me as the women took turns sharing their prayers – prayers for their sick parents, for the children they hadn’t seen in weeks, for the loved ones they had been torn away from.
Then, unexpectedly, they asked if they could pray for me. I was new here, and they wanted to welcome me. They formed a circle around me, took my hands and prayed. I had never felt so much love, energy and compassion from a group of strangers in my life. Everyone was crying.
At 3am the next day, I was woken up in my cell.
“Pack your bag. You’re leaving.”
I jolted upright. “I get to go home?”
The officer shrugged. “I don’t know where you’re going.”
Of course. No one ever knew anything.
I grabbed my things and went downstairs, where 10 other women stood in silence, tears streaming down their faces. But these weren’t happy tears. That was the moment I learned the term “transferred”.
For many of these women, detention centers had become a twisted version of home. They had formed bonds, established routines and found slivers of comfort in the friendships they had built. Now, without warning, they were being torn apart and sent somewhere new. Watching them say goodbye, clinging to each other, was gut-wrenching.
I had no idea what was waiting for me next. In hindsight, that was probably for the best.
Our next stop was Arizona, the San Luis Regional Detention Center. The transfer process lasted 24 hours, a sleepless, grueling ordeal. This time, men were transported with us. Roughly 50 of us were crammed into a prison bus for the next five hours, packed together – women in the front, men in the back. We were bound in chains that wrapped tightly around our waists, with our cuffed hands secured to our bodies and shackles restraining our feet, forcing every movement into a slow, clinking struggle.
When we arrived at our next destination, we were forced to go through the entire intake process all over again, with medical exams, fingerprinting – and pregnancy tests; they lined us up in a filthy cell, squatting over a communal toilet, holding Dixie cups of urine while the nurse dropped pregnancy tests in each of our cups. It was disgusting.
We sat in freezing-cold jail cells for hours, waiting for everyone to be processed. Across the room, one of the women suddenly spotted her husband. They had both been detained and were now seeing each other for the first time in weeks.
The look on her face – pure love, relief and longing – was something I’ll never forget.
We were beyond exhausted. I felt like I was hallucinating.
The guard tossed us each a blanket: “Find a bed.”
There were no pillows. The room was ice cold, and one blanket wasn’t enough. Around me, women lay curled into themselves, heads covered, looking like a room full of corpses. This place made the last jail feel like the Four Seasons.
I kept telling myself: Do not let this break you.
Thirty of us shared one room. We were given one Styrofoam cup for water and one plastic spoon that we had to reuse for every meal. I eventually had to start trying to eat and, sure enough, I got sick. None of the uniforms fit, and everyone had men’s shoes on. The towels they gave us to shower were hand towels. They wouldn’t give us more blankets. The fluorescent lights shined on us 24/7.
Everything felt like it was meant to break you. Nothing was explained to us. I wasn’t given a phone call. We were locked in a room, no daylight, with no idea when we would get out.
I tried to stay calm as every fiber of my being raged towards panic mode. I didn’t know how I would tell Britt where I was. Then, as if sent from God, one of the women showed me a tablet attached to the wall where I could send emails. I only remembered my CEO’s email from memory. I typed out a message, praying he would see it.
He responded.
Through him, I was able to connect with Britt. She told me that they were working around the clock trying to get me out. But no one had any answers; the system made it next to impossible. I told her about the conditions in this new place, and that was when we decided to go to the media.
She started working with a reporter and asked whether I would be able to call her so she could loop him in. The international phone account that Britt had previously tried to set up for me wasn’t working, so one of the other women offered to let me use her phone account to make the call.
We were all in this together.
With nothing to do in my cell but talk, I made new friends – women who had risked everything for the chance at a better life for themselves and their families.
Through them, I learned the harsh reality of seeking asylum. Showing me their physical scars, they explained how they had paid smugglers anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 to reach the US border, enduring brutal jungles and horrendous conditions.
One woman had been offered asylum in Mexico within two weeks but had been encouraged to keep going to the US. Now, she was stuck, living in a nightmare, separated from her young children for months. She sobbed, telling me how she felt like the worst mother in the world.
Many of these women were highly educated and spoke multiple languages. Yet, they had been advised to pretend they didn’t speak English because it would supposedly increase their chances of asylum.
Some believed they were being used as examples, as warnings to others not to try to come.
Women were starting to panic in this new facility, and knowing I was most likely the first person to get out, they wrote letters and messages for me to send to their families.
It felt like we had all been kidnapped, thrown into some sort of sick psychological experiment meant to strip us of every ounce of strength and dignity.
We were from different countries, spoke different languages and practiced different religions. Yet, in this place, none of that mattered. Everyone took care of each other. Everyone shared food. Everyone held each other when someone broke down. Everyone fought to keep each other’s hope alive.
I got a message from Britt. My story had started to blow up in the media.
Almost immediately after, I was told I was being released.
My Ice agent, who had never spoken to me, told my lawyer I could have left sooner if I had signed a withdrawal form, and that they hadn’t known I would pay for my own flight home.
From the moment I arrived, I begged every officer I saw to let me pay for my own ticket home. Not a single one of them ever spoke to me about my case.
To put things into perspective: I had a Canadian passport, lawyers, resources, media attention, friends, family and even politicians advocating for me. Yet, I was still detained for nearly two weeks.
Imagine what this system is like for every other person in there.
A small group of us were transferred back to San Diego at 2am – one last road trip, once again shackled in chains. I was then taken to the airport, where two officers were waiting for me. The media was there, so the officers snuck me in through a side door, trying to avoid anyone seeing me in restraints. I was beyond grateful that, at the very least, I didn’t have to walk through the airport in chains.
To my surprise, the officers escorting me were incredibly kind, and even funny. It was the first time I had laughed in weeks.
I asked if I could put my shoelaces back on.
“Yes,” one of them said with a grin. “But you better not run.”
“Yeah,” the other added. “Or we’ll have to tackle you in the airport. That’ll really make the headlines.”
I laughed, then told them I had spent a lot of time observing the guards during my detention and I couldn’t believe how often I saw humans treating other humans with such disregard. “But don’t worry,” I joked. “You two get five stars.”
When I finally landed in Canada, my mom and two best friends were waiting for me. So was the media. I spoke to them briefly, numb and delusional from exhaustion.
It was surreal listening to my friends recount everything they had done to get me out: working with lawyers, reaching out to the media, making endless calls to detention centers, desperately trying to get through to Ice or anyone who could help. They said the entire system felt rigged, designed to make it nearly impossible for anyone to get out.
The reality became clear: Ice detention isn’t just a bureaucratic nightmare. It’s a business. These facilities are privately owned and run for profit.
Companies like CoreCivic and GEO Group receive government funding based on the number of people they detain, which is why they lobby for stricter immigration policies. It’s a lucrative business: CoreCivic made over $560m from Ice contracts in a single year. In 2024, GEO Group made more than $763m from Ice contracts.
The more detainees, the more money they make. It stands to reason that these companies have no incentive to release people quickly. What I had experienced was finally starting to make sense.
This is not just my story. It is the story of thousands and thousands of people still trapped in a system that profits from their suffering. I am writing in the hope that someone out there – someone with the power to change any of this – can help do something.
The strength I witnessed in those women, the love they gave despite their suffering, is what gives me faith. Faith that no matter how flawed the system, how cruel the circumstances, humanity will always shine through.
Even in the darkest places, within the most broken systems, humanity persists. Sometimes, it reveals itself in the smallest, most unexpected acts of kindness: a shared meal, a whispered prayer, a hand reaching out in the dark. We are defined by the love we extend, the courage we summon and the truths we are willing to tell.
Hudson Valley Postal Workers Join National Movement Protesting Privatization Of USPS
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While Hudson Valley locals were out shopping on Sunday for their errands, some were surprised to see a group of people dressed in red shirts at the intersection of NY-300 and Rte 17 protesting something in front of the TGI Fridays. Some people mistook them for MAGAs, while others were asking what the signs “Fight Like Hell” were demanding people fight for - or against.
Upon zooming in of the photo, one could see USPS Branch 137 was represented which meant only one thing: that the mail Carriers of the Hudson Valley (Beacon, Newburgh, Fishkill, etc.) were at it again, trying to get their message across that the United Postal Service is in trouble by way of being targeted by its Postmaster General Lois DeJoy, who was a Trump appointee during the first presidency, to become privatized.
During the Biden Administration, Lois DeJoy spent his time outlining a strategic plan to reduce use of local Post Offices; reduce staff working inside of the Post Offices; relocate where the mail carriers go to sort the mail to large facilities far away from the community the letter carriers are delivering to; inconvenience the number of letters, catalogues and large envelopes being circulated; and slow down the delivery mail.
Letter carriers in Beacon experienced it, and warned the community that the Beacon Post Office was going to be empty. Indeed, staff was reduced to 1.5 people working (a full-time employee and a part-time employee), when up to 5 people are usually planned to be there. Citizens not following the drama of the employment cuts of the USPS usually aren’t aware of this, and blame the Clerk behind the counter for any slowness.
All of Beacon’s Letter Carriers drive their trucks to an old facility in Newburgh, sort the mail, drive it back over the bridge, deliver it, and then drive back to Newburgh before driving themselves home. Mail carriers confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog that the amount of driving increased for them thereby granting them overtime. But none seemed happy about receiving the overtime pay, since the driving is so illogical. Similar sentiment was expressed by the striking Corrections Officers who are forced to work 24-48 hour shifts and receive overtime.
What The USPS Postal Workers Are Protesting
Privatization of the Postal Service, to be in the hands of billionaire Commerce Department and Secretary Howard Lutnick. Howard is the same guy who said that only fraudsters would call to complain about not receiving their Social Security checks. That if his 96 year-old mother-in-law didn’t get her check, that she wouldn’t call, and would just wait for the problem to sort itself out.
Rural surcharges.
Treatment of states and cities differently.
Slowing of the mail (already been systematically happening during Biden administration).
Reduction of Post Offices (already been systematically happening during Biden administration).
Reduction of rural mail addresses being serviced, instead going to “pickup locations.”
Difficulty for medicine, bills and regular things like new driver’s license and new bank cards to be delivered.
Impact of mail-in votes, if mail is chaotic.
Postmaster General Lois DeJoy’s requested and signed agreement with to Elon Musk’s DOGE to “assist the Postal Service in identifying and achieving efficiencies. DeJoy provided a list of some of the issues that DOGE might be able to help with, including miscalculations of retirement obligations, mismanagement of workers comp, and unfair mandates to fund retirement and health care accounts.” People who want the Postal Service privatized have always wanted to do away with or reduce the retirement and health care paid out to employees.
The USPS is a self-sufficient, independent agency. It is not funded by taxpayer dollars. Yet, it gets mandated by the federal government to work in certain ways that cost it more time and money. Trump and Republicans have wanted to privatize it for a long time.
The USPS employs 640,000 postal employees (73,000 of whom are veterans), and services 51.5 million rural addresses. The National Association Of Letter Carriers calls privatization “a threat to our nation’s Constitution.”
According to reporting at Save The Post Office, “Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to dissolve USPS’s bipartisan board of governors and place the agency under the control of the commerce department secretary, Howard Lutnick, the Washington Post recently reported.”
The Washington Post says: “The move threatens to upend trillions of dollars in ecommerce business and the 250-year-old Postal Service..” Also reported by the newspaper: “The board is planning to fight Trump’s order, three of those people told The Washington Post. In an emergency meeting Thursday, the board retained outside counsel and gave instructions to sue the White House if the president removed members of the board or attempted to alter the agency’s independent status. Trump’s order to place the Commerce Department in charge of the Postal Service likely violates federal law, according to postal experts.”
James O’Rourke, who studies the Postal Service at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, told The Washington Post: “This is a somewhat regal approach that says the king knows better than his subjects and he will do his best for them. But it also removes any sense that there’s oversight, impartiality and fairness and that some states wouldn’t be treated better than other states or cities better than other cities. The anxiety over the Postal Service is not only three-quarters of a million workers. It’s that this is something that does not belong to the president or the White House. It belongs to the American people.”
Most Threats To The USPS Are Published At “Save The Post Office”
Save The Post Office is a website run by a USPS hawk who may be one of the only reporters covering USPS developments in such a detailed way. But he’s on every move. For example, he is reporting on the new “rural surcharge.” He covers the rural surcharge in this way:
“When it comes to postal rates and service standards, all ZIP codes have been treated equally. It doesn’t matter if it’s densely populated or sparse, urban or rural. The ZIP Code helps bind the country together. But all that is changing.
“The Postal Service’s Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) plan, now under review by the Postal Regulatory Commission, would end afternoon collections at post offices, which will add a day to service standards for outgoing mail at offices more than 50 miles from a Regional Processing and Distribution Center. The plan uses the 5-digit ZIP of the originating post office to identify where the downgrades in service standards will apply. Under the current system, a 3-digit ZIP prefix is used to define the standards, which doesn’t allow for the kind of targeted service reductions of the RTO.”
Pictures of protesting postal workers in different states are below from the National Association Of Letter Carriers and Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation Facebook pages. These include Puerto Rico, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, and others.
Lores Cafe Opens And The People Want The Dubai Chocolate Coissant With Kataifi Pistachio Cream
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Finally stopped into the new cafe, Lores Cafe because ALBB’s son is friends with their son in the Beacon City School District. ALBB’s son insisted that we go right now this instant to Lores for a Thursday afternoon Viral Dubai Chocolate Croissant with Kataifi Pistachio Cream. Ohmygod. ALBB is observing Ramadan again this year, so could not partake in the offered bite, and then the entire croissant was gone by the time the drive home ended.
Bit of the Dubai Chocolate Croissant with kataifi pistachio cream.
While the desserts are high class and coveted, there is much more behind the counter to fill you for a proper lunch. Orders include Salads like a Caesar, Greek or Mozzarella Pomadore. Wraps in two choices: Buffalo and Caesar. Paninis like a Prosciutto Panini, and Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust option.
Drinks include a Dripp House Coffee, Turkish Coffee, Lattes, Iced Coffee with flavors like hazelnut, mocha, caramel, etc. Milk options include almond, oat, soy, regular. Specialty Teas include Chamomile Lemon, Gunpowder Green, Moroccan Mint, Golden Chai and more. As for Balkan cuisine, there is Baklava and three styles of Bureks (Cheese, Spinach and Meat).
Desserts...this is what may have brought you in here in the first place. Tiramisu, New York Cheesecake, Mixed Berry Cake, Chocolate Truffle Mouse, Torta Della Nonna, and more. The Viral Dubai Chocolate Croissant with Kataifi and Pistachio Cream is in a class by itself, and there are more sweets we haven't typed about here.
ALBB reached out to Lores for an interview:
ALBB: Is the Dubai chocolate croissant made by you?
Yes, we make the filling for our Dubai chocolate croissant in house to fill our plain croissants and top it with a chocolate drizzle.
ALBB: What other items are made by you?
We make our traditional Balkan dishes completely in house including our various bureks, Fli and more. We also do all of our baklava, tres leches and tiramisu in house. Our pastry selection is baked fresh every morning, including our hand rolled NY style croissants with different fillings and cheese danishes.
ALBB: Have you had a cafe before?
My family has been in food service for about 30 years now and we have an Italian pizzeria and restaurant in Rockland County which gave us a lot of inspiration while creating our lunch menu including our paninis, wraps, salads, and gluten free pizza options.
ALBB: What inspired you to open?
We wanted to open the Cafe to showcase our homemade Balkan dishes as well as having a nice place to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Located across the street from the DMV parking lot (location of the Beacon Farmer’s Market on Sunday’s), Lores Cafe is open Wednesday - Sunday from 8am-5pm (closed Monday/Tuesday). Inside, the decor is chic and tight. Walls and chairs dark to set the mood against white accents. Very cozy inside.
You can imagine our surprise when son of Lores brought a snack to a friends house during a Kid Drop-off, and it was the Dubai Chocolate Croissant!!! 😭😭😭 Can you imagine? Having that kind of access where Dubai Chocolate Croissants are just in your house like some people have Milanos?
Follow Lores’ Instagram here.
Carman The Crossing Guard Says In Her 30 Years Of Working In Social Security Dept., She Saw 2 Mistaken Deaths Who Needed Benefits
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Carman Johnson has many opinions about many things. She is also the Crossing Guard for school children going and coming to school each day on Main Street and South Avenue. Talking to her about traffic problems in Beacon reveals a plethora of information. But it was Sue Serino’s latest photo opp with and declaration of Hulk Hogan Day while employees of the Social Security office in Poughkeepsie were protesting and demanding it be re-opened, alongside other residents of Dutchess County, that got Carman upset.
“That really ticked me off,” Carman told A Little Beacon Blog. “To declare a day for that man, when social security offices are being closed, is, is…” She couldn’t find the words. Carman is a retired federal employee for the Social Security Department. A position she held for 30 years. Prior to that, she worked in the Draft Department for 3 years during the Vietnam War. “That was the worst job of my life,” she told ALBB.
Ned Johnson and his wife in Seattle. Looking very much alive. Ned was declared Dead by Elon Musk’s DOGE Department, and his social security stopped and withdrawn from his bank account.
Photo Credit: Kevin Clark / Seattle Times
“Do you know,” Carman began, “that in the 30 years I worked in Social Security, there were only 2 deaths that were wrong. The people were still alive, but Social Security had them as dead.” Under the current administration, several alive people are being marked as dead, their benefits stopped, and in some cases, money sucked out of their bank accounts.
Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency are hunting for dead people on Social Security rolls, and claims they found many.
In Seattle, there was Ned Johnson, the Seattle Times reported. “You wake up one day and discover you’re dead,” Johnson told the reporter. “It’s been truly surreal.” The reporter stated: "Musk is contending that hordes of dead people are listed as alive in the Social Security databases, and are fraudulently still drawing benefits (which the Social Security director disputes)."
Ned is 82 and collecting Social Security. But when he was identified as dead, his payments stopped and $5,201 had been withdrawn from their bank account by the federal government, on the grounds that he had died months prior. His Medicare insurance was also canceled.
While on the phone with the bank to dispute the withdrawal, Ned asked the bank what he died of. The bank told him to ask Social Security. But when he called Social Security, he could hardly get through because it has become so understaffed. The reporter stated: "He called Social Security two or three times a day for two weeks, with each call put on hold and then eventually disconnected. Finally someone answered and gave him an appointment for March 13. Then he got a call delaying that to March 24.
"In a huff, he went to the office on the ninth floor of the Henry Jackson Federal Building downtown. It’s one of the buildings proposed to be closed under what the AP called 'a frenetic and error-riddled push by Elon Musk’s budget-cutting advisers.'”
Ned eventually proved that he was alive, and got the $5,201 back. But he hasn't received his current Social Security checks yet.
Back in Beacon: “They are trying to privatize social security,” Carman said. “I don’t even know how that would work. They are getting into that money.” Does Carman believe it criminal? Like they are trying to steal the social security money? “Yes. People worked their whole lives for that money. And now the federal government is making it harder to receive it. You have to verify yourself in person, and they are closing offices.”
Carman concluded with: “You know, someone said that Sue Serino was all about the photo opps. I know her to fight against unnecessary federal and county fees. But I guess that person was right. Sue’s just there for the photo opps.”
Carman was one of many who used to love Hulk Hogan. But after his racist revelation years ago, she stopped. Just like this Beacon local did.
Beacon Local Recounts His Love Turned Disdain For Hulk Hogan While Trumpmania Magas Strangle Social Security As Sue Serino Stands Bytour
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An image of Hulk Hogan ripping off his shirt as he says: “And I said: Let Trumpmania run wild brother.” bottom left: News12 Blaise Gomez reported that a little girl was one of many disappointed children after Hulk Hogan abandoned his fans of children while on his beer tour at ShopRite in Montgomery, NY.
Top Left: Sue Serino gushing over Hulk Hogan’s “24” Pythons,” as Dutchess County labeled them in their statement about the event while other constitutions protested outside the Social Security Office in Poughkeepsie.
By Ryan Manzi
Ryan Manzi is known in Beacon for his chalk art, line art, painting, walking, laughing, working, revealing, pressuring and resisting. He is the chalk artist of the Free Palestine, which Sun River Health later pressed charges on him for to lengthen his prison stay for a different charge.
@amanzworld
After writing about Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino’s decision to elevate Hulk Hogan instead of attend a protest demanding the Social Security Office in Poughkeepsie be re-opened, ALBB heard from Ryan, who vocalized his not-surprised disappointment for her decision. ALBB asked Ryan for his commentary on Hulk Hogan’s racist history.
Meanwhile, Trumpmania Magas don’t seem to mind DOGE’s plan to strangle social security. A leaked memo was revealed yesterday as reported by several media outlets including Newsweek, and this video explains it.
By Ryan Manzi
Whatcha gonna do brother when Hulkamania runs wild at your local neighborhood ShopRite?! For us in the Hudson Valley, with a spotlight on the Poughkeepsie location, that brought along a lot more questions than answers.
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, on a promotional tour for his new Real American Beer, made a stop at the local ShopRite at 10 Winslow Gate Road in Poughkeepsie. Normally, I’d see this and not much bat an eyelash at the idea. However, given the current political, economic and social climates of our country, it was actually rather troubling.
“Hogan then implies he himself is “a racist to a point, ya know, f****** n******”, and that if his daughter were to date a black man, it should be an 8 foot tall basketball player. “If we’re gonna f*** with n******, let’s get a rich one.” Simply put, Hogan has nothing against *wealthy* black people.”
As an avid wrestling fan my entire life, Hulk Hogan was the epitome of a superhero. He was larger than life. He captivated you with every one of his promos. He was a catalyst to the Monday Night Wars, arguably the greatest era of professional wrestling. Those action-packed years of excitement and fandom in the 90’s made you fall in love with the product, the characters and their antics. Being a kid in the 90’s, every Monday night was made for anticipating the newest editions of WWF’s (Now WWE) Monday Night Raw and WCW’s Monday Nitro. And for years, Hulk Hogan was front and center, at times both adored and despised. Unfortunately, that same admiration doesn’t exist for the Hulkster in 2025.
Hogan had a huge scandal back in 2015, which imploded the “Real American Hero” we had all known and loved. Hogan had a leaked sex tape scandal involving Heather Clem, the wife of radio DJ Bubba the Love Sponge, which started drawn out legal battles for all involved. However, it was what came after that set it off.
In a leaked audio, Hogan was heard discussing his daughter Brooke’s music career and love life, where he references “the son, he’s this black billionaire guy, Cecile”, referring to music executive Cecile Barker. Hogan then implies he himself is “a racist to a point, ya know, f****** n******”, and that if his daughter were to date a black man, it should be an 8 foot tall basketball player. “If we’re gonna f*** with n******, let’s get a rich one.” Simply put, Hogan has nothing against *wealthy* black people.
“The Immortal One” as we knew it became a casualty of the internet and all it took was a leaked audio. Hogan lost numerous sponsorships, he lost his WWE Legends contract, and would be blackballed entirely from the WWE for several years. Eventually, he would make his rounds, giving apologies and doing what he could to repair his image and career. He was welcomed back to WWE in 2018, reinstated in their hall of fame, as well as inducted again into the hall as a member of the nWo (New World Order). Since then, Hogan has been business as usual, appearances here, signings there, promos all over!
“It’s 2025, the world has no room, rhyme or reason to tolerate racism. And while we can forgive, we certainly won’t forget.”
However, as a lifelong wrestling fan, business isn’t the same for us watching the product. The Hogan led the nWo during those revered Monday Night Wars of my childhood now leaves a bad taste in my mouth even saying his name. Back on January 6 Monday Night Raw debuted on Netflix. Hulk Hogan came out to his classic theme song with “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart in tow (Hart was also at the ShopRite appearance, and practically got booed out of the arena. Just like his theme song starts off, “When it comes crashing down and it hurts inside,” Hogan got a reality check live on Netflix. It’s 2025, the world has no room, rhyme or reason to tolerate racism. And while we can forgive, we certainly won’t forget.
“The reality is, we not only embraced a racist in troubling times, we dedicated an entire day to him. Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino was all too pleased to make the announcement of “Hulk Hogan Day”. ”
So while it’s great to remember all he contributed to the business, especially when territory wrestling was huge, and he made appearances at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center (now MJN Center or Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center). He loved the business. The business loved him. Unfortunately, I now separate what was and what is. Hulk Hogan was a hero and a staple of my childhood. Terry Bollea is a bigoted racist. Hulk Hogan body slammed Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III. Terry Bollea body slammed what wrestling calls “kayfabe” (a term used in professional wrestling to describe the act of portraying staged events as real).
The reality is, we not only embraced a racist in troubling times, we dedicated an entire day to him. Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino was all too pleased to make the announcement of “Hulk Hogan Day”. Coincidentally, there was a rally outside of the Social Security office in Poughkeepsie hours before Hogan’s scheduled ShopRite appearance. That office is in the midst of a “renovation”, however it now appears on the DOGE list, and there are plenty of questions arising with very few answers becoming. It was stated that Serino was nowhere to be seen or heard during this rally, but hours later, she was elated to make one of her now ritualistic photo opportunities next to Terry Bollea, the racist behind the character of Hulk Hogan.
“This is Sue Serino’s county. These are Sue Serino’s constituents. These are Sue Serino’s problems. And it should be a no-brainer to prioritize the needs of her people instead of playing up to the exposed racist that was once my hero, Hulk Hogan”
That same venue Hogan made appearances at some 40 years ago is merely 2 blocks down the street from the Social Security building, yet it’s obvious where the county stands in terms of priority. Serino’s office released a statement she would continue “advocating” for the SSA office building, conveniently after I and several others made statements on social media of her appearance at ShopRite, and seeming silence regarding the office building.
We have real world issues going on in our own streets. The homelessness and housing crisis continues to be an issue. The drug epidemic continues to be an issue. One woman said she had her Social Security benefits cut, despite being disabled, and would have to wait weeks to have a scheduled appointment. This is Sue Serino’s county. These are Sue Serino’s constituents. These are Sue Serino’s problems. And it should be a no-brainer to prioritize the needs of her people instead of playing up to the exposed racist that was once my hero, Hulk Hogan.
And if this is any indication of where our community is headed, we all better eat our vitamins and say our prayers!
UPDATE: ALBB To Ban Readers Leaving Repeat Laughing Emoji Faces That Are Anti-Black Racist, Islamaracist, Transphobic or LGBTQphobic
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UPDATE 4/18/2025: Longtime reader Carman Johnson requested that these people keep their connection to A Little Beacon Blog. In a Comment at Facebook, Carman said: “Why block them? If you keep them on the page it shows other people how incredible inappropriate they are.” Therefore, so that Carman can have at ‘em with her Crossing Guard stop sign, this person has been reinstated to ALBB Land. However. ALBB reserves the right to put these people into Time Out sometimes to take a break. Teamwork Makes The Dream Work. Thank you, Carman!
Being tolerant and polite has become too painful in these parts. From now on, readers of A Little Beacon Blog who respond to awareness pieces with laughing emoji faces when responding to anything cultural, Black, Brown, Arab, Palestinian, Muslim, LGBTQ will simply be blocked from ALBB’s Facebook and Instagram, wherever it happens. Emails to the editor will be tolerated, and then eventually you will be unsubscribed from the newsletter if you continue to abuse the editor’s inbox. Should things get really bad, we will find your IP address and block you there as well so that you can’t even get to the website. And if you try to do so from your phone, we’ll find that IP address too. We’re watching you.
Yesterday, ALBB re-shared a pro-Islamic awareness piece that the Union of the Social Security employees of New York, AFGE Local 3343, shared with their readers. It said: “When one group is attacked, the rights and freedoms of all are at risk.” This was a quote that Antoñio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, made on March 15, 2025. AFGE Local 3343 noted that they posted the message on International Day to Combat Islamaphobia.
One of ALBB’s regular readers, Robert Mickey McCarroll, responded with a laughing emoji face. Just pure bullying and immaturity. Therefore, in an act of combating Islamaphobia, we are blocking Robert from his armchair bullying at ALBB. If he would like to explain himself to say why he felt a laughing emoji face was appropriate, he is welcome to submit an explanation. Others like Robert who regularly leave the laughing emoji faces on pro-Black, Islamic, Arab, Palestinian, LGBTQ content will also now just be blocked.
Another person who responded with a laughing emoji face recently was the leader of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, when he responded to a United States Federal Judge, who ordered that the deportation of 238 Venezuelans, who were being flown to stay in a prison in El Savador, be stopped (the United States is paying El Salvador for these people to be kidnapped to prison there - how DOGE approves of this expense is beyond logic).
The leader of El Salvador tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) in response to the U.S. Judge: “‘Oopsie … Too late,’” followed by a laughing emoji face, The Guardian reported.
“Oopsie…” because he’s giddy with the money he is about to get from the United States who is kidnapping people, branding them as “criminals” or “terrorists,” and then paying El Salvador per head. Why does this make sense, if DOGE is here to save money.
Putting our reader relationship out of its misery.
U.S. News: The Danger Of Justifying These Disappearances Of People :: Justification As "Criminals" Is Excuse For White Supremacy
/Hello. If you’re new here to ALBB, we’d like you to know that we cover worldly news in addition to Beacon news. Because the world around us shapes our little world in Beacon. During times when you may be watching only your regular channels of news, ALBB wants to contribute to your news intake with a different perspective or information.
As we are discussing and experiencing the disappearances of green card holders and H1B visa for students in America, for what seems to be any reason, there is the discussion of “criminals” being deported. This statement seems to justify the mass deportation of people here in the United States, while ignoring the due process of the law.
This feels like when the United States was rounding up Arabs and putting them into Guantanamo Bay after 9-11 and torturing them.
Highly important to those people who justify the taking of people and labeling them as “criminals” or “t3rrori5t” is the fact that the United States is paying another entity to jail these people. That is American tax dollars that people say they are trying to save the country from spending, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the deal with El Salvador to pay El Salvador to hold these people’s body’s in jail and mistreat, abuse and traumatize them.
From The Guardian:
“El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, said 238 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and 23 members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13 had arrived and were in custody as part of a deal under which the US will pay the Central American country to hold them in its 40,000-person capacity “t3rrorism confinement centre”.
“The US district judge James Boasberg had attempted to halt the deportations for all individuals deemed eligible for removal under Trump’s proclamation, which was issued on Friday. Boasberg also ordered deportation flights already in the air to return to the US.”
“‘Oopsie … Too late,’” El Salvador’s leader posted online, followed by a laughing emoji.”
“Soon after Bukele’s statement, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, thanked El Salvador’s leader.”Marco Rubio agreed to pay El Salvador’s leader with our money.
American Civil Liberties Union Urges Federal Court Intervention
The Guardian reports that the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging T’s use of the wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act from 1798.
Lee Gelernt, a lawyer with the ACLU, told The Guardian: “I think we are on very dangerous ground here. This is a lawless action this administration has taken. If the administration is allowed to use wartime authorities anytime it wants to remove people, I think we are going to see more and more people being subjected to this type of alien enemies act, and a blurring of wartime authority with domestic authority. I cannot stress how important it is that the federal courts prevent this from happening.”
The United States will begin paying El Salvador for imprisoning people the United States says are “criminals.” Rubio said that paying this money was going to “save our taxpayer dollars,” though it is not clear how.
The Guardian reports: “El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, said 238 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and 23 members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13 had arrived and were in custody as part of a deal under which the US will pay the Central American country to hold them in its 40,000-person capacity “terrorism confinement centre”.
“The confirmation came hours after a US federal judge expanded his ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration from invoking the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime authority that allows the president broad leeway on policy and executive action to speed up mass deportations.”
The Guardian pointed out: “The Alien Enemies Act has only ever been used three times before, most recently during the second world war, when it was used to incarcerate Germans and Italians as well as for the mass internment of Japanese-American civilians.”
“It was originally passed by Congress in preparation for what the US believed would be an impending war with France. It was also used during the war of 1812 and during the first world war.“
It is not clear why the law exists at all, except to enforce white supremacy.
County Exec. Sue Serino Criticized For Gushing Over Anti-Union, Racist Hulk Hogan During Social Security Office Closure Demonstration
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Screenshot of the post Dutchess County made on Facebook of County Executive Sue Serino helping Hulk Hogan promote his beer while demonstrators were outside the Poughkeepsie Social Security Office demanding that it not be closed by DOGE.
While Dutchess County residents and the union representing frontline Social Security employees in New York (AFGE Local 3343) were outside of the Social Security Office in Poughkeepsie, demanding that it be removed from the DOGE list of supposed lease cancellations, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino was gushing over Hulk Hogan, a self-declared racist and anti-union wrestler who was promoting his new Real American Beer at a ShopRite in Poughkeepsie.
Sue Serino took it a step further by declaring the day Hulk Hogan Day, without consulting with constituents, many of whom objected in the comments of Dutchess County's announcement of these decisions. Sue Serino used to be a New York State Senator before losing her seat and running for the Dutchess County Executive position,
Not only did Dutchess County not prioritize the protest outside of the Social Security Office, it also slighted the new name of the Mid-Hudson Civic Center to an asterisk, dismissing the man who has paid for its upgrades: Majed J. Nesheiwat. In 2018, Majed, who also goes by “Mitch,” explained why modernizing the center was so important to him: “I came to Poughkeepsie at the age of 15 from Jordan. With hard work and opportunity, I built my business and raised my family here. As a teenager, my first thrilling experience in life was at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, when I went to watch a live wrestling match. I have countless happy memories here and now my children and grandchildren are creating their own memories here. I love this community and I feel like it is only right to give back, especially after all it has given me. This opportunity with the civic center is the perfect way for us to do that. My family and I are looking forward to working with the civic center and serving our community for many years to come,” as reported by 101.5 WPDH.
Dutchess County’s Satement
Dutchess County’s statement gushed:
"Some 40 years after the Hulkster first flexed his 24-inch pythons to the delight of fans at the former Mid-Hudson Civic Center*, County Executive Sue Serino proclaimed today “𝐇𝐮𝐥𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲” in Dutchess County, as the former WWF champ returned to Poughkeepsie. More than an entertainment icon, Hulk Hogan has for years given his time to terminally ill children through the Make-A-Wish foundation, among his other charitable activities. Hundreds of local fans today were thrilled to see the Hulkster back in Dutchess County today at Shop-Rite at Hudson Heritage in Poughkeepsie, where his new beer line is being sold.
* = Now the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center"
The Hulk Hogan statement was made on Facebook the day of the protest at Social Security Office at 8:05pm and has received 590 comments so far, mostly critical. The next post Dutchess County made was the following morning at 6:27am, telling people how to use their HELPLINE to reach trained mental health professionals.
Finally, Dutchess County posted about the "uncertainty and questions surrounding the Social Security Office in Poughkeepsie" at 8:30am. The critical comments continued. The post offered to help people navigate the phone line to call into the office. Not sure if Dutchess County has tried calling the line themselves, but it does go in a circle and sometimes ends up in West Nyack, which is also on the DOGE list for lease termination.
A Sampling of Comments from Dutchess County’s Facebook Page:
Vincent Kennedy
"Racist, anti union, jabroni. What I'm trying to say is, he's right on brand for Republican politicians."
Hudson Valley Strong - Indivisible
"We were protesting the closure of the Poughkeepsie Social Security Office on Main St. Your supporters were asking why you weren't there. Now we know."
Deb Van Beusichem Heilmann
"He is a hateful misogynist and DC spends time and money naming a day for him? Meanwhile down the street people are begging for help outside of the closed SSA doors! Poor leadership, Ms. Serino, poor leadership."
Brian MacGregor
"You should have been with us rallying against the closing of the Poughkeepsie Social Security office."
John Gorman
"Services that our neighbors, your constituents, rely on to survive each and everyday are being gutted and slashed to the bone and what are you doing? Doing what you do best…never missing a photo op."
Amer Ahmed
"Sue serino only cares about her next photo op when will you people understand"
Kate Grantz
"This is shameful. Sue, shouldn’t you have been paying attention to what was going on at the SSA? Get your priorities straight."
Nicole Marie
"No kid has wanted him for a Make a Wish for at least 20 years. Don't give us those lies."
Tim Kirtland
"I wonder if she will keep that blissful smile on her face after a bunch of her voters lose their SSD, SSI Medicaid, Medicare and Food Stamp benefits."
Zenta Janks
"🤣 Great. An old, washed-up, fake fighter, peddling cheap beer.. Fitting for our current environment. Wow, Dutchess co. is lame."
Todd Musselman
"Why did you invite that 🤡? Call it Jabroni day. The Jokester not the Hulkster."
Nil O'Boyle
"So Serino decided this was the most important thing to do? Supporting a racist steroid junky pushing beer. Talk about being out of touch."
Resident of Poughkeepsie, Ryan Manzi, told ALBB that he knows of senior citizens who need services from the building now, but cannot get it. “A friend told me she had an issue and they told her she had to schedule an appointment weeks out. She’s disabled and uses a cane and walker all of the time.”
Ryan continued: “Sue Serino makes $185,500 as County Executive to declare a random day for a guy whose racism was exposed. While people on her own premises are struggling. The history of the Civic Center had to professional wrestling cannot be understated. It was huge in the territory days of wrestling! Randy Savage introduced Ms. Elizabeth at the Civic Center…The Macho Man and Ms. Elizabeth! Nobody will argue the history of the venue. Hogan made a few appearances, although not always wrestling. And yet Sue Serino felt it more important to show face to a disgraced bigot than make any motion to defend at Social Security Office during the protest.”
The County Executive’s salary is a raised from $157,424 to $185,500 that was passed in 2023, as reported by the The Highlands Current.
Ryan told ALBB that he saw a 30 foot or so dumpster on the sidewalk of Academy Street along the side of the Social Security Office building one month ago, but nothing as of late. “No one comes out. No guys with hard hats or reflective vests like it was when they first announced the renovations.”
News 12 reported that Hulk Hogan abandoned little kid fans who had been waiting for hours to see him. Blaise Gomz reported: “The fans reached out exclusively to News 12 saying they waited four hours at the ShopRite in Montgomery on Wednesday for a promised meet-and-greet with Hogan during one of his stops in the Hudson Valley to promote his new beer brand, Real American Beer.”
A feather said that his son had a Pokémon card he wanted Hogan to sign, but as the family got closer to their turn in line, the father claimed that Hogan abruptly left. “It was really quick,” the father told News 12. “They just stood up and bolted along the back. Some lady was very upset, screaming and cursing. My son just started crying and a bunch of other kids were crying.”
News 12 said that they tried contacting Hogan’s publicist for comment about the complaints from the father and others, but weren’t given a response.
Pro-Hogan, Anti-Politics Comments
A few comments at Facebook were accepting of the County Executive’s decision, like these:
Grace Rafferty
"Its hulk hogan. An 80s icon. Why make this political? Yes he supports Trump but this wasn’t a Trump rally he was promoting his beer."
Pasquale Mirra
"Look at all the crybabies on this thread 😂😂😂"
Mary Skovan
"go Sue, go MAGA"
Dolores Peluso
"nothing wrong with being maga"
Patrick Panzarino
"A bunch of lefties in this comment section"
The cover image at the union AFGE Local 3343 who represents employees in 14 New York Social Security Offices.
A demonstrator with their poster.
Photo Credit: Patrick Grego/The New Pine Plains Herald
The County Executive's State of the County Address was called "The Lives We Touch." Some of those those lives wrote out their statements on protest posters published in The New Pine Plain's Herald, and stated: "Dutchess County Needs A Social Security Office For 100,684 Elders, 26.5% of Population." Another poster stated: "Dutchess County Needs To Keep This Office Accessible To Seniors and the Disabled. Do Not Close SSA For Good."
Dutchess County Dems posted a statement criticizing County Executive Sue Serino for not participating in the demonstration outside the Social SEcurity Office in Poughkeepsie.
Former City Councilmember for Beacon, Dan Aymar-Blair, who ran for and won the Dutchess County Comptroller seat, did attend the protest and spoke to demonstrators. The New Pine Plains Herald quoted him as saying: “These are critical services the Social Security Administration provides for our community. I can’t even imagine how we’ve come to the point where we are attacking and taking away services from the most vulnerable people in our community.”
His office recently published a report that outlines how federal funding impacts the county: “Dutchess County is dependent on 10% of our budget being federal funding. Entitlements coming into Dutchess County — Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other services going directly to the people of Dutchess County — amount to $1.9 billion. If anyone touches this federal funding, we’re all going to feel it. Whether you get these services or other services, it’s going to cascade through our economy.”
After the demonstration, the The New Pine Plains Herald reported that the SSA emailed them to comment on the office’s status, saying: “We do not plan on closing the Poughkeepsie Social Security office,” a spokesperson wrote. “There is a new ten-year lease for that office that will become effective upon completion of the renovation.”
However, as of March 16, the office still remains on the DOGE list.
Is Hulk Hogan Anti-Union?
According to The Sportster and Jesse Ventura, yes. Jesse was trying to unionize the wrestler performers for WWE in the 1980s. According to the publication, wrestlers did not have health insurance or pension from their employer WWE.
From the article: "There have been occasions where people have tried to get a union off the ground, notably in the 80s when the industry was undergoing wholesale change. The story of Jesse Venture trying to get his fellow performers to unite in the face of Vince McMahon's unchecked power is one that could have caused a meaningful difference, if it were not for Hulk Hogan."
Is Hulk Hogan Racist?
According to many, including himself, yes. The BBC reported: "In a video made public by The National Enquirer, Hogan said: "I guess we're all a little racist" and used the n-word while referring to his daughter's love life." Reporting states that he calls his statement "the biggest mistake of his life." It cost him a reversal of his placement into the Wrestling Hall Of Fame and the WWE terminating his contract, although at the time, BBC reports, his lawyer called it a resignation.
Hogan was later reinstated into the Wrestling Hall Of Fame, and not all Black wrestlers were happy about it. The trio called The New Day posted a statement through Koji Kingston, who is part of the trio: "Who WWE puts into the HOF is totally and completely up to the company. On a personal level when someone makes racist and hateful comments about any race or group of people, especially to the degree that Hogan made about our people, we find it difficult to simply forget - regardless of how long ago it was, or the situation in which those comments were made."
Best Of Season Starts! :: Things To Do! 3-07-2025
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