beBhakti Yoga Center Goes True Blue on Back Road

New paint job for beBhakti Yoga Center.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Matching marketing cards make it easy to find the business!
Photo Credit: beBhakti Yoga Center

Bright colors on the outside of a building pretty much always signify that you'll find something interesting on the inside. Storefronts in any setting, city or town, must compete heavily for the attention of people walking by. That's especially the case when the business is not located on a beaten path, but on a nearby backroad instead. Such is the case for beBhakti Yoga Center, where founder Lauren Magarelli makes it easy to spot beBhakti-backed events and offerings with her signature blue on postcards, and now the building and fence posts! Look for it at 89 DeWindt Street in Beacon, which runs parallel to Main Street.

"There has been a wonderful community response to our yoga offerings, as well as the vibrant color of the logo," Lauren reflected when we reached out to learn about the inspiration for the blue. "We wanted the building to reflect these two positive energies and encapsulate that feeling of warmth and brightness while also being distinguishable. We hope the new paint will catch people's eyes and stir a curiosity to come in." The color was certainly a welcome hue after such a long, dreary winter.

Colorful Buildings in Beacon

beBhakti isn't the only Beacon building painted in vibrant colors. Homespun Foods has long been known for its signature red and orange, and the inside does not disappoint, with an artistic menu board on the wall, and more healthful illustrations throughout. Just down the street from Homespun is Ziatun, which added the color olive and a subtle amount of a bold eggplant purple to its palette when it first opened. And you know how we feel about petunias (thanks, Max's on Main!).

Marketing in a small city/town isn't easy, so using these boldly colorful moves can be a winning strategy, while making Beacon a more visually exciting place to live.

Just follow the blue cards, and you'll get to yoga in the studio or down at Long Dock!

Beacon City Council Votes "No" to Airbnb Type Short-Term Rentals - Striking Down Their Own Legislation

Photo Credit: An Airbnb in Rome. We did not want to affiliate anyone's unit with this article. When in Rome...

UPDATE 2/7/2020: This ruling still stands. Beacon has not legalized “short term rentals” which is what Airbnb falls under. Therefore, people who do run an Airbnb from their home are subject to getting a cease and desist letter from the City of Beacon. Is it a bummer? It is. Airbnb in its simplest form is fun and useful. But Airbnb needs to respect municipalities (Airbnb is known to not be cooperative), and homeowners need to respect zoning laws of the city and their neighbors. So there we have it until this is revisited by City Council for a new vote on the legislation they crafted but voted against at Airbnb homeowner’s requests.

The headline of this article might seem odd, because it implies that Beacon's City Council was not in favor of short-term rentals (aka Airbnb or home-sharing). Council members actually largely did support homeowners renting out their homes to earn extra income. The night of the vote, homeowners who rent out spaces via the Airbnb website had come to the City Council meeting to ask the Council members to vote against the legislation that the Council had been crafting to legalize short-term rentals in Beacon based on the public's input for the past several months.

In a vote of 3-4, with Mayor Randy Casale, Jodi McCredo, and Lee Kyriacou voting "Yes" to legalize short-term rentals, the rest of the Council voted "No." After tallying the votes, the Mayor announced: "The law does not pass. What that means is that all short-term rentals are illegal in the City of Beacon."

The resulting silence was stupefying. It lasted for 24 seconds. The night had been set up for the vote to pass. Homeowners and people who cleaned short-term rentals had shown up to demonstrate their support for short-term rentals - yet asked for a "No" vote. They then got that "No" vote, along with the declaration that short-term rentals were illegal in Beacon because there was essentially no law at all in the first place to protect them.

Editor's Note, 6/1/2018: By default, short-term rentals in Beacon were prohibited, so they were never allowed in the first place (hard concept to grasp, but we explain below), nor had any protections. This legislation would have legalized them, and required them to get a permit.

Two additional pro-short-term rental laws were also being proposed, on the assumption that short-term rentals would be legalized:

• One proposed law would set the new permit fee;

• The other would have urged New York State to set its zoning code for short-term rentals, and separate short-term rentals from being classified as Bed and Breakfasts. At the state level, that classification requires that homes have sprinkler systems or egress windows for fire safety.

Technically, there is no law about short-term rentals in Beacon, so there is nothing in place to protect them. According to Beacon City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis, new things like short-term rentals that are not specifically written into Beacon’s Zoning Ordinance are prohibited. Said Nick via email: "The Beacon Zoning Ordinance provides in the Schedule of Use Regulations a list of permitted uses within a zoning district and provides that 'No building or premises shall be used and no building or part of a building shall be erected or altered, which is arranged, intended or designated to be used, in whole or in part, for any uses except the following [see the Schedule of Uses].' Any use not specifically listed shall be deemed to be prohibited.”

Why Now? Why Are Short-Term Rentals Being Contested?

Beacon’s City Council has been debating how to legalize short-term rentals since December 2017, after a Beacon resident and new owner of 51 Orchard Place cut down 13 trees in his yard without a permit, and listed the home on Airbnb. Some of his neighbors were enraged (others supported the tree removal), and brought to the City Council their concerns that homes in neighborhoods were being purchased not as primary residences, but as investment properties (aka "non-owner occupied"), thus altering the neighborhood feel.

Those against his listing of the Orchard Place property on Airbnb presented a petition to ask the City to define regulations about short-term rentals, but not stop the practice entirely. Neighbors were demanding that the City enforce that short-term rentals be illegal in Beacon, but there wasn't an ordinance either way about whether they were allowed or not. Hence the default to the rule that the City Attorney mentioned above.

The legislation that the City Council crafted (after several rounds of drafts) essentially legislated this house out of being a short-term rental because it was not the owner's primary residence. This home has since been unlisted from Airbnb, and put on the market for an asking price of $699,900. The Zillow estimate of the home is $412K.

Wait, What? Short-Term Rentals Are Illegal in Beacon?

According to a letter submitted by Airbnb to the City of Beacon, in 2017 alone, over 9,100 people stayed in Beacon in an Airbnb. Also in 2017, Dutchess County took in over $220,000 in taxes from the 4% Bed Tax paid by Airbnb on behalf of its homeowner hosts, according to Dutchess County Legislator Nick Page, who we reached out to for numbers. Based on those stats, there are far more people coming to stay the night in Beacon than there are hotel rooms to house them in Beacon or in Fishkill. There is a huge supply of people coming to Beacon to stay the night.

Other cities have been operational in the home-sharing market, but in an unregulated or protected way. For instance, in a suburb of Columbus, OH, called Upper Arlington, Airbnb was beginning to thrive, as people would seek to stay there when visiting for Ohio State University games. Last month, Upper Arlington voted to make all short-term rentals illegal, and stated to revisit it in one year.

Beacon had been drafting a law to allow short-term rentals (see our highlights of what was in or out here). Some topics that were addressed included possible limits on how many days a property could be rented, and what spaces were not rentable - attics, or basements, or RVs and tents in backyards. Other cities do have a limit on the number of nights homeowners can rent out, and Beacon started with a 100-day maximum, but during a public meeting, Council Person John Rembert suggested that the council revisit that after hearing public pushback against the maximum. The City Council did throw out that maximum. See the final version of the law here for what was included or not.

The final version of the bill called for one added expense for homeowners: a permit that would be good for two years and could be renewed. And that was the only added expense.

The Issue of the Sprinklers

Once you have the OK to set up shop in Beacon as a short-term rental, you have to also be OK with New York State code, and in compliance with whatever the state says. The state has not yet defined its code requirements for short-term rentals. It drafted a law, but that law has been stalled for a long time. In New York's draft of a brand-new state law for short-term rentals, sprinklers are not mentioned, and the fire-safety requirements for a homeowner would include "conspicuously" posting a list of emergency phone numbers for police, fire and poison control. They would also need to have a working fire extinguisher. However, we asked Beacon's Dutchess County Legislator, Nick Page, if he knew of any movement on that new bill. "Not as far as I know," was his answer.

If there is no code specified, Beacon's Building Inspector, Timothy Dexter, has stated that he would go by the Bed and Breakfast fire code, which requires sprinkler systems in the home or an egress window that can be pushed out.

Homeowners found that threatening and not affordable. However, if New York State completes their law, this could all be a moot point. The Beacon law was requiring that homeowners comply with New York State law - which people need to do anyway with state laws. Beacon's law was simply to say that short-term rentals in a primary residence were OK, and outlined some rules - which did not specify sprinklers.

What Was Beacon's Law For? What Got Voted "No"?

Beacon's law would have legalized short-term rentals in the city of Beacon, and had nothing to do with state law (because there currently is no state law around short-term rentals). The state law could have included the sprinklers depending on interpretation by the Building Inspector, based on guidance he got from the state, according to the City Attorney. During the night of the city council's vote, the City Attorney went on to say that the state has to regulate short-term rentals somewhere, and until there is something official, that somewhere is code relating to Bed and Breakfasts. However, he noted, the regulation could be in a more restrictive area called R1, but the State is seeking the less restrictive of Bed and Breakfast.

Said the City Attorney that night: “We are talking about two distinctions. What the zoning permits, versus what the state permits. You can regulate zoning, but you can’t regulate what the state code provides for.” Two different laws. Beacon's law would only have green-lighted the concept of short-term rentals in the Schedule of Uses, and how that would work.

Here's a screenshot of what a portion of what Beacon's Schedule of Uses mentioned above looks like. See those line items? Behind each item on this list is how the area of interest would work, according to how the City of Beacon regulated it. The short-term rentals regulation would have put Short-Term Rentals onto this list, with certain rules to follow (here's a link to the law's final draft, which was voted down).

Remember About the Tattoo Parlors? An Ordinance Was Written To Make Tattoo Parlors Illegal in Beacon, Until...

Editor's Note: This section was edited on 6/13/2018 after more information was provided by Keith Zahra in the Comment section).

Alright. Do you see Tattoo Parlors in the list above? Many years ago in 2000, under a totally different City Council, there was a tattoo parlor in town called Zahra's Studio. Tattoo parlors didn't have an ordinance at all. Much like short-term rentals don't have an ordinance at the moment (which by Beacon law, makes them illegal unless they have an ordinance defining how they should run). Some people didn't want tattoo parlors in town anymore. To lock that in and make sure the tattoo parlor couldn't operate legally, an ordinance was written and passed that banned any and all tattoo parlors. Zahra's Studio eventually closed, but not because of the ordinance, according to owner Keith Zahra in the Comment section of this article below!

Said Keith in an outtake of the comment below: "[I was] Open and running for years after the statues of limitations voided any possible future enforcement of the existing tattooing laws. I had a New York State Supreme Court lawsuit filed against City of Beacon for constitutional violations. This case is a lot more complicated than the simplicity of a prohibition and a grandfather clause. City of Beacon violated tattoo artist’s rights like no other government municipality in the country, it was becoming a legal precedence in the industry." Scroll down or click here to read more about his experience with the law. Twelve years later, that rule was reversed, and tattoo parlors were allowed.

Matthew Montleon, owner of Honorable Ink, was responsible for instigating the reversal of a law that prohibited tattoo parlors in Beacon. There is no law written to prohibit short-term rentals in Beacon, but City Council voted down a law written to protect them, leaving short-term rental law in the gray and beholden to default law.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Matthew Montleon, founder of Honorable Ink, the popular tattoo parlor on Main Street, approached the City Council in 2012 to have this reversed so that he could open his own tattoo parlor, Honorable Ink. According to a Poughkeepsie Journal article he has framed in his establishment, he had the support of Mayor Casale and Council Person George Mansfield, who worked to reverse the rule, saying that tattoos were part of our culture now, especially in our artist-friendly town of Beacon. You may remember the videos on it as Matthew showed up to debate the topic and present his case.

According to Matthew, not only did the City Council reverse the ordinance, but Mayor Casale suggested writing a new ordinance to legalize tattoo parlors, which would have set rules on how tattoo parlors could operate in Beacon, assuming they followed New York State health code and any other code New York State set. This is how legalizing tattoo parlors in Beacon in 2012 played out.

This situation could be likened to the move to legalize short-term rentals in Beacon. Only this time, Council Person George Mansfield voted against legalizing short-term rentals, and the Mayor voted for legalizing short-term rentals. Even though both of them were advocating for homeowners who wanted to rent their homes out in the short-term market.

New York State Law vs Beacon Law - Totally Different Things

Being that there is no clear-cut definition of fire safety code for these properties, Beacon's Building Inspector was leaning toward enforcing sprinkler systems or egress windows as called for in the New York State law concerning Bed and Breakfasts, based on guidance he got from the state, according to the City Attorney, who went on to explain:

“Other communities have not addressed this. ... They have turned a blind eye to the building code enforcement issue. Now that the issue is out there in the forefront, the building inspector’s viewpoint is it’s a fire, life, and safety issue, that ultimately is on him. If he turns a blind eye to it, and there is a casualty, ultimately it’s on him. I don’t want to be an alarmist, but there are examples of where there is criminal prosecution against building officials who do not enforce a code provisions when they are in knowing of violations. For him to continue to turn a blind eye, I don’t think is within his job description.”

It should be noted, however, that should New York State define its law, for short-term rentals, nothing changes in the Beacon law - only the requirements of the state law. Neither the proposed state law nor the Beacon law mentioned sprinkler systems or egress windows.

During the night of the vote, City Attorney Nick Ward-Willis recalled how he contacted a few people at the State level to get further clarification, but was unable to find any. "At the New York State Department of State (DOS), I spoke with Justin Cartwright, Director of Legislative Affairs for the NYS Department of State (who Airbnb referred us to). Mr. Cartwright referred us to Joseph Ball, Associate Attorney in the Department of State’s Office of General Counsel. We also spoke with Mark Miranda, Regional Contact, Department of State, Division of Standards and Codes." He was unable to get clear answers on fire-safety enforcement for short-term rentals, since no law exists.

Therefore, written into Beacon's law, was a requirement for the building inspector to inspect a prospective short-term rental to see if the short-term rental was compliant with "the International Series of Codes and New York State Code Supplement," and then make a recommendation from there. The city attorney also mentioned that an individual who disagrees with the building inspector’s interpretation of the International and State Code provisions may appeal to the NYS Department of State, Division of Building Standards and Codes, by filling out and submitting an application form available at: https://www.dos.ny.gov/Dcea/pdf/2078-a-f.pdf.

During the Council's last Workshop on short-term rentals on April 30, 2018, the City Attorney did suggest that a way to trigger New York State into addressing the fire code issue was to file a lawsuit against New York State.

Can Sprinklers Be Written Out of the Law?

Moments before the vote took place during the May 21, 2018, City Council Meeting, George Mansfield asked the city attorney if Beacon's law could be written so that sprinklers were not required. The Attorney answered that the law could not, that a state code could only be added to, and not subtracted from, at the city level. "The city does not have the ability to create laws or definitions or regulations for the State building code. You could apply stricter interpretations, but you can’t have it less permissive. The city does not have the ability to influence the State code interpretation."

The proposed local law required that homeowners follow New York State law, which could change at any time, given pressure to the state to complete their law. If New York State law changes, nothing would be amended into Beacon's law. Meaning, if New York follows through with only requiring a fire extinguisher and list of phone numbers, then that is what people would need to do because they need to follow New York State law.

Plus, Did You Know That Major US Cities Like NYC Actually Heavily Regulate Airbnb?

The headlines at major news outlets have been popping up recently. Some communities turned a blind eye to short-term rentals not being on the official list of things allowed and not allowed (like Beacon did). Others turned a blind eye, but after complaints, created legislation to officially shut down the practice (like Upper Arlington, that suburb outside of Columbus, OH). Cities like Miami Beach don't allow it in certain zones.

Surprisingly, New York City has very tight restrictions on short-term rentals, as pointed out by a recent CNBC article, which states:

New York City, which Airbnb lists as its top destination for guests, has some of the tightest restrictions on short-term rentals in the country. It is illegal to rent out an entire residence for less than 30 days in New York City. Short-term rentals are permitted only if the homeowner is also staying there throughout the rental period and there are no more than two renters.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law in 2016 making it illegal to advertise occupancy for short-term rentals in buildings with three or more units (here's the state law). Violators are subject to fines of up to $7,500.

Beacon's proposed law imposed no limit on the amount of nights the property could rent per calendar year. Beacon's proposed law did not require the homeowner to be on the property at the time of renting. Beacon's proposed law did not restrict short-term rentals by zone.

Did Beacon have a bird in hand, and not realize it?

Did the council members who voted "no" do it as a bluff or statement against the sprinklers (that weren't even in the local law)? Not realizing how many of them would trigger a majority?

Did that many constituents who supported short-term rentals ask their council member to vote "no," and were maybe confused about how a vote of "no" would pan out, or what it included? That this vote was a separate issue from The Sprinkler Issue?

Beacon Was Being Progressive - So What Happened?

The night of the vote, Council Person George Mansfield stated that his vote of "no" was contingent upon Beacon asking New York State to hurry up and decide already about their fire-safety code. However, a vote of "no" does nothing to protect short-term rentals during the time in which it takes New York State to move in any direction - which could be a long time.

Additionally, if New York State did decide to only require a list of phone numbers and a fire extinguisher as their required fire code in short-term rentals, the vote in Beacon would not be retroactive.

We reached out for comment from the council people and heard back from everyone but Mayor Casale, John Rembert and George Mansfield. They get a lot of emails, so we get it if ours was lost.

Terry Nelson, who voted against the legislation stated: "I personally received an overwhelming amount of email urging me to vote 'no' and these came from short-term rental (STR) owners. Their rationale was that the proposed resolution was a step towards driving them out of business. My reason for voting 'no' is that the resolution did not adequately address many of the subtle nuances of STR ownership. Also, it would create a system in which only those with the financial means would be able to be in the STR business."

When I asked Terry for clarification on the financial implication, Terry referred to the possible New York State mandated sprinkler system or egress window requirement that Bed and Breakfasts need to conform to. But sprinklers are not in the currently stalled New York State law, and they were not in the local Beacon proposed law. Terry referred to other fees in the proposed law, but there only seems to be a permit fee in Beacon's law. So fear of additional fees as a reason to vote no on Beacon's law is unclear, since the Beacon law that was up for a vote did not require sprinklers.

Jodi McCredo, who voted in favor of legalizing short-term rentals, stated: "I did receive requests to vote 'no' as well as requests to vote 'yes.' I believe that voting 'yes' to the law, along with the resolution to request state action and a grace period on the code until the end of the year, was the bast way to help our owner-occupied short-term rental hosts stay in business while shutting down the non-owner-occupied short-term rentals that most of the community seemed to be against. The 'no' vote simply shut down everyone."

Lee Kyriacou, who voted in favor of legalizing short-term rentals, stated: "There looked to be a concerted effort to encourage a 'no' vote. In my view, no change in current law keeps all short-term rentals illegal, which leaves the city free to chase them down. The proposed local law that did not pass 3-4 would have legalized owner-occupied short-term rentals."

Amber Grant, who voted against the legislation to legalize short-term rentals, stated: "Throughout the entire process of crafting the legislation, I heard a lot from constituents. I also spent time with many of them, listening to their concerns and even touring a short-term rental. I thank everyone who made their voices heard."

So What Happens Now?

If you have seen the movie Evita starring Madonna, then you may recall the song, "Another Suitcase In Another Hall," in which Madonna sings the recurring breakup song, with the emotional line: "So what happens now?" wondering where she is going to go. The song ends with a character in the movie answering in whisper: "Don't ask... anymore..."

So... to be continued.

Here's the final proposed law that was voted on, in case you're interested in what was allowed for short-term rentals, in case it comes up again. Jeff Simms, Beacon beat reporter for The Highlands Current, got his article up about it last week, if you want another recap.

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Related Links to Airbnb Legislation in Beacon:

Antalek & Moore Expands Into Ulster County and Welcomes Rob DeWit (Sponsored)

Grand Opening of Antalek & Moore Marlboro Location!
WHEN: Thursday, May 31
TIME: 3 to 7 pm
WHERE: 1313 & 1311 Route 9W, Marlboro, NY 

Beacon residents are lucky to have a service like Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency right at our fingertips! With their track record of success in the community, Antalek & Moore is expanding into Ulster County with a new office in Marlboro, NY. “There seems to be a business barrier when it comes to the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge,” says Susan Antalek Pagones, co-executive partner at Antalek & Moore. “We wanted to overcome that obstacle and found that opening our own office on that side of the river would be the perfect way to do so.” 

Co-Executive Partners Vince Lemma and Susan Antalek Pagones, both in the Beacon office, are excited about the expansion of their agency. While they have always served customers who live outside Dutchess County, this gives the agency the chance to be right in the heart of the Marlboro community. They pride themselves on community involvement and support, and look forward to making many new relationships to carry on that commitment to their neighbors.

Antalek & Moore Welcomes Rob DeWit To The Team

In addition to opening the new location, Antalek & Moore welcomes a new member, Rob DeWit, to the team. Rob is a longtime insurance industry expert and will be a crucial asset to the team as they make the move. “The reason why I chose insurance was I wanted to make a difference and help people when they need it most," says Rob, in the company's press release announcing the expansion.

“We are very excited Rob has joined the Antalek & Moore team,” says Vince Lemma. “He will bring many years of insurance industry experience and he is looking forward to help grow in Ulster, Sullivan and Orange counties.”

Rob comes with over 14 years of experience in the insurance agency; he got into the business while working for a family member that owned an agency.  That agency grew over the years and he quickly moved into the role of vice president, overseeing offices throughout Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties.

Says Rob: "We supply a product that is only used when tough situations arise, and I want to be there for my customers when they do.” Joining Antalek & Moore was a no-brainer, “as I wanted to work for an agency with a family atmosphere. Antalek & Moore brings this, as well as a pristine reputation in the industry. It is important for me to work for a company that values employees, as well as integrity."

Rob is a graduate of Dutchess Community College and has an associate's degree in business administration. He is a lifelong resident of the Hudson Valley and enjoys all that the valley has to offer with his two daughters, who live close by. 

About Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency

Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency is a family-first business and has been open since 1853. With this experience under their belt, there is no doubt to why they have been trusted for so long. They are a full-service insurance and risk-management agency with main offices located in Beacon, NY. Executive Partners Susan and Vince own one of the original Main Street agencies, offering commercial and personal insurance solutions to customers in the Hudson Valley community, broader New York region, and across the country. Being in the business for over 80 years has taught the agency that people want nothing more than an agent who is knowledgeable, trustworthy and accommodating to the client’s needs.

You're Invited to the Grand Opening in Marlboro, NY!

Please join in on the Grand Opening being held Thursday, May 31, from 3 to 7 pm at 1313 & 1311 Route 9W, Marlboro, NY.  Refreshments will be served, and you will have the chance to meet members of the Antalek & Moore staff from both locations.  

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Antalek & Moore is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created with them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight article program. It is with the support of businesses like theirs that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of news, local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Sponsor or Community Partner, please click here for more information.

Learn Digital Marketing From a Beaconite at the East Fishkill Library

Tonight, the publisher of A Little Beacon Blog (ALBB), Katie Hellmuth Martin, delivers a Digital Marketing Presentation in partnership with SCORE Mentors Dutchess County and Tin Shingle, ALBB's sister company. Tin Shingle is a training platform for business owners and artists who are doing their own PR and marketing.

Happening at the East Fishkill Public Library, this Tin Shingle Training TuneUp is hitting the road. Road trip! During this free seminar, Katie will cover:

• The landscape of Digital Marketing as it is now.

• Ideas you can share as a service provider, retail shop, artist, nonprofit, and other entities.

• Identification of what is holding you back - and how to break through it.

• A sneak peek of Tin Shingle's upcoming article: “8 Things I Learned About Marketing After Deleting the Facebook App From My Phone.”

Come! Pre-register, as space is extremely limited.

When: Tuesday, May 22, from 6:30 to 8 pm
Where: East Fishkill Library, 348 NY-376, Hopewell Junction, NY, 12533
How Much: Free
Details: Learn quick and easy techniques that your business can use today to help more people find out about your business via this complimentary seminar. Designed for business owners who run a storefront, sell a product, or provide a service direct to customers, this workshop will get you comfortable with strategies in Facebook, Instagram and blogging, and knowing what to do with your newsletter.

Katie Hellmuth Martin is the publisher of A Little Beacon Blog and runs Tin Shingle, an online training and resource platform for small businesses and marketers. Having helped hundreds of businesses resolve myriad issues preventing them from promoting effectively, Katie is well-equipped to help you promote your business.

This has been a partner message from our sponsor, Tin Shingle. A Little Beacon Blog can continue to report the news and things to do with support from businesses and friends like you! Click here to learn about ways to sponsor.

Get Involved in the 2018 Beacon High School Career Fair!

With the huge success of last year's Beacon High School Career Fair, the school is currently seeking presenters for the 2018 Career Fair. It is a great opportunity to network with other businesses and share your knowledge with the students. The event will be held on Friday, May 25, from 10 am to 3 pm at the Beacon High School gymnasium. Presenters are asked to set up at the high school at 9 am. 

The fair will be set up in the gymnasium, where each presenter will have their own table to display information and items that represents the person’s career/profession that can serve as talking pieces with visitors. Students are invited to walk around and speak to the different presenters of their choice.

The career fair is seeking people who work in the following professions: 

• Crime Scene Investigator
• Forensic Scientist
• Professional Athlete
• Professional Actor/Actress
• Fashion Designer/Model
• Sports Management
• Surgeon
• Music producer
• Nurse
• Professional Photographer
• Film Director
• TV/Film Camera man
• Interior Designer
• Stock Broker/Hedge fund
• Psychiatrist
• Social Worker
• Video Game Designer
• YouTuber

If you are interested in participating, feel free to contact Michele Polhamus, School Counselor, by email at polhamus.m@beaconk12.org or by phone at (845) 838-6900.

Trax Is Third Business in Beacon for Owners Buddy and Katy

Photo Credit: Trax Espresso Bar & Coffee Roasters

It's an iconic Beacon experience: Wrapping up the day with coffee or beer on the patio, under tree branches strung with twinkling lights, or imbibing on a balmy afternoon as breezes gust through the outdoor tables of Bank Square Coffeehouse, set between the Hudson River and Mount Beacon. Being the first storefront on Main Street off of 9D (aka Wolcott Ave.), up the hill from the train station, Bank Square's location is prime. Main Street parades often begin there, and overall, the coffee shop is an easy landmark when people are meeting up or discussing something going on in town.

The Bank Square Coffeehouse experience is partially responsible for the many happy walkers, diners and shoppers down on the West End of Beacon, toward the train station. Owners of boutiques, art galleries, and other shops down on the other end of town (aka the "East End") near the mountain continuously wish for more foot traffic, and think longingly of Bank Square. They had been overheard, wishing aloud: "If only we had a Bank Square down here..."

Two-Time Beacon Business Owners Open Second Coffeehouse on East End of Town

That dream came true when Trax Espresso Bar & Coffee Roasters opened in the newly renovated factory building at 1 East Main. Trax is the third business from Beacon business owners Buddy Behney and Katy Bell Behney. They own Bank Square Coffeehouse, which opened in 2009 in the longtime Muddy Cup space, and they can be found almost any day of the week across the street at their retail shop, Mountain Tops Outfitters, which opened in 2006. We reached out to Katy to learn more about the inspiration to open Trax.

ALBB: Had you considered opening a second location earlier?

Katy Bell Behney: "Yes, it’s always been in the back of our minds, whether it be in Beacon or a nearby town. We had been roasting more of our own beans. Having a new space gave us a new venue to do more of that. We hired our manager to help with the roasting: Kurt Balogh. We knew him from Coffee Labs, where we get our coffee for Bank Square. Kurt had worked for a roasting company down in Brooklyn, and was interested in working more with us. He lives in Yonkers and makes the commute up here to act as manager and roaster of Trax."

ALBB: Did any of the shop owners from the East End of town beg you to open up down there?

Katy Bell Behney: "We were approached about putting a coffee shop in there. We looked at the space, not thinking that we would. But once we saw the space, we fell in love with it. Seeing all of the activity going on at that end of town, we thought it would be an interesting opportunity to try a second location. We knew that they wanted a coffee shop there, so we figured we would give it a try. We were flattered that they approached us about it. That encouraged us."

Editor's Note! We dug a little deeper to find out who planted the seed in Katy and Buddy's mind, and learned that it was Charlotte Guernsey, another three-time Beacon business owner. Charlotte says: "Yes, it was me! I wanted their coffee and the foot traffic!" Charlotte owns Gatehouse Realty, the office of which is located on the East End of town, as well as Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique, located in the 1 East Main building with Trax, and also designed the wedding venue Lambs Hill on Mount Beacon.

ALBB: The decor is quite different from Bank Square - what was your thinking there?

Katy Bell Behney: "We wanted to make it a little simpler and stay true to the old building, with the beams that were already there. We wanted to play off of those. We have the old Tuck Tape Industries sign (more about Tuck here) that we salvaged a while back that we didn’t have a place for, and then we found this place. We also have an old billboard sign that came from a local shop. The bar in the window is used from the building next door - from the 1800s."

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

Parking is available on the side of Trax.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

ALBB: The logo of the train spike is interesting - who came up with it?

Katy Bell Behney: Credit goes to Buddy on the logo. He and his friend who is a designer came up with the logo. We wanted to play off of the location. Bank Square is called Bank Square because it’s located in the Bank Square part of town. Being on the tracks, we came up with the name Trax. We just thought it looked cool.

Picture of an actual railroad nail that serves as the inspiration for Trax's logo.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Newburgh Gets Creative Neighborhood Loan Fund From Rhinebeck Bank and Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress

A six-block radius of Newburgh has access to newly established capital through a program called the Creative Neighborhood Loan Fund, through the efforts of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress and Rhinebeck Bank. According to a press release announcing the loan, Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress has launched an economic development plan with a goal of improving the business climate in an approximate six square block area within the City of Newburgh, near furniture maker and studio space rental initiative Atlas Industries, and SUNY Orange’s City of Newburgh campus. The zone roughly includes an area bordered on the north by Catherine Street and on the south by South William Street. To the west, it is bordered by South Johnston Street and to the east by River Road. See the full map here.

Rhinebeck Bank is enhancing the efforts of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress on this project by "allocating $3 million of our loan portfolio to fund secured-term loans including commercial express loans, equipment and vehicle purchases, leasehold improvements and real estate transactions under favorable pricing, advance rates and terms to the prospective borrowers in the Newburgh Creative Neighborhood," according to their website.

Says Rhinebeck Bank's president and CEO, Mike Quinn in a press release from Pattern for Progress: “There’s a lot of great ideas, but just an idea doesn’t do it,” he said. “It needs financing [and] it needs advice.”

A business who has already benefited from the Creative Neighborhood Loan Fund is one of Newburgh's newest businesses, Liberty Street Bistro. Owner and Chef Michael Kelly discusses it here with Michelle Barone-Lepore.

For more information on applying for this loan, reach out to Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, at rdegroat@pfprogress.org or call (845) 565-4900, or to Rhinebeck Bank's Richard J. Kolosky, Commercial Lending Director, Hudson Valley West, at rkolosky@rhinebeckbank.com or (845) 790-1538.

Editorial Note: Rhinebeck Bank is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, but this article is not related to their campaign. A Little Beacon Blog learned about the program and thought readers would like to know more about it, as more Beaconites look to Newburgh for business space innitiatives.

Hardware Store to Open in Beacon on West Main St., a Hop, Skip, Jump Away from Main Street Near Train

It’s happening...a hardware store is opening in Beacon! Nichols Hardware was the last hardware store here on Main Street, and closed several years ago.  

Brett’s True Value opens on Thursday, April 5, 2018, and is located down on 18 West Main Street, which is just a hop, skip and a jump over 9D/Wolcott towards the Beacon Metro-North train 🚂 station. There are all kinds of other businesses down in that mini-complex, including BCAP, 2 Way Brewing, Beacon Pilates, The Cinehub, and others. An apartment building is also going up across the street.

Beaconites now have two hardware stores to shop at - this one located right in town, and Home Depot in Fishkill, which employs many Beacon neighbors and frequently offers classes. 

Brett’s True Value has additional locations in New Windsor and Newburgh, and boasts of carrying household tools, hardware, and other products, many of which, they say, are from family-run companies; the store is independently owned. Owner Brett Feller felt it was time for Beacon residents to have their own hardware store again: "I live in Beacon. I love Beacon. Beacon is fun! The town told me they wanted a hardware store. I was told over and over again, 'We need a hardware store in Beacon.' "  

You will notice the building itself has a newer look, as some renovations were made in order to optimize the space for retail. Why would someone put a store here? Brett says, "Most people could not understand how we were going to open a store here. The landlord did a great job transforming the space for us. The front was dug out and a large concrete patio was installed and new cedar planks were put in to create the façade. Inside, multiple walls were knocked down and new ones went up. All new lighting [was installed]."

Get your DIY on! At the moment, I have a flat tire in my driveway ready for fixing, so it's good I can walk to Brett’s True Value for an air compressor! 

Harry's Hot Sandwiches Closes Location in Beacon Theater - The Response Has Been Intense

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

To start, this article announcing the closure of Harry's Hot Sandwiches is titled "Harry's Hot Sandwiches Closes Location in Beacon Theater," as opposed to just saying "closes," and leaving it at that. This article title leaves open the possibility/prediction: This isn't the end of Harry's Hot Sandwiches. It just may be the end of Harry's Hot Sandwiches in this location. Because here's the thing: Running a small business isn't business as usual. There is no such thing as business as usual for small business owners. There's always a story behind it.

When a business in Beacon announces that it is closing, usually something different happens; best-case scenario is the owner is presented with a possible solution, and more possibilities reveal themselves for the business to stay open. Like when the boutique Lauren and Riley announced that they were closing, only to re-announce that they changed their minds and would stay open with a move to the other end of town. (PS: Lauren and Riley are having a big Moving Sale, so run - don't walk - to help them clear out inventory in advance of their big move!)

So let's back it up for a moment to explore Harry's Hot Sandwiches, now that he has announced on Instagram that he is closing. He cited a rent increase as the reason for closing, which sparked a social media outrage against landlords and rent in Beacon in general.

Who is Harry?

Harrison Manning opened Harry's Hot Sandwiches after working in many eateries in Beacon. Many knew him from his days working the coffee counter at Bank Square. Then they delighted to see him serving up delicious dishes from The Hop. (The Hop has since closed due to its own inner workings.) One of Harrison's fellow workers from The Hop, John-Anthony Gargiulo, opened Hudson Valley Brewery down behind 1 East Main, and some familiar faces can be seen behind the bar there.

When Harrison opened Harry's Hot Sandwiches in The Beacon Theater in 2015, it was during the period when his dad, Patrick Manning, a partner in 4th Wall Theatrical Productions, had taken over the theater in 2011 in order to revive it as a working theater after it had been closed for 50 years. Before Harrison opened his sandwich shop, the space had been home to a coffee shop, and then to an ice cream parlor from the same people who run the Beacon Creamery on the west end of town (across from Bank Square). Both the ice cream parlor and coffee shop were short-lived and closed quickly.

The planned theater renovation did not come to be, and by 2015, the property was purchased by a construction company run by the McAlpine family, who had done the construction on that theater after renovating and running The Roundhouse. According to an article by Brian PJ Cronin in the Highlands Current, the McAlpines donated their work to the restoration: "For the next few years, McAlpine Construction donated time, materials and work in order to help restore the theater’s facade and lobby, and build out two commercial spaces on either side of the lobby."

Those commercial spaces became Harry's Hot Sandwiches and the alteration shop, By A Thin Thread. Brendan McAlpine became the new owner in 2015, and inherited Harry's Hot Sandwiches as a tenant. Brendan continued the major renovation of the Beacon Theater, announcing the availability of residential apartments and some office space, as well as a movie theater (click here for an inside look at the plans for that movie theater).

The Announcement - The Rent

Rent is a delicate subject. It can make or break a business from staying in a location. It can be the basis for the pricing a business owner gives their customers. A rent increase can be the catalyst for the business owner to close, or to move down to a neighboring storefront. Or, the business can pivot to accommodate the rent increase and retain customers. Sometimes, the landlord can be very present, and sometimes the landlord can live out of town and no one can reach them should a storefront be flooded from an overflowing bathtub in the apartment upstairs. (Click on those links to read - yes, real - examples.)

In Harry's case, his landlord is quite present in Beacon. We reached out to Brendan for comment in response to the rent increase mentioned in Harry's closure announcement. Here is what he said:

"Harry's rent has been held so low over the years, that even doubling it keeps it several hundred dollars a month below market. We always worked together on good terms during his lease, and I was disappointed he was leaving. I inherited him as a tenant, but worked with Harry to keep his business moving forward the last couple of years.

"Without going into detail, necessary upgrades needed to be made to his space for life safety and health code reasons. While I told him that I would need to start getting closer to market rent and need the upgrades made, I told him we would work toward it over 6 months to a year to allow him to ease into it. With the movie theater opening soon in this building, he should have no shortage of business. We offered to rent him just the kitchen as a vendor for the theater as another possibility, which would make his rent even lower than he currently pays, but he was not interested. I will miss Harry and genuinely wish him well."

Surely the Sammies Will Still Be Available Some How, Some Way

When Harry's Hot Sandwiches opened, it was an instant hit, and currently has nearly five-star ratings everywhere. The eatery was a media darling, loved by The Valley Table, Visit Vortex, and adored by professional photographers like Meredith Heuer. Our prediction is that we haven't tasted the last sandwich from Harrison Manning. He's too creative to sit still. Maybe you'll see him in a new location in Beacon. Maybe you'll see him in Newburgh. We just don't know yet... Hopefully he will still have the bike delivery option!

Tin Shingle's February Member Meeting (Sponsored)

Tin Shingle is an empowerment center for businesses, artists, makers and nonprofits who are working on ways to get the word out about what they do. Tin Shingle's platform trains creators like yourself in ways to get PR, use social media, understand SEO (aka getting found in Google), sending newsletters, and more. Putting yourself out there can be a scary concept, but Tin Shingle guides you to face this fear head-on, to help you break through to your audience. Once you open for business and hang your shingle, you can't sit back and wait for the people! You must go out there and reach them to help them come in (both figuratively and literally)!

During this month of love, Tin Shingle wants to help you dig in and give back to your business. Although Tin Shingle's membership is nationwide, its headquarters is in Beacon (sharing an office with A Little Beacon Blog!) and offers an opportunity for its members at the Community Level of Membership to connect in person on the last Monday of each month at noon. But this month, the meeting will be open to all.

Connecting business owners, artists and makers is so important to Tin Shingle, because when people come together, fresh ideas fly. You begin to think bigger, and come away with new visions and strategies to help your business grow.

Tin Shingle's Kick A** Member Meeting

Yes, it's called the Kick Ass Member Meeting because that is how you will feel after leaving with a plan. This hourlong meeting will have several parts. Indulge in this session of talking shop with other like-minded business owners who probably share several of your challenges and triumphs.

• Workshop: Bring the magazines you want your business to be featured in. We will all be doing our homework by clipping ideas, and identifying writers and editors to follow up with for a fresh PR pitch.
• Brain Picking: If there's an expert in the room, you can pick their brains! Tin Shingle's owner Katie will be there, which means you can ask your questions about SEO, Social Media, Business Strategies, and PR. Katie also runs A Little Beacon Blog.
• Idea-ating: Through all of this, you're bound to come up with new ideas to tackle this week or month. We're looking forward to hearing them!

Where: 291 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508, First Floor, First Door
When: Today - Monday, February 26, at noon

COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP LEVEL - $45/month
The Community Membership with Tin Shingle is our entry-level membership and includes:

• FEEDBACK: Inclusion in our Private Facebook Community to ask your questions and get quick answers about PR, Marketing, Social Media, Websites, and more.
• BOARDS: Submit your Press Releases and Media Pitches to our group, and receive feedback and suggestions to make them better.
• PROFILE: Get listed on Tin Shingle's website and Business Directory, which is searched by the media and potential customers and clients.

This has been a message from our sponsor, Tin Shingle. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! To reach our readers with an article and newsletter like this, see our Media Kit.

Beacon Pilates Moves Locations After 13 Years

When Beacon Pilates opened 13 years ago in a second-floor studio above Main Street, it was met with skepticism and conviction that no one would want to try this newfangled form of exercise. That's how most successful businesses are met at first, actually, in Beacon. It's possible that new-business reception is like this all over the world, but particularly in Beacon, when something fresh launches, it is usually met with doubters. Before you know it, a cult following has formed around it. Remember the howls about the 20-minute wait for the hand-fixed donuts at Glazed (and it's not 20 minutes, BTW), or the $8.50 bacon and egg breakfast sandwich at Stock Up that launched 1,000 Facebook comments? Or the upscale glasses store that everyone thought would never work? The successful Luxe Optique now has superfans from around the region (like this shop owner from Cold Spring) coming in to seize the latest designs.

So too with Beacon Pilates. A fixture in Beacon for people who needed to get firm, strong, and toned, Beacon Pilates faced a major business change when they needed to move from its original location. The thing about change is, it often produces unexpected positive results - the Silver Lining, if you will. Beacon Pilates' owner, Juliet Harvey, reached out to A Little Beacon Blog to advertise the studio's change in our Classes for Adults Guide program, but the change is so much more than a simple location swap. So we reached out to Juliet to see if she had found a Silver Lining, and it turns out, there were several. This is the beauty of owning and running a small business. Especially one in Beacon, which is filled with so many talented people.

ALBB:
Sometimes a change like this produces unexpected results. What can you tell us?

Juliet Harvey, Owner of Beacon Pilates:
I loved my old space. It was almost more like my home than my house! But yes, there have been many silver linings.

First and foremost, being so incredibly overwhelmed with just how much my husband, Luc, and his business partner, Jason Hughes, and their employees at LNJ Tech Services did for me.

ALBB: So that our readers can piece everyone together - Luc and Jason own the white building on Hanna Lane that is famous in its own right, but got famous again after hanging the welcome sign. Jason is married to Ella's Bellas' owner Carley, and LNJ Tech Services also did custom design work at Ella's Bellas, including making the really cool whisk-inspired light fixtures. It's fun to know who is behind some of these visual touches that have come to define Beacon.

Juliet Harvey, Owner of Beacon Pilates:
Yes, exactly. The list that they helped me with was enormous, but basically, while I was going through an emotional crisis, they were at my space every day making sure it was going to be a beautiful and inviting studio. Luc was helping to make every single decision in his creative, technical, calm and detail-oriented way. I was completely supported and taken care of by him.

Secondly, and to my shock, all of my clients have told me they like the new space better! The space is so open and light-filled and beautiful. Also, as everyone knows in Beacon, the parking situation is not getting any better. So they LOVE the parking lot. My clients never burdened me with their parking problems at my old space. But now that I'm at the new space, all their stories are coming out and they are so happy not to have the Main Street parking worry.

ALBB: Thank you for sharing, Juliet!

* * *

So guys, just so you know, the winter is the most dreaded part of the year for businesses in Beacon. It snows. Things close. Everyone gets sick. It's awful. But Beacon Pilates is prevailing and bucking the system by having their Grand Re-Opening Party this weekend - Valentine's Weekend - and you can show them some love by going. It's from 5 to 8 pm on Saturday (yes, it's Beacon's Second Saturday).

Juliet is keeping super busy: Not only is she hosting Beacon Pilates' grand re-opening, but as co-president of the South Avenue PTA, Juliet is supporting South Avenue's first parent/kid dance, aka the Small Tall Ball, the Friday night before her Pilates party. And if that's not enough, her grand re-opening party will even include a donation dedication. It's the kickoff for “Goods for Good,” a weeklong sporting goods drive for The Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, which is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment to improve the lives of and empower at-risk children and families in the Hudson Valley and surrounding communities.

Donations of newly purchased indoor or outdoor sporting goods can be brought to Beacon Pilates on Second Saturday, February 10, or dropped off during business hours the following week. Equipment needed includes basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, skateboards, roller skates, lawn games, double-dutch jump ropes, wooden baseball bats, and tennis balls, as well as safety equipment like helmets and pads.

See you at the party!

Tin Shingle's First Monthly Member Meeting for Artists, Makers, Business Owners (Sponsored)

Tin Shingle is a buzz-building resource for small (but mighty!) business owners, makers, artists and creators who need to get the word out. The engaging DIY platform teaches how to get PR, use social media, demystify SEO, explore effective website design, pumps you up to send newsletters to clients and customers, and provides overall motivation for kicking butt in your business.

Hence, Tin Shingle's first in-person Monthly Member Meetings! Tin Shingle has members from all over the country, but is based in Beacon, NY - right in the same office as A Little Beacon Blog (ALBB)! In fact, ALBB's publisher, Katie (that's me), is the owner of Tin Shingle! And I'm obsessed with small business creation, growth, and empowerment to keep going.

Tin Shingle has several levels of membership in order to fit the needs of different budgets and goals. Attending these monthly meetings requires a Community Level membership ($45/month) is commitment-free, and can be upgraded or downgraded at any time, depending on your needs. All other membership levels can attend, too.

This meeting will be used to help prepare your PR Planning for the next month. Connecting business owners, artists and makers is so important to us, because when we come together, fresh ideas fly. You begin to think bigger, and come away with new visions and strategies to help your business grow.

Tin Shingle's Kick A** Member Meeting

This hourlong meeting will include several parts. Indulge in this session of talking shop with other like-minded business owners who share several of your challenges and triumphs.

• Workshop: Bring the magazines you want your business to be featured in. We will all be doing our homework by clipping ideas, writers and editors to follow up with for a fresh PR pitch.
• Brain Picking: If there's an expert in the room, you can pick their brains! We know that Tin Shingle's owner Katie will be there, which means you can ask your questions about SEO, social media, business strategies, and PR.
• Idea-ating: Through all of this, you're bound to come up with new ideas to  tackle this week or month. We're looking forward to hearing them!

Where: 291 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508. First Floor, First Door
When: Today, Monday, January 29 at noon EST

Come in! Business owners, artists, makers, creators who want to get the word out will get jazzed in this member meeting.

BeaconArts Meets for Voting In New Board Members

Gathering for the first time this year, the membership of BeaconArts will convene on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 for the annual meeting and board elections. The meeting will be held at The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries/Clarkson University, which is the home of BeaconArts' Retrospective : 15, the exhibit showcasing the 15 years that BeaconArts has served the community since its founding in 2002.

BeaconArts is the artery through which much of the city’s creative efforts flow and manifest. BeaconArts serves as a fiscal sponsor for many public and interactive art initiatives that people in the community have come to look forward to each year, including Beacon3D, Beacon Arts & Education Foundation, Beacon Open Studios, Beacon Independent Film Festival, Bike Beacon, Compass Arts’ spring theatrical production “Circle the Sun”, FairyWalk Beacon, Keys to the City, Ren and Luca, Two-Row Totems, and Welcome to Beacon 3.0. The members of BeaconArts include artists, galleries, specialty shops, restaurants, services, and other arts-minded individuals, businesses and organizations who recognize the economic value in supporting local arts and culture.

After 8 years of service, current BeaconArts president Kelly Ellenwood is stepping down in her duties. "Our strategic planning process was very successful, and we have put a lot of time and effort into planning for the future. Five of the nine board members are returning (by design), with plenty of leadership to go around. Change is good! After eight years, my time is up, per our bylaws." Meanwhile, Kelly is promoting the next fundraiser she is associated with, which is BeaconArts + Center 4 Creative Education “Lip Sync Battle.” Kelly is also secretary of the Rombout Middle School PTO, and you can track upcoming fundraisers for that in A Little Beacon Blog's Beacon City Schools' Fundraising Guide.

Currently, four board positions are open. Members are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the candidates and vote.

Board Members continuing through 2018:
Theresa Goodman (current Vice President), 1st term, 2nd year
Christina Jensen (former Board member; appointed by Board in January to fulfill remaining year of Sommer Hixson’s 2nd term), 1st term, 2nd year
Terry Nelson, 1st term, 2nd year
Rick Rogers, 1st term, 2nd year
Aaron Verdile (current Treasurer), 1st term, 2nd year

Candidates for NEW BeaconArts Board Members – Elections 2018
All terms are for two years, with the possibility of a second term.

Hanny Ahern (2 years, 1st term)
Hanny Ahern is a multimedia artist and educator living and working in Beacon, New York. She has a B.A. in Fine Arts From Bennington College and a mmaster's in Interaction Design from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications program. Hanny works persistently on education and community initiatives - alongside her art practice - and has worked closely to launch early pilot arts education programs at Powrplnt in Brooklyn, NY; Art in your Space, Manhattan; NY, Pepo La Tumaini in Isiolo, Kenya; and the inaugural year of Dia Foundation‘s teen program in Beacon, NY. Her work has been shown locally and internationally. She serves as a consultant on the board to Powrplnt and adFabe, working toward strengthening and pioneering relationships to committees that can benefit from the initiatives. Hanny is a homeowner in Beacon, and passionate and realistic towards this growing arts community.

Karlyn Benson (2 years, 1st term)
Karlyn Benson has worked in museums and galleries for over 20 years. In 2013, she opened Matteawan Gallery in Beacon, NY, specializing in contemporary art by mid-career and emerging artists. As the gallery’s director and curator, she has developed an ambitious exhibition program with a focus on abstraction, process, and materials. In 2016 she curated the exhibition Chemistry: Explorations in Abstract Photography at the Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY. In addition to managing her gallery, Karlyn works as an executive assistant at AEA Consulting, a cultural consulting firm located in Beacon, NY. For six years, she worked in the Registrar Department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where her responsibilities included arranging the safe transport and installation of artwork for exhibitions. Previously, she was the gallery manager at Candace Perich Gallery, a contemporary photography gallery in Katonah, NY. Karlyn received an MA in Art History from the University of Texas, Austin and a BA in Art History from SUNY Purchase. She also holds an associate's degree in Interior Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She has lived in Beacon since 2003.

Angelique Devlin (2 years, 1st term)
Angelique B. Devlin is a massage therapist, interfaith minister, life coach, birth doula, and yoga teacher. She practices these healing arts from her Terra Firma Massage studio here in Beacon, NY. Angelique has proudly been calling Beacon home since 2010. She relishes meeting and developing relationships with fellow business owners, artists, gallery owners, and members of the Beacon community. She is a member of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce, Hudson Valley Women in Business, the Sloop Club, and BeaconArts.  Angelique considers the arts to be vital to the vibrancy and future of Beacon, and would welcome the opportunity to play a more active role in the continued success of BeaconArts.

Meghan Goria (2 years, 1st term)
Meghan Goria has spent her career raising awareness for performing arts organizations and nonprofits, first at the New-York Historical Society and Manhattan Theatre Club, then over the course of nearly 10 years at the Metropolitan Opera. She is currently the Director of Digital Strategy and Fundraising at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, where she oversees the online marketing and fundraising efforts of the organization. She holds a BA in History from Brown University. Meghan is a Beacon homeowner and proud member of the community. Her spare time is usually spent cooking, reading or hiking around the Hudson Valley with her husband and dog.

Linda Pratt Kimmel (2 years, 1st term)
Linda Pratt Kimmel has been a resident of Beacon since 2003, and became a member of BeaconArts in January 2017.  She has volunteered on the Annual Holiday Bicycle Tree for the past two years, and was one of the project managers for the inaugural Keys to the City (KTC) installation. As part of KTC, Linda was specifically responsible for a family event that was done in coordination with the Howland Library, in which a piano-related book served as a launching point for a KTC scavenger hunt down Main Street. Linda has also volunteered for candidates for the City Council and County Legislator this past year, as well. She has become very vested in our community, and the efforts undertaken to bring us together and maintain our unique identity as a city.

Professionally, Linda is a founding partner of Wernick & Pratt Agency, a boutique literary agency based out of Beacon that specializes in representing authors and illustrators of children’s books. As an agent, one of her biggest jobs to listen to artists and help them clarify and fulfill their creative visions.  This involves everything from providing editorial guidance, career planning, negotiating contracts, and acting as an intermediary with publishers and/or licensors. In addition, Linda also oversees the financial operations of the agency, including managing all client monies processed, filing tax reportings, and preparing income projections.

Linda holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas in Austin.  She is a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and served on the board for the Rutgers One-on-One Writers Conference for five years.

Join BeaconArts today online, and you can make it to the meeting to increase your connection and involvement with Beacon and other artists, makers and business owners.

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BeaconArts is a Community Partner of A Little Beacon Blog and is part of our Advertising program. This article was part of their monthly messaging partnership. Thank you for supporting organizations who support us!

Food Trucks Approved to Open Near Train in Beacon's Linkage District

Food trucks will now be able to park and open up for business on vacant lots down near the Metro-North train station in what is known as Beacon's Linkage District. The Linkage District was designated as special piece of property in order "to increase the vitality, attractiveness and marketability of the part of the City of Beacon lying between Main Street and the Metro-North Train Station," according to its stated purpose. In shaping what it hopes will increase "walkability" and encourage a "vibrant" environment in that area, the City Council voted unanimously (Amber Grant was absent from the meeting) in favor of the addition of this type of land use during its meeting on January 16, 2018. (Read the legal-eagle documentation here.)

Where Is The Linkage District?

Some of your favorite businesses are located in the Linkage District, like BCAP (Be Creative As Possible), 2 Way Brewing, SallyeAnder's warehouse (not the public retail location - that's at the far other end of town near the mountain), and others. New to the area are Beacon Pilates, which has been in town for 13 years but has moved to a new location, and a soon-to-open TrueValue Hardware store from Brett (!!), filling the void left after the beloved Nichols closed a few years ago.

Linkage District, as published on the City of Beacon's Zoning Map included here, and modified by A Little Beacon Blog in order to show you where the Linkage District is. It's easy to get lost in the lines!
Graphic Art Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

New hardware store coming to Beacon in the Linkage District.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

New apartment buildings are going up on Beekman Street. They are among the development projects that have been green-lit recently, which you can read more about in A Little Beacon Blog's Development Guide.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

So When and What Can We Eat?

Several regulations are in place for how the food trucks need to operate. For example, there's a rule that a truck shall put spikes down on a vacant lot that has no other use, and that it can only operate for "a maximum of only one two-consecutive-year" period. During the Public Comment portion of the food truck consideration, which was open over the course of several City Council meetings, Beacon resident Theresa Kraft spoke to request that the treatment of trash be more closely monitored or enforced by a "Garbage Police." Tables and chairs will be allowed, but cannot block the sidewalk or fire hydrants, and the whole setup must be ADA compliant. So many more details can be found here at the City's website.

Beacon has experience with food trucks, like the hot dog kind near the post office, and high-concept ones, like the former Beacon Bite, who made their own ketchup (to the horror of some children who needed to BYOK - bring your own ketchup) but whose food was delicious and made for foodies, neighbored by a second cart - The Beacon Pie Company - which made that corner of town near Ella's Bellas especially delicious and invigorating.

Beacon Chamber of Commerce Elects New Board for 2018

The Beacon Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting is Monday, January 29, at 5:30 pm at the Elks Club, 900 Wolcott Ave. The names listed below will be submitted for election by the members in attendance. There is one vote per member. This process also allows for nominations from the floor. The Chamber encourages your participation, so come down! A light dinner will be served, so there's no excuse to miss it. Join the Chamber today online here!
 

Nominees

President, Rick Brownell of Freedom Ford
Vice President, Carl Oken of Beacon Elks Club
Treasurer - Open (might this be you?)
Corresponding Secretary, Teresa Williams of Antalek & Moore Insurance
Director, Sheryl Glickman of Notions ‘N Potions
Recording Secretary, Kathy Sandford of Antalek & Moore Insurance
Director, John Gilvey of Hudson Beach Glass
Director, Annemarie Sipilief of CIA Security

Continuing Board Members

Director, Kate Rabe of Kate Rabe Consulting
Director, Michele Williams of Style Storehouse