Highlands Current Launches Opioid Drug Crisis Special Report for Hudson Valley

Photo Credit: The Highlands Current

Editor's Note: This article was pushed to the front of our editorial calendar the day that Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., withdrew his name from consideration as drug czar for the Trump administration. A report by The Washington Post and "60 Minutes" found that Marino was part of sponsoring legislation passed in 2016 that made it difficult for the Drug Enforcement Association (DEA) to go after drug companies who failed to report suspicious behavior - which included making large orders - of narcotics. According to the report, the DEA had been trying to block this proposed legislation for years, but in 2016 lost. Learn more about that in this NPR article.

You may have heard the chatter - "There's an opioid drug crisis in the Philipstown area." Two things may have happened after that - you might not have known what an opioid was, so the problem wasn't visible or urgent. Then, Philipstown isn't Beacon, so another removal from the situation occurs. When you read stories, however, of high school students who got addicted to opioids at age 14 after taking prescription painkillers for an ACL injury, or a sunburned foot, and then dying in a motel room in Newburgh, or almost dying after a long and frightening struggle with addiction from how the chemicals in the drug hook into the brain, "opioid" takes on a different meaning.

About a decade ago, a campaign was created called "Faces of Meth" that showed people's deteriorated faces - teeth, skin, hair. You can see faces of meth examples here. "Faces of opioids," however, is obituaries. It's an emotional route, versus the physical one. You can see faces of opioid examples here.

A recent New York Times article featured a medical examiner who is quitting his job after analyzing so many opioid-overdosed bodies, where he first sees white foam seep out of the lungs when he cuts them open, but has to analyze the entire body in order to give an official overdose verdict. The medical examiner wants to reach people before they get to his autopsy table - while they are living. He wants to be a minister. His church? Hiking trails. He wants to serve as a chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America, and wants to join the Appalachian Trail Chaplaincy of the United Methodist Church so he can minister on the the hiking trails that cross New Hampshire and its White Mountains.

Opioid Deaths and Help in the Hudson Valley

After publishing more than a few drug overdose obituaries, The Highlands Current, the newspaper based in Cold Spring that covers Phillipstown and Beacon, dedicated a lot of ink (aka space in the newspaper) to the epidemic, called Special Report: Fighting Back the Opioid Crisis. What compelled The Highlands Current to dedicate its staff and printing to such a cause? In the words of Christine Bockelmann, Chair of the Board of The Highlands Current:

“The opioid crisis is one of the most urgent of national issues, but where it is felt most acutely is on the local level — when a neighbor goes into treatment, a family member gets addicted, a teenager dies. The Highlands Current decided it was important to look at how this national crisis is playing out in our communities because that is where those receiving care and those giving care cope on a day-to-day basis. We wanted to understand the treatments supported by our care centers, our law enforcement officials, our courts, and we wanted to know their thoughts as well as those of addicts in recovery and of parents in mourning on the best approaches to "fighting back" in this crisis. In the middle of all the words devoted to this critical issue there may be information to help someone pull through, an idea for a more effective treatment, or just hope that educating more on this crisis will help bring it to an end."

The Four Components of the Special Report

The report is broken down into four easy-to-follow sections.

Part 1: Stories
Max
Max is the son of Teri Barr, owner of Hudson Valley Outfitters on Main Street in Cold Spring. One summer when he was 14, he got a bad sunburn on the tops of his feet while boating. The doctor prescribed an opioid painkiller. When the prescription ran out, they got another prescription. The rest of Max's story is in The Highlands Current's Special Report, and it involves a private boarding school rife with drugs, addiction, withdrawals, relapses, incarcerations, court appearances, a mother's constant battle to protect her son from himself, and what happened next.
Read Max's story 

Sasha
Alexander “Sasha” Matero, of Garrison, developed an opioid addiction while he was 14 years old as a student at Haldane High School in 2007. He injured his ACL, a knee ligament, in an accident and had it surgically repaired. He was prescribed opioid painkillers by his doctor during recovery from surgery. According to the article, the pills “flipped the switch,” his mother said. “The painkillers worked. They made the pain go away.” Sasha struggled with addiction to the painkillers for years after that. Despite open communication with his parents about his addiction, and with Sasha actively seeking help, he died in a hotel room in Newburgh on his 25th birthday in 2014.
Read Sasha's story

Part 2: Role of Law Enforcement and the Courts in Battling the Epidemic
Two Highlands Current reporters were assigned to cover the courts and police officers. Michael Turton looked at the work of the Putnam County Drug Court, while Jeff Simms (a Beacon resident) spent time with Beacon and Dutchess County police officers who battle the opioid crisis daily.

From his "A Day in Drug Court" piece, Michael recalls a conversation he heard, as the judge delivered opening remarks.

After the 30 or so defendants file into the courtroom, [Judge James] Reitz asks anyone to stand who knows a woman named Samantha who had appeared in court the previous week.

A few stand. “She was doing well,” Reitz says. “She told me, ‘How can life not be great? I’m clean and sober and working. I’m getting my degree. I’m doing great.’ ” Her most recent court-ordered drug test, three days earlier, had come up negative.

That same afternoon, she was found dead of an overdose.
Click here for the full article: A Day in Drug Court.

Part 3: Treatment Options
The Special Report explores different treatment and education options available, and new facilities that are being built. The Hudson Valley has hundreds of thousands of dollars available for building facilities that prevent death and try to get a person away from an addicted state. The following are explored in the articles:

• Dutchess County Stabilization
• Arms Acres
• CoveCare
• St. Christopher’s Inn
• What Does It Cost?

Part 4: Voices and Shared Thoughts to Fight Problem
The Highlands Current explores "thoughts of specialists, counselors, doctors and those struggling with addiction about what they feel should take priority in addressing the problem."

Click here to read the Special Report, and explore what is going on if you haven't yet.

Real Quick - What Are Opioids?

Before you dive into the Highlands Current's local spotlight on opioids, you'll want to know what they are. In the words of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, here is what they are:

Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. These drugs are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused (taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription). Regular use — even as prescribed by a doctor — can lead to dependence and, when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to overdose incidents and deaths.
— National Institute on Drug Abuse

City of Beacon Dedicates the East Main Bridge to Ron and Ronnie Sauers

Photo Credit: "Celebrating Our Centennial, Beacon at 100" published by the Beacon Historical Society.

On Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 12 pm, the City of Beacon will dedicate the East Main Bridge, near the Dummy Light, in between The Roundhouse and the newest row of boutiques at 1 East Main, to Ron and Ronnie Sauers. The couple has been dubbed "early pioneers" - really early - of Beacon's renaissance during the 1980s, by just about every Beaconite who knows about the visionary pair.

To set the scene for why they were so relevant, take a read of this passage from "Celebrating Our Centennial, Beacon at 100," published by the Beacon Historical Society:

"Since its incorporation, the city of Beacon relied on its factories and on trade from the Hudson River for its well-being. But as the river's commercial viability failed, and the factories gradually closed, the city began a slow, inexorable slide to decline. And nowhere was the decay more apparent than on the East End of Main Street.

Enter Ron and Ronnie Sauers. Long-time residents of New York City, the Sauers made their living in television - she as a video editor, and he as a designer and builder of video and sound studios. By the mid-1980s, they turned their vision north, and set about finding an upstate community in need of revitalization. After briefly considering several options, they chose Beacon, and set their creative sights on three burned-out buildings on the city's East End. Buoyed by the enthusiastic support of the city government, they purchased the charred shells, and designed storefronts and high-end apartments that combined historically accurate facades with elegant modern interiors. The finished buildings marked the beginning of Beacon's rebirth.

A reception is to follow at Dogwood, featuring a slide show of the buildings they worked on from the 1980s. Says council member and organizer of the event, George Mansfield, during a City Council meeting on October 2, 2017: "The slide show gives us all a good sense of reference as to where we were, and where we are." Also involved are Polich Tallix foundry, who donated the bronze plaque (side note: they are now casting the Oscar statues!), and Rabe & Co., who donated the graphic design.

Tioronda Garden Club's Annual Fundraiser is October 12th - Got To Make Those Flower Baskets!

The baskets of hanging petunias that line the mile of Main Street in Beacon are some of the biggest around - maybe in the country - for a series of displays that must be produced and maintained each year. I'd say they only rival the petunias that decorate every building (even the gas stations) in Maine.

The all-volunteer Tioronda Garden Club puts these together each year, in addition to several other arrangements throughout the city. The group is holding its annual fundraiser on Thursday, October 12, at 7 pm at St. Rocco's Hall (26 S. Chestnut St.). Admission is $25, and includes wine and cheese appetizers. Also, wines will be raffled off, and there will be several prizes from local merchants.

Petunias seem to thrive seasonally in Maine's climate with the damp, cool, salty air. Beacon has humid air, certainly, but not as much rain, and the petunias don't water themselves, as they do in other cities with irrigation systems. Years ago, the City of Beacon removed watering them from the budget, and then-councilperson (now mayor) Randy Casale and former city councilperson Sam Way took it upon themselves to use their early morning time to go around in the cherry picker truck, and personally water the flowers. Learn more about the Secret Gardeners of Main Street here. This year, Randy and Sam are the honorees at the Tioronda Garden Club's fundraiser.

Photo Credit: Susan Marie, sourced from Facebook.

According to the Beacon Free Press, the Tioronda Garden Club maintains flower arrangements in the following areas: the Beacon train station, Municipal Plaza, Memorial Park, George Washington Triangle, Patriots Garden 9/11 Memorial, Howland Cultural Center, and the Visitors Welcome Center.

Seeking Your Memories of Beacon Spirit from the Past 40 Years

After being away from the office for some time in order to be all-in for my new baby's first months of life, I was in the office today, in back-to-business fashion. My dear friend Charlotte dropped in, as she does from time to time, to catch me up on all of the film-making news in the area. (She is, after all, the #1 lookalike for Paul Newman's wife and has appeared in several things.)

We were discussing the Spirit of Beacon Parade, and how I'm on the Unofficial South Avenue Parade PTA Float-Building Committee, and how I need to find a few certain things today (top-secret, of course, until Sunday!), when Charlotte had the great desire to know what everyone's favorite memories were of Beacon or of the Spirit of Beacon Day.

The theme of this year's parade is Beacon Spirit of the Past 40 Years. Please share your favorite memory here in the Comments! If you have a picture you want to share, email it into us at editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com for consideration to be published in an article!

5th Annual For Goodness Bake Sale Benefits Tuition Assistance Fund for Beacon's After School Program

It's here - the most delicious day of the year, when the Beacon community comes out to fundraise for a cause whether you like it or not. How could you not buy the delicious homemade brownies and cupcakes on sale at this year's For Goodness Bake, happening today, Saturday, from 10 am to 4 pm at Catalyst Gallery at 137 Main Street?! This year's edition of the sale has already been dubbed "Best spread so far!" by Beacon resident Jennifer Sarah Blakeslee.

The pop-up bake-sale-for-a-cause, For Goodness Bake, has dedicated this year's proceeds to the Tuition Assistance Fund for Beacon's After School Program. The 2016-17 school year marked the first that children and parents of the Beacon City School District had direct access to an after-school program within the schools themselves. That's right. No busing required to get kids into an enriching childcare program, from 3 to 6 pm at their very own schools. Until last fall, of the four elementary schools in Beacon, only one had an in-school after-school program: Glenham Elementary, and it was a joint program with Fishkill.

Thanks to the efforts of the Beacon Parks and Recreation Department, a five-day program was designed to offer themed content for kids, until 6pm. It's a little unbelievable at first, so pay attention to how it works: Planned in quarterly sessions, each day presents a different theme, which might include baking, yoga, bird-watching (yes, really!), theater, filmmaking, martial arts, and more. Speaking from experience, the program has been incredible. Kids learn to use cooking utensils (and may take over salsa-making in your home), and have interviewed city leaders including the Chief of Police during their filmmaking class.

The Tuition Assistance Fund offers 50 percent off of After School Program tuition to families who qualify for the Free Lunch Program in the Beacon City School District. Roughly 51 percent of Beacon families participate in the program, yet of the 175 children enrolled in After School at three Beacon elementary schools (Glenham is not included because it's in Fishkill's budget), only 21 kids used the Tuition Assistance Fund last year. But just over 80 kids would be eligible, according to the Free Lunch Program statistics. Word spread about After School's first year, but not everyone knows about the tuition assistance, which helps working families afford childcare. However, children in families who have stay-at-home parents certainly still benefit from the After School Program's activities.

Who Pays for Tuition Assistance

Right now, according to the Parks and Recreation Department's Assistant Director Nate Smith, the City of Beacon pays for the tuition assistance, and takes it as a loss. The After School Program was designed to fund itself. Tuition for one child to register for five days during one quarterly session is $600. Families eligible for tuition assistance pay $300, which is matched right now by the City of Beacon.

Hence the fundraising effort through For Goodness Bake, which has been known to raise $4,000 or more per sale. Past bake sales have been dedicated to organizations such as the Kids R Kids Feeding Program, Green Teen Beacon, the Beacon Community Kitchen, and the Children's Organ Transplant Association.

On sale at the bake sale for $5 each are works of art produced by kids in Camp @ the Camp, a summer program created by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Photo Credit: For Goodness Bake

Back to the Bake Sale

But really, let's get down to business and discuss what's available at the bake sale. Contributions from talented amateur and professional cooks alike include a wide array of sweet and savory baked treats, confections, and vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free options. Also available is locally roasted coffee from Tas Kafé and hand-crafted sodas from Drink More Good.

The team at For Goodness Bake, Kristen Pratt and Tara Tornello, thanks the following people (and more not mentioned here): "ENORMOUS gratitude goes to these fine folks and establishments: Drink More Good for donating drink syrups, seltzer, and ice; Tas Kafé LLC, Adams Fairacre Farms, Inc. for sponsorship; Viridescent Floral Design for flowers; The Roundhouse for table linens; Beacon Bread Company for to-go containers; The UPS Store 4839 for printing; Catalyst Gallery for the lovely space; City of Beacon Recreation for tables and overall support; the kids of Camp @ the Camp for creating artwork to display; Kit Burke-Smith for hanging the artwork; Diana Vidal for photography; Patti McAlpine for her collection of cake stands and platters; our wonderful volunteers Christopher Dawson, John Fanning, Mary Jean, Ivette Mateiescu, Jessica Nash, Tara D'Andrea, and Maureen Neary and her sweet daughter (and baker extraordinaire) Tallix."

Registering for the Tuition Assistance Fund

To register for tuition assistance, contact Nate Smith at (845) 765-2470 or nsmith@cityofbeacon.org. Registrants fill out one form, keeping the process relatively simple.

My bounty, delivered by a friend from Cold Spring who was dropping off a baby gift after she finished Pilates class at Beacon Pilates. Sweetness all around.

New Climbing Playground at South Avenue Park Designed for Pre-Teens and Little Kids

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

In the spring of 2017, after the snow melted on the sledding hill of South Avenue Park behind the Recreation Center at 23 W. Center Street, Beacon's Parks and Recreation Department finished construction of a new playground. However, the playground equipment isn't your traditional swing-set package. Oh, no. In fact, there isn't a swing to be seen - in the traditional sense at least. The new climbing playground is brought to you from the same people who got the Beacon Pool filled up and thriving after years of neglect, as well as the new After School Program, Beacon's enrichment-based childcare program, as well as Beacon's summer camp program, Camp at the Camp.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

One could surmise that inspiration for the design was taken from a spider. "The entire playground was designed to include climbing and balancing," says Heidi Harrison, Recreation Assistant with the City of Beacon. "Most of the elements used were chosen because they would be interactive for multiple children at one time."

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

South Avenue Park is located in a densely populated residential area, where children from elementary to high school age use the area's basketball courts, tennis courts and green spaces. Just last weekend, the annual community-planned South Avenue Community Cookout, organized and executed every year by Leman Anderson and a team of dedicated volunteers, was held for a large crowd of all ages.

Most parks in Beacon are designed for little ones, but the South Avenue Park opens up new opportunities for older kids. Says Heidi: "The inspiration initially came from watching kids walking and balancing on structures at Riverfront Park. Realizing that traditional playground structures don’t always appeal to or accommodate the pre-teens and teenage kids, this style seemed to be a great option. It suits all ages, as well as parents and caregivers, to play along with their kids. Or by themselves!"

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

The climbing structures take a bit of thought before climbing onto or spinning around. "The kids seem to really enjoy the ability to free play, use their imagination, and cooperate with each other, to bring the structures to life," observes Heidi of how kids have been using the equipment during its first season. "It takes a bit of work and a helping hand for some of the equipment, which brings play, exercise, and learning to help your friend, for the greatest experience."

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

Funding for the equipment and installation came from the Recreation Fund, Capital Plan, and City Budget. The Parks Department has been conducting creative ways of fundraising, however, for more direct community support for better budgets to work with. Projects have included the Cannonball Run, as well as being the recipient of the 2017 fundraising effort, For Goodness Bake.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

Never a dull moment at West Center Street, the Beacon Parks and Recreation Department has more big plans in the works, including Court resurfacing at Memorial Park, a new pavilion at Riverfront Park, and new retaining walls at South Avenue Park. In development, according to Heidi, is a Skate Park (see a City Council video about it here), Climbing Gym, Reconstruction of Bathrooms & Changing Rooms at The Beacon Pool, and an expansion of Wee Play Tot Park.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

Spirit of Beacon Day Organizers Changing Hands After 2017

Current organizers of the Spirit of Beacon Day, one of the city's longest running volunteer-based daylong celebrations, are disbanding after this fall's event. Just who will replace them is undecided. Rose Story, chairperson of the event for almost 20 years, says: "We are a very small committee. We’ve been doing this for a very long time, and it’s time to give someone else a chance." Just who that someone else (or someone elses) will be seems to be a decision owned by no one, since the Spirit of Beacon Day is owned by the people of Beacon. "It’s not our decision to say who can do it," Story says, adding, "I will gladly help out with the transition."

Mayor Randy Casale announced this development at the July 17, 2017 City Council Meeting, and made it clear that responsibility for finding the replacement does not reside with the City, encouraging volunteers to come forward. “It’s not the city’s job to run these events," Mayor Casale stated at the meeting. "If people want events, they need to volunteer; they need to organize. They've got to figure out how they are run, and then come to the City to ask what we’ll allow and not allow, and move forward from there.”

Origins of the Spirit of Beacon Day

The Spirit of Beacon Day began in 1977 as a solution to racially driven problems between students of the Beacon City Schools and the community, according to "Celebrating Our Centennial," published by the Beacon Historical Society (buy the book at Beacon Bath & Bubble, across from the Howland Cultural Center). According to the historians, in the winter and early spring of 1977, "racial problems became severe" for several days and nights. Meeting several times to discuss the issues were city leaders and concerned agencies, including a representative from the FBI's Community Relations, Dutchess County Youth Bureau, then-Mayor Robert Cahill, local legislators, City Council, clergy people, and representatives from youth-focused organizations like Beacon City School District, the Howland Public Library, the Beacon Community Center, and others.

It was decided that there would be a Community Day aimed at bringing the people of the City together in order to "get to know one another better, learn what each other liked, [via] conversation, feelings, entertainment, education and food." These meetings began in May, and the people scrambled together to hold a Community Day on the last Sunday of September that year. This came to be known as the Spirit of Beacon Day. A committee was formed, and booths featuring food, crafts and exhibits from local organizations and agencies were planned and set up. The Mayor and City Council led the march, but it was declared by the committee at that time that "politicking" not be allowed, and politicians seeking election were not allowed to participate. Additionally, at some point during the parade's history, it was decided that only nonprofit groups could set up booths along Main Street.

Today's Spirit of Beacon Day

Today, and many committee members later, the parade still goes on, and does feature Beacon City Schools and other participants. The Mayor stressed that producing a parade is no small feat, and is a lot of work for anyone involved. "[The organizers] don’t have many volunteers helping them," Mayor Casale said. "It takes a lot of work for people that haven’t done it, to organize a parade the size of that parade, and to organize the whole day’s event which is on Main Street. A lot goes into it."

The Mayor continued, mentioning more recent concerns: "[The organizers] get some grief from business owners, ‘Why do these booths have to be in front of my business during my business day?’ " Originally, the Spirit of Beacon Day originated from the minds of many leaders, with a few on a committee to carry it out. Said the Mayor at the City Council meeting: "I had reached out when they came to me - because I didn’t know if [the organizers] had put it public yet - to the Chamber, to BeaconArts, and to the Parks and Recreation director, and I told them: 'We’re going to have to think about what we’re going to do about the Spirit of Beacon Day next year. It gives us a whole year find out what we plan on doing, how we’re going to do it, and start deciding.' ”

Who Will Carry On The Spirit Of Beacon Day?

According to Kelly Ellenwood, president of BeaconArts, the organizing of it will not fall into their court: "BeaconArts will not be 'running it,' although I'm sure that we would continue to participate as a nonprofit organization as we have before." Michele Williams, board member of Beacon's Chamber of Commerce, confirms that the Chamber is considering taking it on as a project: "We know it’s important to the kids and to the community," said Michele. "We will figure out a way to make everybody happy. We know that students look forward to the parade, and that it's an important event to the people of the City of Beacon. We are discussing it at our next board meeting, including ideas to make everyone in Beacon happy, including business owners. Regarding the tables being nonprofits, that is simply how the organizers had set it up, and does not have to be this way moving forward."

Spirit of Beacon Day 2017 Will March On

The parade will happen on the last Sunday in September as it always has, and according to the Mayor at the July 17, 2017, City Council meeting, it will continue next year. For this year, parade participants can continue to contact Roy Ciancanelli at (845) 831-3027 after 6 pm or email royal_ciancanelli@hotmail.com.

See A Little Beacon Blog's past coverage of Spirit of Beacon Days.

To be continued...

Tonight's Workshop Meeting for City Council Postponed

Notification just went out that tonight's Workshop Meeting for City Council has been postponed due to lack of a quorum. As soon as the City of Beacon releases a new date, we will post it here and on our new "Workshop Meetings" page, which contains Agendas and Videos from meetings that have already been held.

WORKSHOP AGENDA ITEMS

1. Memorial Park Tennis Courts - Softball and Skateboarding
2. Acceptance of Dedication of a Portion of Judson Street
3. Kristy Drive Drainage Replacement
4. Chapter 191 Discussion
5. Milling and Paving Presentation
6. Award Recommendation for the Control and Telemetry Project for the Water Department

Agenda for Regular City Council Meeting Tonight (Monday), and New Section

Tonight is a regular meeting of the City Council for the City of Beacon that begins at 7 pm. It is a public meeting, where anyone can attend. A Little Beacon Blog has begun keeping a dynamic section dedicated to City Council Meetings, Workshops, Zoning Board and Planning Board Meetings on our website to help make it easier for you to stay aware of what is being discussed at the City level. We keep links and past meeting videos in this new section, which you can see here.

On the Agenda for tonight:

Call to Order
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
Public Comment
Each speaker may have one opportunity to speak for up to three minutes on any subject matter other than those which are the topic of a public hearing tonight. Please sign in at the podium. This segment will last no longer than thirty minutes, with speakers recognized in the order they appear on the sign-in sheet. A second public comment opportunity will be provided later in the meeting for those who do not get to speak during this first segment.

Community Segment

• Kids R Kids Feeding Program - Jackie Bucelot-Mills, Founder
• Rebuilding Together - Christina Boryk, Executive Director

Reports

• Council Member Ali Muhammad
• Council Member Omar Harper
• Council Member Lee Kyriacou
• Council Member George Mansfield
• Council Member Pam Wetherbee
• Council Member Peggy Ross
• City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero
• County Legislators
• Mayor Randy Casale

Local Laws and Resolutions

• Resolution to Appoint Jason Johnson to the Position of Detective Sergeant in the Beacon Police Department
• Resolution to Award the Bid for the Liquid Phase Product Odor Control System
• Resolution to Reject Bids Received for the South Interceptor Sewer Project

Second Opportunity for Public Comments
Each speaker may have one opportunity to speak for up to three minutes on any subject matter other than those which are the topic of a public hearing tonight. This segment will last no longer than thirty minutes. Those who spoke at the first public comment segment are not permitted to speak again.

Adjournment

---

A Little Beacon Blog has been tinkering with this new section, and we have a few new plans for it. Our aim is to help make it easier for you to find out what is being discussed and planned for Beacon. Most information has been pulled from the City's website and presented on A Little Beacon Blog in a way that we hope is easy for you to skim through and reference.

This new section will be Sponsor- and Citizen-supported, and is free for all to read and follow. After we roll out a few more details of this section, we will provide information on how you can support it if you so desire.

Kids Color Blasted For South Avenue Elementary Fundraiser June 10th

Sitting in a PTA meeting at 8 pm in the elementary school cafeteria, hearing from a representative from the kids' library that their budget is about to get cut - again - (did you see what's been going on down there?), you don't feel like there's the brightest of forecasts. Another bummer: hearing at a City Council meeting that the Board of Education is fighting for hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, dollars of unpaid funds that was designated for the Beacon School District from the state, but didn't make it down here to Beacon.

Here in the office of A Little Beacon Blog, we get pitched from time to time about fundraisers that are happening for different schools. From roller rink nights, to this most recent Color-A-Thon from the South Avenue Elementary PTA, parents community-wide are trying to get untraditional with their fundraisers, to go "beyond the bake sale." Often they seem fun, yet we hear about them at the last minute - if we hear about them at all.

So a couple of things: 

• We're going to dedicate a Guide to Beacon City School Fundraisers, to capture these opportunities, and try to illustrate where the money is going. Because that's the exciting part. You get to be a part of long-lasting, sometimes permanent change within the walls of one of the six school buildings in Beacon's school district. If you are such a person who runs a campaign, please email editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com as far in advance as you can, and spread the word to others to email in their dates and where raised funds will go.
• There is a fundraiser going on RIGHT NOW that you can participate in! You get to sponsor little racers who are going to get blasted with colorful powder as they run, and you could even BE a color blaster! This is to raise money for park equipment, landscaping and classroom supplies (like replacing super old books, or upgrading smart boards).

It can be hard knowing what is going on inside the walls of the kids' schools, even if the teachers, administrators and PTA are doing very well with internal promotion of flyers and Morning News Shows inside the walls. But if you hardly go inside the school, you won't see any of it. That's why we at A Little Beacon Blog are trying to bring that from the inside of the schools, out to you.

South Avenue Color-A-Thon Walk/Jog Run
Registration Starts: 9 am (new walkers/runners welcome, $30 Registration)
Race Starts: 10 am
Ends: Noon
Race Route: On neighborhood streets surrounding South Avenue School
Enjoy! Food, music, games!

What Is a Color-A-Thon Fundraiser? 

You may have seen the puffs of color - neon pinks and blues and yellows - rising in the distance through the trees and behind some houses for a cause you vaguely heard about. It's the rising trend of color-a-thons, marathons accompanied by color powder, similar to the holiday Holi celebrated in India. Known as the "festival of colors," it signifies the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil. Groups are embracing it as a fundraising method to make a big difference in a cause at hand. The Beacon High School just had one, as did the Newburgh Illuminated festival.

The South Avenue Color-A-Thon is a new thing the South Avenue PTA is trying out. They get together with an official Color-A-Thon race program, who then manages the registration bags of running T-shirts, color blaster powder, and prizes. It's important to me that my kids know what they are fundraising for, and aren't just fundraising to get prizes for each dollar level. So with this fundraiser - I knew exactly what we were fundraising for, and it has been a great teachable moment for my kids, as they could see exactly where their fundraising efforts would go - to the park! To the classrooms!

This time, with my awareness of the rising trend in color-a-thons that I know of from A Little Beacon Blog's 5K Race Guide, I knew this could be a highly engaging fundraising effort. Yet for the first year, how many people will turn out? There may be a few sitter-outers who watch the pictures in social media the day of the event, vowing to come next year. Don't be that person! You can make a difference to change that right now.

Fundraising for a New Gazebo on the Playground, With Extra Going to Equipment and Classrooms

South Avenue has a great playground that kids would play on all day long if they had their choice. Over the years, the PTA fundraised for and got a new basketball hoop, swings, and a Buddy Bench. This year, they are aiming for a gazebo or pavilion, a covered structure that has seating on the inside. The kids will be able to take their learning experience in the class outside by going to this pavilion, and also play on it during recess and after school. 

The color bag "blast pack" the racers get includes a t-shirt, bottle of powdered color blast, rainbow wig, and ... a weird emoji thing. 

How You Can Get Involved

Donate to a little racer: So far, I know of the sponsor links for two little racers, and one general South Avenue account if you want to donate at-large and not to one child specifically. YOU can donate to any of these little people. And if you want to add your link for last minute donations, add your link in the comments below and we will put it on this list!

• Little Racer Ruby: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377219
• Little Racer Fiona: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377070
• All The Little Racers - South Avenue's General Racer: http://shop.schoolathon.org/index.asp?PID=377664

Volunteer!

• Color Thrower: There are spots open for color throwers (you'll get to throw color at the runners!!)
• Games: People are needed to run some games
• Registration table/food table
• Set up/clean up (set up 8 to 9 am and clean up noon to 1 pm)
• And more!! Everyone is welcome to come and help.

Register to Race!

• Kids can register at the event to be racers. Registration starts at 9 am and is $30. Our inside sources says that they may not get an event t-shirt, because almost all of the t-shirts have gone to pre-registered racers, so have your kid wear a white t-shirt, prepared to get blasted with color.

To volunteer, contact Erica Way at way.erica@gmail.com or Cara Heaton at cara_heaton@yahoo.com.

The wig and sunglasses might have come as prizes with our color registration bag. 

Some of the prizes that just showed up include colored shoes - a reminder to get excited about running or walking in this race!

Is Fundraising Still Going On?

Heck yes! With these online donations, you can give money up to event day! If you are a parent whose child is in the race, here are some ideas to meet or surpass your donation goal:

• Take pictures of your child in racing gear (aka tennis shoes and any T-shirt), and add a note from your child about how excited they are.
• Share a link on your Facebook page, asking long-distance friends and family for support.
• Have your child call a donor and thank them personally.
• Email your own people with updates and if you've almost reached your goal.
• Include the link to your child's donation page so that people can easily donate online.

And remember, if you don't know of a child to sponsor, you can sponsor the whole school using the general link above. And know this: This isn't the last you'll hear of color-a-thons. I Am Beacon is having one, and there are more and more for adults. So watch our 5K Races Guide, as well as our future Beacon City School District Fundraising Opportunities Guide. 

Thank you!

2017 Summer Hours at the Beacon Pool & Vendor Opportunity

Photo Credit: City of Beacon Recreation 

Pool Hours

Monday - Friday: 2 pm to 8 pm
Saturday - Sunday: Noon to 7 pm
Sometimes things change based on usage by the people, so please keep an eye on the Beacon Pool Facebook Group for updates 

Tentative Open Date:
Monday, June 26

It's happening again... The Beacon Pool is opening for its third straight year (read here about the big re-opening), and it looks like floaties are allowed in the pool! Club pool-goers know that not all pools allow toys in it, but the fine folks of the Beacon Recreation Department are all about fun. In fact, watching pictures of swimmers having fun was where I first saw the actual swimmable Mermaid Tail...

Open Date and Hours

The projected opening date is Monday, June 26. We are told that if it can happen sooner, it will. For now, plan on hours being Monday to Friday, from 2 to 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 7 pm. In the mornings, the pool accommodates campers from various camps in the region, including the Park and Recreation Department's own new camp, Camp @ The Camp. The pool is located at 742 Wolcott Ave., in the area known as The Settlement Camp.

Pool Passes On Sale Now

Any resident of the state of New York can join or buy day passes to swim in the pool, since it is on state-owned land. Day passes for adults are $4, and children and seniors are $3. The pool is divided into sections based on depth, and does not have a lap lane. The shallow end is 2 feet for waders, deepening to 8 feet for splashers and underwater swimmers.

Pool passes on are sale now, and have sold out in years past. Adult and kid passes are available year-round, so it's not like if you don't get a Family Pass now, you won't be able to go. However, having the Family Pass means that you won't have to scrounge for cash, not something you need to worry about as you're packing up snacks and towels for the pool.

Click here to buy the pass online, or you can visit the Recreation Department in person at 23 West Center St.

Call for Food Trucks and Snack Vendors 

Speaking of food, it has been the dream of Mark Price, the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department, to have food trucks and a snack table available to all at the Beacon Pool at the Settlement Camp. If you are such a person who wants to sell their wares, then email him directly at mprice@cityofbeacon.org. 

Any questions regarding pool passes can be directed to Mark Price at mprice@cityofbeacon.org. We are told that they are beginning to start the process of sending them out in the mail, so watch your mailbox!

Summer Work Opportunities

The City of Beacon Parks and Recreation Department are looking for lifeguards, camp counselors, and volunteers. For information about applying, contact Mark Price at mprice@cityofbeacon.org

Beacon Library Hosts Filmmaker Series for Middle Schoolers with Reel Life Film Club

Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison libraries have teamed up for Reel Life Film Club, a new film series for middle school students. The Reel Life Film Club is an opportunity for middle school students to view award-winning documentary films and talk about them with the filmmakers.
 
The next screening will be in Beacon on June 2 at 6 pm at the Howland Library. The club will be viewing the documentary Racing Dreams (2009). The film follows three young racers as they compete in the World Karting Association's National Pavement Series. Writer and director Marshall Curry will be on hand to talk about his film with the kids. This movie has won Best Documentary at six film festivals.
 
The third film, Spellbound (2002), will be shown on July 7 at 6 pm at Desmond Fish Library in Garrison.
 
Pizza will be served at the events and registration is encouraged: For Racing Dreams, at Howland Library on June 2, call 845-831-1134; For Spellbound at Desmond-Fish on July 7, call 845-424-3020. Like the libraries’ Facebook pages for up-to-date information.
 
For more information, contact Michelle Rivas, Howland Library, community@beaconlibrary.org, or Karen Thompson, Desmond-Fish Library, kat@highlands.com, Maureen McGrath, Butterfield Library, jbl.libraryservices@gmail.com.

Library Budget Vote and Trustee Election - May 18th, 2017

The Howland Public Library will hold the annual budget vote and trustee election on Thursday, May 18, from noon to 8 pm in the library's community room. All registered voters in the Beacon City School District are eligible to vote. Absentee ballots are available at the library. Call Amy at (845) 831-1134, ext. 100, or email Amy at beaconlibrary dot org with any questions.

Board of Trustee Candidates running for Election 2017-2018

There are two seats available on the Library Board, one with a one-year term and one with a five-year term. The candidate receiving the most votes will win the longer term. Here's a bit about the candidates.

Stacy Christensen bought a house in Beacon 10 years ago after being introduced to the city by a friend, and falling in love with all that Beacon has to offer. One of the first things that she did upon moving here was to acquire a library card, and for a few years she volunteered in the evenings and shelved books. Stacy has lived in Putnam Valley, and once worked as clerk at the library there. The first book that she learned to read was "Green Eggs and Ham," and ever since, she has been an avid reader and supporter of all the programs that libraries have to offer. Stacy works as a bookkeeper, and has three grown children and one small granddaughter.

April Farley is a long-time resident, born and raised in the City of Beacon. As parent and community volunteer, she believes that the Howland Public Library has been one of the greatest resources for her family and community over the years and now. Her son has attended youth programs since he was young and as a teen had the opportunity to be part of the Spark Media Project. April says, "It would be a great honor to serve on the board and give back to the library and help the library to continue to bring diverse services to our community, youth and seniors."

Library Budget

If the budget passes, taxpayers will find that the increase in their library tax (appearing on the School Tax Bill) ranges from a low of $2.60 (property assessed at or below $150,000) to an average library tax increase between $4 and $6 for the year.

Click here for annual report to the community and library budget vote information.

Click here to see the "very visual" annual report to the community.

Beacon City Schools Budget Vote and Election of Board Seats May 16, 2017

The Voting Details

WHEN: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
TIME: 7am-9pm
WHERE: Beacon High School for all voters living in Beacon, or Glenham Elementary School for voters residing in the Town of Fishkill or the Town of Wappinger
DETAILS: Find more details about what is in the proposed budget here.

The School Budget Vote and Election will take place on Tuesday, May 16, 2017.  Polls are open from 7 am to 9 pm. Beacon City School District will have four propositions on the ballot. They are as follows in general form, as shared on the BCSD Facebook page and Budget newsletter for May 2017. All tax-paying citizens are eligible to vote.

1. The first proposition is the budget.
2. The second is the proposition to purchase school buses.
3. The third is to have a student board member hold a non-voting seat.
4. The fourth is to authorize the district to transfer money to a capital reserve. The money in a capital reserve would be used for future capital projects. The district is planning a capital project in the near future, and this reserve will be used to help keep the school taxes the same.

Details of what is in the proposed budget can be found here in a newsletter from the Beacon City School District.

There will also be a board election of four seats.
Three Board Members are for running for three-year terms running from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020. The candidate who receives the largest number of votes cast will also fill the remainder of a vacant term for six weeks, commencing May 16, 2017, and expiring June 30, 2018. Vote for up to four candidates.

Board Members up for re-election:
Anthony White
Kenya Gadsden
Craig Wolf
Kristan Flynn

Location & Eligibility
Voting takes place at two locations: 

• Beacon High School, for all registered voters who live in the City of Beacon, and
• Glenham Elementary School, for voters who reside in the Town of Fishkill or the Town of Wappinger. 

For help in determining your voting location, please call (845) 838-6900, ext. 2032.

Tax Assessment Grievance Day Is May 24, 2017 - Bring Your Comps!

Your tax assessment letter may have just come in the mail, letting you know how the City of Beacon values your property, and if that value went up or down. Maybe it's higher than Zillow's estimate, maybe it's lower. Whatever it is, if you disagree with it, you can dispute it on Beacon's Tax Assessment Grievance Day on May 24, 2017 at 1 Municipal Plaza (City Hall - Lower Level) at 2 pm (oh joy). The City advises that you bring your "comps" in order to aid in your argument. What are comps, you ask? They're the recent sales prices of homes similar (comparable) to your house in the same area.

This real-life Monopoly card could be a real bummer, or nothing at all. "Be aware that if you put the property on the market via MLS, the tax assessor will value the property at what you value it, namely the sales price that you've put on the property. They actually check MLS!" advises local realtor, Daniel Aubry. "I had that happen to me. I put a highly optimistic price on a house that I owned to test the market. The assessor used that price for the following year's assessment, significantly raising my taxes. I've been stuck with that price ever since!"

Can a high assessment ever be useful? "Any savvy buyer knows that the assessment bears very little relationship with the actual market value. So it can't be counted on for establishing a realistic valuation," says Daniel.

[EDITED 5/21/17] From this writer's limited real estate experience, if the bank appraisal value comes in low when you're ready to sell the home to a buyer who wants to pay more than the appraised price (a different valuation than the City's assessment), the bank will only loan as much as the appraised number, putting the responsibility on your buyer to come up with more cash - or for you to lower the house price.