Beacon's Allotment Of COVID-19 Home Test Available At Howland Public Library (Updated)

UPDATED 1/6/2022: All test kits have been distributed as of 3:20pm Thursday. As of now, there is no shipping schedule for next shipments, as Dutchess County awaits shipments from New York State.)

The City of Beacon’s allotment of COVID-19 tests from New York State, which are distributed through Dutchess County, who allocates a portion of them to each municipality based on population, are available now at the Howland Public Library at 313 Main Street during the library’s Open hours. Per the library, there is no curb-side pickup available.

Quantity is limited and is available on a first come, first serve basis. The first shipment of COVID-19 test kits that Beacon received by way of Dutchess County was available at the Beacon Police Department. Beacon received 250 test kits and which was depleted in 3 hours.

Newly elected Councilperson Justice McCray, who has worked at both Beacon’s public library as well as Cold Spring’s public library, advocated for the Howland Public Library to be the most accessible and least intimidating location for the distribution. Stating in a Comment on ALBB’s first article about the first shipment, prior to being sworn in as a Council Member, Justice expressed: “The City needs to make kits available elsewhere. Many Black, Brown, and otherwise margnizalied poeple do not feel safe or comfortable around police. Only having kits at the police station is not equitable or accessible to many people in Beacon and while I recognize it’s the easy option, the City should also consider fostering/strengthening community partnerships with local busineses to help offer kits or work with organizations that are serving our most vulnerable neighbors like Mutual Aid Beacon to offer at-home no-contact kit deliveries.”

The Howland Public Library first announced the availability of the test kits at around 12pm Thursday (1/6/2022): “The City of Beacon has supplied us with at-home COVID-19 tests and KN95 masks to be distributed to city residents. The tests are available at the Front Desk, Today, Thursday, January 6th, Noon-7pm. While supplies last. One (1) test kit per household and each kit contains two (2) tests. Available to City of Beacon City residents only. Proof of residence required. Masks are also available at the Front Desk with a limit of two (2) per person present. No proof of residency required for the masks. No "curbside" delivery of these items is available.”

The City of Beacon posted an alert in their top Announcement bar of their website.

Councilperson McCray stressed on their social media “to keep those in mind who may not otherwise have access.” If you already got one from the first round, consider bowing out of this round. If you have symptoms or were exposed, by all means, go get one no matter what. Be sure to swab plenty of snot to get good results!

Also note, based on the Howland Public Library’s innitial photo announcing availability, they may be making a subtle hint to kick back and relax with an enjoyable historical romance book. Catherine Coulter (the book jackets pictured here) is one such example you’ll be able to borrow from the library. Philippa Gregory is another author from that genre you may enjoy. If you’re not getting out much, the Beacon Library offers several digital services you’ll want to check out.

Dutchess County Announces New Shipment Of Tests and Masks To Be Sent To Communities

Dutchess County announced today (Wednesday, January 5, 2022) that it has received another shipment of rapid tests and KN95 masks. The distribution amount each municipality (community) gets is based on their population. According to Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White quoted in the Highlands Current, Beacon received 250 test kits for the first shipment that was announced as available on 12/21/2021, and was gone within 3 hours.

The only way Beaconites knew about that shipment arrival was through a post the Beacon Police Department made on Facebook, which was deleted days later. A Little Beacon Blog wrote about here when the post was live. Otherwise, the Beacon community did not receive an official notice from the Mayor’s Office, as Mayor Kyriacou promised when he announced the expected shipment in advance during a City Council Meeting. That first shipment was also not put on the city’s website, despite other updates being made to the website about Christmas tree collection, and an inauguration ceremony being closed to the public due to COVID-19 safety reasons.

A Little Beacon Blog has been asking Dutchess County for details on the upcoming shipment from New York State, who has been boasting of over a billion dollars being spent on different initiatives, yet test kits for a deadly pandemic remain in short supply, even at private stores and urgent cares. Dutchess County responded to ALBB on 1/3/2021 that they did not have a specific date at that time.

Concerned that Beacon would miss the announcement for the next shipment, since the Mayor made no such announcement as promised, A Little Beacon Blog emailed Dutchess County again this morning 1/5/2021 asking if a press release would go out to all municipalities, to put the media on alert as to look for shipment notices from their municipalities to make sure they were made available to the public, instead of selectively handed out.

Looks like mail came!

As for when exactly this shipment is available to Beacon, residents will need to refresh their Facebook pages at the Beacon Police Department’s page, hoping that the social media manager was kind enough to make an update. Unless an announcement comes from the Mayor’s Office itself this time via robo-call/text/email.

The press release from Dutchess County has been republished in its entirety below. Several helpful tips are provided below, especially this one: if you test negative but still have symptoms, test again within 24-48 hours. Each test kit comes with 2 tests. If you have symptoms, consider keeping both tests for yourself, instead of sharing in the household if no one else has symptoms. Also - be sure to swab up high in your nose, and get lots of boogers and snot on it. Lots of snot is needed for good results!

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Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced today the County has received another limited supply of at-home COVID-19 test kits from New York State which have been distributed to each municipality based on population size as well as to select community organizations that serve underserved populations.   Municipalities will be distributing test kits to residents over the next few days and residents should check their municipality’s website or call for specific information about when and where test kits will be available for pick up.

County Executive Molinaro said, “Testing facilities across the county have seen exponential growth in the number of residents seeking a COVID-19 test. These at-home test kits are a critical step towards increasing access to testing within our community as we continue to combat the surge in COVID-19 cases following the busy holiday season. We thank both our local and state partners for their cooperation in assisting Dutchess in distributing this valuable resource.”

To obtain a test kit, residents must supply their municipality with proof of residency.  Residents may only get the free test kits from the municipality in which they reside (you cannot go to a different town to get a kit).   As supply continues to be limited, each household can receive one test kit, which includes two individual tests. Kits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and residents who previously received a free kit are asked to allow others who were unable to get a kit to get one.  While supplies are limited, distribution from New York State is expected to be recurring and the County will continue to work with local municipalities to distribute test kits as they are received.

Residents who receive a positive result from an at-home COVID-19 test must:

• Immediately self-isolate, even if they are vaccinated; adhere to current quarantine guidance; and

• take a picture of the positive at-home test result within 24 hours and report the positive case to the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) at www.dutchessny.gov/COVIDpositive

With high active case volume, contract tracers may not be able to contact people in a timely manner, so residents are advised to follow isolation protocols for their quarantine period.  If a resident’s symptoms worsen or they have trouble breathing following a positive result from an at-home test, they should consult their physician or dial 9-1-1.    Individuals who work in healthcare or other congregate care setting may have different requirements, they should contact their employer and refer to NYS DOH return-to-work guidance for healthcare personnel.   

While at-home tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are reliable, it is possible to receive a false negative. If residents experience symptoms and test negative, they’re urged to take another test within 24-48 hours. 

Negative test results from at-home tests may not be sufficient to return to work or school. DBCH will not accept negative results from at-home tests for early release from quarantine. Negative results do not need to be reported to DBCH.

The distribution of at-home test kits is part of Dutchess County’s comprehensive efforts in the fight against COVID-19.  The County, in cooperation with all municipalities and school districts as well as nonprofit organizations and small businesses, also already distributed nearly 50,000 test kits and over 100,000 KN95 masks. Multiple providers across Dutchess County have been offering rapid and PCR testing and Dutchess County has also been offering no-cost testing at the former JCPenney and has increased hours and testing staff at the site to accommodate increased demand.

Dr. Livia Santiago-Rosado, Department of Behavioral & Community Health Commissioner, reminds residents to use multi-layered prevention efforts to protect themselves and to prevent the spread of COVID including:

• Get vaccinated

• Get a booster shot if already vaccinated,

• Wear a mask in indoor public settings,

• Physical distance when possible,

• Wash hands and avoid touching face including nose and eyes,

• STAY HOME WHEN SICK OR HAVE SYMPTOMS to prevent spread of viruses, including COVID and flu,

• Adhere to protocols if you test positive.

For comprehensive information about COVID-19, including testing, vaccinations, prevention and more, visit www.DutchessNY.gov/Coronavirus or call the COVID information line at 845-486-3555.

COVID-19 At-Home Rapid Tests Available Now At Beacon Police Department - Limited To 1 Per Household

Announced by Mayor Kyriacou during Monday’s City Council Meeting 12/20/2021, Beacon is slated to receive a limited number of COVID-19 rapid self-tests that can be taken at home. Thanks to the COVID-19 response plan that New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on 12/20/2021, home tests and KN95 masks are being sent to municipalities, starting now. Other states like Ohio have been providing these since before Thanksgiving.

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro announced today via press release that the tests are coming in limited supply, and will be issued 1 per household, where proof of residency in Beacon is required. Shortly thereafter Beacon’s Police Department announced today that the first shipment of tests has arrived and are available in limited capacity to 1 per household with proof of residency of living in Beacon. Tests aren’t the only thing arriving to the Beacon PD headquarters - see the two giant donated pallets of soda that arrived earlier in the week, which the Beacon PD is also looking to donate to residents.

ALBB called to verify hours of pickup with the call-in desk of the Beacon Police Department, and was told that the department is open 24/7, and that people can pick up one test at any time - with proof of Beacon residency, and it’s only 1 test kit per household. Inside of each kit there are two tests.

The Beacon Police Station is located at 1 Municipal Plaza, which is the building on the way to the train station. The police department is the door on the lower right, below the main door to City Hall. There is a parking lot for easier access.

County Executive Molinaro said: “As we are in the midst of this COVID-19 surge during the busy holiday season, the County’s goal is to distribute these tests and masks throughout our community to help curb this growth in positive cases. We thank both our local and state partners for their cooperation in assisting Dutchess in this critical mission.” He added that KN95 masks are being donated to municipalities as well and may be available with the test kits.

As of Wednesday 12/22/2021, according to the Dutchess County Dashboard, there are 1,745 Active Cases of COVID-19 in Dutchess County, which is an increase since last Friday, when it was 1,487. There are 99 Active Cases in Beacon (last week was 65), and there are 77 people in the hospital with COVID-19 in Dutchess County (last week was 68 people hospitalized).

Very few people are boosted, as their initial vaccinations begin to wane. The CDC says that boosting improves the body’s ability to fight the virus. Find out where to get vaccinated in or near Beacon at www.vaccines.gov (it’s such an easy website!)

How Many At-Home COVID-19 Tests Will Be Available?

According to the county’s press release, at home COVID-19 tests are being distributed based on population of the municipality. Tests will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, and will not be held if someone calls ahead. The press release also stated: “While supplies are limited, distribution from New York State is expected to be recurring and the County will continue to work with local municipalities to distribute test kits as they are received.”

With To Do With A Positive COVID-19 Test Result

According to Dutchess County’s press release, residents who receive a positive result from an at-home COVID-19 test must:

• Immediately self-isolate, even if they are vaccinated; as part of 10-day quarantine; and

• take a picture of the positive at-home test result within 24 hours and report the positive case to the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) at www.dutchessny.gov/COVIDpositive

After reporting the positive result to the County health department, residents will receive a phone call from a contact tracer and are strongly encouraged to answer that call. However, with current high case volume, it may take a few days before a contact tracer calls. Residents are asked to be patient and continue isolating. If a resident’s symptoms worsen or they experience difficulty breathing following a positive result from an at-home test, they should consult their physician or dial 9-1-1.

 While at-home tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are reliable, it is possible to receive a false negative. If residents experience symptoms and test negative, they’re urged to take another test within 24-48 hours. 

Negative test results from at-home tests may not be sufficient to return to work or school.  DBCH will not accept negative test results from at-home for early release from quarantine. Negative results do not need to be reported to DBCH.

Vaccination Status Of City Employees At City Hall

During the 12/20/2021 City Council Meeting, Mayor Kyriacou explained how they have decided to comply with Governor Hochul’s mask mandate for unvaccinated people in indoor spaces: “We have chosen to all wear a mask rather than to ask for vaccination,” he explained. “Upstairs, everyone is vaccinated. Other departments of the city where not everyone is vaccinated…they are wearing masks. Applies to all indoor spaces.”

The Police Department is located in the downstairs section of City Hall, as are other offices of other departments in the City of Beacon.

How To Know When A New Shipment Arrives

Mayor Kyriacou said that availability of the test kits would be posted on the city’s website. For this first round, that website has not been updated, nor did a SWIFT robo-call go out to make the announcement. The Beacon Police Department’s Facebook post was the first announcement. Within 24 hours, the first shipment of these tests have been picked up by residents. Consider following the Beacon Police Department Facebook page to see if they make updates as to when a new shipment arrives, and when it has been depleted.

Over $111,000 Unplanned City of Beacon Dollars Spent On "Employee Discipline" Matter(s) - What's Going On?

According to locals living in Beacon for decades, the City of Beacon is not known for firing city employees. When the you, you might find out by clicking refresh on the latest FOILs that were published by the City of Beacon. You certainly will hear about new hires and promotions by the City of Beacon during their weekly City Council Meetings, where City Councilmembers usually need to vote on a hire or promotion.

But if anyone is being fired, you will not hear about it. Such decisions are made in private during something called “Executive Session” which is a private meeting with the City Council that the public has no access to.

To seek information, just ask several people who know people who have worked for the City of Beacon over the past few decades. In these stories, you may hear stories of a white employee(s) testing positive for marijuana before it was legal to smoke in public or banned in Beacon’s public parks. You may hear stories of a vehicle accident that was never reported. Or of a gun casually being brought into a department destination before Beacon banned personal guns from being brought onto city property during work hours last year. You might see bent metal on the garage door of new Highway Garage, indicating that a vehicle backed or rammed into it, but that a collision report never made it into the books. On background, ALBB has seen a few photos, and heard from people with knowledge of such examples.

During the 12/13/2021 Monday Night Workshop Meeting, the City Administrator Chris White put forth to the City Council an approval to move $45,900 more dollars from an unrelated area of the budget - a real estate area of the budget - into a legal section of the budget to cover “associated employee discipline beyond the budget to date,” as noted in the proposal included in the Agenda packet for the City Council to review for the record.

This is not the first transfer of thousands of unplanned dollars for “Employee Discipline” during the pandemic, which has resulted in a nation-wide labor shortage and highlight of poor working conditions that may include emotional abuse in several industries. The first noted transfer of unplanned dollars was $66,418 to “Employee Discipline” from “CSEA Union Matters/FIRE IAFF Union Matters,” which ALBB wrote about here. This brings the total of unplanned spending on “Employee Discipline” to over $111,000 by the City of Beacon for 2021 alone.

The second noted proposed transfer tonight of $45,900 to “Employee Discipline” is being transferred from “In REM Sale of Property.”

What is an REM Sale of Property? An “REM Sale of Property” means, as City Administrator Chris White explained during the meeting, that when the City of Beacon takes control of a property in Beacon usually due to inability to pay, the City of Beacon can then resell that property and keep the profit. In 2020, there was a handful of those properties. In 2021, Chris noted, there was one such property. Therefore, they had real estate cash sitting that apparently had not been earmarked yet.

Who Or What Is The Employee Discipline Of Over $111,000 In 2021 For?

Reuben Simmons, former Highway Superintendent and current employee of the City of Beacon in the Highway Department.
Photo Credit: LinkedIn

The City of Beacon will not answer this question if ALBB were to ask, as they have a blanket policy of not answering to “personnel matters.” However, there is at least one employee who has had at least 8 Employee Discipline Hearings this year, and has been on forced paid and unpaid leave for the entirety of 2021: Reuben Simmons. ALBB sat in on at least one of those hearings.

Reuben Simmons, longtime employee in the Highway Department since 2002, and a Beaconite who is an involved member of the community, was Beacon’s former Highway Superintendent (ie lead position in that department, listen to ALBB’s podcast about it here) and has been the subject of Employee Discipline for quite some time. Starting in 2018, his case has taken unusual twists and turns. Including the dissolving of his job as Highway Superintendent based on a Civil Service technicality of the incorrect job title.

Beacon’s current head of the Highway Department, Superintendent of Streets Michael “Mickey” Manzi, who used to serve under Reuben as a staff member, replaced Reuben as head of the department after Reuben’s job title dissolved. According to documents that ALBB has seen, Michael “Mickey” Manzi continues to find fault in Reuben’s past work performance, and writes him up on charges that the City Administrator Chris White justifies for Reuben’s paid or unpaid leave status.

Those charges resulted in at least two 30-day periods of unpaid leave in 2021. Otherwise, Reuben has been kept on paid leave, but according to a letter sent to him by City Administrator Chris White, cannot come to public spaces in Beacon or talk to fellow employees within the working hours of the work day, until his disciplinary hearings are done. ALBB has attended one such hearing at the invitation of Reuben and received the Zoom link from the mediation attorney Jay Siegel, Esq., but was asked to leave when the City of Beacon objected to any reporters or members of the public attending.

What Are These “Charges” Justifying Unpaid Leave, Paid Leave, and Over $111,000 In Unplanned “Employee Discipline” Money?

Labor Attorney for the City of Beacon, Lance Klein, who is going against city employee Reuben Simmons.
Photo Credit: Keane and Beane

ALBB has seen the documentation of charges sent to Reuben, attempting to justify the “discipline,” which ALBB has learned amounts to accusations of things like talking to people for too long outside while on the job, or taking too long of a lunch.

Lunch for the Highway Department employees, ALBB is told, is 30 minutes. Which really just gives enough time to order and go from Mr. V’s and eat it in a Highway Department truck.

Witnesses have been called to at least 8 hearings deliberating Reuben’s case, where the City’s attorney Lance Klein of Keane and Beane questions those people included in the charges. Some of those witnesses have denied the charges and length of time that Reuben has spoken to them while outside on the job, or the logistics of a long lunch time that deserves penalty.

Current Beacon Superintendent of Streets, Michael “Mickey” Manzi. Writes up charges against Reuben resulting in new Unpaid Leave statuses for Reuben as Reuben’s hearings to defend himself progress.
Photo Credit: City of Beacon

One example of a disputed charge against Reuben is allegedly talking to a member of the public in Memorial Park (which is also the location of a Highway Department shed) for 2 hours. The witness for this charge allegedly denied it during the hearing when questioned by Lance the attorney.

If Reuben and this member of the public did speak for any number of moments, then a policy of any Highway Department employee speaking to any member of the public while out on public city streets, sidewalks, or parks would be in violation of some policy in the City of Beacon, would seem odd, counter-intuitive of an inclusive community and unproductive. Members of the public are not allowed to speak to city employees while on the job? Or risk getting written up if on the wrong side of a supervisor? Those supervisors being Michael “Mickey” Manzi and David Way.

In addition to speaking to members of the public in public, Reuben has also been accused of taking an extended lunch break. Lunch breaks for the City of Beacon are 30 minutes. Any moment after that due to long lunch lines or traffic could qualify as a violation equal to this treatment.

Members Of The Public Begin Speaking Out

City of Beacon Employee for the Highway Department, Reuben Simmons, speaks out about his communication with the City of Beacon. Reuben is currently on a rotation of forced unpaid and paid leave by the City of Beacon as they hold “Employee Discipline” hearings against him. There have been at last 8 Employee Discpline hearings so far, and a total of $111,000 of unplanned city budget money transfered in the City of Beacon budget to cover unplanned “Employee Discipline” legal expenses.

After years of silence, Reuben spoke out at a recent City Council meeting, addressing the elephant in the room - himself. He spoke directly and was well spoken in his thoughts, as he was when presenting city street status updates to the public and City Council during his time as Highway Superintendent from 2017-2018.

The City Council often meets in private Executive Sessions discussing “Personnel” and “Litigation” and have the legal protection of not disclosing who or what they are talking about.

Reuben - who is Black and is one of the few Black employees in the public works departments - has also been accused of speaking loudly to his supervisor Michael “Mickey” Manzi while voluntarily reporting an accident Reuben had in a City vehicle. According to multiple sources, Mickey, the Highway Department’s Superintendent of Streets who used to be Reuben’s employee years ago, found Reuben’s tone uncomfortable. Therefore, Mickey added the tone to the charges justifying unpaid leave.

This issue with “tone” is despite rumors from multiple people - in a generational age range - that several in the Beacon public works departments speak gruffly to each other on a regular basis, possibly even using racial slurs. Those direct mentions have not yet come to light yet in any public confessions.

It is notable that when Reuben was first placed on unpaid leave in January 2021 for the pursuit of these charges, the City of Beacon unveiled it’s Diversity Statement months prior in October 2020, where Beacon’s newly hired HR Director, Gina Basile, noted there was tension in the Highway Department.

During the City Council Meeting on December 6, 2021, longtime hawk of city government and regular participant in Public Comment, Theresa Kraft, spoke up. Not naming names, she made allusions: “Beacon is a strong, supportive community. It always has been, and always will be. We watch out for our neighbors. But enforcement is key [referencing to the spike in unlawful driving in Beacon and the recent death on Main Street and Teller Avenue]. I question how much the city wasted on litigation of an employee who took too long of a lunch break. I see at the end of tonight's agenda there is an executive Session for Personal and Litigation. Perhaps that alone could have paid to ease the food insecurity throughout Beacon for a few years. Holding a grudge is holding all Beacon residents hostage.” You can listen to her full speech here.

Background On Reuben’s Unpaid/Paid Leave - An Additional Expense To The City Of Beacon

Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White, who authorized Reuben’s first round of 30-days of paid leave on Chris’ first week on the job.
Photo Credit: City of Beacon

Starting in January 2021, Reuben was placed on unpaid leave for more than one session of a 30-day unpaid leave status by City Administrator Chris White. Unpaid leave is difficult at any time, but for a Highway Department employee, January is the gravy month. It is the month they make overtime pay in plowing days during blizzards.

When not on unpaid leave, Reuben remains on paid leave. Unless new charges are filed against him, and he gets a new letter from City Administrator Chris White stating that he is on unpaid leave again.

The Union protecting and advocating for Highway Department Employees is CSEA. In January, Beacon’s representative and president was Paula Becker, who works as an employee in the Finance Department for the City of Beacon with Susan Tucker, Beacon’s Finance Director who signs off on these budget recommendations. Paula recently received a promotion and raise from the City of Beacon.

When ALBB called Paula to confirm Reuben’s unpaid status back when it started in January 2021, City Administrator Chris White emailed ALBB to say that ALBB should not contact any staff with questions, and to only address him. After publishing an article on this matter, City Administrator Chris White declined to answer any more questions from ALBB on any matter.

Listen to Reuben explain the start of his employment situation on ALBB’s podcast recorded in July 2020 here. His employment disputes started in 2018.

Sudden Storm And Fallen Tree Brings Power Outage To Some Beaconites; Closes Beekman Street

UPDATE 1:30pm 12/3/2021: Central Hudson has responded with what caused the power outage. Please see below for the full explanation.

On the 5th night of Hanukkah, while candles were still burning and lights were glowing in homes, the power went out. From outside their windows of newly darkened rooms, some Beaconites saw flickering flashes of white light across the dark western sky, reminiscent of distant summer fireworks or lightening. The night was windy. Not all Beaconites even realized there was a storm until the power went out and some heard a loud explosion and saw the white lights.

Had the aliens finally landed? Was it happening? “I saw the white light and definitely thought alien invasion,” said one reader @laur1025. “Sigh. I’d welcome aliens at this point,” said another reader, @devaw. “Power still out in what has truly become an alternate universe,” said @scottxny, after the day closed with news from the Supreme Court making quite a few people upset.

The Source Of The White Lights

One reader saw two fire trucks arrive to the scene. One of A Little Beacon Blog’s citizen reporters, Brianne McDowell, was on the case moments after the explosion to find the source. She found the downed tree and pole on Beekman Street where High Street comes into it. High Street is the first street off Beekman as you’re headed to the train station, with the Victorian homes lining the steep hill, across the street from Spire Studios and Ron English’s PopMart. The picture of the down pole and tree on Thursday night is below.

Down power line across High Street. Down tree across Beekman Street. Both across from the Beacon Police Station and the new apartment buildings, The View on Thursday, December 2, 2021.
Photo Credit: Brianne McDowell

Moments after the flash, at least one pole was down on the ground, blocking High Street, across from the Beacon Police Station. A large tree had broken at the base and fallen across Beekman Street.

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Thursday evening, one reader @jackoflackoflames, saw “crews out there working on the exploded transformer/tree now. Road still closed.”

By Friday morning, Beekman Street remained closed to cars, but pedestrians could continue walking to the MTA train station on the grass. Beacon’s Highway Department was on the scene Friday morning, cutting the fallen tree to remove it from the road. By Friday morning, the downed power line was gone, and power had been restored to several customers near Main Street.

The traffic light at 9D and Main Street was out, as were the crosswalk signals (there are new electric crosswalk signals that improve accessibility by beeping a signal calling the person to “Wait!” and then verbally announces which street one can cross).

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Homes on High Street. The fallen power line and tree were at the base of High Street, across from the Police Station.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Photo Credits: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The flash storm took many by surprise. Usually Central Hudson and Optimum send emails warning about an upcoming storm that may cause a power outage. Neither had sent an email this time. “The rain was horizontal. I couldn’t believe it,” said reader @call.me.ella.mar. Murphy’s Law prevailed once again for an unexpected storm in Beacon. The last was remnants of Hurricane Ida, resulting in federal aid through FEMA.

Another reader, Patti Devine, wondered if the new construction being built in that area, which has eliminated several trees and replaced with solid structures, caused a wind vortex. Wind vortexes whip through building blocks in New York City. “My friend on High Street right there has had 2 trees fall on her house in the last couple of years,” Patti said. “Anyone think that maybe all the buildings there has caused a [wind] vortex in that area? Take down all those trees, and the storm has a new path to follow.”

ALBB is seeking confirmation on if the source of the fall is known. If it was lightening, a microburst, a tiny tornado, or other known weather condition.

The morning after the power line was cleared by Central Hudson. The City of Beacon’s Highway Department works to cut the tree in the middle of Beekman Street.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

About 4,300 Power Outages Throughout Central Hudson Service Area

According to John Maserjian, Media Relations Director for Central Hudson, several people were impacted by the storm. Upon responding to ALBB to confirm details, John said: “As of now, there are currently about 4,300 outages throughout Central Hudson’s service area, mostly on the west side of the Hudson River, caused by high winds and trees.”

John responded with an explanation of what caused the power outage: “Our electric line foreman reports that a burst if wind toppled a tree onto the pole on Beekman street, breaking the pole and causing it to fall. There was no transformer on the pole, rather there was mechanical piece of equipment called an Automatic Load Transfer (ALT) device (this device automatically re-routes power when needed to reduce the duration of outages, for example during storms). The flash of light was not an explosion, rather arcing wires as they fell. This highlights why it’s very important to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines, as they may still be energized.

“The pole was replaced and repairs made last night/early morning. A new ALT will be re-installed in one to two weeks. The majority of the outages in Beacon was due to this fallen pole. Upon their arrival, crews first manually re-routed power to restore service to most of households as quickly as possible, and then went to work to replace the pole.”

According to the Beacon Police Department, the storm went from west to east in Beacon, with residents feeling the effects over on Red School House Road. The Beacon Police Department does have a generator that can kick in when the power goes out. They noted that power went out down 9D and Verplanck, Beekman, and possibly down to Matteawan (near the Beacon High School track).

Serious Comedy Theatre performers in the Old Beacon High School on the corner of Fishkill Avenue and Verplanck wrote in to say that their building did have power, but that their home near the mountain had lost power overnight.

This is a developing story. Updates will be made to this article, or a new article depending.

Stay safe!

Family Day At Masjid Ar Rashid Islamic Teaching Center In Beacon - All Are Welcome

Photo Credit: Google

Photo Credit: Screenshot from the Highlands Current

Last week’s Highlands Current profiled Abdullah Wajid, an Imam with the Masjid Ar Rashid Islamic Teaching Center in Beacon on Main Street near the Beacon Natural Market and across from the Post Office. The profile was in the paper’s weekly Q&A section. The interview was excerpted from the original episode interview by Zach Rogers, host and creator of the podcast “Beaconites!”

He recalls how the center has been in Beacon for more than 30 years. “The composition of the mosque was mostly African American, with a couple of Egyptian and maybe one Pakistani family. Today there’s a wide range of people who come. The number of families is anywhere from 150 to 200. You won’t see them at one time unless it’s a celebration like what we call Eid — we have two every year — or Ramadan.”

He encourages people to come to the mosque, and learn about their events, like this one last month on Women’s Health. He said during the interview: “We have made a very strong effort to let the people know that our mosque is approachable. You can come in; there are no rules that say you have to be a Muslim. We want to let the people know that we are supportive of the community. We try to demonstrate the best of character and try to be sensitive, especially to our neighbors. In Islam, neighbors are very important.”

There is a Family Day at the mosque today (Sunday, November 28, 2021 at 1pm. Details are here, and people are encouraged to bring a dish. Read the excerpted interview at Highlands Current, and listen to it in full at Beaconites!.

The Beacon Bicycle Menorah Is BACK! From Beacon Hebrew Alliance; Sculpture By Ed Benavente

The Beacon Bicycle Menorah, organized by Beacon Hebrew Alliance; sculpture by Ed Benavente.

For a number of years, the day after the Beacon Bicycle Tree Lighting, the Beacon Bicycle Menorah Lighting, known as Illumin8 from the Beacon Hebrew Alliance, would take place. For 8 nights, a different bicycle tire would be lit and dedicated to a group of people.

Over time, some people wanted a traditional holiday lighting with a tree, and the Beacon Bicycle Tree went into retirement. The mood was sad, as people missed the tradition. Then the 2020 pandemic hit, and all events stopped.

Come 2021, with most Beaconties and most people in the Hudson Valley doing their best to act safely during this pandemic by getting vaccinated, the Beacon Bicycle Menorah is BACK! Lit up by the Beacon Hebrew Alliance on the first night of Hanukkah on November 28, 2021 from 6-6:30pm at Pohill Park (at the base of Wolcott Avenue aka 9D and South Avenue and Main Street).

From the Beacon Hebrew Alliance: “The story of Beacon is the story of a town coming through hard times with hope and dedication. Join us on Facebook Live or at Polhill Park as we celebrate Illumin8tion and light up our community with our one-of-a-kind Beacon Bicycle Menorah.

“Hanukkah tells us that we can hope against all reason and sometimes, we will prevail. Sometimes, the mighty will fall before the weak, and sometimes, just a little bit of fuel will get us through the darkest night - or even eight of them, if need be.

“Each night we will be honoring a group of people with a prayer or reading and song, as our representative honoree places the bicycle tire on the menorah!”

Menorah Dedication Schedule:

From 6-6:30pm for 8 nights of Hanukkah, the Beacon Hebrew Alliance will honor the following groups of people (on Friday, December 3rd, the time will be 4-4:30pm):

Sunday we honor Elders.
Monday we honor Teachers.
Tuesday we honor First Responders.
Wednesday we honor Artists & Musicians.
Thursday we honor Public Service (fire, police, medical, etc.).
Friday we honor Children.
Saturday we honor and remember our Founding Members for the BHA Centennial.
Sunday we honor All those who serve our community.

Click here for details >

Holiday Wreaths Are Going Up! 2021 Version

For the last few days, Beacon’s Highway Department has been out hanging the wreaths. Piled in the highway trucks, when not hauling leaf bags and tree debris from people’s homes left out on sidewalks, the crew has scheduled the days before Thanksgiving to hang the wreaths, just in time for the big opening day of shopping: the day after Thanksgiving.

Notice the new Municipal Parking sign pictured here (there are others now throughout the city), one of the recommendations of the Main Street Access Advisory Committee, and desire by many in the community for years. A new design was implemented as well.

🛍 Shopping and eating ideas are in A Little Beacon Blog’s Guides! Shops and Restaurants who want to promote specific events or products, consider starting your subscription advertising campaign with us this season! We love promoting you, readers love reading about you, and your support helps make it happen. 💕

Safe travels and/or happy cooking! Get boosted. Stay safe.

Beacon Trivia! The Highway Department employee pictured here, Edward McNair, is also a small business owner. With his wife Erika McNair, he co-owns InsideOut Infusion (concierge IV hydration and vitamins), OurtClothing.com, and The Virtue Brand clothing line.

Beacon Trivia! The new parking signs were designed by Beacon local Theresa Kraft, who is a designer with a background in product design and way finding signage. Theresa is an original member of the Main Street Access Advisory Committee since its inception in 2020

Beacon Farmers Market To Stay Open Outside All Year - Bring Your Mittens, Kittens!

Featured here: Happy Belly, at the Beacon Farmers Market.

The Beacon Farmers Market was one of the first to pivot hard when the business shutdown happened when COVID-19 was first discovered and declared a global pandemic. They quickly built a extremely robust but temporary well-serving website to connect devoted customers to vendors, and opened outside, withstanding the deep snowfall Beacon experienced last year.

This year, vendors agreed that they prefer to stick it out outside in the DMV parking lot, where there is more space, possibly better internet, and that small-scale live music that helps keep the market moving.

Managed by Common Ground Farm, the organization approached the City of Beacon to seek permission to operate outside year round. The parking lot is owned by Dutchess County, and leased by the City of Beacon. The City Council approved the extended occupation of the DMV parking lot in early November. Expect to shop the market outdoors all year!

The Shred Foundation, a skateboarding organization serving under-served youth which is Black founded, at the Beacon Farmers Market.

Diana Mae Flowers, a Beacon Farmers Market staple for creative bouquets.

Cooperstown Cheese Company at the Beacon Farmers Market.

Trax, a Beacon local coffee roasters with 3 locations in Beacon, also likes to serve it up at the Beacon Farmers Market.

Eggberts Free Range Farm, another Beacon Farmers Market staple and wonderful source for eggs, beef, lamb and pork.

Advocates for free New York Health Insurance, which would in theory be funded by a payroll tax on New Yorkers. Anna Brady Nuse started a Change.org petition for the cause, and has been pursuing Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou to show support for free New York Health Insurance by putting it on Beacon’s City Council Agenda, where the council can create and vote on a Resolution supporting it. So far the Mayor has not put it on the agenda.

Beacon's Veterans Of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 666 Recognized For 100 Years Of Service By New York State

A long, long time ago (in January, 2021), Harold G. Delamater, Commander of the VFW Post 666 in Beacon, emailed A Little Beacon Blog with an unusual request: he wanted editing guidance on a letter he was submitting to governmental bodies in New York State as well as to news media about the 100th year celebration of the founding of VFW Post 666.

Harold’s efforts resulted in a Proclamation issued to VFW Post 666 by New York State presented by New York State Senator Sue Serino. The local chapter was also issued the Century Award by VFW National Commander-in-Chief, Harold "Hal" Roesch, III and the Department of New York. In Beacon, Mayor Lee Kyriacou let the local chapter know that Beacon did not issue Proclamations anymore, but he could speak a recognition during a City Council Meeting which could get recorded into the meeting Minutes.

Harold’s letter has been published in full below for you to learn more about VFW Post 666, and the Veterans of Foreign War organization in general.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 666 Centennial 1921 – 2021
In honor of William B Wilson 1st Beaconite KIA in WW1

Who We Are:

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a nonprofit Veterans service organization comprised of eligible Veterans and military service members from the active, guard and reserve forces.

We trace our roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service. Many arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans' pension for them, and they were left to care for themselves.

In their misery, some of these veterans banded together and formed organizations that would eventually band together and become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. After chapters were formed in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the movement quickly gained momentum. Today, membership stands at more than 1.5 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary.

OUR MISSION: To foster camaraderie among United States Veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our Veterans, the military and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all Veterans.

OUR VISION: Ensure that Veterans are respected for their service, always receive their earned entitlements, and are recognized for the sacrifices they and their loved ones have made on behalf of this great country.

Beacon Veterans of Foreign Wars Private William B. Wilson Post 666 will commemorate 100 years since receiving its Charter on February 7, 1921 and is named in honor of Pvt Wilson who was killed in action in Belgium on August 19, 1918. Pvt Wilson was the first soldier from Beacon to die in WWI.

About The Services VFW Post 666 Provides To Veterans and the Community

Beaconite Frank Haight organized and was elected the first Commander of VFW Post 666 on Feb 7, 1921 and our Post has been continuously active for the past 100 years.

VFW Post 666 continues to support all Veterans especially those Veterans at Castle Point VA where the Post sponsors ice cream socials, bingo, outdoor picnic in Spring, Christmas parties and more. Our sole fund-raiser for these events is the Poppy Program which is held during Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November of each year of which the community is very generous in making donations to support Veterans causes.

Additionally Post 666 Veterans have assisted in sponsoring monthly American Red Cross Blood Drives at the Veterans Memorial Building, sponsored Boy Scout events such as monthly meeting and Pine Wood Derby, assisted the Beacon Historical Society in cleaning and restoring the War memorials in front of the Memorial Building. Currently Post 666 is collaborating with the Beacon Historical Society in sharing Veterans’ historical documents, photos and artifacts for possible display at the Society’s new home.

Post 666 has donated gift cards to the Food Pantry and Nursing Care at Castle Point VA. Donations have been used to purchase new organizational signs which are displayed in front of the Memorial Building. The signs identify the three Veterans organizations and list meeting times.

VFW Post 666 in concert with American Legion Post 203 and Carmen Ramputi Det 861 Marine Corps League and community organizations cleaned the yard and began work on the residence of a long-time Beacon resident and Korean War Veteran. Post 666 also assists with providing funeral details for Veterans at no charge and holds repass at the Memorial Building for those Veterans. Veterans Day ceremonies are held on November 11 of each year by Post 666 even during the Covid19 pandemic. Social distancing was practiced during 2020 and hopefully we will resume full ceremony in 2021. Participation in parades have also been on hold since the pandemic but we look forward to getting back on-line.

Pvt Wilson’s background courtesy of Beacon Historical Society:

“Wilson went off to war with two of his best friends, George VanPelt of Beacon and Herbert Miller of Newburgh. The three, with about 50 other Beacon boys, joined up in Newburgh’s “Company L” of the 107th Infantry Regiment. By late of April 1918, the regiment had landed in France. By mid-August the 107th was seeing its first real action as a backup force to the British in the Dickenbusch Lake sector of Belgium. The doughboys’ position were in clear view of the Germans who were entrenched on nearby Mount Kemmel. The regiment’s historian recalls that Company L, on the day of August 19, was under continuous shelling by the Germans, resulting in several American casualties. One of those was Herbert Miller of Newburgh, William Wilson’s best friend. Miller lay in No-Man’s Land, too dangerous to be retrieved in daylight. That night of August 19, Private Wilson and Corporal Richard Connery volunteered to go out and bring Miller back to the American trenches. Both men carried Miller on a stretcher under a heavy barrage of mortar fire. Connery was wounded by shrapnel; Wilson was killed by a sniper.

Word of Wilson’s and Miller’s deaths reached their hometowns on September 18, 1918. The best friends had died on the same day, August 19, the only two soldiers from Company L to be killed on that day. A Memorial Mass for Wilson was quickly arranged. The Rev. Michael Aylward, pastor of St. Joachim’s Church, had tears streaming down his face during the eulogy, such was the emotional loss felt for this popular young man. Private Wilson’s body would be brought back in April of 1921, to be interred in St. Joachim’s Cemetery. In 1922, Beacon Veterans would form a new VFW Post and call it the Private William B. Wilson Post 666. After the war, George VanPelt and his comrades from Company L, including Corporal Connery who was with Wilson when he was killed, would come visit Wilson’s mother at her home at 138 Verplank Avenue, to console her and to remember Billy, and how he died for No Greater Love Than This……….”

Hurricane Ida In-Person FEMA Registration Opportunity For Financial Relief In Beacon and Fishkill - Deadline To Apply December 6, 2021

FEMA is in Beacon on Tuesday and Wednesday (November 9th-10th) to help those impacted by Hurricane Ida register for financial relief as part of a “Mobile Disaster Recovery Center” (MDRC) effort organized by Dutchess County, the Small Business Association (SBA) and other State and Federal Agencies, according to a press release from Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s office. FEMA representatives will be in Fishkill’s Town Hall next (November 11th-12th). The first one was in Wappinger Falls days ago.

This is not the only time a person can register for financial assistance due to Hurricane Ida. It is designed to provide another point of access for people to register, who may benefit from doing it with someone. Anyone is encouraged to use this Mobile Disaster Recovery Center for assistance in getting registered. Any Dutchess County resident can use this in-person registration opportunity. Anyone can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362.

Additional MDRCs are being planned for the towns of East Fishkill, Pawling, Dover, Amenia, and North East and the City of Poughkeepsie. The schedule will be updated on DutchessNY.gov as well as the County’s social media.

The deadline to apply for funding is December 6, 2021.

Who Or What Is Eligible For FEMA Financial Assistance?

In late September, 2021, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro applied for and was granted Major Disaster Declaration, which means that the county is “eligible to receive Public Assistance (PA), which is aid available to local governments – the county, towns, villages, and cities – as well as other public entities such as water and sewer authorities and fire districts. Emergency work, such as overtime and debris removal, as well as the repair of damaged public facilities are all considered to be eligible expenses for aid from the federal government. Certain private, non-profits which provide governmental services are also eligible. Under PA, FEMA funds up to 75 percent of the eligible costs,” according to a press release from Dutchess County.

After remnants of Hurricane Ida whipped through Dutchess County, the county made a large effort to collect information about who was impacted and how much it would cost to repair. This helped make Dutchess County eligible for federal FEMA funding.

Said County Executive Marcus Molinaro: “This disaster declaration is good news for our local municipalities who sustained significant damage as it provides much needed support and assistance to repair the more than $2.5 million worth of damage to public facilities throughout Dutchess County following Hurricane Ida. We will continue to press FEMA and the State for ‘Individual Assistance’ to aid the families and businesses who have also sustained significant damage and are struggling to recover. We are grateful to the Governor’s office for their support throughout this weeks-long review process to get the Public Assistance for municipalities and hope we can be equally successful in ensuring Individual Assistance for residents and businesses.”

What You’ll Need For The In-Person FEMA Registration In Beacon, Fishkill, Or Other Pop-Ups

According to the FEMA representatives in Beacon, a person who had damage need only to come down to the FEMA Mobile pop-up and explain damages. Pictures are not needed at this time. Those will be collected when an inspection is conducted. A Social Security number is required.

For Beacon, the door to enter is behind the Memorial Building.

This in-person registration opportunity is not the only way to apply for FEMA aid due to Hurricane Ida. Any Dutchess County resident can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362.

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Main Street Not Getting Paved Despite Early Pulling Of Parklets From Restaurants

Last year in the Fall, diners at restaurants were eating in the newfangled “parklets,” which were the borders of bright orange Jersey barriers outside of restaurants. These barriers created a safe-ish space for people to eat outside of restaurants in parking spaces, thereby adding seating to a restaurant and an opportunity for restaurants to earn more money during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a virus passed primarily through the air, making outside spaces the safest. Last year, restaurants were getting crafty with what kind of heating units they were going to provide their patrons.

This year, Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White pulled the parklets in late September, citing scheduled milling and paving that was to be done on Main Street. Indeed, Beacon has been investing in infrastructure such as paved roads and seeking grants for new sidewalks for a number of years. Restaurant owners were already fearful of when the parklets were going to disappear, while some members of the community were bothered by the parklets for beauty reasons, and fear of car accidents, due to Beacon’s increasing reputation for speeding down Main Street, and any street around town.

Announced at the 11/1/2021 City Council Meeting, Main Street will indeed not get paved this year after all. City Administrator Chris stated: “The planned milling and paving of Main Street has been moved to next Spring. Because of all of the rain we have had recently, the contractors who are lined up to do the the milling and paving can't give us dates until late November, and then we run into the problem of getting into cold weather, in which the new striping won't set. Rather than rush it and not have the best job done, we will do April or early May.”

While the City Administrator said that the bump out project will be completed at South Avenue and Wolcott, it seems as though new cross-walk painting will not happen for the new location of bump-outs, which are the new side-walk extensions presumably for more accessible wheelchair use and pedestrian crossing. Currently, some of the new bump-out extensions do not match up with old cross-walks.

Some side-streets, such as South Chestnut Street, have been newly paved, with new bump-outs added. Several new bright yellow cross-walk signs have been added along Main Street as well, aiding in visual signals drivers get when zooming down the road.

Election News: How To Get Local Election Results From The Dutchess County Elections Website

Election results used to be like Christmas morning - you go to sleep after an exciting night of hoping, and then you wake up to the results reported on TV or published in a newspaper. Trouble is, some published projections were wrong, if they were printed prior to election results being finalized.

Results for local elections that took place during the 2020 presidential race were not as clear cut as one thought as results were being uploaded to the Dutchess County Board Of Elections Website. For instance, in the race for Dutchess County Court Judge, longtime Judge Peter Forman had a wide lead the night before, only to be surpassed by his challenger, Jessica Segal the next day. A legal battle initiated by Forman followed, and Jessica Segal emerged the winner and second woman elected to that bench.

Forman now works as a mediation and arbitration attorney for Cuddy and Feder, a law firm whose real estate attorneys do a lot of business in Beacon with different development projects.

Where To Find Your Own Local Election Results

The Dutchess County Board Of Elections posts results slowly throughout the evening and next day after the election. While it’s gratifying to find unofficial results right away, it could lead to disappointment as absentee ballots get counted and uploaded to the website’s Unofficial Results. Best to have patience and read analytical results in news media once the results are finalized.

To see the results for yourself as they are uploaded, visit the Dutchess County Board Of Election website. All of the races for Dutchess County are listed there, including Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Fishkill, and others.

The totals for the candidates are listed on their line. The breakdown is listed under their name. For instance:

Rachel Saunders (DEM, WOR) had votes from two parties: Democrat and Working Family. At the time of this screenshot (12:55pm on 11/3/2021), she had 27,855 votes. Of those, 24,872 were from the Democrat party, and 2,983 were from the Working Family party.

Denise W. Watson had votes from two parties: Republican and Conservative. At the time of this screenshot, she had 31,372 votes. Of those, 24,904 were from Republicans, and 6,468 were from the Conservative party.

The Write-In total doesn’t seem to be indicated for either candidate here.

On Election Night at 10:30pm, Rachel held the lead. By Wednesday morning, the lead shifted to Denise. For Beacon’s City Court Judge, challenger Gregory Johnston held the lead by a wide margin over current incumbent Timothy G. Pagones. By Wednesday morning, the lead remained, but shrunk. As of this publishing, these results are Unofficial.

Refresh your screen at the 2021 General Election Unofficial Results page here.

City of Beacon Urges Reconsideration of Partial Matteawan Road Closure By Fishkill Correctional Facility

The week that the Beacon City School District announced to families that the part of Matteawan Road that passes through the Fishkill Correctional Facility after the Beacon High School, and intersects with Business Route 52 (at which point, it is called Prospect Street), would be closed to the public on November 1, 2021, the The City of Beacon’s Administrator Chris White announced at a public City Council Workshop Meeting (at 1:19:00) that the City strongly urged the Fishkill Correctional Facility to reconsider the partial road closure, to start a dialogue to form a better plan, and to support Assemblyman Jacobson’s efforts to allow school bus routes at the very least until solutions could be found.

According to Administrator Chris, the City of Beacon was first informed on October 18, 2021 by the Superintendent of the Fishkill Correctional Facility that the part of Matteawan Road passing the facility would be closed to the public on November 1, 2021. In response, Administrator Chris prepared a resolution of the City’s urging of a reconsideration.

The proposed resolution to be signed during tonight’s public City Council Meeting can be found here. Today, November 1, 2021, which is the start of the partial road closure to the public, Beacon City School’s Superintendent Landahl sent a notice to district families that buses will continue running through Mattweawan Road near the Fishkill Correctional Facility, but reminded families that that part of the road is closed to the public. There has been no announcement to Beacon residents of the road block via robo-call, text, or website posting, other than the mention of it during last week’s City Council Meeting.

In providing context for Beacon’s position on the closure, Administrator Chris stated:

“Mattawean Road runs through the City of Beacon and the Town of Fishkill. It goes past the Fishkill Correctional Facility. The Town owns a piece of the road near Prospect Street that feeds in. Then the prison owns a large part of it, and then the City owns the rest of it.

“We had heard rumors from the School District that the Fishkill Correctional Facility was going to close that road as of November 1st. We only received a call on October 18th, which was the first official notification that the City was given, that the road was going to be closed permanently in less than 2 weeks.

“We have been in touch with Superintendent and our state representatives. I know that Assemblyman Jacobson's office is working diligently to try to exempt buses which would be severely disrupted if that closed. We thought we would support - I put this together because I thought it important to support our state delegation's effort to delay the implementation of this so we can do some planning, to exempt buses at the very least, and to begin a real dialogue between the Town of Fishkill, Beacon City School District, and the City of Beacon.

“There has been no planning or traffic modeling to look at what the impacts were. I would say this strongly recognizes their right and their necessity to secure their facility. Nobody is questing that. The way that we do it, though, is important. We think we can thread that needle so that it's not as disruptive to the traffic going into Rombout and the High School.”

Covered In The Proposed Resolution

Included in the City of Beacon’s Resolution, spearheaded by Administrator Chris, is the point that, for years, “Matteawan Road serves as a connection between the Town of Fishkill and the City of Beacon and is an important street access from Fishkill Avenue to the Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School.” In response ALBB’s article announcing this partial road closure last week, former City Councilperson Ali T. Muhammad, who grew up walking to Beacon school in that area, recalled when that part of the road was temporarily closed: “Grew up there, sounds awful. Last time it was shut down was due to 9/11. Good luck.”

The resolution points out that the closure to the public is “during the daytime.” The resolution makes sure to state the City of Beacon’s dissatisfaction with not being consulted by the Fishkill Correctional Facility prior to their decision: “City of Beacon recognizes the necessity and right of DOCCS and the Fishkill Correctional Facility to secure their grounds, including this section of road, the City is concerned that it and other major stakeholders, including the Beacon City School District, were not consulted on the closure and received insufficient notice to allow for traffic safety modifications and adjustment that might need to be implemented as a result of the change to traffic patterns in and around Matteawan Road.”

The City of Beacon cited concern for where traffic would increase due to the partial closure of Mattawean Road, stating that it “would create traffic and pedestrian safety issues at key intersections in the City of Beacon, including Verplanck Avenue and Matteawan Road, Wilkes Street and Matteawan Road, and at access roads through Memorial Park, which now may be used as a cut-through for motorists.”

The resolution pointed out the effort required to properly answer the partial road closure: “Any adjustments to the traffic control signage in the area will take the City a period of at least several months to assess needed modification and adopt revisions to the City Code for such modifications, which require a public hearing and adoption of a local law amending the City Code, and the City received less than two weeks’ notice of the impending partial road closure without any prior traffic safety planning by the Facility or coordination with the City.”

The City of Beacon is asking for a pausing of the partial road closure, and a commitment to work together on solutions moving forward “with a immediate establishment of a working committee to coordinate with Fishkill Correctional Facility on this matter, including the following key stakeholders: the City of Beacon, Town Town of Fishkill, and Beacon City School District in order to consider potential alternatives, and if necessary, properly plan for the impact that a partial closure of Matteawan Road would create.

Beacon’s resolution would then be sent to Governor Kathy Hochul, State Senator Sue Serino, Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson, DOCCS Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci, and Fishkill Correctional Facility Superintendent Edward Burnett.

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Read This: Video Of The Drive On Matteawan Road Past Fishkill Correctional Facility That Is Partially Closed Now - The Experience >

Read This: Permanent Road Closure Of Matteawan Road At Fishkill Correctional Facility - Will Impact School Bus Routes >

Beacon School Lunch Is Going Local For National Farm To School Month

On October 14th, elementary students will be served pasta with NYS beef meat sauce, tossed salad with Common Ground Farm greens, local cucumbers, and NYS apples and pears!

Middle and high school students will be served loaded baked potatoes with school made NYS chili, NYS potatoes, tossed salad with Common Ground Farm greens, local cucumbers, and NYS apples and pears!

More About The Partnership Between Common Ground, Land To Learn, and The Beacon City School District

According to Sember Weinman, Executive Director of Common Ground Farm, told A Little Beacon Blog that they started working with the Beacon City School District leading Farm to School education programs in 2012 and began developing a relationship with food services director, Karen. They started a Vegetable of the Month taste test that allowed Common Ground and partner organization Land to Learn (was Hudson Valley Seed at the time) to encourage students to try fresh seasonal vegetables while the cafeteria expanded their veggie side dish menu options.

In 2016 Common Ground gave Karen a U-Pick membership that helped her to understand farm operations. They began donating lettuce and other greens to the schools in spring of 2016, and in 2017 worked on a micro purchase agreement to sell to the schools and participate in the bid process. Karen conducted a site visit and made several food safety recommendations, which Common Ground implemented.

Common Ground Farm focuses on lettuce because it has a short grow time and is very popular with students, but also sells smaller amounts of items that can be showcased through the Vegetable of the Month program like cucumbers, kale, carrots and tomatoes. 

Common Ground Farm thinks that nutritious food is a right regardless of economic background. They see public school as a way to reach a diverse cross section of the community. They were already leading education programs in the schools so it seemed like a really natural fit to begin working with the schools as a distribution point as well.