Beacon Election Results: The Significance Of The Unopposed Party, And A Few Other Races

In Beacon, the entire City Council, made up of Democrats, was running unopposed, including the Mayor. Until one person announced just days prior that he would be a write-in mayoral candidate, which garnered some discussion about the fact that there was no choice of candidates. A single party hold by the Democratic party on this community has become the norm, that one sometimes wonders why there were yard signs at all.

In this local election, here are some election results from the Dutchess County Board Of Elections:

County Clerk:
Kenya Gadsen (Democrat) lost to Bradford Kendall (Republican), who was running for re-election. It was a close race.
Kenya also ran on the Working Families line, and Bradford on the Conservative line.
Kenya was at one time on Beacon’s Board Of Education, and then moved to be elected to Fishkill’s Town Board.

Dutchess County Executive
Susan J. Serino (Republican) won against Tommy Zurhellen (Democrat).
Susan also ran on the Conservative line, and Tommy on the Working Families line.
Susan was a New York Senator representing Dutchess County for 8 years, until she lost her last re-election to Michelle Henchey (Democrat) after her territory was redistricted.

Dutchess County Legislator - District 16
Yvette Valdes Smith (Democrat, Working Families) beat Ron Davis (Republican, Conservative) by a wide margin. There were 2 write-in votes (.07%).

Dutchess County Legislator - District 18
Nick Page (Democrat) won unopposed. There were 22 write-in votes (1%).
Nick’s family’s business, Hudson Todd, owns several of the buildings on Main Street on the west end of town by Bank Square.

City Of Beacon Mayor
Lee Kyriacou won almost unopposed. There were 449 write-votes. That was 16% of the vote. Generally, the percentage of write-ins for other elected positions in this election was 1%.
Lee ran in the Democratic line and is a landlord.
Days before the vote, Reuben Simmons announced his candidacy as a write-in. Well known in Beacon, Reuben stood a very slim, but not impossible, chance of winning through his work as a City of Beacon employee and his extensive volunteer work, placing him throughout the city with people at all times.

Beacon City Council
All 7 seats of the City Council were Democrats and ran unopposed.
Five seats remain the same, and 2 are new:
Ward 1: Molly Rhodes, returns for her 2nd term. There were 10 write-in votes (1%).
Molly ran in the Democratic line.
A newcomer, LaStar Gorton, wanted to run for Ward 1, and had everything she needed to run on the Independent line. But a series of strange events happened to her that kept her off the ballot.
Ward 2: Jeffrey Domanski is newly elected. There were 9 write-in votes (1%).
Jeffrey ran in the Democratic line.
Former Councilmember Justice McCray did not seek re-election. Justice is a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives.
Jeffrey is known in Beacon politics in part for his work for shepherding Beacon, along with other municipalities, into Beacon’s signing onto a fixed energy price using clean energy via the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program. That program auto-opted in Beacon residents, and guaranteed them a low fixed energy rate. When energy rates went up in Summer or during the beginning of the Ukraine war, the fixed energy price through the CCA remained low and the same. However, the energy contractor behind this arrangement broke their contract and walked away, thereby breaking the fixed rate. Some Beaconites were suspicious of the rate lock anyway, just by the nature of so many clean energy solar panel peddlers coming to Beaconite’s doorsteps and confusing them with different programs, and because of Central Hudson’s own confusing and sometimes misleading language. The CCA program was nothing like those programs, and did give citizens savings. Jeffrey is married to a member of the Beacon Board of Education, Kristan Flynn.
Ward 3: Wren Longo, returns for her 2nd term. There were 8 write-in votes (1%).
Wren ran in the Democratic line.
Wren is well versed in affordable housing.
Ward 4: Dan Aymar-Blair, returns for his 3rd term. There were 16 write-in votes (2%).
Dan ran in the Democratic and Working Families lines.
Dan originally ran on an anti-development theme and currently seeks strict regulation of emissions to impact the climate crisis.
Councilmembers At Large: Paloma Wake and Pam Wetherbee
Paolma ran in the Democratic and Working Families lines.
Paloma is passionate about affordable housing, the climate, and land-justice in Beacon, recognizing that we are living on Indigenous land.
Pam ran in the Democratic line.
Pam is a former City Councilmember, and is currently advocating for the residents who live near Rte. 52, where the Mayor is leading a move to re-zone that area once property opens up after Healey Brothers leave.

The Write-In Candidate: Beacon's Mayoral Race Now Has A Choice: Reuben Simmons Enters As Candidate

It was a drowsy hyper-local election season in Beacon this year, with the usual Democratic candidates running or not running unopposed for City Council and the Mayor position. All City Council positions are running unopposed in the Democratic line, with Paloma Wake and Dan Aymar-Blair also claiming the Working Families line. Mayor Lee Kyriacou, who unseated two-term Mayor Randy Casale last round, was running unopposed - until last Friday when lifelong resident Reuben Simmons decided to run at the request of those around him, he told ALBB last evening.

Before Reuben entered the race, the Beacon Free Press interviewed Mayor Kyriacou for last Wednesday’s print edition. The newspaper asked him: “What do you think it says that no one is running against you?” Mayor Kyriacou answered: “Well, I certainly can’t speak for those who might have thought about running. What I hope being unopposed says, is that Beacon residents think the city is in good steady hands, that I truly listen to and try to represent everyone in our community, and that I’ve provided strong but inclusive leadership. I guess my track record in Beacon elections - 11 races, 11 wins - may also have been a little daunting; I have knocked on every single door in our city multiple times. I would of course welcome competition - that’s democracy - which makes us stronger and more inclusive.”

A week before that print edition came out, friends of Reuben Simmons began texting friends that Reuben had entered the race as a Mayoral candidate as a write-in candidate. Reuben was born and raised in Beacon, is a 20-year employee of Beacon’s Highway Department; is a co-founder of the volunteer group I Am Beacon which is quietly or loudly behind many signature efforts in Beacon like Turkey On Every Table; at one point production of the the City’s fireworks for the centennial celebration, the This Is Beacon podcast; and other initiatives.

Who Is Reuben Simmons?

Longtime locals to Beacon know Reuben very well. Some know him as Coach Yogi, from when he coached Beacon Bears youth football, and via coaching and leadership of Beacon Hoops, which is youth basketball. Newcomers to Beacon may not know him yet. Readers can listen to this interview with him recorded on Sunday evening at his rally gathering at Max’s on Main.

Picture of the sample ballot. The write-in box is at the bottom. Print clearly and slowly. DO not write a signature. Just write the words in print.

Reuben says his recent decision to run in addition to Mayor Lee Kyriacou, is to give people a choice, he told ALBB at the rally held for him by Richie Kaplan, owner of Max’s on Main. At this stage, Reuben has not performed the traditional campaign things, like raising money, printing and distributing yard signs, going door to door, mailing postcards, etc. It’s just him and his support network of friends and family. With one day away from the election, he is relying on word of mouth in the community to get the word out that he is running.

That, and that people will need to spell his name correctly on the ballot: Reuben Simmons. (HINT: the “e” goes before the “u”).

Reuben maintained that people wanted a choice in how they were voting. He told ALBB: “People said that they want an option. How I feel about politics, I'm not really involved in the political side, I just feel people should have a choice.”

In ALBB’s interview, Reuben describes how, when he was Highway Superintendent, he put together the budget for the Highway Department, which consists of other departments under the umbrella of the Highway Department including City Mechanics Garage, Parks Department, and Transfer Station. Beacon Parks and Recreation Department Director Mark Price crafts and delivers his budget each year.

Regarding Reuben’s Experience Working Hands-On With City Government

ALBB asked Reuben about his 20 year experience working with the City of Beacon, and how that translates to a Mayoral position: “Through just what I do throughout the city through my volunteering, working and meeting and talking with people throughout the city, there was a lot of frustration that people felt like they were handcuffed to an election. They felt like there was a certain party that just has a hold on the election process and doesn't allow other people to run.”

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Over the years, the Democrats have represented in City Council. The Republican and Independent efforts have been almost non-existent.

For example, this year, there was a new attempt to run for City Council Ward 1 by LaStar Gorton, but she seemed to have been shut out, she told ALBB. LaStar attended Reuben’s rally, and spoke to ALBB about her experience trying to get onto the ballot as an Independent. She says she was questioned by Democrat Lisa Jessup about the ballot one hour after she filed. LaStar says that she was questioned regarding her signatures. LaStar was sent an acceptance letter after she filed, but the letter was postmarked one day before she needed to submit her acceptance. She received the mail after the deadline, and was not granted an extension for the unworkable postmark by the Dutchess County Board Of Elections.

ALBB has seen signature blocking before, the last instance being when former Beacon City Councilman Ali T. Muhammad was running for Mayor of Newburgh on the Democratic line. Many of his signatures were rejected by the Board of Elections. Ali explained to ALBB: “They started weaponizing that tactic tool against me since 2016. I’ve won a couple court cases to reverse the ruling. I’ve been disqualified in a couple races because of the rulings and no resources to fix.”

Listen to LaStar’s experience in the interview below, and read about what prompted her to want to run in the first place. Should you want to write her in for Ward 1, there would be nothing stopping you. Ward 1’s current Councilmember, Molly Rhodes, is running unopposed in the Democratic line.

What Qualifies Reuben Simmons?

When ALBB asked what qualifies Reuben, he answered: “I do think I'm a candidate to consider - given my two decades of working and volunteering within the community - the connections I've made through residents, business owners, civic groups, church groups alike. The people asked me. The more and more that people asked me, I looked into it, I do have a good knowledge of how the City operates. I have been working for the Highway Department for 20 years now, straight out of high school. I started as summer intern and worked my way up to Superintendent.”

In terms of crafting budgets, Reuben has the experience: “I had to put together one of the biggest budgets in the City of Beacon that has multiple departments. By running, I'll be learning and working with great people that work with the City, I'll be able to learn and understand how budgets operate, and how the City operates as a whole.”

Before he was Highway Superintendent, Reuben served as the Union President. He served for 7 years, winning 2 terms, and negotiated 2 contracts with the City of Beacon. His second contract was voted by 100% approval rating by all the workers represented by the union the Public Works division. "I take that with pride. I listened to what the workers want. That's the same type of leadership I would bring in to local government. That's the same type of leadership I would bring in to any avenue I have. Listening to the people. This situation I'm in right now, this write-in opportunity, is by response of listening to the people.”

Reuben’s Approach To Zoning and Development In Beacon

ALBB asked Reuben how he would approach zoning in Beacon. Especially now as Rte. 52 is in the spotlight with the Healey car dealership selling their property along that strip. Reuben stated: “I would listen to the residents that live in that area, and how that is going to effect residents as a whole. I have learned a lot about development in this city and the history of it. I think to move forward, we have to understand our history. Right now, I am working with the Beacon Historical Society, The Highlands Current and the Howland Public Library, where I'm learning a lot on what happened during Urban Renewal. A lot of things that we are hearing and learning throughout that, I'm seeing a lot replicated today. I'm willing to bring that aspect of what I'm learning there, and what we can do to move forward for the rezoning on Rte. 52.”

Would Reuben Have Priorities As Mayor In Beacon?

ALBB asked if Reuben would come in with a set of priorities. He answered: “I can't speak to the priorities. This was a last minute move in response to people asking for this. This was not something I was planning. It's not something I was marketing myself for. My experience of working within the City and still being out here volunteering and working, I am confident that I'll be caught up to speed in a good amount of time.”

Overall, Reuben reflected: “It's a collective effort. I'm community-first, community-minded. When it comes to a priority list, or how I make decisions, I make decision not based on what is best for me. I base it off of what I hear in the community. A lot of that is going to be a lot of meetings, and understanding, and talking and round-table discussions. I've seen it operate that way in the past, and I think that's the best way to move forward.”

Where To Vote: Polling Stations For Beacon

The Dutchess County Board of Elections has the locations for Beacon. To find Beacon, look scroll the list for C/Beacon (aka City of Beacon), which is really confusing, as it is not in any kind of alphabetical order.

The Beacon Democrats website makes it more clear, and presents other voting issues to consider on the ballot:

• Ward 1, ED 1 & Ward 2, ED 1 & 2: South Ave. Elementary School, 60 South Ave.

• Ward 1, ED 2 & Ward 4, ED 1 & 2: Beacon Memorial Building, 413 Main St.

• Ward 3, ED 1 & 2: Forrestal Elementary School, 125 Liberty St.

Rally For Reuben Simmons Write-In Candidacy For Mayor Of Beacon At Max's On Main

Reuben Simmons, a lifelong Beaconite, has just decided to run for Mayor in Beacon, as a write-in candidate, at the request of those around him, to give people a choice in an un-opposed mayoral race. Reuben told ALBB that people voiced their frustration at not having a choice in this year’s race, as Mayor Lee Kyriacou runs unopposed in what would be his second term in office as Mayor. Mayor Lee has been in Beacon politics since the 1990s as a City Council member throughout the years.

Article to come on Reuben’s candicacy next. Owner of Max’s on Main, Richie Kaplan, offered to host a rally for Reuben on Sunday evening. Reuben and Richie serve together on the Beacon Parade of Green committee, which is one of several local volunteer committees Reuben serves on. Article to come.

How Accessible Is Finding Shelter For The Night In Beacon? Alexis Rosa Explores Homeless Access In Beacon

Editor’s Note: After FEMA was in Beacon to register people for federal assistance at the Veterans Memorial Building after a hurricane caused damage to some homes, a representative with FEMA who lived out of state asked ALBB where homeless people can go in Beacon. They were approached by a person who needed homeless services, and did not know where to go. This is not the first time ALBB has been approached with this question by people in immediate need, who do not have time to research and apply for programs to maybe be approved, if they even finish or attain an application.

We asked our new writer, Alexis Rosa, a recent graduate from Beacon High School to investigate this process. Alexis set out to find out what it was like to need homeless services right now - tonight - in Beacon.

By Alexis Rosa

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. census reported that at one point in time in 2020 there were 17 homeless people per 10,000 residents. A decrease from the previous years, but any amount more than 0 is too high. In this article, I will explore where someone in Beacon can go if they are going to be homeless that night. But homelessness doesn’t happen without life situations, sometimes contributed by mental illness. Therefore, I explore both mental illness support and home shelters available, and how to access them.

How Dutchess County Handles Mental Health From An Accessibility Perspective

Dutchess County has a mental health problem. To be clear, I am not referring to the amount of people with mental health issues in Dutchess County. I am referring to how we deal with people with mental health issues.

“I think that housing should be considered as infrastructure, meaning that communities should think of housing as a basic need that has to be adequately met in order to have a healthy and productive community”

— Javier Gomez, Hudson River Housing

Most people agree that there is a homelessness crisis, very few people want the solution to be in their backyard.

The fact of the matter is that anyone could find themselves in an emergency situation like this. A dangerous amount of people are one paycheck away from being on the streets. When you find yourself in this situation, what do you do? How easy are these resources to access, really?

Dutchess County has a 24/7 Crisis Hotline listed as being available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year—even on holidays. They offer calling or texting at 845-485-9700 with professional crisis counselors. Knowing how useful and important having the option to text a crisis hotline can be, I was eager to try it out for myself.

Calling Dutchess County’s Hotline

Editor’s Note: We wanted to experience Dutchess County’s Crisis Hotline ourselves, not through them giving a media publication information, as that would be done in a more perfect, optimistic way. We wanted the real experience. We asked Alexis to find out.

I reached out to them through their texting service to see how they might help someone in a crisis situation. I wanted to see about the quality of assistance they offer.

It took a moment, but after the initial text I sent, I was met with the standard chatbot letting me know about messaging rates, and telling me to reply with “Yes” to consent to continued texts. Not even a minute after the bot responses, a counselor was made available to help me, and joined the session.

Counselor: Hi. How can I help you?

Me: I’m going to be homeless tonight and I’m not sure where to go. I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction?

Counselor: I am sorry to hear that. Are you in Dutchess County?

Me: Yes, in Beacon

Counselor: Do you have transportation?

Me: No, I might be able to take the bus though

Counselor: Ok. Have you ever been in any housing in this county before?

Me: No

Counselor: I mean applied for housing OR been to Hudson River Housing in POK?

Counselor: Ok

Me: No, I’m on my own for the first time

Counselor: How old are you if you don’t mind?

Me: 21

Counselor: Ok, so here are some numbers. You can also go to the stabilization center at 230 North Road, Poughkeepsie. They are open 24/7. It is NOT a hospital. They have licensed social workers and mental health counselors who can help you navigate housing. I STRONGLY recommend that you go there ASAP so they have the ability to make calls and help you.

Counselor: Hudson River Housing 845-473-5166

Counselor: Rose House 845-452-2728

Counselor: Alliance House 845-452-5015

Counselor: The PODS (emergency housing) is the same as Hudson river housing.

Counselor: Porchlight Program 845-337-4407

Counselor: Are you safe in this moment?

Me: Yeah I’m safe for now. Is there something I can do if I don’t have money for the bus?

Counselor: IF you have medicaid, you can possible get medicaid transportation

Counselor: Can anyone bring you to Poughkeepsie?

Me: I’m trying to ask around to see if someone can, but I’m not certain right now. How does the medicaid transportation work? Is there a number I can call?

Counselor: Ok I am going to give you the number to stabilization so you can arrange this with them. 845-486-2849. Call them now, so you can make sure you get all the information you need.

After providing me with all the information they could offer me, based on the questions I asked and the answers I gave them, the chat was closed, but only after I gave my okay for the counselor to end the session.

In the short duration of our chat, I learned about multiple places that would offer me assistance, and an alternate form of transportation. Ultimately, I was satisfied with the level of assistance. But considering I wasn’t actually in dire need of these services, and for the sake of this article, I couldn’t just stop there. I reached out via email to multiple companies and organizations all with the same goal of helping people in need find emergency shelter and housing.

Exploring Rose House

Rose House is another organization with a similar goal of assisting those who need housing in the Hudson Valley. They have multiple short term shelters across New York that are available to those in need 24/7, all year round. What’s unique about Rose House is that they are listed as being “peer-operated”, completely run by people who have been in similar situations and wish to give back. I had some trouble finding their website initially, but once I did, I learned that their shelters are available to any one 18 years of age or older living in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Warren, and Washington Counties. There is a screening process for these facilities. Once you become a registered guest at the Rose House, they offer up to a 5 day stay, and assistance with developing skills to better care for and maintain one's mental wellness. The programs they offer are voluntary, and residents can come and go as they please.

Exploring Alliance House

Alliance House is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1987. They follow a “clubhouse model” and that makes anyone who uses their services members, not clients. “To have Membership in an organization means to belong, to fit in somewhere, and to have a place where you are always welcome. For a person living with the effects of mental illness, these simple things cannot be taken for granted. In fact, the reality for most people with mental illness is that they have a constant sense of not fitting in, of isolation, and rejection,” as said by Joel Corcoran, the executive director for Clubhouse International.

Alliance House owns two properties that are exclusively for members. In order to become a member you must be over 18, have a diagnosed mental illness, and not be a safety concern. Your diagnosis has to be an Axis 1 diagnosis, and you need a referral made by a medical professional in which a mental health evaluation and treatment plan must be included. This process of becoming a member is not the easiest by any means, especially considering the waiting period for something as basic as setting up an appointment with a medical professional today. Using this as a solution requires a lot of time.

Exploring Hudson River Housing

Hudson River Housing is a company that prides itself on its life and community improving services. To take a quote from their website, they “create pathways out of homelessness through empowerment, education, and advocacy.” In the economy we are living in today, organizations that are dedicated to preserving affordable housing and ultimately helping to build, and maintain strong communities are becoming more and more of a necessity.

Grassroot organizations are popping up all over with this mission in mind, but companies like Hudson River Housing have been around for a time. What started as a task force quickly evolved. In 1982, Hudson River Housing was officially founded.

Hudson River Housing offers overnight emergency shelter all year round at 150 North Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie. There is a curfew of 6:30 pm. Additional emergency shelters can be found at Webster House for anyone 18 years of age or older. There is a screening process, and guests are expected to meet with a “care manager” to discuss reasons for homelessness and set up a plan for permanent housing. Their website also lists emergency housing for families as well as for runaways or otherwise homeless children and teenagers.

Project Porchlight is a drop in shelter that is listed on the Hudson River Housing website. What that means is, during their hours of operation between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, anyone is welcome. You’ll receive a place to sleep, food, basic supplies, access to showers, and assistance from care managers.

Alexis Interviews Hudson River Housing

I was able to interview Javier Gomez, the Director of Community Development at Hudson River Housing. He was able to answer a lot of questions for me that I was unable to find the answers to on the HRH website, answers to questions that I feel to be important when discussing housing and the resources we have available.

Javier is a Hudson Valley native, and has been a resident of the Hudson Valley since 2002 where he grew up in both Beacon and Wappingers.

As the Director of Community Development, Javier has a wide range of responsibilities that he oversees. Some of those responsibilities include community engagement activities, neighborhood revitalization and community programs, advocacy, partnerships, and impact measurement.

On the topic of the housing crisis being a human rights issue, Javier said that HRH does believe housing to be a human right. It is the vision of HRH for all communities to have sufficient affordable housing for its residents. Everyone should have the opportunity to live in safe, affordable housing that meets their needs regardless of income, family makeup, race or ethnicity, gender, physical or mental health, or any other defining factors.

“To go a little bit further, I think that housing should be considered as infrastructure, meaning that communities should think of housing as a basic need that has to be adequately met in order to have a healthy and productive community,” Javier added.

Javier explained to me that Hudson River Housing is the largest non-profit developer of affordable housing in Dutchess County. They primarily work out of Poughkeepsie, but they do have some reach over in other parts of the Hudson Valley. Hudson River Housing develops and operates a variety of housing and services to meet the diverse housing needs of the people that call the Hudson Valley home. These services range from the aforementioned emergency overnight services to transitional, supportive, and permanent rental housing, as well as homes for first time homebuyers.

In addition to developing and operating affordable housing, HRH also provides other services for people experiencing homelessness or any other housing needs, such as life skills-based care management, job training, homebuyer education. HRH also offers specialized services and housing for youth, elders and veterans, specialized small business support, outreach and neighborhood revitalization programs, and landlord and renter assistance.

I asked Javier what the process of working with Hudson River Housing might look like for someone seeking affordable housing. He explained that people access their housing through a variety of ways. Hudson River Housing has community partners all over the Hudson Valley that provide referrals to people seeking housing, such as the Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services and other social service offices.

For permanent rental housing, there are applications online and in-person, and people will become notified when a unit that meets their needs becomes available. I asked Javier how long it would take to be notified, and he went on to explain that it can be up to a month before you hear anything so HRH encourages people to apply before they find themselves in an emergency situation. They work their way through the wait-list and Javier assured me that nobody gets skipped.

“HRH acknowledges that there is an unmet need for affordable housing in communities throughout the Hudson Valley. ”

— Alexis Rosa, when interviewing Javier Gomez, Hudson River Housing

Since HRH’s establishment in 1982, they have developed over 1,400 housing units and currently co-own or manage over 1,300 affordable housing units across 8 towns and municipalities throughout the Hudson Valley. In 2022, HRH was able to provide emergency shelter and services to 995 adults and 325 youth or young adults. They’ve also offered 91 households their support in moving from emergency housing to permanent housing, and helped 40 households with home buying.

I asked Javier what difficulties HRH faces while trying to get this help to people who need it. He acknowledged that HRH’s most notable challenge is that their emergency and supportive housing is primarily located in the City and Town of Poughkeepsie.

“We’re seeing a rise of people experiencing homelessness throughout Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley, but most of our resources to address homelessness are concentrated in Poughkeepsie. We get calls from towns throughout the region to provide outreach to people who are homeless and, like many of us, these folks have ties to a community that make it difficult for them to leave the town where they live in and uproot to another place where they would need to rebuild their life. If we could create more opportunities for people to enter into housing and get services where they are already, that would go a long way to getting people the help they need to get off of the street.”

Javier noted that people come to them as a last resort whether it be emergency housing, rental assistance, foreclosure prevention counseling, or because they’re about to lose their apartment.

“I think we do a great job at getting people connected to the help they need now to address the housing issue they are going through no matter what it is, and we also strive to get people connected to resources and opportunities that will make it less likely for them to be in this situation again.”

HRH manages their own properties, but they offer property management services to property owners of affordable housing as well. HRH operates similarly to any other property management company; they communicate with tenants, collect rent, maintain properties, and manage leases. What sets them apart, aside from being a nonprofit and all the resources they offer, is that they’re familiar with a broad range of state, local, and federal affordable housing compliance regulations. This knowledge allows them to be able to ensure that properties remain in compliance with those regulations as a part of their service.

Javier had some amazing things to say about the people affected by this crisis and how communities tackle the situation too!

“Homelessness and housing insecurity is caused by a variety of individual and societal factors, and I find that people who don’t work directly in housing will sometimes approach the issue by thinking about how to prevent the circumstances and decisions that may have led to someone becoming homeless or housing insecure. I don't want to take anything away from that because addressing the cause is absolutely important, and HRH is doing that work too, but to offer another perspective preventing housing insecurity is only part of the solution and it is also really important to concern ourselves with the immediate needs of people experiencing housing insecurity, and invest in the resources that help people.”

I asked Javier if he was satisfied with the work that his organization does, and whether or not there was more that they could be doing. He expressed that he thinks HRH is doing a great job with the resources they have, but that HRH acknowledges that there is an unmet need for affordable housing in communities throughout the Hudson Valley.

HRH welcomes any opportunity to form relationships with any communities interested in creating more housing for their residents. If anyone is interested in helping HRH, they do accept donations in the form of financial contributions as well as supplies for their housing. HRH also does work with individuals, companies, and organizations to host fundraisers, as well as an Adopt-a-Night program where people can volunteer to prepare or donate a meal for their housing.

Becoming more engaged in the public approval process for housing in your towns or cities is another great way people can get involved and help. Speak with your local elected officials, talk about why affordable housing matters.

“It’s true that there is a housing crisis across the country, but the decisions about what kind of housing gets built and where takes place at the local level and it's important to be informed about what is going on here in our community and not just what can be done at the national level.”

The other organizations, Rose House and Alliance House, never reached back to me about answering any questions unfortunately, but their websites offered a fair amount of insight. In my quest to find out if the process was easy or hard, I didn’t really get my answer. But, it indicates the answer of accessibility being a long road.

Immediate Shelter Need In An Emergency Situation

For someone needing immediate shelter in an emergency situation, Hudson River housing offered the most accessible solutions. Transportation is another thing entirely. The counselor I spoke to over the hotline did detail that if you have Medicaid, you could possibly get medicaid transportation, but that doesn’t offer a solution for someone who doesn’t have Medicaid.

A bus ride up to Poughkeepsie is $1.75 one way. Poughkeepsie residents do get to ride for free when they’re under the age of 20, however, and there are discounted prices for the elderly, children, and students.

Depending on which bus driver you get, most of them will let you ride on just one payment, but on the weekends there is one bus driver who requires you pay twice if you get on at the wrong bus stop (depending on which way you’re going). $1.75 might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but in an emergency situation it can be a lot harder to make that money than one would think.

Alexis’ Conclusion

“Beacon is a bustling tourist spot now, but what about the people with strong roots here? How are they doing? We as citizens need to be sure we’re asking the right questions to the right people.”

— Alexis Rosa

It’s apparent to me that we as a community need to be more willing to have these life-saving resources more readily available. Housing is, and should be considered, a human right and the property values of our homes are not worth more than the life of a human. You can tell a great deal about whether or not a town or city is thriving based on how they treat their residents who are struggling financially or mentally. Beacon is a bustling tourist spot now, but what about the people with strong roots here? How are they doing? We as citizens need to be sure we’re asking the right questions to the right people.

For new residents who don't know, certain parts of Beacon used to be considered dangerous. Even today a lot of the apartment complexes and certain areas in Beacon still carry that stigma of being dangerous or undesirable to be in. With the cost of living in Beacon continuing to rise, we will continue to see an uptick in crime. Whether or not it will match those levels previously held is uncertain, but what we do know is that when people’s needs go unmet, crime rises.

While I may not have found the answer to the question of whether or not all of these resources are easily accessible, I did learn a lot about resources we have here in the Hudson Valley that I was not previously aware of. As we know, any knowledge is good knowledge. Knowledge is power.

More information on these organizations can be found on their websites and by calling the numbers provided in this article.

New Day/Time!! "SOON IS NOW," Lovers Of Long Dock Park Will Love This Immersive Multi-Performance Curated Around Climate And Eco On Oct. 1

SOON IS NOW, the climate and eco art & live performance festival in Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park is happening on a new date an time, due to last week’s weather. Fitting, being that this performance is all about the climate! This year, it is on the same day as Spirit of Beacon Day, so you have quite a collection of things to do this Sunday.

Important Things You Need To Know:

IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Resistance Revival Chorus, coming to Beacon for “Soon Is Now” at Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park. On October 1 at 3pm.

SOON IS NOW is from 12pm-3:30pm. Multiple performances happen throughout the nature in the park, ending with the finale of the famous The Resistance Revival Chorus performing at 3pm. Tours take people through the different performances and run every half hour starting at: 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm. If you miss the start of a tour, you could wander around the park and fall into a group.

Lovers of Long Dock Park will get to experience it in a way they have never experienced it before. Located along the Hudson River, this park is mainly covered in tall grasses with winding paths cut through, surrounded by dunes of other grasses, shaded by trees and rocky beach along the water.

WHAT PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE ON THE TOURS

Tours will start at the River Center (big Red Barn). Walk straight to the dancers on the berm ahead of the River Center. Walk through the native grasses and the aster and sunflowers currently in bloom, and continue to the shore of the Hudson River. Performances will be seen all along the rocky beach - 3 performances in total. At the edge of the beach is a performance in a bog in the wetlands. The wetlands! The group will then go to the Outdoor Classroom, which is a mini concrete amphitheater located down low in what feels like a sunken part of the tall grasses. People will experience theater in this spot. People will make their way back across the park, past the kayak shelter to go straight ahead to meet a dancer again where they dance with 5 trees.

WHO YOU WILL SEE

Come to the park to see the visual arts exhibition in the River Center (Big Red Barn) with work by Camille Seaman, Jaanika Peerna and Jean Brennan. Meet climate activists from Beacon Climate Action Now and Climate Reality, and sign up for a tour.

This event is FREE of charge and open to the public and there are so many wonderful artists (many from Beacon) participating: Edwin Torres, Andrew Brehm, Elise Knudson, Elisa Santiago, Twinkle Burke and more. Click here for more details >

3PM: THE RESISTANCE REVIVAL CHORUS

Beaconites and those located nearby are in luck, as they get to experience The Resistance Revival Chorus up from NYC to sing a closing concert at 3pm. The Number Seven Sandwich Food Truck located near the River Center in Long Dock Park will have food for sale.

PARKING & DRIVING NOTES

The 46th annual Spirit of Beacon Day is happening up the hill on Beacon’s’ Main Street. A few notes for parking and driving down to Long Dock Park:

12pm-1:30pm Wolcott Avenue will be closed from Beekman Street (Giannetta’s Salon Spa) to Beekman Street (Rose Hill Manor Day Care), as Spirit of Beacon Parade participants will be lining up there. If coming from the south (Cold Spring), take 9D all the way, or if in Beacon, take Teller Avenue down to Beekman (Rose Hill Manor Day Care) and take a left on Beekman, which will take you past the Dia and to the park.

If coming from the north (1-84) take Wolcott/9D to Beekman (Giannetta’s Salon Spa) and take a right on Beekman. Pass Two Way Brewery and Brett’s Hardware all the way around until Long Dock Park.

Free parking is at the Metro North Beacon Train Station. The Spirit of Beacon Day will have a special FREE Dutchess County Bus that is shuttling people from the train up to Main Street from 11am-4:40pm. You can take it to help you experience both events.

Main Street in Beacon will be blocked from Key Food to the Yankee Clipper Diner, so take Henry Street if you want to go around Main Street for any reason.

City Of Beacon Allows Beacon Farmers' Market and Flea Market To Be Open On Spirit Of Beacon Day Rain Date

“When I adopted the role of Chair for the Spirit of Beacon Day last year,” said Katie Hellmuth, “I and the new Committee members learned that both the Beacon Farmers’ Market and Beacon Flea Market were ordered by their contracts with the City of Beacon to be closed on the Spirit of Beacon Day. Which was an agreement set up years ago, before this administration. This was to open up parking in both the DMV parking lot and the Henry Street parking lot - which are both free municipal lots - on those days,” Katie told A Little Beacon Blog.

“Beacon has a parking problem. Closing the markets should not be a bandaid solution to fixing that for one weekend of a community festival.”

— Katie Hellmuth, Chair of the Spirit of Beacon Day

“From our first organizational meeting with the City of Beacon last year, which included the City Administrator Chris White, Police Chief Sans Frost, and Lt. Jason Walden, we asked for both markets to be open. Knowing that if you open the Farmers Market, you have to also open the Flea Market,” Katie said. “Opening both markets would enhance the whole day, and connect the west end of Beacon’s Main Street with the Spirit of Beacon Day blocked off section. Often what happens is that the middle of Main Street is a bottle-neck of people. We want the people to also experience both ends of Main Street. The east end near the mountain is a whole different story but we want people there too.”

Beacon has a known parking problem. The city is running out of space to absorb cars wanting to park near Main Street. A parking garage has been floated, but has not yet been accepted by the public.

“For so many reasons, the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee wanted the Beacon Farmers’ Market to be open on the big day. But, Police Chief Frost and Lt. Walden were afraid of a repeat scenario of the Cupcake Festival,” Katie told ALBB. “During that festival, so many tourists came in, and parked all over the place. In organizational meetings, Lt. Walden was adamant that we keep the DMV and Henry Street parking lots closed but open to the public,” Katie said.

According to Katie, Chief Frost was willing to consider opening the parking lots for the following year, but he wasn’t comfortable for 2023. A huge fan of the Spirit of Beacon Day, Chief Frost anticipated a lot of people, and he wanted to accommodate them.

“Beacon has a parking problem. Closing the markets should not be a bandaid solution to fixing that for one weekend of a community festival.”

— Katie Hellmuth

However, the DMV parking lot is consistently under-used. On regular weekends, tourists don’t to know to park there. Despite new signage designed by the Main Street Access Committee. On their 2022 de-briefing, sources say that Katie asked Lt. Walden if the DMV lot was full on Spirit of Beacon 2022. According to sources, he confirmed that it was not.

This year, when the Spirit of Beacon Day went to rain date, which was possibly the 2nd time in its 46 year history, it forced a reconsideration of the rain date. “Once the tropical storm was strengthening, we didn’t know what direction the storm was going to go in. We feared the kids being out in that weather. We had done our homework and knew which of our service vendors and performers were still available the following weekend. So we quickly postponed the Spirit of Beacon Day and alerted all of our vendors so that they could prepare for the following weekend instead,” Katie said.

As for the Farmers’ Market, the procedure for the rain date maybe be unprecidented between the City of Beacon and the Farmers’ Market and Flea Market. “We knew this postponement would impact the Farmers Market. That they would still be closed on our original date because of the short notice. In my own heart of hearts, I knew that there was no way the Farmer’s Market was not going to be open on the rain date. I was texted by my farmer friends, asking what was going to happen for the rain date. I told them I didn’t know. I didn’t know if this was spelled out in their contract,” Katie said. “This is not an agreement between the Spirit of Beacon Day and the Farmers’ Market. It is between the City of Beacon and the two markets. Closing the markets is not the Spirit of Beacon’s preference.”

“What I didn’t tell them,” she continued “was that I was planning a full court press to get them open on the Spirit of Beacon Day rain date. And hopefully every year after this.” The City of Beacon and Dutchess County are discussing developing the DMV lot, which if built, would result in construction in that parking lot as well as a smaller parking lot for the Farmers’ Market. The City Council and City Planner have been discussing it in their last few meetings.

“Beacon has a parking problem,” Katie continued. “Closing the markets should not be a bandaid solution to fixing that for one weekend of a community festival.”

The rain date situation challenged the contract between the City of Beacon and the Farmers’ Market and the Flea Markets. “The panic that this rain date caused the Farmers’ Market participants was unprecedented. The market vendors depend on the Beacon Farmers Market (and Cold Spring, and other markets) to make payroll for themselves and their staff.”

It is unknown to ALBB at this time what the contract says about the event of a rain date. “The Farmers Market managers were inquiring with the Spirit of Beacon Committee as to how they could be open on the big day in any way. Before the postpone date happened. We didn’t know. Since the police gave their answer, and the City Administrator advised us and them to simply absorb the 50+ market vendors into the Spirit of Beacon’s 80+ vendors, without extending the closing of Main Street to accommodate that. We didn’t know what to do,” Katie told ALBB.

After the postponement to rain date, the Market managers, Hampton Fluker and Amy Bandolik, did their own full court press to get representation at the Spirit of Beacon Day. The Spirit of Beacon Committee set to their map-making of fitting in the 50+ vendors from the Farmers Market. Which was in addition to the 80+ vendors the Spirit of Beacon was responsible for. Katie agreed to take a meeting with Hampton and Amy to figure out how to make it work at 5pm on Monday.

“We tried every lot. I emailed landowner Joe Donovan for permission to use every grass space he has on the west end of Main Street,” Katie told ALBB. “Jeana Pearl Fletcher, the Spirit of Beacon Secretary and landscape architect, used her best skills to fit in all of the tables on our new map. Board Member Junior Dabashi was hopeful that maybe we could squeeze the tables close to each other. I mean, we were trying, because the City of Beacon was denying the markets use of the parking lots for the two years I asked the City to allow them to be open. But I couldn’t see how all of these tables could fit,” Katie said.

“When I inquired with farmer vendors, Farmer Carrie of Eggbert’s Free Range Farm told me that she preferred to stay at the DMV because she has a double-wide tent and needs her refrigerated van to re-supply her inventory. The Farmers Market managers confirmed to me that there were about 7 other vendors like that. This seemed crazy to fit them in a confined space, where no regular customer-base would know where to find them,” Katie concluded.

In the end, the Beacon Farmers Market managers collected many testimonials from vendors on how detrimental the financial impact was on them, and sent them to the City of Beacon, requesting that the Farmers’ Market be included in any Spirit meeting with City Officials. In addition, customers of the market wanted the Farmers’ Market open on the big day of the Spirit of Beacon. “How can they not be a part of the day?” expressed Spirit of Beacon board member Jeana.

By Monday at 3:30pm, the City Administrator Chris emailed Katie to inform her that both markets would be open, but stressed, “This does not mean it is going to be allowed next year.” Via email to Katie, he added: “While this might cause some issues with parking, it is not fair to them to lose two weekends in a row.” This meant that the Farmers Market and Spirit of Beacon did not need to have their own planning meeting at 5pm to get this desired result, and Katie did not need to have a 3rd meeting with the City to advocate for this again across the table.

The Farmers’ Market made their announcement via Instagram: “We are delighted to announce that we have emerged victorious in our endeavor to operate the @beaconfarmersmarket on (and in conjunction with) @spiritofbeaconday ❤️🥬🎉 We are deeply grateful to each and every one of you (Beaconites & beyond) for your unwavering dedication and heartfelt testimonials, which have played a pivotal role in making this possible. As the market team, we are privileged to have the opportunity to serve our small business vendors, farmers & makers and to provide fresh food (and more) to our community.”

It is the position of the Spirit of Beacon Day that both markets be allowed to be open on the Spirit of Beacon Day forever. From the Spirit of Beacon Day’s statement: “The Spirit of Beacon Day fully recommends that this forced closure be removed from both contracts of the Beacon Farmers Market and Beacon Flea Market. We need them. We need both markets to help people move throughout the city. And the markets need regularity to prosper and survive.”

Spirit of Beacon Day 2023 To Shine On Sunday September 24 - Keeping the Spirit In Weather

What would be a Spirit of Beacon Day without a weather debate? Beaconites are a durable bunch. We are usually threatened by something, and we usually overcome through much perseverance. This time, there is rain on the horizon, but it’s possible that A. it may pour and pass before Sunday and B. avoid Beacon if we are protected just right between the mountain and the river, perhaps getting some drizzle.

We haven’t checked with the Historical Society, but we are told by past Spirit committee members that the Spirit of Beacon Day has never gone to a rain date. Said the current Chair of the Spirit of Beacon Day and publisher of this blog and article, Katie Hellmuth: “It has even been asked if it should have a rain date at all, so as to avoid this agonizing debate of to go or not to go to a rain date.”

Spirit of Beacon Day will hold the line and stay at September 24, 2024.

Inside The Decision Making Of Marching On

“We have contracts with vendors, but unfortunately, we do not have a contract with The Weather,” said Katie. “If it rains the following weekend, as well as this weekend, then we will have lost all of this momentum. The Spirit of Beacon Day is not just a day you can snap your fingers at to move to the next weekend. Yes, there are logistics that can be rebooked. But for every 1 person we sent an email to about Parade and Tables, they are connected to 10-50 other people in the community. The community has been pushing themselves so hard, with much excitement, to do this. And the day is here. It has arrived. We as a committee are embracing it. To be Beacon means to go with it and make it work. We didn’t want to risk bad weather the following weekend.”

If you want to see inside of the mind of one of the people making this decision, you could watch the video below.

Super Last Chance To Register For Spirit Of Beacon Day Parade 2023

The Spirit of Beacon Day Committee has announced that this is your very last chance to register to march or perform in the parade on Sunday, September 24, 2023. Even if you have rolled in this parade for the past X number of years, you still need to register.

They need to get your email into their spreadsheet to send you updates.

Register Here - Right Now!

Spirit Of Beacon Day Announces Musical Lineup for 2023!

A Little Beacon Blog is a Media Sponsor of the Spirit of Beacon Day 2023. We are pleased to announce the musical lineup for the day, to help you plan which end of Main Street you want to be at, to hear which music when. We have reprinted in full their 2023 Musical Lineup in full:

Two musical stages are returning for this year’s Spirit of Beacon Day: The Main Stage at Veterans Place (next to Post Office and Towne Crier), and the garden at Cross Street. This year will mark the final year (most likely) for the Cross Street garden, as the building that has been slated there for years is finally going into construction. The landowners have graciously allowed the Spirit of Beacon Day to have one more concert there before the shovels go in. So…come to move your body as a final send-off to that location!

Music will begin from 11am-1pm at both stages. At 1pm, the music will pause as the parade comes through Main Street. Music at both stages will pick up again from 2-4pm. Thank you to Goldee Green for being our Musical Spirit Coordinator for Veterans Place, and to Stephen Claire of Beacon Music Factory for curating the stage at Cross Street.

Musical Lineup at Veterans Place Stage

Beginning at 11am:

Beacon Players Drama Club
School of Rock Band
GG & The Shades

Musical Lineup at Cross Street Stage

Beginning at 11am:

Mystery Band
The Dummy Lights

Spirit of Beacon Volunteer Award Announcement at Pohill Park:

Beginning at 12:30pm:

The Spirit of Beacon Volunteer Awards will be announced at Pohill Park, with the help and amplification of K104, who is returning this year to announce parade participants (thank you, Woodman and the K104 team!). This year, the Spirit of Beacon Committee is awarding the following people for their unwavering support and commitment to the City of Beacon:

Susan Antalek: For her decades of support both financial and volunteer for community of Beacon.
Gwenno James: For her commitment in various volunteer roles, and chairing and keeping alive the Spirit of Beacon Day during the pandemic.
Karen James: For her dedication to volunteering to various events and causes around the City of Beacon over the years.
Carman Johnson: For her ever-present volunteering and supportive efforts to whatever is needed to help the community of Beacon succeed.

Musical Lineup at Veterans Place Stage

Beginning at 1pm:

Beacon Players Drama Club
School of Rock Band
GG & The Shades

Musical Lineup at Veterans Place

Beginning at 2pm:

Bosco and the Storm
Beacon Rising Choir
TonyE

Musical Lineup at Cross Street Stage

Beginning at 2pm:

Beacon Music Factory Students
Watson
Entropy Machine
Beacon Youth Jazz Orchestra (rumor has it this group is morphing into an Afrobeat direction…this is your chance to follow them)

SOON IS NOW - A Festival Of Climate And Eco Art, Performance And Activism - Here In Beacon - September 23, 2023

SOON IS NOW is an afternoon of art and live performance about climate change and the ecological in Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park, a former industrial site and brownfield transformed by Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects, the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, and others, into a sustainable park on the Hudson River in Beacon, NY. This site is on the unceded land of the Wappinger, in a region with a vital history of environmentalism rooted in Scenic Hudson’s fight to save Storm King Mountain from industry and Pete Seeger’s fight for an unpolluted Hudson River.

Twinkle Burke, What We Give Back, by Madeline Sayet, photo by Lucas Millard 

Audience walking to the next performance, photo by Flynn Larsen

Part reverence for the River, part cry for what is lost to climate chaos, part response to the pollution and rejuvenation of the park's ecosystem, SOON IS NOW places art in conversation with the landscape and brings audiences into an immersive experience with original works. 

Actors, dancers, musicians, performance and visual artists are curated throughout the park (many of them Beacon-based): Edwin Torres, Alex Waterman, Raven Chacon, Bob Bellerue, Koyoltzintli, Elise Knudson, Elisa Santiago, Randy Burd, Cecilia Fontanesi, Tom King, Jim Fletcher, Jaanika Peerna, Twinkle Burke, Jojo Gonzalez, Camille Seaman, Andrew Brehm and Jean Brennan.

Edwin Torres, Water’s Way: A Poet’s Choir for the Hudson River with E.J. McDonald, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Tamalyn Miller, Kristin Prevallet, Urayoán Noel, Jayden Featherstone. photo by Flynn Larsen  

The Resistance Revival Chorus will be performing a special concert at 5pm including a new song about climate change. 

The Resistance Revival Chorus, photo by Ginny Suss

On SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd at 2pm the day starts at the River Center (the red barn) in Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park with a visual arts exhibition. Meet activists including Beacon Climate Action Now, Climate Reality Hudson Valley & Catskills and Fareground, and learn what you can do. Sign up for an 80 minute tour of performances throughout the park that start at 2:30, 3pm and 3:30pm, first come, first served. Even if you don't get on a tour you will be able to experience performance, visual art in the River Center and the concert by The Resistance Revival Chorus at 5pm. Poppy's Farm 2 Trailer food truck will be at the event selling tacos. Parking at Long Dock Park is limited. Park at the Metro North Beacon Train Station where all parking spots are free on the weekends, a short walk to the event. Free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by Climate Reality Hudson Valley & Catskills and HV Climate Solutions Week. Part of Climate Change Theatre Action's 2023 season. Funded by Arts Mid-Hudson, the Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts administered by Beacon Arts, and many local businesses and individuals. 

Tom King, photo by Lucas Millard

Jaanika Peerna, Glacier Elegy, photo by Flynn Larsen

Liz Zito, Eric Magnus, Andrew Brehm, The Oysters, by Miranda Rose Hall, photo by Lucas Millard

Elise Knudson, Sentinels, photo by Flynn Larsen

For more information: soonisnow.org or contact evemorgenstern@gmail.com.

About Eve Morgenstern:

Eve Morgenstern, Director/Founder/Producer is a photographer and filmmaker. She has been awarded artist residencies at The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace and MacDowell, and grants for her work from The New York State Council on the Arts, Chicken and Egg Pictures, The George Gund Foundation, The Park Foundation and Arts Mid-Hudson. Her environmental film Cheshire, Ohio has screened in festivals in the US, Canada and Asia and is distributed by Bullfrog Films and ovid.tv . Her photographic project Facades of Crises had its solo Museum premiere at Bildmuseet in Umeå, Sweden. Eve is also co-chair of her Climate Reality Hudson Valley & Catskills chapter. She lives in Beacon, NY with her daughter Chloe and her beloved mutt Amber. “This started as an experiment to produce plays from Climate Change Theatre Action, a project that uses storytelling and live performance to foster dialogue about our global climate crisis. The project grew to include visual art and original live performance created in dialogue with the site. The idea to curate works throughout Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park as a tour for audiences is intentional and meaningful as this site was once a brownfield, remediated and revisioned into a beautiful climate resilient public park on the Hudson River.”

CREDITS SOON IS NOW:

Eve Morgenstern, Founder, Director

Connie Hall, Producer

Brian Mendes, Producer

ALBB is a Media Sponsor of this event, and is proud to partner to help get the word out.

Day 6 Of The Broken Traffic Light At Beacon's Intersection For Middle and High Schools

On the morning of the 1st day of school (Tuesday), at around 7:00am, the traffic light at Matteawan and Verplanck broke. This is the intersection for the High School and Middle School drop-off near the track known as Hammond Track, where cars are coming and going to go to work and/or drop off kids at school.

Additionally, kids are on bikes who go through the intersection. Kids also walk. Or coast in groups across the crosswalk. It’s a high-volume intersection for cars, pedestrians and bikers alike.

By Wednesday morning, it wasn’t clear at first for some that the traffic light had stopped working. It was not blinking at that point. Just a solid red for those on Matteawan, and green for those on Verplanck. There is a No Turn On Red sign on Matteawan when turning right onto Verplanck (when the schools are behind you), so the long line of cars on Matteawan who had finished their drop-offs is an expected one. But on the first days of school with this light broken, the line was extra long and not moving. Turning right became more of a risk, as drivers were turning out into cars who had the green.

After some time on Wednesday, later in the morning for Middle School drop-off, a Beacon Police officer had arrived to direct traffic. An officer also assisted in the afternoon for when school let out. Traffic direction from the Beacon Police had been inconsistent but present during drop-off hours, as they may have been called to other emergencies.

So far, the traffic light has been broken from Tuesday - Sunday. In Beacon’s City Code, there is a requirement that a traffic light be at that intersection. It reads: “Traffic control signals shall be installed and operated at the intersection of those streets described in Schedule I below.” The intersection of Matteawan and Verplanck are listed. But the Code does not indicate who is to make what phone call to get the traffic light fixed. When the Dummy Light was hit by a city employee during milling of Main Street before it got paved, the Highway Department restored that light. It is not confirmed if the Highway Department or a different member of the City is responsible for making arrangements to have this traffic light fixed.

The crossing signals at Verplanck and Matteawan are also out, along with the traffic light. They have been out from Monday (9/5/2023) - Sunday (9/10/2023) so far.

After the traffic light was switched to a cautionary blinking red light on the Matteawan side, and a blinking yellow light on the Verplanck side, cars did proceed with less confusion. But some cars still passed through the intersection with uncertainty.

The crosswalk signs are also broken. Pedestrians and bikers have to cross when they see no cars. Being that the track is a destination for the community and students alike, not to mention all of the baseball fields and the turf field behind the high school, people are always crossing this crosswalk on foot, on bike or in car.

USPS Hosts An "Open House" For Beacon's Mail To Visit Newburgh Facility, But Beacon Bridge Traffic Is Too Bad To Get There - What Does This Mean For Beacon's Mail?

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has decided to pull mail operations from several Post Offices across the country, including Beacon, NY.

The Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, who was appointed by Trump, has declared that this decision is in the name of cutting costs, in his 10 year plan. You can hear DeJoy describe this plan in his own words in this forum, which shows DeJoy’s lust for package delivery, and dismissal for mail/letter delivery. Highly recommend the listen, as you may not usually hear DeJoy speak in the news. He speaks plainly here, including how he was “spooned” COVID money, which he used to build this 10 year plan to slow the mail (but not packages).

At the heart of this plan, is to pull mail carriers (the people who deliver your mail to your mailbox at your house or apartment) from their local Post Offices, and have them go to a large facility that several other municipalities (communities) will also report to now. This facility will most likely be far from the zip code where the mail is being delivered to. For Beacon, this means that all mail carriers are going to Newburgh each morning to pick up the mail, then drive to Beacon, then drive back to Newburgh to park their trucks and do it all again the next day.

When this news first hit Beacon, people feared that Beacon’s Post Office might close. They were reassured by Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White, who was reassured by a local post master, that Beacon’s Post Office would indeed not be closed because it was such a high-volume location.

However, the clerks who work the desk at Beacon’s Post Office have since taken jobs elsewhere - as enforced by the USPS - reducing the Beacon Post Office to 1.5 clerk workers. One regular clerk for Beacon was recently in a bad accident, according to the clerk’s Union president Diana Cline, so the clerks Beaconites are seeing now are new to the community.

These clerks are PTF aka “Part Time Flexible Career” staff, says Diana. “Now, Jackie is still there until Saturday, but then she gets excessed to Peekskill,” Diana told ALBB. “Beacon has been borrowing PTF’s. Not sure how many hours Saturday. I heard PTF from Germantown and Gardener will be there. Neither knows the office or PO Box customer names." If someone in their home office calls out Saturday, they would have to be there instead of home hours rule.”

When ALBB checked in at Beacon’s Post Office this week to confirm the union’s speculation, we met one new worker, who was young white man, who said he’d most likely be there indefinitely most likely after next week. The next day, a different man was working the desk, who was an older Indian man. Right before closing, two older white women who were enjoying the air conditioning of the building while holding their purse dog, were upset when the employee promptly shut the service metal window at 5pm. While the women had been talking casually for several minutes, they shouted at the older employee after he closed the window: “Can’t you look one more time?!?” When he finished closing the window, they proceeded to call him an “asshole” twice.

The women may not be familiar with union rules, whereby at 5pm, the Post Office closes. And the metal window shuts, and no one is an asshole for following their worker rules.

Tonight’s “Open House” To The Newburgh Mail Facility Was Hard To Get To - What Does That Mean For Regular Mail?

ALBB has driven to the Newburgh mail facility before: (“Over The River, Across The Bridge, Through The Woods - This Will Be The New Commute That Beacon Mail Carriers Will Drive If Proposal Happens (Already Happening Elsewhere)"). We wanted to see what the drive was like for the local mail carriers. In their rickety mail trucks that go about 40mph across the bridge, because they haven’t been given new trucks or vans. No union president or employee has been able to confirm to ALBB if newer trucks are being provided. DeJoy was awarded eco trucks from his COVID money, but it’s not clear if that includes any mail trucks in Beacon, NY.

Starting next week, the Beacon mail carriers will drive to Newburgh indefinitely. As for the PO Box mail, Diana warned: “The PO Box mail won’t get there until the window is already open, so clerks have to wait on customers and put mail away at the same time.”

It’s Not The Post Office Employees Fault - It’s Federal - It’s Louis DeJoy’s Design

The most important thing to keep in mind during these Post Office changes is that it is not the employees fault for things to be hard. The employees are being shipped to different locations and are bound by tight union rules. If one thinks that the mail is slow, there is a reason. By design, the mail is slow. One should not take it out on the employee. Take it up with Louis DeJoy who is designing this atmosphere to kill the mail, and compete against “frenemies” like Amazon (his words) for package delivery (listen to him say “frenemies” it in that forum).

Zero letter/package carriers will report from the Beacon building. Only 1.5 clerks will be working there, and they may be rotating and different. No business would make this decision for a thriving retail business on Main Street. Unless they were trying to torture and kill their business in a slow death.

The truck parking lot behind the Beacon Post Office will hold….we aren’t sure. Since all of the little rickety mail trucks will be going back and forth over the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge at least twice per day.

PS: Tonight - the power went out in Newburgh because of the severe thunderstorm watch that was also noted in the traffic app. Not only was there an accident on the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge, there was a thunderstorm on the other end in Newburgh.

Before you complain to your Beacon mail carrier about anything you are unsatisfied with about the mail, consider instead taking it up with federal carrier unions, Loius DeJoy, and Joe Biden for allowing DeJoy to still hold the Post Master General position.

Yes, this was a bias article. Sorry not sorry. Will get back to neutral fact reporting in the next one. But for now, this Post Office mail issue is so difficult to report on, namely because it is so absurd, that we have to state issues the way they are stated.

Pictured below are ALBB flashbacks of traffic in Beacon before even getting to the bridge for tonight’s 6pm “Open House.” ALBB didn’t go, and instead, wrote this article. Hopefully pictures of the rare opportunity to go into the Newburgh mail facility will be sent in.

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Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Awarded $47K For Rescue UTV For Mountanous Terrain and Large Events

The Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc. (BVAC) has been awarded $47,000 from Dutchess County’s Municipal Investment Grant (MIG) Program, as was announced today. Said Said Nick Scarchilli, Chief of Operations: "BVAC will use the investment to locate, treat and transport lost and/or injured hikers along the Hudson Highlands and Mount Beacon trails, as well as at large-scale public events, which will help to expedite response times for emergency medical calls.”

Photo Credit: Deborah Cortes, EMT-B, for Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

BVAC will purchase a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) and accessories for mountain rescue operations and large-scale community events. Deborah Cortes, EMT-B and head of Public Relations for BVAC told A Little Beacon Blog: “It is the intention that we will purchase the unit as soon as possible. The UTV is a resourceful unit to assist in the extraction of injured hikers off of Mount Beacon by allowing our crews to safety navigate through the rough terrain of the mountain. Future plans include continuing to respond to mountain calls, standbys, and training personnel for efficient operations.”

BVAC has had to make rescues on Mount Beacon before, like the one pictured here in 2019. Deborah Cortes, EMT-B for BVAC remembers the scene like this: “This rescue started in the dark hours of the evening, ending in the early morning hours. We do go up in the daytime and continue to train but, we need better. ESPECIALLY when we go up the mountains this late at night lasting hours long.”

At that time, BVAC described the situation as this: “At around 20:40 p.m last night The Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Mobile Life Ambulance was dispatched to a call on Mt. Beacon for a lost and injured hiker experiencing shortness of breath. The BVAC ATV rode up with 2 BVAC EMT's, Mobile life paramedic and NYS Park Police as far as possible near the fire tower. 1 crew member remained with the polaris while the rest of the crew departed on foot to meet up with lost & injured. The hikers were safely brought down to an awaiting ambulance on the bottom of the mountain where the injured was reassessed. All equipment was back in service shortly before midnight. ** BVAC EMT's & Mobile Life Medic were in touch with the hikers via cell phone the whole time while attempting to make contact closely monitoring the injured hikers condition.”

Antony Tseng, Program Director with BVAC, recalls these situations where the UTV was needed:

• We have deployed the UTV for a search of a patient at University Settlement where there was no access road for vehicles.

• During one of the ice storms, where we could not climb up a sloped driveway, we were able to use the UTV gain access to the patient.

• We used the UTV to support the marathon on the Walkway Over The Hudson (Poughkeepsie) in 2015.

• We helped bring up tools to the Mt. Beacon Fire Tower with the UTV when it was being restored before its grand reopening in 2013.

BVAC is its own entity. The City of Beacon only started funding it in recent years, after the City Of Beacon hired a for-profit ambulance service to service the city. During that time, BVAC advocated very vocally to Beacon’s City Council and City Administrator Chris White for funding after years of volunteering to serve the city and making their own investments through fundraisers.

Donate to the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps. at any time by clicking here. According to their website: “BVAC is the only volunteer ambulance service operating in Dutchess County. Seven BVAC employees and 35 volunteers respond to approximately 247 calls per month. BVAC depends on fundraisers and contributions of any size at any time. BVAC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all contributions are tax deductible.”

Artwork Deadline September 1 For Beacon Bus Shelters From BeaconArts

BeaconArts is the group behind the changing art on the bus shelters in Beacon, and the time has come to change the art again. After a recent round of fundraising which included a benefit concert, BeaconArts raised the funds needed to refresh the artwork on 5 bus shelters located throughout the city.

Artwork needs to be submitted by Friday, September 1st via this link. Submissions need to be from BeaconArts members (you can join here - membership starts at $100/year).

Artists will be asked to submit digital files that will be printed on vinyl and displayed on the shelter panels.

Submission guidelines:

• All applicants must be BeaconArts members.

• BeaconArts is looking for artwork that has a strong graphic quality and can be viewed from a distance.

• The final artwork will consist of two 50" w x 60" h panels.

• The artwork selected should fit within the proportions of the bus shelter panels

• Submissions must be jpg files, 1000 x 1200 pixels at 72dpi

• If selected, artwork must be delivered as high resolution files, 50 x 60 inches at 300 dpi

Vinyl printing and installation are provided by BeaconArts at no charge to the artist.

Beacon Back 2 School Block Party Invites Community To Celebrate & Prepare For School

South Avenue Park at Loopers Plaza is firing it up again with the Beacon Back 2 School Event from I Am Beacon and Key Food on Saturday, August 19, 2023 from 12-3pm. This event is known for signalling the final days of summer with a cookout in the park, accompanied by several vendors at tables providing information to kids, parents and caregivers, as well as basketball games being played down below at Loopers Court.

Co-founder of I Am Beacon, Reuben Simmons told the Beacon Free Press this week: “Although we host with Key Food, this event is a true collaboration in every sense of the word. Beacon Recreation Department, Beacon City School District, and the Beacon Hoops Summer Basketball program. I enjoy providing a platform for so many of our community organizations to come out and share their information.”

Participating Organizations

Participating organizations this year include: Girl Scouts of the Hudson Valley, Cub Scouts Pack 1, Boy Scouts Troop #41, Brain and Body Coalition, Tradition Christmas Tree Lighting, Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, St Andrews & St. Lukes Episcopal Church, Growing & Empowering Myself and My Sisters (GEMMS), A Little Beacon Blog, Beacon Elks Lodge #1493, Salem Tabernacle, Tara’s Mission| Flip !t 4 Human Rights, Highlands Current, Conservation Advisory Committee, Staples, Beacon Climate Action Now, City of Beacon Police, Beacon Dental, and Contender eSports Gaming Center Hudson Valley.

Food and Entertainment

Key Food will be providing burgers, hot dogs and drinks for sale or by donation but is not required for those in need. HOPE Church is bringing the grill. “It takes a village!” co-founder Brooke Simmons told A Little Beacon Blog. Proceeds from the sale of food will go to I Am Beacon’s Class in a Bag program, which provides full backpacks and school supplies to students in need in the Beacon City School District grades K-12.

All Star Games from the Beacon Hoops Summer program start at 10am and go through the morning.

School supplies will be collected throughout the day. A small bus will be on-site, and attendees are encouraged to help "stuff the bus" with donated school supplies. DJ King Cyrus will be playing music throughout the event, which will end with a raffle draw.

A Little Beacon Blog will be offering face painting. A portion of the sales will be donated to I Am Beacon, and the rest helps us publish this publication. Donation recommended but not required. We will paint anyone.

How It Works

To get a free bag of school supplies, students will be given a “Student Passport,” and are required to collect “stamps” from each vendor’s booth. Cards will only be handed out for the number of bags available.

South Avenue Park | South Avenue Park is located at 9D and South Avenue. The address is 98 South Avenue, Beacon, NY 12508. The event takes place in the open area between the tennis court and basketball court, and below the climbing playground and Beacon Recreation Center.