UPDATE: Mystery Flyer About Tuesday Book Club For Parents

UPDATE [7/12/2019]: We should have scanned the QR code right off the bat. This is for a specific book about parenting. It has been removed from our “Repeating Meetings + Events Guide” because the title should have been on this flyer, and not been disguised. We are leaving the article up in case any others were checking back for updated information.

UPDATE [7/12/19]: This Book Club is actually a mystery. We have not attended it yet, and haven’t heard from anyone who has. If you have information, please email editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com. Thanks!

The 16th Annual Great Newburgh to Beacon Hudson River Swim - Registration Closes Friday, July 19!

The River Pool at Beacon is hosting the 16th annual Great Newburgh to Beacon Hudson River Swim on Saturday, July 20, 2019 (rain date is Sunday, July 21). All swimmers must pre-register to swim by Friday, July 19, 2019. Registration on race day will not be allowed.

The race is a wonderful opportunity for experienced swimmers to swim about one mile (72 lengths of a standard 25-yard pool) across the Hudson River and raise funds to benefit the nonprofit volunteer organization River Pool at Beacon (a 501c3 tax-exempt organization). You can also learn more about the River Pool from this article we published about their 2018 opening.

Swimmers will check in on the Newburgh side of the river at Water Street, between 3rd St. and 4th St. (UNICO Park Plaza) between 8:30 and 10:15 am. Swimmers must be at least 10 years old, but swimmers ages 10-17 need certification of ability signed by a coach or athletic director.

Family and friends are encouraged to drop off swimmers in Newburgh, watch them start the race, then drive across the bridge to Beacon to greet them as they come out of the water. There will be light snacks, food, and beverages available for purchase on the Beacon riverfront.

Kayak Escorts Wanted

In addition to swimmers, they are also looking for kayak escorts for the race to ensure the safety and well-being of all swimmers, as well as keeping them on-course. There are no registration fees to be a kayak escort.

Regularly check riverpool.org/the-swim for updates, especially the week before the swim. To register for the race as a swimmer or escort, visit www.riverpool.org/swim-3/.

The Crafty Hammer Signs On To Sponsor A Little Beacon Blog's Event Guide

Thank to our newest sponsor and one of the newest businesses in town, The Crafty 🔨Hammer! They are under construction over there in the Ritter Building, across from Rite Aid, in what is now purple and a former yoga studio space (a moment of reflection for the departed yoga studios!). Keep up with The Crafty Hammer each week in our Friday newsletter, and do peek in through the window while they are building! They already shared a power drill with us!

With support from local businesses like this, we can continue updating A Little Beacon Blog with upcoming events! There is a Submission Page that gets info to us for consideration. The Crafty Hammer is also a sponsor in the Adult Classes Guide, because they have so many DIY workshops you want to be a part of! Make your own stuff on their big workshop tables!

If you want to start sponsoring A Little Beacon Blog in some way, please see our Media Kit for ideas, and then contact us!

Sneak Peek Into Beacon Open Studios 2019 - Kickoff Is This Weekend!

Kick Off Party - Friday
Day: May 17, 2019
Time: 6 to 9 pm
Oak Vino Wine Bar 
389 Main St., Beacon, NY
​
Beacon Open Studios
Days: Saturday, May 18, & Sunday, May 19, 2019
Time: Noon to 6 pm
Location: Citywide in Beacon, NY!
Get the map online, or find their brochure in stores!

While Beacon celebrates its local artists all year long, the Beacon Open Studios weekend is special because once a year, the artists of Beacon open their art studios to the public. This free, citywide, weekend-long event has become one of the largest of its kind in the Hudson Valley. A Little Beacon Blog is happy to once again be a sponsor for Beacon Open Studios, the weekend of May 17-19, 2019.

Sneak Peek Into Performances and Art

The artists have been promoting their studios and exhibits in anticipation of this weekend. A few interesting pieces crossed our inbox, so we’re spotlighting them here on the blog.

Visit the Beacon Open Studios website for a directory and map of participating artists, and you can plan out your visits. The organizers even offer four different tour suggestions to help you navigate through the area. You can also pick up a brochure and map at various businesses along Main Street. You can also wing it on your own, and just follow the red dots that will be all over the city.

A-Y/Dancers Perform at KuBe (aka the Old Beacon High School)

Included with the open studios will be a live performance from the A-Y/Dancers at the KuBe Theater in the old Beacon High School on Saturday, May 18, at 5 pm and 7 pm. They will also perform at the Ethan Cohen Gallery beforehand in the hallway.

As part of their inaugural season, A-Y/Dancers licensed a unique “MinEvent” from the Merce Cunningham Trust. The performance, titled “Embodied Time: A Collaborative Performance,” is an arrangement of excerpts from works that Cunningham choreographed across three decades, from the ‘60s to the ‘90s, strung together by Jean Freebury, a former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. A unique score composed and performed by sound artist Mark Trecka will consist of audio recordings of the dancers’ bodies during rehearsals, transferred to cassette, but into loops, and amplified back into the room in real time. In a synchronistic approach, artist Joseph Ayers created a unique animation that samples the dancers’ movements recorded during rehearsals, and then projects the resulting abstraction as a backdrop to the live performance.

Having a hard time imagining all of that? Below is a teaser video of what you will see live on Saturday!

3 Artists at Caiming Cheung’s Studio

The jeweler Caiming Cheung has opened up her studio to the potter Virginia Piazza and the painter Chris Sanders. Caiming’s studio is at 70 Eliza Street, Beacon.

Photo Credit: Virginia Piazza

Photo Credit: Caiming Cheung

Photo Credit: Chris Saunders

For The Photography Lovers

Some photography work featured this weekend.

Photo Credit: Randy Calderone

Photo Credit: Michael Bogdanffy-Kriegh

Photo Credit: Dale Leifeste

Furniture Making

Photo Credit: Chris Ungaro

Photo Credit: Justin King

Mixed Media

Photo Credit: Kat Stoutenborough

Photo Credit: Johana Skalsky Presence

Photo Credit: Patricia Di Bella-Kreger

The Reel Life Film Club Screening Of Documentary "Artisans Of Beacon" June 7th!

The Reel Life Film Club for tweens and teens returns to Beacon. On Friday, June 7, at 6 pm, the Howland Public Library will present a special test screening of the film Artisans of Beacon, a documentary directed by Michael Gersh.

Artisans of Beacon is a portrait of six artisans based in Beacon, NY. Jon Joseph is a welder, Jessica Wickham is a woodworker, Deb Davidovits is a beekeeper, Lisa Tompkins is a donut maker and owner of Glazed Over Donuts, Eva Gronowitz is a puppet maker, and John Vergara is a luthier. Each artisan describes their art, how they got involved in their field, and why they love doing what they do. They all share a powerful passion for their crafts.

After the film, teens will have an opportunity to meet the filmmaker as well as some of the artisans. The filmmaker, Michael Gersh, is also a technology teacher at Beacon High School, so this is a wonderful opportunity for students interested in filmmaking to ask questions of a local filmmaker and teacher. Terry Nelson, former director of Beacon Independent Film Festival, will moderate the discussion. 

Reel Life Film Club is an opportunity for middle-school students to view documentary films and talk about them with inspiring people. Now in its third year, the film series is a collaboration between the Beacon, Cold Spring and Garrison libraries. A new film is shown each month, rotating between the three locations. 

All students in grades 6 and up are invited to the screening. Pizza will be served at the event and registration is encouraged to ensure there is enough pizza for everyone. To register to attend the Friday, June 7, screening of Artisans of Beacon, email community@beaconlibrary.org.

Tioronda Garden Club Honors All Beacon Residents Who Have Served With Blue Star Marker Memorial

2019 marks the 90th anniversary of the Tioronda Garden Club. On this occasion, the garden club is proud to donate and present a Blue Star Memorial Marker to the City of Beacon, to honor all Beacon residents who have served and those serving currently to protect the freedom and safety of this nation.

Armed Forces Day - May 18

The ceremony will take place on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 18, 2019, at 11 am in front of Beacon City Hall, One Municipal Plaza, Route 9D. Denise Van Buren, First Vice-President General of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and a Blue Star Mother, will officiate at the dedication ceremony and unveiling.

The Tioronda Garden Club welcomes and encourages the public to join in this extraordinary event honoring all the brave men and women from Beacon who have served, past and present, to protect and preserve this great nation.

Blue Star Marker Program

The history of the Blue Star Marker program began in 1945 when the National Garden Clubs (the Tioronda Garden Club’s parent organization) was seeking a suitable way to honor World War II veterans. In 1951, the program was extended to honor all men and women of service in the armed forces of the United States. Rhode Island was the first state to adopt the memorial marker program, followed within three years by 32 more states. The Blue Star Memorial exists now all across the United States.

The event in Beacon on May 18 marks the first Blue Star Memorial Marker dedicated in Dutchess County. The marker measures 41 inches high by 45 inches wide, with an overall height when erected of 7 feet, 6 inches. It will be installed by the City of Beacon Highway Department.

Music Events In Beacon Celebrating Pete Seeger's 100th Birthday This Weekend

Photo Credit: Jake’s Main Street Music

Beacon Sloop Club, near the Beacon train station.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Baum

You won't want to miss the Pete Seeger-inspired song circle happening down on the Hudson River at the Beacon Sloop Club from 2 to 4 pm. The friendly musicians from Jake's Main Street Music, who played with Pete many times, encourage everyone to come down and bring their instrument and/or voice to join in and sing by the river.

If you are new to Pete Seeger and his involvement with the Hudson River, and why there is a celebration of him, know this: He is one of the biggest reasons the Hudson River is being cleaned up. Carrying on his legacy helps ensure that the river stays protected and that cleaning continues even when corporations who caused damage want to pull out. Read this journalist's feature about Seeger that ran in Hudson Valley Magazine after he died.

The Beacon Sloop Club is down by the train station. It's on the west side of it, literally right next to the Hudson River. It's quite relaxing, so even if you don't sing, do go down and enjoy.

Pete Seeger Centennial Celebration at Towne Crier Cafe (Free)
Day: Friday, May 3, 2019
Time: 7 pm
Location: Towne Crier Cafe, 379 Main St., Beacon, NY
The Pete Seeger Centennial Celebration will feature many local, regional and national performers paying tribute to Pete's music and life. The roster so far includes The Costellos, Carla Springer, Jerry Kitzrow, co-hosts Thom Joyce and David Bernz, singer-songwriters extraordinaire David Massengill, Christine Lavin and Don White.
Information >

Celebrating Pete Seeger’s Centennial at the Howland Cultural Center
Day: Saturday, May 4, 2019
Time: 8 pm
Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY
Featuring David & Jacob Bernz, Betty & The Baby Boomers, The B2s, Carolyn Doctorow, Lydia Adams Davis with Annalyse & Ryan, Pat Lamanna and much more! $20 at the door, $15 in advance at peteseeger.bpt.me.
Information >

Pete Seeger-Inspired Song Circle at Beacon Sloop Club (Free)
Day: Saturday, May 4, 2019
Time: 2 to 4 pm
Location: Beacon Sloop Club, 2 Red Flynn Drive, Beacon, NY
Information >

Photo Credit: Jake’s Main Street Music

Several Sponsors Sign On To Support Rock Out 4 Mental Health Concert In Beacon In June

The Roundhouse of Beacon has signed on as the Title Sponsor for the Rock Out 4 Mental Health summer concert, happening on Saturday, June 1, 2019. This show of support for the first year of this event is a big help to getting T-shirts made and helping to make this event possible. One of the first events of its kind, Rock Out 4 Mental Health aims to remove stigma around mental health needs by bringing people physically closer to the resources and services that are available to them in Dutchess County.

Thank you to the rest of the sponsors who have come on thus far, including Gold Level sponsor Key Foods, and Bronze Level Sponsors Aryeh Siegel, Architect; Bob's Auto Repair in Wingdale, N.Y.; HealthQuest; Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union; Premier Medical Group; People USA; and Tin Shingle.

Only five more Gold Level spots are available, and a handful of Silver Level sponsor spots if you want to get your business behind this event! Click here for details.

Wellness Providers As Vendors At Concert

Vendor spots for wellness providers are still available, and the concert attendees need to know about you! If you are a wellness provider, you can book your spot online here. Food vendors are also welcome! This is a great way to meet new people. There are limited spaces, so do it now.

So far, you’ll be able to interact with the following groups: Astor Services for Children & Families, CAPE, Children's Home of Poughkeepsie, CoveCare Center, Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health, Empire Concessions, I Am Beacon, Innate Chiropractic (Wappingers Falls), NAMI Mid-Hudson, and People USA.

Getting closer to the big day! It has been a pleasure being on the Planning Committee for this event, and we’re looking forward experiencing the day.

Happy Independent Bookstore Day, Binnacle Books! Last Chance On Their Original Tote Bag

Happy Independent Bookstore Day Binnacle Books! It’s risky for any retail shop to open a brick-and-mortar store, but perhaps even more so for an indie bookstore! Many cheers to Binnacle Books for doing that in Beacon, and for connecting all of us with the printed page and for readings and other book 📖 based events.

It’s also really easy to order any book you want from Binnacle - just tell them what you want over the counter or the phone, they click up some magic, and 💥 BAM, you can pick it up in the store!

Binnacle Books has helped promote other indie bookstores by making available the Hudson Valley Book Trail Map, debuting today in their shop. Plus, this is your last chance to get one of their original tote bags - perfect timing for the plastic bag ban!

Says their newsletter: “Stop by to browse some fantastic recent releases, revisit old favorites, or get a recommendation for something new. If you spend $75 or more with us today, we'll throw in one of our original blue totes with your order. If you ever wanted one, now's your chance: after this run sells out, we aren't printing them again.” 

A Little Beacon Blog is honored to partner with all of our sponsors, but especially so when Binnacle approached us, wanting to sponsor our Shopping Guide. Thank you for having faith in us! Binnacle Books is a Sponsor, but this is not a sponsored post. It’s a “Celebrate Indie Bookstores!” post.

Go give Binnacle some love! Binnacle Books is at 321 Main St., Beacon, NY.

Pete Seeger Centennial Celebration - Honoring A Legend

There is a special event happening Friday, May 3, 2019 to celebrate what would have been Pete Seeger's 100th birthday. The event is FREE for the public to attend, but donations to Clearwater are recommended.

The following is the press release issued by Towne Crier Public Relations in full:

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Please join us on Friday, May 3 - the centennial of Pete Seeger's birth - for a spectacular evening of songs and stories honoring the Beacon songwriter, musician and activist. The Pete Seeger Centennial Celebration starts at 7 pm and will feature many local, regional and national performers paying tribute to Pete's music and life. The roster so far includes The Costellos, Carla Springer, Jerry Kitzrow, co-hosts Thom Joyce and David Bernz, singer-songwriters extraordinaire David Massengill, Christine Lavin and Don White - and the list keeps growing!

Admission is free, but donations are suggested to support Clearwater, the organization Pete founded and loved so well.

Born May 3, 1919, Pete Seeger was a legendary folksinger, musician and activist who called Beacon his home. He was a perennial supporter of the Towne Crier, too, having been one of our first performers when we started out in Beekman, and also played one of his last shows here at our Beacon location in November 2013, just a couple of months before he passed. He was a frequent visitor who also gave us our first food review in Beacon.

Days after his passing on January 27, 2014, we held a special Open Door tribute for Pete and drew the largest attendance in our history! So many wanted to share songs and stories of Pete; it was an overwhelming and emotional response to a beloved icon. He drew together diverse communities in the arts, environmental and activist circles, as well as the broader Beacon community.

Learn more about this event at The Towne Crier’s website.

New Summer Concert Unites Mental Health Resources With Community | Top Sponsor & Vendor Spots Available Now!

The “Rock Out 4 Mental Health” flyer. Room for sponsor logos if you sign up in time!

When Brandon Lillard, a founding board member of I Am Beacon, and best known by Beacon High School alums as the original “Mr. Beacon High,” asked me to be part of the planning for I Am Beacon’s second major awareness project for mental health, the ”Rock Out 4 Mental Health” Concert on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, I said yes immediately.

As a mother of young children, I want to make sure they have a safe space to express their minds. As a new mother in general, I see and experience the mental health challenges that any parent faces. As a person living in Beacon, I have learned from my friends involved in mental health support about challenges that any person can face at any time. Removing the stigma about that is important to me, and as a blogger, I want to improve awareness of mental health support services that are available locally. That’s part of why I started A Little Beacon Blog - to get the word out about what is happening and available here.

The planning for this event would be fast, but we could do it. I Am Beacon’s first outreach project for mental health awareness was and continues to be the yellow ribbons campaign on Main Street, carried out with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Mid-Hudson. You’ll be seeing those ribbons again this year.

Bringing Resources and People Closer Together Through Music

This concert was created as a vibrant and hopeful hub where people can get closer to organizations who provide a variety of mental health services. The aim is to bring these services to people who may not have otherwise known about them. Usually service events like this are at school functions on a random Wednesday night (I went to one!). Now, the whole family can come and enjoy being by the Hudson River rocking out to music, and getting to know these local services who have changed the lives of so many.

You’ll be rocking out to The Costellos, Noetic, Tony E., Dilson Hernandez, and Charge the Mound while your Co-MCs for the day, Reuben Simmons and Himali Pandya, Special Projects Manager for Astor Services for Children and Families, introduce you to the mental health resource providers who are available to meet during the day. (Insider scoop: Himali’s husband will be performing with his band at the concert)

Here’s Where Your Part Comes In

“Rock Out 4 Mental Health” is currently seeking the following sponsor and vendor opportunities, but time is limited. We will be putting sponsors on the flyer, then printing it and distributing it, so we need to know who’s in for sponsorship! My design agency, Katie James, Inc. and lead designer Allie Bopp designed the flyer, banner, logo and other branding assets, so I have a tiny say on when these go to print (but we can’t wait long!).

Title Sponsor: Only one spot available. The Title Sponsor gets their logo on the banner that will be hanging above Main Street as we get closer to the event, and on T-shirts. We can only print T-shirts if we have a title sponsor. Will your business be the reason we can make the shirts? Claim it here >
Must sign up within the week for print deadline!

Gold Sponsor: Only six available. These sponsors get their logos printed on the flyer, which will be distributed in Beacon and beyond. Logo also included on the event program. Claim it here >
Must sign up within the week for print deadline!

Silver Sponsor: More available, and includes logo on the event website. You have a bit more time on this one, since we are adding your logo to the “Rock Out 4 Mental Health” website. Claim it here >

Bronze Sponsor: Awesomeness. Great for businesses who want to show their support for Mental Health awareness and accessibility. Claim it here >

Vendor Opportunities: Food vendors are welcome, and businesses who provide a wellness-related product or service to people are invited to have a vendor spot down at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. Only 15-20 spots available. Food and business vendors can register here. Nonprofit organizations can have a spot for free and can register here.

These community projects are what keep Beacon enriched with the depth of community it is known for, and keep Beacon an ongoing advocate for people’s well-being.

Thank you to the following sponsors and vendors who have signed on so far!

VENDORS:

Astor Services for Children & Families
Children's Home of Poughkeepsie
NAMI Mid-Hudson
CoveCare Center
DC Dept of Behavioral & Community Health
People USA
Empire Concessions
I Am Beacon

SPONSORS:

KeyFood
Premier Medical Group
MidHudson Valley Federal Credit Union
HealthQuest
People USA

Why This Concert? Why Now?

“When it comes to Mental Health, it is our belief that the Hudson Valley is ‘services-rich yet information-poor.’ Despite the valiant efforts of many organizations, there is a lack of awareness and knowledge which result in many in our community being left to suffer in silence. ”

— Mission Statement of Rock Out 4 Mental Health

One of the creators behind the event is Reuben Simmons, a founding board member of I Am Beacon, along with his sister, Brooke Simmons, and Brandon Lillard. Reuben grew up in Beacon, volunteering to clean up its streets in his youth, and co-created I Am Beacon to keep opportunities like this available to the people.

Says Reuben of the inspiration to create the “Rock Out 4 Mental Health” concert: “After attending the City of Beacon’s Workshop in December 2018 which discussed the opioid crisis in our area, I felt an obligation as a community leader to do more. I have attended many conferences all over the country in my time as a labor leader, and heard the opioid crisis happening in many communities all over. Hearing the same issues from professionals like Beacon’s Police Chief and Dutchess County’s Behavior and Community Department at the workshop got me to start brainstorming on what could be done to help. Help promote services, help end the stigma, help educate people.”

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Helpline For Everyone

“We hope to reach as many Dutchess County residents as possible to inform them about the many resources available for help and support. The Dutchess County Helpline and the Stabilization Center are available to residents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is always someone available who can help,” says Jean-Marie Niebuhr, Prevention and Harm Reduction Coordinator.

If you take anything away from this event, or knowing about this event, know this: The Dutchess County Helpline. Available to anyone to use at any time, 24/7. Use it as an information center to find other resources: CALL or TEXT 845-485-9700.

Call or text any time to talk live to a qualified mental health professional. Regardless of the issue, the HELPLINE will provide counseling or link you to services.

Beacon's Egg Hunt In Memorial Park Canceled Due To Saturday Rain

This image originally appeared in A Little Beacon Blog’s Instagram Stories.

This just in from the Beacon Recreation newsletter:

“Egg Hunt at Memorial Park scheduled for Saturday, April 20, WILL BE CANCELLED.

“In keeping participant and volunteer safety and enjoyment our number one priority, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event due to forecasted weather.

“With no scheduled rain date, it is our hope to raffle bicycles and goodies later this spring at an event to be determined. Stay tuned.

“Happy Easter and Happy Passover.”

To get future updates from Beacon Recreation, you can subscribe to their free newsletter here. Updates include events, classes, After School Program registration notices, and Summer Pool signup alerts.

Common Ground Farm's Opening of the Fields Event

Common Ground Farm invites visitors for a contemplative walk through the early spring fields on Saturday, April 13, at 1 pm. The walk will be guided by Farm Director, Sarah Simon, with reflection and commentary shared from the faith traditions of food access partners and community leaders, including: Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek of Beacon Hebrew Alliance, Lt. Leilani Rodríguez-Alarcón of Salvation Army, Pastor Ben Larson-Wolbrink of First Presbyterian Church, Pastor Bill Dandreano of Salem Tabernacle, and Sarah Capua.

Everyone Welcome To Celebrate The Growing Season

The Opening of the Fields walk is an opportunity to appreciate the potential abundance of the fields as well as to reflect upon the changes and uncertainty inherent in nature. Farming can be isolating work, and the farmers look forward to sharing the springtime activities on a Hudson Valley vegetable farm. Visitors can park by the red barns and meet the group by the picnic tables. Hot tea and snacks will be provided, and guests are welcome to stay and picnic afterwards if the weather is fine. The event is free and open to all. Common Ground Farm welcomes everyone to visit the farm and help celebrate the start of the growing season.

Farm Director Sarah Simon states, “Both hope and uncertainty shape the beginning of the growing season on the farm. The traces of last year's labor have faded, winter has claimed what was once green and lush, and the farm is just beginning to wake up again as the soil starts to warm and the sun begins to shine.”

About Common Ground Farm

Common Ground Farm is a community farm dedicated to food justice, and donates produce to six different local food pantries and soup kitchens each week during their growing season. This event is an opportunity for the farm’s valued community partners to visit the place where the produce is grown, and to see the fields that will feed their communities from May until November. Many of the soup kitchens and food pantries are organized by religious organizations, and for the event, the farm has invited the leaders of these churches, synagogues, and mosques to share blessings and teachings about nature, food and land from their traditions. There will also be nondenominational teachings and blessings shared by community members.

Common Ground Farm donates weekly to the following food pantries:

• Beacon Community Kitchen

• Fishkill Food Pantry

• First Presbyterian Church in Wappingers Falls

• New Vision Church of Deliverance

• St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Beacon

• Occasionally to: Salvation Army in Beacon, Dutchess Outreach in Poughkeepsie

Art & Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon At The Howland Public LIbrary

“How To Edit Wikipedia” is an event at the Howland Public Library to encourage women to make edits in Wikipedia, the content producers of which are traditionally men.

WHAT: Art & Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
WHERE: Howland Public Library
DAY: Saturday, March 2, 2019
TIME: 11 am to 3 pm

Happening today is the (so far) annual Wikipedia Editing event at the Howland Public Library during Women’s History Month. The class is provided as a means to encourage women especially to come out and edit Wikipedia, the group-sourced encyclopedia of the Internet. This local event is organized by local library advocate, Ms. Rajene Hardeman, as part of the international annual Art+Feminism campaign. As of last year, only 9% of the edits or contributions made to Wikipedia were made by women.

This can change! Half of the battle is probably not knowing where to start with how to edit. This class aims to change that. A tutorial of how to enter Wikipedia to make an edit kicks off the day, and from 12 to 3 pm, an open edit session happens, where people can sit and edit.

All people are encouraged to attend, regardless of gender, and bringing your own laptop is encouraged.

Last year, our writer Catherine Sweet wrote about the event for A Little Beacon Blog, and explored the gender gap in who is making the edits in this globally used information center.

2019 Martin Luther King Day Parade and Events Rescheduled Due To Snowstorm

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Due to the snowstorm, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration with the Southern Dutchess Coalition at the Springfield Baptist Church has been rescheduled to Saturday, February 16. February is also Black History Month, the Southern Dutchess Coalition has noted.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Springfield Baptist Church
Day: RESCHEDULED DUE TO SNOW:
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Location: Springfield Baptist Church, 8 Mattie Cooper Square, Beacon, NY
Times:
8 am: Community Breakfast
9:30 am: Ceremony and Annual Singing Parade and Civil Rights March.
Read the Poughkeepsie Journal article about last year's parade, with several quotes from participants.