Happening This Weekend - 3/31/2017
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Beacon High School Presents The Who's Tommy - A Rock Opera
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Opening Friday, March 31, to send March out with a bang, The Beacon Players present TOMMY on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 pm, with a Sunday matinee at 2 pm. Once again, the students of different departments in the Beacon High School have worked together to put on a fantastical show (see more about their work on a past production of Peter Pan). "[When the show opens], our canvas will be full of bright lights, rocking music and an amazing journey you won't want to miss!"
"Pinball Wizard" will be performed in its full version, along with several other favorites from The Who's rock opera, which first opened in 1969, and tells the story of a deaf, dumb and blind boy and his relationship with his family.
The costume crew - comprised entirely of students - stitched three decades' worth of outfits. So it's not just the student performers who get experience in the school performance, but all of the departments creating the rest of the show that goes on around the stage - the costumes, the set, the lighting, the sound, and much more.
While practicing the musical number "See Me, Feel Me," the crew running the Beacon Players' Instagram account broke into song, which we will leave you with here, in our city at the base of Mt. Beacon.
Gazing at you, I get the heat.
Following you, I climb the mountain.
I get excitement at your feet.
Buy your tickets online here to make sure you have them in hand, or wait and buy before the show at the box office.
Cupcake Festival In Beacon For 2017 From K104.7 - May 6th
/RAIN UPDATE 5/5/2017 1:45pm: We are getting a lot of reader questions about rain plans. K104.7 is the producer of this event, so if we hear from them that there has been a change in plan, we will publish an article here to A Little Beacon Blog. As of this time, as far as we know, it's on! So bring your raincoats - or buy one on Main Street. We saw some at Lauren & Riley yesterday. Check our Shopping Guide of all Beacon shops to plot out which shops you want to hit up.
CUPCAKE FESTIVAL DETAILS
- WHEN: Saturday, May 6, 2017
- TIME: 1pm-5pm
- WHERE: East End of Main Street, Between Fishkill Ave. and at the Dummy Light
- JUDGING: Stage located across the street from The Chocolate Studio. Judging starts at 3pm
After years of being in Fishkill, next month the Cupcake Festival from K104.7 comes to Beacon's East End of town. On Saturday, May 6, from 1 to 5 pm, the tasty treats will take over between Rt. 52/Fishkill Avenue and the dummy light at East Main Street. The event has attracted 4,000 people to Fishkill in the past, and Beacon is getting ready for the influx of pastry-seeking visitors. Says Mayor Randy Casale about this new event in Beacon: "We believe it will bring a lot of people to our Main Street business district and because of its location, we believe it will help to promote the East End of our business district. That being said, we also know that when we have big events, it does cause some problems, such as [with] traffic patterns and parking, but overall, we believe this adds value to our community where our residents, tourists and businesses will benefit."
A business representative from the newly established East End Business District Association, Michele Williams, owner of Style Storehouse, says about the event: "The East End has been waiting a long time to host an event, and we couldn't more appreciative to The Mayor, The Beacon Chamber of Commerce, and K104 for thinking of us."
What To Expect
On this day of sugar, cupcake makers from all over the Hudson Valley will be on Main Street displaying their wares, mixed in with other vendors. Tables and booths in years past have included chair massages, homemade dog biscuits, hot dog stands, kids crafts, a bouncy house, alternative energy resellers, and all types of businesses and organizations hoping to connect with people.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings
Cupcake Wars - Judging of the Cupcakes
Mid-way through the festival, at 3 pm, judging for the Cupcake Wars will commence and cupcake designers will compete for the top prize of $1,000. Anyone can enter their cupcake here. The judging stage will be located across the street from The Chocolate Studio. You will be surrounded by heaven and goodness. Look for tables of cupcake enteries, decorated and dressed up to look and taste their best.
What kind of creations will come out of the day? In a pre-judging, on-air segment in the K104.7 studios, I'm going to get a sneak peak as cupcakes are judged during the 9 o'clock hour this Friday morning, March 31, 2017. Be sure to listen from your car, computer or app (or gosh - actual radio in your home!), and I'll bring fresh coffee to go with cupcake samples! Follow A Little Beacon Blog's Instagram and Twitter for studio photos.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings
Vendor Opportunities
Vendors of all types can set up tables, even if you don't sell cupcakes. The vendor form can be found here. According to the Beacon Chamber of Commerce, there is a discount for Beacon businesses to have a table on the street: "We want all Beacon businesses to benefit from this event, so K104 is slashing the vendor fee in half for any Beacon business! You will receive your business name on the flyer and a 10 x 10 spot on the street." Vendor applications can be submitted here, and/or contact Sam Favata: sfavata@pamal.com.
UPDATE 5/1/17: Vendor spots are full.
You may see a table for A Little Beacon Blog, where we'll be back at it doing facepainting as a fundraiser for the elementary schools in Beacon. We already donated to the South Avenue kindergarten teacher team for their impressive use of craft supplies for so many children, and now are raising money for the other three kindergarten teams at Sargent, J.V. Forrestal, and Glenham schools. PS: We are looking for two volunteers to help face paint! If interested, please contact us.
How To Get To The Cupcake Festival in Beacon for 2017
Getting to the festival is easy. It is on the east end of Beacon's mile long Main Street. According the iPhone map, if coming from the Beacon Train Station, It is approximately 1.3 miles. If walking, it should take you 30mins to walk. And it's a great walk! Allow extra time to stop into shops on your way down, and get coffee or snacks on your way. A Little Beacon Blog has a full Shopping Guide that lists all of the shopping options in Beacon, so definitely check it out so that you know that to find in Beacon. For food in Beacon, see our Restaurant Guide for cafe and dining ideas. From outfitter stores to men's and women's clothing boutiques to home decor and flowers to bubbles and soap, you will find something special. Then, to see what else is going on in Beacon, see our Event Guide because there are other special events going on around you.
Want to stay hooked into what's going on in Beacon? Sign up to our e-newsletter list right here!
If driving from the train station or thereabouts, it's 7 minutes. You can find parking in a large free parking lot on that end of town, the address and pictures of which are here in A Little Beacon Blog's Free Parking Guide. This is in addition to several other parking lots, like DMV lot in the middle of Main Street There are also neighboring side streets that you can park at.
On your smartphone map, if you put in Beacon Station as the start point, and Howland Cultural Center as your destination end point, then you should get directions.
Sponsored by TEG Federal Credit Union, Poughkeepsie Galleria, Beacon's own Antalek & Moore, and the Family Dental Group, this should be a great day! Parking will get creative, but you can find all of Beacon's free municipal lots here in our Free Parking Lot Guide.
Photo Credit: Digital Weddings
Photo Credit: K104.7
Homeowners Courted With Financing For Energy Improvements From Energize NY/Beacon
/Beacon's Conservation Advisory Committee (CAC) is charged with advising the Planning Board and the City Council of Beacon, NY, on matters affecting the preservation, development and use of the natural and manmade features in the City. This week, the CAC is co-sponsoring an event from Energize Beacon, a program to help homeowners make intelligent decisions about home improvements that increase comfort and reduce energy waste, while saving money on utility and heating (fuel oil or propane) bills.
The event is Tuesday, March 28, at 6:30 pm at Scenic Hudson's River Center (aka the Red Barn) next to Long Dock Park, just south of the Metro-North train station. Energize Beacon is funded by a New York State grant and a broader program, Energize NY, which was created in 2011 and recently launched coverage in Beacon. Its purpose is to reduce the carbon footprint of homes and businesses and save people money at the same time. The Energize programs accomplish this by sending Independent Energy Coaches to homes for free assessments of ways to improve the homes' retention of heat and cool air during the appropriate seasons.
To qualify for financing, "savings [from recommended improvements] must outweigh the cost of the energy upgrade work proposed," says Alice Quinn, Energize NY's Residential Director for the Hudson Valley. "Homeowners get a free/reduced-cost comprehensive home energy assessment done by a BPI-certified contractor, who will run a blower door test and check your home for leaks and inefficiencies in your insulation, air sealing, mechanics (like boilers) and health and safety issues. The contractor will provide the homeowner with a report that outlines all of their findings from the assessment and how much it will cost."
From there, says Quinn, financing options may be available through On-Bill Recovery or a Smart Energy Loan. Windows seem to be the first changes to come to people's minds, according to Tom Bregman, a senior consultant with Energize NY, quoted in a Highlands Current article, but windows aren't usually the most efficient replacement - at least to qualify with this program. Quinn agrees: "Windows are tricky; they are expensive to replace and not the best 'bang for your buck' because the R-value of brand new, super 'efficient' windows is still so low that the savings you would get from insulating your attic, for example, is way higher than what you would get from replacing windows." Seems hard to imagine, especially if you live in one of Beacon's 95-year-old homes. (A familiar scene: sitting in front of a window that lets gusts of cold air blow down your neck as you try to relax on the couch.) It might be the right time to take advantage of the true assessments that Energize Beacon is offering, and really find out where your home could be efficiently improved.
If you're ready to make the move on financing, then Energize NY has a list of "home performance contractors" that you can choose from. "We at Energize took that a step further and vetted those who do Home Performance work in the region of the communities we work in and created a list called our Energize Comfort Corps," offers Quinn.
Easter Egg Hunt in Beacon Set for 2017 - 7,000 Chocolate Eggs
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Easter Weekend in Beacon, as in most places, means church mornings in pretty dresses. Here, we also have the Easter Egg Hunt in Memorial Park. This year, Beacon's Easter celebration in Memorial Park is slated for Saturday, April 15 from 11 am to 2 pm, with chocolates provided by Alps Sweet Shop, Beacon's local chocolatier.
Attendance at this event at Memorial Park has grown over the years. It's usually the first official community-planned outing after a long winter, where neighbors don't see neighbors too often (aside from snow-shoveling sessions) because they are huddled up inside. Entertainment has grown to include a bouncy-something (slide, house, etc.), with a traditional visit from the Easter Bunny, raffles for a bike and baskets, petting zoo, face painting, live music, Dutchess Dog House food truck, and the annual presentation of the Mayor's Egg.
If you are coming with children, prepare yourself for chocolate-chasing chaos. As the crowds have grown, so has the grassy area covered for this Easter egg hunt. While the surrounding activities are manageable, the mad dashes for chocolate have seen an increase in coordination. Perhaps this year, the announcers of the chocolate races might use a larger speaker system, instead of the megaphone the event has outgrown, to direct the waves of kids lined up in different age groups. Hopefully the recent rainfall has started to melt the giant mound of snow that currently sits in the Memorial Park parking lot, where a lot of collected snow was dumped after the March Blizzard of 2017.
Welcome to Spring!
10th Annual Beacon Barks Parade Is Happening for 2017!
/The Beacon Barks Parade went on hiatus last year as the Beacon Barkery, the co-founding institution behind the event, transitioned to new owners. Recently, dog and cat fans have been happy to see the familiar yellow flyers return to storefront windows around town for the event, which raises money for Safe Haven Animal Shelter & Wildlife Center, and raises awareness for homeless animals in our communities.
Slated for Saturday, April 29, from 11 am to 4 pm (with no rain date planned), people and dogs will gather once again along Main Street starting at the west end of Main Street near Mountain Tops to the parking lot at the DMV. Some will be in costume for the Costume Contest, while others will be participating in canine performances while music plays on the street. Rescue organizations will hosting pet adoptions during the day, so be prepared to fall in love with a dog or cat - of any age! Just find someone to love and rescue.
Sponsor Opportunities
As in years past, there are vendor and sponsor opportunities available, and anyone can be a vendor, not just pet-related businesses or organizations. There is no fee for nonprofits, or for storefronts located along the parade route, to have a vendor table. To date, event sponsors include Canine Sanctuary, Tonya’s Tasty Treats, the VCA, Beacon Barkery, and Safe Haven.
To be a vendor, stop into Beacon Bakery at 190 Main Street to pick up or drop off an application (download one here from Hudson Valley Pet Expo's website) and leave a $50 vendor fee. The application deadline is April 15 (so get your taxes done early so that you can do this without panic!). Vendors get space for a 10'x10' table. Tables aren't provided, but details on renting a table and chairs are in the application. You could always invest in a table and chairs at Home Depot.
Costume Contest and Marching in Parade
To enter the pet costume contest, you also will need to fill out an application, but there is no fee. Anyone can march in the parade, and marchers do not need to register.
Details for the parade can be found here at Hudson Valley Pet Expo.
New Art Gallery From The Raft Pops Up on Beacon's East End
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jack fuller's paintings are part of the raft's pop-up gallery at 1 east main.
photo credit: toni tan
One of Beacon's best qualities is the way its residents rush to shine a spotlight on one another. In this case, Toni Tan of TanDao Studio sent up a flare to A Little Beacon Blog, to make sure we knew about The Raft’s pop-up gallery. “I reached out to you on their behalf because they are fabulous,” Toni said in an email.
The Raft is a three-person art collective whose members' day jobs include architecture and fashion design. “Two of the artists are Beacon homeowners,” Toni says, and “all three are friends.” The group's members have been afloat in Beacon for a while: Beatrice and Jack met four years ago as neighbors in the Roundhouse's artist lofts. Jack brought Ben into the fold, and The Raft was launched.
the raft's pop-up gallery opened last weekend and continues this saturday and sunday. the show includes paintings, photography, and other media from three artists.
photo credit: toni tan
The former electric blanket factory at 1 East Main Street has been heating up once again in recent months: Visitors will find The Raft’s pop-up space next door to a swanky new bridal boutique from Lambs Hill. The gallery initially popped up last weekend, and continues this Saturday and Sunday (open from 1 pm to 7 pm) on the city’s East End, heading toward the mountain.
This weekend’s pop-up gallery will showcase photography, projections, and paper sculptures by Ben Boltin, and paintings from Jack Fuller and Beatrice Vann. The spark behind starting the collective will ring true to many artists, especially those who work hard to balance the day-to-day of “day jobs” with the impulses of creativity beyond the office. Beatrice explains: “It’s about finding the support you need to nurture and sustain a life in the arts - support from fellow artists whose work you admire and respect - and even envy a little.”
The group only plans to exhibit work this weekend - for now. Second Saturday and other ongoing events may be in the works, though. Keep your eyes on this space! We'll let you know as soon as we know.
What: The Raft Pop-Up Gallery
Where: 1 East Main Street, Beacon, NY
When: Saturday and Sunday, March 25 and 26, 1 pm to 7 pm
Happening This Weekend - 3/24/2017
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Beacon's Parade Of Green 2017 On A Chilly Main Street in March
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Madeleine Ouellette of King Family Chiropractic helps the Beacon Chamber of Commerce sell green headbands.
Photo Credit: Beacon Chamber of Commerce and Kate Rabe
It was a chilly day in Beacon last Saturday, March 22, 2017, for the 2nd Annual Parade of Green, but that did not stop the floats from promenading down Main Street. Over thirty organizations participated (several can be seen here). Although the turnout to cheer them on was a little lighter than last year, there were still many members of the community who did bundle up and come out to watch.
The marching was kicked off by the Parade of Green committee, who greeted all of us with a smile and a wave. Without the committee, none of this wonderful new tradition would be possible. They were followed by various groups from our community, including kids from the Boy Scouts of America, Beacon’s Pop Warner teams, Yanarella School of Dance, the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps, various fire departments from the area and even an impressive float from the McElduff Family.
Stinson's Hub, a pub on Fishkill Avenue, was out with flying colors.
Photo Credit: Beacon Chamber of Commerce and Kate Rabe
Businesses along Main Street participated as well, coming out onto the sidewalks to hand out some St. Paddy’s Day goodies. Bank Square kicked off the day with a great Keg & Eggs event, making over five dozen eggs! Antalek & Moore had a popcorn machine running throughout the morning to hand out treats to spectators and the marchers.
The parade took a new route this year, ending at the East of Main near the dummy light. But the day's festivities did not stop there. Multiple bars and restaurants - from Joe’s Irish Pub to The Elks Club to Max’s - opened their doors to welcome everyone with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. Even The Vault was dressed up for the occasion, renamed “McVaulty’s Irish Pub." Stinson’s Hub also featured Irish step dancers and a pipe and drum band.
The Vault turned into McVaulty's Irish Pub for two weeks to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Photo Credit: The Vault
Although we missed the warm sunshine that graced the parade last year, it was still a memorable event that brought Beacon together. We're all looking forward to celebrating the 3rd annual parade next year!
Photo Credit: Beacon Chamber of Commerce and Kate Rabe
About This Citizen Blogger: Kate Rabe was born and raised in Beacon, NY. Her mother works for Antalek & Moore, and Kate holds a newly elected position as a Director with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce. Kate is a certified business coach, helping corporations and small businesses navigate and implement their HR needs.
Beacon Lifts State of Emergency Order
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As emailed from the Mayor's Office moments ago, Mayor Randy Casale has lifted the State of Emergency Order for Beacon, NY.
From his desk:
WITHDRAWAL OF EMERGENCY ORDER
"A state of emergency was declared in the City of Beacon effective at 12:00 a.m., midnight on March 14, 2017. This state of emergency was declared due to the forecasted blizzard that occurred all day on March 14, 2017 and threatened public safety.
"I, Randy Casale, Mayor of the City of Beacon, hereby rescind the State of Emergency issued effective 12:00 a.m. on March 14, 2017 and all emergency orders issued thereunder effective immediately."
Dated: March 17, 2017
Click here to read the full order >
To see the state of Beacon in pictures, see A Little Beacon's article "National Guard and Bulldozers Are Booked For Beacon's #Digout 2017"
Happening This Weekend - 3/17/2017
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National Guard and Bulldozers Are Booked For Beacon's Big #Digout2017
/A true snowpocalypse, this blizzard of March 2017 will seal the deal that we can't expect winter's end in the Hudson Valley until April. Remember when we had those Summer Numbers during the nice Presidents Day long weekend? How the shops were wrapping it up with Winter Clearance sales? Reflecting on how they made it through the winter? Hopefully you heeded our advice and stocked up on winter clothes and boots then, because then this storm happened, leaving 2 to 3 feet of snow covering Beacon. With cold temperatures locked in, the barricades of snow corralling people trying to get somewhere via sidewalk might not melt away anytime soon, especially as a new snowfall is forecast for Saturday. This snow state has happened in the past, when barricades of snow lasted for what felt like weeks.
How is the snow affecting life in Beacon? Let's take a look in pictures...
The National Guard is called to Beacon to help remove snow.
The National Guard Removes Snow
The National Guard was called in to remove snow from designated areas. We emailed the Mayor's Office to get a definitive answer on what the National Guard's instructions were, as to what areas they were told to dig out first - which sidewalks, streets or parking lots - but have not received a response as of the publishing of this article. The Mayor's Office did, however, send us the alert about the State of Emergency, and the subsequent Modification. Troops could be seen up 9D on both sides of the street, and on side streets connected to 9D. If you saw them elsewhere in the City, please chime in below in the Comments.
Beacon runs out of places to put the snow after plowing city streets. Beacon City School buses are running as of Thursday.
The snow started falling early Monday morning, and continued all day Tuesday, letting up around 6 pm. Shoveling midway through the storm seemed pointless, as so much more was expected to fall. People began digging out their homes on Monday night, before it turned into an all-day affair on Tuesday. Many people took a snow day from work and school to just dig out of their houses - literally, needing to shovel off the porch to even get to the driveway. Snow responders, including people who drive contracted tow trucks and snow plows, or people with snow blowers, had to first get out of their homes in order to get to work - removing snow from elsewhere.
Commuters who normally travel to New York City had nowhere to go, as New York City was also buried and Metro-North and other commuter trains were shut down. Beacon's State of Emergency kept cars and people off the streets in Beacon. In the street was not somewhere you wanted to be, anyway, as snow plow trucks rumbled through trying to get to different neighborhoods. Trash was picked up as usual, but a lot of people couldn't get to their garbage cans (unless they were sharp thinkers like Beacon resident Arie Bram, who pulled his cans out before the storm hit).
Unless you pulled out your trash cans the night before, they weren't going anywhere. Trash pickup did commence the day after the storm.
Paths in the snow proved to be hard to come by, as some sidewalks - residential, business and public-owned - were not cleared completely. Some hadn't been touched at all by Thursday, since such a massive amount of snow needed immediate clearing, making it difficult for first responders to get into a building. Keep in mind, even though several sidewalks had been cleared by snowblower and shovel, one doesn't realize how dependent one is upon so many sidewalks on both sides of the streets - until one suddenly can't use them. Just a single property owner not clearing 100% of a sidewalk impacts basic accessibility on an entire route to the train station, for example.
The public parking lot on Henry Street needs several trucks to cart away snow.
Bulldozers Booked By City And Private Business To Remove Snow
When you run out of room to push snow into corners, you call in the bulldozers and dump trucks to cart it away. Plowing of municipal lots started on Wednesday, with heavy work continuing on Thursday. The lot pictured above on Henry Street is a double lot. One side of it is attached to local businesses like Towne Crier and LocoMotive Crossfit, and the other side primarily serves patients of the Beacon Health Center. According to employees who work in this area, the business parking lot was plowed on Wednesday, and the health facility plowed on Thursday, with work starting overnight. On Wednesday, the Health Center was open to patients, including seniors, children, pregnant women and disabled people.
The public parking lot next to Beacon Bread Company gets the bulldozer treatment.
Citizens who do not have driveways or a place to park their cars sought spots in the public parking lots, for which the 24-hour limit remained in effect. But with so much snow, there was nowhere to move the cars. Residents visited the lots at night to shovel their cars out and lot-hop to avoid the ticket for exceeding the 24-hour rule. Pictured above is the public parking lot next to Beacon Bread Company on Thursday, as a bulldozer lifted snow out.
Those who could not get to lots, or already had a car in a lot and needed placement for another car, borrowed friends' driveways, as Jesse Meyer of Pergamena, a tannery based in Montgomery, did. He had one car at the lot next to Beacon Bread Company, and another in a neighbor's driveway. He is pictured here digging out the first of two vehicles on Tuesday night.
A man with no driveway borrows a neighbor's before heading to a public lot to shovel out two cars.
Some private businesses, such as Halvey Funeral Home, plowed early Thursday morning, completely clearing their sidewalks and street parking, a benefit to their clients as well as residents. Other establishments, like St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on South Avenue, had completely cleared sidewalks, which was helpful for their congregation as well as kids walking to the elementary school just one block down the road. But plenty of homes, which might have elderly residents or even be abandoned, had not shoveled yet, making it difficult to walk to school, as kids and parents were forced to walk in the street.
HaLvey Funeral Home completely cleared its sidewalks and street parking with a bulldozer.
The orange No Parking signs moved throughout the City all week.
No Parking on City Streets
The orange signs started going up on Wednesday (according to eyewitnesses; we have not confirmed with the city), reinforcing the parking ban on city streets, but definitely acting to clear the way for any quickie parking jobs from people who were running into a store or apartment to get something. Wednesday was a fully open day, as the post office, all grocery stores, banks, etc. reopened, as people started emerging to run errands like getting food, signing corporate tax documents (a major corporate tax deadline was March 15, sending accountants into a panic when clients couldn't come in to sign paperwork) and conduct other business as usual.
Despite the five-day parking ban on city streets, people did park on Main Street and side streets. Because of that, plowed snow couldn't be removed completely from the street, and thereby spilled into and further narrowed the streets. With cars parallel-parked farther away from the sidewalk, driving down Main Street mainly consisted of driving in the middle of the road.
With Thursday being the new Monday as schools and more businesses reopened, many people were out and about, making driving a very slow and careful experience. However, toward the afternoon when the sky was blue and the sun was shining, some people began to drive a little faster, turning quickly out of side streets and almost ramming oncoming traffic, which was inching slowly among other cars. Driving in Beacon was not fun on Thursday.
A pathway was cleared for gymgoers to Hudson Valley Fitness and other neighboring shops.
Stores on Main Street and side streets did their best to clear the sidewalk, and make a path to the street itself so that potential customers could get from their cars through the thick wall of snow. Clearly, Hudson Valley Fitness (above) made sure their members had no excuse to miss getting to a fitness class. Parking on the East End of town is actually possible, what with the free parking lot located down the street from the "P for Parking" sign in this picture. Just head down Church Street to the large lot near Hudson Valley Brewing. See A Little Beacon Blog's Free Parking Guide for pictures and cross streets.
School's Out For Summer! Just Kidding - For Pre-Spring Break
Beacon City Schools shut down Tuesday during the storm, and Wednesday during the digout. Thursday was a 2-hour delay, which means families had to get their kids to school at 10:30am instead of 8:30am (earlier for the high school). Not all roads and sidewalks were 100% clear by the opening or the delayed opening, so the 2-hour delay did not make sense to some parents who have questioned other 2-hour delays (sometimes called when no weather is happening at all, except for a chilly temperature of 20 degrees or blowing wind).
The plowed parking lot of Beacon High School.
The plowed parking lot of Rombout Middle School.
While Beacon City Schools had plowed parking lots in time for school to start, that act alone didn't guarantee access to the schools. Several sidewalks from residential and private properties were not yet cleared, making parents take convoluted paths while walking kiddos to school. Some plowed snow remained in the street, making two-way traffic during kid drop-offs very congested.
A Proposed Alternative to the 2-Hour School Delay
Quite possibly the most controversial topic that parents discuss amongst themselves and with administrators is the justified or unjustified calling of a snow day or 2-hour delay. In Beacon, the formula for such calls has not been clearly stated by the current superintendent or Board of Education president; instead, the broad "child safety" is cited. Nothing specific has been made available to parents (including this one) who have emailed to ask why, or for more specific details so that we can know when to expect a 2-hour delay on clear, sunny days.
Two years ago during a normal snowfall, all districts around Beacon closed - except Beacon - really throwing a wrench into the logic. During a meeting with the superintendent, I was told that those schools were fulfilling a contractual day off for teachers that had been negotiated by the teachers' union and the schools were looking for a day in the schedule to grant it. Beacon, at that particular time, did not want to go that route. Despite the argument that school is not childcare, school in fact offers parents and kids a solid schedule, and when that schedule is disrupted, adjustments need to be made quickly and at times those changes may jeopardize jobs or important medical appointments.
The trouble with 2-hour delays in the morning is that at times, it is not safer. It did not feel safer during this week as the entire district poured out in the late morning to walk and drive children to school. If walking, pedestrians headed for the middle of the street when a clear sidewalk wasn't available. If driving, cars headed to the middle of the street to detour around walkers and parked cars. Where roads were closed by the National Guard to clear sidewalks or streets, it took much longer to get more than one child to more than one school. A drive that normally takes five minutes took over half an hour. (Beacon doesn't have busing for all kids, so some children walk to school in the morning, either with their friends, alone, or with a parent.)
A safer alternative may be to wave the late penalty, and open schools at the usual time, but allow kids and parents two hours to get there. This could stagger the time people leave (assuming everyone doesn't leave five minutes before the delayed-open time, as they do during 2-hour delays) in order to give everyone more time to dig out, slowly back down driveways, get unstuck from driveways, pick up unplanned carpool pals, and get through alternate routes to school.
That's not a sidewalk those boots are standing on, it's 2.5 feet of snow on top of the berm of the sidewalk. For some parents, drop-off is on the other side of the sidewalk, so getting the child over the mound was the challenge once getting through traffic to school. But at least there was a clear path in front of the school!
Mostly unintentional blockages of sidewalks happened throughout the city. If you are not a frequent walker, then you might not be used to using sidewalks. First and foremost on most people's minds is getting to their cars in order to get to work or to the store. Some people shoveled a path from their door to the driveway, without shoveling the other side of the door. Or if neighbors didn't want to step on each other's shoveling, they left an unshoveled no man's land of a barrier of snow, like when you're sharing dessert with someone and neither of you wants to take the last bite. Mini-barricades like this were all over the city, which pushed more people into the streets as they tried to take what is normally a straightforward walk.
Shoveling in front of fences was actually dangerous, as the removal of the snow unbalanced the gate, causing sounds of buckling. So be careful walking past those fences!
Watch for buckling fences pushed by unbalanced yards full of snow.
All in all, Beacon is getting cleared pretty systematically. Especially considering that we don't often receive this much snow at once, there aren't many protocols to follow. At least the weather didn't jump up to 40 degrees after a snowfall, as it has in the past, causing flooding. So we'll take the bright sun and colder temperatures to let the snow gradually melt into the ground and fill the reservoirs for a replenished water supply.
Be Ready for DOT
And listen - don't park your car out on the street at night if your road hasn't been snow-sucked! You never know when those heroes from the Department of Transportation are going to swing by. Signs for the snow removal pictured below went up at possibly 1 am, and the trucks came by at 6 am to clear the snow from this side of the street on this block. I was awake at 1 am (because that's my new pregnancy thing - waking in the middle of the night) so I saw the trucks getting ready.
Once the morning officially started for me at 6 am to make a dent in this article (I don't write at night because I fall asleep while typing), while I was making coffee and stirring cat food (they like it soupy), I heard the trucks again, this time in blower mode. Little did I know my husband had parked the car in front of the house, and it was face to face with a giant DOT truck. I put on my cap and boots and dashed outside to move it, only to not notice when the prized glasses the hubs got for Christmas (from Luxe Optique, such a treat!) fell out of the car and subsequently under my tires as I toggled between Drive and Reverse to get around the mounds of snow, and into our shared driveway, which already had five cars in it.
A casualty of the storm, this glasses case is pretty impressive, in that the glasses didn't completely flatten and the lenses shatter. A man in the DOT truck saw the whole thing happen, and got out of his truck to pick up the crushed glasses case and hand it to me in the wee, dark hours of the morning. Someone has hawk eyes and had his glasses on!
Photo Credit: All photos pictured here were taken by Katie Hellmuth Martin.
Modification of Emergency Order - You Can Drive But Not Park on City Streets in Beacon, NY
/From the City of Beacon Mayor's Office, sent at 8:55pm, Tuesday, March 14, as issued by Mayor Randy Casale:
MODIFICATION OF EMERGENCY ORDER
"A State of Emergency was declared in the City of Beacon effective at 12:00 a.m., midnight on March 14, 2017. This state of emergency was declared due to the forecasted blizzard that occurred all day on March 14, 2017 and threatened public safety.
"The State of Emergency remains in effect, but I am rescinding the Emergency Order which banned travel on City Streets effective at 4:00 am on Wednesday March 15, 2017. The Emergency Order banning parking on City streets remains in effect."
Dated March 14, 2017, sent by Anthony Ruggiero, City Administrator for the City of Beacon
More Public Updates
Additional public updates seem to be on this page of the City of Beacon website. Refresh your screen often to find the most recent important information related to Beacon city business, including meeting cancellation updates.
Guide To Where To Find Free Municipal Parking Lots In Beacon, NY
Find the free, municipal parking lots in Beacon, NY, here in our Guide. According to this State of Emergency, the 24-hour rule is still in place.
Made for TV Film, "Dancing on Broadway" By Katie Fforde Filmed In Beacon, Airs In Germany
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See that yarn bomb on the light pole behind the piano? Does it look familiar? It's an extra in "Dancing on Broadway," a movie from writer Katie Fforde that was filmed in Beacon, was made for German TV, and is airing now online for anyone to watch. See local favorites like Dream in Plastic, Notions-n-Potions, Classic Couture Boutique, Hudson Beach Glass, and others.
Set in Poughkeepsie, Beacon and other Hudson Valley locations, this story follows that of a dancer, Skye Rhodan, as she struggles to find her footing in her dancing career while she's torn between two men - her ex, Ryan, and her new dance partner and widower with two children, Michael.
"Homeland" Episode 8 Season 6 With Quinn Airs, Starring Key Food Beacon
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Photo Credit: Key Food Beacon
The much-buzzed about episode of "Homeland" filmed in Beacon, Season 6 Episode 8, titled "Alt.Truth" has finally hit TV and streaming computer screens on March 12, 2017. In this episode, Quinn fans get their fill of the actor as he meanders through the meat section of Key Food, past Beacon's own local celebrity and Key Food co-owner/manager, JB, and onto spotting a suspicious man at checkout.
