Beacon Superintendent Responds to School Safety After Parkland, FL Shooting

Beacon's Superintendent, Matthew Landahl, issued a statement the day after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Dear Beacon City School District Community:

The tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday of this week weighs heavily on us all. The morning after the shooting, I had the opportunity to walk my son to school for a special field trip that was leaving before the regular school day began. The 40-odd students and their parents gathered excitedly with teachers and staff to wait for the bus. Standing there watching over my son and talking with other parents, I would guess that not one of the students knew what happened the day before. I also felt that I knew what was in the back of each parent and staff member’s mind. As we stood there and waved goodbye to the bus, I reflected for a few moments on the beauty of being both an educator and a parent in times like this.  The beauty lies in the fact that no matter what is happening in the world, our young people wake up ready for what’s next, expecting not only our best in terms of learning experiences but also that we do our best to keep them safe.

While I strongly believe that the Beacon City School District collectively takes safety seriously, I also believe that we should always strive to do better with this and everything we do. Yesterday, our building principals already began making some revisions to their Emergency Response Plans in light of what we are learning from Parkland. Our District Emergency Response Team, comprised of Beacon administrators and local law enforcement, is meeting on Wednesday, February 21, to review our plans and drill procedures, especially in light of what can be learned from the most recent events. Our entire district administrative team will meet on Thursday, February 22, to discuss any changes in our plans so we are all consistent in our implementation. While these building plans are not public documents, I will keep the community updated throughout the remainder of this year on our efforts to keep us all safe. As always, thanks for your support.

Sincerely,
Matt Landahl
Superintendent

See all updates from the Superintendent here.

Happening This Weekend - 2/16/2018

Happy long weekend! Some of you regular readers are away from Beacon, and some of you are away from your home to visit Beacon! Welcome :) Maybe you came here because you read about Beacon in Vogue, who recently featured The Inn and Spa at Beacon during a Hudson Valley highlight article, or on Expedia, who named Beacon as one of their Most Artistic Towns. Also it turns out, people on layovers from Stewart Airport are coming over for lunch or dinner, according to the owner of Liberty Bistro in Newburgh, in the Rhinebeck Bank video below. Highlighted below are the events, classes, workshops and shopping deals that you need to factor into your weekend plans, as well as your week next week! Sponsored by Antalek & Moore for car insurance. “Share The Love” Fitness Event Day: Saturday & Sunday, February 17-18, 2018 Time: All day Location: Zoned Fitness, 490 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Live Concert: Kofi & Sankofa Day: POSTPONED DUE TO SNOW Time: 7:30 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.     Beacon Pilates 18 West Main Street, Suite 3 www.beaconpilates.com (near the train station) Have you been inside the new space yet? The best way to start at Beacon Pilates is with their Intro Offer of two private lessons and one Trio class. Pretty soon, you'll be like the owner Juliette's daughter, climbing and hanging from the equipment. Don't you want to do this? Cooking & Pairing Class Day: Monday, February 19, 2018 Time: 6 to 8 pm Location: Olive U, 896 Main St., Fishkill, NY Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Adult Classes Guide.   Art & Zine Club Meetup - Button Making Day: Friday, February 16, 2018 Time: 3:30 to 5 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Try Ice Skating Free Day: Sunday, February 18, 2018 Time: 10:45 to 11:45 am Location: Ice Time Sports, 21 Lakeside Road, Newburgh, NY Information > Holiday Vacation Camp Ages: 5 to 12 Day: Monday, February 19, 2018 Time: 8 am to 5 pm Location: All Sport Health & Fitness, 17 Old Main St., Fishkill, NY Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Kids Classes Guide.     Thank you to BAJA for sponsoring the Restaurant Guide!     BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END   Luxe Optique 183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com (across Cliff Street from Beacon Bread Company) Cutie patootie little cases, aren't they? That's right! These are glasses cases for one of the lines in the store, the frames of which are outrageous. Head into Luxe Optique and ask which frames come with these little cases, and take a set home.   BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END PARKING HINT: Park behind 1 East Main, by the Hudson Valley Brewery, and use the back walkway entrance to come up to Main Street! Style Storehouse 484 Main Street www.stylestorehouse.com (near Utensil) SALE ALERT! Joggers, sweats, loungewear - these comfy pieces go by many names and come in many shapes. In stock at Style Storehouse, they are all super soft and super cozy and 50% off right now! Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique 1 East Main, Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the dummy light) New samples from Justin Alexander are in store now! Walk in to see them during Lambs Hill's regular hours, and make an appointment to try them on. Email lambshillbridalboutique@gmail.com, or call (845) 765-2900. Thank you to the following shops for sponsoring our Shopping Guide! Luxe Optique, Lambs Hill, and Style Storehouse. Where can you get your hair done in Beacon? Or a beard trim? Find out in A Little Beacon Blog's Beauty Guide! SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency Yeah, yeah, we know how easy it is to not invest in renters insurance. You're just renting, right? But your belongings are valuable. "Renters insurance is a comprehensive way to protect all of your belongings in the event of theft or damage, and often protects these belongings both inside and outside the home," says Antalek & Moore. Call them at (845) 831-1400 to learn more. Rhinebeck Bank Michelle from Rhinebeck Bank visits Newburgh, NY, to check out Liberty Street Bistro with owner and chef Michael Kelly. Learn how this restaurant, located in Newburgh's recently designated Creative Neighborhood, came to be and what types of cuisine they offer. Watch the video to find out how Rhinebeck Bank has impacted this restaurant and helped their business develop! Also learn about Kelly's upcoming projects, including a bakery opening late this year in the Creative Neighborhood! PS: Rhinebeck Bank has a Creative Neighborhood Loan Fund! Learn more about it here. InHouse Design Media The photographers and designers at Beacon-based InHouse Design Media can help you take amazing pictures for your Instagram. How do we know how great they are? Because they are the same people behind A Little Beacon Blog - Katie Hellmuth Martin and Leigh Baumann! We can train you. It's like an amazing fitness class, but for your photos. Let us have an intervention with your Instagram feed in this four-session class. Tin Shingle - Open House FREE MEETING FOR BUSINESSES, ARTISTS, NONPROFIT GROUPS (this month only!) Do you hate marketing? Does social media overwhelm you? Do you see other businesses or projects in the newspaper, and think: "Dang - I wish that were my business/project featured there!" Then this meeting is for you. Tin Shingle is an empowerment center for businesses, artists, makers and nonprofits who are trying to get the word out about their work. Tin Shingle is run by Katie, who also runs A Little Beacon Blog. It's a nationwide, member-based resource center that has just opened up the ability to have in-person member meetings in the Hudson Valley at 291 Main Street in Beacon's Telephone Building. We're calling it The Kick A** Member Meeting, because it's there to help you kick butt in your business. Normally it's a meeting for Tin Shingle's Community Level Members only, but this month, it's open to all. Day: Monday, February 26, 2018 Time: Noon to 1 pm Location: 291 Main Street, First Floor, First Door, Beacon, NY Beacon Chamber of Commerce Psst...The Cupcake Festival is coming back to Beacon! Day: Saturday, May 5, 2018 (rain date the next day) Time: 1 to 5 pm Location: Beacon's East End Details >   BeaconArts : Beacon Open Studios This citywide art happening, Beacon Open Studios, is in motion! BeaconArts is the event's fiscal sponsor, so all signups and sponsorships go through them. Here's what you need to know: Sponsorships Available Now: Your business can place an ad in the brochure that is seen by pretty much everyone, as it includes a map of where to find each of the artists. Details > Volunteer Positions: Hurry to sign up for special volunteer jobs! Spots are filling up fast. Details > Artist Registration: Get on the map! Sign up now to be included in the official brochure and opening exhibition! Details > Opening Night: Party! Details > Open Studios Weekend: Walk or drive to visit artists on your list. Collect new art along the way! Details > A Little Beacon Space The time is right to host your workshop, now you just need a venue. A Little Beacon's Space, conveniently located right in the heart of Beacon, is a perfect spot to fit your audience. NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Advertise in A Little Beacon Blog Pictures shown above are from our advertising partners in the Things To Do In Beacon Guides. We can include your most exciting news here too! Sponsors make the local media go round. Reach our readers and support our publication at the same time. Advertising with A Little Beacon Blog is effective because we design ways to make it work for you. See our Media Kit for ideas! Click here to learn about ways to advertise on A Little Beacon Blog. Until next week!

School Shootings - Where Do We Go From Here?

So today's a regular Thursday, after a regular Wednesday that was otherwise regular other than the fact that it was Valentine's Day, and in the blur of headline notifications that blip on my phone - and everyone else's phone - was the school shooting headline, arriving from a few different news outlets. Again. Another death headline. Too gruesome to think about, the day went on. Back home, my husband walked through the door, asked me if I saw the headline. Yes I did, and he announced that he wouldn't watch the news last night because our kids were up and around us. So. No details.

On this Thursday, I was in newsletter mode (we call it the NL), and I was bound to finish it today so that our team would be all clear tomorrow and not needing to slide through another Friday afternoon putting on finishing touches. But as I ate breakfast after taking my kids to school, and before going to the office, I found myself in one of those moments of silence when thoughts that you're keeping away refuse to stay away, and rush in. Suddenly I was mad. Had I just experienced numbness from children dying? I did! There have been too many shootings - of any kind - in our lives.

Legislation can clog systems. It can unnecessarily complicate something. But what continues to stupefy me is why it is harder to get a driver's license than it is to buy and use a gun over the years. Why is it more regulated to drive a car (no cell phones, no texting while driving, DUIs, etc.) than it is to buy and use a gun over the years? Why can a random person off the street (or a vengeful spouse or partner) call CPS to report a child issue, and CPS can come into your home and check your refrigerator and interview your children, yet it's easier to buy and use a gun over the years?

I'm pro-gun. Own a gun! Clean it! Hopefully you won't accidentally shoot yourself in the face, like my husband's grandfather - a war veteran - did! Hopefully you won't shoot yourself in despair, like my great-grandfather did! Hopefully you won't shoot yourself out of love-sickness or loneliness like my other great-grandfather - a hunter - did after his wife died! Hopefully you'll have fun with it - go hunting , shoot clay pigeons - heck, maybe you'll even make a potato gun. But why such little protection around it? Why is it harder to build a garage in our backyards because of local zoning laws that protect your neighbor's sightline or run-off or something, than it is to buy and use a gun over the years?

But heck. I was on deadline, so I needed to shake off the mood to get back into a happy place to keep doing my job. So I went jogging. I put on peppy music so that I could get back into NL writing mode - which requires excitement and a good mood. But then I got an email from a small-business friend, Jackie Berlowski in Parkland, FL, who decided to email her business newsletter for GreatHerGood about the situation. This is what she said, and this is when I cried at my desk:

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"We are beyond shocked and saddened over the Parkland school shooting yesterday. We live in Parkland (about a block away from the school) and lot of our good friends live in Parkland as well. We know several teachers, coaches, and kids in the area especially our friend's kids that go to that school. With each hour that goes by we learn about someone else we know who has been affected.

"We heard helicopters and ambulances all afternoon into the night from my office. Luckily, our son Tyler goes to a different school down the street. However, other parents were not as lucky. I scrambled to pick up my kid along with every other parent. As I tried to get back into my development with Tyler safely in the car, I looked over and saw a couple sobbing by the side of the road, people looking frantically for their child, I saw people leaving their cars right where they were stopped, I saw the SWAT team flood the streets as the local police redirected the traffic, and I saw triage tents set up right on our corner. As my 6 year old son noticed the intensity of the situation, he got teary eyed and asked what happened. As a Mom and a human being, how do we keep explaining this to our kids?!

"I remembered this quote. It's an oldie but a goodie from Mr. Rogers... and it seemed to help. "Look for the helpers." Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers.' It seemed to diminish the doom and gloom of a scary situation.

"I know people say this is not the time to discuss guns. Bullshit. Enough is enough! This is the exact time to discuss guns. How many people need to die to force our politicians to ignore the temptation of accepting gun lobbyist money and finally take action, create change and implement common sense and new gun control policies. Yesterday's tragedy hits WAY too close to home and it wasn't just that one day. It's this morning, it's tomorrow morning, it's in the weeks to come as families try to move forward. As helicopters were still hovering overhead for the 11pm news last night and continue to this morning (right outside our window), my husband and I struggle with how a young, troubled person can obtain a gun let alone an assault rifle.  

"This is the 18th school shooting this year alone. It's only February. Are we getting numb to this?! These are real families just like yours that are impacted for the rest of their lives. This is where my son will go to middle and high school.

"To say I grabbed my son a little tighter yesterday and this morning is a massive understatement.

"Today my longtime friend from sleep-away camp is grieving because her fellow teacher, Scott, was shot protecting the kids in his class. Our good friend's daughter was in one of the classrooms as all of this occurred and is in shock today. It's just the beginning, we will hear more each hour with every text, every phone call and every update.

"We need to change this culture in America and I encourage everyone to spread the word that change is NEEDED and there is a better America out there for our children!"

- Jackie Berlowski

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If you're a parent now, your kids go to Lock Down Drills. In those, students get trained to hide from a gunman. Do you remember doing tornado drills? Me too. That was the extent of our threats. Now, as parents, we get to think about how our kids are being trained - is it smart that they are being trained to hide in a closet? Should they be trained to go out a window? Is it disturbing that 5-year-olds and teachers are being trained to learn how to distract a gunman, or to throw things in his face in order to buy one more second of time?

It's too much burden to put on a teacher, to not only teach and help shape our kids, but to save their lives by sheltering them with their bodies. It's too much. God bless teachers. These heroes. All of the small people and big people angels in these events.

Police across the Hudson Valley are hosting learning sessions. Sergeant Phillip Roloson, of the Town of Lloyd (Ulster County) Police Department, held a workshop in October 2017 on what to do when an active shooter is in the building. His teachings contradicted some strategies in the public school. So who is right? Why do we need to think about this? Why do we need to live with this? Of course, it's always good to learn self defense. 

A determined yet delusional person is always going to get their hands on what they want, but why make it so easy?

[EDIT 2/15/2018: When this article first published, an illustration was included showing how easy it was to buy a rifle online at Walmart. The rifle pictured with this article was a BB gun, so to not confuse the argument, the illustration has been removed.]

[EDIT 3/5/2018: Walmart pulled that rifle BB gun that a person in the Comments at Facebook questioned and brushed off as irrelevant after a company announcement was made on February 28, 2018 "Walmart Joins Dick's Sporting Goods In Tighter Limits On Gun Sales." Now that Walmart and Dick's Sporting Goods thing it relevant, this online rifle purchase has been placed back into this article.]

Here is how easy it is (was) to purchase this pink rifle online at Walmart:

Look closely at the picture, and you'll see that the Walmart website is (was) asking for Y age. That's a typo. It didn't matter what was typed in. Age didn't matter. Insurance could also conventiently be purchased for one low price.

When a person uses their car to plow through people, at least we know that they didn't just buy the car from Walmart so easily. If a person gets into a stolen truck or bus, at least we know that people need licenses to drive the truck. Not that it would have prevented them from driving the truck, but at least we all know that it's not OK for untrained people to drive huge vehicles. There is at least that basic comfort. And like I said, the troubled person will still do what they do. But in many places, there's no such requirement for any would-be gun buyers.

Before typing this, I texted to Marilyn, who edits the Things To Do In Beacon Guides, letting her know that I was hugely distracted and trying to get in the mood. She suggested we write about being thankful for the close-knit community to connect with. And she's right. The major part of this problem is people's unhappiness. As parents, we need to listen to our kids, help them feel heard and respected and supported. Give them alone-time, but stay aware of what they are doing. Make sure they are tapped into what they are showing passions for. As a community, we need to be curious about people we don't know. We need to learn about their cultures and habits because they are different from ours. To stay healthy, we need each other, to support each other, so that the delusions of wanting to be a gunman don't surface.

Peace.

Happy Valentine’s Day 2018

Celebrate this day of love. Pass it forward to anyone you see today. Anything can be a valentine - a hug, a piece of paper with a little note on it, something special you found, or just anything thoughtful.

Happy Valentine’s Day! 

PS: This valentine was made at the revived Create Space popup venue (also home to Beacon Healing Massage), during their valentine card-making workshop last weekend. Find it in A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide, and they often have pop-up shops or workshops in the Classes for Kids Guide or Classes for Adults Guide. Be sure you’re receiving our newsletter to learn of special events like that, and check our Things To Do In Beacon Guides to mark your calendar in advance!

Early Morning Fire on Rombout Avenue Destroys Home, Hurts Family and Pets

Firefighters after the fire, removing insulation from the roof and looking for "hot spots," according to Beacon Fire Chief Gary Van Voorhis.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Fire trucks and first responders were dispatched at 4:45 am Friday after three people called to report a fire at 98 Rombout Ave., the section of Rombout that is near South Avenue Elementary School. A person inside the burning home called it in, as did their neighbor, and another source. Five fire departments were needed to battle the blaze: the City of Beacon Fire Department, Fishkill Fire Department, Glenham Fire Department, Castle Point Fire Department, and Rombout Fire Department in Hughsonville, according to Beacon Fire Chief Gary Van Voorhis. Dutchess County Fire Investigators and Beacon Detective Tony Rios also came to the scene.

The people inside of the house were on the second floor when the fire started. One person jumped out of a second-floor window into the back yard, and three adults came down the stairs through the fire - which had engulfed the stairs - and exited the front door. They received burns on 60 percent of their lower bodies, according to Chief Van Voorhis. One of the residents' dogs perished, though luckily first responders were able to rescue the other dog. The Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Mobile Life took the victims to the hospital.

"I have never seen a fire that big in real life," said neighbor Katy Hope. "One of our windows looks up Rombout. The [emergency vehicles'] lights woke me up while it was still dark outside in the morning. The firefighters were not running sirens, which I found very thoughtful and I'm sure they want to keep the panic down. I could see the flames, although I wasn't quite sure which house it was. Really scary, especially as I've been thinking a lot about flammable old houses."

While the exact start and stop times of the fire have not been made public, Chief Van Voorhis noted that putting out the fire took some time. "There was a lot of debris inside," said the chief, after the fire was out. Much of the debris, including burnt metal doors and empty propane containers, had been removed from the home and placed in the front yard. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
 

More than 30 volunteer and career firefighters rotated through the home, battling not just flames, but cold, icy conditions, according to Chief Van Voorhis. Nature's elements added to the challenge. During the fire, a live power line came off the house, which is common in fires, Chief Van Voorhis said. That created a hurdle for firefighters to get to where they needed to in the street. The wire was on the street for 45 minutes before Central Hudson was able to come take care of it.

Ice continues to cover Beacon, as the temperatures have stayed in the high 20s since Wednesday's snow and ice storm. That part of Rombout Avenue had re-frozen since the day before, and the sidewalks remain crunchy frozen. One firefighter slipped on the ice and fell onto his back, but sprang back into action. Firefighters spread their own salt on the street as they fought the fire.

Streets remained closed later Friday morning even after the fire was out, as parents who were dropping their kids off at South Avenue Elementary were redirected from their usual drop-off route. Fire trucks and other fire and investigation vehicles lined the street hours later.

While the fire was live in the pre-dawn hours, however, one vehicle who did not have its headlights on drove around firefighters who were diverting traffic from a large yellow hose that was in use to put out the fire, said Chief Van Voorhis. Flares were set around the hose, and the car hit the flare, which hit and ripped the hose. The car also drove over the hose. The fire department is looking for details about that vehicle, who continued driving away after the incident.

Pictured here is the yellow water hose that a vehicle drove over when it was full of water and in the street. The driver went around firemen, who had been blocking the street for safety.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Three Different Fires in 31 hours

This was one of three different fires that were blazing within just over a day in Beacon, according to the Beacon Professional Firefighters - IAFF Local 3490. On Wednesday evening at 9:40 pm, "units arrived in less than 3 minutes to find an active, gas-fueled fire in a commercial occupancy. Members quickly shut the gas off and extinguished the fire," according to the Beacon Professional Firefighters.

Additionally, an old boiler in the basement of a home also caught fire. Units were dispatched at 11:42 am Thursday for a reported chimney fire. "Units arrived in less than one minute to find an active fire in the boiler room in the basement of a residence. The fire was contained to the area of origin and quickly extinguished," according to their report on their Facebook page.

At 1:30 pm Friday, fire trucks, firefighters and investigators were still at the Rombout scene. Many of them had been there since 4:45 am.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Volunteer Fire Fighters Wanted + Donations to Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corp.

Beacon's volunteer set of first responders have been working for decades. Mayor Randy Casale has announced during several City Council meetings that there is a need for more volunteer firefighters. During the City Council meeting on February 5, several firefighters were recognized for their years of membership - some for 50 years, some 25 years, and some relatively new firefighters who were entering their fifth year of membership.

Usually, the best way to donate to the Volunteer Beacon Ambulance Corp. or to the Beacon Fire Department is by answering the paper snail mail that is delivered to your home mailbox, or by sending in checks when you think of it.

Happening This Weekend - 2/9/2018

Happy Valentine's Weekend! As you're out and about treating someone you love to something special, the Art Galleries are freshly celebrating Second Saturday, so keep A Little Beacon Blog's full Second Saturday Guide open on your phone so that you can see what's exhibiting inside of each gallery! PS: For any Galentine on your list, duck into Howling at the Edge of Chaos near The Beacon Hotel for some female rage-tastic quote things, jewelry or just a panda pillow. Highlighted below are the events, classes, workshops and shopping deals that you need to factor into your weekend plans, as well as your to-do's next week! Sponsored by Antalek & Moore for car insurance. South Avenue Elementary's Small Tall Ball - Valentine's Dance Day: Friday, February 9, 2018 Time: 6 to 8 pm Location: South Avenue PTA, 60 South Ave., Beacon, NY Information > Stony Kill Farm's Winter on the Farm Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018; if no snow on 2/10, make-up date February 24, 2018 Time: 11 am to 2 pm Location: Stony Kill Farm, 79 Farmstead Lane, Wappingers Falls, NY Information > Special Screening: Beacon Independent Film Festival ARTSGO Artists in Residence Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018 Time: 6 pm Location: Gallery at Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries/Clarkson University, 199 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > “BOHEMIANS In Love and In Life” Day: Saturday & Sunday, February 10 & 11, 2018 Time: Saturday, 7:30 pm; Sunday, 4 pm Location: Beacon Hebrew Alliance, 31 Verplanck Ave., Beacon, NY Information > Howland Cultural Center's Valentine’s Day Dance Party Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018 Time: 8 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Use the hashtag #atthehowland if you go! We want to see you, lovebirds! Information > Hairdressers Ball Charity Hair Show Day: Sunday, February 11, 2018 Time: 6 pm Location: Safe Harbors Lobby at the Ritz, 107 Broadway, Newburgh, NY Information > Howland Chamber Music Circle presents Charlie Albright, Piano Day: Sunday, February 11, 2018 Time: 4 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.   Made & Given Valentine's Day Pop-Up Shop Day: Saturday & Sunday, February 10 & 11, 2018 Time: Saturday, 1 to 9 pm; Sunday, noon to 6 pm Location: 17 E. Main St., Beacon, NY Information >   Beacon Pilates Grand Re-Opening Party! Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018 Time: 5 to 8 pm Location: 18 W. Main St., Suite 3 (near the train station) It's finally here! The big, grand re-opening party you have been waiting for! Go see Beacon Pilates' new studio in what is soon to be a very hopping area, with the new hardware store going in, and new apartment building going up. See our interview here with Beacon Pilates' founder, Juliet Harvey. Details here > Beacon of Light Wellness Center Grand Opening Celebration Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018 Time: 1 to 10 pm Location: Beacon of Light Wellness Center, 4 S. Chestnut St., Beacon, NY Information > Monthly Literary Salon with Julie Chibbaro Day: Sunday, February 11, 2018 Time: 5 to 8 pm Location: Oak Vino Wine Bar, 389 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Adult Classes Guide. Valentine-Making at CreateSpace Beacon Ages: All ages Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018 Time: 9 am to 6 pm Location: CreateSpace Beacon, 145 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Troll Cake - Princess Poppy Class Ages: All ages, 8+ preferred, younger must be accompanied by adult Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018 Time: 2 to 4 pm Location: The Cupcakery, 1004 Main St., Fishkill, NY Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Kids Classes Guide.   Thank you to The Vault and to BAJA for sponsoring the Restaurant Guide!     BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END   Luxe Optique 183 Main Street (across Cliff Street from Beacon Bread Company) Peep these outrageous frames by Lafont Paris: These are a U.S. special edition called "Thirty," created for Lafont Paris' 30th anniversary in North America. "Thirty" is part of a 400-piece limited edition run, and represents an iconic design with an exciting decorative concept. The asymmetrical black and ivory carved acetate sunglass is embellished with cut-outs of the Statue of Liberty on one temple, and the Eiffel Tower on the other. We could go on, but you should probably just go see them in person at Luxe Optique.   BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END PARKING HINT: Park behind 1 East Main by the Hudson Valley Brewery and use the back walkway entrance to Main Street! Style Storehouse 484 Main Street (near Utensil) How lovely are these glass pearl hoops by Yunis K, now in at Style Storehouse? This brand blends old world and new wave Bohemian into one look, perfect for special occasions or for adding personal flair to everyday wear. Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique 1 East Main, Retail #3 (near the historic dummy light) Now offering after-hours private events at the boutique for brides and their intimate groups of up to 10 people! Email lambshillbridalboutique@gmail.com, or call (845) 765-2900. Lambs Hill also offers online booking of private events, so check with your girls then book by clicking here! Thank you to the following shops for sponsoring our Shopping Guide!  Luxe Optique, Lambs Hill, and Style Storehouse. Where can you get your hair done in Beacon? Or have a beard trim? Find out in A Little Beacon Blog's Beauty Guide! SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency 'Tis the weekend for wedding proposals! Or just getting closer to that moment. When it's time, Antalek & Moore provides Special Event Insurance for your big day. Whether it's a fundraiser, wedding, renewal of vows, or other special occasion, Antalek & Moore can give you peace of mind on the big day. Rhinebeck Bank The Hudson Valley is lucky to have Rhinebeck Bank supporting so many arts initiatives. Currently, Rhinebeck Bank produces a video series that spotlights arts programs, nonprofit groups, and businesses. In this video, they highlight a group that gives kids access many aspects of filmmaking. The Art Effect, formerly known as Spark Media Project, is revealed in this interview series. InHouse Design Media Want to learn how to take amazing photos for your social media, with equally compelling captions? It's an art form, but you can learn how to do it for your business or brand. InHouse Design Media designed an immersive set of training sessions to up your photo game by producing really effective graphics - that don't require a designer! But as designers, we can train you in our ways... Let us have an intervention with your Instagram feed. Tin Shingle Special for the month of Valentine's Day, Tin Shingle's February Member Meeting will be an Open House, open to all business owners, artists and makers who want to come work on their PR and promotion strategies, and get to know Tin Shingle better. Bring the magazines you want to be featured in - we're going to plan ahead! Tin Shingle's Membership is a DIY PR platform for business owners who are getting the word out. Day: Monday, February 26, 2018 Time: Noon to 1 pm Beacon Chamber of Commerce Join the Beacon Chamber of Commerce in celebrating the opening of Big Mouth Coffee Roasters on Main Street in Beacon. Day: Friday, February 9, 2018 Time: 2 to 3 pm Location: 387 Main St., Beacon, NY Details >   BeaconArts You must go see the BeaconArts exhibit up now in the Gallery at the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries. See the many photos and news clippings capturing the ways that BeaconArts has contributed to the culture that has shaped Beacon over the past decade and a half. Special Film Screening: The Beacon Independent Film Festival and their ARTSGO Artists in Residence documentaries from 2015, 2016, and 2017 are playing on Saturday at 6pm. Day/Time: Saturday, February 10, 6 pm Showing: “Material” – Dan Dowd. Director: Michael Arginsky “Cascade” – Margot Kingon. Director: Kate Phelan “Ambi Artist” – Donna Mikkelsen. Director: Rob Featherstone Details > A Little Beacon Space The time is right to host your workshop, now you just need a venue. A Little Beacon's Space, conveniently located in the heart of Beacon, is the perfect fit for your audience. NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Advertise in A Little Beacon Blog Pictures shown above are from our advertising partners in the Things To Do In Beacon Guides. We can include your most exciting news here too! Sponsors make the local media go round. Reach our readers and support our publication at the same time. Advertising with A Little Beacon Blog is effective because we design ways to make it work for you. See our Media Kit for ideas! Click here to learn about ways to advertise on A Little Beacon Blog. Until next week!

Beacon Pilates Moves Locations After 13 Years

When Beacon Pilates opened 13 years ago in a second-floor studio above Main Street, it was met with skepticism and conviction that no one would want to try this newfangled form of exercise. That's how most successful businesses are met at first, actually, in Beacon. It's possible that new-business reception is like this all over the world, but particularly in Beacon, when something fresh launches, it is usually met with doubters. Before you know it, a cult following has formed around it. Remember the howls about the 20-minute wait for the hand-fixed donuts at Glazed (and it's not 20 minutes, BTW), or the $8.50 bacon and egg breakfast sandwich at Stock Up that launched 1,000 Facebook comments? Or the upscale glasses store that everyone thought would never work? The successful Luxe Optique now has superfans from around the region (like this shop owner from Cold Spring) coming in to seize the latest designs.

So too with Beacon Pilates. A fixture in Beacon for people who needed to get firm, strong, and toned, Beacon Pilates faced a major business change when they needed to move from its original location. The thing about change is, it often produces unexpected positive results - the Silver Lining, if you will. Beacon Pilates' owner, Juliet Harvey, reached out to A Little Beacon Blog to advertise the studio's change in our Classes for Adults Guide program, but the change is so much more than a simple location swap. So we reached out to Juliet to see if she had found a Silver Lining, and it turns out, there were several. This is the beauty of owning and running a small business. Especially one in Beacon, which is filled with so many talented people.

ALBB:
Sometimes a change like this produces unexpected results. What can you tell us?

Juliet Harvey, Owner of Beacon Pilates:
I loved my old space. It was almost more like my home than my house! But yes, there have been many silver linings.

First and foremost, being so incredibly overwhelmed with just how much my husband, Luc, and his business partner, Jason Hughes, and their employees at LNJ Tech Services did for me.

ALBB: So that our readers can piece everyone together - Luc and Jason own the white building on Hanna Lane that is famous in its own right, but got famous again after hanging the welcome sign. Jason is married to Ella's Bellas' owner Carley, and LNJ Tech Services also did custom design work at Ella's Bellas, including making the really cool whisk-inspired light fixtures. It's fun to know who is behind some of these visual touches that have come to define Beacon.

Juliet Harvey, Owner of Beacon Pilates:
Yes, exactly. The list that they helped me with was enormous, but basically, while I was going through an emotional crisis, they were at my space every day making sure it was going to be a beautiful and inviting studio. Luc was helping to make every single decision in his creative, technical, calm and detail-oriented way. I was completely supported and taken care of by him.

Secondly, and to my shock, all of my clients have told me they like the new space better! The space is so open and light-filled and beautiful. Also, as everyone knows in Beacon, the parking situation is not getting any better. So they LOVE the parking lot. My clients never burdened me with their parking problems at my old space. But now that I'm at the new space, all their stories are coming out and they are so happy not to have the Main Street parking worry.

ALBB: Thank you for sharing, Juliet!

* * *

So guys, just so you know, the winter is the most dreaded part of the year for businesses in Beacon. It snows. Things close. Everyone gets sick. It's awful. But Beacon Pilates is prevailing and bucking the system by having their Grand Re-Opening Party this weekend - Valentine's Weekend - and you can show them some love by going. It's from 5 to 8 pm on Saturday (yes, it's Beacon's Second Saturday).

Juliet is keeping super busy: Not only is she hosting Beacon Pilates' grand re-opening, but as co-president of the South Avenue PTA, Juliet is supporting South Avenue's first parent/kid dance, aka the Small Tall Ball, the Friday night before her Pilates party. And if that's not enough, her grand re-opening party will even include a donation dedication. It's the kickoff for “Goods for Good,” a weeklong sporting goods drive for The Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, which is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment to improve the lives of and empower at-risk children and families in the Hudson Valley and surrounding communities.

Donations of newly purchased indoor or outdoor sporting goods can be brought to Beacon Pilates on Second Saturday, February 10, or dropped off during business hours the following week. Equipment needed includes basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, skateboards, roller skates, lawn games, double-dutch jump ropes, wooden baseball bats, and tennis balls, as well as safety equipment like helmets and pads.

See you at the party!

Happening This Weekend - 2/2/2018

Take that, first month of the year! February is up next, and it’s time to dream of Valentine's Day love and Super Bowl sides. Need some instant spring in your home? Beacon D'Lights "over-shopped" their spring floral picks and put them all at 40 percent off. Time to freshen up! Meanwhile ... get out there! You'll find Seussical The Musical and others, an art opening for National African-American History Month, and more. Sponsored by Antalek & Moore for car insurance. Seussical The Musical Days: Thursday to Saturday, February 1 to 3, 2018 Time: Thursday and Friday, 7 pm; Saturday, 1 and 3 pm Location: The Theater at Beacon High School, 101 Matteawan Road, Beacon, NY Information > Dia:Beacon Staff Show Opening Reception Day: Friday, February 2, 2018 Time: Noon to 9 pm Location: Dia:Beacon pop-up satellite, 1 East Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Reel Life Film Club presents “Waste Land” Day: Friday, February 2, 2018 Time: 6 pm Location: Desmond-Fish Library, 472 Route 403, Garrison, NY Information > Art Opening Reception: National African-American History Month Day: Saturday, February 3, 2018 (reception); February 3-25, 2018 (exhibit) Time: 2:30 to 4:30pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Live Concert: Last Minute Soulmates Day: Saturday, February 3, 2018 Time: 7 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.   Flea Boutique Encore Sale Day: Saturday, February 3, 2018 Time: 9 am to 5 pm Location: CreateSpace, 145 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >     Beacon Pilates 18 West Main Street, Suite 3 (near the train station) Beacon Pilates' new studio is gorgeous and filled with natural light. If you have core work to do - tightening that tummy or your entire body - then the group classes or semi-private sessions at Beacon Pilates are for you. Mat classes start at $15 and are discounted when purchased in packages. Don't wait for their re-opening party that is next weekend to come in - these strength moves are going on now. Free Yoga! Grand Opening Day: Saturday, February 3, 2018 Time: All day Location: Beacon Yoga Center, 464 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Soulful Flow Day: Sunday, February 4, 2018 Time: 10 to 11:30 am Location: Firefly Yoga, 992 Main St., Fishkill, NY Information > Thank you, Beacon Pilates, for sponsoring the Classes for Adults Guide! For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Adult Classes Guide. Card & Board Games Club Day: Friday, February 2, 2018 Time: 3 to 5 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Mozzarella Cheese making with Stacey Lynch Adnams Ages: 7-12 Day: Saturday, February 3, 2018 Time: 11 am to noon Location: Stony Kill Farm, 79 Farmstead Lane, Wappingers Falls, NY Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Kids Classes Guide.   NEW GUIDE!  The Public School Fundraising Guide Parents, teachers and students are hard at work coming up with creative ways to raise money for Beacon's Public Schools. Some of those ways involve events. A Little Beacon Blog has dedicated an editor to tracking these and updating this new Guide! Below are upcoming opportunities: GLENHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Matt Stevens Alakazam MAGIC SHOW! Day: Friday, February 9, 2018 Time: 6 to 8 pm Location: Glenham School, 20 Chase Drive, Beacon, NY Information >   Thank you to BAJA 328 for sponsoring the Restaurant Guide!     BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END   Luxe Optique 183 Main Street (near Beacon Bread Company) Take a peek at the new luxury line by Jacques Marie Mage, in at Luxe Optique. Each frame is handmade and comes only in super limited quantities (see these behind-the-scenes photos), making them very rare and collectible. Each case is made specifically for the frame that it holds. You'll want to see this.     BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END PARKING HINT: Park behind 1 East Main by the Hudson Valley Brewery, and use the back walkway to come up to Main Street! Style Storehouse 484 Main Street (near Utensil) Perfect for this time of year, Style Storehouse is stocking Andrea's Alchemy - nourishing wellness and skincare concoctions to nourish the body and soul. The line includes facial oils, body oils, essential oils and hand sanitizer. Throw a bottle in your purse and go. Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique 1 East Main, Retail #3 (near the dummy light) This is the busiest time of year for engagements and wedding planning, with Valentine's Day right around the corner. Even if you're not planning a wedding, be sure to go in to see Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique's own line of wedding gowns, so you can recommend them to your friends. Thank you to the following shops for sponsoring our Shopping Guide! Luxe Optique, Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique, and Style Storehouse. Where can you get your hair done in Beacon? Or a beard trim? Or eyelash extensions? Find out in A Little Beacon Blog's Beauty Guide! SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency Susan Pagones' next Defensive Driving course is on for Saturday, March 24, from 8:30 am to 3 pm. This is your opportunity to increase your chances of saving money on your car insurance, and decrease your chances of getting a ticket or into an accident. Lunch is included, so save your seat now. Call Thomasine to reserve your spot: (845) 245-6292. Rhinebeck Bank This week's episode of Wake Up With Rhinebeck Bank features the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Home and Museum in Hyde Park, NY. The museum's curator, Herman Eberhardt, speaks with Michelle Barone-Lepore about the new permanent exhibit, which offers more audio and interactive technology to create an immersive experience. “It’s a completely redone museum,” says Herman, promising that anyone who hasn't been since 2013 will be in for a new experience. Opening on April 21 is an exhibit of World War II posters, from the museum's own large collection. Visitors can also easily see Eleanor Roosevelt's home, Val-Kill, for an experience completely focused on her. Watch this episode of Wake Up With Rhinebeck Bank for peeks inside everything mentioned here! Beacon Chamber of Commerce Meet and mingle with other businesses in Beacon and beyond, as the Beacon Chamber's membership expands for the February meeting, to include other communities who want to work together. The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce will be in attendance to showcase the benefits of joint membership. Stephanie Carapola Jones, owner of The Blushery on Main Street, will give a tour of everything amazing that happens in her boutique and beauty bar! Membership is not required for this meeting, and you're encouraged to bring a guest! Learn more here.   BeaconArts BeaconArts congratulates new Board Members: Hanny Ahern Karlyn Benson Meghan Goria Linda Pratt Kimmel Officers will be chosen at the next Board Meeting, currently scheduled for February 14. If you are new to Beacon, here's a quick reminder of the mission driving BeaconArts: "BeaconArts' mission is to foster and encourage the advancement of the City of Beacon as a center for arts and culture. We work to enable resident artists of all disciplines to live and thrive in Beacon by widely promoting their projects and events, as well as to develop and facilitate inspiring creative experiences and programs that promote a vibrant community and enrich the lives of our local citizens." Tin Shingle : Member Meeting The first Member Meeting at Tin Shingle went very well! We got to meet a new member, the eco-baby clothes maker Lucky Bug Clothing. All of their goods are sewn in Newburgh or Brooklyn. The next member meeting is the last Monday of the month, February 26, at noon, and it's an Open House! We want to meet and empower as many business owners, artists and makers as we can, so membership is not required for the next meeting. It's our Business Valentine to you! See you then, or sooner! InHouse Design Media Let InHouse Design Media work with you and your iPhone (or other smartphone) to take some amazing pictures for your business' Instagram, Facebook, Facebook Events, your (possibly future) blog, and so much more. Anyone can press a button to take a photo, but it takes practice and experience to take the photo from the right angle, using the right lighting, cropping out the right stuff. You want to remain in control when making flyers, and restrain yourself from using every color or font just because you can. Let InHouse Design Media save you. Check out the new Social Media Photo Training for Clients package. A Little Beacon Space The time is right to host your workshop, now you just need a venue. A Little Beacon's Space is conveniently located in the heart of Beacon, and a perfect spot for your audience. NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Advertise in A Little Beacon Blog Pictures shown above are from our advertising partners in the Things To Do In Beacon Guides. We can include your most exciting news here too! Be a part of this publication - be the support that makes it happen! Reach our readers, align with the community, and get your message out. See our Media Kit for ideas! Click here to learn about ways to advertise on A Little Beacon Blog. Until next week!

Latest from the Beacon City School Fundraising Guide: Rombout at Chipotle

Happening tonight - the Chipotle Challenge! Just kidding, it's not called that, but it is Rombout Middle School's turn at 50% of Chipotle's profits, when you buy dinner from 5 to 9 pm. Several of Beacon's public schools have been taking advantage of this corporate donation opportunity, and this is an easy way to indirectly donate to Rombout Middle School.

Take a look at what else is on the horizon in A Little Beacon Blog's Beacon City Schools' Fundraising Guide by clicking here. You'll note that the Wizards (basketball) are coming, and you'll find more easy ways to support the schools while meeting your entertainment and feel-good goals as well!

Insider Pro Tip: These school fundraiser nights are getting popular! So go early to get a seat, or plan to take that big burrito to go.

Rombout's Fundraising Goals:

Four to six tables to go outside the cafeteria doors, so students can earn the privilege of eating outside.
The Rombout PTO would also like to raise money for benches to be put in front of the building, in the bus drop-off area.
You can also donate directly to their GoFundMe campaign >

Update From Sargent's Fundraising Trivia Stars Night

Trivia Night was held at Hudson Valley Brewery with food cooked by Barb's Butchery and a slew of amazing raffle prizes from local businesses, including a growler from Obercreek Brewery, artwork, and other wins. According to the fundraiser's organizer, Erin Giunta, the night raised $2,700 for Sargent Elementary, whose fundraising goals include improving the Recess Experience, field trips, and a beautification project for the school's auditorium.

Love This Guide?

So do we! Want to get behind it as a Guide Sponsor at A Little Beacon Blog? When we promote the Guide, we'll mention your business as a supporting sponsor in the blog post and in social media shares. Please contact us for details.

Tin Shingle's First Monthly Member Meeting for Artists, Makers, Business Owners (Sponsored)

Tin Shingle is a buzz-building resource for small (but mighty!) business owners, makers, artists and creators who need to get the word out. The engaging DIY platform teaches how to get PR, use social media, demystify SEO, explore effective website design, pumps you up to send newsletters to clients and customers, and provides overall motivation for kicking butt in your business.

Hence, Tin Shingle's first in-person Monthly Member Meetings! Tin Shingle has members from all over the country, but is based in Beacon, NY - right in the same office as A Little Beacon Blog (ALBB)! In fact, ALBB's publisher, Katie (that's me), is the owner of Tin Shingle! And I'm obsessed with small business creation, growth, and empowerment to keep going.

Tin Shingle has several levels of membership in order to fit the needs of different budgets and goals. Attending these monthly meetings requires a Community Level membership ($45/month) is commitment-free, and can be upgraded or downgraded at any time, depending on your needs. All other membership levels can attend, too.

This meeting will be used to help prepare your PR Planning for the next month. Connecting business owners, artists and makers is so important to us, because when we come together, fresh ideas fly. You begin to think bigger, and come away with new visions and strategies to help your business grow.

Tin Shingle's Kick A** Member Meeting

This hourlong meeting will include several parts. Indulge in this session of talking shop with other like-minded business owners who share several of your challenges and triumphs.

• Workshop: Bring the magazines you want your business to be featured in. We will all be doing our homework by clipping ideas, writers and editors to follow up with for a fresh PR pitch.
• Brain Picking: If there's an expert in the room, you can pick their brains! We know that Tin Shingle's owner Katie will be there, which means you can ask your questions about SEO, social media, business strategies, and PR.
• Idea-ating: Through all of this, you're bound to come up with new ideas to  tackle this week or month. We're looking forward to hearing them!

Where: 291 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508. First Floor, First Door
When: Today, Monday, January 29 at noon EST

Come in! Business owners, artists, makers, creators who want to get the word out will get jazzed in this member meeting.

BeaconArts Meets for Voting In New Board Members

Gathering for the first time this year, the membership of BeaconArts will convene on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 for the annual meeting and board elections. The meeting will be held at The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries/Clarkson University, which is the home of BeaconArts' Retrospective : 15, the exhibit showcasing the 15 years that BeaconArts has served the community since its founding in 2002.

BeaconArts is the artery through which much of the city’s creative efforts flow and manifest. BeaconArts serves as a fiscal sponsor for many public and interactive art initiatives that people in the community have come to look forward to each year, including Beacon3D, Beacon Arts & Education Foundation, Beacon Open Studios, Beacon Independent Film Festival, Bike Beacon, Compass Arts’ spring theatrical production “Circle the Sun”, FairyWalk Beacon, Keys to the City, Ren and Luca, Two-Row Totems, and Welcome to Beacon 3.0. The members of BeaconArts include artists, galleries, specialty shops, restaurants, services, and other arts-minded individuals, businesses and organizations who recognize the economic value in supporting local arts and culture.

After 8 years of service, current BeaconArts president Kelly Ellenwood is stepping down in her duties. "Our strategic planning process was very successful, and we have put a lot of time and effort into planning for the future. Five of the nine board members are returning (by design), with plenty of leadership to go around. Change is good! After eight years, my time is up, per our bylaws." Meanwhile, Kelly is promoting the next fundraiser she is associated with, which is BeaconArts + Center 4 Creative Education “Lip Sync Battle.” Kelly is also secretary of the Rombout Middle School PTO, and you can track upcoming fundraisers for that in A Little Beacon Blog's Beacon City Schools' Fundraising Guide.

Currently, four board positions are open. Members are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the candidates and vote.

Board Members continuing through 2018:
Theresa Goodman (current Vice President), 1st term, 2nd year
Christina Jensen (former Board member; appointed by Board in January to fulfill remaining year of Sommer Hixson’s 2nd term), 1st term, 2nd year
Terry Nelson, 1st term, 2nd year
Rick Rogers, 1st term, 2nd year
Aaron Verdile (current Treasurer), 1st term, 2nd year

Candidates for NEW BeaconArts Board Members – Elections 2018
All terms are for two years, with the possibility of a second term.

Hanny Ahern (2 years, 1st term)
Hanny Ahern is a multimedia artist and educator living and working in Beacon, New York. She has a B.A. in Fine Arts From Bennington College and a mmaster's in Interaction Design from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications program. Hanny works persistently on education and community initiatives - alongside her art practice - and has worked closely to launch early pilot arts education programs at Powrplnt in Brooklyn, NY; Art in your Space, Manhattan; NY, Pepo La Tumaini in Isiolo, Kenya; and the inaugural year of Dia Foundation‘s teen program in Beacon, NY. Her work has been shown locally and internationally. She serves as a consultant on the board to Powrplnt and adFabe, working toward strengthening and pioneering relationships to committees that can benefit from the initiatives. Hanny is a homeowner in Beacon, and passionate and realistic towards this growing arts community.

Karlyn Benson (2 years, 1st term)
Karlyn Benson has worked in museums and galleries for over 20 years. In 2013, she opened Matteawan Gallery in Beacon, NY, specializing in contemporary art by mid-career and emerging artists. As the gallery’s director and curator, she has developed an ambitious exhibition program with a focus on abstraction, process, and materials. In 2016 she curated the exhibition Chemistry: Explorations in Abstract Photography at the Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY. In addition to managing her gallery, Karlyn works as an executive assistant at AEA Consulting, a cultural consulting firm located in Beacon, NY. For six years, she worked in the Registrar Department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where her responsibilities included arranging the safe transport and installation of artwork for exhibitions. Previously, she was the gallery manager at Candace Perich Gallery, a contemporary photography gallery in Katonah, NY. Karlyn received an MA in Art History from the University of Texas, Austin and a BA in Art History from SUNY Purchase. She also holds an associate's degree in Interior Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She has lived in Beacon since 2003.

Angelique Devlin (2 years, 1st term)
Angelique B. Devlin is a massage therapist, interfaith minister, life coach, birth doula, and yoga teacher. She practices these healing arts from her Terra Firma Massage studio here in Beacon, NY. Angelique has proudly been calling Beacon home since 2010. She relishes meeting and developing relationships with fellow business owners, artists, gallery owners, and members of the Beacon community. She is a member of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce, Hudson Valley Women in Business, the Sloop Club, and BeaconArts.  Angelique considers the arts to be vital to the vibrancy and future of Beacon, and would welcome the opportunity to play a more active role in the continued success of BeaconArts.

Meghan Goria (2 years, 1st term)
Meghan Goria has spent her career raising awareness for performing arts organizations and nonprofits, first at the New-York Historical Society and Manhattan Theatre Club, then over the course of nearly 10 years at the Metropolitan Opera. She is currently the Director of Digital Strategy and Fundraising at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, where she oversees the online marketing and fundraising efforts of the organization. She holds a BA in History from Brown University. Meghan is a Beacon homeowner and proud member of the community. Her spare time is usually spent cooking, reading or hiking around the Hudson Valley with her husband and dog.

Linda Pratt Kimmel (2 years, 1st term)
Linda Pratt Kimmel has been a resident of Beacon since 2003, and became a member of BeaconArts in January 2017.  She has volunteered on the Annual Holiday Bicycle Tree for the past two years, and was one of the project managers for the inaugural Keys to the City (KTC) installation. As part of KTC, Linda was specifically responsible for a family event that was done in coordination with the Howland Library, in which a piano-related book served as a launching point for a KTC scavenger hunt down Main Street. Linda has also volunteered for candidates for the City Council and County Legislator this past year, as well. She has become very vested in our community, and the efforts undertaken to bring us together and maintain our unique identity as a city.

Professionally, Linda is a founding partner of Wernick & Pratt Agency, a boutique literary agency based out of Beacon that specializes in representing authors and illustrators of children’s books. As an agent, one of her biggest jobs to listen to artists and help them clarify and fulfill their creative visions.  This involves everything from providing editorial guidance, career planning, negotiating contracts, and acting as an intermediary with publishers and/or licensors. In addition, Linda also oversees the financial operations of the agency, including managing all client monies processed, filing tax reportings, and preparing income projections.

Linda holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas in Austin.  She is a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and served on the board for the Rutgers One-on-One Writers Conference for five years.

Join BeaconArts today online, and you can make it to the meeting to increase your connection and involvement with Beacon and other artists, makers and business owners.

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BeaconArts is a Community Partner of A Little Beacon Blog and is part of our Advertising program. This article was part of their monthly messaging partnership. Thank you for supporting organizations who support us!

Food Trucks Approved to Open Near Train in Beacon's Linkage District

Food trucks will now be able to park and open up for business on vacant lots down near the Metro-North train station in what is known as Beacon's Linkage District. The Linkage District was designated as special piece of property in order "to increase the vitality, attractiveness and marketability of the part of the City of Beacon lying between Main Street and the Metro-North Train Station," according to its stated purpose. In shaping what it hopes will increase "walkability" and encourage a "vibrant" environment in that area, the City Council voted unanimously (Amber Grant was absent from the meeting) in favor of the addition of this type of land use during its meeting on January 16, 2018. (Read the legal-eagle documentation here.)

Where Is The Linkage District?

Some of your favorite businesses are located in the Linkage District, like BCAP (Be Creative As Possible), 2 Way Brewing, SallyeAnder's warehouse (not the public retail location - that's at the far other end of town near the mountain), and others. New to the area are Beacon Pilates, which has been in town for 13 years but has moved to a new location, and a soon-to-open TrueValue Hardware store from Brett (!!), filling the void left after the beloved Nichols closed a few years ago.

Linkage District, as published on the City of Beacon's Zoning Map included here, and modified by A Little Beacon Blog in order to show you where the Linkage District is. It's easy to get lost in the lines!
Graphic Art Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

New hardware store coming to Beacon in the Linkage District.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

New apartment buildings are going up on Beekman Street. They are among the development projects that have been green-lit recently, which you can read more about in A Little Beacon Blog's Development Guide.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

So When and What Can We Eat?

Several regulations are in place for how the food trucks need to operate. For example, there's a rule that a truck shall put spikes down on a vacant lot that has no other use, and that it can only operate for "a maximum of only one two-consecutive-year" period. During the Public Comment portion of the food truck consideration, which was open over the course of several City Council meetings, Beacon resident Theresa Kraft spoke to request that the treatment of trash be more closely monitored or enforced by a "Garbage Police." Tables and chairs will be allowed, but cannot block the sidewalk or fire hydrants, and the whole setup must be ADA compliant. So many more details can be found here at the City's website.

Beacon has experience with food trucks, like the hot dog kind near the post office, and high-concept ones, like the former Beacon Bite, who made their own ketchup (to the horror of some children who needed to BYOK - bring your own ketchup) but whose food was delicious and made for foodies, neighbored by a second cart - The Beacon Pie Company - which made that corner of town near Ella's Bellas especially delicious and invigorating.

Beacon Chamber of Commerce Elects New Board for 2018

The Beacon Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting is Monday, January 29, at 5:30 pm at the Elks Club, 900 Wolcott Ave. The names listed below will be submitted for election by the members in attendance. There is one vote per member. This process also allows for nominations from the floor. The Chamber encourages your participation, so come down! A light dinner will be served, so there's no excuse to miss it. Join the Chamber today online here!
 

Nominees

President, Rick Brownell of Freedom Ford
Vice President, Carl Oken of Beacon Elks Club
Treasurer - Open (might this be you?)
Corresponding Secretary, Teresa Williams of Antalek & Moore Insurance
Director, Sheryl Glickman of Notions ‘N Potions
Recording Secretary, Kathy Sandford of Antalek & Moore Insurance
Director, John Gilvey of Hudson Beach Glass
Director, Annemarie Sipilief of CIA Security

Continuing Board Members

Director, Kate Rabe of Kate Rabe Consulting
Director, Michele Williams of Style Storehouse

Happening This Weekend - 1/26/2018

Whoosh - this has been a fast and blustery January! The month is ending with a few notable business membership meetings, so if you aren't hooked into the organizations already, make sure you check them out now! Scroll to the bottom to look for member meeting notices from BeaconArts, the Beacon Chamber of Commerce, and Tin Shingle. BeaconArts and the Beacon Chamber of Commerce have board member elections happening very soon, so don't miss out. Sponsored by Antalek & Moore for car insurance.   Beacon Film Society Presents: “Walking Out” Day: Friday, January 26, 2018 Time: 7 pm (6:30 pm doors) Location: BEAHIVE Beacon, 291 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > International Film Night: "Tanna" Day: Friday, January 26, 2018 Time: 7 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Beacon Open Studios' Roaring Twenties Costume Ball & Fundraiser Day: Friday, January 26, 2018 Time: 8 pm to midnight Location: Denning’s Point Distillery, 10 N. Chestnut St., Beacon, NY Information > Hudson Valley Wingfest 11 Day: Saturday, January 27, 2018 Time: 5 to 9 pm Location: Mid-Hudson Civic Center, 14 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie, NY Information > Kirtan Music Album Release Day: Saturday, January 27, 2018 Time: 7 to 9 pm Location: beBhakti Yoga Center, 89 Dewindt St., Beacon, NY Information > Howland Chamber Music Circle presents Roman Rabinovitch, Piano Day: Sunday, January 28, 2018 Time: 4 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.     Beacon Pilates 18 W. Main St., Suite 3 (near the train station) SAVE THE DATE! Beacon Pilates Grand Re-Opening Party Day: Saturday, February 10, 2018 Time: 5 to 8 pm The Grand Re-Opening celebration will kick off “Goods for Good,” a weeklong sporting goods drive for The Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, which is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment to improve the lives of and empower at-risk children and families in the Hudson Valley and surrounding communities. Donations of newly purchased indoor or outdoor sporting goods can be brought to Beacon Pilates on (Second) Saturday, February 10, or dropped off during business hours the following week. Equipment needed includes basketballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, skateboards, roller skates, safety equipment like helmets and pads, lawn games, double-dutch jump ropes, wooden baseball bats, and tennis balls. Information > Beginning Painting Workshop Day: Saturday, January 27, 2018 Time: 10 am to noon Location: River Winds Gallery, 172 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Knitting 102 - Beanie Workshop Day: Sunday, January 28, 2018 Time: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Location: Loopy Mango, 500 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Business Strategies for Freelancers Day: Tuesday, January 30, 2018 Time: 6 to 8:30 pm Location: The CINEHUB, 20 W. Main St., Suite 4, Beacon, NY Information > Knitting Studio w/ Kit Burke-Smith (four sessions) Level: Beginner-Intermediate Days: Mondays, January 28 to February 18, 2018 Time: 1 to 3pm Location: Beetle & Fred, 171 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Taking Excellent Measurements w/ Hilary Oak Level: Open Day: Saturday, January 27, 2018 Time: 2 to 4 pm Location: Beetle & Fred, 171 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Thank you, Beacon Pilates, for sponsoring the Classes for Adults Guide! For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Adult Classes Guide. Anime & Manga Club Day: Friday, January 26, 2018 Time: 3 to 5 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Little Buds, for Babies 6 Weeks to 12 Months and a Caregiver, with Sarah Schulman Day: Wednesday, January 31, 2018 (free trial class) Time: 2 to 2:45 pm Location: Compass Arts, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit our Kids Classes Guide.   NEW GUIDE! The Public School Fundraising Guide Parents, teachers and students are hard at work producing creative ways to raise money for Beacon's public schools. Some of those ways involve events. A Little Beacon Blog has dedicated an editor to tracking these and updating this new Guide! Below are upcoming opportunities. See the full Guide for great events to look out for, like the Wizards coming to the Beacon High School, or the Matt Stevens Magic Show coming to Glenham Elementary. ROMBOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL Dinner at Chipotle Day: Monday, January 29, 2018 Time: 5 to 9 pm Location: 10 Westage Drive, Fishkill, NY When you get your dinner at Chipotle on Monday night, tell them to put your purchase towards Rombout Middle School PTO, and Chipotle will donate 50% of proceeds to Rombout's PTO - which goes back to students, teachers and the building! Information > J.V. FORRESTAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Vote Now! JV Forrestal School is a finalist in the latest Project Fit Grant Contest. Help JVF students win new playground fitness equipment and Physical Education equipment for their school! Vote once per day, per email right here (super easy).     Thank you to BAJA 328 for sponsoring the Restaurant Guide!     BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END   Luxe Optique 183 Main Street (near Beacon Bread Company) Look at this trio! What dreamy eyewear to round out your wardrobe. There are subtle differences in each style, from the location of the bridge to the precise shape of the circles. Come into the store and try them on. From the top: Dita, JF Rey, Oliver Peoples.     BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END PARKING HINT: Park behind 1 East Main, near the Hudson Valley Brewery, and use the back walkway to head up to Main Street! Style Storehouse 484 Main Street (near Utensil) This is your intro to spring! Soft, fun and versatile tops are in the shop, and this one by Free People with flared sleeves and playful tie bottom is just the beginning... Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique 1 East Main Street, Retail #3 (near the dummy light) If you've ever wanted to wear a wedding gown designed exclusively for a Beacon boutique, now is your chance. This Sweetheart mermaid gown was designed and made exclusively for Lambs Hill, featuring luxurious faux fur throughout. Thank you to the following shops for sponsoring our Shopping Guide! Luxe Optique, Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique, and Style Storehouse. Where can you get your hair done in Beacon? Or find a beard trim? Or even eyelash extensions? Find out in A Little Beacon Blog's Beauty Guide! SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency And now, for your moment of zen, Antalek & Moore's Instagram account is up and running! Warning: You will see more puppy photos representing Antalek & Moore's ability to connect you with a New York Pet Insurance Policy. Connect with Antalek & Moore on Instagram. Rhinebeck Bank Do you know the history of the Vassar Brothers? Did you know that one of the brothers died in a fire in Vassar’s Brewery, which stood on the same spot where the Vassar Institute (now known as Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center) was built? During this episode of Wake Up With Rhinebeck Bank, Michelle interviews Executive Director Andrew Bergreen to learn about the art center. Rhinebeck Bank has been a longtime sponsor of the art programs here. Increase your Hudson Valley and Poughkeepsie trivia by getting some Vassar family history during this episode of Wake Up with Rhinebeck Bank. Watch it here! Beacon Chamber of Commerce The Beacon Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting is Monday, January 29, at 5:30 pm at the Elks Club, 900 Wolcott Ave. The names listed below will be submitted for election by the members in attendance. There is one vote per member. This process also allows for nominations from the floor. The Chamber encourages your participation. Not a member yet? Join the Chamber today online here! Nominees President, Rick Brownell of Freedom Ford Vice President, Carl Oken of Beacon Elks Club Treasurer - Open Corresponding Secretary, Teresa Williams of Antalek & Moore Insurance Director, Sheryl Glickman of Notions ‘N Potions Recording Secretary, Kathy Sandford of Antalek & Moore Insurance Director, John Gilvey of Hudson Beach Glass Director Annemarie Sipilief of CIA Security   BeaconArts: Membership The Annual Meeting and Board Elections will be held this Wednesday, January 31, 2018, at 6:30 pm at The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries/Clarkson University Gallery, 199 Main St., Beacon. Current board members are listed below, as well as candidates. You must be a current member of BeaconArts to attend. You can join online here! Board Members continuing through 2018: Theresa Goodman (current Vice President), 1st term, 2nd year Christina Jensen (former Board member; appointed by Board in January to fulfill Sommer Hixson’s remaining year), 1st term, 2nd year Terry Nelson, 1st term, 2nd year Rick Rogers, 1st term, 2nd year Aaron Verdile (current Treasurer), 1st term, 2nd year Candidates are: Hanny Ahern (2 years, 1st term) Karlyn Benson (2 years, 1st term) Angelique Devlin (2 years, 1st term) Meghan Goria (2 years, 1st term) Linda Pratt Kimmel (2 years, 1st term) Tin Shingle: Member Meeting Tin Shingle is an empowerment zone for artists, makers, and business owners who want to get the word out about their projects, initiatives and businesses. Every last Monday of the month, at noon, Tin Shingle hosts an opportunity to connect, to share ideas and get support in Tin Shingle's office at 291 Main St. Membership at the entry level is required to attend, and you can learn more about that here. Join us! InHouse Design Media Now available: glamour shots! For businesses who are looking to jazz up their social media accounts with professionally taken photos. Have InHouse Design Media's photographer, Leigh Baumann, take a bunch of photos for you - of your office, gallery, shop, products and/or staff - and use the photos whenever and however you like. Leigh takes the photos you see here for A Little Beacon Blog's advertisers. See more photos here! A Little Beacon Space The time is right to host your workshop, now you just need a venue. A Little Beacon's Space is a perfect location, conveniently right in the heart of Beacon, to fit your audience. NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Advertise in A Little Beacon Blog Pictures shown above are from our advertising partners in the Things To Do In Beacon Guides. We can include your most exciting news here too! Be a part of this publication - be the support that makes it happen! Reach our readers, align with the community, and get your message out. See our Media Kit for ideas! Click here to learn about ways to advertise on A Little Beacon Blog. Until next week!

Beacon Continues In Stage 2 Drought - But Good News - It's Raining and Snowing!

Photo + Graphics Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

Who's only happy when it rains (and snows)? It's not just the '90s alternative rock band Garbage, who wrote that song for their self-titled debut album. Closer to home, Beacon's Waste and Wastewater Superintendent Ed Balicki is who you can thank for doing the rain and snow dancing, according to Anthony Ruggiero, City Administrator for the City of Beacon at the January 16, 2018 City Council Meeting.

Beacon is in a Stage 2 Drought, which means that the city is asking residents to conserve water. Beacon pulls water from three reservoirs: the Mount Beacon Reservoir, which was down 8 to 9 feet last week; the Cargill Reservoir, which is the largest; and Melzingah, the smallest. "We are waiting for a greater recharge from the Cargill," says Ed. As for the Melzingah, "It’s the smallest, and drains the fastest. It typically goes offline during the summer. The fall rains in October and November usually fill it, but there was not as much rain then."

Ed explains that the reservoirs are like bowls, and fill up with precipitation. "We had a late snowfall back in March 2017. We had rainfall through the spring, but since June, we had very little rainfall that would replenish the reservoirs." Ed's team goes out on Wednesdays to make the Reservoir Rounds to measure them all. During last week's city council meeting, Beacon Mayor Randy Casale said the Melzingah is getting put back online. "When it fills up, it fills up quick, and then runs off," explained the mayor. "So that's why they are turning it on, so that we don't lose it in runoff."

Do all water supply systems depend on these big bowls of water? Or can groundwater be counted on, too? Ed says that the two wells that Beacon can tap into gain water that way, and that reservoirs can have springs running into them. However, the Mount Beacon reservoir was built in the early 1900s, before Beacon's current development was even a glimmer in the eye of builders' ancestors, and before the nearby correctional facilities also began using the water. Concern over the limited water supply was the inspiration for the current building moratorium in Beacon right now.

Said Anthony of the current water supply: "The snow is definitely helping. With the weather, we are doing OK." For more information and latest on Beacon's water, you can visit the City's water page, and download past reports.