Happening This Weekend - 3/29/2019
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City of Beacon's Earlier Response To Aging Infrastructure Of Water and Sewer Pipes
/Aging Infrastructure At Local Levels
Prior to today’s water main break, Beacon had a sewer main break on February 24, 2019, as first reported by the Highlands Current, releasing thousands of gallons of partially treated sewage near Fishkill Creek in Beacon, according to state officials mentioned in the article. Drinking water supplies were not impacted, according to the article.
In May of 2018 a sewer line broke under Main Street and Tioronda Avenue in Beacon, causing waste to back up into the basements of some shops, and the closure of Main Street in that section during repair.
According to reporter Jeff Simms of the Highlands Current in a March 15, 2019 article: “Aging infrastructure — in many cases dating back a century or longer — is a major challenge for municipalities around the country. Because miles of pipe rest, in some cases, a dozen feet or more underground, repairs or replacement is expensive. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates it will cost $271 billion over the next 25 years to upgrade the nation’s wastewater infrastructure. And, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 95 percent of that spending will be at the local level.”
2019 Investment Planned For Beacon Water and Sewer Infrastructure Upgrades
On March 4th, 2019, Beacon’s City Council voted to approve monies being spent on upgrading water and sewer systems.
During the March 4 City Council meeting, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero delivered a report on actions the City of Beacon is taking to repair February’s sewer main break. He also indicated that precautionary steps would be taken, with the city preemptively inspecting more pipe. From his report, for those who like details on how something is fixed, this a breakdown of what went on underground after the break. At ground-level, it’s easy to see a road get split, and then patched. But what goes on underground? Anthony breaks it out:
“Tam Enterprises was called in to install a bypass pump to relieve the sewer main to stop the overflow, which it did. City staff excavated the main, and found the top half of the pipe had eroded, leaving the top section of the pipe brittle. We determined that at this point they bypass through the night and requested that Tam return the next day and evaluate the condition of the pipe and begin emergency repair.
“Tam televised the section of the pipe that was being bypassed, and found remaining sections of the pipe in the same condition as the collapse, so upon further inspection it was determined that three manhole sections were deteriorated, so it looked like it was a larger section, which we were afraid of.
“Currently Tam is in the process of replacing 100 feet of the 14” pipe with 15” plastic sewer drain pipe. So we’re upgrading it to modern standards. They have been alternating use of the bypass by replacing the sewer main. The Water Department Staff has replaced 25 feet of 4” cast-iron pipe with the new 4” ductile iron pipe and replaced the water connections to 150 Wilson Street. Tam is setting up a road bridge at the intersection of Round Tree and Liberty to allow traffic flow.
“Once the new pipe is installed and the manholes are set, the remaining 14” ACP will be slip-lined to prevent any further collapse. Since this is not a standard size, we’ve had to order this. It is a three-week lead time, which we are already one week in. So hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will have this material.
“Also, I’ve instructed the Water and Sewer Department for any of this type of ACP pipe that we may have out there for us to TV to see how they are holding up, as a precaution. We are taking immediate actions and steps on this, and it will be resolved in the next couple weeks.”
Mayor Randy Casale Says Sewer and Water Main Breaks Not Unique To Beacon
After the City Administrator gave his report at the March 4 City Council meeting, the Mayor contributed to the conversation as monies are spent to upgrade aging infrastructure:
“It is not unique to see a pipe collapse in any one of the communities. We are upgrading and we have spent a lot of money on our sewer system over the last seven or eight years, and we will continue to spend that money to upgrade the sewer and water system. We are putting an Asset Management Plan together, which will hopefully put us in a position to do some planning ahead to be job-ready to get grants to upgrade them.
“This is not unique to any old city along the Hudson River. If anybody believes it is, they are living in Fairy Land. Read the Newburgh paper, see how many collapses they had right across the river. Read the Poughkeepsie paper. Read down in Yonkers. It happens all over, from New York City to Albany because everyone has an old infrastructure because the taxpayers couldn’t afford to dig up every pipe and put new pipe. They’ve been in the ground for 100 years.
“We’re working at it. As we get more income, we’ll do a better job at it. And we will continue to work at it. I want the public to know that. If they think that this situation was done through development, the last I looked at this City, there hasn’t been a lot of development up in that area.
“I know people want to blame it on development, but development hasn’t caused the problem. What has caused the problem is that the pipes have been in the ground for over 100 years, and nobody has put money into upgrading the infrastructure anywhere, throughout the United States. It’s one of the places the government puts the least amount of money - into infrastructure improvement. Pick up the national papers across the country. It’s not unique to this city.”
At that City Council meeting, the following resolutions regarding Water and Sewer Systems were passed.
Water Main Break In Beacon On Rte. 52 Near Dunkin' Donuts Thursday Morning
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Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
On Thursday morning in Beacon, a water main broke on Route 52 near Dunkin’ Donuts, causing traffic jams for the morning commute. One parent of middle schoolers at Rombout Middle School said she was stuck in traffic, and thought it was a result of the Beacon High School re-opening after Wednesday’s closure. But after learning about the water main break, she realized that could have been the problem.
“The road was closed from Prospect Avenue in Fishkill to Blackburn Avenue” (in Beacon, by Ron’s Ice Cream), confirmed Anthony Ruggiero, the City Administrator for Beacon. By 11:30 am, cars were being routed for one lane of traffic, and by 12 pm the road was open and the break fixed. The Beacon Highway Department was on it like bonnets to close up the street and sweep it.
The Barking Frog, located across the street and down the road a bit from Dunkin’ Donuts, was pleased with Beacon’s response, saying via A Little Beacon Blog’s Instagram: “Great job guys! We were so happy to be able to open this afternoon!!!!”
If you noticed low water pressure this morning, it was a result of the water main break, confirmed Anthony when we inquired. No one lost water, he added.
The City of Beacon gave an overview of water and sewer pipe infrastructure in Beacon, and the city’s current and future plans to upgrade it during the March 4, 2019, City Council meeting. You can read about that here in this article on A Little Beacon Blog. The article includes a breakdown of what was done to address the sewer pipe break back in February 2019.
C. Diff Confirmed At Beacon High School - Cleaned To Prevent Spread - What Is C. Diff?
/On Tuesday, March 26, 2019, a case of C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) was confirmed at Beacon High School. C. diff can cause diarrhea or colitis. Said Beacon Schools’ Superintendent Matthew Landahl in a “robocall” message delivered by phone/email/text to parents on Tuesday: “We immediately consulted with the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health, who advised that we clean hard surfaces in the school this evening to help prevent the spread of this bacteria.”
Cleaning Process
The Beacon City School District contracted with ServPro to conduct the thorough cleaning. They used an EPA-approved cleaning agent specifically used to stop the spread of C. diff, according to Superintendent Landahl in his message to the community. “We are implementing this cleaning protocol out of an abundance of caution. Closing the high school for a day was our decision as a school district.”
What Is C. Diff?
You can learn more about C. diff here at the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) website. According to the CDC, “C. diff bacteria is commonly found in the environment, but most cases of C. diff occur while you’re taking antibiotics or not long after you’ve finished taking antibiotics. People on antibiotics are 7 to 10 times more likely to get C. diff while on the drugs and during the month after.” C. diff symptoms include “diarrhea, including loose, watery stools (poop) or frequent bowel movements for several days, fever, stomach tenderness or pain, loss of appetite, and nausea,” according to the CDC.
More C. diff risk factors presented by the CDC include:
age (more than 80% of C. diff deaths happen among those 65 and older)
complicated medical care and extended stays in healthcare settings, especially hospitals and nursing homes
certain antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones
a weakened immune system
previous infection with C. diff or known exposure to the germs
Call For Artists: Miniature Dioramas - Deadline May 1st
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Find that shoebox, clear out the Altoid tin, or build your own little container, and create a tiny world to be part of our Collaborative Immersive Art Experience in June. Deadline to apply is midnight, May 1st.
Inspired by Hitchcock’s Rear Window as well as the recent popularity of miniature diorama as an art form, Garrison Art Center invites artists of all ages to create dioramas to be included in the Art Center’s June Collaborative Immersive Art Experience.
These dioramas may represent the interior of a room, or any interior. They may be photorealistic or complete abstract fantasy. All materials are welcome, except perishable items or items that cause the diorama to exceed the weight limit of 5 pounds. Keep in mind, the interior will be lit from within to be viewed as if at night. The selected dioramas will be arranged in an urbanscape.
Please see the prospectus (at www.garrisonartcenter.org) for timeline, specifications and application details. Submissions that do not conform to the requirements on the prospectus will not be considered.
Click this link to fill out the entry form.
Garrison Art Center is located at 23 Garrison Landing, Garrison, NY, and can be reached at (845) 424-3960.
Last Chance For Artists To Register For Beacon Open Studios 2019 - All Artists Welcome
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Photo Credit: Beacon Open Studios, Russell Cusick Gallery
Are you an artist? This is your last chance to register your studio to be an official Open Studio for the weekend of Saturday, May 18, and Sunday, May 19, 2019 for Beacon Open Studios. This is a citywide event in its 11th year, where the public gets to roam around all of the neighborhoods in search of artists they want to discover. We have written about the phenomenal event bunches of times here on the blog.
This free, citywide, weekend-long event has become one of the largest of its kind in the Hudson Valley. Artists are encouraged to put themselves out there to meet others, and get on the map - literally. Your studio will be on the map produced by Beacon Open Studios and distributed to business locations throughout Beacon, NY to help people find artists. You can see which artists have signed up so far on the BOS website.
This is one of A Little Beacon Blog's most favorite collaborative events of the year, and we are once again a proud sponsor.
Details & Register >
Rare Exhibit In No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works - Artists Talk This Weekend
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Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Reception: Saturday, March 23, 5 to 8 pm
Artists Talk: Sunday, March 24, 2 pm
Space is limited, seats are reserved, please RSVP.
A catalog of the exhibit is available for purchase
HOURS:
Sunday, March 10, 12 to 5 pm
On view Saturdays & Sundays 12 to 6 pm
Through April 28
The Reading Room will be closed on Saturday, April 20 & Sunday, April 21 for Passover and Easter
Exhibits at No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works are usually rare. Meaning, the material that you can look at or read could be a rare book that involves a delicate touch. Because of the sometimes-fragile nature of what is inside of No. 3 Reading Room, their blinds are usually drawn to protect the paper inside. The owners of the gallery, Paulette Myers-Rich and David Rich, are artists, and purchased the building in order to continue their life’s work. Inside are more than one letterpress, and tables with years - yes, years - worth of paint on them, as they are used as a painter’s palette so as to not discard the paint.
The exhibit this month, which opened on March’s Second Saturday and continues through the month into April, features David Rich’s work, and that of his friend, Clarence Morgan. It is work that was made 30 years ago that Clarence recently reexamined and worked back into, therefore it's both new and "old".
The exhibit features time, and offers a special reception as well as an Artists Talk this weekend, where you are invited to not only see the paintings in the gallery, and go upstairs to talk to the artist and see the incredible painting space.
While not expecting David’s painting space to be photographed, they did allow these photos to be taken to show you a rare glimpse into this painting world. On the tables is paint. Years’ worth of paint that David elected not to throw away. He uses the tables as his palette.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
About The Exhibit and The Painters
Here is an excerpt from No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works’ description of the show:
Clarence Morgan and David Rich are painters who have worked for decades in both the studio and the classroom. Their devotion to painting and teaching brought them together decades ago in Minneapolis where they both arrived to work, teach and raise their families.
Longtime colleagues, Clarence and David were co-founders of what was known early on as the Painter’s Group, formed in Minneapolis in 1993 along with other local painters of various persuasions to generate dialogue exploring issues in contemporary painting. The purpose was not to critique each other, but to discuss the questions raised by their work and the possibilities for painting to address a range of concerns. Meeting in each other’s studio amongst peers, the ongoing conversations evolved organically and became a crucial source of discourse that was lacking outside academia at that time. It was an environment that was counter to the isolation of the studio and offered painters a space for the paintings to exist in a larger context.
Working overtime. Working over time. They sound the same, but connote different temporal states. Both apply to the painters and their works in this exhibit.
What does it mean to make a painting over time? What does devotion to one’s practice extended over a lifetime entail? To painters Clarence Morgan and David Rich, each in their sixth decade, time has become compressed, with a degree of urgency about its limitations and passage.
Yet both are known to, without reluctance or hesitation, revisit work done decades ago, to pick up their tools and search within both dimensions of painting and of time, of then and of now. Nothing is fixed, everything is up for grabs. Time collapses and the dialogue commences. As one day merges into the next, as each year melds into another, their work in the studio continues overtime and over time, yet is enacted in the here and now.
And in time, the paintings will be all that remain. Within the abstraction, the residual marks add up to signs and signals, visual occurrences and references. Old hands painting alongside younger selves, trains of thought picked up, clarified, informed and strengthened by years and years of working- a form of talking to one’s self, over time.
The resultant images become meditation devices, bold assertions or quiet murmurs of being, resolved, but not static, forces with lyrical movement residing within a compressed space, offering room for thought and for eyes to wander and explore. Within these paintings, time operates on its own schedule in relation to the viewer, offering first the immediate read, and then the slow reveal that rewards durational looking.
Wine Shops Must Close At 7pm In Dutchess County - Artisan Wine Shop Is Petitioning That - Wants Later Hours
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Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
UPDATE 4/4/2019: Artisan’s petition supports a resolution that Dutchess County Legislator Frits Zernike has authored, which requests that the law be changed to allow wine and liquor stores to remain open longer. Read more about that resolution - being presented on Thursday, April 4 - here.
If you’ve ever sauntered to Artisan Wine Shop on a summer evening, only to be met with a “Closed” sign at 7:30 pm, it’s not because they want to call it a night. Wine and liquor stores in Dutchess County are not allowed to stay open past 7 pm. Many people leaving their desk in New York City, Westchester County or Poughkeepsie (or anywhere else that involves extended commute times) often arrive home after 7 pm. Which means they are not able to shop for wine after 7 pm.
Currently, the hours of retail sale of wine and liquor in Dutchess County are restricted to 9 am to 7 pm on weekdays (defined as Monday to Saturday), and 9 am to 10 am on New Year’s, Memorial, Independence, Labor, and Thanksgiving days. You read that right - one hour on those holidays. “We usually don’t even open on Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, or the Fourth of July,” said a staff member from Artisan Wine Shop when A Little Beacon Blog called to confirm the one-hour holiday policy on those days.
People can, however, walk down to a wine bar, like Chill or Oak Vino, who can be open late into the night. Or, people could stop into a beer shop, like Beacon Craft Beer Shoppe next door to Key Food, to stock up on creatively brewed craft beer. People could decide to patronize any of the growing number of craft breweries in the area, like Two Way Brewing or Hudson Valley Brewing Company. While you’re at it, a person could even go to a whiskey distillery tasting room, like Dennings Point Distillery by Rite Aid, to sip a little and listen to live music late at night.
The Fight To Extend Open Hours For Wine and Liquor Stores Continues
Crossroads Wine and Spirit in Fishkill asked local government to extend Open hours in 2014, as it was hurting their business to close at 7pm. They have since closed this location.
Wine and liquor stores have tried to change this in the past. Crossroads Wine and Spirit in Fishkill wrote an email in 2014 to local government, asking that it reconsider the early closing time, especially considering other counties in New York had later closing times. In 2015, a resolution went through Beacon, asking Dutchess County to reconsider the early closing time (see resolution PDFs here). From Beacon’s 2015 Resolution to Dutchess County:
“The City Council of the City of Beacon hereby requests the Dutchess County Board of Legislators recognize the current County liquor store closing hours create an inconvenience to County residents, visitors to the County and it is also detrimental to the business owners and taxpayers, as it forces dollars that would otherwise be spent in Duchess County to be spent elsewhere and that therefore, the hours of operation for liquor stores on Monday through Saturday be permitted to be from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm.”
Today - People and Businesses Continue To Want Wine and Liquor Stores Open Longer
Inside of Artisan Wine Shop.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Now it’s March 2019, and there is a stack of signatures on a petition on the counter at Artisan Wine Shop, asking Dutchess County to let wine and liquor shops stay open until at least 9 pm.
From Artisan Wine Shop’s petition, supporters from all over Dutchess County - not just Beacon - are encouraged to write to their county legislators, both to the General legislature email address, and to one’s own county legislator directly.
From the petition: “We're asking Dutchess County residents to email the Dutchess County Legislature to make the biggest impact. And please forward this to your family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances in the county (as many outside of Beacon as possible too!).“
Emails To Send Open Hour Extension Requests To:
General legislature address: CountyLegislature@DutchessNY.gov
For Beacon: fzernike@dutchessny.gov or npage@dutchessny.gov
Artisan Wine Shop is located at 180 Main Street, Beacon, NY. And they’re only open until 7 pm, so plan accordingly.
Happening This Weekend - 3/22/2019
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Darryl's Women's Clothing Boutique
Luxe Optique
Restorative Sound Bath with Shawn Feeney at Firefly Yoga
90 Books Is the Goal for Book Drive for Special Education English Classrooms at Beacon High School
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With Get Caught Reading Month coming up in May, the writerly folks at Get Lit Beacon are sponsoring a book drive to bring “student libraries” to the Special Education English classrooms at Beacon High School. Says Flora Stadler, a writer and part of the team that runs Get Lit: "We wanted to give students easy access to books they would enjoy reading, and classroom student libraries seemed like a great option.”
Get Lit is working with Principal Soto and Assistant Principal Simms to start small libraries in the Special Education English classrooms. “The teachers put together a great list of books from diverse authors to get students excited and engaged with reading."
The goal is to provide 90 books to three classrooms. Author and Get Lit Beacon founder Julie Chibbaro will present the books to the school during Get Caught Reading Month in May.
3 Ways You Can Help Make This Happen:
Go to Binnacle Books in Beacon to choose books from the teacher wish list, and Binnacle will order them for you.
Donate money to the cause through getlitbeacon.com, and Get Lit will buy the books for you. They'll also match total donations, up to $300.
You can also purchase books on your own and drop them off any time at Oak Vino Wine Bar in Beacon.
What Is Get Lit Beacon?
Get Lit Beacon is a literary salon founded by writer and teacher Julie Chibbaro. Get Lit Beacon is a way to invite writers out into the community where they can be seen and heard. The salon is a casual gathering where published and aspiring adult writers of any genre can hang out, have a drink and share their work. Usually, one or two professional writers are invited to join and discuss their work.
Get Lit Beacon meets on the Second Sunday of each month (mostly) at Oak Vino Wine Bar, 389 Main St., Beacon.
More Opportunities To Help Beacon Students
A Little Beacon Blog has dedicated a guide to ways you can help the kids and families in Beacon City Schools. This opportunity has been added to the Guide, under the Beacon High School section. Be sure to check that Guide periodically to learn of new opportunities to support BCSD, such as the Color-A-Thon happening for South Avenue Elementary.
Sponsorship is open for that Guide! So, if it’s important to your brand to contact people who care about our schools, please reach out to us if you are interested in sponsoring that Guide. We’ll include your logo and a shout-out!
Local Vendors Wanted For Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market 2019 Season
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The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is seeking vendors for its 2019 Farmers Market, which will kick off on Monday, June 3, at 3 pm in the Pavilion at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum at 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie. The market will run weekly on Monday afternoons from 3 to 6:30 pm, from June through Labor Day in a fully-covered open-air pavilion that is just steps away from the Hudson River, with a stunning view of the Walkway Over The Hudson bridge.
Vendors Wanted - Deadline April 15 for Early Bird Discount
Vendor applications are now being accepted for the sale of fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, poultry, and baked goods from local Hudson Valley farms, as well as locally produced soaps and body products, wool products, bee products and other agriculturally related items. This year, the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market seeks to expand its product lines to include Hudson Valley-produced beer, wine, cider and spirits, as well as hand-crafted kitchenware items created by local artisans.
Interested vendors are encouraged to apply by Monday, April 15, to receive an early bird discount.
For vendor guidelines, as well as application instructions, please visit mhcm.org/visit/poughkeepsie-waterfront-market/call-for-vendors.
The market is a lively, weekly, public celebration of the Hudson Valley. It also features entertainment provided by a variety of local musicians each week. In addition, “Kid’s Kitchen,” a healthy eating program for children will be held weekly at the market, free of charge.
Certified SNAP & WIC Payments Market
The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is a certified SNAP market. It accepts both SNAP and WIC payments, ensuring the affordability of fresh produce and farm products for low-income individuals and families. With support from MVP Healthcare, the market implemented an Electronic Transfer (EBT) system, enabling income-eligible market patrons to use their SNAP benefits from a government-issued debit card.
Small Museum Taking On Big Issues
The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum (MHCM) is the first children’s museum in the country to open and operate a public farmers market. The market opened in 2017 to connect city residents and families with fresh, affordable and locally produced food as a strategy for fighting urban food insecurity and advancing community health. As a small museum taking on big issues, the MHCM is planning an expansion, which includes enclosing the open-air pavilion, enabling the market to be held year-round, filling a need for fresh food in Poughkeepsie.
The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is steps away from both the Poughkeepsie Train Station and the Walkway Over the Hudson elevator, making the market accessible to city residents, families visiting the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, tourists and commuters alike. The pavilion that hosts the market is fully covered, and offers public restrooms and free onsite parking at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum during market hours.
For vendor guidelines, as well as application instructions, please visit mhcm.org/visit/poughkeepsie-waterfront-market/call-for-vendors.
Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...With This Reminder About Sunrises
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There is no easy transition into or out of yesterday's article about racist flyers, so... here is a transition slide to say that we are going back to our regularly scheduled Beacon programming, which includes some great events that are happening in our schools, as well as this public service announcement from the Firefox browser: "Watching the sunrise outdoors statistically increases your odds of having a good day." We didn't research their source of that statistic yet, but will try it ourselves. Meanwhile, look for upcoming articles on the donation of dictionaries, and the provision for tampons in the federal congress people's bathroom budget!
Lauren & Riley Boutique Moves On; Darryl's Boutique For Contemporary Women Moves In
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Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog
There are some shifts for businesses on Main Street this early pre-spring season. If you’ll recall, last spring, many retail businesses either moved into town, or moved across town.
Lauren & Riley was one such shop who flipped ends of town, leaving her east side location (replaced by The Beacon Underground) to the west side (replacing Theo Ganz Studio). However, the move was not to last. In an announcement to her people on the business Facebook page, the owner of Lauren & Riley, Kim, has announced that she is moving on:
”After eight years we will be closing :-( I am so lucky to have met so many great people and to have been part of the Beacon community. Moving on to a new chapter for me and I'm excited. Everything in store is 40% off. As of right now, we will be open Friday thru Sunday till further notice.”
Kim was a staple in the Main Street retail scene. You could always see her hanging with the Marion Royael Gallery folks outside on the sidewalk (in both locations - Marion Royael Gallery had been on the east end as well!). She will be missed! But don’t you worry - Kim will still be producing and burning her candles at fairs and online. Follow Beacon Candle Company at Facebook, and their website.
Darryl’s Clothing Boutique Opened In October
A few things quietly happened in October, including the opening of Darryl’s Clothing Boutique (replacing Nella’s Bellas clothing boutique), owned by Darryl and Ed. This is the third (!) location for Darryl’s, the first being in the big city of New York, and the second being in the Hudson Valley town of Rhinebeck. “We live in Wappingers, and have been watching Beacon grow for some time. We wanted to be a part of the community.” You can learn more about Darryl and Ed at their website, or better yet, say “Hi!” to them in their shop!
These shops have been updated in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide. If you have any tips for us - like if any business snuck in and didn’t reach out to us yet - please let us know! We created the Shopping Guide to represent all of the shops, and would love to know about yours. Must be a storefront :) We also have the Beauty Guide and the Restaurant Guide.
Racist and Anti-Semitic Flyers Put On Every Pole On Beacon's Main Street In January - But You Never Saw Them. Here's Why:
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UPDATE: 3/20/2019 The City of Beacon has since issued a response, telling people that if they see something like this, it needs to be reported to the police department for enforcement. Please see below for full quote.
Back in January of this year, when we were all adjusting to the new year and starting our new resolutions, racist and anti-Semitic flyers were posted to every telephone and light pole on Main Street in Beacon, from the east end (Bank Square Coffee) to the west end (Trax Coffee Roasters). But you never saw them.
Within a 12-hour period, two citizens of Beacon, who wish to remain anonymous, noticed the flyers and ripped every single one down with their bare hands. Bare hands is notable, because some flyers were affixed with strong adhesive, like a spray glue, and required prying all of the corners of the paper to remove it. Glue indicates that the hanger of the flyer wanted it to stay up for a long time. Other flyers were stapled to poles. The flyers were from PatriotFront, a well-known white supremacist hate group.
The day was cold but sunny. The two Beaconites were headed to meet each other for lunch, each from the other side of town. Each of these citizens happens to have studied graphic design and has a familiarity with art history. As they walked towards each other, some eye-catching flyers on the lamp posts and telephone poles caught their eyes. The visual graphic design was well done, they both noted internally, and kept walking.
The Meaning Behind The Markings
After passing more than a few flyers, including one on the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church near Bank Square, the meaning behind the markings on the flyers struck them. The flyer series was promoting anti-immigrant sentiment, anti-Native American, anti-anything that was not white supremacist. Some might call it anti-people, some might call it fascist.
“The symbolism was disguised,” said one of the citizens who tore down the flyers. With a background in design, the Beaconite was aware of banned symbolism and disguised imagery used by white supremacist groups (read about disguised white supremacist imagery here in Foreign Policy). “Because the flyers covered more than one topic, they seemed to be recruitment flyers,” concluded the Beaconite. “The website of where they came from was prominently displayed across the bottom, so that someone could clearly see where to get more information.”
“Does White Supremacy Really Happen In Beacon?”
One evening during a regular City Council meeting, a gentleman approached the podium during the Public Comment period to complain about a large sign that hung on a building on Hanna Lane. The sign read: “Resist White Supremacy; Vote on November 6, 2018.” The gentleman was visiting Memorial Park with his friends, and was embarrassed to see the sign. “Is this really Beacon?” he asked.
That sign has become controversial and has prompted the City Council to deeply study its zoning laws on signs. The City Council has not yet come to a conclusion, as laws on signage are complicated in order to protect freedom of speech, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Being that the two Beaconites took down the racist and anti-Semitic signs that anyone visiting would have seen on the Main Street utility poles, chances are this person would not have seen these signs that encouraged white supremacy, and would have continued with his day, thinking that a white supremacist movement had not tried to move its way into this community.
Just Down The Road, Haldane Graduate and 2 Other Local Teenagers Arrested For Anti-Semitic Graffiti In Nelsonville’s October 2018 Swastika Incident
In October, a series of hate-fueled events happened: anti-Semitic flyers were hung on churches in Beacon, and at universities in the Hudson Valley including Marist College, Dutchess Community College, and Vassar. A suspect was found by police, who allegedly hung the flyers while wearing rubber gloves.
In October 2018, a swastika was sprayed onto the home that is owned by a Jewish man in Nelsonville. So far, three teenagers have been arrested for that crime. One teenager is a male who is 18, and is a graduate of Haldane High School in Cold Spring. He was arrested in February 2019, and just appeared in court last week. The other two were arrested in December 2018, one from Philipstown and the other from an unspecified location. They are 18 and 17 years old.
What To Do When Racist or Anti-Semitic Flyers Are Found
“If someone sees something like this, it needs to be reported to the Police Department so enforcement can be taken.”
The first response of the citizens who tore down the flyers was to call the Beacon Police. The officer who took the call suggested that they call the Building Department to complain. “I let the officer know that I wasn’t really complaining, but rather informing that white supremacist material was all over the street,” said the citizen. According to the citizen, the officer’s response was: “There’s really nothing we can do.”
A Little Beacon Blog inquired with the City of Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, about if there is anything to do about flyers. “It is a violation of city code to put flyers of any kind on a telephone or light pole. It would be a violation the Building Department could issue if we knew who it was.”
So there you have it. Now you know. A Tom Petty song comes to mind: “Don’t come around here no more.” Parents: Keep talking to your kids. Teachers: Thank you for teaching our kids about hate crimes of the past, so that they can identify and defeat them in the present.
"holy friday" | A Poem From A Beaconite In Response To Mass Shootings In Mosques In New Zealand
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Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi
EDITOR’S NOTE: Izdihar Dabashi, the writer of this poem, is a writer, college student, and Muslim living in Beacon. You can read her articles on A Little Beacon Blog here. She has penned a poem in response to the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, this week.
The shootings happened on the afternoon of Holy Friday. Izdihar explains the meaning of Holy Friday, also known as Jumu’ah: “Muslims consider Fridays to be holy. A lot of people try to make it the mosque to pray. A sermon is given. It is like the Muslim version of a Christian’s Sunday church. The Friday prayer is held in the afternoon, and Muslims take a little more time to say their prayers.
“On Fridays, Muslims are more connected with their community and often will call friends and family just to let them know they’re in their thoughts and prayers.
“That’s what makes the crime all the more heartbreaking - it was done on a day where Muslims are more focused on spreading peace as they meet, pray together, and later discuss any community problems or achievements. Everyone feels more united and at ease after a Friday prayer.”
Izdihar’s poem was first published on her Instagram account here. She granted permission to have it republished on A Little Beacon Blog as well. Her InstaStory has a more images of the people hurt and killed.
aggressive rivers of crimson flood the floors of sanctuaries
heavy weapons and weighted boots,
what else to expect from a deluded man and his object of destruction?
from a man who laughs in tune to the cries of the innocent, to the symphony of his gun?
scattered evidence of life taunt the living;
tiny shoes, visions of the future
scarves... tattered fabric dispersed
and purses spilled
barefoot in the streets, fleeting as thunderous echoes of chaos ring sharp in their ears
neighbors weeping, some taking leaps
over fences and dashing through doors
how can we rescue when we don’t know where danger hides
and why it smiles
how can we rescue when we can’t tell apart our enemies
as they are free to live joyous lives?
A young girl, her father’s baby
wisps of long lashes rest over her chubby cheeks
tendrils of hair shape her petite face
she’s not sleeping, not with the way he holds her with tension in his breaths
clouds of stinging pain in his shadowed eyes
she’s not sleeping, but I wish she is
her beautiful face marred by the dark blood running down her face
tears of the world on a day of prayer
tears shouldn’t be red
and we shouldn’t be crying
why must man be unjust
has pain replaced peace,
have your hearts gone to dust
children in the neighborhood on lockdown in schools
imagine the eyes of the youth, blurry from fright
the thoughts of their teachers, the terrors their parents face at night
sisters and brothers leaning into one another
the men in blue, and the paramedics speeding with flashes of light
do they cry too
their neighbors are dead
who is left to protect?
who is next?
synagogues, churches, temples and mosques
candle-lit
does it matter
if you’re bricks and stone of peace
symbols of sanctuary?
roses, carnations,
bouquets of peaceful ivory, valuable gold, nurturing shades of pink, and ambitious strengths of purple
cries of blue
and ruby petals;
they’re dying too
I hope to see you in paradise
your friends and family, neighbors and carers
I hope murder on holy friday
no longer makes the news
I’ll suffer
but I hope I don’t lose
my faith in you
- (holy Friday)
Izdihar
