What Everyone Is Reading :: Theme: Friends Who Knew My Cat
The wind is blowing, seasonal allergies are beginning their ravaging Times Square hustle, and the sunsets are magnificent! But March dug her jagged little nails in at the very end and I had to put my cat of 16 years to sleep. So this introduction to Writerly Happenings will honor the reading habits of Friends Who Knew My Cat Way Back When.
Firstly, About My Cat
I rescued her as a tiny kitten from the roof of a crack house on South 12th Street on the way home from work in Philadelphia one July, and that all seems like a lifetime ago. The fact that I just eagerly started “I Must Be Living Twice” by Eileen Myles is fitting, I think.
When I got home with the kitten, my roommate, Miriam Singer, was an absolute angel about the new addition biting her toes. Right now she’s reading “M Train” by Patti Smith but feeling so-so about it. Maybe she should try “Evening in Paradise,” a collection of short stories by Lucia Berlin, because I am swooning over it. Swooning!
Our downstairs neighbor Alexandra was a champion of both cats and pink champagne at happy hour, and she is now reading “The Art of Communicating” by Thich Nhat Hanh and “Who I Am” by Pete Townshend. She once gave me a Freddie Mercury biography by Lesley-Ann Jones that I ate up with a spoon, so her rock memoir recommendations are solid.
Back In The Hudson Valley Writing Community
This event has already passed, but you should know about it, that on Sunday, April 7, you could have gone to Get Lit at Oak Vino and read for 5 minutes yourself, and/or enjoyed featured writer (and visual artist) Will Lessard and writer and musician Mike Faloon. (Don’t miss another Get Lit.)
Get Lit is sponsoring a book drive for Special Education English classrooms at Beacon High School for Get Caught Reading month in May! They’ve teamed up with Binnacle Books, and you can help contribute! A Little Beacon Blog already wrote all about it here. Binnacle Books is otherwise taking a break for their monthly Book Club for a hot minute, partly because they were producing this event, “Reframing Urban Renewal: A Presentation and Discussion,” which was at Fullerton Center in Newburgh for a discussion about urban renewal in the Hudson Valley. It explored creative ways of mobilizing a contested landscape and featured panelists including Ben Schulman of Newburgh Packet, David Hochfelder and Anne Pfau of 98 acres and University of Albany, and artist, academic, and author of “Contested City,” Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani.
Down In Cold Spring…
In the meantime, Split Rock Books in Cold Spring came back from their winter break with a vengeance and is offering approximately 7,000 things for you to do in April. I’m super interested in their reading on Saturday, April 13, with “author, poet and professor Caroline Hagood. ‘In Ways of Looking at a Woman’, a book-length essay that interweaves memoir with film and literary history, Caroline Hagood assumes the role of detective to ask, what is a ‘woman,’ ‘mother,’ and ‘writer’?” There’s also a discussion on Thursday, April 18, of “An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (ReVisioning American History #3)” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, which I’ve been wanting to read. On Thursday, May 16, Split Rock is hosting Susan Choi for her new book “Trust Exercise”. She just got a big write up in the New York Times.
Back In Beacon…
The phenomenal poet Edwin Torres is teaching a series of workshops on Saturdays at Beahive, aiming “to align our natural tri-lingual voice, our voice, with the humanity that defines us. “ Sounds so very good to me!
Thursday, April 18, is “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” as part of National Poetry Month and you should totally put a poem in your pocket and then give it to someone. Also, sign up for Poem-A-Day emails while you are at it! Meanwhile, have you seen the postcard books at Binnacle Books from local publisher Paravion Press, who is located in the old Beacon High School off Fishkill Avenue? So neat.
John Blesso’s Adult Stories is back on Sunday, April 28, if you want to share your work at Oak Vino. Looking ahead to May, we are certain that The Artichoke on Saturday, May 25, is going to sell out again, so maybe get those tickets now!
In the spoken word world…
On Saturday, April 20, there’s Poughetry Fest 2019, a not-to-be-missed festival of spoken and written word at the Cunneen-Hackett Center in Poughkeepsie. There will be a Youth Open Mic hosted by Derick Cross, LGBTQ Open Mic hosted by Jen Herman, the Calling All Poets Series hosted by Mike Jurkovic, the Poet Laureate Room featuring the newly appointed Hudson Valley & beyond Poet Laureates, and the Audre Lorde Room co-curated by Armando Batista. Amazing lineup!
In Newburgh…
Also Ruth Danon is teaming up with Atlas Studios to curate the monthly Spring Street Reading Series beginning on Friday, May 17, with Beacon’s own Julie Chibbaro and NYC hot ticket Laura Sims. We will be there with bells on. Well, we’ll probably take them off before the reading so as not to make a scene.
Also, up in Saugerties they are celebrating poetry all month with readings and sidewalk haiku and poetry and potions/purls and pints(oh my!).
Saturday, April 27, is “Independent Bookstore Day,” so give your local bookseller some big love that can’t fit into a big box.
Got more ideas about where to go for the writerliest of happenings? Please be in touch! phoebe@alittlebeaconblog.com. Or just let me know what you are reading and loving these days.
Popping up in A Little Beacon Space this Saturday: photo sessions! You could pop in for a quickie session of professional photography from J Kenny House of Photo! This photographer is usually behind the camera, but we sprung this photo op on her (that’s her smiling mug with the “Open” sign, above) to help promote her event this Saturday, April 13: Come into A Little Beacon Space between 10am and 2pm for a mini photo shoot. Check out her Instagram for photo examples.
She’s bringing her backdrops to set the scene for a photo. This is great for those of you who even want headshots! Click her Insta for the link to book, or book online right here, or walk in on Saturday.
Common Ground Farm invites visitors for a contemplative walk through the early spring fields on Saturday, April 13, at 1 pm. The walk will be guided by Farm Director, Sarah Simon, with reflection and commentary shared from the faith traditions of food access partners and community leaders, including: Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek of Beacon Hebrew Alliance, Lt. Leilani Rodríguez-Alarcón of Salvation Army, Pastor Ben Larson-Wolbrink of First Presbyterian Church, Pastor Bill Dandreano of Salem Tabernacle, and Sarah Capua.
Everyone Welcome To Celebrate The Growing Season
The Opening of the Fields walk is an opportunity to appreciate the potential abundance of the fields as well as to reflect upon the changes and uncertainty inherent in nature. Farming can be isolating work, and the farmers look forward to sharing the springtime activities on a Hudson Valley vegetable farm. Visitors can park by the red barns and meet the group by the picnic tables. Hot tea and snacks will be provided, and guests are welcome to stay and picnic afterwards if the weather is fine. The event is free and open to all. Common Ground Farm welcomes everyone to visit the farm and help celebrate the start of the growing season.
Farm Director Sarah Simon states, “Both hope and uncertainty shape the beginning of the growing season on the farm. The traces of last year's labor have faded, winter has claimed what was once green and lush, and the farm is just beginning to wake up again as the soil starts to warm and the sun begins to shine.”
About Common Ground Farm
Common Ground Farm is a community farm dedicated to food justice, and donates produce to six different local food pantries and soup kitchens each week during their growing season. This event is an opportunity for the farm’s valued community partners to visit the place where the produce is grown, and to see the fields that will feed their communities from May until November. Many of the soup kitchens and food pantries are organized by religious organizations, and for the event, the farm has invited the leaders of these churches, synagogues, and mosques to share blessings and teachings about nature, food and land from their traditions. There will also be nondenominational teachings and blessings shared by community members.
Common Ground Farm donates weekly to the following food pantries:
Beacon Community Kitchen
Fishkill Food Pantry
First Presbyterian Church in Wappingers Falls
New Vision Church of Deliverance
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Beacon
Occasionally to: Salvation Army in Beacon, Dutchess Outreach in Poughkeepsie
You know this building as the brick building across from Key Food. 291 Main Street is the building whose owner and restorer - Deborah Bigelow - is always outside sweeping trash, scraping cigar spit, raking the driveway and tree filler (yes, raking it into a meditative pattern), and who was up on the boom last year gilding the words "Telephone Building" in gold leaf by hand. If you went to her presentation for the Beacon Historical Society, you would have learned that those gold leaf sheets came in small squares that she needed to take up to the top of the building, in strong winds, and do her thing to gild it to the iconic letters.
When buildings go up for sale, a wave of uncertainty goes through the community. A Little Beacon Blog is Deborah's tenant in the front office, with windows overlooking Main Street. We did this to physically connect with the community to offer pop-up shops, workshop space, and more in what we call A Little Beacon Space.
We always knew that at some point soon in her life, Deborah would embark on her sale of the building. Therefore, we are 100% supportive and thrilled for her. In fact, it has launched a million dreams of where A Little Beacon Space might pop up next. We wrote a Love Note To Deborah and discussed possibilities of our future plans in this article, which you can read here.
PS: Our South Avenue Elementary School kids are practicing songs from "The Greatest Showman" for their next recital, so it's a nice coincidence that this really inspiring soundtrack is fueling a possible move to... we don't know where! Or maybe staying right here! We wrote a Love Note To Deborah As She Sells Her Building, which you can read here.
The vendor spots were filled on this Opening Day for lots of things (including some local golf courses). The Beacon Flea, located in the free municipal parking lot on Henry Street behind the gas station and near the post office, looked like a full house of fresh collections. The event, every Sunday, has regular sellers and rotating visiting sellers each week. Signing up to be a vendor is easy and affordable. Call the number in this picture - (845) 202-0094 - should you want to set up a table one weekend.
If you see rising clouds of color in the sky, it's coming from South Avenue Elementary's annual Color-A-Thon! Read all about it here, and see how you can get sprinkled in bright color powder while helping to raise money for South Avenue. All are welcome. Registration is available on-site, and some sponsored participant spots are available, donated by teachers and students. South Avenue's librarian Mr. Burke released a new video for it, that you don't want to miss (he plays three different characters).
Day: Saturday, April 6, 2019 Time: 10am-12pm Location: Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps Building, 1 Arquilla Drive, Beacon, NY Information >
South Avenue’s Color-A-Thon
Day: Saturday, April 6, 2019 Time: 10-12pm (Registration at 10am, Bounce House at 10:30am, Run at 12pm) Location: South Avenue Elementary School, Beacon, NY Information >
Opening Reception: Artists Members of the Howland Cultural Center
Day: Saturday, April 6, 2019 Time: 2:30-4:30pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Music and Creative Arts Fundraiser
Day: Saturday, April 6, 2019 Time: 3pm Location: The Salvation Army, 372 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Live Concert with Pluck & Rail Day: Saturday, April 6, 2019 Time: 8pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Women's Work Concert - "Sisterhood of Harmony"
Day: Sunday, April 7, 2019 Time: 2pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps Benefit Brunch
Day: Sunday, April 7, 2019 Time: 10:30am & 12:30pm Location: Dutchess Manor, 263 NY-9D, Beacon, NY Information >
Reframing Urban Renewal: A Presentation and Discussion
Day: Sunday, April 7, 2019 Time: 3pm Location: Fullerton Center, 297 Grand St., Newburgh, NY Information >
Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.
BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END
Darryl's Women's Clothing Boutique
155 Main Street
www.darrylsny.com
Steppin' out from Darryl's Boutique, you'll find several denim styles, like this jean jacket with fabric woven in (ask about the matching blue purse). Color is bright in Darryl's, though if you want a subtler black with polka-dots, they have that, too.
Luxe Optique
183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com
Color is popping like the spring crocuses at Luxe Optique! We've been featuring the lighter, more delicate looking frames, but now we're plunging back into the bold shapes and colors that designer sabine be is known for. Try on a pair... you might be surprised.
BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END
Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique
1 East Main, Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the Dummy Light)
This gown from Justin Alexander is in at Lambs Hill. Can you see the sparkle throughout? It's a classic ballgown for sure, with plenty of delicate fabric to help make the day unforgettable. Call the boutique at (845) 765-2900 for an appointment.
Thai Yoga Body Work at Firefly Yoga
Day: Sunday, April 7, 2019 Time: 2-4pm Location: Firefly Yoga, 992 Main St., Fishkill, NY
You MUST try this: This type of yoga is also called Nuad Boran or Thai Yoga Massage. It's performed on a mat on the floor; both client and practitioner are dressed in comfortable clothing allowing ease of movement and flexibility. It feels like yoga, massage and pressure point therapy, combined. Information >
BRAINLINGO: Writing The Voice of The Body (4 classes)
Day: Every Saturday in April 2019, starting April 6 Time: 10am-2pm Location: Beahive, 291 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Ayurvedic Consultation
Day: Saturday, April 6, 2019 Time: 1pm-4pm Location: BeBhakti Yoga, 8 DeWindt St., Beacon, NY Information > (check Adult Classes Guide for more workshops offered this weekend)
Make Your Own Leggings
Day: Sunday, April 7, 2019 Time: 11am-4:30pm
Location: Beetle & Fred, 171 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Masterclass - Pysanky Egg Workshop
Day: Sunday, April 7, 2019 Time: 3-5:30pm Location: Hudson Valley MOCA, 1701 Main St., Peekskill, NY Information >
Check A Little Beacon Blog's Classes For Kids Guide to see what there is to do every day of the week. We collect ideas and organize them by day. If it's Tuesday, check in and see what you can do! Visit The Classes for Kids & Teens Guide >
For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Kids Classes Guide.
416 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508
Land For Sale. This lot is next door to Ella's Bellas, on the east end of town near the mountain and the new movie theater.
From Gate House Realty: “Amazing opportunity for developer or builder. Last available lot on bustling east end of Main Street.”
PRICE: $597,000 Real Estate Agent: Gate House Realty (845) 831-9550 Details + Pictures >
Antalek & Moore :: Interview With Susan Pagones
Get to know your friendly Antalek & Moore agent: Susan Pagones. She and the team at Antalek & Moore make insurance easier for you. They do the homework on policies and coverage, and you can talk with them face-to-face.
Branding Assets For Rock Out 4 Mental Health
Get ready for it! The newest initiative from I Am Beacon is Rock Out 4 Mental Health, a music event happening Saturday, June 1, down at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. Katie James, Inc. is proud to have designed the assets, including the logo, flyer and banner. Lead designer is Allie Bopp. Event Details >
Tin Shingle Small Group Training
Did you know that you can get free marketing training every other Wednesday online with Tin Shingle? And if you're a member with an All Access Pass, you get to spend the other Wednesdays on a live call to strategize your own marketing moves in social media, PR, your newsletters, and more. Learn More >
A Little Beacon Space :: Spring Photo Sessions
Happening next Saturday is "JK HOP Spring Studio Photo Sessions" in A Little Beacon Space! On Saturday, April 13, Spring Studio Sessions will be available in 30-minute slots, anytime between 11:30am and 2pm at 291 Main Street, Beacon. Details For Booking Your Own Photo Session >
BeaconArts :: Open Studios
From Beacon Open Studios: "Beacon Open Studios is fast approaching and we're in the final stretch as Artist Registration and Sponsorship purchase is only open for 25 more days! There will NOT be a late registration option this year so be sure to register now if you haven't done so already!" Reserve Your Spot as a Sponsor or Artist! >
Beacon Chamber of Commerce Business Directory
Work with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce to throw a Ribbon-Cutting ceremony if you're new in town, or just opened. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and broadcast your business! Learn More >
MASTHEAD Producers of this newsletter include:
Katie Hellmuth Martin, Publisher, Writer, Designer, Photographer
Marilyn Perez, Managing Editor
Catherine Sweet, Editor of the Second Saturday Guide
Advertise With A Little Beacon Blog
The support from every advertiser of A Little Beacon Blog helps make local news get produced. You can be part of making it happen, and get your business in front of the community in a meaningful way.
DETAILS: Registration: Starts at 10 am Bounce House: 10:30 am to 12 pm Color-a-Thon: Starts at at 12pm. We will have music, food for sale, and an awesome raffle. Enjoy South Avenue’s playground where we just added a new climbing wall and ten spin!
The moment South Avenue has been waiting for all year is here - The Color-A-Thon (also called the Color Run)! This is South Avenue Elementary School’s big fundraising event organized by the PTA, which helps them buy playground equipment for the school, fund field trips, purchase class supplies, establish a sustainable school link with an Ethiopian partner school, and more.
Color-A-Thon Open To All
The run is open to everyone in the community, not just South Avenue students, and you can register at the event for $15. Some teachers and students have sponsored “student spots” for those who don’t have the registration fee, including teachers like Mrs. Biersack and Mrs. Fabia. Other teachers, including Mrs. Nunez and Principal Cahill, will be at the run throwing color and participating in other ways.
Raffle Prizes
Raffle prizes include fun stuff from Alps Sweet Shop, Beacon Bath & Bubble LLC, Beacon D'Lites, Homespun Foods, Hudson Beach Glass, and Obercreek Farm. Other participating organizations include Wee Play Community Project, with a gift certificate to the Ree Play Sale (last weekend in April!), and Beacon Recreation for donating a 2019 Beacon Pool pass.
How The Color-A-Thon Works
So it’s pretty easy - you wear white and run around the block in the neighborhood next to South Avenue. The streets are blocked for the run, and you can run around as many times as you like. Often there are parents running or walking with the kids, so if you can’t run or walk, your child will most likely join up in a pack with others.
Then, there are color points at each turn, and bright colors are literally thrown onto you! You get covered head to toe in color, and it’s a lot of fun. The color powder is made from cornstarch, and the bright color in it is a mystery. :)
You can register at the event.
TIP: Walk, don’t drive to this event. Your car will get really messy with color when you get back in after the event. Shoes get really messy.
Color-A-Thon Made The “Morning News”
South Avenue Elementary’s librarian, Mr. Burke, produces a morning news show from his library in the basement. He goes throughout the school for different scenes and has recurring characters. Usually played by himself (kind of like how Tyler Perry often plays so many roles in one movie).
Here’s Mr. Burke exploring what would happen if the Color-A-Thon and the State ELA Tests were on the same day (they were the same week this year).
What was a surprise, however, was my immediate emotional reaction to the news: I was sad that I wouldn’t see Deborah (nearly) every day. Deborah has become part of my life. My little Yoda. And she’s other people’s Yoda too. From one business woman to another, I value her more than she knows. That’s why I am so excited for her to be releasing her building to a new “caretaker owner,” as she calls her future prospect, whomever that may be. Maybe another woman! Who knows.
In The Beginning (well… for me)
Filling the space of the front office in the Telephone Building was a dream that occurred to me while attending the going-away party for the Nixie Sparrows. Remember those two creative birds? WOW, did a lot of creativity come out of that office - now this office that I sit in. I’ve been working in the digital space here in this building for two years as a website designer, blogger, motivator, and teacher. Occupying a physical space isn’t necessary for us digital artists, but when you’re mainly prancing on a keyboard, the desire for physical creation and connection grows.
The first space in Beacon that actually cracked into my brain as a potential work home was the tiny hallway of space next to the Beacon Hotel (and I’m not alone… many people have fantasized about having a retail something in that space). The former Howling At The Edge Of Chaos (blessings), and prior to that, it had been something else whimsical. I’d gotten word that it was becoming available, and I considered occupying it for my blogging headquarters. And hey, maybe I’d also rent it out for pop-up shops, since those are so fun in Beacon. And then the Nixie Sparrows flew the coop, and I began stalking their landlord: Deborah Bigelow.
About Deborah Bigelow
Deborah Bigelow is a very small person physically, but a ginormous person in her field, which is the gilded and preservation arts (covering things in gold leaf and restoring anything). Before I even met her, I knew of her via Instagram as @gildedtwig. In fact, she gilded a pumpkin for an article on A Little Beacon Blog once. I never knew at that point that she was the owner of the Telephone Building.
When Deborah interviewed me to take the space, she had other suitors. This room is a very desirable space. It’s very bright, and the Nixies had strung lights and commissioned a really cool metal/wood bar for the room (which I bought from them in order to keep in the space… and it even has a love story connected to it!). So I had to impress Deborah and hope that she liked what I wanted to do with the space.
The Beginning Of A Little Beacon Space
I wanted to use the space for pop-up shops, workshops and retreats. She warned me over and over of the lack of foot traffic (it has since picked up over the years that I’ve been here). I didn’t care. I’m from the digital world, so I’m used to working for every person that walks through the door. I don’t just hang my shingle and wait for the people to come in. I hang my shingle, and the work has just begun. It’s why I named my marketing education business Tin Shingle. Tin is a resilient metal, and Shingle is a store sign. It’s the first of many steps to bring people in.
And A Little Beacon Space has done that. It has brought people in for all kinds of reasons. From the private book club I did a year ago for The Artist’s Way, and formed incredible bonds with a handful of women, to the pop-up shops that have set up amazing displays in here, and had tremendous results. Better than they expected. In fact, one of possibly your favorite little shops in Beacon, Artifact, started as a pop-up shop here and now has their own brick-and-mortar spot near Dogwood. We even did kids’ hair cuts with Salon Dae! And now I go to Audrina for my cut and color.
Back To Deborah
The more I learned about Deborah, and her years here as a landlord and as a restoration artist, the more I couldn’t believe that more people didn’t know about her. I mean - super-local people know her from diligently sweeping the Telephone Building’s steps and using a toothbrush to clean cigar spit from her limestone steps. The owner of Cafe Amarcord is one of her silent protectors, as he’s been watching for years as she picks up the trash people leave around the place, and the challenges she’s faced from those with a little too much moxie out on the sidewalk.
I call Deborah a “restoration artist.” She tells me that it’s not an official term, but she’ll accept it if I call her that. She has binders filled with notes of history of what has happened in the building - from tenants’ agreements to notes to evidence of tomfoolery (really nice word for criminal behavior) that she’s endured over the years. She is one of the founding participators in Beacon Speaks Out, which had been working toward involving the community with the police department. She even has detailed notes on how the Nixies strung the lights on the ceiling here in the office, in case we need to replace them.
Deborah is a very calm and planned person. She’s from Pennsylvania and extremely respectful of others, and an up-lifter of the spirit. When I took this space, it was on a wing and a prayer. She supported me every step of the way. If I was feeling down or doubtful, she was there to lift me up.
Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I watch her reach her point in “retirement” and move into her own next steps. She is selling the building directly herself, and has a website for it that gives plenty of information, like pictures and numbers. You can even see Before and After photos of her renovation. She has listed the building in A Little Beacon Blog’s Real Estate Guide, and when she handed me the layout of photos for the listing (she wanted them in exactly a planned way… so Deborah!) she did so with tears welling up in her eyes. As I took the piece of paper from her hands, I brushed away our tears and kept our eyes on the future.
“You’re Staying… Right?”
My own children asked me this question when I told them the news. Friends on the street who are hearing the news are asking it as well. I’m asking it of myself!
I’m on a month-to-month lease right now. This is actually an exciting prospect to me. I like change. It sparks new creativity. It unplugs some clogs that I didn’t know were there, and makes things flow freely again. It reveals thoughts and priorities that often sit silently on the back burner, being ignored.
So here’s the thing. I don’t know where A Little Beacon Space will be. There are many scenarios that could play out. A new owner could buy the building, and not need the rent money, and keep my rent the same. As you can imagine, this building was bought 27 years ago, and Deborah has been very kind to us for rents. For a storefront space on Main Street in the heart of Beacon, with two walls of windows that let in glorious natural light from historically renovated windows, my rent is below market value at $1,260. If it increased, could I sustain it? Possibly.
Math from a new mortgage tells me that my rent would need to change. Unless the new owner is a collector, and likes to keep things the way they are and can afford to do that! But, if that doesn’t happen, then a few other scenarios could play out. Like…
Buy the Building? While my first thought was to assume that I’d exit out of the building, my next thought was to buy the building. My husband and I considered this, as a handful of people around us have expressed interest in investing in Beacon. The first building we seriously thought of buying was actually the yellow house with the warehouse behind it, formerly Trendy Tots. That’s what hooked us into Beacon in the first place. It was $450K at the time, and sold for nearly a million! Kicking ourselves! Presented with a perfect building such as the Telephone Building, getting together the down payment would still be tricky and involve me finding grants, such as women-owned business grants or historic building grants, and that’s a lot of homework that is not my specialty. The business model would also be tricky, but could involve me starting a podcast production studio in the basement - to add audio to media available from A Little Beacon Blog with different podcast shows. Writers and production for the web version of A Little Beacon Blog could also come in for shared office hours and write and be a team together. I would keep my current space as a fancier event space for rental income, which it is now.
Weather the Rent Increase: Possibly. If the new building owner(s) wanted A Little Beacon Blog and Tin Shingle to stay there and continue to offer the space as a venue for creatives and community, I would take a harder look at my marketing plans.
A Little Beacon Trailer! I really love trucks and trailers. I would love to tow my office behind my ginormous, un-eco-friendly car that can tow 9,000 pounds. What about a mobile office? I discovered the people at Flexetail, and aren’t those trailers gorgeous!?! My friend Sh* That I Knit got one, and when my girl here in Beacon, April from La Mère Clothing and Goods got her trailer for La Mère Petite, I couldn’t take it anymore. I need one. Maybe A Little Beacon Space would be a vendor down at Long Dock and have pop-ups sometimes?!
Little Beacon Spaces (as in more than one)? Maybe there could be more than one Little Beacon Space… There certainly is a demand for office space and I would love to be a provider of it…This is a bigger project, but is in Research Phase.
Go Home? I worked from home for 11 years. I could do it again. I’ve worked from my car from parking lots at Panera, skimming their wifi. But maybe I should stay out here in Brick and Mortar Land. What do they say? Go big or go home?
Upon reflecting on my favorite aspects of A Little Beacon Space in the Telephone Building, I came upon a certain detail about the bar that sits in the front left corner of the office. Did you know that there is a love story behind the bar in A Little Beacon Space? It’s one of the signature pieces in this office, and one that I thought came with the room when I was considering renting it. Turns out it was commissioned by the former occupiers of this space (the Nixie Sparrows), it was designed and built by Brian Kolb of Falls Woodsmith, and if I wanted the bar to stay, I needed to buy it. So I did.
One day, a fellow website creator, Courtney Kolb (formerly Urciuoli) aka @hudsonvalleycompass, met with me to talk about a website she built, Wappingers Rises. As we chatted at the bar, she said: “You know, I met my husband thanks to this bar.”
What? Here’s Courtney’s Story Of “How We Met,” Thanks To The Bar:
The signature on the wood bar in A Little Beacon Space. Created by Falls Woodsmith.
“I needed a dining room table made for a project I was working on - I was buying my great-grandma’s house in Beacon to live in as my personal home - and I asked Meg (Lawrence, former Nixie Sparrow) who made her bar. She referred Brian Kolb because I loved the bar.
“Brian came over to give me a quote. We talked endlessly, and I always say I never got a dining room table, instead I got the best life. My engagement ring was from the first renovation we did in Beacon. An old flooring nail that he set his grandma’s diamond in. I’m pretty sure I’m the one that pulled the nail out because I pulled all the floor nails out 😂😂 Yes, he set it himself and sealed it . 😂😂❤️❤️❤️
“Fast forward and we’re married, eating on the same Ikea dining room furniture I’ve had since college. The very one I wanted to replace when I originally contacted him 5 years ago. I’ve since left corporate America and work with Brian as a husband/wife team restoring homes for our business, Falls Woodsmith. We’ve completed nine huge projects since that first meeting, including several home renovations in Beacon and Wappingers. Our next project, 14 Water Street, Beacon, hits the market May 15!”
Yes, it is snowing right now, but it DOES snow every April in a mega dump, so if this is it, that is good! A few years ago, two or three years in a row, an April (snow) shower wiped out the magnolia trees. They just started opening this year. Fingers crossed this is it for snow!
Wine and liquor stores in Dutchess County are required by law to close at 7 pm, as we discussed with Artisan Wine Shop when we discovered Artisan’s petition asking for extended hours. Wine shops in surrounding counties are able to stay open longer, but thanks in part to some liquor stores fighting years ago to keep a short leash on the closing time, the 7 pm law has remained in effect for Dutchess County. This law is being challenged on Thursday, April 4, by a new resolution authored by Dutchess County Legislator Frits Zernike and co-authored by Dutchess County Legislator Nick Page. The resolution proposes that stores be able to stay open until 9 pm. Frits will present the resolution tonight at the April 4 Legislative Committee Meeting, which is open to the public to attend and voice opinion.
“Dutchess County, for all its advances in recent years, remains a backward place,” said Frits to A Little Beacon Blog via email. “Our opening hours are the most restrictive in the state, and we lose business to neighboring counties with less antediluvian laws because of them.” In the past, county representatives from Beacon, including Jerry Landisi, have challenged this law. “Similar resolutions have been introduced in the past, and have never made it out of committee,” said Frits.
The resolution that Frits is proposing today requests that wine and liquor stores “be permitted from 9 am to 9 pm on weekdays, as well as on New Year's, Memorial, Independence, Labor, and Thanksgiving days, and on the day before Thanksgiving, December 18-24, and New Year's Eve,” as stated in the resolution he authored.
In April 2015, the City of Beacon created its own resolution to show support for extended open hours, and it was signed by nearly all of Beacon’s City Council at that time: Charles P. Kelly, Pamela Wetherbee, Ali T. Muhammad, Lee Kyriacou, George Mansfield, and Mayor Randy Casale (Peggy Ross was absent for the vote). But the law was never able to be changed.
Why The Opposition To Later Than 7 pm?
The reason seems to reside with stores located (more) upstate. Said Frits: “[The lack of change] seems to be because liquor store owners up county, in Poughkeepsie and beyond, are fearful of what expanded hours would mean. As they see it, they'd have to stay open later, never seeing their families, and face the certain prospect of being robbed after dark. There are various holes in those arguments, but in the past they've prevailed.”
This line of thinking was displayed in a letter submitted when this law was being challenged several years ago, from a wine and liquor store owner in Lagrangeville, NY. From the supporting documents, the letter reads: “Has anyone taken into consideration the already long hours that my family works and how this proposal will just increase our work hours and shorten our family time? Has anyone thought to think of the increased overhead this will create for our already struggling businesses? And finally has anyone thought of the increase in crime and burglaries that may occur if stores are allowed to stay open past 7 pm?”
The store owner went on to say in the 2015 letter: “You will be taking business away from us that would just come back to us the next day. The law to allow stores to open on Sundays has done nothing but take away from family time for our business. It has simply spread our sales out that we would have made on Saturday and Monday.”
In his support of longer hours, Frits point out that stores are not mandated to stay open longer. “Expanded hours won't force anybody to do anything; they'll just offer greater opportunity. Stores that wish will be able to stay open until 9 pm. Those wanting to close earlier can.”
Frits has written this logic into his proposed resolution, which reads: “WHEREAS concerns about crime, lost or increased business and revenue, as well as quality of life issues arising from decisions regarding hours of operation are best resolved by individual business owners, rather than subject to legislative regulation or edict.”
Artisan Has Acquired 200+ Signatures From Customers In Support Of Longer Hours
Artisan’s petition is in support of this resolution. Artisan Wine Shop has amassed more than 200 signatures from customers who do want longer shopping hours, who may not necessarily simply return the next day. Beacon is a commuter city, where many people are just beginning to arrive home at 7 pm. Shops who close at 6 or 7 often leave commuters shopping on the weekends if at all.
Beaconites often head off on day trips out of Beacon and may or may not be able to hit up wine stores in Beacon to stock up on bottles for the week if they can’t shop after 7 pm during the week. Wine shops outside of Beacon may benefit, however, as people are doing errands on Route 9 and are in other towns on day trips.
Editor’s Note: there are other wine shops in Beacon, and should we get input from them, we will update this article. Usually this requires us visiting them in person.
Where To Go to Voice Opinion
This resolution proposing a longer open time will be presented on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at a Committee Meeting at 5:30 pm in the County Legislature chambers. That location is at 22 Market St., 6th Floor, in Poughkeepsie. Members of the public are invited to speak on agenda items at the meeting. There is a three-minute time limit for each individual's comments.
Residents who want their voices heard about this issue are encouraged to email the general legislature email: CountyLegislature@DutchessNY.gov
Will Open Hours For Wine and Liquor Stores Change This Time?
Will the law change this time? Allowing wine and liquor stores to stay open past 7 pm? When the rest of retail locations like bars, breweries, beer stores and gas stations that sell beer are open long into the night? Stay tuned!
It’s Bingo Night (adults only) at Hudson Valley Brewery on Thursday, May 2, from 7 to 10 pm, an event to raise money for playground improvements at JV Forrestal Elementary, hosted by that school’s PTSO. According to the poster, there will be raffles! and fun! If you’ve ever been to a school fundraiser at the brewery, you’ll remember that the raffle is no joke. It’s one you want to enter and buy more than one bingo card for.
Kids in all of Beacon’s elementary schools love their outdoor recess and playground time, and it is with the support of the community that these playgrounds grow to add new equipment, landscaping, outdoor teaching opportunities, and more. All are welcome to attend and participate 0 this is not limited to JV Forrestal Elementary families!
P.S.: This poster was designed by the talented Steven Blumenthal, who is a dad at JV Forrestal, and is the designer behind the new sign on our building (the Telephone Building), as well as the designer behind Beacon Made, illustrations at Club Draw, and other images you may recognize.
All Sport Health and Fitness has teamed with Compassionate Animal Rescue Efforts (C.A.R.E. of Dutchess County) to bring the community a special Puppy Yoga and Adoption Day and it was a huge success. “We had such a demand that we added a second session - that sold out, too! - and raised some funds for the C.A.R.E. of Dutchess County organization,” said Ashley Valitutto, marketing manager for All Sport. “We know that some lucky doggies found forever homes, and the day was full of smiles and puppy kisses.”
Puppy Yoga Programming
Puppy Yoga was led by Mind Body director Megan Wiley for two 30-minute sessions. The all-levels yoga class allowed participants to practice their downward dog pose while getting puppy kisses and seeing wagging tails. The puppies get some much-needed socialization, and attendees got a unique way to brighten up their day and exercise routine for the day.
More Animal Rescue Support Opportunities at All Sport
In addition to Puppy Yoga, All Sport will continue to have a table in their lobby all month long for collecting pet goods to support the animals at the rescue. Some of the items being collected are Purina Pro-Plan puppy food, puppy and dog toys, Wee-Wee pads, blankets, and other basic needs for operation.
About C.A.R.E of D.C.
Compassionate Animal Rescue Efforts of Dutchess County (C.A.R.E. of D.C.) is a “No Kill” non-profit pet adoption agency formed in 2016. Founder Karen LeCain established C.A.R.E. of D.C. after many years of successful animal rescue and placement. Karen has dedicated her life to ensure that all animals are given a chance at life, whether they’re found sick and afraid, injured, or abandoned. She is takes great care in properly selecting the right applicants for the animals being adopted to ensure the best fit with the pet’s health, well-being, and happiness.
To learn more about CARE of DC, please visit their website at careofdc.org, or call them at (845) 240-4862.
All Sport Health & Fitness is located in the Village of Fishkill. To learn more, please call (845) 896-5678 or visit www.allsporthealthandfitness.com.
Going on now is prep work for the annual Ree Play Sale, from the Wee Play Community Project, one of the best affordable kid stuff weekend sales around. The best part? Your purchases of kid stuff go directly to funding kid spaces in Beacon, including the playgrounds at the public parks, as well as some programming at the Library and Rec Center by way of the Blue Blocks Project and Lego Club. The Wee Play Project was started many years ago by volunteering parents, and continues today as the torch is passed from graduating parents to younger parents.
Ways To Help: Sort, Bake, Work, Shop
The first way to help and get involved is to donate your stuff. Collection for this yearly event is going on now - so this is your chance. Bring your stuff to the University Settlement Camp: 724 Wolcott Avenue. (This is also the location of the Beacon Pool and Frisbee golf - but up the dirt road, just beyond it.)
If getting your stuff together now is overwhelming, either take the plunge, and then start a pile in your attic or basement that you put things in over the year. This makes getting all of your Ree Play stuff really easy.
If you’ve got nothing to donate, another way you can be involved is to bake, or shop. Shopping is the easiest! But sorting through everything is really important, and the best time to make new friends. The actual sale is Friday to Sunday, April 26, 27, 28.
Trauma Note: To not traumatize your kids that you are now purging all of their old clothes, toys, games, dolls, sports stuff, etc., involve them in the process. “Stuff” can be emotional. Explain where the things are going. Give them the option to donate, or to keep. As they know, the room can fill up, and the only way to make room for new treasures is to give your treasure to someone else, or keep it in a forever place in your house. It might be exciting to think that their old plastic basketball hoop will help buy a new swing at Memorial or Green Street Park.
Great Way To Meet People
New parents often want to meet new people and build their community, and bringing your stuff to the Ree Play sale is a great way to do that. If you have nothing to donate, you could sort. It’s easy, no pressure, sorting clothes into piles, or shoes onto shelves, or games into a lineup. Plus, if you sort, you might get first dibs on purchasing new/old stuff.
Times To Donate
Most of the times to donate or volunteer are announced on Instagram or Facebook. If you’re not on Facebook, then Instagram would be the best way for you to see times that they post. Most donation and sorting times are volunteer-based. In other words, sorting can only happen if someone has volunteered to be there. Maybe that’s you!
Recent Projects Ree Play Has Been Behind
Lots of what you have seen outside in Beacon’s parks has had an injection of Ree Play Sale cash to support it. The most recent project is the Wee Woods. This is a mini woods-within-woods scene behind the playground at Memorial Park, designed by One Nature with community input. There are natural playthings, like logs and willow arches.
Follow Wee Play’s Instagram or Facebook for updates. They do have a newsletter, which you could subscribe to here. If making newsletters is your thing, volunteer to send theirs a bunch!
Don’t wait on this. Donate your stuff today or this week!
Every April 1st, the locks change on the gates of Beacon’s Dog Park, which overlooks Memorial Park and Ron’s Ice Cream along Fishkill Avenue. Ever evolving, the Beacon Dog Park has changed things up by adding online registration, and introducing a new partnership with Brett’s Hardware for the keys.
New Registration Process For Beacon Dog Park
The 2019 registration process has changed in two important ways this year:
The application process has moved online, and
There is a new process for distributing keys and membership tags to the park.
To provide added convenience and enhance member experience, the registration process has moved online to www.beacondogpark.org/membership.
Eligibility for Membership
All dogs must meet the basic requirements of the park, meaning that they must be:
spayed or neutered
have a current rabies vaccination
licensed in their home municipality
never have acted in an aggressive or threatening way toward other dogs or people.
Prospective members can complete an application, upload required documents, and provide payment all through the park's website. Full-year membership for an owner and one dog is $55, plus $10 for each additional pup. All major credit/debit cards will be accepted. Membership fees provide the operating funds for the park. Members will get a confirmation email when their application has been approved.
The Big News On Keys
There is a new process for distributing keys and membership tags to the park. Each year, members of the dog park are provided with a key to the park gate and a membership tag that their dog must wear while in the park. For 2019, they are introducing a new key distribution partner, Brett's Hardware in Beacon.
Members can pick up keys and tags at Brett's Hardware during regular business hours. Key/tag distributors won't be able to review applications or process payments on site. Please apply online before going to pick up keys and tags.
Beacon Dog Park Voted Best Dog Park In The Hudson Valley 2018
Beacon Dog Park was voted the 2018 Best Dog Park in Hudson Valley by Hudson Valley Magazine. The dog park provides the residents of Beacon and the surrounding area a place to come play with and exercise their dog(s) that’s safe, secure, and enjoyable. The Friends of Beacon Dog Park is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that maintains the community-funded Beacon Dog Park.
Support for this publication comes in part from these businesses. We have highlighted what makes them special on their own dedicated pages. Want your business listed here? See the "Sponsor Spotlight" or "Event Promotion" option in our Advertising Page.
A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog. Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
Dutchess County Helpline. Open 24/7 to take your calls, listen, and give you resources.
