Dream Opportunity For You To Own A Jeffrey Terreson Piece - HUGE Moving Sale Happens This November Weekend (Sponsored)

Remember that time when the artist Jeffrey Terreson moved to Beacon? Into 475 Main Street, the building next to the Howland Cultural Center that is currently for sale? He brought to us sculpture-like paintings that Ralph Lauren, Joseph Abboud, major interior designers, architects, and others collected. After this weekend, he is completing his move to Katonah, but before he does, he’s having a major, MAJOR art sale to make that load easier for him.

Classified as a fine artist, Jeffrey wonders why people restrict themselves to a brush in the fine art world. He uses a knife to carve the textured material he sometimes includes in his work, like sand. Or a blow-torch to melt the wax he mixes in with paint. His paintings are layered with history of his vision as it gets covered up by new layers and vision and carved into to tell new secrets.

As Jeffrey closes out his Beacon chapter, he is not doing so quietly. He is having a MAJOR MOVING SALE. Yeah, we said it in all-caps. Because it’s huge. And let’s be honest, it is unusual for an artist to do. But again, let’s be honest. Jeffrey is an unusual artist.

Months ago, Jeffrey opened a new gallery in Katonah, called Forward Contemporary. He has been very busy securing his art in respected realms for a fine artist, and has written you a letter about it in this article below.

Sale For Two Days Only - Up To
80% Off Prints (Some Enhanced) and 50% Off Originals

Believe it. If you pined for Jeffrey’s art before, or worse - if you put it off because you thought you could buy it at any time, this is your time. It’s not the last time you can buy Jeffrey Terreson, of course. He is alive and well. And you can find his new gallery in Katonah. But this is the only time for this kind of sale.

There might even be bidding wars. The large white piece that some of you know so well - several have chirped up for it. So don’t wait. Text Jeffrey at (914) 772-6570. Secure the piece you want, however, with your credit card or cash. This is a first-come, first-get sale.

First-Come, First-Get.
Saturday and Sunday Only!

Here’s how this is going to work. You need to go into the gallery at 475 Main Street in Beacon, NY on Second Saturday and Sunday: November 9 and 10. Talk to Jeffrey. Get the price. Lock it in and walk away with an incredible piece of art, or make an offer and wait. The gallery is located next to the Howland Cultural Center, across from Echo.

This sale includes originals, prints, enhanced prints (meaning, Jeffrey painted on them), and other surprises you’ll find out about when you go.

Out Of Town? No Problem.
Shipping Works.

OK, fine - if you’re out of town, you can still be in on this sale. Secure a work with your credit card, and give your shipping address. It’s that simple.

Letter From Jeffrey Terreson:
“Dear Beaconites…“

In his own words, here is a parting letter from Jeffrey. You can see his take on the art industry at the moment, and his latest accomplishments. You can always visit his website at www.jeffreyterreson.com and Instagram at @jeffreyterreson_fineart.

Beacon has the best people, great friends. I love Beacon.

We are taking this wonderful experience and moving it closer to my home, in Bedford, NY. To our new space in Katonah. It is 5 miles from my home. I was up in Beacon 352 days last year. Gas alone ends up being half my rent in the new gallery. So economics played a big role in my decision to move out of the Beacon gallery.

This year has been great on several fronts. Recently, I have been working on major project with architects from San Francisco and West Palm Beach. Really exciting!

On the museum front, I have a piece juried in by the curator from Museum of Fine Art in Boston, as guest juror, into the Katonah Museum of Art, for “Sound.”

I also had a piece called “Weathered White” chosen by the curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver for their Gala show! It was an amazing gala. I am also in discussion with the Parrish Museum about a cool project. TBA. Sign up for my newsletter and you’ll get the info.

SIDE NOTE FOR ARTISTS:
One goal for all artists who take the more serious fine art path over the commercial path is to garner museum credentials. It is a complete risk. 100%. Plus the audience for sales is smaller. The work has has to be noticed.

But I know if I stop, I will never get there. So my role as an artist is to keep painting when no one is looking. When they do see, I will have the equity in my work to engage the opportunity. You just cannot wait for opportunity to show and not be prepared. We are what we manifest. It is a full-time commitment.

The future for me holds more China engagement, some art fairs and bringing new artists to the gallery in Katonah. The Katonah space is really special. Please come and visit. I invite all to stop by. Of course we are on Instagram, which is really becoming the “website “ for our industry. Visit us at @forwardcontemporary on Instagram.

But come see me on November’s Second Saturday in Beacon.

—Jeffrey Terreson

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Terreson

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Terreson

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Editorial Sponsor Note: Y’all. We at A Little Beacon Blog are going to miss Jeffrey very much. From before the day he stepped foot in Beacon, he became a financial supporter of A Little Beacon Blog by way of sponsoring his announcement article. Getting to know his story was so awesome, we even published a behind-the-scenes article on the building and gallery. He has now sponsored this Moving Sale article. We thank him so much for respecting the craft of writing and getting the word out. Honestly, it’s an art to do what we do. To build a relationship with you. Jeffrey recognizes that, and we appreciate it. Thank you for supporting him!

Inside The Creative Process Of Artist Meghan Spiro's Autobiographical "Without Fear And Full Of Love"

Photo Credits: Meghan Spiro. Names of photos identified throughout this article.

“A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

Meghan Spiro’s exhibit for October’s Second Saturday was pretty powerful.

The first I learned of it was in the grocery store checkout line, which is where most important information is traded and discussed. What stuck with me was not the subject matter, but the responses Meghan said she got from women she told about the project, which was an autobiographical visual and poetic exploration of the physical abuse she suffered during her marriage.

Therefore, we are lifting some of her photos from the show and publishing them here for more to see. At least one of them, “A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming” shown here, was featured in February 2019 at the local gallery Catalyst during their “Cycles” exhibit.

In order to help others who may harbor similar feelings Meghan experienced, this article not only displays select images of the art, but includes a deep dive into how she created the art.

About “Without Fear And Full Of Love”

“Without Fear And Full Of Love” is an autobiographical piece about surviving domestic violence and Meghan’s journey into healing, as told through photos, paintings and poetry. It debuted at BAU (Beacon Artist Union) in October 2019 and was curated by Russ Ritell, Meghan’s fellow artist and partner, who is a member at BAU Gallery.

“One in four women have been a victim of severe physical violence with an intimate partner in their lifetime, and I am one of them. For years, I spent my life in silence about the abuse, as it happened and in my attempts to recover. I found myself ill-equipped to handle my PTSD, my addictions, and my self-loathing. It wasn’t until I signed up to write this story and manifest these self-portraits that I actually began my deeper healing, transmuting my suffering into wisdom and my loathing into love. These poems and artwork are my truth that I bare to all who have suffered in silence over their abuse. It’s time to face our shadows in full honesty and rise above our pain in full embrace of our totality so that we may finally live without fear and full of love.”

— Meghan Spiro

About The Creative Process To Create The Art

“The Victim, The Vigilant, The Virtuous”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

The artwork included in the show was mixed-media, to say the least. It includes photography, painting, gold leaf, wings, snow, fire, so much. For the rest of this article, we’re going to let Meghan explain in her own words how she produced it:

The Origin Of “Without Fear And Full Of Love”

Meghan:

“This is a story about my first marriage that ended nearly 10 years ago. I felt so much shame after surviving domestic violence; I didn't tell many people. I quietly suffered with my PTSD and panic attack for years. Three years ago, I decided to confront my traumas head-first, so I did ayahuasca, a visionary hallucinogenic medicine that's said to be similar to 30 therapy sessions in one night. It was then that my heart cracked open, and I saw the roots of my panic attacks and PTSD, and so began my deeper healing.

“At the same time, I made a commitment to honor my healing and journey as a series of self portraits and poetry. Sometimes the images would come first, sometimes the poetry. Some images are unhinged from any writing. I'm making a book out of it, which is nearly done, but the show provides the highlights of the story.

“My fellow artist and partner Russ Ritell, who is a member at BAU Gallery, decided to curate my show for October, which coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I feel deeply honored to have this opportunity, and I dedicate this show to him. He has been a healing presence since I met him nearly four years ago. He encouraged me to tell the story through art in the first place.”

About The Self-Portraiture - Taking And Conceiving Of Images

Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

Meghan:

“All of my artwork for this series are self portraits. The domestic violence artwork is about what actually happened. The piece that has a wound painted on my rib, for example, is actually about him breaking my rib. In the healing pieces, they are still realistic to my healing messages more symbolic.

"The Victim, The Vigilant, The Virtuous" is about the mindset shift I experienced in my ayahuasca journey. I aimed for each piece to be seen as a visual poem, reflective of my writing that often accompanies the artwork.

A behind-the-scenes photo taken with a drone in the making of “It’s gone. I’m gone.”
Photo Credit: Mark Westin

“Some of my self portraits were set on a timer with a tripod, while others had the assistance of friends. I would work out the concepts ahead of time, set the lighting, backdrops, wardrobe, make-up, and a tripod or a mark for the angle. Usually the friend who was helping me would be my test model. I would fully compose the shot with them, then we would switch so I would then be the model and they would simply click the shutter.

“As far as thinking up the concepts, they would just come to me when I was working out struggle of the lesson. Some images would come together in an afternoon, while others would take months. It depended on the setups, costumes, and compositing and digital work. There is a piece about microdosing on mushrooms that was a full collaboration with a good friend, Caren Charles. The background painting took months to manifest, and her body painting, the day of the shoot, took nearly four hours to complete. ‘A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming’ took only an afternoon, containing a simple self portrait and a still life that I did in my home.

“I digitally enhance my photos. Some of them are simply combining exposures, while others involve special effects. I'm a commercial photographer and great retoucher, so I put my commercial skills into my art for this series.”

The Use Of Gold Leaf In “Without Fear And Full Of Love”

View fullsize

“Mend With Gold”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

Meghan:

“The gold leaf was used on a few of the photographs. The first one is called ‘Mend with Gold,’ an image about covering up the abuse. There's a Japanese method of mending pottery called Kintsugi. I always appreciated the sentiment of mending the broken to be beautiful again, and I felt like that was what I was doing to cover up the abuse. Before going out in public, I would spend an hour putting on makeup to hide all the marks. There was so much shame I felt about the abuse then. I was afraid to tell anyone. We carried on in public like it didn’t exist.

“There's a couple more pieces with gold leaf, photo transfers on marble. These two pieces call in animal medicine, the bull and the owl. The bull piece is called ‘Stubborn Resilience,’ and it's really about cutting through the victim mentality to see that resiliency is the touchstone to connecting with your third eye again. I adorned the third eye in the piece with gold leaf sacred geometry.

“Stubborn Resilience”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“Letting Go Is Not A Slow Slide Down; It’s A Free-Fall Until You Fly.” Photo transfer on marble with gold leaf, 16x20
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“The owl piece is called ‘Letting Go is Not a Slow Slide Down; It's a Freefall Until You Fly,’ named for the poem that it connects to. Last spring, I accidentally killed an owl while driving, and I honored her by photographing and burying her, but before I did, I clipped and cured her wings. Her medicine was to truly teach me that lesson, whether it was circumstances, perceptions, or people who no longer served me. The image has wings behind my head where I close my eyes in surrender, while a small figure falls to my third eye.

“Mastery of Presence”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“The final piece that has gold leaf is ‘Mastery of Presence,’ where I'm meditating in front of a ring of fire and I'm covered in gold leaf. For the photo shoot, I covered myself in coconut oil and attached gold leaf to my face, chest, and arms then sat in front of a floral ring lit on fire in the snow. The gold here is all about celebrating my inner journey outward. I was called to these lyrics from Martin Gore that really embody the realization (more so than the poem that accompanies this piece). "Wisdom of ages, rush over me. Heighten my senses, enlighten me. Lead me on, eternally. The spirit of love is rising within me, talking to you now, telling you clearly, the fire still burns. "

“There are other threads throughout the work beyond the gold. Fire, water, and blood come up multiple times.”

Background On “A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming”

Let’s bring the focus back to the piece shown at the beginning of this article, “A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming.” A poem accompanies it that we wanted to connect you with, during this time of second looks at accepting women’s cycles as normal and celebrated, rather than hidden.

“A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming”
Photo Credit: Meghan Spiro

“My Moon”

A Bloody, Beautiful Blooming

December 2018, I did a womb meditation guided by my close friend Melissa Robin, then I journaled, wrote a poem, then created this artwork. One of the key visions I received from the womb meditation was the rooting that occurs on a woman’s moon, and that we all hold our trauma and ancestral trauma in the womb. Menstruation gives us the opportunity to release the energies of lovers, the traumas from miscarriages, pregnancies and abuse; it taps us into the current to our emotional and spiritual realm, as we women are channelers between the spiritual and physical realms through our wombs, and our ability to channel life.

This poem and artwork was featured in the show “Cycles” presented by CelebrateWomxn845 at Catalyst Gallery in Beacon, NY in February of 2019. Read the poem in full here.

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Where To Find “Without Fear And Full Of Love” And Meghan Next

Meghan is finishing a book for “Without Fear And Full Of Love.” You can experience the gallery show inside of its pages. She is head-down focusing on it now. When it publishes, we’ll feature it in our Writerly Happenings series. Follow the show’s Instagram, @withoutfearandfulloflove for updates, artwork and poetry, as well as her personal Instagram, @meghanspiro.

Also follow Meghan through her Philasophia. For instance, Philasophia Cinema Series is presenting FRIDA at Story Screen on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 7 pm.

Susan Antalek Pagones Takes The Challenge To Go Heart Healthy - Her #BetterU Experience (Sponsored)

Susan Antalek Pagones lost her mother to heart disease when her mother was 57. Susan was just 31 and had two small children, who were used to seeing their grandmother regularly.

“I still can turn my life around and take control, I am here and my mom is not. I am now her voice to advocate and educate.”

— Susan Antalk Pagones

Today, Susan is 52 and it only just hit her that she is almost the same age as her mother when she died.

As many Beaconites know, Susan and her insurance firm Antalek & Moore are deeply committed to and involved in the community. As such, Susan had signed on to the leadership team for Go Red, an initiative from the American Heart Association. Not only that, she was accepted into the BetterU program, an intense fitness program based in education to improve heart health.

Susan will speak about her BetterU experience at the 2019 Dutchess-Ulster Go Red For Women Luncheon this Friday, November 8, 2019. Tickets are still available, and you’re invited! The keynote speaker is Mara Schiavocampo, a correspondent on Dr. Oz, who will speak about her heart-healthy changes after the birth of her first child.

ALBB: What has been your biggest takeaway thus far from the BetterU program?

Susan:

“It could happen to me. Until I was asked to be on the leadership team for Go Red, I never thought about this happening to me. Now I am four years away from the age my mother was when she passed. The BetterU program is a jump start to push me in the right direction to become heart-healthy.

“You have to commit to at least three times a week working out, but they give you a gym membership plus small group training so you can meet the others who are participating and have company at the gym.”

ALBB: Walk us through a workout at Golds Gym.

Susan:

Susan Antalek Pagones, working out at Golds Gym in Fishkill as part of the BetterU Challenge from the American Heart Association.
Photo Credit: Susan Antalek Pagones

“Once a week I have a private lesson with a trainer. Once a week I have small-group training with other participants to work out. Then I sign up for other classes offered at the gym or I just go and do my workout on my own. The personal trainer knows issues with me, my limitations etc. He right now knows we only have three weeks left, so yesterday he kicked my ass. 😊 Tonight I was going to do a workout on my own, but think I will go to the track instead.”

ALBB: Walk us through the Heart Healthy Meeting. What are they teaching you?

Susan:

“Once a week, the BetterU participants meet in some way. We have met at Adams to do a walk-around and look at healthy foods. We met one night at Essies in Poughkeepsie, where the chef let us in his kitchen and taught us how to cook healthy meals.

“We met in Poughkeepsie at a studio and had a class doing yoga. We have met with doctors to learn about healthy numbers. This week we are meeting with a nutritionist. Last week we met to discuss psychosocial approaches to a healthy heart (meditation, etc).”

ALBB: What are some new awarenesses you have about heart health and your life?

Susan:

“I guess I never really sat and thought about how EVERYTHING ties into healthy living. Food, exercise, stress, all parts of your body etc. How the mind can really play a role in this. Right down to how and where you eat your food. If you are sitting at a table with no distractions eating ice cream, you will enjoy it more because you are focusing on what you are eating, vs. you sitting in the dark on the couch watching TV and eating it. Your satisfaction is different, as your mind is not just focusing on the ice cream, but all other things around you.

“I have learned not to make excuses, but really take some time out for me. I have attended every seminar offered so far. I put it on my calendar. I have started to put a workout on my calendar so I have no excuse not to go.”

ALBB: Regarding your mother: did you see early warnings signs?

Susan:

“My mother did not have many warning signs. If she did, she was not educated to know what they meant.

“My takeaway has been: ‘It could happen to me.’ Until I was asked to be on the leadership team for the Go Red, I never thought about this happening to me. Now I am four years away from the age my mother was when she passed.”

— Susan Antalek Pagones

“That is the true message I am trying to get out there. My mom was tired. She also started to have heartburn. These are warning signs that I am not sure we in this day and age would still associate with having heart disease.

“BUT if we start to take the time out more, eat healthy, have regular doctor appointments and not cheat ourselves, maybe, just maybe we can avoid any serious issues. I am looking at this as a proactive approach, not reactive. I still can turn my life around and take control; I am here and my mom is not. I am now her voice to advocate and educate.”

ALBB: Tell us about the lunch on November 8 - what can we expect if we go?

Susan:

“There is a great speaker and all the participants will be there wearing red!! There will be two personal speakers to give their story. One is the Pawenski family. They will show a video of their story. The other is myself speaking about my mom and her story.

“There is a “Personality” auction. Bags are donated which are filled with the personally of the person who has donated the bags. I know last year there were some Michael Kors bags filled with goodies. I am going to donate a bag filled with yarn, embroidery, etc and will give a lesson if wanted.

“Like I said, until I was asked to be on the committee, I did not realize how close I was to the age of my mom when she died. I actually said, ‘Oh shit!’ - really. I better stop and think about myself while I can. This is starting to become a passion in my life for my Mom - to advocate and educate.”

Learn More About The November 8 Lunch

You can learn more about the lunch here at this link. The lunch, which is a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, is on Friday, November 8, 2019, at the The Grandview, 176 Rinaldi Blvd., Poughkeepsie, NY. You can purchase tickets here.

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Editorial Note: This article was sponsored by Susan Antalek Pagones of Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency. She is committed to getting the word out. Thank you for supporting businesses and individuals who support us.

Beacon Mayoral and City Council Election Results So Far (Unofficial)

The votes were rolling in and updating until about 11:30 pm the night of Tuesday’s election. As of 6:57 am Wednesday, some results have not changed, and the Dutchess County Board of Elections website still marks the results as Unofficial.

So far, here is how it is looking:

BEACON MAYOR
Lee Kyriacou (DEM, WOR, GRE) 2,161 57.02%
Randy J Casale (REP, IND) 1,474 38.89%
Lee has served on Beacon City Council for a number of years, impacting zoning law to tighten regulations on what can be built. Historic preservation is also important to him. He ran his platform on this.

BEACON CITY COUNCILMEMBER WARD 1
Terry Nelson (DEM, WOR, GRE) 735 99.19%
Terry ran unopposed. Rent control is one of his key areas on his agenda.

BEACON CITY COUNCILMEMBER WARD 2
Air Rhodes (DEM, WOR, GRE) 684 99.42%
Air is on the Conservation Committee for the City of Beacon, and ran unopposed. Air is the Development Director & Assistant Executive Director at Hudson Valley Seed and cites social justice values and the environment as core to the platform. Air replaces John Rembert, who did not seek re-election. John’s platform issues were serving youth and seniors, affordable housing and overdevelopment. You’ll still see John around, as he is a military veteran who is active with the American Legion, and is an Ordained Minister of the Star Bethlehem Baptist Church.

BEACON CITY COUNCILMEMBER WARD 3
Jodi McCredo (DEM, WOR) 592 68.12%
Andrew E Gauzza IV (REP, CON, IND) 276 31.76%
Jodi is currently the Councilperson for Ward 3. Several issues are key to her platform, including overdevelopment and parking.

BEACON CITY COUNCILMEMBER WARD 4
Dan Aymar-Blair (DEM, WOR, GRE) 651 67.39%
Kelly A Ellenwood (IND) 314 32.51%
Dan has been a large presence in resisting overdevelopment and organizing others through information about Planning and Zoning issues. Kelly has served as a founding volunteer for many community programs around town, and was with BeaconArts for a number of years. One of her latest projects included getting the free Beacon Bus Loop - the G Line - off the ground and happening.

BEACON CITY COUNCILMEMBERS AT LARGE
George Mansfield (DEM, WOR) 2,689 42.62%
Amber Grant (DEM, WOR) 2,769 43.89%
Estefano Rendon (REP) 812 12.87%
George and Amber return to City Council for additional terms. George is a longtime councilmember, local business owner of Dogwood, and is in the construction industry. Key to Amber’s platform are the environment and Beacon’s new Municipal ID program.

COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 16
Frits Zernike (DEM, WOR) 1,676 54.15%
Theoni S Salotto (REP, CON, IND) 1,418 45.82%
Frits is the current County Legislator for District 16 and represents Beacon. One of his projects has included extending the open hours for wine and liquor stores to be open past 7 pm until 9 pm. This was an issue that had been defeated for years.

COUNTY LEGISLATOR DISTRICT 18
Nick Page (DEM, WOR, GRE) 1,950 72.12%
Michael B Justice (REP, CON) 657 24.30%
Nick is the current County Legislator for District 18 and represents Beacon. One of his issues is uncovering more about Beacon’s sales tax, which is collected by Dutchess County and distributed out to Beacon by the County in a flat rate. The actual amount of sales tax generated in Beacon has yet to be disclosed. Article from A Little Beacon Blog to come on that.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Marcus J Molinaro (REP, CON, IND) 39,871 58.53%
Joseph Ruggiero (DEM, WOR) 28,235 41.45%
Marcus is the current County Executive.

COUNTY CLERK
Bradford Kendall (REP, CON, IND) 36,260 54.77%
Kenya Gadsden (DEM, WOR) 29,936 45.22%
Kenya has served on Beacon’s Board of Education for a number of years, seeing it through one of its dark periods when Beacon’s Superintendent position turned over nearly every year for nine years. She was on the Board when the search was conducted for Beacon’s current superintendent, Matthew Landahl, who has been a good fit with the district and community.

CITY OF NEWBURGH MAYOR
Torrance R. Harvey (DEM, WOR, LIB) 1,569 74.54%
Ali T. Muhammad (IND) 529 25.13%
Beacon’s neighboring city across the Hudson River. Torrance is the current Mayor of Newburgh, who initially came in to replace Mayor Judy Kennedy at her request in April 2018. Torrance is a history teacher. Ali grew up in Beacon and had served as a Councilperson in Beacon. (source)

CITY OF POUGHKEEPSIE MAYOR
Rob Rolison (REP, CON, IND) 2,835 52.87%
Joash Ward (DEM, WOR) 2,523 47.05%
Rob is the current Mayor of Poughkeepsie. Beacon is tied to Poughkeepsie in a lot of ways, with shared municipal services.

Early Voting A Success For Beaconites Via Fishkill Voting Center in 2019

Early voting became a thing in New York this year. I voted on Friday, the day after Halloween (so tempted to have gone in costume on Halloween, but alas, no time).

Beacon’s early voting location was in Fishkill at the Town Hall. Getting there was super easy: You just zoom down Rt. 52 - stop into Industrial Arts Brewery on your way down and grab a bite at the Eat Church food truck if it’s on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Voting was even easier. Tablets were on hand to instantly pull up your record. A ballot was printed for you on demand, and you carried it into the voting booth.

According to the people volunteering their time at the polls, the Beacon turnout was strong. “Come on in, we don’t bite!” was the first comment I got after arriving at the location and quietly standing behind a gentleman who was there, apparently done voting but hanging out.

Everyone was super friendly, and anyone who asked how poll workers’ day was going, got this answer: “Ask me at 5 pm!” which is when their day ended. On Tuesday, November 5, however, they have a different answer after a 16-hour day and many more people coming through the door. Early voters at the Fishkill location got different stickers than what is given out with the Tuesday election. These stickers celebrated women winning the right to vote.

By Monday, the early voting was closed so that everyone could prepare for Tuesday. On Tuesday, votes took place at their regular locations. People used to voting on the Tuesday were planning their trips down to the polls. Later, anyone could refresh the voting results on the Dutchess Elections website as the counts rolled in.

As for the results… Oof! There are some close races. It’s a nail-biter. Talk to you tomorrow when the results have posted and we move forward!

Meet Via Hero, A Tech Startup In Beacon, on Thursday. You’re Invited!

Guess who moved into the office at the Carriage House building after the Valley Table magazine moved out - ViaHero, a travel-based tech startup that relies on locals to curate great travel experiences.

They relocated to Beacon, and want to meet you and other businesses. They are hosting a networking party on Thursday night and you’re invited. See their sponsored event listing in A Little Beacon Blog’s Events Guide. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us!

The entire guide is made possible by a sponsorship from The Crafty Hammer, a crafty event destination in Beacon. Thank you to businesses who support us!

News Flash! New Price On The New Hamburg House. Let's Talk About New Hamburg

Housing inventory is coming and going in Beacon. Finding the right match between house and price is proving delicate. Some Beaconites who are moving from their homes, or are currently renting and want to buy their first-time home, have been spreading out to neighboring towns like Wappingers Falls and New Hamburg, if they aren’t finding just the perfect fit in Beacon.

New Hamburg is a “hamlet” that is a river-town near Beacon, just south of Bowdoin Park, a popular summer playground for Beaconites. New Hamburg is near Beacon (a 10-15 minute drive), with its own New Hamburg Metro-North train station, making it ideal for commuters. Being in a hamlet can be nice because it offers additional peace and quiet nestled between two communities: Wappingers and Beacon. You get the best of several worlds.

This house, featured in A Little Beacon Blog’s Real Estate Guide by Jon Car Realty, is one of our first from New Hamburg. And it just had a shift in price. The listing as of November 1, 2019 is $359,900. The house is near the New Hamburg train station, which according to the realtor, is a two-minute walk from this home. Beacon is the next stop if you’re headed to NYC.

Schooling for this house is in Wappingers Falls. Wappingers has two high schools, and a growing community of new purchases of charming older homes as people want to stretch out from Beacon.

New Hamburg also has marina life: If you are a boater, you may enjoy the New Hamburg Yacht Club and White’s Hudson River Marina.

Look at more pictures and details of this listing while it’s on the blog.

Best 2019 Halloween Costume In Beacon, NY

It was a dark and stormy night. Wind gusts were predicted for up to 50mph, and those who obsessively track the weather a week in advance were convinced that the night would be soaked from an all-day downpour. Some communities canceled their Halloween trick-or-treating nights. Since Beacon’s Halloween night is organized by no one in particular - except us trick-or-treaters! - there was nothing to cancel. You were either going to go out, or you weren’t.

So people went out. And the night was nice and spooky. The evening started early, with little treaters coming out at about 4:30 pm. The wind was gusting, and the temperature perfect. Not too cold, not warm, which meant you didn’t need to wear a winter coat over your costume, which always ruins the effect.

The notorious “Willows,” which are the two streets of houses on East Willow and West Willow, connected by a loop at the prisoners’ cemetery where a witch is rumored to look for trespassers, had visitors, but not the usual amount. Missing this year was the homemade haunted house. Perhaps because it did lightly drizzle all day (almost a mist), dampening the spirits.

The best costume, in this blogger’s opinion, came around at about 8:30 pm. Usually I’m locked inside my house by that point, lights out, lying on the floor biting my nails, afraid of every door knock after 8 pm. Because my kids have gotten older, this year I was still in the game and had company over, so was feeling safe enough to answer the door. Not only was this trick-or-treater not dressed in an all-black track suit, but the costume was so clever! And homemade: an ice cream machine that lit up. Apologies for the blurry picture above - all of the photos from the night were blurry as everyone moved so fast.

I grew up with the homemade costume mentality. As an adult with kids, however, I have very little time to make the costume, nor the skill set to quickly stitch anything up. My sewing machine is surrounded by slime-making materials. My kids are used to going to Party City or Spirit of Halloween to buy a costume in the bag.

This year, the elementary school tried something new by asking our kids to wear a costume as a Very Important Person during their Fall Parade held on Halloween. My daughter immediately expected to buy a new costume. No, no! I immediately costumed one together from the laundry and fabric scraps in the basement. She wasn’t used to this concept, so declined, and opted to wear her Halloween night costume instead (as did several other kids).

Therefore, an award goes to this Ice Cream Machine, which included favorites like ice cream sandwiches and popsicles. Well done!

Happening This Weekend - 11/1/2019

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week begins Monday! Election Day is Tuesday if you have not taken advantage of early voting in Beacon. Daylight Savings Time is ending Sunday! Before darkness begins to fall early, see what you can do this weekend, and into next week... Sponsored by Antalek & Moore for car insurance. Events Guide sponsored by The Crafty Hammer   Concert: Hayden Wayne Is…Alive & Well In New York Day: Friday, November 1, 2019 Time: 8 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Special Autumn Leaf Tour on Bannerman Island! Day: Saturday, November 2, 2019 Time: 11 am & 12:30 pm Location: Departing from Beacon Institute dock across from the Beacon Metro-North Station, Beacon, NY Information > Lattimore Studio & Student Exhibition Opening Reception Day: Saturday, November 2, 2019 Time: 2:30 to 4:30 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Live Concert: Rolston String Quartet Day: Sunday, November 3, 2019 Time: 4 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > COMING THIS WEEK!  Meet ViaHero: Beacon Party (Sponsored) Day: Thursday, November 7, 2019 Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm Location: 380 Main St., Beacon, NY ViaHero is a tech/people-based tourism company who just moved to Beacon. We wrote about them a bit ago here. Their new office is above the Beacon Pantry in the Carriage Building. They want to meet other Beacon businesses and are hosting a networking party. You're invited. Thank you ViaHero for sponsoring this listing! 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 According to Darryl's Boutique, mustard is the color of the season, and Glamour magazine agrees. If you ask Stylecaster, they'll call it by a different name - marigold - and it's fitting in beautifully for fall. If you only want a spot of the pronounced color, however, you could wear it in this blouse's block pattern. On the racks of Darryl's now. Open seven days!     Luxe Optique 183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com These frames at Luxe Optique would look incredible with frosty silver or blue eyeliner, or no makeup at all - on anyone - male, female, and anyone in-between. Sabine Be frames are always quirky and happy. Go into the shop to try them on, and see how they fit your face.   BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique 1 East Main St., Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the dummy light) VaVaVOOM! We are obsessed with these @signaturebyja detachable sleeves! One set per dress please! ❣️ Don't miss out on the Justin Alexander Signature trunk show coming up Friday, November 8, to Sunday, November 11. Call (845) 765-2900 to book your trunk show appointment or reserve a spot online through https://www.lambshillbridalboutique.com.       Eat Church Food Truck 511 Fishkill Avenue at Industrial Arts Brewing (past Auto Zone and the Barking Frog) The perfect fall weather is here for eating food truck food outside. And not just any food truck food - the creative kind. The very fresh food kind. The kind where you can cozy up to someone warm and eat a Bang Bang Pan Banh Xeo Crepe with Shrimp. The kind of food that Eat Church makes. Even the forks in this picture are so happy, they are spooning! Open Thursday to Saturday until 10 pm, Sundays until 7 pm! Photo Credit: An ALBB reader sent this in - @call_me_ella_mar. Send us your pics and they may appear on the blog!         The Crafty Hammer 4 South Chestnut Street, Beacon, NY (845) 834-9665 (WOOD) Looking for a place to book your birthday party? Does your business need a retreat activity? Book your private event with The Crafty Hammer right on Beacon's Main Street. They provide all of the materials and step-by-step instructions from the "Creatologists" to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind décor pieces for your home, or to gift.  Bend & Brew Yoga Day: Sunday, November 3, 2019 Time: 12:30 to 1:30 pm Location: Sloop Brewery @ The Factory, 755 East Drive #106, East Fishkill, NY $20 for yoga and a flight of beer! Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Adult Classes Guide.       Sights and Sounds of Beacon Ages: 12:+ Day: Saturday, November 2, 2019 Time: 10:30 am to 2:30 pm Location:: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > Election Day Arts Holiday Ages: 4-10 Day: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 Time: 9 am to 12 pm Location: Compass Arts, 395 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >   For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Kids Classes Guide. Submission Guidelines for classes you'd like us to consider adding to these guides can be found here.   REAL ESTATE LISTINGS 35 Ackerman Street, Beacon, NY 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathroom From Gate House Realty: "This charming classic has been completely restored to its former glory with modern upgrades." Price: $619,000 Real Estate Agent: Gate House Realty, (845) 831-9550 Details + Pictures > VIEW THIS LISTING VIEW ALL LISTINGS HIRING Front Of House (Truck) Cashier at Eat Church Details > Chef/Kitchen Help at Eat Church Details > Membership and Engagement Manager at Highlands Current Details > Senior Editor at Highlands Current Details > Optometrist at Luxe Optique Details > HEADLINE NEWS FROM OUR SPONSORS   Antalek & Moore Hear from Susan Antalek Pagones, of Antalek & Moore, at the 2019 Dutchess-Ulster Go Red for Women Luncheon, where she will be speaking about her personal loss from heart disease - losing her mother at a young age. The age Susan is now. The keynote speaker is Maria Schiavocampo, Special Correspondent for The Dr. Oz Show and an author. You can buy tickets to the event here. Tin Shingle Offices :: Webinar Recording You can now book this Webinar Bar for your own webinar recording! If you are hosting broadcasted interviews with people, or need an interesting setting for a webinar series you are making, book this Webinar Bar in the heart of beacon! TRY ME! Try out the Webinar Bar and save 10% off your first time! Enter coupon code TRYME at checkout. Get Info >         A Little Beacon Space :: Host A Pop-Up Shop Are you a creative type who has delightful things to sell and you're looking to create a short but thrilling experience for your customers? Pop up in A Little Beacon Space! We're located in the heart of Beacon's Main Street in the historic Telephone Building. We even help you with the promotion. Details >   BeaconArts Three done, three to go! Beacon Arts has been busy installing bus shelter artwork, including this piece by high school student Melanie Perez. Look for the others throughout Beacon, including a new one by the train station. PS: Notice BA's new logo! Beacon Chamber of Commerce :: Business Directory Is your business in the Business Directory of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce yet? It should be. Join here today. 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. Learn More > NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Until next week!

Newburgh Vintage Emporium Expanding with Second Location

Neighboring Beacon, right across the Hudson River just off the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and 9W, is the Newburgh Vintage Emporium, located at 5006 Route 9W, Newburgh. Established in 2013, the Newburgh Vintage Emporium quickly became one of the Hudson Valley’s ideal locations to shop for vintage finds, antiquing, crate-diving for vinyl records, and even discovering local handmade goods. As first reported by the blog Newburgh Restoration, Newburgh Vintage Emporium is expanding due to its growing popularity!

Newburgh Vintage Emporium “Ware-House”

Artist rendition of second location.

That’s right, 11,000 square feet with 50 vendors just isn’t enough to keep all the goods in! The organizers have announced that a second location will be opening at 10 Route 17K, in Newburgh - the Newburgh Vintage Emporium “Ware-House”! The Ware-House, as they call it, will add 30,000 square feet of treasure-hunting, with 80 more vendors. The new space will house even more vintage furniture and clothing, antiques, curiosities, repurposed and locally made goods.

Room For Growth

Sound Shack Beacon moved their record collection from Main Street (Beacon) to the Newburgh Vintage Emporium five years ago (and even hosted a pop-up shop at A Little Beacon Space!) and says it’s been a fabulous transition for them. They will also be expanding into the new space. Sandy from Sound Shack tells us: “We are excited about this venture! We will be having a spot that we will call Sound Shack Annex!”

This is an exciting time for Newburgh as new businesses continue to come into the city. As noted on the Newburgh Restoration blog, “the Vintage Emporium, located at the northern end of the city, just off the I-84 ramp, attracts many customers from near and far. Now the city will have a revamped shopping destination in the west end of the city. The owners have given their first location a fresh perspective. It will be exciting to see what they do on 17K!”

If you are interested in selling with Newburgh Vintage Emporium, you can call them at (845) 562-5200 or click here.

Price Changes On A Couple Curious Homes For Sale In Beacon

We recently sent our highlights for A Little Beacon Blog’s Real Estate Guide to our newsletter subscribers, where, from time to time, we spotlight a tiny corner of the market. We wanted you to get our latest recap, too. (Just in case you’re not a subscriber - what are you waiting for? Subscribe!) If you're curious about the market, selling or buying your home, or just want to see what kind of houses or commercial spaces are going for what, A Little Beacon Blog's Real Estate Guide is a good guide to watch.

A few notable properties not in this Real Estate Guide have had price changes. They’re notable simply for having an unusual story behind them, not necessarily because they’re benchmarks for the entire market.

If you were keeping an eye on a few homes just to see what happened, you’ll be interested that 51 Orchard Place, the house that catapulted last year's Airbnb legislation debate (the house was apparently purchased to solely be an Airbnb, and neighbors took the issue to City Hall) as well as the tree-cutting permit legislation, recently sold for $430K, according to Zillow. The original asking price was $699K for a five-bedroom, although the bedrooms were small, some were connected, and one seemed like an office (according to our walk-through during an open house). The price had been inching down since it was listed in May of last year.

The most charming little blue house across the street from it sold like hot cakes for $430K in July 2019, according to Zillow. According to its agent, the little blue house had 10 offers and a slight bidding war. Asking price was $415K and it sold for $430K.

36 North Cedar Street, a former City Highway Garage, has been fully renovated into a spacious residential home. It was listed for just over $1.48M in February of this year, and has been inching down. As of August, the price is listed at $995K.

The Highlands Current newspaper has been running a monthly comparative look-back at real estate stats (source: hgar.com) in the newspaper for Beacon and Phillipstown, the results of which have been interesting to watch.

There do seem to be sweet spots for home sales. One realtor recently told A Little Beacon Blog: "The homes in Beacon sell themselves." For the right matched price, they seem to be, especially for renovated older homes, and the cool architecture in the new buildings.

Beacon's 2019 Kids Hocus Pocus Halloween Parade Canceled Due To Forecasted Rain

Photo Credit: Unknown… from the A Very Beacon Halloween Facebook page.

Saturday in Beacon has been a sunny stunner, but Sunday’s forecast of rain and high winds has triggered the cancellation of the Hocus Pocus Kids Halloween Parade, as announced on their Facebook page. The Beacon Farmers Market, which is still outside at this time of the year, has also canceled due to the predicted high winds.

Main Street Trick-or-Treating is still on, because it was a simple shopping-like event - just walk up and down the sidewalk visiting your friends in the shops from 1 to 3 pm. Shops are usually open when it rains and even snows.

Happening This Weekend - 10/25/2019

We're coming up on a rain or shine weekend... What will the weather be? Who knows, but we do know this: Halloween celebrations in Beacon have started, and Sunday is the Hocus Pocus Kids Halloween Parade (if it doesn't rain). This year has a new schedule, and we have the full scoop on how it all works this year. Sponsored by Antalek & Moore for car insurance. Events Guide sponsored by The Crafty Hammer   Pumpkins in the Park Jack-o'-Lantern Lighting Event Day: Friday, October 25, 2019 Time: 6 to 8 pm Location: Long Dock Park, Beacon, NY Information > Moon, Serpent and Bone Oddities and Curiosities Night Market Day: Friday, October 25, 2019 Time: 6 pm to midnight Location: HYATT House Fishkill, 100 Westage Business Center Drive, Fishkill, NY Information > International Film Night - The Widow of Saint Pierre Day: Friday, October 25, 2019 Time: 7 to 9 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > The Beacon Historical Society Hosts 3rd Annual Ghost Tour Days: Friday & Saturday, October 25 & 26, 2019 Time: 6 pm Location: Veterans Memorial Hall Building, 413 Main St. (Teller Avenue lawn), Beacon, NY Information > Blame It On The Bossa Nova Day: Saturday, October 26, 2019 Time: 8 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information > The Hocus Pocus Kids Halloween Parade Day: Sunday, October 27, 2019 Trick-or-Treating: 1 to 3 pm Line-up Time: 3:30 pm at the Visitors Center Parade Marching Time: 4 pm Locations: From the organizers: "Costumed kids start lining up at Polhill Park (South Avenue/9D and Main Street) for a parade all the way down Main Street. This year Trick-or-Treating will be from 1 pm to 3 pm ONLY. Line up for the parade will be at 3:30 pm at the Visitors Center. Parade will begin at 4 pm. There is NO CANDY given during the parade." Get A Little Beacon Blog's Article On How It Works > Meet Two Former NY Giants Players at Elks Lodge Day: Sunday, October 27, 2019 Time: 1 pm Location: Elks Lodge, 900 Wolcott Ave., Beacon, NY Information > Stop Gun Violence Concert! Day: Sunday, October 27, 2019 Time: 5 to 8 pm Location: Towne Crier Cafe, 379 Main St., Beacon 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 Darryl's has been stocking their store with equal parts sleek and stylish, as well as slouchy-sexy. This sweater is soft in color and soft to the touch. The wool blend pullover is made in Barcelona by AMS / Aldo Martins. Find it in the Hudson Valley exclusively at Darryl's. Try it on anytime... The shop is open seven days!     Luxe Optique 183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com Normally, we show the bold and the beautiful frames in Luxe Optique's featured newsletter spot. This week, we are showcasing the barely-there line. It's so hard to photograph, because the frames are so thin and light. The line is called 10 eyevan, and is made up of 10 special parts using precious materials, including titanium, silver 925 and 18K gold.   BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique 1 East Main Street, Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the Dummy Light) Check out Lambs Hill's #dressoftheweek video on their Instagram, featuring this gorgeous gown! The ivory sugar rose caviar ball gown, from @blushbyhayleypaige, is called "Nahla." Book your appointment with Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique today or call them at (845) 761-2900!       Eat Church Food Truck 511 Fishkill Avenue at Industrial Arts Brewing (past Auto Zone and the Barking Frog) Have you experienced a Sunday Service at Eat Church yet? Their Pig Roast goes from noon to 7 pm (rotisserie chicken and veggie options will be available). You must try this dish: the Roast Pork with Coconut Rice, Red Thai Curry, and Som Tam Papaya Salad. Open Thursday to Saturday until 10 pm, closing up at 7 on Sundays!         The Crafty Hammer 4 South Chestnut St., Beacon, NY (845) 834-9665 (WOOD) Exciting news! You can now visit the brand-new Crafty Hammer website to purchase workshops, and see their upcoming schedule!  You must try their Family Fun Workshop this Sunday, October 27. Join them for the most popular DIY workshops and create your very own wood home decor piece. They provide all of the materials and step-by-step instructions from the "Creatologists" to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind decor pieces for your home, or to gift.  Small Business Night with The Ladies Auxiliary of St. Rocco's Society Day: Friday, October 25, 2019 Time: 6 to 9 pm Location: 26 S. Chestnut St., Beacon, NY Items will be for sale, and there will also be a 50/50 raffle. Information > For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Adult Classes Guide.       Game Night at Howland Library Day: Friday, October 25, 2019 Time: 6:30 to 8 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >   For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Kids Classes Guide. Submission Guidelines for classes you'd like us to consider adding to these guides can be found here.   REAL ESTATE LISTINGS 7 Main Street, New Hamburg, NY (10 to 15 minutes from Beacon) 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathroom New Hamburg has many benefits for those looking to move to Beacon, but who want more options. It has marina life, where you can dock a boat, and is surrounded by beautiful nature. Bowdoin Park is nearby, which is a popular destination for many Beaconites. The Hannaford grocery store is nearby. Beacon is only 10 to 15 minutes away, and the school district for this house is Wappingers Falls. From JonCar Realty: "The house boasts a stunning front porch with views of the Hudson River. Inside, the living room is comfortable, with hardwood floors, and a dining room accented by french doors." Price: $399,900 Real Estate Agent: JonCar Realty, (845) 831-3331 Details + Pictures > VIEW THIS LISTING VIEW ALL LISTINGS HIRING Front Of House (Truck) Cashier at Eat Church Details > Chef/Kitchen Help at Eat Church Details > Engagement Editor at Highlands Current Details > Senior Editor at Highlands Current Details > Optometrist at Luxe Optique Details > HEADLINE NEWS FROM OUR SPONSORS   Antalek & Moore Susan Pagones Antalek of Antalek & Moore has been working hard as a participant in the #HVBetterU Challenge, an initiative from the American Heart Association. We have an interview with her coming up. She will be speaking at the 2019 Dutchess-Ulster Go Red for Women Luncheon, where the keynote speaker is Maria Schiavocampo, special correspondent for The Dr. Oz Show and an author.         A Little Beacon Space :: Host A Pop-Up Shop Are you a creative type who has delightful things to sell, and you're looking to create a short but thrilling experience for your customers? Pop-Up in A Little Beacon Space! Located in the heart of Beacon's Main Street in the historic Telephone Building. We even help you with the promotion. Details >   BeaconArts Three done, three to go! Bus shelter artwork has been getting installed for Beacon Arts. This piece of artwork is by high school student Melanie Perez. Look for the others throughout Beacon, including a new one by the train station. They will all be installed by Friday, November 1. PS: Notice BA's new logo! Tin Shingle Offices :: Webinar Recording Coming soon... like, any minute! Tin Shingle's weekly webinar recording location is coming to you for rent. Record your webinar in front of this magical gray wall that seems to make everyone look great. Or, turn the camera around to host an interview at our long table with flowers behind. Get Info via A Little Beacon Space > Beacon Chamber of Commerce Business Directory Is your business in the Business Directory of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce yet? It should be. Join here today. 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. Learn More > NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Until next week!

New Schedule For Sunday Hocus Pocus Kids Halloween Parade For 2019

Two trick-or-treaters from last year’s Hocus Pocus Halloween Parade.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

UPDATE [10/26/2019]: The parade has been canceled due to forecasted rain. Details here.

When organizing big events, there is the intended way something is supposed to go, and there is the actual way something happens. And when kids are involved, you can count on something not going as planned.

This year, the organizers of the Hocus Pocus Parade, aka Beacon’s Kids Halloween Parade, are pulling hard for a safer environment for the little trick-or-treaters, who often dart out of the parade unplanned to trick or treat from Main Street shops during the parade. Not this year, said the organizers. After years of moderating a moving street closure (meaning, Main Street is not officially closed, so by the end of the parade, cars and kids are often both in the middle of the street - yup, we see you, angry man in the red pickup truck!), there is a new schedule, and a new official street closure by the City of Beacon:

• Trick-or-Treating on Main Street, 1 to 3 pm: People can go up and down the sidewalks to visit the shops if they have treat hand-outs. This will be like a regular day out on Main Street, where the street is not closed. You’re just mingling with your community out on the sidewalk, making your way up or down the street. Have lunch, collect candy, that kind of thing.

• Parade, 4 pm (line up at 3:30 pm): People should make their way down to the Visitors Center at Polhill Park (at Main Street and Wolcott Avenue, near Bank Square Coffee and Beacon Creamery) at 3:30 pm for the lineup. At 4 pm, the official Kids Halloween Parade begins. Main Street will be closed until the Dummy Light (at East Main Street) while the kids walk. There’s no trick-or-treating during the parade; kids are displaying their costume only. Parade participants can relax on the patio of The Roundhouse, where they’re offering what has become an annual (virgin) cider sip outside on the patio.

With the new street closure came new costs, which almost broke the Hocus Pocus Parade’s bank. The community heard about it, and a local business, A + W Scrap Metal, donated the $380 to pay for the police street closure, according to this week’s Beacon Free Press.

Event Organizers and Updates

The Hocus Pocus Parade is organized by A Very Beacon Halloween, which is Sheryl Glickman of Notions-N-Potions, Ron Iarossi of Beacon Creamery, and Carmen Johnson, everyone’s favorite crossing guard at South Avenue and Main Street, and a Volunteer Extraordinaire. Visit their Facebook page for updates, and/or the Event page specifically.

Treating Tips

Start at the far end of Main Street, near the mountain. Hit up the shops on that end, like the Chocolate Studio, the new Hyperbole, SallyeAnder (in the 1 East Main renovated factory building). We have not confirmed that they are handing out anything, but simply naming them as location examples. Head west, toward the river, to line up for the parade, then march back to the East End..

Shops that are offering treats will have witches hats displayed outside of their shops. If you are a local business who wants to hand out treats and don’t have your hat yet, you can pick one up from Notions-N-Potions at 173 Main Street, or the Beacon Creamery at 134 Main Street.

Lunching Tips

If you buddy up with friends you meet along the way, there are plenty of restaurants in town that seat large parties. Think of The Vault, Brother’s Trattoria, Towne Crier, and others. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide to get more ideas at your fingertips while you’re out.

Rain Date

There is no rain date for the parade portion, but trick-or-treating is encouraged during the 1 to 3 pm time slot, rain or shine. The money raised from the community will be used for the following year’s street closure permit.

Early Voting Starts Saturday, October 26 - And Includes Weekends - And Halloween!

The most surprising change to the election process this year takes effect this Saturday, October 26: early voting for New Yorkers. That’s right - the heavily anticipated Tuesday, November 5, Election Day just got a little lighter as New York passed a law letting registered voters cast their ballot early. Starting this year, registered New York voters have nine additional days - including two weekends - to cast their ballots.

Voters can still vote by absentee ballot or at their regular polling place (find those here) on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, but can now also vote instead at one of their home county’s designated early voting sites from Saturday, October 26 to Sunday, November 3.

Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson (D-Newburgh) co-sponsored the bill implementing early voting in New York State, and is a member of the Assembly’s Election Law Committee and Chair of the Sub-Committee on Election Day Operations. “Voting should be simple and easy,” Jacobson said in a press release. “Early voting will increase turnout and allow more voters to participate in our democratic process.”

How Does Voting Early Work?

Special locations are assigned for each county. Early voting locations vary by county, and you must cast your vote in the county where you live. You must be a registered voter, but you don’t need to sign up for anything special to be able to vote early. Anyone can do it. You just walk up to the designated area and vote.

We asked Julie Shiroishi, chief of staff for Assemblymember Jacobson, to provide a few more “how-to” details of this new voting process: “You just show up at any early voting site in Dutchess and they'll look up your name in an electronic poll book. These are new and will allow the poll worker to print on-demand a ballot (also new) for your specific election district. At the end of every day, the info will be uploaded to the County Board of Elections so voters can't vote more than once.”

So on Tuesday, November 5, you could just sit back and enjoy the day… Saturdays and Sundays are even included in the early voting schedule. And even Halloween! What does it mean for employers who give their employees paid leave to vote on Tuesday? According to Julie: “Employees can take three hours off to vote on Election Day only - not Early Voting days. Technically, employees are supposed to give their employers two days notice prior to Election Day that they are going to vote, and employers are supposed to post the policy notifying them of their right to vote on Election Day 10 days before Election Day.”

Early Voting Locations For Dutchess County

Residents of the City of Beacon can vote at any of Dutchess County’s five early polling sites:

• Fishkill Town Hall, 807 Route 52, Fishkill

• Dutchess County Board of Elections, 47 Cannon St., Poughkeepsie

• Rhinebeck Town Hall, 80 East Market St., Rhinebeck

• Millbrook Fire House, 20 Front St., Millbrook

• Unionvale Town Hall, 249 Duncan Road, Lagrangeville

If you have kids and plan on bringing them to vote, you could check out the Fishkill Rec Center’s activity schedule to drop in for an activity session. A Little Beacon Blog does include the Fishkill Recreation Center activities in our Kids Classes Guide.