You read that right! There’s a new wine store on Main Street specializing in wines that are low-intervention, organic or biodynamic, sustainably farmed and vegan.
On Saturday, June 27, Dirty Bacchus officially opened the doors on Main Street right next to The Beacon Pantry. Yes, an artisan cheese & charcuterie shop now conveniently placed next to a sustainable wine store- talk about a one stop shop! Whether you enjoy a fancy red, a cool white or a refreshing rosé, Dirty Bacchus has it all. The shop will soon carry Sake, Cider and Mead as well. I (Teslie) had the chance to interact with owner Steve Ventura, and immediately noticed his passion for fine wines and knowledge of his products.
He was gracious enough to share his story on “The How and Why of Dirty Bacchus” below:
So… I’ve been into wine for over four decades. In the late ‘90s and ‘00s I detoured into bourbon and then scotch and finally, very specifically, into independently bottled single malt scotch, about which, for years, I maintained a blog called The Maltfreak. Soon after moving from Southeastern Massachusetts to Beacon, I was contacted by someone opening a boutique wine and liquor store who wanted me to help choose his inventory of brown liquors. Once there, I was hired to clerk in the store and to consult on buying both liquor and wine. It was then, dealing with the reps from the different importers and wine vendors, that I started getting more deeply into natural wines - they were only a casual interest before that. Soon after, another buyer was hired at the store and she had an even stronger predilection for natural wines. I learned a great deal from her and, before long, I was drinking natural wines at home almost exclusively.
Then utterly exclusively!
As a co-owner of Quinn’s, I was never able to indulge my taste for natural wines because, well, it just never made sense to stock them in a beer-and-saki-centered rock and jazz club with a very small stock room and a Japanese menu.
One day in July last year, I was talking to a friend and Beacon business owner who was in the beginning stages of opening a small wine store at 380 Main Street - the address of Dirty Bacchus. She had run into some snags and, well, life itself, and could no longer deal with all the work and money and time involved in opening a new business. Her plate was more than full. Did I want to take over the lease and open the wine store myself, she asked? Right next to an amazing cheese shop? The landlords are friends of mine, so that was good. I told her I’d let her know in 24 hours. I talked to my wife Sue about it that night and we decided that such a project was worth the risk and might even be fun. By August 22, my application had been submitted to the State Liquor Authority and, a mere ten months later (!!!), with a global plague and an economic implosion intervening, my license was approved. It took about six or eight weeks to taste with dozens of wine reps, to decide on inventory - much of which I already knew I wanted to stock - and to open the store. My first day open to the public was June 27, 2020.
Walk-ins are limited to two customers at at time and they must wear masks and use the provided hand sanitizer before touching the bottles. Beacon being Beacon, nobody, so far, has had a problem with those restrictions.
There are three main reasons I decided to focus the store exclusively on natural, organic or biodynamic, vegan, low-intervention, sustainably farmed, non-commercial wines and wine makers. The first, of course, is the wine. The variety of textures, of gustatory surprises and pleasures, of fascinating and compelling aromas and tastes, seems endless in the category of natural wines. And to me, it just tastes better, more alive, fresher, more quenching, a beverage it is easy to imagine people drinking with their meals throughout the centuries - after all, the synthetic chemical agriculture so prevalent today is only 70 to 90 years old. Before that, all wine was organic and even, to some extent, biodynamic due to the ecological diversity of most farms before monocultural farming became commonplace.
But the second reason for the store’s narrow focus is the future. The future of the planet. My moment of utter conversion to natural wines came at the intersection of a bottle of biodynamic, zero sulfur Gamay wine made in Burgundy, France by vigneron François Ecot, and the book I was reading when I uncorked it - Cultural Insurrection: A Manifesto for the Arts, Agriculture and Natural Wine by Jonathan Nossiter. Combined, those two influences stripped wine of the exclusivity, arrogance and class pretensions that so often accompany it and revealed it for what is really is, an agricultural product, a very human product intended for common conviviality, one that must, like so much else, be made in the most sustainable manner possible if humanity is going to survive much longer on this planet. Natural wine making is a compelling, in-motion, working example of the changes in habit, materials and scale that must, as soon as possible, be applied universally.
As I state on our website (www.dirtybacchus.com): “We see Dirty Bacchus as a farm stand, as a place where farmers who devote themselves to the arduous hands-on cultivation of flourishing vineyards, and where winemakers who devote themselves to the transformation of those vineyards’ robust grapes into wine, get to display and sell the products of their toil and care.”
Which brings us to the third and final reason for the store’s focus: The types of people who are making natural wine. Nearly all of them are some combination of rock star, sage, poet, scholar and the coolest parents you knew of growing up. There are so many women, so many young people, so many husbands and wives and joyous eccentrics working together in the realms of organic and biodynamic agriculture and of natural winemaking - it is just so inspiring that it fills me with hope for the future. And hope for the future is something truly precious right now.
To end, I would like to thank all the people who have helped and inspired me, but especially these three: My wife Sue, who heard every wild idea I had for the store and patiently guided me to the ideas we could actually afford and put into place, and two of the best friends any man could have - Rob Penner (www.beaconfineartprinting.com), art photographer and printer extraordinaire, and David Smolen, artist and finest of fine woodworkers. Without their skills, their tireless work, their patience and their generosity, I could never have realized the dream come true that is now Dirty Bacchus.
Early moments of the Support The Beacon PD rally that happened on 7/19/2020 at Pohill Park and City Hall. Photo Credit: Steve Jacobs
UPDATE 7/22/2020: After publishing this article which alluded to some people who attended, we shared it on Facebook, which we do with each article. One of the participants of the “Support The Beacon PD” rally commented with a strong request that participants from the Black Lives Matter counter protest be named also. You can read the full exchange here. Parts of the dialogue have been excerpted at right. The “Support The Beacon PD” participant asking for further participant identification was Joe Galbo, who at the time, went by Joseph James in Facebook. He has since updated his Facebook name to be Joseph Galbo. As Joe states, he is a former police officer, and current security guard for Beacon City Schools who was at the “Support The Beacon PD” rally. I know him as Mr. Galbo, as he works in my children’s elementary school.
Because this was an article about the “Support The Beacon PD” rally, we focused on identifying those participants, to give readers an idea of who attended that rally. Attending a rally is a public activity, so anyone who attends it does so, most likely, in pride, and is proud to be identified, in this case, with supporting police officers and agencies.
Attendees of the “Support The Beacon PD” rally. Photo Credit: Beacon PBA
To answer Mr. Galbo’s request, we highlighted each person he named who attended the counter protest, Black Lives Matter. We spent this week following up with those people named, in order to confirm they attended, and to learn what inspired them to attend. We received responses from all. Their quotes are below. Scroll down.
The “Support The Beacon PD” Rally Origins
On Sunday morning, a “Support The Beacon PD” rally happened, and wrapped up by lunchtime. Organizers included Tom DiCastro Sr., and participants included some from the Beacon Jeep Club, former Mayor Randy Casale, some security guards from the Beacon City School District, and others. A Little Beacon Blog asked Randy why he attended and what message he wanted to get across. His response: “I attended to show our Police officers that I support the work they do in our community. As Mayor I had my difference with the PBA (police union) during negotiations, but I always backed them when they were doing their job. We also made many changes to Department while I was Mayor.”
While it looked like the rally started at City Hall by way of parking, and set up at Pohill Park, another group representing Black Lives Matter and Beacon4BlackLives who has been regularly demonstrating at Pohill Park, were also in attendance but on the opposite side of the street in front of City Hall.
For the past several weeks, the Black Lives Matter movement organized by Beacon4Black Lives has been meeting at Pohill Park as a starting place for their march down Main Street, which usually ends at Memorial Park. This past weekend, there had been no march planned. However, supporters for Black Lives Matter continued to meet at Pohill Park, and according to one of the organizers, Ciarda Hall, were surprised to see the Support The Beacon PD rally participants there. A Little Beacon Blog is reaching out for confirmation as to if Beacon4Black Lives reserves Pohill Park at that time each weekend.
According to a Facebook post made by organizer of Support Beacon PD, Tom DiCastro Sr., the rally may have been originally set to be at City Hall (aka The Municipal Building):
According to the post: “A reminder and change for the Support the Beacon PD and all police agencies on Sunday, 7/19. We will be in the Pohill Park across the street from the Municipal Building. This was a request from the City and I agreed. All attempts to maintain the 6 ft. Social distancing should be made and masks worn if it isn't possible. A patriotic mask would be great. If you can, bring a flag, police or American, supportive signs (nothing derogatory please) and be respectful of others around you. Let's show people our support and the American way.”
Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero has confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog this request, with the following statement, when we asked if the City requested the location: “Yes. Pohill Park is where the City has allowed free speech events and rallies to take place. The City was contacted by the organizers, and after discussion about alternative locations, it was decided to utilize Polhill Park.”
A Little Beacon Blog asked about a reservation sheet, and if an organizational system existed for planning events at Pohill Park. Anthony’s response: “Yes, so there is no conflicts of usage. When permits are issued for demonstrations, the place, time and duration, as well as the number of people to be in attendance are needed information so that the appropriate city services can be planned for and provided.”
UPDATE 7/22/2020: A Little Beacon Blog confirmed with the counter protesters, Beacon4BlackLives, that they had not planned an in-person protest for Sunday. There was no double-booking.
When asked if there were police officers assigned to this rally, Anthony confirmed that they were: “Police officers were assigned specifically for that event to assure public order and a safe environment in which the event could take place. This has been done for all the protests.”
Feedback To City Council About The “Support The Beacon PD” Rally
According to posts in Instagram, driving through the dueling rallies was uncomfortable. One resident said that someone from the “Support Beacon PD” rally called for him to “Go Home.” He responded with: “I am home.” Parking for cars was held at the firehouse across the street from the Municipal Building, in the parking lot of the building, and on the grass there. City Council Member Air Nonken-Rhodes said agreed during their Monday City Council Meeting that the rally situation with both sides protesting at each other was uncomfortable.
Council person Terry Nelson, representing Ward 1, had this to say during this week’s 7/20/2020 City Council meeting: “Several of the public comments that were either read or emailed to the council alluded a couple of unfortunate incidents at yesterday’s Back the Blue rally. The organizers and attendees of that event were exercising their First Amendment rights... So, the Back the Blue rally isn’t the problem. Some of the things their attendees said is what I take issue with. The vitriol displayed is a symptom of an even larger problem. We are at each other’s throats and it is not getting any better. Certain members of our community have taken to social media and have written open letters accusing this council of being anti-police and defunding or disarming the police. If anyone tells you that, they’re either lying or are grossly misinformed. Either way, this kind of rhetoric only serves to divide us.
”As for yesterday’s rally, I acknowledge that there was an Antifa flag and an anti-police banner, but according to an attendee, Beacon4BlackLives were not involved with those individuals, who were not from Beacon, and the sign and flag do not reflect what the Beacon4BlackLives demonstration was trying to relay. Members of B4BL were told to “go back home” among other things. Those kids live here. This is their home and they deserve to be heard. Instead of screaming at them "to go back home,” maybe take 5-10 minutes to listen to what they have to say.”
A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to Beacon Police Benevolent Association (PBA) president, Michael Confield, for his comment on the following questions. Should we hear back, his answers will be updated in this article as well. Those questions are as follows:
ALBB: Did you attend? If so, do you have a comment as to what message you were hoping the demonstration got across?
ALBB: Being that there were counter protesters across the street, which seemed to turn into Blue Lives vs Black Lives, and some people in social media saying: “I side with Blue Lives,” do you think this an issue where people need to take sides?
ALBB: What does the term Black Lives Matter mean to you?
ALBB: What does the term Blue Lives Matter mean to you?
Who Participated In The Black Lives Matter Counter-Protest?
Many people showed up for the Black Lives Matter counter protest. Mr. Galbo named a list of people in the Facebook thread, so we followed up with who he mentioned: “city workers, a Beacon BOE (Board Of Education) member… the wife of a Beacon city police lieutenant…and former ward 4 city council person Ali Muhammad.”
Justice is the Co-Creator and Organizer of Beacon4BlackLives and past Black Lives Matter Protests in Beacon. Justice is known for working at the Beacon Public Library, for his committee seat on the Human Relations Commission for Beacon during the days when the Beacon Police Department was being investigated by the federal government. Justice was featured this week on All Things Considered about the Black Lives Matter movement locally.
ALBB: Were you at the rally, and did you have a rally previously organized at Pohill Park? Beacon4BlackLives has been meeting there for several weekends. I thought you did not have a protest scheduled for that weekend? If you were there, what inspired you to attend, and what message did you hope to get across?
“The only thing my team organized and scheduled this past weekend was our virtual community discussion. Beacon4BlackLives did not plan any demonstration on Sunday. However, when I discovered the "back the blue" protest was happening, I was called not too long after and asked to show up and show the community that Black lives still matter. Police are killing Black bodies and that needs to change. In our community, a disproportionate amount of POC have experienced way too many horror stories of police harassment and brutality. The structure of policing is founded on white supremacy and the "back the blue" rally amplified that racist rhetoric when they shouted at me to "go back to where I came from." I'm from Beacon and I've been an active member of the community for a long time. There's a clear divide in our community and I did not feel safe on Sunday. Our community is hurting, and things need to change.”
Ali T. Muhammad grew up in Beacon and was represented Beacon’s 4th Ward as a City Council member. He currently lives in Newburgh and works within the Hudson Valley advocating for community development through civic engagement and volunteering.
ALBB: Were you at the rally? If you were there, what inspired you to attend, and what message did you hope to get across?
“I was there. The original organizer wanted to have a counter protest and he reached out to a few of us that he had grown up with. We’ve been meeting weekly, around the conversation of creating solutions to dismantle racism and discrimination within our neighborhoods. We reached out to a few allies and a lot of support showed on the sides of our Black Lives Matter movement. I showed up in solidarity with my BIPOC brothers and sisters and white allies and accomplices that put their bodies on the line. I helped lead, which wasn’t the plan. I did speak directing my side and informing the Blue Lives Matter crowd on why all lives matter when Black lives matter. It was intense at times but nothing like in Pleasant Valley the day before. I felt the highlight was our neighbors showing up to stand with us and demonstrate to our other neighbors that times are changing. Move with us or continue to get left behind.”
Bryanne Figlia
Bryanne is an artist, writer, activist and mother. She is married to Beacon’s Lieutenant Figlia, who has participated by sharing his story at an open mic during a past Black Lives Matter protest, and has attended City Council meetings to help describe to the public and council how Beacon’s police department works.
ALBB: Were you at the rally? If you were there, what inspired you to attend, and what message did you hope to get across?
“Put simply, I was there because Black lives matter. Aside from being married to a police officer (which is not an occupation!), I’m an artist, writer and activist who has been engaging in direct action for over a decade, and so I understand the need to respond and stand in solidarity when any counter-movement plans an event. I know that sincere concerns, like wanting to support good officers (and I do!) can often double as cover for bad actors who simply want to assert dominance over the group that has been protesting.
”Despite a notable banner that expressed otherwise, our gathering was not anti-police. It was just an assertion that Black lives always matter, and that we weren’t going to give cover to racism here for any reason. I observed people shouting at us to “go back where you came from,” as well as mocking and jeering at Black military veterans. This type of behavior clearly has nothing to do with supporting law enforcement.
”I know some of us also really saw it as an opportunity to face our neighbors and have those challenging conversations. A group of us from both sides of the street met at the corner and there was a productive discussion. A retired police officer expressed his sorrow about the Black lives he knows were wrongly taken by police violence, a community leader discussed where he believes can work together to combat racism and make positive change, plans to meet again were made - especially with some of the other vitriol, it was a really encouraging moment to witness.”
Reuben is the founder of the community organization, I Am Beacon, and works for the Highway Department. Previously, Reuben was the Highway Superindenant, but was demoted after a series of events and loopholes. A Little Beacon Blog has a podcast and article coming out about that soon.
ALBB: Were you at the rally? If you were there, what inspired you to attend, and what message did you hope to get across?
“Yes I was there.
”I support peoples right to protest. I work in public service and have worked with our city police department during the course of my job and during many community events. I personally do not see this as an us vs them when it comes to the local BLM supporters and the supporters for our local police department, but unfortunately, I am also aware of the division that has been created in this city by lack of leadership. I feel we are at a defining point in Beacon. As we move forward, Will it be war? or Will it be peace? I want peace. I saw videos on FB of what happened in Pleasant Valley the day before, it was ugly for any community, and I wanted to make sure that did not happen in Beacon. People should have the right to protest (and counter) peacefully. And we demonstrated that on Sunday.
”I think we can move forward working together with respective groups being represented from all sides finding coming ground. However, I did not see anyone there on Sunday who actually sits in a position of leadership to bridge that gap. I find it very dangerous, disturbing, and a threat to our entire community if things continue the way they are currently.”
James Case-Leal
James is on the bottom center of this photo when he was running for a member seat on Beacon’s Board of Education. Ali was also running, as was Mr. Galbo’s wife, Christine. Photo Credit: Highlands Current
James is on Beacon’s Board of Education and serves on its Policy Committee.
ALBB: Were you at the rally? If you were there, what inspired you to attend, and what message did you hope to get across?
“I stood in front of City Hall on Sunday having lined up the street side-by-side with fellow protesters. We were looking across 9D at our neighbors similarly arranged on their side, looking back at us. We were spacing ourselves out to emphasize our numbers. So were they. I had marched with Black Lives Matter counter protesters to oppose a previously announced “Back the Blue” rally. The 9am sun was already harsh and I envied the shade they had on their side. I heard someone near me start to identify people they knew. "Hey, that guy over there is a stone mason,” I heard a protester say. “He did great work on my house...reasonably priced too" Another person pointed out a man who does their yard service and lamented having to decide whether or not they’d still hire him. A lot of us saw people we know from around town. I imagined they were doing the same to us.
”I have participated in many of the recent marches, rallies, and protests organized by Beacon For Black Lives, a local youth led group working as part of a national civil rights movement. Their events in Beacon have been inclusive, safe, and without any threat of violence. They did not organize this counter protest, but many of the same Beacon residents came out to show support for Black Lives.
”As a college educator, I am very supportive of the many ways young people are now engaging with the political process. I came to the rally to express support for young organizers and stand for the ideals of the BLM movement. I am a life long advocate for this nation's great promise of liberty and justice for all. Sadly, that promise has not been consistently fulfilled for many Americans; particularly Americans who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color, particularly for Americans who identify as LGBTQ+, and particularly for Americans who struggle with poverty, health, or disability.
”Our initial plan was to arrive in silence. As we showed up, members from “Back the Blue” began shouting profanities and hate speech, immediately signaling that respect, inclusivity, and safety were not their priorities. While I do believe some attendees had good intentions, what became apparent is that 'Backing the Blue' is also a cover to freely express homophobic slurs and racist innuendos. Individuals taunted the BLM side calling them “sissies” “f*gs” and “pu$$ies”. It was populated by individuals who were freely expressing threats of violence.
”I had seen the former mayor Randy Casale call for this protest on his Facebook page several weeks ago. Tom DiCastro followed his lead and filed the permit for Sunday’s event. I was disappointed to see Casale exploiting the opportunity to settle political grudges. He carried a sign targeting City Council member Dan Aymar-Blair for vocalizing support of BLM on the city council and questioning police practices in Beacon. “DAN AYMAR-BLAIR MUST GO” his sign read under a printed photograph of the council members face. It’s not difficult for me to imagine someone reading it as an implied threat. DiCastro has openly called for violence against protesters on his public Facebook account.
”Black Lives Matter is a movement fighting for justice. When they chanted ‘All Lives Matter,’ we chanted back ‘When Black Lives Matter.’ And this is what’s so disheartening about a rally of white conservatives waving modified U.S. flags chanting “USA!” and “Go back to your home!” to a racially diverse group of people who’s homes are a short walk away. There is nothing anti-America about questioning police spending. The call for racial justice IS patriotism.
”Three weeks ago, I stood in Memorial Park along with a couple hundred protesters spread out to socially distance. It had begun raining while we were marching from Main Street. I was soaked, but didn't notice any more than anyone else seemed to. A young man at a microphone read off names. Names of Black Americans who had been denied justice by a jury of their peers. Names of Black Americans who had been murdered by agents of their government. One by one, members from the crowd brought up bouquets of flowers and laid them in a pile in front. We stood in silence in the rain. I wept.
”There are moments in history when people speak out with a clarity that brings our collective moral condition in to focus. Right now, in Beacon, that clarity is coming from the young voices organizing around Black Lives Matter who call themselves Beacon4BlackLives. I believe in them. I am proud to stand with them. and I will continue to do so.”
The upcoming days and weeks are going to be hard(er) for everyone as Pandemic Unemployment Insurance runs out, and businesses have gone through their PPP loans. A Little Beacon Blog was fortunate enough to have been granted a PPP loan, and that payroll has come to an end. We remain committed to promoting Beacon and informing our readers as best we can, but several of our advertising accounts went on pause during the pandemic (THANK YOU to our current advertisers who have been able to support us throughout!).
Therefore, you're going to see us push our own business model a bit, which is the exciting advertising package we created for businesses small and large. You might be thinking: "Create a GoFundMe account!" and the reason we aren't is because: 1. Our website can take contributions directly! 2. We want our business model to be sustainable even during a pandemic. To do that, we need sponsor support. We think we can do it! And we sell tote bags!
WHERE YOU COME IN: Main Street: When things shut down, we threw advertising out the window, and promoted shops and restaurants in this newsletter by way of these fun features you see below. Readers love them, and we love singing the praises and promoting great finds. Promotion Package For Main Street Retail: For $200/month, your boutique or restaurant can be featured here too. With a new message each week. Get into the lovely details of what you got going on! Did you just put up a parklet? Did scaffolding just come down? We want to talk about it. But don't worry...if you don't sign up for advertising, we still pay attention and promote things when we can. We value your investment in advertising very much, and encourage you to support any local media, even if it's not us. A Little Beacon Blog will continue to promote online classes for fitness studios, who remain closed. Shopping Guide Signup > Restaurant Guide Signup > Beauty Guide Signup > Submit Events Free For Consideration Here >
Got questions? Email Teslie@alittlebeaconblog.com. She's super friendly and has great ideas on how to make things work.
Readers: OMG - when some of you asked to contribute financially, we were so humbled. To date, we have raised over $1,000 from YOU, and that has made a huge impact on paying our team. You can contribute any time - from $5 to $1,000 - any amount is appreciated. You can remain anonymous or have your name listed. One Time Contribution > Monthly Subscription Contribution >
As always, thank you so much for reading and sharing. We have more articles planned, so keep it tuned here.
Field + Supply Virtual Market
Day: Thursday-Sunday, July 16-19, 2020 Location: https://fieldandsupply.com Field + Supply announced the launch of the first-ever Field + Supply Virtual MRKT—a completely interactive experience and digital marketplace with a four-day event that celebrates the art of fine craftsmanship via live demonstrations, interactive programming and an e-commerce marketplace. Information >
Space Out, Outside
Day: Friday, July 17, 2020 Time: 6-8pm Location: Pohill Park, Beacon, NY
Bring a blanket (bring a picnic!) and space out to electronic soundscapes. Information >
Beacon4Black Lives Community Discussion (aka Beacon's Protest Organizers)
Day: Saturday, July 18, 2020 Time: 7:30pm
From the organizer, Justice Yellow: "Beacon4BlackLives isn't doing a protest this weekend. We're not done. We just need to make sure our demands align with the community's needs. If you live in Beacon- ESPECIALLY if you're Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color, I'M BEGGING YOU to show up. Your voice matters. You have power. We want our community to feel safe. Use this time to tell your story, list your demands, share your concerns, and tell us what you need. Your voice matters. Let us help you amplify it." Registration >
(Postponed) The Remastered Virtual Great Hudson River Revival
From the organizers: "We regret to inform you that the airing of the remastered version of this year's Virtual Revival has been postponed. Please stay tuned for updates regarding rescheduling. In the meantime, we invite you to visit our YouTube channel, and enjoy a recording of the Virtual Revival originally broadcasted on June 20th. The event has been posted in the form of 12, 1-hour-long videos to make it easier for viewers to enjoy the program at their own pace. We don't want you to miss a second of the 2020 Virtual Revival's music and activism, as well as a beautiful American Sign Language interpretation throughout!" Donate Here >
Benefit for Fair Fight 2020 Live-streamed at Towne Crier
Day: Sunday, July 19, 2020 Time: 7-9pm Location: Facebook Live, https://www.facebook.com/TowneCrierCafe
Please join a stalwart band of Hudson Valley musicians (KJ Denhert, Tony Depaolo, Lee Falco, Brandon Morrison, Will Bryant, Bruce T Carroll and others) as they raise money for Fair Fight 2020, Common Cause and the Brennan Center for Justice, which are all fighting different forms of voter suppression, including poll closings and vote-by-mail ballot restrictions, voter intimidation, registration restrictions, challenges and purges and more. Information >
Boscobel - Now Open For Scheduled Social Distancing
"Boscobel Reimangines Its Experience; Waves $50K Rent Of Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival; Opens For Outdoor Social Distancing" Location: 1601 Route 9D, Garrison, NY, 10524
Like many farms, camps, and museums, Boscobel was getting ready to launch its spring season into summer when the pandemic hit and mandates shut down every business. Back in March, thinking that warmer weather outdoor gatherings would be safe, they tried to move forward with an Open Air Flex Pass ticket program for their popular tenant, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF), so that customers could buy tickets to the upcoming Shakespeare performances. However HVSF was unable to hold any performances due to rehearsal and gathering restrictions out of safety. Boscobel waved the HVSF rent of $50,000, and moved forward with re-imagining how it can continue. Additionally, they will begin researching and incorporating the histories of Boscobel’s early Black inhabitants, funded by a Humanities New York grant. Walking the grounds is free for households of healthcare workers, and tickets are now available for the public. Scheduling in advance is required for both types. Information >
EAT CHURCH
A little birdie has told us that the demand for the Korean Friend Chicken Wings hasn't stopped for the folks at Eat Church! They're bringing the special back this weekend. If you missed getting some wings last week, now is your chance, don't miss out!
“KFC! Korean Fried Chicken”
Double Fried Chicken Wings Gouchujang $11 Order Online > Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
BAJA 328
Stay cool in the shade this weekend at Baja 328 with a chilled margarita in one hand, and a tasty, fresh ingredient taco in the other hand. Make your reservation online now!
Baja 328 is a ALBB Sponsor!
THE BEACON DAILY
Nothing screams summer like a slow roasted Pulled Pork sandwich with Carolina BBQ sauce and pickle slaw. One of the many specials offered by The Beacon Daily, now open daily! Takeout or Curbside pickup. Outside seating available! We have a tent now too! You can also order online for contactless orders. See more of their on their website.
TRAX ESPRESSO BAR & COFFEE ROASTER
What is this?!?!? Lemonade and a shot of espresso?? It's called a Lightning Bolt, and rightly so! So if the Summer heat is slowing you down and you need a boost with some refreshment, this might be what you need. Available at Trax Espresso Bar & Coffee Roaster, watch the magic happen.
LUXE OPTIQUE
If you want to talk about "essential" items, a chic pair of sunglasses are a must! Not just for the Summer but any time of the year. You can find a great selection at Luxe Optique. So grab a pair, keep it handy in your bag or resting on top of your head, and enjoy the Summer this weekend.
Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
There has been so much discussion recently about how the law works, due process, and understanding how the justice system works to the benefit of some, and maybe not so much for others. Richard Rothstein, “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” discusses how the development of modern cities used the law perpetuate the discriminatory patterns of neighborhood development. Available at Binnacle Books.
Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
RAVEN ROSE
Anyone else tap into their green thumb during this quarantine? Gardening is a great way to discover a different side of yourself as you grow and care for the plants, flowers, food you may have seeded. Raven Rose has added new items to their gardening collection including your own growing kits for Aloe Vera or Cacti plants. These will also make great gift items for the plant lover your life.
THE BLUSHERY
New mask, who dis? The Blushery is currently taking appointments for brow and body waxing, laser hair removal, and lash services ONLY. Appointments are absolutely necessary. No walk-ins at this time. Makeup, skincare, lip waxing, and spray tanning are still on hold until further notice. If you want a spray tan, they have their organic tanning solution available in a spray can to use at home for self application! Contact to order.
ANTALEK & MOORE
It’s Foodie Friday and #nationalicecreamday falls on a Sunday, so it only makes sense to celebrate all weekend!! What’s your favorite flavor? Hard or soft? Cone or cup? Antalek & Moore wants to hear it all Scream About Ice Cream > Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle is a resource and empowerment platform for business owners, artists and makers to get the word out about their business. This is done through webinars (called "TuneUps") to be watched on replay any time; an online safe-space forum to ask questions and get answers and support; and in-person opportunities to bounce ideas off experts in a live video format. Learn More >
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Couture branding boutique, Katie James, Inc. has started the redesign of the website for Barb's Butchery. She has outgrown her current one, and wants to be able to work the website herself more. Using Squarespace, elements of ecommerce and blogging are going to be used to sell her new candles and merch, as well as upload videos of her viral TikTok videos. Keep your eyes here. Reach out if you need a new website too! Consulting also available if you're going it yourself. Learn More >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Private Airbnb Manager For Apartments
The owners of Luxe Optique own their building with 4 apartments above the storefront. These have been redesigned and include washers/dryers for the short term rental market using Airbnb’s platform. Job Details >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Cleaner of Airbnb Apartments
Luxe Optique is hiring a regular cleaning person or service to clean 4 apartments between Airbnb guests. Job Details >
Like many farms, camps, and museums, Boscobel was getting ready to launch its spring season into summer when the pandemic hit and mandates shut down every business. Back in March, thinking that outdoor gatherings in warmer weather would be safe, they tried to move forward with an Open Air Flex Pass ticket program for their popular tenant, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF), so that customers could buy tickets to the upcoming Shakespeare performances.
However, out of safety precautions, HVSF was unable to hold any performances due to rehearsal and gathering restrictions. This was quite a jolt, as the theater company had performed in repertory on Boscobel’s grounds since 1988. In light of the pandemic, Boscobel waived the HVSF rent of $50,000, and moved forward with re-imagining how it can continue, according to a press release they issued this week. “In the wake of HVSF’s 2020 season cancellation and its own COVID-19 hardships, Boscobel waived the Festival’s rent,” Boscobel stated.
“Boscobel is mourning loss, navigating new health protocols, and suffering major budget impacts from COVID-19, but the outpouring of community support keeps us strong,” says Executive Director and Curator Jennifer Carlquist, who notes that maintaining the site alone costs more than $2,500 every day. “The heartfelt thanks we’ve received from pandemic visitors underscores what psychologists have long studied—that experiencing profound beauty increases people’s sense of well-being, and makes them feel more connected to their loved ones and the world around them.”
Boscobel Opened To Healthcare Workers - For One-Household At A Time Enjoyment
“As soon as we realized that it would be some time before we could open our gates as wide as we’d like, we started to think about what we could do to contribute to our community during quarantine. Focusing first on the selfless healthcare workers who risk so much for the greater good, we opened up our gardens and grounds for one-household-at-a-time, free respite visits for healthcare workers,” says Director of Visitor Engagement Ed Glisson.
Boscobel is an ideal place to take a well-earned deep breath. As respiratory therapist Margaret Degan Dorangricchia put it, “It was a beautiful and much needed escape from the confinement of our home and the daily mental and physical exhaustion of our work.”
Boscobel Now Opening Access To Their 68 Acres To The Public
Now offering a limited number of timed gardens and grounds tickets to the general public via Boscobel.org, tickets remain free to healthcare workers and Boscobel members. Guests are welcome to picnic, stroll the gardens and grounds, and hike the trail—there are 68 acres for safe, social distancing.
The location is one of the most beautiful places in the Hudson Valley, with its Great Lawn overlooking the Hudson River, and Constitution Marsh. A pollinator-friendly Herb Garden and Formal Garden with plants that were popular in the 19th century are also available to experience, as well as a mile-long Woodland Trail along the river.
The Cold Spring Farmers Market is also hosted at Boscobel. Every Saturday, Cold Spring Farmers Market and Boscobel open Boscobel’s gates to host local vendors and hundreds of market-goers seeking fresh, local food while adhering diligently to public health guidelines. In other words, Mask Up! And wait in line very far away from each other (6 feet). Then come to Beacon on Sunday for Beacon’s outdoor Farmers Market near the post office.
Distancing Learning Of Boscobel
To bring Boscobel’s historic site, Neoclassical mansion, and decorative arts collection to anyone wishing to have a personal experience of Hudson Valley design, history, and nature, Boscobel created a pilot virtual tour, accessible from Boscobel.org, which is just as illuminating from home as it is on the grounds. The museum also created virtual programs for K-12 students who had to miss their field trip visit. There is also yoga on the grounds sometimes.
Boscobel Researches Early Black Inhabitants
Boscobel’s staff has been reduced to a core focusing on building a more sustainable, inclusive museum for the future. Together with committed trustees, staff are developing a long-term Interpretive Plan, which involves researching and incorporating the histories of Boscobel’s early Black inhabitants. Earlier this year, Boscobel joined the Hudson Valley Slavery Roundtable and is mining 18th- and 19th-century papers for references to slavery and manumission. In 1810, four of Boscobel’s ten inhabitants were “free” Black people. “It is long past time to better understand how ‘free’ they really were,” poses Director Carlquist. “How did everyday New Yorkers cope with the seminal conflicts of war and slavery?” Boscobel recently received a Humanities New York grant to advance this research.
Pair with your visit a trip to Beacon for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Use A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide to help you plan where to eat, and the Shopping Guide to help you know where to shop the boutiques.
Two points were introduced in the 3rd letter from the Beacon Police Union - by way of the Teamsters Local 445 letter - but verification was not provided. Being that these were large assertions, A Little Beacon Blog followed up with the Mayor’s Office for confirmation. This morning, we received clarification from City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero as to the two points from the last letter from the police union. They are as follows:
Bullet Proof Vests
In exploring what a re-imagined police department and policies look like, Beacon’s City Council has held a public community forum to hear feedback from the community, and invited police officers to 2 City Council Workshop meetings to discuss data and current policy. Everything from how data is collected and reported, to the visual impact of a bullet proof vest on emotional escalation have been mentioned.
The past 2 letters from the Beacon Police Union have mentioned the fear of having bullet proof vests removed from officers when they answer police calls. The last letter read: “For the past several weeks, Mayor Kyriacou and the Council have continued their push of anti-police rhetoric and policies, which have included the thought of disarming and de-vesting police.“
A Little Beacon Blog asked for confirmation from the city about the removal of bullet proof vests, if that is indeed what the letter and term “de-vest” referred to, and received the following answer from Anthony Ruggiero: “I know residents have brought this up at the public portion of the meetings, but to the best of my knowledge, I do not believe any Council Members have proposed this.”
In its most recent letter, the which was not signed but was on union letterhead that includes the names Dan Maldonado, President, and Barry Russell, Secretary-Treasurer, the letter insinuated that because of the length of time in retirement, the Acting Police Chief would be limited in his capacity as a police officer. The letter stated:
“Without that certification, the appointed temporary Chief ‘lacks the power to execute arrest and search warrants, make arrests without a warrant and use physical or deadly force in making an arrest when necessary’; he ‘may not lawfully carry a firearm without a license if he is not certified as a police officer.’ 2003 N.Y. Op. (Inf.) Atty’ Gen. 1. If this Chief sees a crime being committed, he cannot make an arrest; he needs to call the police.”
A Little Beacon Blog inquired with the City to see if arresting someone or being in the line of duty was the primary responsibility of this Acting Police Chief for the 90 days he is in the position during a time of administrative transition. Anthony Ruggiero responded: “The Chief of Police position lends itself to be more administrative, very similar to other Department Head positions.”
Just 24 hours after the Teamsters Local 445 issued their open letter on social media, Beacon’s Mayor Kyriacou issued the following press release on Tuesday evening. It is published in full below.
It appears that the parties involved - the Beacon PBA, Teamsters Local 445, and the Mayor and City Council have not had a meeting sitting around a table together. Perhaps as policy reforms happen, they will. Until then, the method of letters and press releases seems to be the method of communication.
Beacon’s police officers have attended 2 City Council meetings in order to answer questions and provide feedback to the City Council as the group dives in to understand how the department works before making any decisions or recommendations, including current Lieutenant Figlia who has provided helpful information and feedback.
Beacon City Mayor Lee Kyriacou expressed disappointment that the police union is resorting to intimidation and escalation – exactly the opposite behavior of what is appropriate in today’s charged environment. The Mayor pointed out that such belligerent tactics do not represent the training or behavior of the city’s police officers, and that his door remains open to calm, constructive discussion.
Late yesterday, just before a City Council meeting, some City officials became aware of a letter posted online – but not actually sent to anyone in the City – from the Teamsters Local 445 and the City of Beacon Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. One newspaper called seeking a response before the Mayor had even seen or read a copy.
Upon review of the material today, which contain non-specific and unsupported assertions, the Mayor made the following statement:
“I have supported the honorable men and women of the Beacon Police Department from my first day in office six months ago. In hundreds of individual interactions with officers since then, my first words have always been ‘thank you’ and most recently, ‘I appreciate the difficult situation you are in.’ That support continues unabated – and is never inconsistent with either listening to the concerns of our community or asking questions to consider what change may be needed.
“I am deeply disappointed by the approach of the police union, which has resorted to intimidation and escalation in a highly charged environment – where the community-building approach should be outreach and dialogue. Neither I nor the City Administrator has received a single meeting request, call or email from the leadership of the PBA, requesting a discussion or anything else. Other than a statement from the PBA that I offered to read at a protest, I have heard nothing from them.
“Our police officers are all trained in and must practice de-escalation. The police union tactics ignore de-escalation training – at a time when our community needs to come together. I would encourage them to reach out and be constructive – my door remains open for calm, honest discussion.
“The PBA’s dissatisfaction came to light immediately upon the unanimous appointment of former Beacon Lieutenant William Cornett as Acting Police Chief, to fill in for the short-notice retirement of our chief and captain. I chose someone with a long history in the Beacon police, with a record of integrity and transparency, and with no interest in continuing in the role. That choice safeguards our community, our police department and the City, as we search for permanent leadership. If the PBA is disgruntled at not being able to hand-pick leadership, that simply reflects their failure to engage in dialogue as well as unrealistic expectations.”
“Finally, let me reiterate some of the things I have said in public. I have repeatedly discussed the department’s successful completion of a lengthy U.S. Department of Justice oversight process, as well its continuing accreditation by the NYS Law Enforcement Accreditation Program – the latter an achievement shared by only a handful of local departments. And while anyone who has observed me on City Council knows I am incredibly protective of spending taxpayer dollars, I have made no definitive statements regarding funding levels of the police department going forward.
A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the president of Beacon’s BPA, Michael Confield, for comment, but has not received a response yet. If we do, the response will be published here.
Mayor Kyriacou has since responded with a press release in response which has been published in full here, expressing “disappointment that the police union is resorting to intimidation and escalation – exactly the opposite behavior of what is appropriate in today’s charged environment.
The open letter from Teamsters Local 445 has bee republished in full below:
Teamsters Local 445, a public and private sector labor union based in the Newburgh, New York area, with almost 3,000 members, including about 250 members in its Law Enforcement Division in Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess County Police Departments, supports its law enforcement members in the City of Beacon.
On behalf of the men and women of the City of Beacon Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, we write this open letter after a majority voted to release the Association’s position. Unfortunately, circumstances have left us with no other recourse. We have lost all trust, faith, and confidence in the Mayor and City Council’s ability to lead this city and the police department during these trying times.
For the past several weeks, Mayor Kyriacou and the Council have continued their push of anti-police rhetoric and policies, which have included the thought of disarming and de-vesting police. How does one comprehend a police officer’s response to an emergency call without a weapon or protective gear?
The Mayor and Council have failed to correct untrue public accusations of police mis-conduct. This failure could lead to a wholly unfounded, dangerous reaction from the public, causing a dangerous environment for the members of the police department, as well as the public.
The Mayor and Council have shown zero support for the police department during these times. Talk of defunding or significantly cutting the department’s costs and of cutting its already dangerously low staffing level are some of the only talk they show the department. This department is an accredited police agency in New York State; an honor that few departments in the area still retain.
After the leader of the department offered to lead this accredited agency through these times without a chief in place, the Mayor and Council recently voted to appoint a temporary police chief who has not worked actively as a police officer since almost the year 2000. The Mayor and Council have stated that they want a smooth transition to the next police chief as leader of the department, but they seem to have an agency very different from minimal support, let alone different from the best interests, of the men and women who serve all day every day.
In the course of the Council meeting in which the Council voted to appoint the temporary Chief, Teamsters Law Enforcement Division representative Pitt pointed out that the certification of this appointee must have lapsed due to the length of his time not serving as a police officer since retirement in 2000. As per General Municipal Law 209-q, the certification required for police officers by law lapses after four (4) years. Without that certification, the appointed temporary Chief “lacks the power to execute arrest and search warrants, make arrests without a warrant and use physical or deadly force in making an arrest when necessary”; he “may not lawfully carry a firearm without a license if he is not certified as a police officer.” 2003 N.Y. Op. (Inf.) Atty’ Gen. 1. If this Chief sees a crime being committed, he cannot make an arrest; he needs to call the police.
The Council has spoken about reform, but you cannot have reform without funding. You do not deescalate by defunding the police. If you want the most qualified and most trained officers on your street, you cannot defund yet expect to keep, not to mention improve, the quality and level of service that these men and women currently give this great city.
In closing, we would like to reiterate that the men and women of the Beacon City Police Department PBA have lost all trust, faith, and confidence in Mayor Kyriacou and the entire City Council’s ability to lead this city.
About Teamsters Local 445 Union
Teamsters Local 445 is a public and private sector labor union based in the Newburgh, New York area, with almost 3,000 members, including about 250 members in its Law Enforcement Division in Orange, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess County Police Departments.
The following press release has been issued by Dutchess County Executive, Marcus Molinaro. The state-wide directive has been issued by Governor Cuomo here:
Rent Relief Available to Low-Income Residents Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic
Poughkeepsie, NY … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced a one-time rent subsidy is available for low-income County residents who were previously “rent-burdened” prior to March 1, 2020 and have experienced an additional decrease in income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic through New York State’s COVID Rent Relief Navigator. There is a very short application period, and eligible residents are encouraged to submit applications quickly.
The New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal has made $100 million available to help low-income households experiencing an increased rent burden due to loss of income during the COVID-19 crisis. Detailed information about the program and its requirements are available on the State’s Rental Relief Program website (click here). Applications will be accepted via an electronic portal for a two-week period, beginning July 16th.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Residents throughout the nation, state and indeed Dutchess County have experienced immeasurable economic hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with countless residents losing their jobs, making it much more difficult to pay their monthly rent. For months, we have been advocating for local residents at the state and federal level, and we appreciate Albany’s response, providing this funding to help ensure residents in Dutchess County, and statewide, can remain in their homes. This is a positive first step to assist those negatively impacted by the pandemic, and we will fight for additional state and federal aid to mitigate the economic impact on counties.”
To qualify for rental assistance, residents must meet all the following eligibility criteria:
Be a renter with a primary residence in New York;
Lost income due to COVID-19 crisis during the period April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020;
Household does not current receive a housing subsidy that covering housing costs that exceed 30 percent of their income;
Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household income must be below 80 percent area median income (see table below); families with extremely low income will be prioritized; and
Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household must be “rent burdened,” or pay more than 30 percent of their gross monthly income for rent.
Households with at least one household member with U.S. Citizenship or eligible immigration status qualify for the subsidy.
The following are the income and rent limits for Dutchess County residents:
Residents may apply for one month or up to four months of assistance during this period; the one-time subsidy is paid directly to the applicant’s landlord. To be eligible, applicants must verify income, including wages, any cash assistance, child support, Social Security payments, rental payments, unemployment benefits and the like.
Homeowners are not eligible for this program, and the following types of rental properties are available for rent relief assistance through the program:
Apartment rental;
Rent for a single-family home;
Manufactured home rental; and
Manufactured home lot rental.
Eligible applicants must apply through the NYS COVID Rent Relief website, beginning on July 16th. New York State will establish a call center to answer residents’ questions.
Dutchess County and the City of Poughkeepsie have partnered with two local agencies, Hudson River Housing and Catholic Charities Community Services of Dutchess County, to provide additional support during the application process to vulnerable households including:
Extremely low-income households;
Those with limited English proficiency;
Those with limited technology skills and access; and
Those most at risk of homelessness.
Assistance may be request by calling one of the below numbers:
Hudson River Housing, 845-337-4407, ext. 105
Catholic Charities, 845-451-4251
Dutchess County’s Community Development Block Grant CARES ACT (CDBG-CV) funds, secured via the federal CARES Stimulus Act, are being used to support this partnership.
During the July 7, 2020 City Council meeting, where the new Acting Chief William Cornett was appointed for a temporary term of 90 days, Mayor Kyriacou announced, with Councilmember Jodi McCredo’s encouragement, that he and Acting Chief Cornett agreed to publish FOIA (Freedom Of Information Act) requests of police officer inquiries to the City’s website. Said Mayor Kyriacou: “We have received some FOIAs in the past weeks. We are just going to put all of the information online. You can submit a FOIA, but we will put it online.”
The City of Beacon will use the program JustFOIA, a management and publishing platform, that purports requests can come in any form, can be anonymous, and can have the status tracked. Asked for this article if all FOIA requests will be published, the Mayor answered: “Yes, those with respect to public interest.” The location on the City’s website of these requests is to be determined.
Acting Chief William Cornett (who goes by Bill), supported the decision with this followup statement during the meeting: “I don't like surprises. Other than Christmas or my birthday. I don't like secrets that I aint going to keep.”
A few readers of A Little Beacon Blog have asked why Beacon's DMV is closed, when other offices are open, like in Wappingers, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Peekskill. We reached out to Bradford Kendall, the Dutchess County Clerk, who answered from the 22 Market Street, Poughkeepsie office, who stated that "because of COVID there is no way to re-open safely for walk-in customers at this time." He continued to provide the logistical reasons:
A Plexiglass Shortage
“Because of a national shortage of Plexiglas,” Brad stated, “and demands from multiple departments, our Public Works Department (who is doing a great job) have not yet been able to install the Plexiglas shields necessary to accommodate the public.” There was a plexiglass shortage discussed in news reports in May, as essential businesses started to put up the protective barriers in order to stay open, or prepare to reopen for Phases 1, 2, 3, 4. Many stores and restaurants in Beacon have added plexiglass to their counters, some within the past month.
When asked about local retail acquisition and installation of plexiglass, Brad answered: “Government procurement practices differ from the private sector. Also as I said, DPW is working at multiple government locations, including NYS Court facilities to install these.”
According to Brad, none of the DMVs had glass or plastic barriers between employees or the public before the pandemic.
Staffing For Phone-In Business
“To open an office by appointment requires reassigning 2 clerks to telephone/check-in duty. Currently all clerks in Beacon are processing the copious amounts of mail-in, drop off and dealer work we receive on a daily basis.”
Since the DMV closed by state order on March 16th, they have had "a back-log of 80,000 transactions and are getting upwards of 25,000 phone calls a day," explains Brad. He went on to explain that “counties across New York have implemented various strategies to re-open. Each has its challenges. Some like Columbia have relied on physical lines outside the DMV resulting in waits in excess of 3 hours. Some like Putnam and Ulster provide for online queueing resulting in appointments that are not available for two to three weeks.”
He continued: “We have chosen the phone system. It allows us to prioritize license transactions that must be done in person while moving other transactions to mail or online options. It allows us to screen for Dutchess County residency in order to give priority to Dutchess County residents. It allows us to offer appointments within several days of calling, in some cases on the same day.”
Beacon’s Options Of Busing Or Driving To Other DMVs
According to Brad, “approximately 55% of Beacon work comes from out of county. There are 2 offices within 20 minutes of Beacon- Wappingers and Newburgh. Peekskill is 30 minutes away.” It is unclear if that logic implies that the people in Beacon who use the DMV are deemed unworthy of it opening.
As for situations where people need to renew their license and cannot drive with an expired license, where walking to a DMV seems particularly convenient, and a highlight of living in Beacon, Brad did not think it a major issue. For those with children who also need things, taking public transportation can be extremely cumbersome to coordinate.
Brad said: “There are very few situations where this would be a barrier. In fact, compared to the rest of Dutchess County, Beacon has greater accessibility to public transportation then most. Poughkeepsie is a 25 minute trip on Metro North.” While that 25 minute ride is a straight shot, coordinating it with children or elderly people can be cumbersome. Getting to a bus with kids is cumbersome, as is riding the bus, and getting to the destination. For someone without kids, using public transportation to do this errand takes hours out of the day. Versus walking to the DMV for what used to take maybe an hour for the line, depending on what time you got there.
DMV Work-Arounds
Brad wanted to remind readers that all registrations, licenses and inspections have been extended by New York State “until further notice,” he said. “If you would like to renew your license on-line, some pharmacies are offering the eye exam. Your results will be transmitted electronically after which you may renew online at www.dmv.ny.gov. You can also get the eye exam at Luxe Optique free of charge, on Main Street here in Beacon.
“The deadline for EDL’s has been extended until October 1, 2021. Of course if you have a US Passport you may use that for EDL purposes. If you wish to upgrade to an EDL at renewal there is an additional $30 fee. If you upgrade at any time other than renewal the fee is $42.50.”
So there you have it. When once we moaned at any wait time at Beacon’s DMV (personally, the service was always short for this blogger…you just need to time it right…take a number and take a walk…then it was your turn), we are all waiting for it to open again.
At least Dutchess County got Beacon a new DMV parking lot sign, however. That old sign had been pretty old and unreadable since at least 10 years.
In their first joint announcement since Beacon’s former Police Chief Kevin Junjulas retired and Acting Chief of Police William Cornett was appointed last week, the City of Beacon announced Monday evening that “the Beacon Police Department will begin publishing online its daily police blotter, as part of a broader process of increasing policing transparency,” according to their press release.
Normally found printed in the Beacon Free Press and the Highlands Current, the police blotter is often a source for newspapers to be picked up so that citizens can get a read on what kind of activity is going on around them. Police calls can include a noise disturbance, or a person being picked up for a warrant out for their arrest for any reason - like an overly expired license - during a routine traffic stop. Normally in the newspapers, only a select handful of these calls are published.
According to the press release, this move has been made in response to what the public asked for during the first public forum on policing held in mid-June after the first protest in Beacon. “The police blotter constitutes the basic raw data for activity statistics and other data,” says the city. On a subsequent City Council Workshop meeting on 6/29/2020, where three representatives from the Police Department (then Chief Junjulas, then Captain Fredericks and current Lieutenant Figlia) the department was asked by the Mayor to provide data as to the types of calls. The City Council was then able to get an idea about the types of police calls that are made 24/7, as well as the strategy that goes into categorizing them. Now, the public will get faster and more comprehensive access to the types of calls as well.
Mayor Kyriacou stated in the press release, “This is a first step of making policing information readily available, to both inform the public, and to increase transparency and build trust. This follows the socially-distanced public forum the City recently organized, attended virtually by 200 listeners and viewers. We are also beginning to organize a comprehensive policing review and plan process, consistent with the Governor’s Executive Order on the topic.”
Acting Chief of Police William Cornett added, “Transparency is a top priority for the Beacon Police Department. The public is welcome to visit our website anytime to view the daily blotter. We are working on and will be making more information available to our residents.”
The daily blotter will be available at www.cityofbeacon.org on the Beacon Police Department page.
July 2020 brings the return, kind of, of Second Saturday. Seven venues have in person openings, whether on windows or in very strictly spaced indoors. Clockwise from top right: Mr. Kum Kum’s Silent Killer at Clutter Gallery, one of three shows there; Mother Altar by Chie Fueki at Mother Gallery, in the windows or by appointment; My Way, Gee’s Bend quilting and abstract works at Parts & Labor; an entry in Help Feed Beacon, a fundraiser and show at Bau Gallery; and Slippage as Form, works by Edwin Torres in the storefront windows of No.3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works.
It’s Second Saturday, when in the Before Times, Beacon would throw a big party with lots of art and wine and snacks. It was really fun. But it’s been a few months since in-person things mostly closed down (thanks, corona) and we’ve focused on online exhibitions, social justice/protest art, and taking care of the general health of those close to us.
So, to be honest, the seven in-person exhibitions this week caught us at A Little Beacon Blog a little off guard. Some shows are windows-based (Mother Gallery, No.3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works); others are indoors, with strict plans and rules on capacity (Parts & Labor, Clutter, Bau, Howland Cultural Center, RiverWinds Gallery). The shows do look pretty neat, but if you plan to keep staying home (the forecast isn’t great), local galleries are offering lots of digital alternatives to explore. We've got it all covered in Beacon’s most comprehensive Art Gallery Guide.
This month’s Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide is sponsored by No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, at 469 Main Street, down toward the east end of Main Street, where you’ll find not just rotating exhibits, but cool collections of handmade books that the public is encouraged to peruse. Owner Paulette Myers-Rich has found new veins of creativity, coming up with ways to engage readers and consumers of art via her storefront windows.
While you're out and about doing Second Saturday, stop by our sponsors and support the businesses who support us! You too can become a sponsor at any time.
We know...We know...you want your Second Saturday experience, and you want it now. So do the artists! They want to reach you. But we're still in Pandemic Land, so artists are getting creative. A Little Beacon Blog's Second Saturday Editor, Catherine Sweet has hunted around, and found a new window display from the ever-so-careful No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, who's literary and artistic experience usually invite touch or closeness with paper. This exhibit features a Beacon artist, Edwin Torres. Learn all about it here.
Phase 4 has brought back the arts with restrictions. Museums are opening and galleries are slowly opening up on Main Street. We have a few openings this weekend - in person, online, and even art show window displays.
CLUTTER
163 Main Street
Clutter Gallery is excited to present Silent Killer, a Mr. KumKum solo show. Says Clutter: "This event marks Mr KumKum's first US solo show!! Comprised of five micro runs of hand-painted masterpieces, the selection includes pop culture icons, a snake in disguise, explosives, insects and more!" Clutter's Social Distancing Guidelines: "Due to the ongoing coronavirus situation we will only be allowing in ten guests at a time. NO ONE will be admitted without a mask, so please make sure you are prepared. We ask that everyone observe social distancing rules both inside and outside the gallery."
ARTIST STANLEY LINDWASSER HAS PASSED
You last saw one of Stanley's exhibits at Oak Vino. But you may have seen Stanley himself walking up and down Main Street, as he often did with his little dog. Recently, he would have had his oxygen attached to him to help him make it through the walk. In May, Stanley has passed away from pulmonary fibrosis. Details >
MOTHER GALLERY
1154 North Avenue
Chie Fueki's "Mother Altar" in "2 Art Gallery Shows To Explore From Home" is on view through the summer by appointment only. Details >
No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works is a Sponsor of the Second Saturday Guide. Should you wish to sponsor, which helps us produce this, please see here.
2020 Members Art Show and Sale
Day: Saturday, July 11, 2020 Time: 1-5pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Featuring the works of the Howland Center’s Members Artists. Sale last through August 30th. Social Distancing Specifications: masks must be worn, social distance must be maintained, hand sanitizer provided, only 10 people permitted at a time.
Concert: Annalyse & Ryan
Day: Monday, July 13, 2020 Time: 8pm Location: Streaming on Facebook
Streaming live from The Howland Cultural Center on Facebook. Information >
Field + Supply Virtual Market
Day: Thursday-Sunday, July 16-19, 2020 Location: https://fieldandsupply.com Field + Supply announced the launch of the first-ever Field + Supply Virtual MRKT—a completely interactive experience and digital marketplace with a four-day event that celebrates the art of fine craftsmanship via live demonstrations, interactive programming and an e-commerce marketplace. Information >
Beacon4Black Lives Protest (Beacon) Day: Sunday, July 12th Time: 5:30pm
Meet at Polhill Park (the corner of Main Street and South Avenue). Usually these peaceful protests end in a story and speech session involving poetry, experience sharing, and other learning opportunities. Often, this protest is a platform for bringing awareness local issues, such as the new jail build, or racial issues in other cities. Wear your mask and socially distance for the march, as well as at the destination. Details (and other protests scheduled around the Hudson Valley) >
Black Lives Matter Protest (Newburgh) Day: Monday, July 13th Time: 5:30pm
From the organizers, some of whom include Ali T. Muhammad, a former City Council member for Beacon: "Stand with us as we work to put an end to police brutality. We will march to City Hall and have an open mic, pray, and more." Details (and other protests scheduled around the Hudson Valley) >
EAT CHURCH
Back by popular demand at Eat Church! They are running the following special this weekend:
“KFC! Korean Fried Chicken”
Double Fried Chicken Gings Gouchujang $11 Order Online > Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
BAJA 328
The weather may be uncertain this weekend but there's one thing we know is a constant - tacos and tequila is always a good combination to have. Only serving the finest 100% BLUE AGAVE Tequila! Make your reservation online now!
Baja 328 is a ALBB Sponsor!
BARB'S BUTCHERY
Who's ready for some merguez sausages? Pick up some links at Barb's Butchery while they last. Barb's is a nose-to-tail butcher shop sourcing meats from small farms in the Hudson Valley. Remember to wear your mask when you stop by and customers are limited 3 at a time. Information >
LUXE OPTIQUE Luxe Optique is hosting an exclusive viewing of the Jacques Marie Mage collection THIS Saturday from 12-6pm. See every frame from the limited-edition Jacques Marie Mage collection and experience a personal consultation from our Jacques Marie Mage expert to help choose your next look from this handmade collection. Bring a friend and join us for hors d'oeuvres, refreshments and an exclusive look at this rare, collectible line.RSVP to receive $60 towards a Jacques Marie Mage frame during the event! Please RSVP for this event to keep to capacity. All guests must abide by the NYS mask requirements. Information >
Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
Have you ever just sat right down on the floor in front of the graphic novels and comics section at Binnacle Books? It’s a small section but there’s nothing here that isn’t worth reading! Make an appointment to come visit, Thursday through Monday 12-6pm. Sit on the floor in front of whatever shelf you want! 🤓
You can also still order books online at Binnacle Books. Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LUCKY THIRTY ONE
You may have been stuck at home for a few months now, it may be time for some new loungewear. Check out this Jogger & Shorts collection available at Lucky Thirty One. Throw on a pair, cozy up, or do your errands, whatever you gotta do, just be comfortable doing it. You can also check out their latest lewks on their Instagram @luckythirtyone.
BLACKBIRD ATTIC
Just because they're essential items, doesn't mean they can't still be cute or maybe a little bit indulgent to enjoy. Add to your mask collection and try some handmade soap available at Blackbird Attic. Their doors are open!
Yoga at Long Dock Returns With beBhakti Yoga
Day: Wednesdays Time: 5pm & 6:30pm Location: Long Dock Park, Beacon, NY
Must sign up on MindBody. Space is limited. You must wear a mask at all times when not on your mat and be prepared to adhere to all safety protocol.These classes are capped at 10 people max and will take place in the meadow on the new north side of the park. Information >
ANTALEK & MOORE
Antalek and Moore Insurance Agency is always preparing! This time, as the tropical storm hangs in the sky, the insurance agents have a few summer storm reminders for you. Lightening, micro-bursts, high winds, these are all common in the Hudson Valley and can wreak havoc on your otherwise normal day. Time to stock up on fresh batteries for the flashlights! Antalek and Moore has other tips and a checklist for you here. Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle is a resource and empowerment platform for business owners, artists and makers to get the word out about their business. This is done through webinars (called "TuneUps") to be watched on replay any time; an online safe-space forum to ask questions and get answers and support; and in-person opportunities to bounce ideas off experts in a live video format. Learn More >
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Couture branding boutique, Katie James, Inc. has started the redesign of the website for Barb's Butchery. She has outgrown her current one, and wants to be able to work the website herself more. Using Squarespace, elements of ecommerce and blogging are going to be used to sell her new candles and merch, as well as upload videos of her viral TikTok videos. Keep your eyes here. Reach out if you need a new website too! Consulting also available if you're going it yourself. Learn More >
No.3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works 469 Main St., Beacon, NY July 7 – September 10, 2020
Message From Paulette Myers-Rich, co-owner of No.3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works:
Despite the phased reopening of businesses in New York, No.3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works will remain closed for the time being. But as it’s summer, with many folks out-and-about, Beacon’s Main Street is coming back to life at last, so I felt it was time to reactivate the reading room by installing the visual poetry of Edwin Torres in the storefront’s windows as 17×22″ archival pigment prints.
I’ve admired and followed Edwin’s work for many years and had scheduled an exhibit of his work for earlier in spring, but like many things, this had to be postponed. However, the storefront windows are a perfect place to present these dynamic poems that Edwin calls “Slippages” which are the visual corollaries to his spoken word poetry that employs sound and vocalizing as much as meaning and language. Edwin’s performative work as a poet from the Nuyorican diaspora, accompanied by his visual graphic work within the tradition of Concrete Poetry and Asemic Writing, situates Edwin in a rare and remarkable place. He excels in both forms, flowing from one to the other, cross-referencing the literal, the aural and the visual. These are not separate bodies of work, but a hybridity of forms in an ongoing dialogue that results in new possibilities for insight. Of his visual poetry, Edwin writes:
These pieces are about the dynamics of human connection, using the alphabet as a form for making new realms. I’m interested in our seventh sense; consciousness, connected to the etheric body, that subtle body hovering over the physical body—the slippage between realms as a form for language—the spaces between the immediate and the known, a negative/positive dynamic that sets root in language.
What happens to how we talk with each other, as we enter the world we inhabit—our perceived form? Can we look at the world we’ve made for ourselves and notice the slippage between the senses—our seeing-hearing-talking voice? Where, in there, can we discover our basic survival skills; how to be, how to learn, how we’re doing?
By stripping away imagery to its core reception, dynamic landscapes of space and volume are offered as totems of incomplete mobility, etheric possibility—no answers here, no stopping. In using the graphic shapes of the marks we grew up with, of gestures we’ve embodied, can the alphabet we know evoke new talking, in ways beyond the poem, beyond the visual? Or maybe we need to understand each other first, before something new can start?
All images are available for purchase as archival pigment prints. Please contact photobookworks@gmail for further information.
About the Artist:
Edwin Torres is the author of nine books of poetry including, XoeteoX: the infinite word object (Wave Books), Ameriscopia (University of Arizona Press), The PoPedology of an Ambient Language (Atelos Books), and is editor of the inter-genre anthology, The Body In Language: An Anthology (Counterpath Press). Anthologies where his work appears include, Fractured Ecologies, Who Will Speak For America, American Poets In The 21st Century: Poetics Of Social Engagement, In/Filtration: A Hudson Valley Salt Line, Postmodern American Poetry Vol. 2, Kindergarde: Avant Garde Poems For Children, and Aloud: Voices From The Nuyorican Poets Café.
Edwin is a lingualisualist; rooted in sight and sound, and has performed his multi-disciplinary bodylingopoetics worldwide. Fellowships include, NYFA, PEN America, The Foundation for Contemporary Art, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and The DIA Arts Foundation. He has exhibited his visual text at Chicago’s Center For Book Arts, in an exhibition entitled “Poesis: A Visual Language,” and was part of The Drawing Center’s “Open Studios” residency in NYC, where he first developed his slippage forms.
He has created/destructed/emerged with a wide range of collaborators, including locally as Sowndhauz, an electro-lingo duo with Matt Harle on sownd. Edwin has always explored the boundaries of form and presentation, of his work, Eleni Sikelianos says, “There are experimental poets, Torres may be the experiment.”
As business in Beacon began to increase years ago, with commercial rents and home prices inching up, A Little Beacon Blog grew curious about the sales tax, and if Beacon was benefiting from any increased sales tax. Furthermore, we wondered, how Beacon was benefiting tax-wise from the growing short term rental market from website platforms like Airbnb.
Nick Page, a local resident and Dutchess County Legislator, as well as managerial worker for his family’s commercial and residential property development company, Hudson Todd, LLC, in Beacon, was wondering the same thing. He embarked on a search, and A Little Beacon Blog brought on research assistant Yvonne DeMoss to pursue finding the total sales tax generated for Beacon. Despite following up with numerous offices, we were unable to find the sales tax number. Instead, we are publishing what we have found so far that helps clarify how Beacon earns back the sales tax generated here.
“Surrendering Of Rights Of Preemption With Respect To Sales And Use Tax As A Source Of Revenue”
When A Little Beacon Blog started this research project last year, we were looking for the total number of sales tax dollars generated in Beacon, so that we could see if the number was going up or down. Instead, we learned that Dutchess County pays Beacon a fixed sum over a scheduled period of time. Once we learned of the flat rate Beacon was paid by Dutchess County, we wanted to see if Beacon was getting a good deal or not, since the flat rate is one that is negotiated. In June 2019, we reached out to Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, to see if he knew Beacon’s sales tax total generated in Beacon, as compared with the flat rate Beacon receives, but he did not: “I am sorry, I would not have that information. We believe it is a pretty good deal.”
When A Little Beacon Blog inquired with then Mayor Randy Casale about it also in June 2019, he stated: “I’ve been looking for the number for 4 years!” Randy did indicate that by having a flat rate that does not change, it could put Beacon in a good position of guaranteed income, should it face a slump or dark period as is has before. This makes the annual budget more predictable. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said after issuing a sales tax performance report in 2018: “As history has proven, sales tax can be an unpredictable revenue source for our local governments.”
We have confirmed that the Department of Taxation collects the amount of sales tax generated in Beacon, but will not release it, stating that tallying a total dollar figure would be difficult, as online sales gets tricky when items are purchased from a store and shipped out of state.
Jeff McLauchlin, Senior Administrative Analyst for the New York Department of Taxation, explained it this way: “Sales tax vendors collect the tax and remit it to the State Department of Taxation and Finance and the department distributes the revenue. Sales tax in New York is a destination based. One quick example: A business in Beacon sells to a customer online who lives in Saratoga. The sales tax rate is that for Saratoga and the return filed by the business should reflect the breakdown of sales to different jurisdictions properly. Purchasers who aren’t charged the correct rate or no tax at all are still responsible for paying the sales tax.” Saratoga County also collects sales tax for municipalities, but Saratoga City, a tourist destination, collects its own separately. A finance transparency tool can be found here.
Dutchess County Legislature Nick Page submitted a FOIL to the Department of Taxation and Finance in July 2019 in order to get clear numbers, and was told that the answer would take time to process, might be completed in August 2019, would have a fee for printing pages, and was not guaranteed to be approved.
The New York State Comptrollers office also states that they are not apprised of what the incoming dollar figure is, but does track the total amount for payments paid out (aka “distributions) by Dutchess County to each participating municipality. The State Comptroller’s response in May 2019 by way of Katelyn Israelski, with the Office of State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, was: “Our Local Government and School Accountability division has informed me that OSC doesn't typically monitor monthly or quarterly sales tax distributions by counties, but that data is reported annually by both the county and those local governments receiving funds.”
Katelyn then attached the historical data that they have available for Beacon for Sales Tax Revenue Distributions from Dutchess County. “Unfortunately,” she continued, “we do not have data on the sales tax generated, for which NYS Dept. of Tax and Finance is the primary source.”
The County shall distribute to the Cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon, collectively, a fixed amount of money from the $25 million dollars referred to in Paragraph 2 above pursuant to Section 1262(c) of the Tax Law. The City of Poughkeepsie shall receive $9,566,212 and the City of Beacon shall receive $4,158,686 subject to the provisions of paragraph 6 below.
Beginning in 2014 and continuing through 2022 the County shall make 21 equal payments of $198,032.66 to Beacon and $455,533,90 to Poughkeepsie with such payments to be made between February 1st and December 31st of each year. Such payments by the County shall be made directly to the Cities on the next business day after receipt of the County's share of the sales tax proceeds from the State Commissioner, by wire to a designated account or by check of the County Commissioner of Finance, at the option of each City.
Beacon will not exercise its right of preemption to impose a local Sales and Use Tax pursuant to Article 29 of the Tax Law of the State of New York to be effective for each year of the term of this agreement as long as the County's Sales and Use Tax remains at no less than 3.75%.
What About Airbnb Tax Revenue?
In terms of taxes collected from Airbnb renters, of which there is a healthy market in Beacon, which was just legalized in June of 2020, Dutchess County again receives the revenue from that tax, known as the Hotel Tax, or in some cases, Bed Tax or Occupancy Tax. Says County Legislature Nick Page: “Airbnb began collecting 4% Bed Tax from Hosts using the Airbnb platform on March 1, 2017. Airbnb remits one payment to the County by the 20th of each month for the preceding month’s activity. The County received $221,918 from Airbnb in 2017. The payments are not broken down by municipality and the County does not have access to the addresses from Airbnb.”
It is unclear at this time if Dutchess County sends a payment to Beacon for a portion of the bookings made in Beacon. According to James Gazzale of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the collection and tracking of the Hotel Tax resides with the county: “This is strictly a local county issue. It’s separate from our regular sales tax. The state authorizes this hotel tax, but the county imposes, administers and collects it. Your best bet is to reach out to the local county Commissioner of Finance.”
Onward! Consider this story ongoing as we learn more about taxes and where they go.
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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.
