Toy Drives, Restaurant Act, Gifts | Retail Therapy Guide 12/18/2020
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Howland Cultural Center Holiday Small Gift Show
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Toy Drives Going On Now In Beacon On and Off Main Street
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There are a few Toy Drives still going on in Beacon before the final holiday in December. If you are hosting a Toy Drive that is not included here, please reach out to us to let us know, and we can add you here.
There are plenty of places to get toys in Beacon, including Play and Zakka Joy, which are near Blend and Meyers Olde Dutch, as well as Brett’s Hardware, which is near Beacon Pilates, but you can donate directly to their source.
Toy Drive At Blend
Blend has had a toy box for Toys 4 Tots since before Thanksgiving. Their drive is wrapping up next week. This is for new, unwrapped toys. “We are trying to get as many gifts as we can before Wednesday for the children😃”
Holiday Toy Drive from Beacon4Black Lives
3 ways to donate to this Toy Drive:
- Meyers Olde Dutch has a bin.
184 Main Street
- Shop Hyperbole has a bin.
484 Main Street
- Drop-Off Event at Beacon Recreation Center (formerly BCC Beacon Community Center),
25 West Center Street.
Dec. 20th, 11am-3pm
Toy Drive With 845 Unity
Walmart in Fishkill
“12/19 & 12/20 will be the final collection dates of non-perishables.
12/23 will be the final day of collections of monetary & toy donations.
Please come out to one of our two locations on one or both days. Walmart in Fishkill and/or Walmart in Middletown. We still have boxes in our sponsored locations. We look forward to seeing you and bringing holiday spirit to a less fortunate family. Thank you for your continued support. We wouldn’t be able to do this without you!”
Holiday Coat and Toy Drive
349 Main Street
Twins Barber Shop is hosting a drop-off coat and toy drive (new and unwrapped toys). Twins Barbershop will make sure they are donated to the community.
Toy Drive By Beacon Pilates
Every year, Beacon Pilates hosts a Toy Drive for Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie. This year they are offering alternative ways of filling the box, the deadline of which has passed:
”You can always donate directly to the Children’s Home on their website here.
"And/Or sign up for Beacon Pilates special Zoom class at 10:15 on Sunday, Dec.13th—all proceeds will go towards the holiday gift drive!”
Arrangements can also be made to drop off donations at the Children’s Home by appointment. To make an appointment email Felicia at: pr@childrenshome.us
No Parking On Main Street In Beacon Friday Night For Snow Removal
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Photo Credit: Kitchen & Coffee
The City Of Beacon has announced via robo-call that the Highway Department will be removing snow from Main Street throughout Friday (12/18/2020) evening. Therefore, all cars must be gone from Main Street. ”There will be no parking allowed on Main Street from Friday night at 11pm to Saturday morning at 10am. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Removing snow from the side of Main Street is helpful for many reasons, including giving cars on Main Street enough space to drive past each other, as well as to pedestrians who are walking between stores.
The Bubble Broke - Testing Positive For COVID-19 Here At ALBB
/This article references how my family got COVID-19 from a home exposure. Like what the health professionals have been talking about. We shut down indoor playdates a few weeks ago (aside from 3 pre-approved friends who share our COVID philosophy of carefulness), and had no-one over for Thanksgiving.
The night after Monday, where my 8 year old son and I were jointly listening to the City Council Meeting on my earbuds (he and I now have COVID-19) , I awoke on Tuesday feeling pretty achy in my back. My partner had been feeling pretty achy the Saturday and Sunday before. He commutes to his job in a different state, and gets tested 3x/weekly for that job. His achy-ness was typical of him being worn down by his job, so we never suspected coronavirus symptoms. Instead, I talked to him through the drive to and from work, to make sure he stayed awake. He quarantines in our house, and doesn’t really go anywhere when in Beacon.
This was the weekend after Thanksgiving, and for Thanksgiving, my biggest concern was to make a dinner that did not cause his diverticulitis to flare up. Last year - 2019 - we spent the night in the ER in Ohio because he ate some popcorn or something, and was in a lot of pain. Then he got rotator cuff surgery after falling on his already sore shoulder. For us, Christmas 2019 was a recovery zone. Therefore, I made it through Thanksgiving 2020 with an amazing meal. No diverticulitis. Success!
The following weekend, however, he did walk through our door with COVID-19. But we didn’t know that at the time. His regular Friday test was negative. Then the weekend of achy. His Monday test was positive. By Tuesday, I was achy. But I didn’t know he was positive yet. I did know his Friday test was negative, so I was going about my day, be-bopping around on errands. But on Wednesday, when I awoke for a 3rd day of achy bones, he called to tell me that his Monday test was positive.
I bolted out of bed that Wednesday morning, adrenaline pushing all achy-ness away, while I processed the information. My monthly column for the Highlands Current was due that day. And as you might imagine, I could not process any work information. I needed to be available for Office Hours for business members at Tin Shingle to call in. There was no way I could mentally show up for that call.
I was very confused. My editor at the Highlands Current wanted me to write about our coronavirus diagnosis for their paper. I don’t mind being public about it - most cases of COVID have gone un-discussed. Whispers of neighbors and friends getting it having spread since the beginning of this virus. If there is a stigma, I want it gone. So I will be public about my experience.
My column for the Highlands Current hits the stands Friday and is a simple journal entry timeline of my experience of a few days in the beginning. I couldn’t let the Highlands Current have this headline first (as I do most of the time…they have more childcare than me, so they usually get breaking news out first, while I get more time to marinate on it and write really long articles that exceed traditional print space).
So here is my article announcing my COVID diagnosis.
Why Didn’t You Blog This 2 Weeks Ago?
Testing results can take a really long time. I’ve pursued testing since the summer. When my toddler randomly threw up in the back of my car while napping, I just drove us to Caremount Urgent Care for a test. Caremount actually lost our results. The doctor there told me she didn’t think I should even be testing. It was when the kids Kawasaki sickness was being talked about nationally.
So I got summer test results after 7 days. This time around in December 2020, let’s see…I got achy last Tuesday, learned Wednesday that my partner had it, and Thursday I drove me and the kids to PM Pediatrics for the test. We had already gone through the annoyance that is testing in October when we had much more obvious symptoms of sniffles and asthma cough.
Back in October, for seemingly obvious symptoms, we went to Pulse MD. That experience was horrific. The video call didn’t work, the line to actually get tested was 2hrs in the car, and so far, they have messed up my insurance by not supplying a doctor’s note saying that a doctor recommended the test. This makes no sense - I know - since our doctor’s office visit was covered and the very visit indicates that the doctor recommended it - but the $300 PCR test was not covered, nor the $51 rapid test. Times 2 for my 2 of my children. And Pulse MD’s billing department doesn’t answer the phone or return voicemails. This requirement of the doctor’s note is the fault of our insurance provider: Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
I don’t care about rapid tests anymore. Just give me the real PCR lab result one. For my 2 older kids this round, the results came on Saturday. My middle son was positive; my daughter negative. For me and my toddler, our results would not come until the following Wednesday. My middle son, so far has had mild symptoms, with being achy for a half day, and then gone. His lungs get winded at times.
Meanwhile, the hour I found out about my partner, I contact-traced my own people of where I had been. Two little kids had been to our house - pre-approved friends. I texted their parents, and they all pursued testing. I canceled our babysitter until forever, and she got tested. Everyone’s results came in (negative!) except mine and my toddler’s. I was positive, my toddler negative.
My middle son’s pediatrician called me days later with my middle son’s results (I’d already learned he was positive when PM Pediatrics Urgent Care called). His pediatrician called to tell me he was negative. They read the lab result wrong. This was just one of the annoying things about this process. Needing to be an advocate for myself, to tell my own child’s doctor that they are wrong, and to look at the test again. I had to call the Urgent Care for myself, to confirm for the 5th time, and then call our pediatrician with 110% certainty that I was right. That my middle son was positive.
For the record, the lab result displays are ridiculous. For PM Pediatrics (who we are fans of) - they use LabCorps. The results for a person who is negative say “Negative” next to the child’s name. If the child is positive, this word is nowhere on the lab result. Instead, the results say “Discussed with parent.”
All in all, you have a line item at this urgent care that says “Detected” for a positive result, and “Not Detected” for a negative result.
People Who Are In Denial
Nobody wants this pandemic to exist. I get it. There are many stories people tell me of nurses at urgent cares who lament to parents that parents are overreacting. That people are overreacting. That testing is overdone. That the media isn’t reporting on this latest mutation of the virus. That it’s much lighter than before.
Some people telling their Facebook friends to just eat some Vitamin D and improve their diets, and this whole thing would go away.
No.
Entering into the very personal zone here to say that I’m quite sick of all of these people. There are a handful of people who react to articles at A Little Beacon Blog that promote masks, or not merging houses at Thanksgiving - and they react quite strongly. They use vomit emojis and proudly state that they will have 100 people over for Thanksgiving, and that they don’t believe in masks or social distancing.
I understand that people like this want businesses to flourish and to live. I get it. Believe me. I live for businesses. I live for creativity. I live for freedom to express, and freedom to sell. But I believe in responsibility and being prepared.
Symptoms - Not A Cold. Nothing Like A Cold, But Does Share Symptoms
This sickness - for me - is nothing like a cold. It is a mystery in your body, that once you get, you get to track it in your body, to see where it has traveled today. This is not to say that it does not share symptoms from a cold or flu. It does. But experiencing it is not like experiencing an everyday cold or flu. For me at least. Everyone’s experience with COVID may be very different.
For me, it is tracking a weird thing in my body that moves around during the day or night, invading one area to see what it can do, then leaving that area, then maybe returning to that area a day or two later.
The first Tuesday I got symptoms, I also got my moon cycle early. Two weeks early. This never happens. As achy as my bones were - like with a mild flu - I had the worst cramps I had had since before my pregnancies. Towards the end of the day, my hips felt like they were moving apart again - like they did during contractions.
During my 3rd pregnancy, I had nerve pain in my hip joint. Hauntings of this pain happen every cycle, when my hormones kick in and soften everything (thanks Beacon Pilates and for teaching me about that, and beBahkti Yoga for introducing me to the pelvic floor occupational therapist who teaches about this!).
At first I worried about my hormones. Then I looked up “estrogen and coronavirus” and found that some studies have been done to measure if estrogen is harnessing that immune over-reaction of the immune system in people known as the “cytokine storm”. Some men in studies have been having estrogen patches to calm this storm. For the first time, I welcomed, embraced, and celebrated my cycle. “Stay as long as you like!” I told my cycle.
Each day my symptoms are different. Achy is gone now, and I mainly deal with lung and head sensations. I’ll bullet point to keep this part simple:
Achy in back and behind knee caps.
For my son on his Day 1, his legs were very achy at 2am, and he could not get out of bed until 7am to come get me. I gave him Tylonal and he slept until noon, and awoke feeling better. For two days after that, his little lungs were winded. He has retained energy.
Cramps from very early cycle that started the first day of symptoms.
Lungs feeling like I ran along a polluted street. I’m a runner. So I like my breathing. I’m also asthmatic, and impacted by allergies. One morning, at 4am, I woke up to my lungs feeling like I had just run along Central Park West, which if you’ve ever done that, is a bad idea. It’s filled with car pollution, and you will feel like you’ve smoked a lot of cigarettes the day before. I don’t smoke. But I did try cigarettes in college, so I know what that feels like.
Head feeling like water rushed up into my brain, then drained back out again, and kept doing that. All day. Have you ever gotten water up your nose? Have you ever gotten a cold head rush from ice cream? It’s kind of like that. Odd. A sensation.
Sinus pressure. Happened after the water-up-the-nose feeling. There was no mucus (so far), but my entire head became swollen.
Sore throat. Both my partner and I had hints of a sore throat sometimes, but not full blown. Neither of us had mucus.
Asthma cough for my toddler. While my toddler tested negative, he randomly got his asthma cough and was very clingly and moody (those are translations for kids who can’t speak their feelings, but don’t feel well. He needed nubulized while I was in the achy stage. I have since put him on Singulair, a daily lung management pill, because all of my kids and myself have asthma-cough, and I’d rather it not get out of control with COVID here.
Dizzy. Dizzy like morning sickness, but not always solved with food. In February 2020, I was so sick that I couldn’t get out of bed without fainting. My middle son was so sick that his legs would not hold him, and hurt him. For days. Maybe 2 weeks. I tested for antibodies back then, but had none. There was no test for COVID back then.
No runny nose. No mucus. No nothing like that. Just odd sensations of pain in my body. Like behind my collar bone one day. But yes to sinus pressure.
Taste and smell remained. So far! Neither my partner nor myself nor my son lost our sense of taste or smell. Thank goodness! So far.
Tingling in my chest. Like butterflies in your tummy, but in your chest. This is exacerbated by me getting excited. And I get excited a lot. The day or hours after I feel tingling in my chest, my chest might close up and get tight. Asthma. That means, wheezing, and needing to take an inhaler. No big deal. Lots of people are asthmatic and take inhalers. Right? Right. But asthmatics know that they don’t want to deal with this, or have their lungs flare up randomly.
Oxygen at 94 at 4am in the morning. On the oxygen reader - which is a common thing to measure for asthmatics and people with this virus - you chart your oxygen flowing through your blood. The best is 100. The lowest is 95. If you hit 94 and below, medical professionals like you to seek medical help. Maybe at 4am, all of our oxygen is low - I don’t know. I’m not in the habit of measuring. But I measure all the time now.
The Random Heart Attack
My partner’s best friend - two of them actually - attended a funeral in Ohio. Twenty people came away with COVID-19. Some people were hospitalized. No one has died yet. Yay! My partner’s best friend struggled and recovered. His other best friend tested negative, while his wife tested positive. Last week, that friend had a heart attack. He says he was feeling tired for 2 months. After the heart attack, he was saved and had a stint put in. He feels much better. During this time, he tested positive for COVID-19.
My worst fear is the random heart attacks and strokes from this virus.
Not Wishing This Virus On Anyone
There are some people who live in Beacon who say on their Facebook that they don’t mind if they get this virus. I don’t wish this virus on anyone. Not myself. Not my children. Not deniers. Nobody knows this virus. When I got the chicken pox in 3rd grade, that was normal. You got chicken pox. I rubbed my first skin bump onto my best friend (we agreed), and she got it too. We wanted to play together.
Polio had a season. The vaccination didn’t always exist. It was polio season sometimes. If you got polio, you had a good chance of having complications for life. My grandmother had polio. She had some pretty painful arthritis after that.
Don’t be stubborn. Keep you distance. Say hello. Go shopping. Go eating. But be smart. The most selfish thing you can do is to say that people should be taking Vitamin D and watching their diets and leading better lives.
Don’t contribute to hospitals that fill up. That’s the number you need to watch. And if your friends are randomly taking their inhalers.
Don’t do this, man. Don’t be this person who is so incredibly selfish, that you head is so far in the sand, that you are helping no one, and hurting your business friends. Be smart. If you want financial relief for businesses, and to save their money and savings from being drained, then fight for it. But don’t do it while denying health and promoting daydream conspiracies.
Living With COVID
So far, living with COVID has been manageable - for my own body and my partner’s body. I am hugely grateful to my body composition - DNA - amount of COVID we got - I don’t know. I do know that sickness and disease takes your body, and there is only so much you can do to control it. So even though I am taking the vitamins - D, C, Zink, Elderberry syrup - these did not - in my opinion - defeat this virus in my body. I do think they help for sure. And I do activities to help my body stay strong for sure. But taking these things alone don’t solve it. Your own body is the factor.
I stretch every day. I usually jog every day. In quarantine, I jogged about every other day in my driveway and yard. I have continued to stretch every. Stretching definitely helped with my achy symptoms. Because I stretch every day, my body is used to it, and stiffens up if I don’t stretch. This is a habit you want to get into :) Stretching is good!
For stretching ideas, start taking Yoga and Pilates. There are some good moves in those models. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Fitness Section of the Business Directory for ideas.
I did shovel when I couldn’t jog. Hopefully this was OK for my lungs. I just wanted the fresh air circulating through my body as much as possible.
I listen to music. Different albums or songs to keep my mood up, or to coast into an emotional mood to relax.
Moving Forward
Work-wise, I’m pretty nervous about who is going to want to see me in person. Part of my job is taking photos. Will any store want to have me in? I will wear a face shield!
Personally, will any friend or neighbor feel comfortable with us around? Some people take forever to test negative. My partner has already tested negative (yay!). While my chest is still tingly, and I get dizzy spells, I suppose I plan to take me and the kids to get tested for hopefully negative results - and some antibodies! - next week.
If I have antibodies, I will be loading up on spinach and cheeseburgers, in order to donate blood with antibodies, if that is needed. Usually my iron is too low to donate. Will try to change that.
Beacon Gets 13" - 20" Of Snow; Plows And Shovels Are Moving
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Beacon is as North Pole ready as it will ever be, with the first snowfall of the season bringing 13”-20” in Beacon according to my tape measure, and 16” at least in the region according to Dutchess County. The National Weather Service pointed out that it was more snow for some areas like Central Park than fell all last year, as reported by CNN.
Beacon’s Highway Department was out all Wednesday night and into Thursday afternoon, clearing snow and putting down materials for safer driving. According to Dutchess County’s press release sent today: “Road conditions are difficult throughout Dutchess County. Highway crews made multiple rounds plowing and applying materials throughout the night and continue this morning, but rate of snowfall has been difficult for crews to keep up. It is expected it will be several hours after the conclusion of the storm before roadways are fully addressed as the low temperatures and blowing winds will continue to move snow around.”
Barb’s Butchery, all dug out and open for business after the first snowfall in Beacon, 2020.
Photo Credit: Barb’s Butchery
Dutchess County added staff to their 9-1-1 call center, but fortunately a low volume of calls came in. Also according to the press release, Central Hudson reported that LaGrange experienced outages, but otherwise there were no wide-spread outages.
Public transportation will resume on Friday for Dutchess County, and due to bad roads in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Government offices were closed.
Beacon businesses often arrive to their shops to dig out, aiming to be open for people taking breaks in between shoveling, and to be available for supplies. Brett’s Hardware is stocked with salt and shovels, and has more on the way, as is Key Food with rock salt. Check Beacon Barkery for pet-safe salt.
Should you need services for your home, like snow shoveling, see A Little Beacon Blog’s Business Directory. And give those shovelers on the street a chance, as it’s a great way for high schoolers and new businesses to earn cash.
Winter Storm Warning: Snow Impacts On Parking, Bus, Garbage, School, Meals, 911 Extra Staffing
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Photo Credit: Dutchess County County Executive Office
According to a press release sent by the Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s Office, “the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning effective now through 1pm on Thursday, December 17th. Snowfall is expected to arrive late this afternoon (Wednesday) into the evening, continuing through Thursday morning, possibly into early afternoon.
“Prediction models vary widely for this nor'easter storm with heavy snow fall expected tonight through the overnight. Snowfall is predicted to be 1”-2” or more inches per hour with 12”-18” inches of accumulation expected, with some models showing projections up to 27” inches. The Thursday morning commute is expected to be impacted significantly and motorists are reminded to allow extra time and exercise caution on the roadways.”
Beacon Parking & Shoveling
The City of Beacon issued a city-wide robo-call, reminding residents to:
Not park on city streets due to plowing operations Wednesday night, into tomorrow Thursday.
Yes to park in public city parking lots. Parking lots will be plowed later, and the city will post a notice in the lots prior to plowing. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Guide to Free Parking Lots for pictures.
Sidewalks should be cleared by residents no later than 24 hours after the snow stops falling.
Do not throw snow into the road when shoveling the sidewalks and driveways. The snow plow will push it back onto your sidewalk because that is all that the truck can do. No matter how sharp a side-eye you give a plow truck. So give a wink and a smile as you throw that snow into your own yard.
Garbage Pickup In Beacon Delayed 1 Day
The City of Beacon also announced via robo-call that due to the pending snow storm, garbage pickup will be delayed by 1 day. Thursday pickup will occur on Friday and Friday pickup will occur on Saturday.
Beacon City School District Calls Snow Day
Important to Beacon’s Superintendent, Dr. Matt Landahl, and his own children in the district, were “good old fashioned snow days.” He has called his first one this evening in anticipation of the bad weather and possible power outages, impacting remote learning. The kids can go sledding, while staying safe. No Morning Meets.
Dutchess County Experiencing Staffing Shortages For Snow Management Due To COVID-19
Dutchess County Public Works highway crews have loaded trucks with materials, and salt will be applied to County roadways as the storm begins, according to the Dutchess County press release. Crews will be out through the duration of the storm to clear roadways. However, County Executive Marcus Molinaro urged patience “as this will be a significant storm and response efforts are complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused staffing shortages and continued safety concerns,” he said.
County Executive Molinaro said, “This first storm of the season looks to be a significant event. The forecast of rapid accumulation of snow, combined with ongoing concerns for the safety and shortage of staff because of the pandemic will make this storm very difficult. We urge all residents to be extremely cautious, avoid travel if possible. If you must travel, leave plenty of extra time for safety. Importantly, please be patient as it will take crews added time to clear roadways for safe travel.”
9-1-1- Center and Emergency Operations Center Increased Staffing
Dutchess County Emergency Response has increased staffing at the 9-1-1 Center and the Emergency Operations Center has been activated with representatives from County DPW, State DOT, New York State Police, County Sheriff, County Health, Central Hudson, NYSEG, and Red Cross for the duration of the storm, according to the Dutchess County press release.
Public Transit Bus Suspended Starting 7pm Wednesday
Dutchess County Public Transit will suspend service beginning at 7pm today, Wednesday. Bus passengers can check for delays or schedule changes at www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit, on the DCPT mobile app, or call 845.473.8424, TDD/TTY: 711.
Residents needing MTA service should follow the MTA on Twitter who posts updates.
Meals Delivered To Dutchess Seniors And Beacon Students
Dutchess County Office for the Aging staff and volunteers have delivered extra meals to Home Delivered Meals recipients.
Students in the City of Beacon School District who opted into Remote Delivery were given food today via the Beacon School Buses and runners who deliver the meals, which include hot meals, like pizza slices and chicken nuggets, as well as fruit and muffins.
Dutchess County Government Offices
Dutchess County Government offices will open at noon on Thursday. Individuals who have DMV appointments in Poughkeepsie and Wappinger from 9am to 12pm will be rescheduled for the same appointment time on Friday, December 18th
Residents can stay up to date on the County’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the County’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.
Affordability In Beacon - Personal/Residential and Businesses Staying In Beacon - Or Leavaing.
/UPDATE 2/27/2021: ALBB published an article titled “Rent Increases In Beacon - Sometimes 12% - Driving Beaconites Out Or Stress On How To Stay” - but we linked to this page (also related) by accident! Click here to find that article. Thank you!
With the 2021 Budget discussion hot off the City Council books - which has been voted on to be approved - there was much chatter about the items in - or not in - the budget. Chatter is an understatement. There was a large evening protest about the 2021 budget when the budget first came out because of the unavoidable headline of the Police budget being increased despite wide calls for a decrease in police funding. The increase was a matter or pre-negotiated contracts with the Police Union that does not fit into the bars of this rhyme, as well as the long haul that is union negotiations and the power that unions hold - for better or worse.
While the Police budget was the lead character in the protest, many members of the public during Budget Season (October - December) called into City Council Meetings every other week during Public Comment to voice their concern for the lack of focus on affordable housing in the budget. At the same time, some members of the public were calling for the property tax increase to go to cap, of 2%, in order to fund more community services. However, this would result in more of an increase for all in some form, either directly as a homeowner, or indirectly as a renter if the landlord raises the rent. Ultimately, Mayor Lee Kyriacou maintained his direction of not going to cap, and was supported by City Council in the budget.
Personal/Residential Rent Experiences
People did begin writing into A Little Beacon Blog with the concern of affordable housing and rental as well. One reader, who wanted to remain anonymous because, they stated, “everyone knows someone” in a small town, wanted to share their concern of rising rents. They stated:
“I’ll share my experience about affordable living. I’m originally from (somewhere in the 5 boroughs) but my family lives in (somewhere up north) for the last 20 years and I moved to Beacon about 6 years ago.
“The rent was very affordable. A year ago, my house was sold to an investor and immediately he tired to raise my rent $150 a month after living in the space for 4 years. I very kindly said no way - and then asked him down to the original rent and had to school him that everyone in the building had lived here for years and that our landlord only raised the rent $20 years for cost of living.
“Needless to say, 2 tenants moved out because of that and of course people from Manhattan moved in who paid $1,600 instead of the going $1,300/$1,400.
“So because of the stay at home work order, you have NYC salaries coming in, drawing up every price while the Hudson Valley local residents stay within their former means as prices are driven up on real estate and other goods. It’s a huge shifting around.
“I am happy I know how to advocate for myself, and I’m always looking on the bright side. There are some good things to everything.”
This reader is not the only one. In A Little Beacon Blog’s immediate sphere, one of our own was threatened by their landlord with a raised rent, all of a sudden. The landlord wanted to sell the house at an inflated price that they were sure would attract New York City folk. This ALBB person left their rental house, and pursued buying a home in Wappingers Falls. After a questionable process, the move ended in success, and they are now proud homeowners in Wappingers, leaving the landlord of their formal rental house a bit surprised. They aren’t the first one with a story like this.
Business Rent Increases
In the business world, there are about 20 business turnovers in Beacon, which A Little Beacon Blog hasn’t been able to blog about yet, despite this chronic turnover starting during the pandemic.
Businesses are usually quiet about how they negotiate with their landlords. The landlords hold power over them, as their landlords hold the keys to their shops. They can pull the lease, and out the shop goes. In fact, simply knowing the going rate for square footage can be difficult to come by, as business owners keep their cards close to the vest.
In terms of how businesses fared during the first shutdown, many of whom continue to suffer from reduced capacity and overall comfort levels of returning to offices, some Beacon landlords gave no concessions during the pandemic. While some businesses were shut, not bringing in any income, some landlords pondered if the renter would stay, and wanted to see financials and projections of shut-down businesses. This was especially true for fitness studios - as the landlords considered keeping the business in the space or not.
Some landlords are out of town people, who we will never meet, while other landlords are locals, including Mayor Lee Kayriakou, who owns several properties in Beacon; Nick Page’s family Hudson Valley Todd, LLC (Nick is a Dutchess County Legislator); the owner(s) of Brothers Trattoria; the owner of Minute Men Construction down on Tioranda; and other longtime Beacon residents who have made property ownership part of their profession.
Landlords, Relationships & Pricing
Many times, the reason a business stays or goes in a space can be directly tied to the relationship between the tenant (business owner) and landlord. Some building owners are compassionate with their tenants, as mine was when I had my office in the Telephone Building at 291 Main Street when it was under the ownership of Deobrah Bigelow, who fully renovated the building and it sold to a new owner - Shady Twal - who was much different.
In Beacon right now, we are seeing many turnovers. We may never know - publicly - the details of why those businesses are leaving. So I will share while I left my place on Main Street. Why I left 291 Main Street when a new building owner came to town. It may shed light on what goes on behind the scenes of why your favorite business leaves their storefront.
Personally - I don’t believe in regulation controlling this. I do believe in math, and relationships. Math means that numbers need to add up. A new building owner does need to earn something profitable to sustain their livelihood and their bills. But the relationship is just as important. And can lose a tenant.
Why ALBB Left The Telephone Building
When the new owner came in - Shady Twal - he showed much interested in my business. At the time, A Little Beacon Blog and Tin Shingle did 2 revenue generating models in that building:
Hosted Pop-Up Shops
Hosted Private Meetings
New: started to host a co-working space. In addition to the original business model that is there - Beahive. I did this in an effort to buy the building and keep us all there in one big co-working family. So many ideas were flying around for any of us to stay there.
When the new building owner, Shady Twal, and I first started talking, he loved my business model. He thrived on the pop-up concept, telling me that “his investors” were old-school, and didn’t understand it, but that he did. He told me that because his investors were so old, they weren’t sure if the concept of pop-up shops were legal in this historic building. However, he said, his people in Chicago were looking into it. By the way, he said he was originally from the Hudson Valley, and had moved back to this area - Wappingers Falls specifically - to get back to family roots.
Shady informed me that while pop-ups might not be legal, his people might be OK with it if I gave them a cut of my business from the event space rental business. I knew that the pop-up shops were legal. My former landlord, Deborah Bigelow, was by the book. Big time. So if she allowed it, it was most likely legal. In due diligence, I called the Building Department. The Building Inspector, David Buckley, told me that the pop-up shops were very much very legal.
To present the rent increase, Shady took me to coffee, and told me that there was a very long line for people who wanted my space. I was paying $25/square foot, but that he was told he could get $75/square foot. He could offer me $35/square foot. Plus, he had big ideas for how he could expand my business with more events. Shady made sure to tell me that if for some reason, I couldn’t get approval on future events for some reason, he and his investors could give me approval, if I gave them a cut of the business. He asked if I understood what he was talking about. I told him I understood very well.
When the lease arrived in my inbox, it included a demand for 20% of my event business. This 20% take also included a percentage of my pop-up shop’s income from their sale. This was a no-go for me. In no way was my landlord qualified to take 20% of my business. Let alone any % of the shops who rented from me. My business model was a flat rate, so that my renters could make as much money as they wanted. They paid me a flat rate, and I did as much promotion as possible to help their chances of a great sales weekend.
Of course, this was a non-negotiable item. When I balked at the item in the lease, Shady tried to backtrack, telling me why this was something I should agree to. I disagreed. He agreed to take it off the table. But by then, all trust was broken. There had been other signs that were glaring red flags, and now they were all flashing and blinking as big as possible. I told him I was out. I gave notice that I would move out by January 31, 2020.
This decision was so hard. I said to myself over and over again: “Just deal with it. Everyone has to deal with sucky landlords.” But, my experience with him on normal days - on weekend days when I was co-hosting events - became painful. He talked to me the entire time of changes he wanted to make. Major security systems he wanted to put in. Locked doors (I had an open-door policy, which is customary in retail pop-ups). He wanted to take ownership of the glass door of my office door - where he would hold 50% of what could be written there. My office windows on Main Street - he wanted ownership of those as well, giving me approval of how I could decorate.
It was too much. I was out. I cried. I sobbed. I was leaving a community space that this person had told me he loved, and wanted to support. But there was no way to nurture it within that environment. The lease also included a Privacy Policy clause, where I could not talk about him or the building or the investors. As a publisher, that was of course impossible. For example: the building had just been tagged in a graffiti artist attack, that damaged many buildings in Beacon. And I wasn’t allowed to talk about it.
I moved out very quickly that month. I painted over my chalk-board editorial calendars on the wall. He told me I didn’t need to, but I insisted. When I brought in professional painters to do it, he demanded to see paperwork and insurance from them. Done and delivered. I did not want to leave one ounce of my vision behind.
All cleared out, I arrived on the final day to show him that everything was neat and clean, ready for the security deposit to be returned to me in full. He was so nice that day, saying that everything was 100% great. Until the time came for the security deposit. His attorney, Patrick from Sobo and Sobo, had sent me a multi-page contract that was mainly comprised of a silence-clause, telling me I could not speak of Shady Twal, or the Telephone Building, or any investor or anyone involved at any time.
Of course there was no way I was going to sign that. That day, while I was closing out my clean office, Shady casually told me I could talk to his attorney about the security deposit. I told him that I had already, and that I wasn’t signing a privacy clause, and to send me a check to my new PO Box. Shady got angry, and told me that I knew everything about him, why wouldn’t I sign this. He then said that there wasn’t any money in his building account, based on how he bought the building.
Fortunately, a woman who he introduced as his business partner, Crystal, who it turns out is a realtor, and who now has an office in the Telephone Building, ominously stated: “There is money in an accountant at Sobo and Sobo,” which was the attorney of the building and of Shady.
Later that afternoon, I emailed the attorney, Patrick, letting him know I had the good fortune of meeting Crystal, after Shady told me there was no money in the account, but that Crystal kindly told me that there was, and to please send the check to my brand new PO Box in the Beacon Post Office.
I tell you this story because one never knows what happens between the lines of a business transaction, or of a business moving out.
What follows this article is a series of articles of the businesses that have left and opened. We wish all of these businesses the best: those who have opened here - in brand new locations - or who moved down the road to occupy a newly empty space - and to those who closed up shop and are trying to do it differently, or maybe here again.
TakeOut, Beautiful Candles, More | Retail Therapy Guide 12/11/2020
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BAJA 328
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Beacon Opens Applications For $150K In Microenterprise Stabilization Grants To Up To 15 Eligible Businesses In Select Blocks
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During the November 2, 2020 City Council Meeting, the Council voted to begin accepting applications from Beacon businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic and who fall within a block zone for a Microenterprise Stabilization Grant. The City of Beacon aims to distribute up to 15 grants of up to $10,000, from a fund source totaling $150,000. A map of eligible business locations can be seen here.
This grant is made available from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant COVID/CARES Act (CDBG-CV) which was provided to Dutchess County’s Urban County CDBG Consortium, who initially released $430,000 in September 2020 for the region. Community Capital of New York will manage the application and distribution process.
During the 10/26/2020 City Council Workshop discussion of this opportunity with Community Capital of New York, City Council did discuss how the considerations would work for grant approvals, and did want some flexibility in the decision-making process.
There are restrictions on the grant, including income limits, business types, and home-based businesses, who are not eligible. One of the goals of the grants, says Beacon’s City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, “is for the money to be used to keep commercial areas vibrant.”
If a business was located within the designated area and left their physical space to conform to COVID-19 guidelines and is now working from home, an appeal could be considered, Anthony tells A Little Beacon Blog. “If the business was formerly in a commercial building, but workers are now working from home to abide by the COVID guidelines, I would think it could be considered. We would want to know if they had a commercial lease that was still in effect, and if it is their intention to return to that space once we have the all clear. One of the goals is for the money to be used to keep commercial areas vibrant. We would give priority to those businesses that are still out there on Main Street or even require that they are still operating from that space.”
Businesses must show that they are not duplicating federally granted money from the CARES ACT, such as PPP or EIDL or other similar programs. If a business already received a Microenterprise Grant from Dutchess County, they are not automatically declined, but “priority will be given to those businesses who have not received a Dutchess grant,” Anthony tells A Little Beacon Blog. “The funds for both programs are limited and both the City and the County want to make sure that as many businesses as possible get some help.”
Possible COVID-19 Exposure To Beacon's Highway Department - They Are In Quarantine
/During the City of Beacon’s City Council Meeting, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero announced that there had been possible exposure to COVID-19 to Beacon’s Highway Department. “Services will be affected,” he shared. “They will be getting done, but in a limited bases, as they come off of quarantine, which will be some this week, towards Wednesday or Thursday. Again, people really need to take this seriously. We need to follow the guidance, the masks, the distancing. The County conference calls have now started back up as weekly calls, and the Governor is doing his press briefings 3x/ a week now. The numbers are increasing. The hospitalization rates are increasing. This is not going to go any time soon. We still need to be mindful and take the persuasions. We are working with the health department as we always do.”
Beacon City Council Members Share Their Personal Connections To At Least 10 COVID-Positive Friends And 1 Death
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During last night’s public City Council Meeting, where City Council Members go around the table (or the Zoom screen at this point) to share their Ward reports, 3 City Council members shared that their friends had contracted COVID-19, and implored for people to continue to act safely. While the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Beacon today hovers in the 30s (it is 38 today, according to the Dashboard), which is relatively low to the higher end it reached in the spring of 127ish, numbers become relative when those numbers become a face, and in this case, families.
Terry Nelson, representing Ward 1, told the public that a friend of his was recently infected with COVID-19, along with his entire family. Terry encouraged people to continue wearing masks and social distancing, and insisted that this pandemic was not a hoax.
Air Nonken Rhodes, representing Ward 2, shared that one of their neighbors tested positive with COVID-19, and did pass away. “I found out that a neighbor of mine just around the corner passed away from COVID this past week. It’s such a sad reminder. I’m so grateful that my family is ok, but just around the corner, another family is not ok.” Air stressed that people continue to wear masks, but not just wear masks, and to stay home. Air encouraged alternate forms of shopping and ordering takeout from restaurants.
Jodi McCredo, representing Ward 3, disclosed that she knew 7 people who were diagnosed in the past week. “The numbers are on the rise. It seems to be everywhere at the moment.”
Anthony Ruggiero, the City Manager who is leaving Beacon for the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health to serve as Assistant Commissioner for Administration, which happens in January 2021, stressed that “people really need to take this seriously, with the guidance and the masks…The numbers are increasing; the hospitalization rates are increasing.” He mentioned this as he announced that the Highway Department had possible exposure to the coronavirus and have quarantined.
Local Ohio News
As for local news in Ohio (which is where this blogger is from), patrons went to a popular and very cozy (aka un-ventilated) bar in a small town east of Cleveland during the Thanksgiving weekend. As would happen during any classic Thanksgiving weekend in most small towns across America. Ohio has had a stubborn resistance to containing the virus with rebellions to restaurant closures and social distancing.
According to a person standing in line at a CVS picking up medication, 30 of the patrons came away testing positive with COVID. A few days later, the town endured a large snowfall, being in a snow-belt, causing a loss of power. Many people merged households in order to stay with relatives who had power. Several of those people are now awaiting test results and the elderly without power who went to their children’s homes (or vice versa) are fearful of experiencing symptoms.
Back in Beacon, restaurants and patrons are respecting social distancing and putting out heaters for outside dining.
Staten Island Pub Defiance Ends In Serious Injury For Deputy Sheriff
In Staten Island, the pub owner, Daniel Presti, 34, who is a leader in the “Autonomous Zone” movement, which rejects the closure of restaurants and has lost his liqueur license as a result but serves patrons anyway, allegedly hit a Deputy Sherriff with his car early Sunday morning, according to the Sheriff’s Office, as reported by Gothamist.
After Presti allegedly hit the Deputy Sheriff, "the deputy clung to the hood of the car while Presti kept driving off for 100 yards before the other authorities forced him to stop...The deputy sheriff was injured and taken to Staten Island University Hospital with multiple bone fractures,” according to Gothamist.
According to the report, Presti “faced 10 charges for the incident—including a felony charge of second degree assault causing physical injury to an officer. He was also charged with menacing, reckless driving and endangerment, obstructing governmental administration, fleeing an officer, and resisting arrest, according to court records.”
According to the article, Presti was released without bail, according to the report, and his next court date is January 11th.
If Presti had been Black, it is fair to say, based on numerous online videos of Black men being shot for maybe having a knife near them or not, or maybe having a fake $20 bill on them or not, Presti’s chances of being shot in the back or in the car while driving would be probable. And no bail set might also not be the case.
A Temporary Closing; A Move; Gift Ideas; Great Food | Retail Therapy Guide 12/4/2020
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HOMESPUN
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Beacon's 3rd Annual Hop And Shop Kicks Off Today!
/It’s that time of year again! Beacon’s 3rd Annual Hop and Shop aka festive shopping, services, sales & specials on Main Street! TODAY 12/3 and Friday 12/4. Perfect opportunity to #ShopSmall & #ShopLocal!
Let’s get to the good stuff…
Which Businesses Are Involved?
Lewis & Pine
Kringle’s Christmas House
Blend Smoothie & Salad Bar
Alton Road Pottery
Tito Santana Taqueira
Utensil
Beacon Tintype
Play
Beetle & Fred
Hudson Land Design
Zakka Joy
Beacon Bread Company
Flora Good Times
Lucky Thirty One
Ziatun
LotusWorks
Happy Valley Arcade Bar
The Studio @ Beacon
Last Outpost Store
Binnacle Books
Beacon D'Lites
Vincent’s Eat Paint Love
Beacon Pantry
Beacon Bed & Breakfast
Blackbird Attic
Wonderbar
The Vault Restaurant
Sullivan & Main
NFP: New Form Perspective
Reservoir I Clothing & Home
LLTO / Live Light Travel Often
La Mere
Raven Rose
Vintage Beacon
Hyperbole
Solstad House
Beacon Mercantile
Village Jerk
The Chocolate Studio
The Leaf NY
Berte
Maria Lago Studio 502
Vegetalien
BAU Gallery
The Snooki Shop
Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company
Kaight
Holistic Living with Doctor Dardano
Miss Tea
The Blushery
King & Curated
Beacon Aesthetics
Melzingah Tap House
Urban Links Design
The Roundhouse
Inglenook Marketplace
What Are The Discounts?
Find out HERE at Hop & Shop Beacon.
Turkey On Many Tables - 3 Organizations Came Together To Distribute 100 Turkeys To Families
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Thanksgiving 2020 was here all of a sudden, and many people were making their usual rounds to hit the grocery stores, as well as food pantries. In non-pandemic times, soup kitchens tend to cook a meal for a designated group of people, like seniors that the Salvation Army of Beacon usually cooks for, but could not host anyone this year, but still managed to help families get meals for Thanksgiving. They will do so again for Christmas (donations for that effort can be accessed by texting rescuechristmas to 91999, where Captain Leilani Rodríguez-Alarcón, Corps Officer / Pastor is in receipt of the donations, or contact Leilani.Alarcon@use.salvationarmy.org).
At the food pantry at St. Andrews Church, who collects and distributes non-perishable items, an unexpected call came from this united group of 3 organizations to donate 25 turkeys to the regular participants of that church’s pantry. I Am Beacon, Key Food Beacon, and Salem Tabernacle teamed up to raise money and distribute the turkeys to families using their local channels, with a goal of reaching 100 families.
Starting in 2014, I Am Beacon started doing the program called Turkey On Every Table to use their community connections to find those in need, and raise the money to deliver. Large organizations are important, but often local, grass-roots organizations have boots on the ground with friends and relatives getting first-hand information on what people need during any time - pandemic or not.
This year, the three organizations teamed up. Says I Am Beacon’s founder, Reuben Simmons: “We worked in a collaborative effort on raising money for the food asked for on our list, packing the bags, and making the deliveries. Salem Tabernacle scheduled a pick-up at their church.”
Pat Lassiter, longtime Food Pantry Manager for St. Andrews Church that opens its doors to residents of Beacon on Saturday mornings, was pleased when she received a call from Reuben, that the group would be donating 25 turkeys to people who come to get food from St. Andrews Food Pantry that Saturday.
Some members in the group who organized the Turkey on Every Table: I Am Beacon, Key Food Beacon, Salem Tabernacle.
Photo Credit: Key Food Beacon
Says Reuben: “I Am Beacon used their network to identify a couple of outlets to also distribute the program through. We worked with Mrs. Lassiter from St. Andrews pantry located on South Avenue, and Kenya Gadsen to distribute to families through Opens Arms Ministry at the Beacon Recreation Center at 23 West Center’s Food Pantry.” Due to state funding requirements, St. Andrews needs to limit giving to Beaconites only, and the Open Arms Ministry at Beacon Recreation Center is open to anyone, regardless of residency.
After hearing of Pat’s appreciation for the gift of turkeys, Reuben replied: “I am happy to hear it all worked out that day. She has been doing an amazing job for many, many years with so many amazing volunteers.”
How To Get Involved
To get involved with any of these organizations, you can donate to food donations bins periodically at Key Food, and follow along on a more personal level with I Am Beacon’s podcast on Spotify. I Am Beacon will be gearing up for Membership 2021, and will be moving forward to a non-voting membership organization in 2021.
To get familiar with all of the Food Pantries in Beacon and how they work, see A Little Beacon Blog’s Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen Guide. There are volunteer opportunities with several organizations listed there. You can call them directly for inquiries, or see their websites (if they have one) for published volunteer opportunities. Directions on how to donate to them are published in that Guide as well.
Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen Guide For Resources In And Near Beacon Updated For 2021
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Updates in the world of Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens are ongoing. The main focus happens at the end of the year, starting at Thanksgiving, but their use happens 365. As do opportunities to donate to them, and changes to how one gets food and hygiene products from them. A Little Beacon Blog has made a big update to our years old Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens Guide, as new people are in place, new organizations have been created, and changes have been made to accommodate the pandemic.
The thing about Food Pantries, is that some of them are really hard to figure out how to donate to, or to use. For instance: finding the correct door of a building to access or drop off food. Knowing what kind of identification to bring - if any. What kind of money to donate - Gift Cards or Checks or Venmo or PayPal?
A Little Beacon Blog has always wanted to make knowing how to access the food and to donate super easy. Years ago we compiled this Food Pantry & Soup Kitchens Guide, which is available to anyone online 24/7.
Sponsorship Opportunity
We are hoping to dedicate an editor to the Food Pantry Guide order to keep it updated more frequently. In order to do so, we need longtime sponsors for that Guide. Sponsorship of this Guide comes in a bundle pack that also sponsors the Beacon City School District Fundraising Opportunity Page (ie. events from PTOs, etc.), and the Kids Sports Page (when there are sports, promotes registration openings, etc.). You would be promoting 3 Guides at once.
Sponsorship is monthly, and 5% of the sales from this sponsorship will be donated to a Food Pantry or Soup Kitchen in the list. Please click here if interested in being a sustaining sponsor of the Food Pantry Guide.
A Little Beacon Blog
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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.