The flyer for assistance with rental relief distributed by Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County in English.
June 1, 2021 was the first day that the Emergency Rental Assistance Program opened in New York State. Money is on the table to help those who meet income thresholds, and within the order of priorities. Getting that money can be confusing, as you wade your way through applications. Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County, with an office on Main Street in Beacon, says they are here to help. Their Beacon office is on 10 Eliza Street, which is in the Rite Aid parking lot behind Antalek and Moore Insurance.
To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”
How Community Action Helps With The Application:
The flyer for assistance with rental relief distributed by Community Action Partnership For Dutchess County in Spanish.
We asked Samantha Riley, Director of Family Resources for Community Action, to walk us through how Community Action helps with the applicaation process, and what kind of issues people have come up against. Here’s what she told us:
“We are available to help screen for eligibility and to assist with families with applying for the program. This looks different for every person depending on their ability. The application must be completed online by both the tenant and landlord. Some families just need to be talked through the process and can apply on their own, and others can’t do it on their own for various reasons.”
Samantha continued: “Our first priority for assisting families with applying is to assist those who do not have internet access at home. For those families, if they just need access to a computer we have a computer at each of our locations for the public to use. If families need help filling out the application, we can assist them 1:1 either in person or over the phone; preferably by appointment.
“The required Documents need to be uploaded to the online application. We mostly right now are getting calls about families needing help with that process, which we can help with.”
To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”
About New York State Emergency Renal Assistance Program (ERAP)
The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance, and utility arrears assistance.
Eligibility
New York residents are eligible for ERAP if they meet all of the following criteria:
Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). These income limits differ by county and household size. A household may qualify based on current income or calendar year 2020 income that is at or below 80 percent AMI.
On or after March 13, 2020, a member of the household received unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or experienced financial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The applicant is obligated to pay rent at their primary residence and has rental arrears (rent overdue) at their current residence for rent owed on or after March 13, 2020.
The household must be at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which can be demonstrated by having rental arrears owed on or after March 13, 2020.
Benefits
Households approved for ERAP may receive:
Up to 12 months of rental arrears payments for rents accrued on or after March 13, 2020.
Up to 3 months of additional rental assistance if the household is expected to spend 30 percent or more of their gross monthly income to pay for rent.
Up to 12 months of electric or gas utility arrears payments for arrears that have accrued on or after March 13, 2020.
Apply
Program open as of June 1, 2021. Applications are now being accepted. Apply here >
To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”
El dinero está aquí para ayudar a aquellos que están económicamente aplastados por la pandemia, pero solicitarlo puede ser un trabajo de tiempo completo, además de ser difícil de entender. ¡La Asociación de Acción Comunitaria del Condado de Dutchess tiene un programa para eso! Samantha Riley de Community Action se ha acercado al Blog de A Little Beacon con la esperanza de hacer correr la voz de que están aquí para ayudar. Así es como funciona: El Programa de asistencia de emergencia para el alquiler del estado de Nueva York (ERAP) proporcionará un alivio económico significativo para ayudar a los hogares de ingresos bajos y moderados en riesgo de quedarse sin hogar o inestabilidad de la vivienda al proporcionar asistencia para el alquiler atrasado, asistencia temporal para el alquiler y asistencia para el pago de servicios públicos.
Elegibilidad
Los residentes de Nueva York son elegibles para ERAP si cumplen con todos los siguientes criterios:
El ingreso bruto del hogar es igual o inferior al 80 por ciento del ingreso medio del área (AMI). Estos límites de ingresos difieren según el condado y el tamaño del hogar. Un hogar puede calificar según los ingresos actuales o los ingresos del año calendario 2020 que sean iguales o inferiores al 80 por ciento del AMI.
A partir del 13 de marzo de 2020, un miembro del hogar recibió beneficios por desempleo o experimentó una reducción en sus ingresos, incurrió en costos significativos o experimentó dificultades financieras, directa o indirectamente, debido a la pandemia de COVID-19.
El solicitante está obligado a pagar el alquiler en su residencia principal y tiene atrasos en el alquiler (alquiler vencido) en su residencia actual por el alquiler adeudado a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.
El hogar debe estar en riesgo de experimentar falta de vivienda o inestabilidad de la vivienda, lo que puede demostrarse si se adeudan pagos de alquiler a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.
Beneficios
Los hogares aprobados para ERAP pueden recibir:
Hasta 12 meses de pagos atrasados de alquiler para alquileres acumulados a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.
Hasta 3 meses de asistencia adicional para el alquiler si se espera que el hogar gaste el 30 por ciento o más de sus ingresos brutos mensuales para pagar el alquiler.
Hasta 12 meses de pagos atrasados de servicios públicos de electricidad o gas por atrasos que se hayan acumulado a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.
Solicitar
Programa abierto a partir del 1 de junio de 2021. Ahora se aceptan solicitudes. Aplicar aquí>
Dutchess Community Action Partnership is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Contact them by phone: 844-NY1RENT (844-691-7368) For the hearing impaired, TTY phone number: 1-833-843-8829.
Starting Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 8am, the Beacon Chamber of Commerce with Chamber President, Ron Iarossi (owner of Beacon Creamery) will host a Zoom call-in with Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White. Said the Chamber in an email to members: “This will be the first of an ongoing monthly series. The meetings will be designed to update you on what’s happening in Beacon.” According to the Chamber, the first meeting will cover such items as parklets and upcoming TV and film projects. The Chamber encourages businesses to voice their opinions during the call.
City Administrator Chris announced the call during the May 24, 2021 City Council Meeting, where he mentioned the call as an opportunity to speak directly to businesses to get their feedback on future decisions made by the Council, such as allowing different events to come to town.
The City Administrator also mentioned wanting feedback on the growing number of film productions being filmed in Beacon. “Some of the businesses,” Chris recalled, “the last time we filmed, they loved it and made some money. Others weren't so happy.“
The City Administrator alluded to the Cupcake Festival as an example of an event he knew not to have. While some businesses like an art gallery were not happy for the large crowd, restaurants and some retail businesses did very well when the Cupcake Festival came to town, produced by Pamal Broadcasting, the home of K104.7. Beacon Bath and Bubble was one of the biggest critics of the event, but the day after it left town, the owner reversed her opinion after her sales yielded “Christmas numbers,” which means she sold a lot and was happy. Here is ALBB’s economic study of the festival on businesses.
Parking was a problem, and regular tourists and residents were not able to walk down a large section of Main Street as it was closed for the festival. Said K104.7 the year they did not return to Beacon and instead moved to Stormville: “We were hoping to come back to Beacon this year, but given the growing attendance and space/parking constraints, we had to look elsewhere. We’re looking forward to keeping it in the county and growing the festival in new and exciting ways.” One Beacon boutique, La Mere, followed the cupcakes to Stormville in her La Mere Mini trailor boutique on wheels, and had a good sales day.
The City Administrator Chris said during the 5/24/2021 City Council Meeting that he hopes to “activate” the parks, declaring his desire to start “activating the parks and have something cool going on,” as if the parks are underutilized and underenjoyed by locals, which they are not. They are treasured by locals. The City Administrator Chris continued: “The money is not the reason to do it. The reason is to bring people and businesses to Beacon. People think ‘Wow, I want to bring my business here.’”
The first event of the season post-pandemic in one of Beacon’s parks was a Makers Market hosted by Hops on Hudson. The event occupied part of the Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, and required tickets to get in. While the City Administrator saying that Pete & Toshii Seeger Riverfront park was open to the public despite the large event, police were down by the entrance near the lily pads blocking the opening, under instruction when hired to provide event-duty. People wanting to enter the park needed to speak to the police officer to request permission to go beyond their blockade or state their intent. Police were directing traffic to parking areas from as far away as Beekman Street near the MTA Police barracks.
How To Join The Business Call
The business meeting will be on Zoom, and attendees can join by following this link:
Meeting ID: 882 4189 0659 Passcode: 031504 One tap mobile +19292056099,,88241890659#,,,,*031504# US (New York) +13126266799,,88241890659#,,,,*031504# US (Chicago)
Sounding of Taps, by Dani Masterson Day: Sunday - Monday, May 30, 31, 2021 Time: Start time is 3pm for 24 hours Location: Mesier Park in the Village of Wappingers Falls
As reported in the Beacon Free Press, Dani Masterson, National bugler for the Spirit of 45 and New York State Director of Bugles Across America, will lead the sounding of Taps in a 24-hour tribute for Veterans on May 30 through May 31, Memorial Day. Beginning at 3pm on May 30, Dani will sound the 24 notes to Taps every hour and continue for the following 24 hours.
Normally she is in Washington, DC to commemorate, but wanted to do something different this year. "I learned how precious it is to have a bugler come to the grave site and honor the loved one with the sounding of live Taps. It is a ceremony where family and friends can all join together to say 'goodbye, well done and thank you!' to heir Veteran family member. It is a time to honor, and a time to mourn the ultimate sacrifice of their Veteran family member," Dani told the Beacon Free Press. www.AmericanTapsGirl.org
Memorial Day Ceremonies in Beacon:
Small Wreath Ceremony Day: Monday, May 31, 2021 Time: 9am Location: Bridge on East Main Street Near Roundhouse Small Wreath Ceremony Day: Monday, May 31, 2021 Time: 11am Location: Veteran Memorial Building, 413 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Memorial Day Eve Flag-Changing Ceremony at Walkway Over The Hudson: Day: Sunday, May 30, 2021 Time: 8pm Location: Walkway Over the Hudson, 61 Parker Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY
On Sunday, May 30th at 8pm, the Walkway Over the Hudson will host a sunset Memorial Day Eve flag-changing ceremony to honor local servicemembers who lost their lives defending their country. Dani Masterson will also be sounding Taps at that ceremony.
Memorial Day Convoy Through Dutchess County & Ceremony: Day: Monday, May 31, 2021 Time: See below. Wave or salute as they drive by. Location: The Beacon route will go down Verplanck to Rte. 52
Dutchess County Veterans’ Services will host its annual ceremony at the Dutchess County War Memorial in Poughkeepsie at 11am. In addition, a convoy of law enforcement and military vehicles will travel throughout Dutchess County communities; the convoy will travel in both an inner and outer loop throughout the county, beginning at 9am and 11:30am, respectively. A map of the convoy’s routes is available online. Map >
Kayak and Bannerman Castle Private Tour Day: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 10 am - 1 pm Location: Storm King Adventure Tours, 4 Duncan Ave., Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY 12520 Information >
Modern Fossils at Woodstock-New Paltz Art & Craft Fair Day: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 10 am - 5:30 pm Location: Field of Dreams Park, 241 Libertyville Rd, New Paltz, New York 12561 Information >
Art Exhibition: Answer Tell Pray Answer Look Tell Answer Answer Tell Day: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 1 pm - 5 pm Location: Ann Street Gallery, 104 Ann St, Newburgh, NY Information >
Bardavon presents Virtual Cinema – Hermitage The Power of Art Day: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 1 pm Location: Bardavon 1869 Opera House, 35 Market St., Poughkeepsie, NY Information >
The Lost Cowboys Day: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm Location: The Barn at Gardiner Brewing Company, 699 State Route 208, Gardiner, NY 12525 Information >
Fairy House Hunt Day: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 10:30 am - 5 pm Location: Locust Grove Estate, 2683 South Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Information >
Farm Yoga Day: Saturday, May 29, 2021 Time: 9 am - 10 am Location: Fishkill Farms, 9 Fishkill Farm Rd, Hopewell Junction, NY Information >
Celebrate Summer @ Colorant
Days: Saturday, May 29 from 11-6 pm ORGANIC MICROGREENS SALE
Heather Mcardle from Fort Green Farms will be offering a wildly colorful and nutritious assortment of fresh Microgreens. Concentrated in nutrients & packed with flavors, Microgreens are delicious and healthy additions to juices, smoothies, and salads. Choose from her selection of spicy blend, medicine mix, and radish mix, to name a few.
Sunday, May 30th from 11-6 pm: SAMOSA SHACK
Using natural & local farm fresh ingredients, Samosa shack puts a global artisanal twist on the ever-popular Indian street treat. With a rotating plant-based menu, Samosa Shack will be offering their traditional favorites along with some in-season dishes that you won't want to miss!
Mount Gulian Historic Site Tour Day: Sunday, May 30, 2021 Time: 12 pm Location: Mount Gulian Historic Site, 145 Sterling Street, Beacon, NY 12508 Information >
F+S Mini MRKTs
Day: Sunday, May 30, 2021 Time: 10 am - 4 pm Location: Uptown Shopping District, Kingston, NY *Enter at the corner of Crown & John Street
F+S Mini MRKTs convene artisans and designers from the Hudson Valley and beyond for a weekly market offering a curated selection of handmade and carefully crafted products. An extension of Field + Supply, a biannual maker fair held in Kingston, NY, and a shoppable website, F+S Mini MRKTs are free and open to the public. Learn more at fieldandsupply.com.
EAT CHURCH
3091 U.S. 9, Cold Spring, NY
Let out a big sigh of relief, life as we knew it has resumed (with a lot of extra!). Eat Church is back at Industrial Arts Brewing in Beacon! The truck will be there:
Thu + Fri: 3 - 8pm
Sat: 12 - 8pm
Sun: 12 - 7pm
Go see them at 511 Fishkill Ave, Beacon, NY - order online or in-person!
The next dates at Marbled Meat Shop is TBD! Website >
Eat Church is a Sponsor!, thank you!
Beacon Bread Company 193 Main St. Insider Tip: The coffee at Beacon Bread is serious. Brewed by a woman-owned roaster in Cold Spring, the coffee menu in this bread shop needs to be mulled over by you. Check out their coffee & espresso bar for hot drip, iced, hot chocolate, espresso, macchiatos, cortados, lattes, americanos, matches, affogatos, and golden milk lattes! Grab a cheese danish to go, or stay awhile and enjoy the waffle house special or the focaccia caprese. Many more options, including vegan options for both breakfast & lunch. Open 7 days a week from 8 am - 5 pm. Menu > Order Pick Up or Delivery > Beacon Bread Company is a Sponsor, thank you!
MEYERS OLDE DUTCH
184 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Meyers Olde Dutch is OPEN! Looking as beautiful as ever! Make sure to follow @meyersoldedutchbeacon on Instagram for updates and stop in to get your fresh-made burgers, twice-cooked fries, and Beacons best cocktails! Says Owner/Chef Brian: "We are so excited to be back in this space! Dine out, order online for pick up, or delivery!" NEW HOURS:
Sunday - Thursday: Kitchen 11:30am-9pm, Bar 'till 10
Friday and Saturday: Kitchen 11:30am-11pm, Bar 'till 12am. POP-UP LIVE MUSIC: Friday night, catch former bartender Matthew Pop for 90's Night: 9pm-11pm Order Now > Meyers Olde Dutch is a Sponsor, thank you!
Tito Santana Taqueria 142 Main St.
In queso you were wondering, Tito Santana Taqueria uses only seasonal ingredients to make each bite a bite that you will never forget! Everything from chicken tacos, pork tacos, shrimp tacos, and tofu tacos! Oh, and burritos, bowls, salads empanadas, quesadillas, tostadas, and soups! Began & gluten-free options too. PS: Tacos are only $2 on Tuesdays! Menu > Catering > Tito Santana Taqueria is a Sponsor, thank you!
HOMESPUN
232 Main Street, Beacon, NY
New Rosé in-store and it is SO GOOD. Buy it easily online in Homespun's Wine Store! Be sure to use the discount codes for orders over $75 and $100 for 10% and 15% off your order respectively! (You can see the discount codes at the top of their website. We are REALLY excited about these! Syrah Rosato from the one and only @amerighistefano in Cortona, Tuscany... Saint-Pourçain made by Sylvain Miniot for @marytaylorwine ... @garaliswinery and their Muscat of Alexandria/Limnio blend from the Greek isle of Lemnos, and finally a new one from @rosenthalwinemerchant & Domaine Les Mesclances, which is certified organic and grown just 3km from the Mediterranean Sea. OPEN HOURS:
Thursday - Monday, 10am-7pm Monthly wine subscription > Order Food > Order Wine > Homespun is a Sponsor, thank you!
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Hudson Valley Food Hall is always hopping every weekend! From music to pop-ups, you will always find something different going on. So many different options to satisfy everyone's needs!
Follow their foodies directly: Miz Hattie's BBQ: Southern Style BBQ, from North Carolina. Order ahead via their Toast-app menu! Momo Valley: Himalayan Spiced Hand-Crafted MoMo & More Barb's Fry Works: Gourmet, small-batch loaded fries. And salads. Roosevelt Bar: Cocktail Bar in a well-ventilated space with Outdoor Patio! Hudson Valley Food Hall is a Sponsor, thank you!
BAJA 328 328 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Tacos from Baja 328! Yum! There is something so different about a taco that is made with the freshest ingredients! Baja does it every time. Stop in & grab a few. Your belly will thank you. Don't forget to check out the specials that are always on the menu! Enjoy the best view from Main St. while sitting by the garage doors! Check out their specialty drinks > Check out the specials >
BAJA 328 is a Sponsor, thank you!
W.T.F Beacon 195 Main St. The views from inside of W.T.F Beacon are dramatic. What an ambiance. You must try their burgers (all burger eateries in Beacon are friends!) No better way to enjoy delicious burgers, seafood, cocktails, and more! Our suggestion for this weekend? Hmm... this is hard (because we would choose all if we could) but we choose the 'Spice Up Your Life' house cocktail with the poutine to start, and the chicken cutlet Milanese for dinner. OPEN HOURS: Fridays & Saturdays: 6pm - 10pm Tuesdays: A limited pop-up menu from Extra Sauce Brooklyn via Chef Lee Knoppel (Chopped, Food Network guy) with a guest bartender and open mic in the back patio Menu > W.T.F Beacon is a Sponsor, thank you!
Ziatun
244 Main St.
Ziatun is where you need to go to satisfy your craving for Middle Eastern cuisine & has Vegan-Friendly options! Pictured here is the Rice Bowl. Place an order from the train if you're commuting back from the City! Ziatun will have your food ready to go when you get to Beacon. 🥙 Open Sunday-Thursday 12-8 pm. Do Menu > Order Online > Ziatun is a Sponsor, thank you!
Two Way Brewing Company
18 West Main St. WELCOME! Two Way Brewing is a new sponsor with ALBB! We are so excited & grateful to have them. BREAKING NEWS! Two Way Brewing is opening their new kitchen! Two Way Brewing has been without a full kitchen for some time and they finally found new partners to make it all happen. This is the week they're up and running, including Memorial Day! The food is from The Flying Jib, serving upscale pub fare.
Go on in & check them out! OPEN:
Thursday 4:00pm - 9:00pm
Friday 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm - 9:00pm
Sunday 1:00pm - 8:00pm Two Way Brewing Company is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon Edward Said, “Out of Place” - “From one of the most important intellectuals of our time comes to an extraordinary story of exile and a celebration of an irrecoverable past. A fatal medical diagnosis in 1991 convinced Edward Said that he should leave a record of where he was born and spent his childhood, and so with this memoir, he rediscovers the lost Arab world of his early years in Palestine, Lebanon, and Egypt.
Said writes with great passion and wit about his family and his friends from his birthplace in Jerusalem, schools in Cairo, and summers in the mountains above Beirut, to boarding school and college in the United States, revealing an unimaginable world of rich, colorful characters and exotic eastern landscapes. Underscoring all is the confusion of identity the young Said experienced as he came to terms with the dissonance of being an American citizen, a Christian and a Palestinian, and, ultimately, an outsider. Richly detailed, moving, often profound, ‘Out of Place’ depicts a young man’s coming of age and the genesis of a great modern thinker.”
This & many more good reads from Binnacle! Stop in & pick up the book you won't want to put down.
Binnacle Books is a Sponsor, thank you!
KAIGHT SHOP
512 Main Street, Beacon
Happy Anniversary to Kaight Shop! This weekend marks 5 years for this curated boutique on Beacon's East End! Says owner Kate: "We are so grateful to be part of this diverse and ever evolving community. To show our appreciation to both our customer community and our fellow small business community, we are doing a raffle! Shop with us this week (no minimum purchase required) and be entered in our raffle. Prizes include $50 gift cards to each of the following local businesses: Beacon Mercantile, Shop Berte, Utensil Shop, Wonderbar Beacon, Kitchen Coffee Beacon, and a $250 gift card to KAIGHT!" DEADLINE: Raffle Ends Monday, May 31. Winners chosen and announced Wednesday, June 2!
"Thank you for your support;" says Kate. "We are so grateful to continue to be here to serve our community." PS: Thursdays are Locals Day at Kaights! Locals get 10% on everything not on sale. Shop Online > Kaight Shop is a Sponsor, thank you!
BRETT'S HARDWARE 18 West Main Street, Beacon
You never know when the weather is going to dip, which is why...Patio heaters from Brett's Hardware! Perfect for enjoying the outdoors even on chilly nights. Keeps you warm & creates a fun look for your outdoor patio. Brett's does have patio umbrellas to complete your look. For when it drizzles and you still want to be outside. Being outside is our favorite (if you couldn't tell) Brett's Hardware is a Sponsor, thank you!
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, Beacon
You must check out Luxe Optique's Spring Collection. We're loving what we're seeing from Emmanuelle Khanh’s Spring 21 collection specifically. C'mon, you know your eyewear needs an upgrade & what's a better way to do that than with a pair like these?! Classy, fashionable, chic, minimal - should we keep going? PS - these stunning oversize acetate frames are handmade in France.
Monday: 10 AM–5 PM
Tues-Sat:10 AM–6 PM
Sunday: Closed Shop Online > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
LA MÉRE CLOTHING AND GOODS
436 Main Street, Beacon
The Acrylic Ring from La Mere is so dreamy! The Floating Floral Ring takes accessorizing to the next level. Stop in & take a look at the NEW Spring arrivals along with the accessories to match. Open 11-6 and always open online!
Yanarella Dance Studio 312 Main St., Beacon, NY
If you haven't been to Yanarella's baby-wearing infant class, there are still some classes left! so don't worry. They have added:
ANTALEK & MOORE INSURANCE AGENCY
340 Main Street, Beacon
Antalek & Moore is taking part in The Great Hudson Valley Scavenger Hunt with @dcrcoc Earn at least 21 points or more by visiting Chamber member locations, such as @antalekmoore, during the contest period and by scanning a QR code poster prominently placed at these locations. Sign your team up for a chance to win a $2,021 cash Grand Prize, additional cash awards, and other amazing prizes! It's FREE to play with NO STRINGS attached. The contest runs from today, May 24 – June 6 and you can enter at any time before or during the event. Stay up to date with their latest announcements > Give Antalek & Moore a call today: 845-831-4300 and visit their website. Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle's Office Hours is a Private, Small-Group Session for Media Members of Tin Shingle. We are able to connect together in person via video conference calls. Both Thanksgiving and Christmas happen during the next Pitch Whisperer session, so the 4 session dates are set to accommodate those vacation days. If you want to join in on these Office Hours, activate your membership so that you can access the secret link: www.tinshingle.com/membership
Bring your ideas.
Bring your questions.
Bring your confusions.
Bring your doubts.
Bring your joy.
Because we are doing this.
Getting the word out there about your business!
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Your website is your most solid footprint for people to know what you do and how to buy from you. Social media accounts offer an emotional connection to your brand, and your website needs to reflect that energy. The designers and lead producer, Katie Hellmuth Martin, can guide you through this process and design you a website that both looks stunning, and works well to help people do what you need them to at your website.
ALBB's Business Directory is a Deep Dive List of services you need right now in Beacon and the Hudson Valley. There is a lot of talent here in the 12508 and beyond and we want to highlight all of them. Check out the Business Directory HERE.
PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.
During the research for the story on the man who was Tasered by MTA Police on Main Street on May 19, 2021, in response to an alleged complaint of threats, ALBB learned that a new incident occurred on Main Street on May 25, 2021 that involved City of Beacon Police and New York State Police. On that day, we reached out to the City of Beacon Police for confirmation and any detail they could provide.
Today, Lt. Figlia from the City of Beacon Police responded to ALBB with detail from the City of Beacon Police. The detail is provided in full below:
###
The following message has been written by Lt. Figlia of the Beacon Police:
We believe that the nature of this incident is, at least to some extent, related to the mental health of an individual. In order to protect that individual’s privacy, we will not be releasing any identifying information about the individual, nor will we comment on any incidents that did not involve City of Beacon Police Department members. However, the matter you are inquiring about is of considerable public concern, so we want to provide the public with as much information as we can responsibly share.
On 5/25/21 at approximately 10:48 AM the Beacon Police Department received a call for male, who was identified by name, inside of a business on Main St. screaming, “fuck you bitch” at a female employee and refusing to leave. When officers were dispatched to the call, MTA PD advised BPD over the radio that they had an active warrant for individual. BPD officers then located him on Main St. and took him into custody without incident. He was then transported directly to MTA PD’s Beacon HQ where he was turned over to them. Any questions about the nature of the warrant should be directed to the MTA PD.
At approximately 1:25 PM the same day the Beacon Police Department received three separate calls about the same individual on Main St. yelling at people and being involved in an altercation. BPD officers responded and approached the individual, who was now in need of psychiatric evaluation at a hospital under New York State Mental Hygiene Law, as it had become apparent from his actions that he was presenting a danger to himself and others. As officers approached, the individual fled on foot before they could speak to him. BPD officers pursued him with the intent of taking him into custody for transport to MidHudson Regional Hospital. During that time a passing New York State Trooper observed this and self-initiated joining the pursuit. The trooper utilized a taser on the individual. BPD officers then took the individual into custody without further incident and transported him to MidHudson Regional Hospital for psychiatric treatment. As of approximately 12:30 PM on 5/26/21 the individual was observed to be out of MidHudson Regional and back in Beacon. Any questions about the use of force and the taser should be directed to the New York State Police.
On 5/26/21 someone came into BPD HQ to file charges against the same individual for allegedly threatening to kill them. This year, from 2/28/21 to 5/26/21 the Beacon Police Department has had 42 contacts with the individual in question. Of these contacts, 36 have been due to calls from the public. They have primarily been for threatening or harassing behavior, walking in front of vehicles and very aggressive panhandling. The individual in question has been approached by our co-housed Mental Health America of Dutchess County Behavioral Health Specialist on numerous occasions and has continuously refused many attempts at assistance and services.
PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.
To ALBB’s knowledge, City of Beacon Police Officers did not participate in those Marches (please write in to correct us if you were an officer who participated - even if anonymous!), with the exception of Lieutenant Figlia, who is still active with the City of Beacon Police, and contributed his story after one of the marches at an open mic session. During that experience, he shared his story of domestic abuse by his father towards himself and his mother, and how it inspired him to become a police officer to serve and protect others.
Otherwise, the then Chief Kevin Junjulas did not participate, was terse during City Council Meetings when asked questions about process by the Council, and retired shortly into the racial reckoning awakening in June 2020.
This week, a protest was held by Beacon4Black Lives after a young man known locally for mental instability and aggression was tasered by MTA Police on Main Street on the sidewalk. Details of the incident are here. This use of force act prompted some in the community to gather together to march to the MTA Police District 7 barracks, a sleepy little house-like structure on Beekman Street that normally nobody pays any mind to.
Over the past year, the people of Beacon have been successfully working with the City of Beacon’s Police and City Council to build relationships at the leadership level and community level for form a state mandated Police Reform plan. This incident from the MTA Police was out of character with what has been discussed within the community, which included a heavy focus on mental health and policing. Therefore, the tasering action of a mentally unstable, albeit unpleasant person on the surface, shocked many people into focus on MTA Police and learn more about them.
When the community members marched from Chase Bank on Main Street, to the MTA Police barracks on Beekman Street, they were met by 7 MTA Police Officers standing in front of the barracks at 8:45pm on the evening of Tuesday, May 25, 2021. One officer standing in front of the barracks wore a white shirt, and the rest of the officers were in dark uniforms. The officer in the center had his hand near his shirt collar, while others stood by, arms folded, and eventually leaned on the building columns and relaxed their postures.
Two other officers in white shirts approached up the hill to the south of the barracks near the police parking lot. Community members in this protest were escorted by City of Beacon Police, who had maintained a moving blockade down Main Street, and closed Beekman Street at the District 7 barracks to divert cars while the community members stood in the middle of the road, asking the MTA Police Officers questions.
This was the first time in a year that police officers had come out to meet community members demanding their attention. While the moment was awkward - as the officers and the community members did not know what to say to each other during this unexpected turnout - it was refreshing. Questions were asked of the officers, to learn more about them. All officers remained silent. Questions included:
Do you communicate with the City of Beacon Police on people known to this area? On the platform and on Main Street, as the people go back and forth. How does the communication work?
Do you come to this District 7 each time? Are you are other Districts? Or are you familiar with Beacon? Or are you in Long Island and other areas and sometimes here? PARTIAL ANSWER: We have since learned from the community that MTA Police Captain Pisanelli at District 7 in Beacon is a generational Beaconite - Hello!
How are you feeling right now?
When you tase someone, does it also affect your body? Does the electricity also go into your body? We wanted to hear from you on the experience, rather than read about it in newspapers.
When the officers did not respond, one community member stated: “We’re the people they are supposed to protect and serve, and they don’t want to talk to us.”
When the police did not respond, one of the group leaders, who is Black and whose dad is a corrections officer, spoke to the officers via his megaphone:
“We’re sad of seeing Black and Brown lives being hurt.”
A woman from the community broke in to say: “You’re doing your job, and we respect that.”
The march organizer continued: “And we want things to change. We want answers. We want solutions. We want things to change. We want things to get better. I don’t want to drive down the street and be afraid of being pulled over. I could be killed. And that’s the fact of the matter. My dad’s a Corrections Officer, and he still tells me to do a certain thing and act a certain way in front of police, because if they don’t know me, they can kill me at any point. And it really saddens us. It makes us so sad, that we have to do this. The reality is, even when we do this, and we come down here, and try to have an actual conversation with y’all as people, as people of your comunity, and you still won’t have enough respect for us to talk to us. And that’s terrible. You know what I mean?”
With questions asked and statements made, the protest ended. One of the organizers used a curse word to express his feelings, and the other organizer gently shepherded everyone home.
PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.
UPDATE 5/25/2021: We have since learned that MTA Police jurisdiction covers the Hudson line, and that they can go into the communities along the train. One reader wrote in to say that she received a ticket for expired registration on her car on the road while passing Boscobel, which is on 9D. We have also learned that the man was not chased from the platform to Main Street. According to MTA Media Relations, a complaint was made about him by “a pair of women” after he verbally harassed them and then he walked away from them. After the man walked away from them, the women made the complaint. The MTA Police Officer put the complaint over the wires, and about 20 minutes later, according to MTA Media Relations, two other MTA Police Officers detained him on Main Street just a few storefront shops in from Wolcott Avenue.
The organization Beacon4Black Lives has organized a March and gathering to speak against the actions taken by the MTA Police tonight (Tuesday) at 7:45pm. Beacon4Black Lives state: “Meet at Chase Bank at 7:45pm. We are going to March to the MTA Police Station (on Beekman Street, across Wolcott) for a peaceful gathering. Bring signs, megaphones, and flashlights! Share this and invite friends, family and anyone or everyone in the area who is willing to stand up and say this can’t go any further. They can’t hurt a Black life in our town or anywhere. I hope as many people who came out last year when Black Lives Matter was trending and said they support us come and help us get justice. We cannot allow the police to hurt us anymore.”
View of the train platform at Beacon’s MTA train station, from the MTA Police Station. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was apprehended and tasered 20 minutes later on Main Street in Beacon outside of storefronts. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
EDITORIAL NOTE 5/25/2021: The MTA Media Relations has responded with detail since this publishing, and this article has been updated to reflect what they say happened.
According to a bystander at the scene of the tasering, when the MTA Police apprehended the man and pushed him up against storefront glass windows on Main Street, where one bystander said they thought the window would break. After getting him to the ground, according to a bystander, the MTA Police Officers told the man they were going to taser him, and then did taser him at least 3 times, according to the bystander.
The reaction to this story in Beacon has been similar across the board:
“I didn’t know that the MTA Police were real. I thought they were like mall security guards.”
“I hope it’s not that guy who I think it is. He’s a Black man not too tall and clearly has some mental health issues. I see him walk between the train and town all the time.”
One bystander described to ALBB how the MTA Police Officer answered when asked why the man was being tasered: “He held and rubbed his jaw a bunch of times saying that the taser shook him up (referring to himself the officer as being shaken from taser) and that the man was threatening people on the street and he keeps getting worse. They have been dealing with him for years,” the bystander said they heard the MTA Police Officer say.
Upon listening to the video, some readers are recognizing the man’s voice. If it is the same man, one female reader said: “I am making red mad faces for the way the MTA Police detained him. I’ve seen him be calm and kind and I’ve seen him be irritable and aggressive. He approached me on Main Street not long ago asking for money. He had his mask down so I asked him to put it up and he did. I told him I didn’t have anything to give him (I didn’t) and he moved along. I see him walk from the train talking to himself sometimes. Over the winter, he would walk up with a blanket wrapped around himself. I have no idea where he lives or if he is houseless.”
Where Does The City Of Beacon Police Fit Into This?
Questions were emailed to Beacon Police Chief Sands Frost, Mayor Lee Kyriacou (technically in charge of the Police in Beacon), City Administrator Chris White (works closely with every department), Colin Milone (assistant to the Mayor), Dan Aymar-Blair (Councilmember who co-authored Beacon’s Police Reform Resolution and has questioned Beacon’s inventory of tasers, even though this was MTA Police action), Air Nonken Rhodes (Councilmember who co-authored Beacon’s Police Reform Resolution), and Terry Nelson (Councilmember representing Ward 1, which is where this incident happened).
So far ALBB has not received a response from the City of Beacon, but if one comes in, this article will be updated. MTA’s Media Relations team did respond to us within 24 hours after questions were submitted. The questions emailed to the above mentioned City of Beacon group are as follows:
How does jurisdiction work between MTA Police and Beacon Police?
If a person is accused of doing something at the train station, and then runs up the hill and into Beacon via Main Street or other street, are the MTA Police allowed to pursue and apprehend that person?
Do the MTA Police call Beacon Police when entering Beacon?
Readers are beginning to comment that they are familiar with the man who was electrocuted. That he is known to walk between the train station and Main Street often, who is known to have mental health issues. One of the MTA Police Officers also said the man is known to have mental health issues, and is “getting worse.” Is electrocuting him the recommended way to help him?
With the new Mental Health professional, Lashaveous Dicker, working for Beacon alongside Beacon Police, would this be something he would be called for?
Does the MTA Police know that Lashaveous Dicker is working in Beacon?
Do the MTA Police and Beacon Police communicate as to how to handle people that they both encounter on a regular basis?
The pictures below show one of the paths up from the train station to Main Street. The walk involves the long and winding road of Beekman Street, which is where the MTA Police Station is, past the Beacon Police Station which is built into a hill, and then across Wolcott Avenue, where Main Street starts.
A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the MTA to confirm or clarify details of the Tasering of a mentally ill man on Main Street on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. ALBB sought the details of how the MTA Police were alerted to the initial issue to cause them to pursue the main in question.
A reader submitted partial video of the incident, along with testimony of what that person recording video said they saw. Other people who were on the street that day, and other days, have chimed in with additional details. These details are being included here if they cross referenced each other.
According to the MTA, the man in question was harassing people on the train platform at the Beacon station, shouting obscenities, and threatening. Prior to this, an MTA Police Officer who was just walking on patrol at the Beacon station saw this man behaving erratically, saying curse words.
The man in question then left. After the man left, a pair of women reported to the MTA Police Officer that he had been threatening them, saying “I am going to kill you,” and cursing. Once those threats were made clear to the officer, the officer informed - aka “put it over the wire.” ALBB has not pursued video footage of the platform to confirm the activity. ALBB is awaiting answer from the MTA on if its officers wear body cameras.
Roughly 20 minutes later, a pair of other MTA Police Officers responded by finding the man in question, who at that point was at the beginning of Main Street. That is where they sought to detain the man. That is when he resisted arrest, and the Taser came out and was used on the man on Main Street outside of storefront shops.
According to a witness, the MTA Police Officers pressed the man in question up against storefront windows in order to apprehend him. The witness on Main Street told A Little Beacon Blog: “The officer said he was resisting arrest, but they had him in a hold, so the other cop said: 'I’m going to taser you’ like 3 times. And they did. Several times, and he screamed.”
A witness on Main Street said: “They told me the man they apprehended has a long history of arrests and is mentally ill, but they Tasered him a lot…There were caps all over the place. The cop cleaned up some after.”
As seen in the video, after being Tasered, the officer delivering the electric charge tells the man to “stand up.” The man is held by the second officer from behind, and the man states: “Help me get up.” According to the MTA, after the officers placed the man in the car after he was Tasered, and they took him to a hospital, where he was checked to make sure he was fit enough for discharge after being Tasered. He was processed at the MTA District 7 Headquarters (aka “barracks”) on Beekman Street. He was given an appearance ticket for court, and released. He was charged with 3 charges:
Aggravated harassment
Menacing in the 3rd Degree
Resisting arrest
According to the City of Beacon Officer Reynolds on Beacon's information desk, the Beacon Police were not called for this incident.
The man in question is in his early 20s, and may have an address in Poughkeepsie. He has been arrested 22 times by the MTA Police, with several arrests happening in Beacon. Within this month - Mental Health Awareness Month - the man in question had another incident in the middle of Main Street with officers. There was a warrant out for his arrest on a trespassing case, where he had not shown up to court. It is not known if he is houseless, or if he is functional enough to open the mail, or write down a court appearance date in his calendar. It is not known at this time if he carries a calendar.
Beacon Police were dealing with him on Main Street recently. The man has been attempted to be Tasered before in a separate incident by New York State Police, but the taser didn't “stick.”
ALBB has not pursued the number of arrests, if any, made by the Beacon Police or New York State Police. New York State Police also have jurisdiction in Beacon and throughout the state. Here is New York State’s Arrest Without A Warrant criminal procedure that explains where an officer can go throughout the state to make an arrest.
How Does A Taser Work?
According to this New York Times article, a Taser has 2 prongs that are discharged from the Taser to the person. According to the article, for each charge (or discharge), 50,000 volts of electricity are pulsed into the person’s muscles for up to 5 seconds. The goal is to render the muscles frozen. According to the New York Times article, “the shock can cause pain that has been described as excruciating.”
According to this DIY Taser Maker web page, “this gadget generates substantial voltage pulses which can disrupt muscle tissues and neurological system, forcing any individual who touches it into a condition of mental bewilderment.” You can also read about the effects on a person’s body here at ABC News.
Are Tasers Recommended For People With Mental Health Conditions?
According to the New York Times article, “The devices can bring an abrupt halt to a confrontation and disable an uncooperative person, but if they are discharged and don’t work — or even when they do — sometimes the effect can be to make things worse.”
“If a person is angry, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or has a mental illness, the use of a Taser can exacerbate those conditions and inflame a situation, said Joel Feinman, the chief public defender in Pima County in Arizona.”
The man in question in Beacon is known to MTA Officers. The situation that involved this particular Tasering happened after the man allegedly cursed and made threats to the people on the train platform, and had left. It was on Main Street that he was apprehended, resisted, and was Tasered.
This man is one of several mentally delicate people who walk up and down Main Street on a daily basis. He does mumble to himself, curse to himself, and approach people for money. People like himself have been known to walk into storefronts and places of business - or to parking lots - to encounter people with an ask or demand. The experience of when he does that can be jarring and frightening.
Dutchess County prides itself on providing several Mental Health services. During Beacon’s City Council Meetings, several Mental Health presentations have been made this year alone, including information about why hiring a Mental Health professional from Mental Health America of Dutchess County was a good idea. According to the Mid Hudson News: “The addition of a mental health intensive case manager was highlighted as one of the initiatives called for the City of Beacon’s newly adopted police reform plan.
It is not known at this time if that professional thinks it a good end game to continue Tasering this man in question in order to bring peace to his life, and to residents, visitors and businesses owners in Beacon. It is also not clear if Beacon’s new Mental Health professional was consulted by MTA Police on their tactic for dealing with a known mentally unstable person who regularly behaves the same way.
Perhaps they think that electric therapy delivered on the sidewalk is the best treatment. Perhaps Tasers are just protocol, and perhaps MTA Police Officers aren’t encouraged or trained in other ways of dealing with a regular person in the community after in non-violent situation 20 minutes after an alleged incident.
Tasers Mentioned In Beacon’s Police Reform Report
After the murder of George Floyd and the reckoning that awakened after that across the nation, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 203 that all municipalities must deliver their visions of how to police in their communities. At this time, it is not clear if that Executive Order 203 includes MTA Police, other train police, and New York State Police.
The MTA Police, which the MTA says has roughly 30 officers working from the barracks just below the City Of Beacon Police Station who can patrol up and down the region of the Hudson line all the way into Long Island, were not factored into public discussions on Police Reform, but do drive regularly through Beacon, and are authorized to do police work in Beacon.
According to the Highlands Current, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD) was formed in 1998 when the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Railroad Police Departments merged. "After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the department expanded and dramatically expanded its counter-terrorism capabilities," the article reports. In 2005, the department expanded when the Staten Island Railway Police Department also became part of MTAPD.
The Beacon Police Department has a recent history of progressive training. All patrol officers are trained in a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training(“CIT”) course, which helps to train officers to help persons with mental disorders and addictions to access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system.
This evidence-based strategy has been found effective in reducing the risk of injury or death during emergency interactions between police and persons with mental illness. In addition to the CIT Training, the Department conducts regular in-service training on topics including Workplace Violence, Sexual Harassment, Use of Force Policy and Law, De-escalation Techniques, Administration of Narcan (to address opioid overdoses), CPR/AED, Defensive Tactics, Active Shooter Response, Blood-borne Pathogens, and Taser and OC spray (pepper spray) use.
The Department is adding eight hours of Procedural Justice training and eight hours of Implicit Bias training for all officers for 2021. Procedural Justice training focuses on how the police interact with the public. Procedural justice is based on four central principles: "treating people with dignity and respect, giving citizens 'voice' during encounters, being neutral in decision making, and conveying trustworthy motives." Research demonstrates that these principles contribute to relationships between authorities and the community in which 1) the community has trust and confidence in the police as honest, unbiased, benevolent, and lawful; 2) the community feels obligated to follow the law and the dictates of legal authorities, and 3) the community feels that it shares a common set of interests and values with the police.
Last week, Governor Cuomo mandated that all kids ages 2-5 wear face masks while at childcare, day camp and overnight camp. Some childcare advocates responded. On My Way Childcare Owner Peggy Fuentes responded: “We were incredibly disappointed and shocked when we got the guidelines last Wednesday that our children, after 14 months of being unmasked, are required now to be masked,” as reported by Spectrum News.
Initial guidelines can be seen here as reported on by Gothamist, which included: “The new policy applies to staffers and attendees at childcare programs, day camps and overnight camps. Under the rules, the unvaccinated should only remove their face coverings while eating, drinking, showering, swimming or sleeping. The guidance adds that ‘children/campers may also remove face coverings outdoors when they are unable to tolerate a face covering for the physical activity.’”
The Governor’s office stated the following regarding its almost immediate reversal of the guidelines: “Both agencies understand how difficult it is to require the youngest children to wear masks, and have jointly agreed to revise guidance allowing child care providers to continue the practices and protocols that have been in place since the start of the pandemic by encouraging, not requiring, children aged 2-5 to wear masks, effective immediately.”
It is not known if the people running these two agencies are currently raising children between the ages of 2-5.
Dutchess County’s Executive Marcus Molinaro issued the following statement on Monday evening: “Like too many decisions coming from the executive’s offices, forcing young children to wear masks never made any scientific sense. Dutchess was among the first local governments to call on New York State to correct this inconsistency and made clear we would not enforce it. I am heartened to see the State has listened to reason. We trust this will extend to all children in these safe settings. Clearly we are passed time NY end the declared state of emergency and allow local public health official do their jobs without heavy handed State interference.”
UPDATE 5/25/2021: A gathering and march is being held on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 to march against the actions of the MTA Police. Details here.
According to a witness, a man was tasered several times on Main Street in Beacon by MTA Police Officers on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, after he allegedly harassed a woman or women on the train platform down at Beacon’s MTA train station. The MTA Police Officers are separate from the City of Beacon’s Police Department.
During the scene, a MTA Police Officer told a person who witnessed the incident that the man they apprehended has a long history of arrests and is mentally ill. According to Officer Reynolds with the the Beacon Police on May 24, 2021, their department was not called about the man the MTA Police pursued and arrested.
Recently, the City of Beacon hired a Police Officer who specializes in mental health, Lashaveous Dicker, a full-time mental health intensive care manager, who is also an employee with Mental Health America of Dutchess County. He assists Beacon officers on calls relating to mental health issues and substance addiction, and has been introduced to the public during City Council Meetings.
UPDATE 5/25/2021: MTA Media Relations has confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog that the incident first started on the platform at the train, and that a MTA Police Officer patrolling the platform saw a Black man described to be in his 20s behaving erratically and was shouting curse words. The young man then left. After the man left, a pair of women reported to the MTA Police Officer that the man had been threatening them and cursing. Once those threats were made clear to the officer, the officer informed his department by putting it over the wire. Roughly 20 minutes later, a pair of other officers responded to the incident. It is at that time, according to MTA Media Relations, that is where the officers sought to detain the man on Main Street, that is when he resisted arrest, and the taser came out.
The witness on Main Street during the tasering incident said that the officers pressed the man up against a storefront “window so hard, I thought they were going to break it,” the witness told A Little Beacon Blog. “The officer said the man was resisting arrest, but they had him in a hold. The other cop told the man: ‘I’m going to taser you’ like 3 times. And they did. Several times, and he screamed. They continued to taser him after they had him down. I yelled at them to stop. There were caps all over the place. A cop cleaned up some after. I didn’t know what he was doing. They sent someone back later to collect all the caps.”
The person who reached out to A Little Beacon Blog with this information elaborated: “It was quite a scene. Main Street was frozen; stand still for at least 5-10 minutes. At least 3 others were filming with 2 on the street 1 person in a car.”
A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the MTA Police to confirm the incident, and were referred to the MTA’s Press Office, which handles all of the media relations for any question from any MTA location. Police Officers work for the MTA Police in Beacon are not listed on the MTA Police website, including the name of their Police Captain. When A Little Beacon Blog called the MTA Media Relations to inquire, they said they would seek information to confirm details, and needed to confirm how jurisdiction works (ie train station vs Main Street, and if there even are boundaries of jurisdiction), and asked for time to do some digging to find the answers. They have since responded within one day!
UPDATE 5/25/2021: MTA Media Relations has responded with several answers to questions, which have been updated to this article.
At A Little Beacon Blog’s request, Detective Stewart with the MTA Police who answered the phone at the Beacon MTA Police Headquarters, provided the MTA Police Captain’s name as Captain Charles Pisinelli. Detective Stewart said that all questions seeking confirmation needed to go through the MTA Media Relations Office. When asked for the phone number, Detective Stewart stated that only Captain Pisinelli could give it, who was unavailable, but Detective Stewart called back to provide the number to MTA Media Relations. Which is appreciated, since the Media Relations office is quite large, so any point of entry to pursue confirmation is helpful, even though they do have a website.
After the witness saw the taser incident, the witness called Beacon’s Councilmember Terry Nelson, who represents Ward 1, where the apprehension took place. The witness also called Beacon’s Human Rights Commission. What happened after the call to the Human Rights Commission? “It was just a voice mailbox No one has called me back.”
UPDATE 5/25/2021: The Human Rights Commission has since called the Beacon bystander back, saying they have had problems with the phone. These details seem mundane, but it is common in Beacon for inquiries to go unanswered from time to time.
A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to MTA Media Relations representative. Should we hear back, we will update this article. UPDATE 5/25/2021: We have heard back from MTA Media Relations! And this article updated where necessary.
Do the MTA Police have jurisdiction to pursue someone from the train station up from the train into Beacon? To pursue a person from the platform, the person would need to run down the platform, down the stairs from the platform, then up the stairs to the parking lot, then up through the parking lot and up the long steep and curving hill from the train station, cross the busy street of Wolcott Avenue, run past the Beacon Police station, and then run up to Main Street storefronts, where the man was apprehended. ANSWER: Yes. According to MTA Media Relations, the MTA Police have jurisdiction over the region, which includes Long Island, Hamptons, Westchester, and more. In this case, an officer patrolling the platform informed his department, and two other officers in a car apprehended the young man by the time he was on Main Street.
Was the man apprehended charged with anything? ANSWER: Yes. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was charged with: - Aggravated harassment - Menacing in the 3rd Degree - Resisting arrest.
How many times was he tasered?
Where did the man go after being brought to wherever he was brought to? ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, the man was brought to the hospital after being tasered, to see if he was fit enough for discharge. He was processed at the MTA Police District 7 on Beekman Street, and given an appearance ticket to court, and was released.
Where do people go when apprehended by the MTA Police? ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, they go to the MTA Police District 7 on Beekman Street in Beacon.
How many MTA Police are there, and what are their job titles? Like, a Police Chief, Officer, Detective? ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, there are about 30 officers at District 7. They patrol a large area up and down the Hudson River line, not just in Beacon. Beacon happens to be the town in which the barracks are based.
Can you tell me the names of the officers who pursued him, and who made the arrest?
Can you confirm how the MTA Police were alerted to the issue? ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, an officer patrolling the platform first saw activity, and then was complained to by a pair of women, and then notified his department. Two other officers went out to find the man.
Tonight, Beacon’s City Council will meet for a Workshop meeting to discuss the following Agenda topics. As a “Workshop” meeting, this means that the public cannot call in, and the Council does not make legal decisions. A list to the full agenda with links and future video of the meeting is here in ALBB’s Local Government section.
Discussion of 2021 Public Events with City Administrator Chris White and Recreation Director Mark Price
After Beacon’s first shopping event happened at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park this past weekend, it looks like Beacon is considering the pre-pandemic lineup of events, according to this list posted with the Agenda. Several police officers were on duty this weekend to direct traffic down past the train to where parking was available. The market this past weekend was ticketed, but many events and parades on this list are free.
Food Security Update
There is no detail posted with the Agenda packet on this Food Security Update. Perhaps they are updating the public with whether or not the $25,000 granted from the CARES ACT in December 2020, administered through Dutchess County, was spent yet. The granted was earmarked for free groceries. Recreation Director Mark Price told A Little Beacon Blog on April 13, 2021: “We have completed income survey and submitted to Dutchess County CDBG. We have an open purchase order with a local food distributor and are currently selecting items for a weekly delivery to begin in the next couple of weeks. To be distributed alongside the weekly Hudson Valley Food Bank distribution on Wednesdays.”
Affordable Housing Presentation with Cea Weaver of Housing Justice for All
After a presentation last Workshop with Dutchess County, Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair wanted more perspectives that sounded less restrictive of solving the problem of rising rental and home purchase prices.
Proposed Abandonment of City Paper Streets: Morse Street, Be Vier Avenue, and Ryans Avenue
This is a funny topic about streets that were put on paper, but never paved. They are gumming up homeowner surveys when they go to sell their homes. The proposal is to dissolve them and was discussed at a meeting prior. Got an eraser?
6. Proposed Appointment of Eleanor Peck to the Conservation Advisory Committee
7. Proposed Appointment of Pastor Daniel Blackburn to the Commission on Human Rights
In mid May in response to the Palestinian neighborhood, Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, protesting to save their homes from being taken over by Israeli forces, the world started paying attention to the centuries long conflict between Palestine and Israel, which are essentially in the same place.
Local Beaconite and former Councilperson Ali T. Muhammad helped to organize a march with Next Step Hudson Valley and people in the Palestinian and Arab communities living in the Hudson Valley. Several people attended, marching down Broadway and side streets, ending at Rep. Sean Maloney’s district office.
Speeches were made on the steps of his office. Several are posted below for you to view and to hear. Beacon locals Lena Rizkalla and Kamel Jamal were some of the speakers. Kamel later recorded a podcast with ALBB’s sister podcast, “What, What Is That?” which you can listen to here.
The first of many speeches, on the steps of Rep. Sean Maloney’s Newburgh office. This video includes a speech given by Beacon business owner, Kamel Jamal, who is a Palestinian refugee (see minute 9, but don’t miss the other speakers). Kamel spoke with ALBB’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?” for an hour long episode on his experience and thoughts on Palestinian liberation.
Local Beaconite, Lena Rizkalla, a first generation Palestinian, speaks about her Palestinian experience and connection.
This speaker noted how Palestinians helped fight the Nazis in World War II.
Local Beaconite, former Beacon Councilperson, and current Newburgh resident, Ali T. Muhammad, speaks about supporting each other.
Little friends encouraging each other to speak about human rights in Palestine.
A little boy makes simple demands on the steps of Rep. Sean Maloney’s Newburgh office.
A speaker encourages people to continue spreading the word about Palestine.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, launched in 1969 by legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been at the forefront of the environmental movement as a champion of the Hudson River. Clearwater has been one of the leading organizations advocating for and monitoring the closing of Indian Point, which is entering into the decommissioning phase.
Regarding the sale, Governor Andrew Cuomo stated: "As Governor and previously as Attorney General, I have been deeply concerned with the safety of the Indian Point nuclear power facility given its proximity to some of the most densely populated areas in the nation. This is a win for the health and safety of New Yorkers, and the protection of our environment."
The sale of Indian Point to Holtec comes with a number of requirements, some of which are reported on at lohud. New York State’s Department of Public Service stated that an Indian Point Nuclear Decommissioning Oversight Board would be formed as part of the deal. According to reporting, Holtec, which is based in New Jersey, “wants to build an interim underground repository in the New Mexico desert for the 83,000 metric tons of nuclear waste stored at power plants across the U.S.”
To keep the pressure on the Decommissioning Board, Clearwater issued the following press release on Friday, May 21, 2021:
###
The recent announcement that the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the transfer of Indian Point’s licenses to Holtec International makes it urgent that the Commission convene a Decommissioning Oversight Board (DOB) immediately to review the company’s decommissioning plans.
The DOB should be comprised of all State agencies with jurisdiction over various aspects of decommissioning, together with independent scientists and experts in relevant fields, and a diverse group of representatives of affected communities, including environmental justice communities, environmental and citizens’ groups, business, labor, and first responders.
It’s important for the DOB to meet now, with its first order of business being to review Holtec's proposed Post-Shutdown Activities Report – their actual plan for:
Decommissioning
Site remediation
Radioactive waste management.
The plan is deficient in many respects and the DOB will need to get ahead of the many thorny problems that Holtec’s approach raises. Board members must have adequate time to study these issues thoroughly, and the DOB must submit its recommendations before PSC takes any action on it.
The PSC approved the license transfer subject to an agreement jointly negotiated by the state of New York, environmental organizations, Entergy (the former license holder) and Holtec.
Clearwater opposed the license transfer given Holtec’s problematic track record and lack of qualifications. While the joint agreement improves the prospects for a financially and environmentally responsible decommissioning process, it fails to adequately address many of our questions and concerns about Holtec’s plans. These include
Removal of spent fuel from the fuel pools less than 3 years before it has cooled sufficiently to move (especially high burn-up fuel, which requires 7 or more years of cooling)
The lack of rigorous onsite and offsite radiation monitoring needed to protect workers and the surrounding community
Superficial remediation of soils contaminated with radioactivity
No remediation of radioactivity leaking into the groundwater and the Hudson
Serious quality assurance, performance and safety problems with Holtec’s dry storage system for spent fuel
Holtec’s intention to ship high-level radioactive waste (which may include highly irradiated spent fuel) by barge down the Hudson, past New York City, to its consolidated interim storage facilities in New Mexico.
These and other issues related to Indian Point decommissioning raise serious safety concerns calling for diligent examination by the DOB. At the federal level, Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversight has been extremely lax, granting exemptions on request and effectively rubber stamping whatever Holtec proposed whether or not it violated existing regulation, or in some cases, existing law. These important issues need review by the DOB before Holtec resolves them on its own terms. We call on the PSC to empanel the DOB now and convene its first meeting quickly.
It's the weekend! The fast moving pace that is Beacon's Saturdays and Sundays. Word on the street is - people are at least paranoid now for doing U-Turns all over the place. We overheard a conversation about who was thinking they were going to get pulled over. Know how to not get pulled over? By not doing U-Turns - literally all over Beacon. On Willow Street - the rate of U-Turns last Saturday morning was 1 per minute. We have pictures, and we will start posting them.
The Mask Mandate. Beacon's businesses are posting their preferences. Most are keeping others safe by keeping masks UP. So please respect the signs when you see them. Or go home! Love ya :) Plenty of masks still for sale in Beacon's boutiques!
This adorable mask sign is in Meyer's Olde Dutch, which is OPEN starting today! Their new signage was designed by ALBB's sister company Katie James, Inc., and we are recommending whatever cold cocktail they just put on the menu.
THE RETAIL THERAPY GUIDE Edited and Written By Teslie Andrade and Katie Hellmuth Martin
14th Annual Ree-Play Sale Benefiting Community Parks in Beacon
Day: May 21 - May 23 Time: 9 am - 1 pm Location: 724 Wolcott Avenue, Beacon NY (same driveway as the Beacon Pool)
The Ree-Play Children's Tag Sale is a fundraising effort from Wee Play Community Project that impacts your life in Beacon. Not only will you score a major deal on some kids gear that can change your children's lives forever (ok, maybe for 5 minutes), but your purchase contributes to equipment for three parks in Beacon (Tot Park at Memorial Park, Green Street Park, and River Front Park) in addition to kids programming at the Howland Library, and other initiatives around the city. More Information >
All NY, ModernMakersMarket at Beacon
Day: Saturday, May 22, 2021 (10:00am to 6:00pm) & Sunday, May 23, 2021 (10:00am to 5:00pm) Location: Peter and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, 2 Red Flynn Drive, Beacon, NY 12508 Information >
Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Days/Session 4: Saturdays 5/22, 5/29 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: Virtual Information > Spring Craft Fair at Wappinger Town Hall Day: Saturday, May 22, 2021 Time: 10 am - 3 pm Location: 20 Middlebush Rd, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Information >
Sunday Brunch With Danny & Elizabeth at Melzingah Tap House
Day: Sunday, May 23, 2021 Time: 1 pm - 4 pm Location: 554 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508 Information >
Chicken Yoga For The Soul
Day: Sunday, May 23, 2021 Time: 3 pm - 3:45 pm Location: Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park, Beacon, NY Information >
EAT CHURCH
3091 U.S. 9, Cold Spring, NY
Eat Church's next pop-up date at Marbled MEat Shop in Coldspring is TBD, however, they will be at the Beacon Farmers Market on Sunday to deliver you the most delicious bites! Food as punk as truck! Catch them there from 10 am - 3 pm. Follow them on Instagram @eatchurch to stay up to date with their pop-ups! Pictured here, Vietnamese savory crepe (Banh Xeo). Website >
Eat Church is a Sponsor!, thank you!
MEYERS OLDE DUTCH
184 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Just when you thought Meyers couldn't get any better... Frose and frozen citrus aid are here! Meyers Olde Dutch couldn’t wait to be in their new space to get this guy up and running! Go on & sit in the Parklet at 157 Main and try it out. Refreshing on a warm day! All that's missing is a burger & fries ;)
Dine out, order online for pick up, or delivery! Open every day from 11:30-9. Order Now > Meyers Olde Dutch is a Sponsor, thank you!
HOMESPUN
232 Main Street, Beacon, NY
The garden patio at Homespun Foods is the place to be. Sunny, Comfy, and filled with Spring colors & vibes! The parklet is open as well! Enjoy outdoor dining & limited indoor dining. The all-day menu has something for everyone - delicious sandwiches, fresh salads, breakfast, sides, and a kids menu for all to enjoy! Pick up some wine or craft beer while you're at it! Monthly wine subscription > Order Food > Order Wine > Homespun is a Sponsor, thank you!
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Hudson Valley Food Hall is always hopping every weekend! From music to pop-ups, you will always find something different going on. So many different options to satisy everyone's needs!
Follow their foodies directly: Miz Hattie's BBQ: Southern Style BBQ, from North Carolina. Order ahead via their Toast-app menu! Momo Valley: Himalayan Spiced Hand-Crafted MoMo & More Barb's Fry Works: Gourmet, small-batch loaded fries. And salads. Roosevelt Bar: Cocktail Bar in a well-ventilated space with Outdoor Patio! Hudson Valley Food Hall is a Sponsor, thank you!
BAJA 328 328 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Tacos & Margs from Baja 328! Always made with the freshest ingredients so you can enjoy the most delicious dinners, delectable drinks, and delightful desserts. Specials are always on the menu! And not to mention the best view from Main St. while sitting by the garage doors! Check out their specialty drinks > Check out the specials >
BAJA 328 is a Sponsor, thank you!
Tito Santana Taqueria 142 Main St.
Tito Santana Taqueria has a menu that offers a twist on classic tacos and Mexican food that they create from scratch! Daily specials incorporate seasonal ingredients. From delicious fish tacos to tortilla salads. Oh, and not to mention, tacos are only $2 on Tuesdays for Taco Tuesday! Stop in & grab some of the best food around with the atmosphere to match! PS: Inspired Vegan & Gluten-Free options make Tito Santana Taqueria the place to be! Menu > Catering > Tito Santana Taqueria is a Sponsor, thank you!
Beacon Bread Company 193 Main St.
Beacon Bread Company - a full-service bakery and restaurant located in the heart of Beacon, N.Y. Their bakery offers a variety of fresh bread and pastries daily, as well as indoor and outdoor dining service! Their menu offers everything from breakfast and brunch (+ a vegan breakfast & brunch menu), compliments, a coffee & espresso bar, and amazing brunch cocktails! Our suggestion for this weekend? Go for the chicken & waffles!
Open 7 days a week from 8 am - 5 pm! Menu > Order Pick Up or Delivery > Beacon Bread Company is a Sponsor, thank you!
W.T.F Beacon 195 Main St.
W.T.F teamed up with @marbledmeatshop and @beaconbreadcompany to offer a serious burger on a brioche bun for burger connoisseurs. We can tell that by just looking at this photo, you are getting incredibly hungry. W.T.F's menu offers everything from fresh seafood (like naked mussels or tuna tar tar), compliments (such as the loaded potato tots or poutine), plates (chicken cutlet Milanese or the garrison burger - our fav). Order the beyond burger from W.T.F too! Open Fridays & Saturdays from 6 pm - 10 pm. PS: Notice the chalk-art that someone made for them! If it's not washed away by the weekend, you can see it here. Beacon Bread and W.T.F. are both Palestinian-owned businesses. Menu > W.T.F Beacon is a Sponsor, thank you!
Ziatun
244 Main St.
Ziatun offers a Palestinian-Arabic-Middle Eastern menu with many Vegan & Vegetarian. Healthy options so good, you would never guess it was good for you! Enjoy starters, Flatbread Wraps, soups & Salads, Rice, Mezze, Entrees, Hummus, and Coffee & Tea to finish. Go on! Try something new! You won't regret it. Sunday-Thursday 12-8 pm Menu > Order Online > Ziatun is a Sponsor, thank you!
KAIGHT SHOP
512 Main Street, Beacon Sundresses are in!! Sunny dress weather is here and Kaight's, has the unmatched touch in picking out baggy yet form-fitting dresses, skirts and trousers. Yes, trousers, because who says that word anymore, but even the pants at Kaights can be billowy and comfortable for even the hottest day. You'll find several large totes in the store as well. Pictured here is the sweet, feminine Piper Dress, featuring a v-neckline and button front detail, short cuffed "blouson" (new word alert!) sleeves with a tie at the waist. 70% rayon, 30% linen. Made in LA! PS: Thursdays are Locals Day at Kaights! Locals get 10% on everything not on sale. Shop Online > Kaight Shop is a Sponsor, thank you!
BRETT'S HARDWARE 18 West Main Street, Beacon
GET IN THE POOL! It's that time! Brett's Hardware has a lot of pools in stock, thank goodness, but not for long. Trust us, they sell out quickly. Stop in & get yours fast. Nothing like a pool to make Summer that much cooler! (no pun intended). PS: Brett's does sell pool chemicals if you have one of those mini-above-ground pools. Brett's Hardware is a Sponsor, thank you!
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, B
Luxe Optique will have the entire exclusive @FrancisKleinParis in-store until May 22nd! Francis Klein's mission is to design unique, elegant, original frames just for you Run don't walk! Space is limited!
Monday: 10 AM–5 PM
Tues-Sat:10 AM–6 PM
Sunday: Closed Shop Online > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon
Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, “Notes on Grief”
“‘Notes on Grief’ is an exquisite work of meditation, remembrance, and hope, written in the wake of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s beloved father’s death in the summer of 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic raged around the world and kept Adichie and her family members separated from one another, her father succumbed unexpectedly to complications of kidney failure.
Expanding on her original ‘New Yorker’ piece, Adichie shares how this loss shook her to her core. She writes about being one of the millions of people grieving this year; about the familial and cultural dimensions of grief and also about the loneliness and anger that are unavoidable in it. With signature precision of language, and glittering, devastating detail on the page–and never without touches of rich, honest humor–Adichie weaves together her own experience of her father’s death with threads of his life story, from his remarkable survival during the Biafran war, through a long career as a statistics professor, into the days of the pandemic in which he’d stay connected with his children and grandchildren over video chat from the family home in Abba, Nigeria. In the compact format of ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ and ‘Dear Ijeawele,’ Adichie delivers a gem of a book–a book that fundamentally connects us to one another as it probes one of the most universal human experiences. Notes on Grief is a book for this moment—work readers will treasure and share now more than ever–and yet will prove durable and timeless, an indispensable addition to Adichie’s canon.”
Binnacle Books is a Sponsor, thank you!
LA MÉRE CLOTHING AND GOODS
436 Main Street, Beacon
La Mere has all of the outfits you need for Spring & Summer! Jeans, Dresses, Skirts, Tanks, Blouses, Hats, Sandals, and way more! Stop in & take a look at the NEW Spring arrivals. Open 11-6 and always open online! You deserve to treat yourself & you don't need to justify it...
Yanarella Dance Studio 312 Main St., Beacon, NY
Yanarella Dance's Island Adventure Summer Dance Camp! Filled with amazing themes to keep your child entertained and happy throughout the summer! Each day will have a different adventure theme - from traveling through the jungle to mermaids & pirates. Your child will be instructed in ballet, tap, jazz + contemporary & hip-hop (ages 6-12 only). Take the opportunity to explore new styles of dance like hula dancing, baton twirling, and tumbling! Plus, create different crafts that fit with the day's theme.
9 am - 11 am (Ages 3-5)
9 am - 1 pm (Ages 6-12)
Yanarella also partnered with Tironda pre-school and is offering 30-minute dance classes every Thursday during their camp in July.
PS. Limited space is available! Register for Summer Dance Camp by June 1 to save $10!
ANTALEK & MOORE INSURANCE AGENCY
340 Main Street, Beacon
What is Manufacturers Insurance and Do You Need it?
Antalek & Moore has all of the answers! Antalek & Moore makes it a priority to help protect the manufacturing industry in the face of possible setbacks. They believe the manufacturing industry is an extremely valuable asset to our economy but the production and manufacturing of goods is highly complex and can result in a variety of unique and intricate risks. In order for your business to run successfully, you depend on the continued functionality of your property. Any hiccup or delay can result in major financial setbacks.
Stop in to find out how they can protect your business. Stay up to date with their latest announcements > Give Antalek & Moore a call today: 845-831-4300 and visit their website. Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
The private community of Tin Shingle is an idea-generating paradise. Our membership contains awesome entrepreneurs, small business owners, experts, and service providers passionate about empowering themselves and others in their business journey.
The “Community Boards" are Tin Shingle's forum located on Google Groups. Talk to other Tin Shingle members and easily navigate past conversations to learn about what is working for others, and to find great advice working for others. Find and give advice on everything small business, social media, public relations, and more. This is also where you can submit your pitch to the media for us all to give you feedback on it before you send it (don't worry - we're really supportive!).
Your information is private here. These are locked down, private pages that members of Tin Shingle can see and that's it.
How to Get in This Group: Once a member of Tin Shingle, you are automatically given access to this group. Activate a membership now to join in on the fun!
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Grand Rising, friends! That is the morning mantra of Nickeya Allen, the Millennial Matriarch you have seen participating in community, economic and housing development spaces. Nickeya's capacity is vast and vital, and she needed a logo to capture all that she offers. Tapping into her vibe and messaging over the years, Katie James, Inc. designed this logo for her, and are honored that it was accepted by Nickeya to represent her brand. The 3 pillars of Millennial Matriarch are: Business Development, Proposals, and Liberation Projects.
Says Nickeya: "The work is intertwined with mindset coaching for those that wish to change the trajectory of our futures, unapologetically developing a better foundation that is beneficial for younger generations to come up in by way of fostering liberating experiences in business and leading vigorous acts of change!" Today Nickeya, a mother of 2 kids, walked across the stage at Mount Saint Marry College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. 🤞🏾
Last month, Nickeya's project, YBG Lit Expo, was awarded the New York Council on the Arts & Arts Midhudson (administered by Arts Midhudson).
HIRING: Part-Time Production Assistant At SallyeAnder Details >
HIRING: Administrative Assistant At Daniel Aubry Realty Details >
HIRING: Teacher Assistant At Care 4 Me, Inc. Details>
HIRING: Office Assistant At Gilded Audio Details >
HIRING: Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County Details >
ALBB's Business Directory is a Deep Dive List of services you need right now in Beacon and the Hudson Valley. There is a lot of talent here in the 12508 and beyond and we want to highlight all of them. Check out the Business Directory HERE.
The weather is beautiful and you are probably officially moving your winter sweaters to your winter storage bin to make room for fresh spring tops (but we know of a 30% off sweater sale happening now! scroll down). Lots of major things happened this week:
One of the wake-up calls in Beacon this week was The Accident, where a 6 year old boy and his grandmother were hit by a car while they were on the sidewalk. Our coverage of traffic on Main Street and in Beacon in general was going to dominate our news cycle this week, but then also the conflict in Palestine and Israel escalated after a neighbored protest in Palestine launched a bunch of rockets. There is a protest in solidarity with Palestine in Newburgh next week, after several have happened in NYC. With that global news localizing, we are offering some perspective on it here at ALBB's sister media company Tin Shingle.
Traffic coverage is to come next. In the meantime - please be very careful out there! Drivers are driving fast, and doing too many U-Turns.
THE RETAIL THERAPY GUIDE Edited and Written By Teslie Andrade and Katie Hellmuth Martin
Stonecrop Gardens and Parcel Flower Arranging Day: Saturday, May 15 Time: 10 am Location: Stonecrop Gardens, Cold Spring, NY 10516 Information >
Mental Health Awareness Bike Ride
Day: Saturday, May 15 Time: 11 am Location: Walkway over Hudson Parking Lot, 61 Parker Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Information >
Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Session 4: Saturdays 5/15, 5/22, 5/29 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: Virtual Information >
WHO DUNNIT?????? The Golden Girls Enter The Whoniverse Day: Saturday, May 15 Time: 7 pm Location: The Pandorica Restaurant, 165 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508 Information >
Elysium Furnace Works Presents William Parker Co-Sponsored by Binnacle Books
Day: Saturday, May 15 Time: 8 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon NY Information >
TMD Live at Holland Tunnel Gallery Day: Sunday, May 16 Time: 3 pm - 4 pm Location: Holland Tunnel Gallery, 46 Chambers St, Newburgh, NY 12550 Information >
Newburgh's March & Protest In Solidarity With The Humans Of Palestine
Day: Tuesday, May 18 Time: 5:30pm Location: 29 Prospect Street, Newburgh, NY Information >
Caiming Cheung, Jewelry Designer & Katrin Reifeiss, Hand-Dyed Clothing Designer Days: May 14 - 16 Time: 10 am - 6 pm Location: 44 Main St, Cold Spring, NY
While this Pop-Up is in Cold Spring, its designers are based in Beacon. This is a rare occasion to be able to shop their designs in person! This pop-up is in 44Main, a shop in Cold Spring dedicated to pop-ups! Caiming Cheung Katrin Reifeiss
EAT CHURCH
3091 U.S. 9, Cold Spring, NY
Full Frontal Noods Revue made a comeback at Eat Church's pop-up at the Marbled Meat Shop in Cold Spring. Noodles 'Hot & Dry', Moo Ping Bun, Laksa Lemak, Pho-King For Real, and Dang Dang! Noodles. Eat Church pops up at Marbled Meat Shop on Thursdays & Fridays so stay tuned! If you missed out this week, no worries, find Eat Church at the Beacon Farmers Market this Sunday! Website >
Eat Church is a Sponsor!, thank you!
MEYERS OLDE DUTCH
184 Main Street, Beacon, NY
The sun is shining and the Parklet is set up at Meyers! Join them for a burger and a beer this weekend! Meyers Olde Dutch is open during their big renovation. They are temporarily located at 157 Main Street, Beacon (right across the street from Hudson Beach Glass) at Kitchen Sink. You can also enjoy Meyers with takeout or local (Beacon) delivery! Open every day from 11:30-9. Order Now > Meyers Olde Dutch is a Sponsor, thank you!
HOMESPUN
232 Main Street, Beacon, NY
New BTGs over at Homespun! @reaunicolas | ‘Ange’ Rouge 2019 @ca_liptra | Arancio 2019 @guillerault_fargette | Sancerre ‘Les Panseillots’ 2019
Les Coteaux du Val de Sorne | Côtes du Jura Chardonnay 2018
Order these & other wines at Homespun right at their website! Use code OVER75 to get 10% off orders over $75 or code OVER100 to get 15% off orders over $100. PS. Guarantee yourself 3 bottles of wine a month from Homespun’s exquisite selection from some of the most remote regions in the world when you join their wine subscription club! Monthly wine subscription > Order Food > Order Wine > Homespun is a Sponsor, thank you!
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY
When Hudson Valley Cheesecake is at Hudson Valley Food Hall, you go there! You go there & you get a slice of each flavor because you just can't miss out on these! Delicious.
Follow their foodies directly: Miz Hattie's BBQ: Southern Style BBQ, from North Carolina Momo Valley: Himalayan Spiced Hand-Crafted MoMo & More Barb's Fry Works: Gourmet, small-batch loaded fries. And salads. Roosevelt Bar: Cocktail Bar in a well-ventilated space with Outdoor Patio! Hudson Valley Food Hall is a Sponsor, thank you!
BAJA 328 328 Main Street, Beacon, NY
So many delicious appetizers from @baja328! Cheese nachos, calamari, guacamole, Baja wings, chicken flautas, grilled street corn, empanadas, taco salad, chicken tortilla soup, mac & cheese, and specials (that are always special ) So good & always fresh. Check out their specialty drinks > Check out the specials >
BAJA 328 is a Sponsor, thank you!
Tito Santana Taqueria 142 Main St.
Welcome Tito Santana to ALBB as a sponsor! This Taqueria is California-style Mexican fare with really fresh food you'd expect to find in a taqueria! From guacamole to fish tacos to cheesy quesadillas. They also serve beer and cans of wine! The taco etiquette: Always order more than you can eat. 🌮 🌯 PS: Inspired Vegan & Gluten-Free options make Tito Santana Taqueria the place to be! Menu > Catering > Tito Santana Taqueria is a Sponsor, thank you!
Beacon Bread Company 193 Main St.
Welcome Beacon Bread as a sponsor at ALBB! At Beacon Bread Company, you'll find not just their delicious, fresh-baked bread, but you can stop in for warm french onion soup, grilled cheeses and other sandwiches, cheese danishes, brownies... Plus, Beacon Bread Company is now open 7 days a week! Stop in and try them out for breakfast or lunch and pick up a DOZEN of your favorite bagels! Homemade with simple ingredients ... they're the perfect way to start the day! Menu > Order Pick Up or Delivery > Beacon Bread Company is a Sponsor, thank you!
W.T.F Beacon 195 Main St.
Welcome W.T.F as a sponsor of ALBB! W.T.F. is that beautiful restaurant next to Beacon Bread, and is only open on Fridays/Saturdays, but maybe sometimes on Tuesdays in the future? Keep your eye on this one, as different offering plates, cocktails, and events are coming out of the dining room straight out of Elle Decor. Many options, including classic cocktails, house cocktails, seafood, compliments (salads, fries, potato tots, poutine, shishito peppers), plates, and specials. Open Fridays & Saturdays from 6 pm - 10 pm. Stop in & Check them out! Menu > W.T.F Beacon is a Sponsor, thank you!
Ziatun
244 Main St.
Welcome Zaitun as a sponsor of ALBB! Home of some of the best hummus around, as well as the Shawarma wrap from (pictured here). Ziatun is an Authentic Palestinian-Arabic-Middle Eastern food that serves vegan & vegetarian options as well as traditional meat dishes that include lamb and beef. At Ziatun, you are sure to taste the passion for Palestinian home-cooking and enjoy your dining experience. Menu > Order Online > Ziatun is a Sponsor, thank you!
KAIGHT SHOP
512 Main Street, Beacon
Fashionites who love sustainable fashion that always lifts the look will delight in the Summer Sweater Sale going on now. Like this knitwear from Sita Murt, with a billowy sleeve and long, tight cuff. Quite elegant, and right now, is $158 (regularly $225). See all of Sita Murt available at Kaights, and shop this V-Neck Striped Sweater right now (or stop into the store to feel it). PS: Thursdays are Locals Day at Kaights! Locals get 10% on everything not on sale. Shop Online > Kaight Shop is a Sponsor, thank you!
BRETT'S HARDWARE 18 West Main Street, Beacon
Even though you might have a grill, you may not have a red one that takes charcoal! The Kamada Joe Grills & Fogo Charcoal make the best grilled foods. Stop in & check out Brett's wide selection of grills, fireplaces, Adirondack chairs, and planters. Your yard or deck will be set. Located at 18 W Main St. Brett's Hardware is a Sponsor, thank you!
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, Beac
We love this shot from Luxe! (captured by @ryonophoto) The beautiful eyewear is from @anneetvalentin. Find the highest quality eyewear like these & much more at Luxe! It is easy to find perfect eyewear just for YOU with a personalized consultation by an expert optician. Open for eye appointments for contacts or glasses:
Monday: 10 AM–5 PM
Tues-Sat:10 AM–6 PM
Sunday: Closed Shop Online > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS 321 Main Street, Beacon
Victoria Law, “Prisons Make Us Safer and 20 Other Myths About Mass Incarceration”
“The United States incarcerates more of its residents than any other nation. Though home to 5% of the global population, the United States has nearly 25% of the world’s prisoners—a total of over 2 million people. This number continues to steadily rise. Over the past 40 years, the number of people behind bars in the United States has increased by 500%. Journalist Victoria Law explains how racism and social control were the catalysts for mass incarceration and have continued to be its driving force: from the post-Civil War laws that states passed to imprison former slaves, to the laws passed under the “War Against Drugs” campaign that disproportionately imprisons Black people. Through carefully conducted research and interviews with incarcerated people, Victoria identifies the 21 key myths that propel and maintain mass incarceration, including:
- The system is broken and we simply need some reforms to fix it
- Incarceration is necessary to keep our society safe
- Prison is an effective way to get people into drug treatment
- Private prison corporations drive mass incarceration
‘Prisons Make Us Safer’ is a necessary guide for all who are interested in learning about the cause and rise of mass incarceration and how we can dismantle it"
Binnacle Books is a Sponsor, thank you! LA MÉRE CLOTHING AND GOODS
436 Main Street, Beacon
Accessories from La Mere Everything here is under $30 too!! Stop in for all of the pretty things Open Wednesday-Saturday until 6 pm & Sunday 12-5 pm. OR shop online and choose local pickup. They’ll have it ready when you get here.
Yanarella Dance Studio 312 Main St., Beacon, NY
Yanarella has a new baby-wearing class on Fridays! Start your weekend off with some bonding and movement. If you're looking for something fun to do with a baby, this is it. You can also join virtually on ZOOM if you can't get out of the house. Sweat a little and laugh a little while baby is along for the ride!
6 Week Class Days: Fridays Starting April 16 - May 21, 2021
(4 weeks)
June Session: Thursdays 4:15 - 4:45 PM - 6/4, 6/11, 6/18 & 6/25
(6 weeks) Summer Session: Fridays 2:00 - 2:30 PM - 7/9, 7/16, 7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20
Time: 10am Ages: Babies 6 weeks - 9 Months Price: $10/class or $54 for the full 6 weeks. Drop-Ins: Welcome! Register: danceyanarella@gmail.com
Reminder to Register by June 1 for Summer Camp to save $10!
ANTALEK & MOORE INSURANCE AGENCY
340 Main Street, Beacon
#teenofimpact feature is Antalek & Moore! It's Addy Pagones! Thank you for the passion and commitment you bring to this challenge. We are so excited for you to be part of this campaign!
TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle is a Beacon-based media training company who monitors the media to educate how businesses, artists and makers can pitch the media when getting the word out. Part of the job includes paying attention to controversial and delicate topics, and to pay attention to how they are being covered. The Palestine-Israel war has woke up in the US this week, and there have been protests in NY about it. One is in Newburgh next week. This article includes an early take at what it has been like to cover it from afar. Information >
KATIE JAMES, INC. Schedule private sessions with Katie James, Inc. to get training in areas where you can rock it using your skills. This can even include training of your staff to do this work while they are in the shop. Some examples include training in social media, training in sending newsletters, training in blogging, training in PR, website advice, and more! Contact us to tell us about your goals.
HIRING: Administrative Assistant At Daniel Aubry Realty Details >
HIRING: Teacher Assistant At Care 4 Me, Inc. Details>
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On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, the Beacon Police Department issued a Press Release regarding some details of the 2-car accident that resulted in both cars colliding in the middle of Main Street, and injuring at least 4 people. The Press Release was emailed by Detective Sergeant Jason Johnson, who stated to his media list that he had been out of the office on Monday, causing a delay in response.
The Press Release is below in full:
On Sunday May 9, 2021 at approximately 4:00pm, City of Beacon Police Officers responded to the intersection of Main Street and North Cedar Street for a report of an auto accident involving a vehicle into a building and an injured child. Upon arrival, it was determined that two vehicles had collided in the intersection and the force of the impact caused one vehicle to strike two unoccupied parked vehicles and the second vehicle to jump the curb coming to rest on the sidewalk. A 6-year-old boy’s foot was trapped underneath a rear tire and numerous bystanders were able to push the vehicle off of his foot. Both drivers along with the child were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries by Beacon Volunteer Ambulance, Phillipstown Volunteer Ambulance and Mobile Life Support Services. An investigation into the accident led to several traffic citations being issued. The City of Beacon Fire Department assisted at the scene.
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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.
Sounding of Taps, by Dani Masterson
Memorial Day Ceremonies in Beacon:
Elysium Furnace Works Presents William Parker
