☔ Things To Do! 5/31/2025
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Marijuana and Cannabis Use On Sidewalks Proposed To Be Acceptable in Beacon - Not Loitering - Public Hearing Next
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In a detailed set of Track Changes, the Beacon’s City Council at its 5/19/2025 Meeting agreed to set a Public Hearing to possibly Accept the proposed change in Beacon’s Loitering law in order to match New York State’s legality of marijuana and cannabis use in public spaces of streets and sidewalks, but not city parks, which Beacon has made such usage location illegal (listen to ALBB’s podcast episode about that law). Streets and sidewalks, however, the City of Beacon is proposing to deem legal in order to match New York State’s law.
The City’s Attorney Nick Ward-Willis explained: “The City's current loitering law says that if one is using marijuana, then they are deemed to be loitering. This would remove that from your from your law. Marijuana or cannabis use is permitted except where prohibited. So it can't be used in the city's parks, but it can be used in other public ways such as the road or the sidewalks. And that's permitted by New York State, so this makes the City's loitering law consistent with New York State law.”
The Public Hearing is set for the June 2nd City Council Meeting.
Traffic Proposals Up For Vote: No Parking Spots On Verplanck, Willow, North Chestnut; Adding Stop Signs to Washington Avenue
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Beacon’s Parking and Traffic Safety Committee made the following recommendations during this week’s City Council Workshop meeting, which was presented by Ben Swanson, who serves as the Secretary for the Committee and is the Assistant to the Mayor’s Office. There will be a Public Hearing scheduled to hear from the public before these modifications are voted upon.
Verplanck and North Chestnut
A resident requested that the single parking spot on the East side of North Chestnut be eliminated. Councilperson Paloma Wake asked who brought this parking issue to the attention of the Traffic and Parking Safety Committee. Ben answered: "Someone who said that they use that intersection often in their travels." Ben added that there is a "related issue about the the mechanics [Verplanck Auto], whether or not they're allowed to be parking full up; filling up their little lot there on the corner. That's kind of a separate tangential issue," Ben said.
Both sides of the street are no-parking zones 50 feet from the intersection of Verplanck. The new no-parking spot would extend the East side to be 80 feet from Verplanck, and no cars would be between the house's driveway and Verplanck. The rest of Chestnut would remain having on-street parking.
A Little Beacon Blog asked Verplanck Auto if they were aware of any on-street parking issues, and they said that they were not. They agreed that the reduction of that single parking space would be a good idea, as turning into North Chestnut is difficult.
Verplanck and Willow Street
Beacon’s Fire Chief Thomas Lucchesi requested that the on-street parking on the tiny triangle at Willow Street and Verplanck be eliminated, as firetrucks need to get through. Ben explained that Willow Street is being used as the Fire Department’s “primary access route, rather than going further along Main Street than they have to.” The fire trucks come up from the new station, turn down Willow Street and go back into the surrounding neighborhoods.
Currently, there is a driveway there, and the on-street parking. During Sunday church-time, this area gets particularly crowded. When cars are parked there normally, they can become easy targets to be hit by people cutting right instead of taking the 90 degree right turn onto Verplanck from Willow Street.
Ben stated: “Verplanck and Willow Street at that intersection itself would be a very tight turn for a fire apparatus to make that turn. That access-road is really pretty crucial to their their access.”
Loading Zones of Willow Street by Main Street
Fire Chief Thomas also requested that no parking be along both sides of Willow Street for specified distances. For the West side of the street, the distance would be 65 feet, and from the East side of the street, the distance would be 90 feet.
Councilperson Paloma Wake stressed her concern for loading zones for businesses along Main Street. Turning onto Willow Street when trucks are parked on both sides of the street can be difficult, and during high traffic time between 3-5pm, a car can get stuck between them, therefore needing to alternate the oncoming cars. Trucks also do park further down into the middle of Willow Street to walk their loads down.
Stop Sign at Washington Avenue and Tillot Street
The proposal is to put Stop signs in both directions of travel on Washington Avenue at the intersection of Tillot Street, making the intersection a 4-way stop. Currently, there are Stop signs in both directions on Tillot Street.
Ben explained that there have been several requests for Stop signs along Washington Avenue. A Stop sign was discussed at Grove Street, but ultimately Tillot Street was decided upon. “Tillot Street was eventually the preferred option by the Committee because it is a primary school crossing area there's nearby bus stops. It's kind of where the character of the neighborhoods are changing along Washington Avenue becoming more dense residential, so it's kind of seen as a safety improvement to add the Stop signs to make this a four-way stop,” Ben said.
A Public Hearing will be scheduled so that the public can come in or call in with their opinions before the City Council votes on these changes.
Trash Contained: Royal Carting Won't Pick Up Tall Grasses, Tree Branches, Etc.
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As yard-work picks up this spring season, some people have been putting tall grasses (ahem), tree branches, and other brush from the yard into their trash cans. Royal Carting has confirmed that they will not pick up such leafy yard waste if placed into the can, as it can become uncontained when going into the truck.
If your garbage can was skipped for this reason, Royal Carting advises to remove the yard waste, and then call them for a pickup or wait until the following week. The number to call is on the trash can, and is 845-896-6000.
If lawn bags are not in your budget at this time, you can use brown paper grocery bags from Key Food or whoever is using brown paper bags. Put those out on the sidewalk like you normally do for the City of Beacon to pick up. If you have lots of tree branches, or even small bags of yard waste, you can call the Beacon Highway Department to be added for their list of pickups. Despite the trucks driving all over, they might be on a mission for something else and cannot stop to pickup yard-work bags unscheduled.
Is Beacon Pushing MTA To Fix Floating Dock? "Loss Of Docking In Beacon Is Significant For Clearwater"
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Pictured in the yellow square is the floating doc at Beacon’s doci. The white box next to it is a boat tied to it.
Photo Credit: Jen BEnson, Communications Director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
The Clearwater when it is docked in Beacon at the floating doc, which was removed around March 10, 2025 after sustaining damage.
Photo Credit: Poughkeepsie Journal/Patrick Oehler
Ferry users are not the only ones impacted by the disappearance of the floating dock announced two months ago that attaches to Beacon’s dock on the Hudson River. Clearwater, an organization started in 1960 by Pete and Toshi Seeger to educate people about the environmental importance of the Hudson River who has served more than half a million people tells ALBB that they have had to move for the foreseeable future. “Loss of docking in Beacon is significant for Clearwater,” the Executive Director, David Toman, told A Little Beacon Blog., when asked if this decommission affects them ”Beacon has been the home of our office for decades, and where our founders, Pete and Toshi Seeger long called home.”
The clearwater with a class on it.
Photo Credit: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater)
Clearwater’s land office is near Mount Beacon on Wolcott Avenue. Their ship “office” docks in Beacon and provides educational and experiential programming to schools, youth and adults. But they’ve since moved to Cold Spring after the floating dock was removed.
“Sailing from Beacon serves a critical need for many schools and the local community,” Executive Director, David continued. “While we've relocated our sails for the foreseeable future and our Youth Empowerment programs to Cold Spring, we hope the city and MTA can expedite the replacement dock to meet this need in addition to returning ferry service from Newburgh."
Programming from Clearwater includes The Sailing Classroom, Onboard Volunteer, Climate Change at Clearwater, Tideline Program, and In-School Programs.
The clearwater with a class on it.
Photo Credit: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater)
No estimate for repair and restoration of the floating doc at Beacon’s ferry landing has been given by Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White during City Council Meetings. The MTA has given no estimate to A Little Beacon Blog when asked. They so far have only answered about alternate bus service they have provided to riders of the ferry.
According to former Beacon Mayor Randy Casale, the MTA pays for and maintains the floating doc. “The floating dock was the only dock in Beacon that was safely accessible for our sloop,” Clearwater’s Communication Director Jen Benson told A Little Beacon Blog.
In her email signature, Jen reminds people that the Hudson River is on Munsee Lenape Land. It also had other names before being taken over by white colonialists. “The Hudson River runs through the Munsee, Lenape, Mohican, Mohawk, and Haudenosaunee homelands. Prior to European exploration, the river was known as the Mahicannittuk by the Mohicans, Ka'nón:no by the Mohawks, and Muhheakantuck by the Lenape.”
So far, no one knows for how long it will remain decommissioned.
Schedule For Monday's Memorial Day - Plus Pictures Of Renovated Memorial Building
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The City's Annual Memorial Day Remembrance and Ceremony is on Monday, May 26th as posted on the City of Beacon’s Facebook. It is outdoors, and is open to the public. The day usually includes a Remembrance at the East Main Street Bridge, followed by a Ceremony at the Memorial Building with the Veterans.
If you have not been inside of the Memorial Building yet, ALBB went on a guided tour in November 2024 after major renovations were completed by the Veterans, including their new kitchen, bathroom, and new offices with Guardian Revival, who also built out and operates a podcasting studio inside. Click here to read the article and see pictures. Programming at the Memorial Building is quite busy.
Schedule For Monday’s Memorial Day:
9:15am: East Main Street Bridge
The Memorial Day Remembrance
11am-11:45am: Memorial Building
The Memorial Day Ceremony will be held at the Memorial Building.
12pm: Unveiling of New Historic Marker
The Ceremony will be followed by the unveiling of the new historic marker alongside the Memorial Building.
Photo Credits: Katie Hellmuth
Things To Do! 5/24/2025
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Shelter Air, The Woman-Owned HVAC Company, Joins ALBB's Business Directory As Sponsor
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Welcome new Member Sponsor, Shelter Air! ALBB first met owner Kimberly Sevilla over in Tin Shingle land (our sister media empowerment company) when Kimberly was working for a large HVAC company in the region, gaining more knowledge to eventually go out on her own.
It is with beams of pride 🌈 that we introduce to you her HVAC company, Shelter Air, specializing in Heating, Cooling and Home Performance. “We’re BPI- and NATE-certified, and a proud NYSERDA-approved contractor,” Kimberly says. “That means we don’t just install systems—we design healthy, high-performance homes from the ground up.”
Kimberly has a wide background in chemistry, engineering, fashion design, floral health, entrepreneurship, and then, indoor air quality solutions. Read all about how she came to found Shelter Air here, but during the pandemic, she discovered the absolute necessity for indoor air quality solutions in homes. “With my chemistry background and a keen interest in thermodynamics and building science, I didn’t merely dip my toe, I plunged head-first into creating the best systems for my clients I could find. As an INTJ, my analytical mind thrived, and I mastered, load calculations, system design, and ductwork design. I identified significant gaps in the industry and envisioned more efficient, holistic, customer-centric approaches. Fueled by my passion for improvement, I forged my own path, ultimately establishing Shelter Air.”
Kimberly is an LGBTQ + ally and is passionate about supporting underrepresented individuals in trades. She owned a floral shop in Brooklyn, Rose Red & Lavender, where she invested in her community and thriving in fostering the spirit of togetherness. A resident of Cold Spring, her eyes dance in Beacon, where she wants to improve as many homes as possible.
Says Nancy Karp, a customer of Shelter Air: “Kimberly has been great to work with. She explains all options in a clear and understandable way. We are looking to replace a 40 yr old boiler with something more efficient and environmentally responsible. I strongly recommend Shelter Air as your guidance in this often confusing area.”
Shelter Air is a sponsor of ALBB’s Business Directory Level 3. To join our program, click here.
Mr. V's Sells - But Not Before Abandoning First Buyer And Canceling That Sale Transaction
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The first time Mr. V’s was for sale or to close was May 2023. Owner and daughter of Mr. V, Maggie, was tired. She needed a break from working the stove, keeping the books and running to the store to keep ingredients and inventory in stock.
In 2023, A Little Beacon Blog was sent an anonymous tip that Maggie’s lease was coming up, and it wasn’t looking good. In this epidemic of rent hikes in Beacon, ALBB went in to interview Maggie for the story. She was asking $199,000 for the sale of the business and hoped the prospective new owner would keep the name. She also said she wanted to work for the new owner: “Oh yes, I would put in a couple days a week working. Just to give me something to do. I want to walk in as an employee, and walk out the door for the day.”
After the interview, ALBB wrote about the prospect of Mr. V’s closing if they didn’t find a buyer. Once that article published, a flurry of activity happened, and some suitors emerged.
When ALBB went to check on Maggie a few weeks later, she seemed pleased with the situation. The new lease was manageable and went month-to-month, yet she scoffed a little (with a smile) that people had the impression that Mr. V’s was closing. Despite Maggie’s quotes in the article saying that it was for sale and she wasn’t sure if she would keep it open if the lease couldn’t be worked out or a new buyer found. A year and a half later, she’d kept it open.
Fellow Main Street Business Emerges To Buy Mr. V’s
One and a half years later, a prospective and serious buyer of Mr. V’s emerged: Cristhia Acevedo, owner and creator of Dulce Cielo MX, the Mexican food stall in Hudson Valley Food Hall. Like several other vendors who start out in Hudson Valley Food Hall, Cristhia needed to grow into a bigger space. Her eye was on a new space in a building being built now, but that was at least over a year off or more, depending on how construction went.
She needed to keep cooking, and Mr. V’s seemed like the perfect fit. Along her buying journey, Cristhia kept ALBB in the loop, sharing her joy and challenges along the way of the buying process. She retained an attorney, and worked with a local bank to secure a commercial loan. She got the bank’s approved to pay Mr. V’s $125,000, and she paid the downpayment to secure the sale until March 1, 2025.
Cristhia met the landlord of the building, who needed to feel comfortable with Cristhia as a new tenant. The building owner approved as well. The building owner talked to Cristhia about putting in new floors, and how Cristhia would work around that while keeping the place open.
At the time, Cristhia was ecstatic but cautious. She kept quiet and focused while the bank did their research on her, and she provided the bank with more and more homework. Cristhia only called ALBB (usually exploding with excitement through the phone) when affirmative approvals came in, or dates to move the process forward. “I did it alone! This was my hard work! Just with my clients and my food! I don’t have partners. Every dollar I have tracked and earned to be approved for this.” Sometimes, Cristhia still cleans houses if she wasn’t cooking at the food hall.
Plus, this woman to woman transaction filled Cristhia with pride. She told ALBB she felt honored to have this long running Beacon business trusted in her hands. She planned to keep all of the staff and Maggie, to learn from Maggie on how Maggie cooked her special bacon egg sandwiches.
Cristhia and her staff at Dulce Cielo MX are seasoned chefs of Mexican food, but the menu of Mr. V’s was going to stay the same. Cristhia was preparing herself to wake up as early as Maggie and the staff to open for the city employees and commuters who come early.
Edit 5/25/2025: Originally this article said the name would stay the same. But Cristhia was going to change the name, keep the menu, and add her Mexican menu to the top.
The Pivot On The Sale
With the deposit in, March 1st was the date in the contract when it all needed to be signed. The attorneys and the bank were working together to finalize the commercial loan. With money moving forward and a closing date approaching, Cristhia gave her notice at the Food Hall, that she was moving to a new location. She couldn’t lose any time with sales.
Word spread around with the regulars at the Food Hall that she was purchasing Mr. V’s, and the vibe turned celebrational. She held her last Taco Tuesday, and floods of congratulatory comments and sales came in.
But then things got quiet. Cristhia received a update from her attorney that the seller canceled the transaction of the sale. The week prior, her attorney had asked the sellers to hold off canceling, and requested to extend the closing date to allow the loan to process. Yet, the downpayment check was returned. Everyone’s work was done. The deal was dead.
The note taped to Mr. V’s window this week, announcing the sale to the 2nd buyer.
Today, a new note was taped to Mr. V’s window, telling about the final sale to the new owner. ALBB reached out to Cristhia to see how she was doing. “This hurts me a lot,” Cristhia told ALBB. “And I did it alone,” she said again today, but in a different tone. Somber. “Just with my clients and my food. Because you know I don’t have partners. Is hard for me. I’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions.”
After learning that the new owner entered into this about 3 months ago, Cristhia said: “At the same time she was negotiating with me; that’s not having professional ethics. Because they wouldn’t have wasted my time, that’s all, and my money because I paid my lawyer. And it was something serious.”
At this stage, Cristhia finds comfort in reflecting on her employees who support her behind the counter, her customers. She continues to be open for now in the Food Hall. So go eat that birria.
Dulce Cielo MX will be open in the Hudson Valley Food Hall until Cristhia finds another location, which she is searching for now, but another tenant is slated for her stall. “Business is business,” she told ALBB. “It’s water under the bridge. I’m moving forward, but it was a bad experience for me.”
New Ownership
Last week, word on the street started spreading that Mr. V’s had sold. This week, with the note on the window going up, thanking the customers over the years, saying that Jean and Maggie sold the deli on May 15th, 2025, chatter is starting again.
ALBB popped down to Mr. V’s today to ask Maggie about the first buyer, and what happened. But the new owner Pat was there, standing outside on the sidewalk looking at the storefront, imaging how he was going to clean up the sign (several birds nests have been left behind it). He said he’d been talking to a marketer about maybe a new logo.
Maggie, he said, was out of the deli for a few days and would be back soon. A well-deserved vacation, perhaps? Maybe, he answered. When did he begin his interest? About 3 months ago, he answered. Did he know of another buyer that was involved? He did not, so could not speak to it, he said.
A resident of Beacon with kids in the district, he says that this deli is his new full time job. He was looking forward to a change in careers. Pat confirms that Maggie and the staff will be staying on. So everything should remain the same for customers. So go get that bacon egg and cheese on white.
Editorial Note: Documents supporting the details of the first potential sale have been seen at ALBB’s request for this article.
Newburgh/Beacon Ferry Remains Unrepaired: Beacon City Administrator Chris White May Be Harbour Master
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The Newburgh/Beacon Ferry remains out of commission due to “extensive damage to the landing in Beacon,” the NY Waterway announced on March 10, 2025. Viewers of the above ground portion of the landing cannot see damage. ALBB has not viewed the landing under water. The docks to either side of it for the Bannerman Ferry and Sloop Clearwater are fully operational and not damaged.
ALBB is told that City Administrator Chris White is the Harbour Master for the landing for the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry. The service is managed by the MTA. When City Administrator Chris gives infrastructure updates during City Council Meetings, there has been no update regarding the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry as of yet.
The ferry is the fastest, cheapest and most climate-friendly way to get to Newburgh and back. It is not clear why the repair is taking so long, when Beacon is known for investing heavily in infrastructure upgrades, especially climate-friendly ones.
Tht MTA has confirmed its status: “The Newburgh/Beacon Ferry is not in operation. This service is managed by the MTA, and when it resumes, updates will be posted on both our website and the MTA’s platform. In the interim, a shuttle service is currently in place. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our service alerts here.”
What Does A Harbour Master Do?
If City Administrator Chris is indeed the Harbour Master for the ferry landing, what are the responsibilities? According to Wikipedia: “A harbourmaster is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct operation of the port facilities. Harbourmasters are normally responsible for issuing local safety information sometimes known as notice to mariners. They may also oversee the maintenance and provision of navigational aids within the port, co-ordinate responses to emergencies, inspect vessels and oversee pilotage services.” The International Harbour Masters Association also has information.
The Newburgh/Beacon Ferry used to be privately owned, according to the Hudson River Maritime Museum. “From 1804 until 1835, the Newburgh Ferry changed hands many times. In May, 1835, Thomas Powell bought the system for $80,000 and remained the sole owner until 1850. At that time he deeded the property to his daughter, Mrs Frances E.L. Ramsdell. It remained in the Ramsdell family for 100 years. In 1956 the State of New York purchased the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry from Homer Ramsdell and his sister, Mrs. Herbert R. Odell, and the New York Bridge Authority has been operating it until the completion of the bridge which now spans the river.”
Since the ferry landing is so neglected, perhaps it should be petitioned to be privately owned again.
Beacon School Budget Vote: Q: “What If We Didn’t Vote For The Increase?” A: “It Would Have A Devastating Effect.”
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While it is voting day of the annual budget of the Beacon City School District, it is also Tax Assessment season, where property owners have been mailed the annual tax re-assessment letter of their properties (listen to Beacon’s Tax Assessor explain how it is calculated here). Property values have steadily increased over the years with sales, property flips, and new construction. Beacon’s Superintendent Landahl has made 8 presentations this year to educate about the budget, what’s in it, and how it works. You can access those here.
“If we were to leave the tax levy the same as last year, we would have to cut $2.4 million from the budget. The budget increases each year are a result of contractual salary increases, rising costs in health insurance, utilities, pensions and other purchases.”
The way the tax is calculated is complicated. To clarify, ALBB asked Ann Marie Quartironi, CPA, the Deputy Superintendent of the Beacon City School District the following question: “With our property assessments continuously going up, what would happen if there was no tax increase, and the district used the money it is already collecting through property taxes that go up with assessments?”
Ms. Quartironi answered promptly: “We calculate our tax levy each year based on the tax cap calculator developed by New York State. This levy amount gets spread over all the taxpayers in our District. We don’t get additional tax revenue from the new homes and businesses that are put on the tax rolls each year. We spread that same levy amount over more homes and businesses to lessen the tax burden to the existing taxpayers.”
“If we had to reduce the budget by $2.4 million, it would have a devastating effect. ”
She continued: “If we were to leave the tax levy the same as last year, we would have to cut $2.4 million from the budget. The budget increases each year are a result of contractual salary increases, rising costs in health insurance, utilities, pensions and other purchases. If we had to reduce the budget by $2.4 million it would have a devastating effect. We would have to cut staff, raise class sizes and eliminate classes and programs for students.”
Where To Vote
Voters who reside within the city limits of the City of Beacon vote at Beacon High School.
Voters who reside outside the city limits of the City of Beacon, and within the boundaries of the Town of Fishkill, or the Town of Wappinger, (that are part of the Beacon City School District), vote at Glenham Elementary School. These boundaries may not match the voter's mailing address. For questions regarding voting location, please call the District Clerk at 845-838-6900 ext. 2010.
Multiple Hudson Valley Community Organizations Unite Through Middletown Commemorating Nakba, Demanding End Of Genocide In Gaza
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###Press Release Reprinted in full from Rally Middletown ###
Community Organizations Unite Across the Hudson Valley to March Through Middletown, Commemorate the Nakba, and Demand an End to the Genocide in Gaza.
All photos are by Alexa B. Wilkinson
MIDDLETOWN, NY – May 18, 2025 — Today, a powerful coalition of community organizations from across the Hudson Valley and beyond gathered in Middletown, NY to mark the 77th anniversary of the Nakba and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, along with a complete halt to U.S. arms transfers to Israel. Hundreds of marchers filled the streets to protest Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and the U.S. government’s central role in enabling it.
The event began at Thrall Park, with about 100 people marching through downtown Middletown, including a pass by City Hall, where organizers spoke out against the mayor and city council’s refusal to issue a resolution demanding a ceasefire. Participants carried Palestinian flags, banners, and signs calling for an end to the mass killing in Gaza and justice for Palestinians everywhere.
Organizers included Rally Middletown, A Little Beacon Blog, HeartBeads4Palestine, Hudson Valley for Free Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace Hudson Valley, Mid-Hudson Valley DSA, New Paltz Women in Black, SUNY BDS, Protect Orange County, Vets About Face, Wednesday Walk for Black Lives, CPUSA: Hudson Valley Club, Upper Delaware Actions, Framed Unrest, Party for Socialism and Liberation: Hudson Valley, and Middle East Crisis Response.
Groups representing a wide spectrum of faiths, races, and political backgrounds. The event was also co-sponsored by Palestinian-owned restaurant, Ziatün - located in Beacon, NY.
Rally Middletown, a local grassroots group committed to racial, economic, and global justice, helped lead the organizing effort. “If we are Americans, we are supposed to support the inalienable rights for all,” said April, one of the Rally Middletown march organizers. “We include not only Americans, but the people of Gaza and Palestine, and all oppressed and vulnerable populations.”
Since October 2023, Israel has carried out a campaign of mass killing and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, with tens of thousands killed, entire neighborhoods razed, and basic necessities like food, water, and medicine deliberately blocked. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to send weapons and provide political cover, shielding Israel from international accountability.
The Nakba—Arabic for “catastrophe”—refers to the 1948 forced expulsion of over 700,000 Palestinians, and murder of about 15,000 more, by Zionist militias that would later become the Israeli army. But as today’s organizers emphasized, the Nakba is not just a historical event—it is ongoing.
What makes this moment urgent, they said, is not only the increased human rights violations and inhumane violence and starvation in Gaza, but also the rising threat of fascism in the U.S. as well. Under the newly installed Trump administration, dissent is being criminalized and immigrant, Muslim, Black, and Brown communities are under direct attack. These diverse Hudson Valley organizations recognize they are facing a common threat—and a shared struggle.
Amel, one of the locals who joined the march, holding a sign that said “Free Palestine, Save Gaza,” said “I’m here today for the freedom of Palestine, to allow food and water into Gaza, and stop this horrendous war on innocent people.”
“I want the mass extermination of babies and children to end,” said May, one of the attendees. “Stop killing innocent children. It’s not complicated.”
Another protestor said, “[We need] freedom of speech, freedom to boycott, and freedom to peaceably assemble—all rights that we used to have, until we started speaking up for Palestine and against genocide.”
A Brief History of Rally Middletown’s Push In Middletown
ALBB Editorial Note: Rally Middletown has been fighting for Middletown to pass a ceasefire resolution for months. They have been met with cruelness from their Common Council. Their Common Council called them names - even Jewish activists for Palestine. In fact, the reason for the squirrel t-shirt up above is because the Aldermen Paul Johnson of their Common Council said this about them: “The Gaza Gang are the squirrels. They are the nuisance. And I think they graduated to be classified as thugs.”
The following is an additional section to this press release from Rally Middletown:
Halfway through the action, the crowd returned to the steps of Middletown City Hall — the very place where residents first demanded the Common Council pass a ceasefire resolution. For ten consecutive meetings, community members delivered moving testimonies and exposed the devastating reality unfolding in Gaza, urging city leaders to take a moral stance and send a message to state and federal officials: we do not support U.S.-funded genocide.
In response, local advocates were met with insults, slander, dismissal, and even threats. Instead of standing with their constituents, the Middletown Common Council and Mayor Joe DeStefano repeatedly shut down their appeals. Though fully informed on the issue, they insisted it wasn’t their place to act — only to later restructure council meetings in a clear attempt to suppress public input.
“Imagine that! An entire democratic council mirroring the Trump administration by trying to silence us. We will never be silenced!” declared Amanda Krump in a powerful address on the City Hall steps.
As the crowd rallied outside, their voices echoed through the streets with chants like:
“Mayor DeStefano, you can’t hide- we’re fighting back against your lies.”
“Silence is complicity. This will be your legacy.”
“You’ll go down in history- for suppressing free speech!”
While local leaders refused to act, the message from the people was undeniable. Residents, business owners, and bystanders showed strong support — clapping, honking, and stepping out of their storefronts to cheer as the marchers passed by.
Things To Do! 5/17/2025
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Beacon City School District Career Fair 2025 Highlight Reel
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Today marked the 2025 edition of the Beacon High School Career Fair! A few new faces, like the Society of Women Engineers (Mid-Hudson) and ONSEMI. The IBEW LU 363 Electrical Union attended, pointing out that the man in their banner was a human (not AI) and that he was working on an electrical vault inside a cannabis farm that powers the growing lights and water for the plants. 235 LiUNA! New York State Laborers Union was another union attending, and the Sheet Metal | Air | Rail | Transportation Workers Union who has union workers to fill local jobs during this uptick in buyouts of local plumbing companies.
Association of Heat and Frost Insulation was there. The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center (LOEB), as well as EMPIRE Training Center of the Arts with their giant soundboard. As always, the City of Beacon Police and City of Beacon Fire Department participated with some interactivity. @syritaszn tries on the heavy fire fighting jacket and pants. Many other state and county agencies, as well as area businesses participated.
If interested in getting on the invite list, email BHS Guidance Counselor Michele Santiago at Santiago.mi@beackn12.org
Photo Credits:
🎥📸 Katie Hellmuth, Katie James Inc.
All Eyes On Defense Of Kingston Rent Stabilization; 15% Rent Reduction; Refund Appeal
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###Republished in full from Housing Justice For All###
HOUSING MOVEMENT RESPONDS TO COURT OF APPEALS ORAL ARGUMENTS OVER KINGSTON RENT STABILIZATION
Rent stabilization was properly adopted by the City of Kingston and the 15% rent reduction was warranted following rapid price-gouging in the Hudson Valley city
NEW YORK – On Thursday, the New York State Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on the implementation of rent stabilization in Kingston, in the Matter of Hudson Valley Property Owners Association Inc. v City of Kingston. The case was brought by landlord representatives following the City of Kingston’s declaration of a housing emergency and implementation of rent stabilization, and a decision by the Kingston Rent Guidelines Board in 2022 to approve a negative rent adjustment of 15% to help tenants cope with an unsustainably expensive rental market.
Kingston was the first upstate city to adopt rent stabilization after the State Legislature passed the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) in 2019, enabling localities outside of New York City to opt into the state’s rent stabilization system. A vacancy study conducted by the City of Kingston in 2022 determined that there was a vacancy rate of 1.57% in covered properties, under the 5% threshold required by the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974 which governs the state’s rent stabilization system. The City Council declared a housing emergency, adopted rent stabilization, and appointed a Rent Guidelines Board to conduct public hearings and set the annual rent adjustment rate.
“The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act we fought for in 2019 was intended to give municipalities like Kingston the tools to slow price-gouging and protect their communities – and the City of Kingston followed all the rules to do just that. Today’s oral arguments made clear that rent stabilization in Kingston is both valid and necessary – and we expect the Court’s ruling to uphold that view,” said Cea Weaver, director of Housing Justice for All, the statewide coalition which led the 2019 fight to reform and expand rent stabilization.
Following a pandemic-fueled spike in local housing costs that nearly doubled rental prices, the Kingston Rent Guidelines Board voted in 2022 for a negative rent adjustment of 15% from the base rent, and a fair market rent guideline allowing tenants whose rent increased by more than 16 percent between January 2019 and July 2022 to appeal for a refund. Kingston’s declaration of a housing emergency was upheld by the Supreme Court and the Appellate Division, Third Department, and the Appellate Division also upheld the negative rent adjustment and fair market rent guideline.
Community organizations For the Many and Citizen Action of New York, both members of Housing Justice for All, intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of tenants, and were represented by Marcie Kobak from Legal Services of the Hudson Valley.
“During today’s oral arguments, landlords once again made it abundantly clear that this case is a bad faith attempt to circumvent the democratic process for the sake of profit,” said Brahvan Ranga, Political Director at For the Many. “We believe the Court of Appeals will agree and uphold lower court rulings in favor of Kingston’s rent stabilization measure and historic rent reduction. But no matter the outcome of this case, we will continue to fight for rent stabilization upstate and the passage of the REST Act, which would prevent other cities and towns from being dragged into frivolous lawsuits like this one, simply for trying to protect tenants.”
New legislation proposed in Albany, the Rent Emergency Stabilization for Tenants (REST) Act (S04659 Kavanagh / A04877 Shrestha), would empower municipalities like Kingston to declare a housing emergency and adopt rent stabilization based on a variety of publicly available data and testimony. Rather than require a costly and arbitrary vacancy study as the only metric for a housing emergency, the REST Act would enable municipalities to consider data such as overall housing supply, availability of affordable and habitable housing, share of renters who are cost-burdened, and local or regional homeless rate.
“Kingston rents nearly doubled between 2017-2022. This price gouging is why tenants fought so hard for rent stabilization and won a 15% rent reduction. In the three years since that victory, rents in regulated apartments have been frozen but not reduced, and investor landlords have done everything in their power to push tenants out through abuse and neglect. By upholding Kingston’s vacancy study and rent reduction, the Court of Appeals has the opportunity to affirm the state law’s intent to stabilize the market and provide relief to tenants,” said June Nemon, co-chair of Mid-Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America, another member organization of Housing Justice for All organizing locally around tenants rights.
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Housing Justice for All is a statewide coalition of more than 80 organizations representing tenants and homeless New Yorkers, united in our fight for housing as a human right
