Second Saturday...Retail Therapy Guide 4/8/2022
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HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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Beacon City School District Seeks Community Input For Strategic Planning For Budget
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It is Budget Time for the Beacon City School District, which means that the Board of Education is dedicating the time to imagine and discuss what needs fixing, developing, enhancing in the district. As a tax-paying member of the public (renters and owners alike!) you are encouraged to submit your two-cents.
A Little Beacon Blog will be pushing for Bussing For All, which is the idea that all kids of all ages can be able to take a bus to school. Currently, kids who live within a radius cannot take the bus, and need to walk. For generations, this has been fine. But students are beginning to speak out for themselves, and on behalf of friends, that this option is not OK anymore. Read more about it in ALBB’s former column here.
You can submit your thoughts on the budget now, until April 8th! Don’t miss this deadline. The Board of Education does evaluate each entry, and takes feedback to heart. You can watch them discuss feedback during their Board of Education meetings. Should you have further thoughts, you could speak them during Public Comment of a Board of Education Meeting, to make sure your voice is heard.
To see what passed in BCSD’s last Capital Plan budget, click here.
Morning Bus Accident Occurred Last Week For A Beacon School Bus - Superintendent Sent Update
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According to a letter to the Beacon City School District (BCSD) community from Superintendent Landahl, a BCSD bus that services South Avenue Elementary was involved in an accident with a motor vehicle near Brockway Road and 9D at around 8:20am on Thursday, March 31, 2022. That intersection is near Vista Point Apartments and the Red Pepper Diner.
Dr. Landahl said that 13 students were on the bus, and after being checked by EMTs at the scene, all were OK. Upon arriving at school, the students were then checked out by nursing staff at South Avenue Elementary and were “reported to be OK again,” Dr. Landahl reported. he also reported that the bus monitor was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
“All families of students involved were contacted earlier this morning,” Dr. Landahl stated. “Thanks to our staff for their handling of this and thanks to the first responders for helping so quickly this morning.” The email to the district community was sent just hours after the accident.
2022 Beacon City School District Career Fair - Seeking Participants - All Careers Welcome
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Students exploring at the last in-person Beacon City School District (BCSD) Career Fair in 2019 before the shutdown. The 2022 Career Fair will be in-person this year.
The Beacon City School District is once again hosting its Career Fair in-person in the high school on May 27, 2022, after closing it due to the pandemic shut down. Registration is open now for business/organizations/professionals/artists to participants to sign up. This year, students are able to meet participants in person.
“I am very excited that we once again can plan for and run an in-person career fair,” said Michele R. Polhamus, School Counselor and Director of the Career Fair. “Any career is welcomed.”
The deadline to register is Friday, May 6th and can be done online.
In the past, presenters ranged from a variety of industries and included individuals like journalists, cinematographers, editors, podcasters, EMS professionals, land surveyors, local insurance agencies, barbers, hair stylists, and more.
Each participant will get a table on which they can display any items that represent their career and can serve as talking pieces with the students. Set-up for the event will begin at 9am, and a light breakfast will be served. A light lunch will be available towards the middle of the event.
While there will be some access to power, it will be very limited. Extension cords are encouraged if power is needed.
Interested participants can sign up online here. There is no cost to participate.
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HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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Honoring Ziatun And Palestine Land Day
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We are honoring our friends Ziatun by reposting this post they did on March 30. After interviewing the owner, Jamel Kamal at our sister podcast Wait What Is That with co-host Brandon Lillard , we learned how emotionally difficult it is for Jamel and his wife Lena to stay open on heavy days like this one.
"Land Day (Arabic: يوم الأرض, Yawm al-ʾArḍ; Hebrew: יוֹם הַאֲדָמָה, Yom HaAdama), March 30, is a day of commemoration for Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians of the events of that date in 1976 in Israel.
"In 1976, in response to the Israeli government's announcement of a plan to expropriate thousands of dunams of land for state purposes, a general strike and marches were organized in Arab towns from the Galilee to the Negev. In the ensuing confrontations with the Israeli army and police, six unarmed[3] Arab citizens were killed, about one hundred were wounded, and hundreds of others arrested.
"Scholarship on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict recognizes Land Day as a pivotal event in the struggle over land and in the relationship of Arab citizens to the Israeli state and body politic. It is significant in that it was the first time since 1948 that Arabs in Israel organized a response to Israeli policies as a Palestinian national collective.[1] An important annual day of commemoration in the Palestinian national political calendar ever since, it is marked not only by Arab citizens of Israel, but also by Palestinians all over the world.”
Source
Ron's Ice Cream Opens - Here's Your List Of Where To Find Scoops In Beacon - Vegan Too!
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The tip came in on the Beacon Moms Facebook Group - Ron’s Ice Cream on Fishkill Avenue announced their opening day - March 25, 2022 - and are open! Readers and little kids alike have been asking: “When’s Ron’s opening!?!” as Beacon’s most visible ice cream hut, painted yellow and located across from a kid-busy Memorial Park, is the mile-marker to the official arrival of Spring.
Despite it being in the 50s today. Totally normal, by the way. Beaonites know that at least one more snow dump on pink and white magnolia blossoms is possible. For the sake of time, we re-published 2021’s Ice Cream Roundup, with the addition of Lick The Vegan’s Stuff’s new location - and is open now!
Lick The Vegan Stuff
at Végétalien
A Beacon favorite, and honestly, quite possibly a world-wide-vegan-ice-cream treasure. Located currently in the Vegetarian. This picture is credited to another Beacon gem, the vegan donut shop, Peaceful Provisions. Their description of this banana split: “We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you BANANA SPLIT news from @licktheveganstuff (yesss she’s back open)! We just had this and it was TOO GOOD not to share will y’all. Your choice of three ice cream scoops (we chose Strawberry, Cereal Milk and Death by Chocolate), organic banana, organic strawberries and your choice of oat or coconut whipped cream. Get it done right and make sure to order this with sundae toppings (chocolate sauce, pecans and sprinkles)🤤.”
Pictured: Mocha Crunch
Photo Credit: Beacon Creamery via Yelp
The Beacon Creamery
The Beacon Creamery is located at 134 Main St in Beacon, NY and they have mouth-watering flavors that you need to try now! Some include, “New York, New York” which includes cappuccino Kahlua, hot fudge, whipped cream, and raspberry sauce. They also have floats, ice cream sundaes, specialties, tipsy shakes, and regular ice cream with an option to add WINE ice cream for $2.00!
Pictured: Blue Panda
Ron’s Ice Cream
Ron’s Ice Cream is located at 298 Fishkill Ave in Beacon, NY and they have all of the fun flavors you want like Birthday Cake or Cookies and Cream. And always sprinkles. Some special flavors include Chocolate Moose Tracks, Graham Central Station, Crazy Vanilla, Cookies n Cream, and many more! They also carry sundaes, specialty sundaes, flurries, milkshakes, slushies, and more. Oh, plus, they have hotdogs, burgers, snacks, sandwiches, and sides!
The parking lot is small for line crowding during a pandemic. Last year, Ron’s initiated a call-in service with no walk-up service. ALBB does not have word yet on how they will do it this year. Stay tuned!
Zora Dora’s
NOTE: Checking on their 2022 open status!
Zora Dora’s Micro Batch Ice Cream And Paletas is located at 201 Main St in Beacon, NY, and makes ice creams and sorbets in the form of paletas! If you don’t know what a paleta is, it’s a frozen treat on a stick! Their handmade products are produced in small batches every day and they source and handpick the freshest seasonal ingredients available. They also offer catering and cart rentals!
Pictured: Vegan Chocolate Orange
The Chocolate Studio
The Chocolate Studio doesn’t only have delicious chocolates and signature treats, but they also have ice cream! Vegan flavors too. You can pick-up vegan and gluten-free treats (or nonvegan/gluten-free) OR they ship nationwide! Sadly, ice-cream is excluded from the shipping part so you will have to stop in the store for that! But you’ll want to! So many flavors, you might have to get a few.
Yankee Clipper Diner
You can also stop in the Yankee Clipper Diner for ice-cream! They have a few sundaes on their menu, including the Waffle Sundae, which is a freshly baked Belgian waffle with 2 scoops of ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles, walnuts, and a cherry on top! I mean, this could be your breakfast! Add additional toppings for only $1.
Shmuck’s Sweet Stuff
Shmuck’s is located inside the Hudson Valley Food Hall and offers delicious homemade ice cream, fresh cones, hot waffles, and other sweet stuff! They’re open year round, rain or shine, with great indoor seating if it’s cold or rainy!
Birth Certificate Proof No Longer Required For Elks Club Annual Hoop Shoot Competition
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In December of the school year, amidst holiday choral concerts and shopping, all of the Elks Club all over the nation hold a Hoop Shoot contest. Kids compete in their age and gender bracket to see who can swish the most baskets. Winners advance to next states, and the final tournament is held in Chicago, where the competing children and their families are put up in a hotel for the final round. Winners names go into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Mass.
Required to enter was a birth certificate for proof of age, which hinders a number of kids from entering who do not have easy access to their birth certificates, or if their birth certificates are not current with their names or genders. The Beacon Elk’s Lodge was questioned about the routine practice by a parent (me). After giving it a second thought, the Beacon Elk’s Lodge Hoops Director Nicole Moreno agreed that the policy was restrictive, and took it all the way to the State and National Directors of the Elks Lodge to advocate for the requirement’s removal. The top directors agreed, and the birth certificate is no longer required.
About The Hoop Shoot Contest
In Beacon and in other communities where there is an Elks Club Lodge membership hosting the contest, parents receive a simple flyer with the date and location of the tryout: a Friday evening at Rombout Middle School. Participating kids must bring their birth certificates in order to prove their age. Being that the kids are receiving these flyers in school the need for proof of age seems redundant, and overly cautious.
The Restrictive Problem With The Birth Certificate Requirement
This seemingly simple requirement is a barrier to several different types of children, including those who are:
Unable to locate their birth certificate. Sometimes they get lost.
Living with a parent or caregiver in more than one household where communication between parents is strained, and only one parent has the original birth certificate to make the copy. Getting a document like this for an activity that both parents agree on can become a problem.
Difficult for those with different immigration statuses who may not have a birth certificate.
Limiting for those in foster care who also may not have easy access to a birth certificate.
Uncomfortable for kids recognizing gender identification, and are going through Beacon schools with a different gender and name than what they were identified with at birth. Revealing a birth certificate may “out” them in a way they don’t intend.
When asked why the birth certificate was needed if the kids are being recruited from Rombout Middle School, Principal Brian Soltish referred questions to Carl Oken, an organizer with the Elks Club. Carl explained that the birth certificate was needed for proof of age should the child advance to next rounds, as the school does not share records with the club. Carl stated that “birth certificates can have all data redacted other than name, birth date and sex.”
When questioning of the practice persisted, Carl referred the questions onto the contest director, Nicole Moreno. While at first she was comfortable with the practice, she gave it a think over a weekend, and changed her mind: “Our conversations had my wheels turning. I have addressed this issue with both the State and National Directors and effective immediately, birth certificates are no longer a requirement.”
A Beaconite who is a parent in the district and is a bilingual lead advocate for domestic violence victims, Ella Mar, was supportive of the decision. “That type of requirement excludes undocumented students, and potentially exposes their undocumented status. It also excludes queer children and teenagers who have been kicked out of their home and doesn't have access to their birth certificate,” they reflected.
“A proof of birth certificate requirement especially targets trans kids, who would have to expose their dead name and assigned gender at birth, which could potentially out any child whose current sex, gender or name isn't reflected on their birth record. This type of requirement could also exclude children in the foster care system, or any youth where it is not safe for them to produce their birth record. Or they just don't have it."
Months after the decision was made, Nicole remains supportive of the decision to make community-based events produced by the Elks more inclusive, stating: “For a long time, the Elks Club was not so inclusive. You had to be a white Christian male to be a member. There are still Lodges to this day that are still segregated by sex and color. Even a neighboring community still doesn't allow female members. Beacon, however, was one of the first to allow female members, and the first to elect a Woman Exalted Ruler. We just elected the 3rd this year 2022. We love our vets. We love our kids and we love our community.”
This month finishes Nicole’s four years as chair of the Hoop Shoot committee, to be followed by Joe Green. Barbra Farber was Exalted Ruler twice, and Jennifer Velez is the newly elected Exalted Ruler, to begin serving the term in April 2022.
The Beacon Elks Lodge is located at 900 Wolcott Avenue. Keep up the the many events and opportunities they offer, including rental of their space.
Community Safety Day Happening From Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps
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Join the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BVAC) for the 6th Annual Community Education Safety Day & EMS Week Celebration on May 15th, 2022 at the Beacon Elks Lodge from 12-4pm. Several safety opportunities are in store for you.
Says Deborah CortesEMT-B and Vice President of BVAC, “This event was created to help educate the community on emergencies and get the opportunity to meet community members as well as they get to know us and other first responders around the county. Another goal is to make them aware of numerous resources that are out there and available for them in the county. We hold this event on the week of May 15th specifically each year because it’s EMS Week! We do take donations if somebody does want to donate. This event is free for persons of all ages and we’re hoping to see everyone out there!”
While there, if you are thinking of getting involved with BVAC, on-site interviews for career and volunteer opportunities will be available as well as free giveaways and activities!
Activities Included In BVAC’s Community Safety Day
Free face painting
Free balloons
Free bicycle helmets & fitting for kids
Free car seat inspections (replacement if necessary)
CME
Teddy bear clinic
Seat belt rollover demo
Animal ambulance
Opioid crisis education
Heart/stroke awareness
Smoke trailer demo
Train track safety
David Garcia- human trafficking
ATV’s, K-9 Unit, Drone, Rescue boat and Crime scene truck
And MORE!
The event will take place on May 15th 2022 from 12pm - 4pm at the Beacon Elks Lodge in Beacon, NY. Find more information here >
This Week's City Council Meeting Agenda 3/21/2022:
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This week in your City Hall, the City Council, the Mayor and the City Administrator will meet on the following items that are officially on the meeting’s agenda for 3/21/2022:
- Appointing (hiring) a new HR Director, Sara Morris.
- Appointing Esther Jackson to the Conservation Advisory Committee (a busy committee that keeps the City on track with environmental goals)
- Re-hiring a cleaning service to clean the City of Beacon’s public bathrooms. Miller’s Touch Cleaning Service, a Black owned business won the bid.
- Hiring of VAD Contractors to replace the roof on the Municipal Building (aka Town Hall)
- Authorizing permission to remove and replace the solar panels on the roof.
- Amending the Rules and Procedures for how the public can address the City Council, Mayor, City Council, and employees of the City of Beacon during Public Comment sessions every other week. While Beacon’s administrations have usually been publicly criticized or questioned, this administration has come into power after a time of regular protests in the racial justice reawakening period, emboldening more people to speak more strongly on many topics. The Mayor and City Administrator have thoughts to curb the enthusiasm, and the City Council responded with edits.
Tonight’s meeting has 2 Public Comment sessions, where anyone can speak on any topic, and no Public Hearings (official discussions from the public on a determined topic).
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SAVE THE DATE: Poughkeepsie Day School Virtual Admissions
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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No Plans As Of Yet For Parklets In Beacon, Says The City - Restaurants Respond
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Pictured here are diners outside of Homespun, which has sidewalk seating in front, and a patio in the back. For two springs and summers, it also had a parklet in front.
Photo Credit: Heather Barr
Last year at this time, the Delta variant of COVID-19 was brewing, and in May 2021, it became official. People were used to eating outside in parking spots called “parklets,” which were created by using orange water-filled “jersey barriers” to surround tables and chairs for diners to eat outside of a restaurant. The water made the barriers heavy, so they were not moved by casual pushing.
Most of Beacon’s restaurants opted into the parklets, and Mayor Kyriacou waved any fee for having them. They were purchased by the City in part with money the City of Beacon earned through some film permits, as stated by City Administrator Chris White during some City Council Meetings.
The people who were comfortable eating in the street filled up the parklets most weekends. While Beacon citizens were mixed on if they would park their bodies in a parklet, those who wanted to eat outside to feel safer than eating indoors appreciated the choice. Restaurants appreciated the additional seating and additional revenue the parklet seating could provide.
Abruptly In September 2021, the City of Beacon told restaurant owners they had to pull the parklets in a matter of days in order to prepare for the paving of Main Street. Joe Robitaille, owner of Homespun, remembers working on a Sunday to dismantle his shaded structure he had designed to beautify the parklet, recalling: “The City told us we had to remove the parklet by Monday, and we had one weekend to do this. Sunday is a busy day for us on the weekend, but to comply, I dedicated myself to taking down the parklet and not helping my staff serve customers.”
Homespun was not the only one who invested in upgraded porches and designs for the parklets. Neighbor Ziatun had a patio, and Sukhothai also built out a structure. Several other restaurants adorned their plastic barriers with flowers. September in Beacon usually brings beautiful weather, with a boom in sales for the Columbus Day Weekend in October (now known as Indigenous People’s Day). Seating was lost for the weeks leading up to that October holiday weekend, including that weekend itself. And then the paving of Beacon’s Main Street was canceled, putting in question the early pulling of the parklets. The previous year, the parklets were pulled in November.
A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the City Administrator Chris White, Mayor Lee Kyriacou as well as Councilmember George Mansfield, who is a restaurant owner, to gain insight on if the City Council had discussed the parklets with themselves, the public or business owners. Councilmember George responded: “There has been no discussion at Council regarding the parklets. I assume they will not be back due to scheduled repaving of Main Street and the fact that there is no longer any state mandates limiting indoor occupancy for the hospitality industry.”
City Administrator Chris did indicate in a recent City Council meeting that paving would begin on Main Street soon. When ALBB asked about a start date, Councilmember George did not know, stating that there were several “moving parts” to organizing paving. City Administrator White and Mayor Kyriacou did not respond by publishing time.
Safety Of Parklets
The public was mixed on the safety of parklets, yet the seats remained full. Traffic and speeding in Beacon is a known issue. On Mother’s Day, two cars collided in the middle of Main Street, avoiding the parklets but jumping the curb to land on the sidewalk to hit a grandmother and pin a child. Months later, another grandmother was hit and killed by a local driver in the crosswalk while the grandmother correctly crossed the street at Teller and Main Street because the driver was blinded by the afternoon sun, according to the police report. An 11 year old girl was hit in the crosswalk at Verplanck Avenue and Matteawan after school let out while correctly crossing the street on her bike because the driver “thought she had passed already,” the child told A Little Beacon Blog (interview to come).
After the parklets were pulled, some readers wrote into A Little Beacon Blog, asking if the parklets were returning, as they preferred eating outdoors and did not mind the location of the parklet. Some people who are in favor of a “walkable Main Street” are in favor of the parklets to naturally slow down traffic. Unless the police chime in after the publishing of this article, there have been no reports of people in parklets being hit. However, there have been several reports of people in crosswalks and walking on Main Street being hit.
Restaurants Respond
After being told by the City of Beacon that there was no plan as of yet for the parklets, Joe of Homespun had this to say about the loss of parklets, despite him having sidewalk seating in front and patio seating in back: “I think it will make it tough on restaurants in town. For us with the garden backyard, it was always over-flow seating anyways, and would fill up after the garden was fully seated. But for smaller places with tinier dining rooms, it provided a big shot in the arm. Hopefully the public is really ready to dine inside again.”
Marko Guzijan, owner of the Hudson Valley Food Hall, which has several food vendors stationed inside with plenty of seating including an outdoor patio had this to say about the parklets: “It’s not surprising. In truth, it won’t effect our business much. It may actually help as we already have private outdoor seating and now people who aren’t comfortable sitting inside will have less options in Beacon (this is especially true for families of young kids who can’t get a vaccine). But we don’t want to see our business improve beacuse other Beacon businesses are hindered.
“No parklet seating, plus the increase in energy bills is going to hurt many Main Street business. Again, the chefs in the Food Hall will probably make more money, but that doesn’t mean I think it’s the right decision. I’m curious as to why the City Council of Beacon thinks this is a good idea, while New York City continues to have outdoor seating to try to help their food and beverage businesses? As of yet, they haven’t communicated with any of the businesses in the Food Hall to explain their decision.”
As of now, there have been no public discussions during City Council Meetings about the parklets. Peekskill recently indicated they are considering removing some of their parklets, and some members of the Peekskill public have started a petition to keep them. This report at News12 quotes some business owners who benefited from the parklets.
Editorial Disclaimer: Homespun was a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog and is a website client, and Hudson Valley Food Hall is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog. Their views do not influence content, but our relationship does make understanding their issues easier.
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The Hudson River Maritime Museum - “Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: The True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth”
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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Beacon's City Council Announces Passage Of Law Prohibiting Evictions Without Good Cause - Mayor Votes Against - Council's Responses
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On Monday, March 7, 2022, Beacon’s entire City Council voted to pass a law prohibiting residential evictions without good cause, known to some as the “Good Cause Eviction Law.” Mayor Lee Kyriacou, who is a landlord, voted against the law. The press release prepared by Beacon’s City Council has been provided in full below.
Beacon’s Eviction Without Good Cause Law accounts for many situations, including requiring landlords to provide good cause to raise the rent above 5% if contested by their existing tenant requesting proof of necessity if the tenant/landlord discussions break down and the landlord pursues going to court to let a judge decide on the legality of the rent increase.
Where Is This Law Coming From?
Beacon is joining in the national movement within the housing crisis for all people to not let long-term rentals be a cut-throat rental market business model anymore. Other municipalities in this area have crafted and signed similar legislation, including Newburgh, Kingston, Poughkeepsie and Albany. Each of those communities, including Beacon, experienced the decimation of many of their historic buildings during the federally funded program Urban Renewal, which ended up mattering when rent regulation laws were enacted. Albany currently has one lawsuit against it, brought on by three landlords and their companies, asking for the law to be rescinded, as reported in the Times Union. There is proposed legislation in New York State Legislature that would enact a similar measure statewide.
It is in part because of that destruction that these communities cannot enact forms of rent stabilization found in New York City today. A new law in New York State, the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 2019, allows for a declaration of a housing crisis in a locality, but is based on having a number of historic buildings still in tact. However, as has been especially demonstrated in the past several years, laws are created, and laws are walked back upon when levels of harm are represented by groups of people advocating for change.
Residential Real Estate As A Business Model
During this process of legislative debate, advocates for Beacon’s law stressed that housing is a human right and needs more protection. Landlords who showed up to public meetings to speak answered that money they invested in a property is their retirement plan and should not be impeded upon. However, price hikes in any business model usually proves bad for business, and results in a client-business breakdown. Some Beacon landlords showed up to speak in favor of the law.
Even in the short-term rental market, or a client-services market - if a client is used to paying one price over a long period of time - to suddenly hike that price usually ruins the business/client relationship. In the housing market, the long-term landlord may replace the tenant quickly in an unregulated market, but in the equally unregulated service or even the short-term rental industry which has online reviews tied to it, pricing is regulated by online reviews (social pressure), proper business relationships, and providing great service. Because secure housing is such a desperate need, some residential landlords don’t often face social pressure to keep rent increases stable, or provide stellar service in some cases.
Said the lead author of the law, Councilmember Dan Aymar-Blair, to A Little Beacon Blog about the passage of this law: “Tenant-landlord issues are most often resolved out of court and I hope that continues. The law has clear definitions of what constitutes good cause eviction and that framework can be used for discussions before anybody has to go to court. I hope landlords and management companies that depend on abusing tenants for profit margins will see their business model won't work in Beacon.
“I hope that Beacon will next come together to address the lack of affordable housing for all income ranges. Good cause eviction means that tenants can organize and participate without fear of retaliatory evictions and jacked rents.”
Was This Vote Expected This Night?
The week prior, The City Council was not anticipating voting on the law on March 7th. Week after week, the law had been pushed forward by the Council to even get it to the stage of Public Hearing, which is where it was the Monday evening of this week. For months, the City Council heard resistance from its retained legal counsel, Keane and Beane, who also represents developers building rental units in the City of Beacon, to advise the City not to create a law, stating on public record that it would be difficult to defend if a lawsuit was brought against the City. The Council then discussed the possibility of hiring a different law firm to represent a lawsuit in that case, should that happen.
Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White stressed throughout several discussions his concern for “fiduciary” spending of taxpayer dollars on legal costs defending this law. It is not clear on his definition of fiduciary, since he has currently authorized at least $110,000 of taxpayer dollars in the pursuit of terminating employment of a longtime city employee of the Highway Department, in addition to over $50,000 in paid-leave salary for that employee to not work during a labor shortage.
This law was in its second round of Public Hearing, where anyone in Beacon could come speak their mind about it. With this law being discussed on social media and out in real life for several months, it was hard for the community to ignore the effort. Landlords came to speak in favor or against, as did tenants. Advocates for the law even held a holiday caroling/protest in December 2021 at Pohill Park, which marched to City Council to confront the then City Councilmembers during their last days on council before the new members started.
Self-Fulfilling Prophesy Of Rent Hikes Before The Law Passed
After at least one tenant came forward to public City Council Meetings to speak in favor of the law, word circulated that some landlords had begun raising rents in anticipation of the free-for-all rent hike situation getting regulated.
That Beacon tenant reported at the next Public Hearing, that after she spoke in public at a City Council Meeting, she had subsequently asked her landlord to fix something necessary in her apartment, whereby she received by text from her landlord saying that he would fix it. In the same text, he declared he was also raising her month-to-month rent by $600/month. This hike, after an agreed upon hike of $100/month over the summer, resulted in a $700/month hike within one year, she told A Little Beacon Blog. This renter is White, works in the non-profit sector, and volunteers to teach classes in a corrections facility in the evenings.
Usually, if the City Council expects to vote on a legally binding resolution the night of the closing of a Public Hearing, the Resolution is noted in the official Agenda for the City Council, and a vote is taken that evening. This can be fore anything simple like having a Public Hearing for allowing firefighters to live further away from Beacon, hearing from the community, and then voting affirmatively right after if the public doesn’t bring overwhelming objection.
But this vote wasn’t on the evening’s agenda after the Council closed the Public Hearing, yet they discussed putting it on the agenda during the opening of the meeting. A Little Beacon Blog asked Councilmember Dan if the Council expected to vote that evening. He answered: “Yes. When we started to hear that landlords were retaliating against renters, we had no choice. Seeing that the outstanding amendments would have weakened the law and allowed this retaliation to continue for another month, we pressed forward.”
When asked if he was surprised to see it not initially on the agenda, Councilmember Dan answered: “No, it wasn’t an issue.” You can listen to how they all discussed putting the vote on the agenda at the beginning of the City Council Meeting here.
When Did This “Eviction Without Good Cause” Movement Start?
In the Before Times, during the pre-pandemic days, and during the former administration under Mayor Randy Casale, rents were already on the rise in Beacon. Former Councilmember Terry Nelson suggested pursuing the Emergency Tenants Protection Act of 2019. During that administration, where Lee Kyriacou was then a Councilmember, the common response by then Mayor Casale and some councilmembers to Councilmember Terry’s urging was that rents would self regulate under market conditions.
When the new administration came in, with former Councilmember Lee Kyriacou winning the election to become Mayor, the new Mayor Lee Kyriacou gave a platform for the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 2019 to be considered, after Councilmember Terry continued to bring it up. Mayor Lee would state that he was doubtful that Beacon qualified for the tenant protection. Yet he dedicated space at a public Workshop Meeting for expert opinion to explain why Beacon did not qualify.
The Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 2019 requires a locality to know its rental vacancy rate, and of those, that the buildings are ones built between February 1, 1947 and December 31, 1973. Many of Beacon’s buildings that were of that age had been bulldozed during the federally ordered Urban Renewal period. You can get an introduction to Urban Renewal from the blog Newburgh Restoration, who describes it as a “tragedy” when mentioning how 1,300 buildings were demolished there, 9 streets “plowed under,” and “The city’s African American community was uprooted, with thousands of businesses and residents displaced.” A similar situation happened in Beacon. The Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 2019 requires that these buildings still exist to qualify.
During the time of Beacon’s Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 2019 discussion, Mayor Lee also stated that Beacon does not have a housing survey to know its vacancy rate. He did not imply that Beacon was in a hurry to conduct such a study. However, he did support spending at minimum of $50,000 on a Parks and Recreation study to be told what people want from a central Community Center. Two such centers used to exist in Beacon, and Beacon’s current tiny Parks and Rec building at 23 West Center Street is bursting at the studs with services and volunteerism.
The City Council’s pursuit of more tenant protections continued, with Councilmember Dan Aymar-Blair pushing to have a Good Cause Eviction Law considered. Councilmember Dan took the lead on drafting the law with other Councilmembers and the City’s retained law firm, Keane and Beane.
A Little Beacon Blog reached out to former Councilmember Terry Nelson to get his take on the passage of this law, and if he thought his early efforts helped from years ago. He responded: “It’s not really for me to say if my efforts helped, but I would like to think they did. It’s always a good thing when renters get the protections they deserve. But any law only works when there is effective enforcement. Attention must be paid to the level of enforcement of the new law.”
What Some City Council Members Said Upon Voting
Before casting his vote of Yes, Councilmember George Mansfield, who consistently voiced concern about leaving renal rates in the hands of a judge on a case-by-case basis, said this to explain his vote in favor of the passage of the law:
“This is a complicated issue, and I appreciate everyone who has come out during the course of this discussion.
“I'd like to first say that Keane and Beane, our lawyers, have represented this community and looked out for them for as long as I've been on council - or maybe I've been here longer than Keane and Beane has, but. So I truly respect your advice and consider that greatly in my decision.
“I also think, that I can see through our discussions, that we have an opportunity to respond to Albany - that there might be an opportunity - I don't feel like we are risking an expensive lawsuit going forward - that we can respond.
“I would have preferred to wait for the Albany decision to come down. But I think we have time to respond between maybe passing this and actually going to quote and the cost of litigation associated with that.
“One of my goals when we pass a law such as this is to help as many people and to hurt as few people in the decision. And in the end, no one is fully happy, and no one got fully what they wanted out of these discussions.
“I think that there is an urgency right now, certainly listening to some - part of the urgency is created not only by the greed, but by the fear of this law being passed. I think that is what is happening to some people. Landlords are raising rents objectionably and unconscionably right now. They've been known to do that in the past as well.
“My decision tonight will be based on helping as many people and hurting as few people going forward. Thank you all for being part of this conversation.
Mayor Kyriacou had this to say before casting his lone vote of No:
“The issue that I have respect to authority is that I have been sitting on Council for a long time. The nature of how City's get their authority from the State is not supported in this area. I'm sorry, but that is what it is. You all may have a different view, and I'm very respectful of that view.
“The second of my concern is, if we are picking away to help renters, and I think we do need to help renters, pitting one part of the community against the other is the wrong way to do this, and this does exactly that. Which I find that just sad.
“I know we want to help renters. Again, the County has announced a rental support program for people in low-income. That I think is the correct approach. It's something that we all as a community pay taxes to support, and I'm supportive of that. Pitting one part of the community against the other is the wrong way to go. I'm just saddened as I listen to us just dividing ourselves.
“The ones that I am focused on helping is low-income renters. There are plenty of renters that have come to Beacon who are fully capable of paying the full rents that are out there now. That's why those rents are out there. If we afford them the same rights, they will push low income renters out, and that's the group I really, really wish to help. I don't think this law is structured correctly do to so. Those are my concerns.”
In answering the Mayor, Councilperson Justice McCray gave their answer before voting in favor of the passage of the law:
“To that point, this law is designed to keep people in their homes, so I don't see how this would push low-income renters out,” Justice said.
“Just to talk about eviction:
“Evicted individuals are 11% to 15% more likely to experience a loss of employment and medical insurance as compared to individuals who have not been evicted (Harvard University)
“Children victimized by eviction are typically forced to transfer schools; a traumatic destruction of stable educational and peer relationships that has been shown to have a lasting negative impact on childhood development. (National Education Policy Center)
“All adult populations, once evicted, experience higher-all cause mortality, increased instances of emergency room visits, higher rates of addiction and relapse, depression, and suicide. (National Library of Medicine)
“Cost-burdened households spend more than 30% of their income on rent, and severely cost-burdened households spend more than 50% (Disrupted)
“I came onto Council as a community organizer working in social and racial justice. Passing Good Cause is crucial for bringing racial justice to housing. More than two-thirds of Black families in New York State rent. Among renters, Black households are the most vulnerable to eviction, the most likely to experience discrimination from landlords, and the ones most likely to be displaced when neighborhoods change.
“High rents and gentrification have had a devastating impact on Black communities in New York State. In my social justice work over the past couple of years, I’ve built connections with Black members of our community who lived here for years, and because they weren’t protected by this law, they’re gone. I don’t get to walk around the corner and share meals with them anymore. If you’ve been here for not even 10 years, you’ve seen the active displacement of Black people in Beacon. Good Cause is an important step in promoting community stability and combating displacement.
“According to a study published last week by the Pratt Center for Community Development Urban Democracy Lab, Legal Aid Society, Housing Justice for All, and the Community Service Society: “Black Households In New York Are 3x As Likely To Face Eviction As White Households”
“Councilmembers and community alike have stated that housing is a human right. It’s not just a philosophy. Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 25: Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, and housing…
“I support Good Cause Eviction.”
The Press Release From The City Council After The Vote
Below is the press release from the City Council, that has not yet been published to the City’s website yet. In earlier discussions as the law was debated, City Administrator Chris White asked the Keane and Beane attorney if the law, if voted on, could be delayed to be published to the City Code and delay enforcement, to which the attorney answered that it could. It has not been stated as to the date that this law will be published to the City Code.
BEACON, NY MARCH 8, 2022 - In last night’s City Council meeting, the Beacon City Council passed their hard-fought “good cause eviction” law tonight with the support of all six City Council members. By providing Beacon’s housing court with a framework for what constitutes an eviction with good cause, the City Council hopes to end the leniency of eviction proceedings against tenants, allow greater access to due process, and mitigate the displacement of residents. The law builds upon the fact that housing is a human right and that apartments and houses are not just commodities, they are homes.
“To clear up misconceptions, this law does not change that evictions require the courts. What it does is sets relevant standards for the proceedings that protect tenants,” said Wren Longno, Ward 3 Councilmember.
Specifically, grounds for eviction with good cause include:
Non-payment of rent
Substantial lease violations
Property damage
Committing a nuisance
Refusal of access
Illegal activity
Bad-faith refusal to sign a written lease
If the landlord wants to move themselves or a family member into the rented unit.
Additionally, rent increases above 5% will require a justification before a judge in cases where the tenant objects to the increase. The law intends to end the practice of arbitrary evictions and steep rental increases which are de facto evictions.
“Beacon is a popular place to live, and with good reason, but increased rents of 20% or more have become common which is simply impossible for most people.” said Councilmember At-Large Paloma Wake “While this law does not directly address affordable housing per se, we know that stable housing has compounding benefits for the entire city. When basic needs are met, individuals can be more active and thriving members of our community.”
Since Councilmember Dan Aymar-Blair for Ward 4 first introduced the law in August 2021, neighboring communities of Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston passed their own similar versions of the law.
While no legal action has been taken against these municipalities, over several workshops, the City Council discussed the potential of a lawsuit brought by landlords. The City Council concluded that the risks posed to the city by a lawsuit were low, particularly the threat of legal expenses.
“Passing Good Cause is essential for bringing racial justice to housing,” said Ward 2 Councilmember Justice McCray. “More than two-thirds of Black families in New York State rent; and among renters, Black households are the most vulnerable to eviction, the most likely to experience discrimination from landlords, and the ones most likely to be displaced when neighborhoods change. If you’ve been here for not even 10 years, you’ve seen the active displacement of black people in Beacon. Black households in New York are three times as likely to face eviction as white households. Good Cause is an important step in promoting community stability [preserving diversity] and combatting displacement.”
Similar laws are still being considered around New York State, including New Paltz and Ithaca. A statewide bill is also actively under consideration.
“Tenants can now organize and speak up about their living conditions without fear of retaliatory evictions and jacked rents,” said Aymar-Blair. “Now that the folks who depend on affordable housing can fearlessly join the conversation, the City Council is ready to turn its attention to creating new affordable housing for low-income residents and working families.”
Molly Rhodes, Ward 1 Councilmember said, “We hope this can be a launching point where both tenants and landlords feel inspired to come together to help the city craft future housing policies and vision.”
From:
City of Beacon Councilmembers Dan Aymar-Blair, Wren Longno, Justice McCray, Molly Rhodes, and Paloma Wake
“Pitting One Part Of The Community Against The Other” - Governing Laws Already Do This
One of Mayor Lee’s stated concerns is for avoiding this legislation is to avoid “pitting one part of the community against the other,” implying tenants vs landlords. This type of “pitting” has already existed in the form of legislation in New York State, especially so in New York City and parts of Albany, Erie, Nassau, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Westchester counties where rent control is still in effect, according to the Residential Tenants Rights Guide. These members of the community are already pitted against each other when the landlord pursues going to court to evict a tenant - if it reaches that point, and the tenant doesn’t self-evict.
A Little Beacon Blog has spoken to people who work in different areas. Families who have the same job year after year - fixed income if you will - who cannot afford a large rent increase - and then need to move out of Beacon to Wappingers or Newburgh to find comparable rent. Nurses. Home care workers. Self-employed creators. Service-industry folks like bar tenders and restaurant managers can barely afford to live in Beacon, yet they work here. Some commuting from counties over. “Artist lofts” are very limiting for who qualifies to live in those units, and can be discriminatory.
It is unclear who these low-income people are that Mayor Kyriacou says he advocates for, since the people he seems to say can pay these rising rents may be from certain private sectors, or people who rent apartments as second get-away homes, or are never home because their jobs who can afford this rent send these new Beacon citizens to other locations to do their jobs. Or, are the blessed collection of employees who can work remotely from home.
Beacon's Parade of Green is On - Rain, Snow, Sleet or Shine - Honoring Anthony Lassiter, Grand Marshall 2022
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Parade of Green committee volunteers painting the town with green, yellow, orange and blue shamrocks. Pictured from left: Rick Brownell, Bitsy, and Annie McElduff.
DAY: Saturday, March 12th
TIME: 12noon for the public (floats and cars line up earlier at 11am)
LOCATION: Starts at Pohill Park (near Bank Square) ends at Dummy Light (1 East Main near Trax)
RAIN OR SHINE
With weather apps calling for 100% chance of something wet this Saturday, March 12, 2022, Beacon’s Parade of Green is on with no rain date. Said one of the parade organizers, Kimberlee Markarian in response to Councilmember George Mansfield’s question of if the parade is rain or shine during this week’s City Council Meeting: “It is rain or shine! Which is so amazing! We went through a whole lot of things in the last couple of years. A little rain…we got it!”
The parade route is from Pohill Park (the corner of Main Street, 9D and South Avenue at Bank Square), runs down Main Street, and ends at the Dummy Light (near 1 East Main near Trax Coffee and the Chocolate Studio). Main Street will be closed (but all shops and restaurants open!), so the parade floats, cars and walkers will have full access to roll through. The parade starts at 12pm from Pohill Park.
Be sure to visit Meyers Old Dutche for their special “Shamrock” drink inspired by the parade. Later on, find a calm and cozy spot inside of Two Way Brewery for their live music, featuring the TMcCann Band starting at 7pm (food also available from the Flying Jibb)
Honoring Anthony Lassiter, Grand Marshall For 2022 Parade Of Green
Photo Credit: Parade of Green
The Parade of Green is honoring Anthony Lassiter, was born February 1947 in Beacon. He attended Beacon High School where he was on the football, wrestling, and baseball teams. He graduated high school in 1966 and was drafted into the US Army in the spring of 1967.
Private Lassiter was trained to be an Army electrician. His primary responsibilities included building helicopter landing pads for Cobra gunships. Additionally, Specialist Lassiter was assigned to the "burial detail firing squad" where he performed the 21-gun salute at the funerals of fallen heroes.
Ultimately, Specialist Lassiter was sent to Republic of South Vietnam. Shortly after being promoted to Sargent, Lassiter and his Company were attacked by hostile forces. Lassiter was injured in that attack and was awarded a Purple Heart. He received an Army Commendation Medal for his distinguished service and was honorably Discharged from the Army in November 1969.
In January 1970, he went to work at IBM in East Fishkill. After several years, he became a manager. One of his favorite assignments was recurring college students to work for IBM. He worked at IBM for the next 30 years. Anthony married Patricia Lassiter. Together they raised 2 sons: Justin and Aaron, and have 8 grandchildren. Mr. Lassiter is now retired.
Anthony Lassiter serves his church and assists throughout the community in multiple volunteer activities. Anthony served on the City of Beacon Planning Board for 15 years, and continues to serve on the City of Beacon Housing Authority Board of Directors. He is a member of the American Legion Post 203, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 666, the Beacon Community Lions Club, and is a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
Anthony is a long standing volunteer at the St. Andrew's / St. Luke's Food Pantry. For many years, he has served on the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee, and in 1991, was chosen as the Spirit of Beacon Volunteer of the Year.
Anthony is registered with Donate Life Organ Donation, and actively encourages others to register. As a civic minded individual who strives to serve this community and is dedicated to his fellow veterans, Anthony's commitment is limitless. This list only touches on his accomplishments.
The Army Commendation received by Lassiter proclaimed: "The loyalty, initiative, and will to succeed that Specialist Anthony V. Lassiter demonstrated at all times, undoubtedly made him one of the finest soldiers in this command." It can be concluded that Anthony Lassiter's loyalty, initiative, and will to succeed make him one of the finest citizens in this City of Beacon.
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The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
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