Happy Thursday! Happy Shopping Guide update! Welcome Local Assortment to Beacon and to ALBB’s Shopping Guide.
Local Assortment is located at 436 Main St. featuring handcrafted accessories as well as goods from local makers and women owned businesses.
Can’t wait to check them out! See our Shopping Guide for more information.
During last night’s City Council Meeting (3-18-2024) in what was expected to be a easy passage of two requests from NAMI Mid-Hudson to pass a Proclamation to make May Mental Health Awareness Month in Beacon, as well as NAMI’s once-annual public service ribbon and yard sign campaign to promote awareness about their services for families living with special needs from mental health considerations, as well as to reduce the stigma on mental health which can reduce the likelihood that people seek out support, the executive team at NAMI Mid-Hudson was met with resistance by Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White, stating that he wanted to preserve Beacon’s lampposts from the PSA ribbons, and intended to restrict NAMI’s temporary PSA lawn signs from being distributed, citing zoning code, without identifying which code number or how the code was being interpreted.
Executive Director George Czornyj and Program Director Jo Ann Brown were presenting. NAMI’s ribbon and sign campaign has happened in Beacon from 2014-2022. During the meeting, it was also discovered that NAMI had been denied permission in 2023 to hang their white ribbons in Beacon. NAMI’s ribbon work in other municipalities continues.
After NAMI Mid-Hudson’s presentation on why the ribbon campaign was so crucial to reaching new people, City Administrator Chris told the Council: “I would like to have a conversation at Workshop because the lawn signs are not allowed under a code. We have also had a multi-year campaign to try get our lampposts back into shape. Some of those are being painted. We did not approve this last year. I would like the opportunity to chime in at a Workshop.”
Mayor Lee Kyriacou, who has a daughter with Autism, did not disagree, replying: “Great. We can certainly do a Proclamation. That is certainly not a problem.”
Councilmember Amber Grant spoke up: "Yeah, I would like to discuss. I appreciate the lampposts and all that. Maybe there's some trees or other things we can identify that would be a way to show support without necessarily impacting the light posts and all of that. I look forward to discussing."
Councilmember Paloma Wake agreed: "I would like to second what Amber said."
The impact of ribbons on the lampposts will be discussed at a later Workshop. City Administrator Chris did not cite which zoning code the lawn signs did not comply with. Could be 183-2, or 223-15 Signs. City Administrator Chris has been known to target other signs of other entities. It is unclear if his sign targeting is balanced to all who put out signs for designated reasons, or targeted to his digression. For instance, temporary green shamrocks were secured onto lampposts by the Parade of Green, a committee member of that organization said, which was granted by the City of Beacon.
Possible sign codes City Administrator Chris is referring to may include 223-15, and do not seem to indicate that the white ribbons and lawn signs would be in non-compliance:
F. Temporary signs.
(1) A temporary sign is a nonilluminated sign that is used in connection with a circumstance, situation or event that is designed, intended or expected to take place or to be completed within a reasonably short or definite period after the erection of such sign, such as signs displayed during campaigns, drives or events of civic, political, philanthropic, educational or religious institutions. If such sign display area is permanent but the message displayed is subject to periodic changes, that sign shall not be regarded as "temporary." Unless otherwise provided in this section, signs shall not be considered temporary if they are effectively displayed on an ongoing basis, interrupted by short intervals when they are not displayed. Temporary signs shall not require a permit under this section, unless located in the public right-of-way or on public property.
For instance, a grand opening looks to be protected in Section F 4-C:
Signs indicating that a special event such as a grand opening, fair, carnival, circus, festival or similar event is taking place on the lot where the sign is located, not exceeding 40 square feet in area in nonresidence districts and six square feet in residence districts, and limited to one sign for each street frontage of the lot. The sign shall not be posted sooner than two weeks prior to the special event and shall be removed by the individual or organization which posted, or caused to be posted, such sign within three calendar days following the special event.
Perhaps the City’s Attorney will have a different interpretation at the next Workshop Meeting.
“To be continued on how the health of the lampposts will be maintained or impacted by a PSA campaign to increase awareness about how to improve and maintain the mental health of humans.”
NAMI partners with the local organization I Am Beacon, which was co-created by Reuben Simmons, a 22 year employee of the City of Beacon in the Highway Department, who is mixed race and identifies as Black. City Administrator Chris has spent close to $200,000 in Employee Discipline to terminate Reuben, for reasons not clear or proven in hearings.
According to I Am Beacon, in 2023, NAMI Mid-Hudson independently requested permission from the City of Beacon to run their ribbon campaign. NAMI has partnered on the campaign with I Am Beacon since 2014, and was on the Planning Committee for the mental health awareness concert that I Am Beacon organized, called Rock Out 4 Mental Health, of which A Little Beacon Blog also participated on the Planning Committee. “Last year,” said I Am Beacon, “we thought permission for the campaign would be pretty straightforward. We told NAMI to just go ask for permission. We were surprised when they were denied last year.”
This year, I Am Beacon decided to present with NAMI Mid-Hudson during a public City Council Meeting on 3-18-2024, so that everyone could learn about NAMI Mid-Hudson and learn about why their ribbon and lawn sign campaign is necessary. This slide-deck was produced, that contains many resources for families, and testimonials from individuals who have benefited from NAMI’s resources.
Beacon citizens know each other on the sidewalk. Whether they live in houses or apartments or not. Beacon citizens know which of us need a little extra help and compassion. It is not always very obvious who to call when someone is in distress.
For instance: ALBB witnessed what looked to be a father/son (or caregiver/young adult) in a combative situation coming out of the Telephone Building on S. Brett and Main Street. The man dragged the younger man out of the building in a chokehold, and then punched him in the face. A struggle ensued, where the younger man fell to the ground, was mainly calm and limp, until being stuffed into a car, where he resisted. The younger may have be Autistic. ALBB got it on video and a civilian called the police. The police arrived and were told by the man that it was a family situation, and was handled.
ALBB sent the video to the police in the hopes of filing a Police Report, not knowing if that was even the best thing to do. Information was submitted to the police, but no followup has happened. It left those of us who saw the incident feeling helpless for the young man, and for the older man who seemed to not be handling the situation in an educated manner. Hitting someone into obedience is not the answer.
During NAMI’s presentation last night, they stressed the value of calling the Dutchess County Help Line to get guidance to resources by calling 988 or 845-485-9700. The ribbons and lawn signs can help provide the visual for this awareness.
NAMI Mid-Hudson presented to Beacon High School for their United Way Audit in November 2021, which you can read in their packet. Right after the presentation, a teacher, sent NAMI this success story:
"I am writing this letter hoping those that read it will understand the value of NAMI Mid-Hudson's ETS program along with Jo Ann Brown and her young adult presenters to the Beacon City School District Community. In my 15 years of teaching, I have not found a more valuable resource. ETS gives students real life examples. It extends what we teach in health class with relatable real life stories. They literally get resources and a Trusted Adult List in their hands. The students are listening! This presentation gave me the tools to work with students and what I have learned helped me to save a student.”
The letter went on to say how a student on a hybrid call reached out to the teacher during the call because they were feeling very troubled and needed help. The teacher said they felt comfortable asking the student questions in order to get answers that got the student help. The teacher said that the questions they asked were because of the information they got from NAMI.
To be continued on how the health of the lampposts will be maintained or impacted by a PSA campaign to increase awareness about how to improve and maintain the mental health of humans.
Tonight's City Council Meeting Agenda (3-18-2024 at 7pm) has been published to ALBB's Easy Access Local Government section.
The following will be addressed tonight:
COMMUNITY SEGMENT:
- Honoring of Pat Kelliher for 54 years of service as a Volunteer Firefighter
- NAMI Mid-Hudson Presentation on Mental Health Resources
PUBLIC HEARING
- Public Hearing for a Proposed Local Law Concerning Minimum Parking Requirements (to be adjourned to April 15, 2024)
PUBLIC COMMENT
Where the public can speak on any topic for 3 minutes per person.
REPORTS
Where the table gives their reports. Includes: Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator
LOCAL LAWS & RESOLUTIONS BEING VOTED ON TONIGHT:
- Resolution No. 31 - Authorizing the City Administrator to Execute an Extension Agreement with Royal Carting Service Co. for Waste Collection.
This is an extension of the existing contract from 2018, which raises no rates since 2018.
- Resolution No. 32 - Setting a Public Hearing for the 3-5 Henry Street Restore New York Grant
The former auto-body shop on Henry Street has new owners, GARAGEWorks, who want to rehabilitate the 10,850 square feet of an otherwise vacant commercial space to be used for artist studios and community programming. GARAGEWorks wants to apply for the Restore NY Communities Initiative (Restore NY) grant released by Empire State Development (ESD). The grant requires a Public Hearing. This meeting will vote to set the Public Hearing.
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Hello. This is the first of our Palestinian coverage that we have been producing at our Instagram. Since October 7th, in between local articles, we curate news articles about Palestine, and post them in collections. The tone is different than here at the blog. ALBB’s tone at Instagram has grown more personal. We start each Palestine group post with this “little gaza news” graphic, and a description that sets the guidance for the posts to come.
“Today at ALBB was supposed to be about bringing you the news about the Cold Spring Farmers Market. But today so many pictures of Palestinian children burned bombed in the most unusual way surfaced. As well as more pictures of more children starving to death. As Joe Biden allows this to go on. And says that building a pier along side Gaza is the solution. It is not a solution. Ceasefire and End the Occupation is the answer. We, people in Beacon and all of the United States, are paying for this. At the very least, that can be why you care.
“This year, Katie is practicing Ramadan for the first time. She’s wanted to for years. And so just decided. Already had been reading the Quran and praying multiple times a day. It has been a beautiful experience so far. Only day 3 (or 4? brain gets scrambled when hungry.)
“Hunger. Hunger. Water. The people of Gaza have no water. Remember? Months ago they had no water. Months. Food. No food. Hardly any food. Israel denies all the food. Israel shoots people trying to get food (a video has surfaced of the massacre). Remember The Flour Massacre?
“Today, 50 people were shot from an Israeli helicopter. For fun. For sport. Israeli leadership has stated many times that they aim to clear all of Palestine out. This is the 2nd Nakba. So. That’s what this is. Call me anything you want here in Beacon. “White Power Hamas.” “Terrorist Apologist” “Hamas Supporter.” I am not alone. We are surrounded by people trying to stop this heinous homicide. Don’t cover your eyes or plug your ears for the next news photos. Hopefully “a little Gaza News” will get happier soon. If you want a Ceasefire / End The Occupation sign ALBB produced, let us know. We can keep printing them. Hang one in your room. Your office. Wherever you want.”
Little girl gets burn bombed. What children look like when their bodies are covered in burns from these burns that the United States supplies Israel with.
Little boy get burn bombed. His body is covered in burns and his lips deformed.
Little girl tells about how she is ugly now, but used to be beautiful (she is beautiful now, she just feels ugly because of all of the trauma and corpses around her).
12-year old boy shot by Israeli sniper in West Bank; Itamar Ben Givir says the sniper deserves an award. Ben Givir is an Israeli lawyer and politician who serves as the Minister of National Security.
Child recalls: “They took my mom and dad to the corridor and killed them in front of me.”
Irish anger over Gaza may make for a tense White House (Washington Post)
Little boy who dropped a hot food pot for his family, and is crying because he is struggling to get it back to his refugee spot.
An Israeli Apache helicopter opened fire towards thousands of hungry Palestinians at Al Kuwait roundabout in northern Gaza while they were waiting for aid, killing at least 50 of them.
50 Palestinians were killed by Israel in less than 5 minutes.
by Arvind Dilawar
Arvind Dilawar is an independent journalist. His articles, interviews and essays on everything from the spacesuits of the future to love in the time of visas have appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Daily Beast and elsewhere. He was also formerly a columnist at Pacific Standard.
Of the six congressional districts that include Hudson Valley counties, only one is on track for an election in which neither candidate has received funding from pro-Israel lobbyists. In Beacon’s District 18, two potential candidates have each received money from pro-Israel lobbyists: current Congressman Pat Ryan, and Republican hopeful Alison Esposito.
“Ryan expresses his opposition to even non-violent protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, as advocated by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Unsurprisingly, Ryan has yet to endorse a ceasefire in Gaza, which is supported by at least 69 other members of Congress, according to the Working Families Party at the time of this writing.”
In all of the other districts, candidates from one party or the other have received the endorsement — and financing — of the bipartisan American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Republican Jewish Coalition or Democratic Majority For Israel (DMFI). This avalanche of lobbying comes amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of at least 29,954 Palestinians, including 12,300 children and 8,400 women, according to Al Jazeera at the time of this writing.
Although AIPAC, RJC and DMFI target different segments of the political spectrum, their functions are essentially the same: to funnel funds to politicians who commit the United States to continue sending billions of dollars in military assistance to Israel and deploying both its military (e.g. warships in the Red Sea) and diplomacy (veto at the United Nations Security Council) to fend off challenges to Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
In New York's 18th congressional district, which includes Beacon, Democratic incumbent Pat Ryan and Republican forerunner Alison Esposito have both received endorsements from pro-Israel lobbyists. As the two are likely to advance to the general election, district voters will be left with no choice independent of pro-Israel lobbyists from either major political party come November.
Ryan is endorsed by both AIPAC and DMFI, and his campaign received at least $69,800 from the former for the current election cycle, per the Federal Election Commission. (According to FEC reports, DMFI has yet to financially contribute to Ryan’s campaign.) In his position paper on US-Israeli relations — which AIPAC requires of every candidate seeking endorsement — Ryan expresses his opposition to even non-violent protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, as advocated by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Unsurprisingly, Ryan has yet to endorse a ceasefire in Gaza, which is supported by at least 69 other members of Congress, according to the Working Families Party at the time of this writing.
Esposito is endorsed by RJC, which has contributed at least $42,601 to her campaign thus far, per the FEC. She is currently the forerunner in the district’s Republican primary and therefore most likely to face Ryan in the general election.
These are the other candidates in Hudson Valley districts who have received endorsements from AIPAC, RJC and/or DMFI this election cycle — and how much money they’ve received, per the FEC:
NY-16 (Westchester): Democratic challenger George Latimer is endorsed by AIPAC, which contributed at least $1,195,456.45 to his campaign.
NY-17 (Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess): Republican incumbent Mike Lawler is endorsed by both AIPAC and RJC, which together contributed at least $7,375 to his re-election campaign.
NY-19 (Ulster, Green, Columbia): Republican incumbent Marc Molinaro is endorsed by both AIPAC and RJC, which together contributed at least $8,000 to his re-election campaign.
NY-21 (Rensselaer): Republican incumbent Elise Stefanik is endorsed by both AIPAC and RJC, which together contributed at least $269,649.48 to her re-election campaign.
Altogether, AIPAC, RJC and DMFI have given more than $1.5 million to candidates in the Hudson Valley for this election cycle — and that’s only counting contributions up to the end of 2023, as FEC reports for 2024 have yet to start rolling in.
With AIPAC demanding that the United States “give Israel the time, resources and support to win this war,” this widespread lobbying is being explicitly tied to the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza by the lobbyists themselves, who want to ensure that US funding, military support and diplomatic cover allow the violence to continue. But these efforts should force voters in the Hudson Valley to question whether, alongside the thousands of civilians being starved and slaughtered, if it isn’t the United States’ democracy that’s dying in Gaza too.
Got your running shoes ready to go? We just updated our 5K Races Guide list for 2024! Sign up now and let’s get moving!
Seeds Of Resistance! Calling All Hudson Valley Creatives!
Submit to our Zine!
Creators of all kinds and ages are encouraged to submit
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2024 at 11:59pm
Size Parameters: 8.5 x 5.5” and 300 DPI
Link to Submit >
Beacon’s Parade of Green was Saturday March 9, 2024. There was a threat of rain, but none drizzled. The luck of the Irish prevailed. However, ALBB prefers a parade blizzard.
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Nancy Brownell, wife of former auto dealer owner on Rte 52 Rick Brownell, passed away on February 7th at age 58 surrounded by family. She and Rick have two sons, Tyler Brownell and Justin Brownell. Nancy could be seen in Beacon often, and was known for her fashion and stylish shoes. She was involved with the Parade of Green, which this year, shares her birthday of March 9th, 2024. Her husband had posters created in her honor to celebrate. The parade kicks off at 12pm and goes down Main Street starting at Pohill Park.
Nancy was a lifelong Hudson Valley resident who devoted much of her time to servicing others. Nancy was an active philanthropist and held volunteer positions at organizations including Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Estate Planning Council of Putnam County, the Powelton Club and Ithaca College.
She earned a BS in Broadcast Journalism, Business Administration and Political Science from Ithaca College. After graduation, she joined her father’s company, Rossi Walling X-Ray Corporation, in Peekskill. She was an avid chef, gardener, skier and entertainer.
Today is International Women's Day, which has been a day for recognizing which women are not recognized. Beacon resident, Palestinian refugee and local business owner (Ziatun and Beacon Bread Company) Lena Jamal shared a post from The Slow Factory that we will quote here:
"This International Women’s Day we call on all who identify as feminists to engage in the lifelong unlearning of their biases and to be in solidarity with Palestinian women, Sudanese women, Congolese women who are experiencing an ongoing genocide.
"In Palestine, more than 9,000 women have been brutally killed by the Israeli Occupation. Sixty three women killed per day.
"In Sudan, 4 million Sudanese women & girls are at risk of sexual violence.
"In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 1 million women have been survivors of sexual violence.
"In Turtle Island aka the so called USA, 94% of fatal violence committed again Trans people are committed against Trans women."
Visit The Slow Factory’s post for this and several other quote posters you need to see.
“In the spirit of having dialogue, one could argue that a ceasefire resolution is spot on with what the Spirit of Beacon spirit would aim to accomplish: bringing together different community members in the public forum of City Hall to stand against murders of Palestinian doctors, journalists, parents, children, teachers, aid workers, donkeys, lambs, olive trees, and anything that is alive in Palestine. ”
ALBB’s Editor’s Note: Katie Hellmuth is the publisher and writer for A Little Beacon Blog, and former Chair for the Spirit of Beacon Day. She submitted her Letter to the Editor of the Highlands Current after she learned that Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek had compared the Spirit of Beacon Day to the genocide going on in Palestine by the Israeli government.
Her Letter as Printed Reads:
As the former Chair of the Spirit of Beacon Day, I am taken aback by Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek’s letter where his proposed local Beacon solution to addressing the war on Gaza would be to go the route of coming together to have something like a Spirit of Beacon Day Parade instead of passing a ceasefire resolution in Beacon. Rabbi Brent is responding to the request of several citizens of Beacon - Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Christian, Undeclared - to have a permeant ceasefire, return of all hostages and kidnapped and detained Palestinians, and the defunding of Israel by the Untied States (and by extension New York and Beacon tax dollars).
Rabbi Brent attempted to relate the mega homicide going on in Palestine right now to the racial riots by some of Beacon’s youth in 1977 which went on for some days. Those riots had physical clashes, but nothing close to the multination of bodies we have seen of the children of Gaza, where their parents and other community members are searching for their body parts, not knowing who they belong to. Not to mention digging Palestinians out of the rubble. Or the systematic destruction of schools, hospitals, mosques, churches that has occurred after October 7th, 2024, but also occurred before that date as well, under Israel’s occupation of Gaza, funding by the United States, and thus in part by New York and Beacon.
An important question that needs asked and answered is: If a ceasefire resolution in Beacon is so fruitless, then why the pushback against it? Rabbi Brent said it would “strain” if not “shred” the social fabric in Beacon. However, Beaconites who have family and land in Palestine are already strained as they text each morning and night to see if their family and friends are still alive. With the rejection of the consideration of a ceasefire resolution, the community who supports Palestine feels even more not seen or heard.
In the spirit of having dialogue, one could argue that a ceasefire resolution is spot on with what the Spirit of Beacon spirit would aim to accomplish: bringing together different community members in the public forum of City Hall to stand against murders of Palestinian doctors, journalists, parents, children, teachers, aid workers, donkeys, lambs, olive trees, and anything that is alive in Palestine.
Katie Hellmuth
Former Chair of the Spirit of Beacon Day
Publisher A Little Beacon Blog
My name is Lila Barchetto, I am a Jewish Beacon resident of 10 years and I fully support our City of Beacon passing a ceasefire resolution.
Our tax dollars are funding the Genocide of Palestinian people, the collective punishment of innocent men, women, and children. Israel is an apartheid state, a colonial project, and a racist theocratic ethnostate that has not and will not save Jews from anti-semitism globally.
Beacon owes no allegiance to Israel. And neither do Jews for that matter. "Bibi'' Netanyahu and his fascist cabinet do not care what our little city does. Netanyahu doesn't care what President Biden says or what The International Court of Justice rules. The Israeli government has spoken clearly and plainly that they wish to annihilate Gaza and murder as many Palestinians as possible. The Israeli government has repeatedly prioritized vengeance over freeing hostages. Not even the lives of their own citizens could deter Israel's goal of total destruction, ethnocide, and genocide in Gaza. There is no complication. By calling for a ceasefire Beacon is taking a stand for its residents and is sending a message to the state and federal Government that we do not condone genocide. We do not accept that our tax dollars are funding Israel's Genocide of Palestine.
There is nothing anti-semitic in the language of this resolution. The purposeful conflation of Jewishness with Israel is at its core anti-semitic. The redundant lamentings of long standing "complications" to this issue is willfully distracting and deeply patronizing. Please, speak plainly about what this "slippery slope" is descending into. Take the time to be specific, and tell us what is so complicated. If the opposition to this resolution can not do that, then they have said nothing.
The City Council should pass this resolution to ensure that we truly are the "welcoming, safe and inclusive city" we claim to be. Israel's Genocide of the Palestinian people is costing Beacon an average $200,000 taxpayer dollars annually. The environmental cost is beyond measure. I can not overstate the cost to our collective and individual humanity if we do not act now as a community and call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Ceasefire Resolution passed in Beacon! The entire night was dedicated to hearing from the public (except for the decision on what fencing company to award the bid to for Wee Play Tot Park, and the Fire Department Volunteer Members who Qualify for Length of Service Award Program Contribution for 2023.)
The council then debated from 10:30-11pm on a different draft of what was made available to the public, and then voted.
Councilmember Molly Rhodes: Yes
Councilmember Jeffrey Domanski: Abstain
Councilmember Amber Grant: Yes
Mayor Lee Kyriacou: Abstain
Councilmember Paloma Wake: Yes
Councilmember Pam Wetherbee: Yes (after a long think)
Councilmember Dan Aymar-Blair: Yes
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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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St. Patrick’s Day Parade Of Green
